SAN DIEGO THEATRE SCENE

"CURTAIN CALLS" #266

By Pat Launer

www.sdtheatrescene.com

11/21/08

Deep in the Heartland, a Daughter’s half-crazy,

Kissing Kate and Driving Daisy.

Across the Great Divide

THE SHOW: Driving Miss Daisy, the first of Alfred Uhry’s ‘Atlanta Trilogy,’ inspired by his childhood memories of the assimilated Jews of his Southern hometown. The other two plays are the Tony Award-winner for Best Play of 1996, The Last Night of Ballyhoo (now playing at Scripps Ranch Theatre) and the musical Parade (Best Book of a Musical, 1998). Miss Daisy won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; the 1989 film garnered an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

THE STORY: After Daisy Werthan, age 72, crashes her brand new Packard, her son Boolie decides it’s time that she stop driving. She balks at a chauffeur and barely talks to Hoke Colburn after Boolie hires him. It’s days before she’ll let him drive her anywhere. She doesn’t want him, or anyone else, to do anything for her. Or to think she’s rich. But she is. And white. And Jewish. And privileged. Hoke is none of the above. But he can match her in stubbornness and will. Over the course of the next 25 years, from 1948-1973, they develop a cautious and then a mutually dependent and respectful relationship that transcends their many differences, as history swirls around them – Jim Crow laws, anti-Semitism, Martin Luther King, Civil Rights. It’s a touching microcosm of the potential for race relations in America, especially poignant this election season.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: Earlier this year, Moonlight Stage Productions mounted a staged reading of the play, starring Sandra Ellis-Troy and Antonio ‘TJ’ Johnson. It was so well received that a full production was a logical choice for the winter season. And an excellent decision that was. Ellis-Troy and Johnson are superb in their roles. Under the precise and detailed direction of Dana Case, the nuances of their evolving friendship are underscored, and those dangling scenes (the whole, intermissionless play is like a series of snapshots over time) are ‘buttoned’ effectively. It’s thrilling to watch the two actors age over time. Ellis-Troy gets more bent-over and frail and her mind begins to wander. Hoke is younger than Daisy (she’s 97 by the end), but Johnson becomes increasingly gray and stooped, still retaining his impressive sense of dignity. Running interference between them, in the often thankless role of Boolie, is Howard Bickle, Jr., making a very welcome return to local stages (he’s been saving animals for the past few years). Bickle brings depth to what could be a mere plot device, and creates a character both loving and frustrated in his interactions with his strong-willed mother, who obviously has a less than pleasant relationship with Boolie’s Episcopalian-wannabe wife. As the older folks diminish and degrade, Boolie ascends in wealth and status (and gets a little gray, pouchy and distinguished in the process).

Marty Burnett’s suggestive set has three playing spaces: Boolie’s office, Daisy’s parlor (backed by stately, Greco-Roman pillars), and the inevitable car, two bench-seats that form the backdrop for many of the arguments and alliances of the two main characters. Each area is well lit by Ashley Jenks. Roslyn Lehman’s costumes aptly and subtly change with the times, ages and styles, and dialect coach Annie Hinton has done a fine job with the Southern accents. The play is a study in balance and parallel construction, and the ending is accompanied by a room-full of well-deserved sniffles. It’s a wholly satisfying experience.

THE LOCATION: Moonlight Stage Productions, through 11/30

BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet

Deutschland in the Heartland

THE SHOW: Heartland, a world premiere drama by two local playwrights, Anita Simons and Lauren Simon. This is their second collaboration (Ladies First was their first). Heartland won accolades at the Dayton Playhouse FutureFest 2008 and the 2008 Long Beach Playhouse New Works Festival. Simons and director Eric Bishop met last year at the Patté Awards, where Bishop, chair of the Mira Costa College Performing and Media Arts Department, was honored as Best Director. That initial connection proved felicitous, and the two writers were in residence at the college during the rehearsal period, tweaking the play as they saw it unfold onstage. The resulting production has been entered into this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

THE BACKSTORY: Intrigued and stirred by a PBS documentary, the playwrights delved into the treatment of German-Americans during World War II, a dark and obscure chapter of our history. We are all familiar with the internment of Japanese-Americans. But what was done to German-Americans has gotten much less attention. From 1941-1945, the U.S. government imprisoned nearly 11,000 German-Americans, who were forced to face interrogation, internment and deportation. Some were held in captivity even after the war. All told, more than 1000 German-Americans, including their American-born children, were expatriated to Germany against their will. Two of those children, now middle-aged, came to speak to the audience after the Saturday matinee performance of Heartland, which tackles yet another little-known piece of our history. From 1943-1946, in an effort to “re-educate” prisoners of war in the American way of life, German POWs (along with those from Italy and Japan) were permitted to do factory and farmwork in the heartland. These wartime activities are conflated in the new play.

THE STORY: The drama is set in 1945, on a family-owned Wisconsin dairy farm. Shortly before the father died, he arranged to participate in the POW work program. This was a welcome relief for the Gertzoffs, since the widowed mother Berta and her two daughters can’t handle all the work, and the son is too young for all but the most basic tasks. Sonya, the eldest, is hellbent on keeping the farm running, as her father would have wanted. Emma is less grounded, more starry-eyed, her interests leaning to “hep-talk” and swing dancing more than milking and farming. Enter POWs Gunter and Rolf. Young Peter is fascinated by the Germans, goose-stepping behind them and drawing swastikas on his arm. Soon, the swastikas are forcibly painted on him by angry, taunting neighborhood kids. As the hard-working German soldiers become more indispensable to the farm and the family, they’re welcomed into the household, to the delight of Emma, who’s entranced by Rolf, but to the increasing dismay of the busybody neighbor Peggy and her self-righteous husband, Jack. Pretty soon, the FBI shows up in the middle of the night, removing the Germans and dragging off Berta, first to a detention center, then a “family camp,” and finally threatening deportation to Germany. Instead of following her to the camp, her children decide to stick it out on the farm. This decision has repercussions for everyone.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: The story is shocking; for me it was revelatory. Deporting our own citizens? Who knew? But the play, while conveying historical information, is not in the slightest didactic. It’s a family story, a tale of survival and acquiescence, of racism, of neighbor against neighbor. Not a pretty picture, or an attractive chapter of American history. But the characters are well drawn, the dialogue is consistently credible, and the German language and accents are excellently conveyed (thanks to dialect coach Gedaly Guberek and German consultant Christine Agresti). The talented students also had to learn a bit of swing dancing and concertina-playing. Very impressive.

At the helm is director Bishop, mining the emotional depths, using pauses to excellent effect, and making the most of his students’ abilities. Under his taut and expert direction, each carves out a credible character. Mary Tarantino-Relator is the stalwart mother, always protecting her children and believing everything will be all right – until it isn’t, and she snaps. Amanda Dane is wonderful as the tomboyish, no-nonsense older daughter Sonya, who works like a dog (or here, like a man) and doggedly wants only to honor her father’s memory and desires. Blonde and feminine Emma is a dreamer, and Rolf (engaging Ryan Kidd) shares that sensibility, and the belief that some day they can be together. Michael Philip Thomas’ Gunther is downright frightening; with his blond, slicked-back hair, he looks very much the grown-up Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth). Meg Johnson has just the right tone as the priggish, sanctimonious Peggy, and Bernard X. Kopsho (the only alumnus in the production), is perfect as the self-satisfied banking ‘do-gooder’ whose motives we never quite trust. Twelve year-old Teddy Blessing is a veteran of five Mira Costa productions, and he handles Peter’s emotional ups and downs with aplomb (Bishop says Blessing is a pro all the way, in demeanor and preparation).

Once again, Bishop has placed the action on the stage of the attractive college theater, so the audience surrounds the often-intense action. The set (Dixon Fish) works well, but is a bit fussy in the frequent scene-changes. The original music (Christy Coobatis) is a tad overwrought at times, but the sound design (gunshot, old radio shows and music) captures the tone of the period. The lighting (Paul Canaletti, Jr.) is effective, and the costumes (Roslyn Lehman) nicely define character.

It’s a testament to the writers, director and actors that we get completely caught up in the characters’ lives, while at the same time, we’re appalled by what their story tells us about our own history. I hope the play has a long and fruitful future.

THE LOCATION: Mira Costa College, through 11/23

BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet

Tarantara!

THE SHOW: Daughter of the Regiment, the 1840 comic opera by Gaetano Donizetti. The French libretto is by Georges Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. The less-than-poetic English version (uncredited in the program) was presented in London and New Orleans later in the 1840s. Luciano Pavarotti’s star was launched when he sang the role opposite Joan Sutherland. More recently, Juan Diego Florez’s performance as Tonio at La Scala broke a 74-year embargo on encores, a feat he repeated on the opening night of a new production at the Metropolitan Opera in April 2008, with Natalie Dessay as Marie. This past spring, the Met production was broadcast in movie theaters worldwide.

THE STORY: The Marquise of Berkenfield and her butler are waylaid on their journey to Austria, because a skirmish has broken out. Though she’s fearful of the soldiers, the Marquise comments on the rude manners of the French (“Pour une femme de mon nom”). Sulpice, the take-charge sergeant of the 21^st regiment, assures everyone that his men will restore peace and order. He is joined by Marie, the mascot, or ‘daughter,’ of the regiment, which adopted her as an orphaned child. Marie admits to having fallen in love with a young Tyrolean, Tonio, who once saved her life. The soldiers have taken him prisoner; they will only allow Marie to marry someone from their regiment. The Marquise admits to knowing of Marie’s past (she is later revealed to be Marie’s mother), and takes the young woman to her castle, in order to ‘civilize’ the rough-hewn girl. The Marquise arranges a marriage for Marie to the Duke of Krakenthorp. The Regiment rushes in, along with fellow soldier Tonio, to prevent the marriage. The Marquise relents, when she sees the true affection between Tonio and Marie, and the guests celebrate the triumph of love, while all sing an anthem to France.

THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: For the second production of its 30^th anniversary season, Lyric Opera, under the direction of Jack Montgomery and the baton of Leon Natker, has amassed an impressive array of singers and musicians. The 34-piece orchestra sounds robust and aptly martial (the horns are especially forceful). The rented sets and costumes are quite attractive, and give an appropriately alpine feel to the proceedings. The chorus of 26 acquits themselves well; the Regiment is particularly vigorous. Though the opera is best known for its soaring tenor turn ("Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!"), it’s the soprano who steals the show. Emily Douglass has a clear, bright and supple voice and she handles the coloratura passages with brilliance. Her acting is equally endearing and convincing. John Zuckerman’s tenor seems somewhat more effortful, though their dramatic connection is palpable. As the Marquise and the Grand Duchess, Martha Jane Weaver and Teresa Fishlowitz play a little too broadly and over-the-top, which diminishes the emotional power of the plot revelations and deep feelings of the Marquise. As Sergeant Sulpice, Rich-voiced bass Walter DuMelle is wonderful, with his vocal prowess and comic chops. The pace of the production is sluggish at times, though the towering score brings us back to the sometimes-silly story and makes us rejoice, along with the cast, at the all’s-well-that-ends-well conclusion.

THE LOCATION: Lyric Opera San Diego, through 11/23

Another Op’nin, Another Show…

I caught a matinee performance in the short run of Arts Off Broadway’s Kiss Me, Kate, that magnificent, Cole Porter play-within-a play, which parallels the onstage antics of The Taming of the Shrew with the offstage antics of a traveling theater company. For this youth-and-adult community theater production, Jonathan Zierden co-directed (with Lenka Jurik), and he also played the secondary lead, Bill Calhoun/Lucentio. He and Margot Nelson as Lois Lane/Bianca were adorable together; both are talented singer/actor/comics who move quite well. Charles Hand had just the right bravado and panache as Fred/Petruchio, and his voice is as powerful and booming as the often-insufferable character demands. Jodi Villareal was less perfectly matched to her role (Lilli Vanessi), though she has a pleasant voice. Mark Wasserman and KUSI’s Doug Friedman (whose son Robbie cavorted as suitor Gremio), were highly amusing as the Gangsters in the baggy pants, vaudevillian shtick-singing of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” which they took into the audience for a little dancing participation. Speaking of dance, there was far too much of it in this production, especially given the few terpsichorean talents in the group. The direction was overly fussy overall. One noteworthy standout was 18 year-old Palomar College student Trevor Sanderson, who is a mega-talent in the making. He has tremendous stage presence, an easy affability, wonderful vocal chops and dancerly grace; he knocked “Too Darn Hot” outta the park. Watch this guy and remember his name. Better yet, cast him -- soon! He’s definitely going places.

NEWS AND VIEWS

… Dreyfuss Does Diego… Academy Award-winning actor and recently transplanted San Diego resident Richard Dreyfuss will be appearing at SDSU for “An Evening of Post-Election Discourse.” His long-time concern, as a political activist, is “our nation’s inability to sustain outrage and curiosity, and the urgent need for true civic engagement in America.” To that end, he’s established the Dreyfuss Initiative, dedicated to returning civics curriculum to American classrooms, grades K-12. Dreyfuss is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. His lectures have been heard around the country (Harvard, Yale, the National Press Club) and beyond (the London School of Economics). In addition to his many film projects (he recently won acclaim for his portrayal of Dick Cheney in “W”), he’s about to star in the world premiere of Complicit, to be directed by fellow Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, at London’s Old Vic. Now that he’s a full-time San Diego resident, maybe someone can coax him onto our stages! Hear what he has to say about “Common Senselessness: Political Power and the Alice in Wonderland of American Politics.” Monday, Nov. 24, 7-8:30pm in the Don Powell Theatre at San Diego State University. 801-594-2078; psfa.reservations@mail.sdsu.edu.

… Vote for the Arts… The Arts Action Fund of Americans for the Arts wants to engage citizens in arts education and advocacy. Their goal is to mobilize one million citizen activists by 2013, to help ensure that arts-friendly policies are adopted at the federal, state and local levels. It doesn’t take much to become an Advocate Member. And it doesn’t cost a thing. Get more info and join up at www.artsactionfund.org.

… Restoration Drama… Lyric Opera San Diego is duly proud that the San Diego Architectural Foundation has awarded an ‘Orchid’ for Historic Preservation to the Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre. The Foundation noted that this is “an excellent example of how a building can transform a community. The theater serves as the focal point for renewed nightlife on University Avenue and has unified the existing cultural centers in the area.” “This prestigious award comes just three years after the Theatre’s re-opening,” crowed Lyric Opera General Director Leon Natker. “And in those three years, the theater has already served nearly 300,000 visitors.” The 700-seat theater was built in 1928, in the “Moorish-deco” style, and was lovingly restored by Lyric Opera and friends.

… Benny’s Back… TV and voiceover talent Eddie Carroll will be in town for one night only in his acclaimed solo performance as beloved comedian Jack Benny. Laughter in Bloom tells of Benny’s rich and colorful life and six-decade career, which ranged from vaudeville to film, from Broadway to radio and television. For more than a decade Carroll has been performing and perfecting the piece he created. The Los Angeles Times said “Carroll’s performance is startlingly on the mark in look, attitude, vocal inflection, movement and reaction time.” “Carroll doesn’t just do Benny,” said the San Francisco Chronicle. “His IS Benny.” This might make the perfect stocking-stuffer for that nostalgic, hard-to-shop-for family member. At the Balboa Theatre, Sunday, December 7, 3pm.

…Cowardly Armenian… Chronos Theatre Group presents a staged reading of Nazar the Brave, an Armenian comedy about a coward who’s mistaken for a hero. The 1923 play will be performed by 12 local actors, backed by traditional Armenian music, original compositions by Charles Wallace and choreography by Lorena Santana. Celeste Innocenti directs. December 8, 7:30pm in the Lyceum Theatre. www.chronostheatre.com.

… Tempest in a Teapot … The San Diego Shakespeare Society presents a staged reading of The Tempest, featuring Old Globe associate artist Kandis Chappell as Prospero. November 24 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Point Loma. www.sandiegoshakespearesociety.org

… Spotlight on SDSU… The new MFA students in musical theater at SDSU, class of 2010, will present their first Portfolio Performance, featuring music from some of America’s greatest composers: Rodgers and Hammerstein, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser and many more. Proceeds support the SDSU Musical Theatre Program. December 8, 7:30pm at Cygnet Theatre/Rolando.

…Ovation for San Diegans… Some local theater artists fared well in the 2008 Ovation Awards, the L.A. Stage Alliances honors. D.W. Jacobs, co-founder of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, wrote R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe, which won for Best Play in a Large Theatre (Rubicon Theatre Company). Robert J. Townsend, who makes regular appearances in local productions, was named Lead Actor in a Musical for his double-whammy performance in Jekyll and Hyde at Cabrillo Music Theatre. For that production, Nick DeGruccio (who directed San Diego Musical Theatre’s inaugural production, The Full Monty) won for Best Direction of a Musical.

… Come Saturday Morning… Beginning December 7, my Friday theater reviews on KSDS, Jazz 88.3FM, will be reprised on Saturday mornings. 9am both days. Tune in!

… Get an Early Taste of Patté… Reserve your tickets or table NOW for the 12^th annual Patté Awards for Theater Excellence. www.thepattefoundation.org.

… Do Your Part for SDTheatrescene!!... You appreciate this weekly newsletter (I know you do!!)… so why not help it keep doing what it does… Times are tough, and the newsletter requires a lot of effort and energy. All we’re asking is that you donate a measly 12 bucks, just a dollar a month, to help sustain sdtheatrescene. Your little bit will go a long way toward defraying costs. Send a check to San Diego Theatre Scene, Inc., c/o Dale Morris, 515 Pennsylvania Ave #1, SD 92103, or just click here to make your tax-deductible $12 donation online. Thanks!

'NOT TO BE MISSED!' (Pat’s Picks)

Driving Miss Daisy – marvelously directed and performed

Moonlight Stage Productions, through 11/30

Heartland – excellent production, enlightening drama of a little-known, dark corner of our history

Mira Costa College, through 11/23

The Last Night of Ballyhoo – funny and thought-provoking play, lovely performances

Scripps Ranch Theatre, through 12/6

George Orwell’s 1984 – powerful and frightening; a scary story, well told

OnStage Productions, through 11/29

Don’t Dress for Dinner – wacky farce, wonderfully done

North Coast Repertory Theatre, EXTENDED through 11/23

Boomers - you gotta love it, even if you aren’t one. Fabulous band, super songs, high-energy performances

Lamb’s Players at the Horton Grand Theatre, an open-ended run, now selling through 12/31

Give thanks for what you’ve got next week… and share a little of your gratitude (and generosity) with a local theater!

© 2008 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.

For nearly 25 years, Pat Launer has been the only regular broadcast theater critic in San Diego. An Emmy Award-winner with a Ph.D. in Communication Arts & Sciences, Pat sees and reviews more than 200 local theater productions every year. For the past decade, she has hosted and produced The Patté Awards for Theatre Excellence, a gala community event that honors local theatermakers and celebrates the broad diversity of San Diego theater.