Sly Fox(Ross vallety) and 9 Parts of Desire(Berkeley Rep)

Out-Slying Sly Fox at Ross Valley Players

This farce about a trickster servant who attempts to outwit his miserly, gold
seeking master, a theme that has made audiences laugh through the centuries,
from Plautus and Aristophanes to the Commedia dell' Arte's miser Pantalone and
Moliere's Harpagon in The Miser, who suspect their servants of robbing them,
never fails to delight spectators.
Based more closely on Ben Jonson's Volpone, Larry Gelbert's farce at the Ross
depicts a greedy character named Foxwell J. Sly who amasses gold in a trunk
and swindles the wealth of other fortune hunters. Besides his dealings with
these fortune hunters, he plays the invalid with females to better obtain their
favors. In one of the funniest scenes, Sly gets the naive Mrs Truckle
(wonderfully interpreted by Jennifer Reimer) to soothe his sickness by lifting the
blanket on his sick bed to caress his parts. Sly and his servant Simon Able's
tricks have spectators rolling in their seats from end to end. And while we wait
for Sly to be "outslyed" by others the ending brings the biggest surprise and
the loudest laugh.
Phoebe Moyers' direction of this comedy that calls for a farcical style often
goes beyond farce to reach a level of burlesque. For the most part this works
well but there are times when constant pounding on a grotesque level needs to
be brought down-if only for dramatic contrast and variety. Otherwise the
stage movement was well choreographed and the pace lively. And there were some
hilariously farcical characterizations such as Alex Ross in the role of the
elderly misanthrope Jethro Crouch. Costume designer Adrianna Dinihanian offers a
provocative and colorful Miss Fancy and Wendell H. Wilson as Sly's servant and
David Alan Moss as Sly carry the lead comic roles well.
Lavish San Francisco nineteenth cenury style sets (Steve Coleman) embellish
the stage and are well utilized on the compact Ross Valley stage.
For a fun evening Sly Fox fits the bill.
For information about Ross Valley's upcoming "Humble Boy: bu Charlotte Jones
opening March 17-April23 call 415-456-9555 or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.org.

9 Parts of Desire at Berkeley Rep Reveals Iraqi Women's Endurance

Heather Raffo's 9 Parts of Desire at Berkeley Rep featuring Iranian/American
Mozhan Marno came to life when the American-born Raffo, daughter of an Iraqi
father, made her first trip to Iraq to meet family members. Once in Iraq Raffo
was compelled to write about the experiences of the Iraqi women of various
ages and stages whom she encountered.
We first meet Mulaya, a professional mourner, who throws shoes representing
the souls of women into a river-a poetic and spiritual action bemoaning the
plight of suffering Iraqi female souls. Layal, a young painter feels she is a
part of all women whom she wants to help because survival is what is essential in
Iraqi. Amal the Bedouin relates how she survived being betrayed by two
husbands and Hooda, an Iraqi expatriate, describes how Saddam beheaded women after
he used them and justified his action by calling them prostitutes. A female
doctor nurses her husband who lost both legs and helps save patients who are
undernourished and affected by weapons radiation. Little Samura watches T.V. as
the bombings nearby deafen her. Umm Gheda, a widow living in a trailor, leads a
tour in a destroyed bomb shelter where she lost all of her family. An American
born girl, of an Iraqi father crys when she sees bodies on T.V. that may be
her relatives and regrets that America once supported Saddam by giving him
weapons. Nanna, an old street vendor, declares she has survived 23 revolutions.
These confessions by women of various ages and social levels reveal the
courage and endurance of Iraqi women who underwent Saddam's savage dictatorship,
the American occupation, the brutal loss of loved ones, and the effort to
survive in a war-torn country. The piece also brings to light the cultural,
emotional and mental differences between Iraqi and Western females.
The spirited direction of Joanna Settle and the sensitive and versatile
interpretations of Mozhan Marno (except fior an occasional overly rapid delivery)
combine to render the piece gripping.
Sets by Antje Ellerman are simple and flexible, consisting of a small river
and pillows strewn over the thrust stage. Costumes by Kasia Walicka Maimone are
minimal and colorful. Sound by Obadiah Eaves and lighting by Peter West are
highly effective.
If the audience reaction is any indication of the production's puissant and
moving revelations of women's capacity to survive, the persistant silence of
the spectators and their full attention throughout Marno's 90 minutes on stage
are ample proof of some powerful female revelations.
For info about 9 Parts of Desire or Zorro in Hell at Berkeley Rep March 17 to
April 16 call 510-647.2949 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org