Pat Launer on San Diego Theater
By Pat Launer, SDNN
January 21, 2010
Something
Fishy
THE SHOW: “boom!,”
a 2008 doomsday comedy, at San Diego Repertory
Theatre
The Big One is on its way. Not a bomb or tsunami, earthquake or nuclear
accident. A giant comet is headed toward us, guaranteeing the earth’s total
annihilation. Jules (named for Jules Verne), a nerdy marine biologist, is so
convinced of the accuracy of his prediction (after all, he confirmed it by
studying the altered sleeping patterns of tropical fish!), that he’s built an
underground shelter and stocked it with two years’ worth of supplies (ranging
from bourbon to diapers). And he’s done what any red-blooded American male would
do in such a dire circumstance: he put an ad on Craigslist, in a pointed search
for the ideal woman to help him re-populate the planet. He doesn’t actually say
that, though. What he says he’s looking for is “intensely significant coupling…
sex to change the course of the world.”
What he gets is an angry, nihilistic, filthy-mouthed journalism undergrad who detests him on sight, finds his inadvertent
kiss repulsive and wouldn’t touch him sexually with a 20-foot pole – and that’s
before she finds out he’s gay. She just answered the ad to fulfill a
class assignment: Find a story that makes you find honest, genuine hope. She
thinks that “random sex is the last glimmer of hope in a decaying society.” But before seven minutes go by, the Big One hits.
Welcome to the wacky world of “boom,” by young, San Francisco-based
playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. According to the
Theatre Communications Group, this is the most produced modern play of the
year. Nachtrieb actually has a degree in Biology from
Trapped in the inescapable reality of total devastation and a “freezing,
endless night” outside the mega-locked door, there’s plenty of time, Jules
says. “We could actually finish a Thomas Pynchon novel!” There are other
clever, topical (and dated) cultural references – to “Halliburton shale,” Cormac McCarthy, Verizon reception, Jake Gyllenhall and “Road Warrior.”
“I am not some experiment,” Jo exclaims, while insisting that she hates
babies: “they bother me philosophically.” “You don’t want eggs from this
basket,” she asserts, pointing in the direction of her womb. “They’re cracked.
I’m not meant to be a creator of spawn.“ She also has
a little affliction; she passes out when she perceives danger. She’s been
dubbed a “human canary,” because any time she senses impending doom, she is
immediately rendered unconscious. Needless to say, she’s knocked out a number
of times, especially whenever she tries to escape.
Before Jules’ planned survival strategies kick in, their food storage is
destroyed, and things begin to look genuinely dire, even for the fish in the
tank center-stage. Periodically, the action is summarily halted, by an odd
wizardly woman who introduces herself as Barbara, the disaffected tour guide at
a museum millions of years hence. She tells us her own personal genesis story,
and she pulls levers to control the lights, sound and animation of this
historical re-enactment, punctuating the onstage action with her “passion,
finesse and percussion.” And so we’re watching a play within a play, and a
story within a story.
In 90 fast-paced minutes, director
Wonderful performances all around, and excellent
direction. The costumes (Jennifer Brawn Gittings) are wild and whimsical, from
the pert little outfit on Jo to the weird-shaped headpiece on Barbara. The
provocative sound (Tom Jones) complements the superb scenic, lighting and
projection design (David Lee Cuthbert, making a very welcome return from the
north; he’s currently chair of UC Santa Cruz’s Theater Arts Department. His
wife, former Sledgehammer Theatre artistic director
Long before the ending, my husband figured out exactly where the piece
was headed. I’m no sci-fi fan or aficionado, so I just floated along with it,
you might say. Both of us were intrigued, but not totally satisfied with the
play. But it was a kick watching it all unfold before us.
THE LOCATION: San Diego Repertory Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza.
(619) 544-1000; www.sdrep.org
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$18-47. Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.,
Sunday at 2 p.m., through February 7.
THE
BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
Flo-Fo
THE SHOW:
“Glorious, The True Story of
If this were fiction, you’d never buy it. “Glorious” is loosely,
creatively based on the unbelievable but true story of Florence Foster Jenkins
(Flo-Fo in the current vernacular), who died in 1944
at age 76. The incredible part is, she was a
performing soprano who had a complete lack of ability to sing. By all accounts,
she had a tin ear, no sense of pitch, erratic diction, erratic tempo and
rhythm, and she couldn’t sustain a note to save her life. One brief bio I found
said “Jenkins’ voice was high,
scrawny, and seemed to have a mind of its own, warbling its way through
difficult coloratura arias with the grace and control of an upright piano
pushed down a spiral staircase.”
But in her mind, she was virtuosic.
Her passion and outrageous costumes catapulted her to fame in
She was undoubtedly part novelty act, and she definitely had her
detractors (one of whom, probably fictional, appears in the play). But people
were startlingly loyal to her. And that includes her long-time accompanist, Cosme McMoon, a prodigy pianist
whom she rescued from a dead-end piano-playing job (at least that’s how the
play tells it; other accounts say he was gainfully employed as a piano teacher
and composer at the time). A flamboyant eccentric, well known in
He’s the narrator of the play, and he tries to be honest about her
personality and skills, though (in the person of funnyman
The story is so irresistible that it’s actually been the inspiration for
three plays: one created by Chris Balance, that had a run at the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival; “Souvenir,” by Stephen Temperley,
which opened on Broadway in 2005, starring Judy Kaye (who’s currently in San
Diego to star in the Old Globe production of “Lost in Yonkers”); and Peter
Quilter’s “Glorious,” which premiered in London in 2005 and has since been
performed in more than 20 countries.
Since Jenkins created her own image and perpetuated her own myths, it’s
hard to know exactly which parts of the story are fact
or fiction. But she did leave behind a recording (the session at the Melotone Studios is briefly re-created in the play),
posthumously released. It was called “The Glory (????) of
the Human Voice.” The liner notes refer to her as “the first lady of the
sliding scale.” A subsequent record, containing all nine of her signature
arias, was called “Murder on the High Cs.”
It isn’t easy to intentionally sing that terribly, especially if you’re a
good singer. As Judy Kaye, who spent years in “Souvenir,” once said, “It’s hard work to sing badly well. You could sing badly badly for awhile,
but you’ll hurt yourself if you do it for long.”
At North Coast Repertory Theatre,
McBean is a delight as Cosme, and Annie Hinton is funny in all three of her roles:
a surly Mexican maid, one of Jenkins’ cheerful devotees, and a haughty fellow
socialite who disdains every note the ‘diva’ produced.
Director
The characters make for amusing company, and the story is undeniably
compelling. But the conceit wears out its welcome before two acts are over.
Still, the cast is outstanding, and a marvel to watch.
THE LOCATION: North Coast Repertory Theatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$30-47. Thursday-Saturday
at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m., with selected Saturday matinee and Wednesday
evening performances, through February 7.
THE
BOTTOM LINE: Good Bet
Singin’ the Baby Blues
THE SHOW:
“Expecting Isabel,” a 1998 comedy by Lisa Loomer, presented by Moxie Theatre
Art imitates life (more or less), once again. As the malleable cast of
“Expecting Isabel” worked out their various characters, they were confronted
daily with the specter of their very pregnant director, who was hoping she’d
hold out long enough to make it to opening night! The play is about infertility, and Jennifer
Eve Thorn presented a constant reminder of what was at stake for the lead
characters.
Miranda (
That turns out to be adoption. So, in the second act, they go through all
the comparable machinations of this hellish path to parenthood: no normal babies available, wacko preggos
who ‘interview’ them, take their money and then change their minds. It’s
another harrowing series of experiences, narrated by Miranda, the pessimist in
the family, with comments/arguments inserted by Nick, an eternal optimist. He’s
a sculptor who sees beauty in everything; she’s a greeting card writer who gets
too maudlin and emotional as her unsuccessful efforts begin to wear her down,
and she loses her job.
It’s a 1998 play that feels fresh in its ideas, but not fully satisfying
in its execution. Loomer is a fascinating playwright
who often brings a feminist slant to her work, most conspicuously in her
outstanding 1994 creation, “The Waiting Room,” which brought together three
women from different time periods, each suffering from the effects of their
society’s vision of beauty and the cosmetic body modifications aimed at
achieving it (only performed in San Diego by the Theatre students of SDSU,
2005). Both plays won Loomer the American Theatre
Critics Association Steinberg New Play Award. But that one was more deeply
provocative than this one.
Still, it does give a glimpse, however comically framed, of a harrowing
experience for many couples these days, who wait too
long or change their minds, or are otherwise unable to conceive in the usual
way.
The Moxie Theatre production is delightful. Glover and Elton, a real-life
couple offstage, have excellent energy, chemistry and credibility. And the rest
of the ensemble is a hoot, each creating multiple characters – from Nick’s
wild, over-the-top Bronx Italian family (
The bright design (set by Mia Bane Jacobs; costumes by Corey Johnston;
lighting by Ashley Jenks; sound by Matt Lescault-Wood)
maintain the colorful simplicity of the story that masks something much more
dark and painful underneath. There’s a warm conclusion but the play feels a tad
forced and underdeveloped. No complains with the production, though. It’s a
bubbly, bouncing baby, for sure.
THE LOCATION: Moxie Theatre at their new Rolando Theatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$20-35. Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.,
Sunday at 2 p.m., through February 7.
THE
BOTTOM LINE: Good Bet
Bad
Boys Behaving Badly
THE SHOW: “Hurlyburly,” a dark 1998
comedy, presented by ion theatre
The title comes from Shakespeare (“Macbeth,” to be precise) but the
characters come from Hell. That would be
David Rabe’s “Hurlyburly”
is strictly a man’s world, a dog-eat-dog, competitive place of ball-busting
betrayal and pseudo-friendship, a coked-up, booze-fueled search for meaning in
repulsively, reprehensibly meaningless lives. This is a place where one guy
brings over a “gift” of a young teenage runaway he found in a hotel elevator;
they pass her around like a hash pipe.
Eddie is the most hyperverbal – and in the hands of Francis Gercke, the
most hyperactive – of the four. He practically ricochets off the walls,
imbibing any mind-bending substance he can get his hands on, trying to engage
his terminally sarcastic, detached and cruelly manipulative roommate, Mickey (
The volatility and violence quotient rises significantly when Phil, the
ex-con wannabe actor, is around. He’s a loudly ticking bomb, who takes out his
frustrations and failures on whatever female is at hand: his current wife (he
punches her in the face) or any other “bimbo,” “broad” or “bitch” (the only way
these pigs refer to women), especially the one his buddies call in to calm him
down after a hard night (he pushes her out of a moving car).
Phil also kidnaps his baby from his estranged wife, which oddly enough,
provides the play’s only tender-hearted moment. As each man in turn holds the
tiny infant, he reveals a genuinely soft-hearted side. But then, in a flash,
one of them reminds them that this little thing will just grow up into another
‘broad.’
The females who swim around these bottom-dwellers have a few scruples and
a bit of spine, but not much, and not enough to steer them clear of these
creeps.
ion theatre co-founder and producing artistic director
THE LOCATION: ion theatre at diversionary Theatre,
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$10-25. Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m.,
Saturday at 4 and 9 p.m., through January 31.
NEWS
AND VIEWS
… Street Lights Go Out: The Old Globe’s premiere production of “Street Lights,” the latest hip hop musical that was set to open at Lincoln
High School February 20 and transfer to the Globe (like last year’s “Kingdom”)
has been put on indefinite hold. Surprising, since the Sneak Preview, presented
for the press and invited guests as part of a weeklong workshop, suggested that the show was in very promising condition. All
the young creators, including composer/lyricist Joe Drymala, a former Howard Dean
speechwriter, were present and energetic; everyone seemed very pleased with how
things were going. The Globe’s announcement noted that “the musical will
continue to be developed to better accommodate the addition of new material and
other desired changes by the creative team discovered through the workshop
process.” More info here as it becomes available.
… Jason Does San Diego: Tony Award-winning
composer Jason Robert Brown, whose
mind-blowing “Parade” was recently presented magnificently at the Mark Taper
Forum in L.A. (only his musicals “Songs for a New World” and “The Last Five
Years” have been produced locally), made a freeway trip down south to San Diego
to work with the cast of his musical, “13,”
which is currently receiving its local premiere. The California
Youth Conservatory (CYC Theatre)
snagged first local rights to the show, about a 13 year-old who, on the cusp of
his bar mitzvah, moves from
… Harvey Rules!: The SDSU production of “Dear Harvey” has been selected to
participate in the Southwest Regional
Finals for the Kennedy Center’s
American College Theater Festival in St. George, Utah. If the show does
well there, the production will move on to the
…Shakespeare in Action: The San Diego Shakespeare Society is launching the year-long celebration
of its 10th anniversary with “A
Shakespeare Sampler,” an afternoon featuring Student Shakespeare Festival
performances (from
… Bardomania:
The recently formed Intrepid Shakespeare
Company, which is dedicated to “bringing the classics to life for a modern
audience,” is launching a school program called “Shakespeare for a New Generation.” The education tour, which will
run from April to June, features 50-minute versions of “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream” (grades 3-8) and “Romeo and Juliet” (high school). In their “Day of
Shakespeare” presentations, students receive six in-class workshops during the
course of one day, culminating in one of the two age-appropriate performances.
“Playshops” will also be offered; these are hour-long
workshops focusing an any one specific play requested
by the school or teacher. Intrepid, founded by
… Feverish!: Compass Theatre, which is about to close its doors after nine
years, is presenting a reprise of a magnificent solo performance: Bryan Bevell, former artistic director
of the Fritz Theatre, in Wallace Shawn’s haunting, harrowing politically edgy
drama, “The Fever.” Bevell, who
currently lives in
… Dancing to Kurt
Weill: Mojalet Dance Collective is presenting a
concert of music and dance, with its artistic director Faith Jensen-Ismay dancing
to the stylings of soprano Stacey Fraser and pianist
Josh Tuburan, playing the songs of the highly
influential composer Kurt Weill. February 6 (8 p.m.)
and 7 (2 p.m.) in the SDSU Studio Theatre. Info at (858) 243-1402; box
office: (619) 594-1696.
… Isadora is Back!:
Speaking of dance, the
… And more dance: Just two more weekends of
…The Stages of Black History Month:
Common Ground Theatre, in conjunction with the Ira Aldridge Repertory Players,
San Diego Black Ensemble Theatre and Vagabond Theatre, is presenting “On the Horizon,” a playwright reading
series featuring new plays by writers of diversity, as a celebration of Black
History Month. Performances will take place at the Lyceum Underground in
… Tyler Perry Hits the Stage – and the
road: Actor, writer, director and producer Tyler Perry has had success with his movies, including “Diary of a
Mad Black Woman” and “Madea’s Family Reunion.” He
also served as an executive producer for the recent film, “Precious.” Now he’s
returning to the stage with a new play showcasing the tribulations of his most
famous character. “Madea’s Big Happy Family” began a national
tour in
… Judy, Judy, Judy: Veteran Broadway
actor/singer Judy Kaye, in town to
star in the Old Globe production of
“Lost in
… Mimi Replacement: Soprano Ellie Dehn
has replaced Anja Harteros
in the San Diego Opera’s
season-opener, “La Bohème.” According to the company,
Harteros withdrew for “private and personal reasons.”
She is expected to be back in
… Patté Fever!: The 13th Annual Patté Awards for
Theater Excellence was a huge success, with a wildly enthusiastic sellout
crowd at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter. Watch the video interview with SDNN
arts/entertainment editor
PAT’S PICKS: BEST
BETS
v “Expecting Isabel” – comedy on a serious
theme (infertility); lightweight but well done
Moxie
Theatre, through 2/7
v “Glorious” – crazy story, based in fact,
wonderfully performed
North
Coast Repertory Theatre, through 2/7
v “boom” – wacky, sci-fi comedy, excellently
acted and directed
San
Diego Repertory Theatre, through 1/31
v “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” –
rich, deep, funny, provocative (in concepts and language)
Triad
Productions at the
Read Review here:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-01-07/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/2010-theater-preview-plus-judas-iscariot-review-news
Pat Launer is the
SDNN theater critic.
To
read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat Launer,’ and the name of the play of
interest, into the SDNN Search box.