Pat
Launer on San Diego Theater
By Pat Launer, SDNN
July 1, 2010
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-06-30/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/%e2%80%98king-lear%e2%80%99-%e2%80%98-surf-report%e2%80%99-plus-more-theater-reviews
The
Vision Thing
THE PLAY: “King Lear,” Shakespeare’s masterwork, at the Old
Globe
The
eyes have it in “King Lear.” The dazzling play of parallels features
innumerable references to sight and vision. One myopic father,
The
filial ingratitude is matched only by the patriarchal pig-headedness. It all
stems from Lear’s desire to go into semi-retirement, dividing up his kingdom
among his three daughters. He saves the largest portion for his youngest and
best loved, Cordelia (USD/Old Globe MFA student Catherine Gowl).
But when she refuses to produce lavish protestations of love like her two-faced
sisters, he casts her off with unreasoned fury. When he finally realizes the
error of his ways, his arrogance and bitterness turn to humility and
forgiveness. But alas, it’s too late – for Cordelia
or his faithful Fool (Bruce Turk, solid), who’s accidentally stabbed in a
playful accident, rather than being hanged as in the text.
Adrian
Noble, former artistic director of
Moments
of beauty offset the violence, like the splendid opening scene, with fallen
leaves heaped around the stage (Lear in the autumn of his years?). But the set
(
And
so it goes in this production: some wonderful elements, some questionable. The
language is well spoken but in the seminal mad scene, the storm is so loud,
even bellowing his wrath and despair, Foxworth has a hard time being heard
above the din. His performance, like the character’s character, grows in
stature and grandeur over the course of the play. His late scenes are stunning
and heartbreaking.
This
is a good “Lear,” not a great one. But it’s always worth the opportunity to
spend time with the sadly broken families in this gut-wrenchingly brilliant
play.
THE LOCATION: The Old Globe’s
Festival Stage in
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$29-$78. “King Lear” runs in repertory (on selected evenings, Tuesday-Sunday),
alternating with “The Taming of the Shrew” and “The Madness of George III,” through
September 23
Bottom
Line: GOOD BET
Low Tide
THE PLAY: “Surf Report,” a world premiere, at the La Jolla
Playhouse
The
new play by Annie Weisman, erstwhile San Diegan who got her start as a statewide
winner of the Playwrights Project’s Plays by Young Writers contest, takes place
in our town. Unlike her perky, quirky first effort, “Be Aggressive,” also set
locally and also premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse (2001), this one’s all
foam, no curl.
The
characters are the main problem; besides being utterly unlikable, one and all,
they are stereotypical and trite: a beach-y/bitchy Valley Girl type; a wildly
wealthy venture capitalist who surfs daily and is a complete solipsist (the
rest are just narcissists); a workaholic woman slavishly devoted to said
investor, who repeatedly chooses to lavish her time and attention on him over
her confused, artist manqué daughter and hapless, cancer-riddled husband.
There
are some decidedly ugly interactions between Judith (Linda Gehringer)
and her middle-aged boss, Bruce (Gregory Harrison, who moves and talks like a
surfer – because he actually is one); and a barely believable scene between
Judith and her ailing, neglected, though not totally guiltless husband (Matthew
Arkin); and a couple of deliciously nasty
interactions between daughter Bethany (UCSD MFA student Zoë Chau)
and her former high school non-friend, Jena (Liv Rooth, recently seen at the Globe in another lightweight
comedy, “Boeing Boeing”). But the real focus here is
between mother and daughter, each of whom feels compelled to make contact (
There’s
a melodramatic Act One ender, and another climax comes when Judith tries to
pitch an investment idea to Bruce -- an experimental cure for cancer, instead
of the beauty- and youth-enhancing products he’s always supported – she’s
slapped down for “stepping over the line.”
Most
of what’s being said here is either flat, clichéd or, in the case of the blonde
bimbette
In
pre-production interviews, the L.A.-based Weisman (currently a writer for TV’s
“Desperate Housewives”) has said she was fascinated and inspired by the
unlikely juxtaposition of surf culture and biotech wizardry in
That’s
not to say she wasn’t given a gorgeous playground to mess around in. Rachel
Hauck’s suggestive set gives us a backdrop of huge waves and equally expansive
digs: Bruce’s modern, well-equipped oceanfront mansion. The lighting (
THE LOCATION:
THE DETAILS: Tickets:
$31-$66. Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at
7 p.m., through July 11
Mini Review
THE PLAY: “Engaged,” an early farcical comedy by W.S.
Gilbert (before he joined Sir Arthur Sullivan), presented by Talent to aMuse Theatre Company
Before
there was Gilbert and Sullivan, churning out a series of classic, clever
operettas (“The Mikado,” “H.M.S. Pinafore,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” and
more), wordsmith Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was
prolific in his own right, creating numerous plays, stories and poems. His most
successful, though rarely-seen, play is “Engaged” (1877), which foreshadowed some
of his satirical work with Sullivan. This piece takes as dim a view of marriage
as you’re likely to see (except in Oscar Wilde plays, for which Gilbert’s were
an inspiration).
Men
are fickle and feckless; women are beguiling and devious. The highest bidder
gets the spouse. In this sometimes witty, sometimes silly, convoluted morass of
characters, countries and plotlines, gender, age and class distinctions are
sharply drawn, and you need a scorecard to keep up with who’s about to wed
whom. It’s all harebrained fun, and Talent to aMuse,
under the direction of Welton Jones, has a field-day with it.
Gilbert
insisted, in his preface to the play: “It is absolutely essential… that [the
piece] be played with the most perfect earnestness and gravity throughout.
There should be no exaggeration in costume, makeup or demeanour.”
Well, I wouldn’t exactly say this production honored his professed wishes. No
one felt any qualms about going wayyyy over the top,
occasionally to amusing effect. At times it was all just too too much. The standouts in the cast were Sam Zetumer as Cheviot Hill, the bachelor on whom every man
seems to be dependent and to whom every woman seems to be attracted. His poses
and declamations were a hoot. As two of his many lovely paramours, Bernadette
Ralphs had a deliciously haughty mien, counterbalanced by Sarah Hunter’s “poor
little Scottish lass,” who looks adorably naïve, but
is slyly seductive. George Weinberg-Harter, in addition to playing a paternal
role, designed the delightfully whimsical sets, which were complemented by the
attractive costumes (Pamela Stompoly). The effort was
strained at times, but lighthearted and droll overall. (Production closed).
PAT’S PICKS: BEST
BETS FOR THE WEEK
v
“King Lear” - a good, if not great, production;
Shakespeare’s magnificent tragedy is always worth seeing
The Old Globe Theatre, in repertory through
9/23
v
“Eurydice” – modern twist on
an ancient myth; magical, deep and beautifully crafted play and production
Moxie Theatre, EXTENDED through 7/18
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-06-23/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/breathtaking-eurydice-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v
“Private Lives” – bitter, acidic
and deliciously irresistible
Cygnet Theatre, through 7/3
Read Review here: http://jazz88.org/centerStage.php
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat
Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box.
Pat Launer is
the SDNN theater critic. She can be reached at patlauner.sdnn(at)gmail.com