November/Decemberreviews

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December/January Reviews

Xmas Cheer Runs Amok in Craig Lucas' Reckless at S.F. Playhouse

In popular playwright Craig Lucas' Reckless, no sooner does Rachel express
her joy over the upcoming Xmas holiday with her husband and children when hubby
Tom tells her he has taken a contract on her life and pushes her through a
window in her pyjamas and bathrobe, telling her to run for her life. As Rachel
runs off she meets Lloyd who gives her a ride and brings her to his home to meet
his paraplegic girlfriend Pootie. Months later Rachel is still with the
couple and has found herself an office job. The threesome then enter a holiday game
show to win $100,000. When Tom reappears at LLoyd's doorstep with a Xmas gift
for Rachel and signals that there is a bottle of champagne out front, the
play takes on a "Who Dun It? twist regarding who left the bottle there that finds
Rachel and Lloyd running away from State to State for fear of being arrested
for poisoning Pootie. Lloyd is now bemoaning Pootie and at the play's end
Rachel has turned into a psychiatrist and is surprised by her husband who has come
for counseling, not realizing that she is his former wife.
The improbability of the dramatic action of Reckless has a intriguingly
mysterious appeal. Why did Rachel's husband take out a contract on her life? Why
did Tom come to a psychiatrist for counseling without recognizing that she was
his estranged wife and why did Rachel accept to help him? Moreover, the process
of maturing that Rachel undergoes at the play's end is sudden and
unexpected. Yet the audience accepts the play's exhorbitantly irrational circumstances
because spectators are transported by the production's energetic spirit.
Directed as a fast-moving farce by familiar Bay Area actor Louis Parnell, we
are rapidly pulled into this windfall of nonsensical happenings that, despite
their horrifying absurdity, has us wondering what will happen next. And the
sudden quiet decrescendo ending with Rachel having found herself as a
level-headed psychiatrist creates a harmonious resolution to her hysteria over the
craziness of the world around her.
Susi Damilano, with boundless energy as the wide-eyed Rachel, Rod Gnapp's
Lloyd, overly attached to the falsely paraplegetic Pooty (colorfully played by
Cat Thompson) and the entire cast all respond to the challenge of this high
energy production.
Bill English's flexible, diverse set changes move the action forward. Prem
Lathi's Xmas costumes, pyjamas, bathrobes and other outifits are hilarious.
Lights by Jon Retsky need adjusting and the frequent use of video Xmas songs and
scenes (Brian Degan Smith) could be diminished.
This light, unbelievable comedy that arouses one's curiosity while
celebrating the Xmas spirit has something serious to say about the insecurity and
frenetic pace of life we face in today's modern world.
Reckless runs until Dec. 30. For info call 415-677-9596.

Golden Thread Weaves Multicolored Mosaic of Staged Readings

Golden Thread Productions, under the artistic direction of Torange
Yeghiazarian, presented ReOrient 2006's staged readings, consisting of 5 short plays
from and about the Middle East as varied as the Middle East itself, at the S.F.
Thick House.
The first play, The Donkey Market, by Tawfiq al Hakim (1898-1986), founder of
Modern Egyptian Theatre, is a biting comedy about a man (delightfully
portrayed by Joe Bellan) who impersonates a donkey to secure a job.
In the second play, Orhan, by Elizabeth Benedict, a man of Turkish descent
finds himself in prison and to make his way out, must decide if his allegiance
lies with his heritage or his government.
Torange Yeghiazarian brilliantly directed the third play, The Weddings at
Mukaradeeb, in which the narrator of this docudrama was admirably portrayed by
Sofia Ahmad, reveals that in 2003 there were reports that an Iraqi wedding party
was massacred by the American Army. Army officials assert they raided a
meeting of terrorists but refused to take responsibility for the rumored civilian
deaths. This hard hitting docudrama shows us the events and aftermath of that
fatal day.
In the fourth play, The Error, written by Palestinian playwright Adania
Shibli, the radio figures as a central character that gives instructions to four
young people concerning the shrinking borders of Palestine.
Pistachio Stories by Laura Shamas ended the program with a funny and touching
comedy which boils down the issues of government surveillance, censorship and
freedom of speech to one single question, “What would you do if you received
an unexpected bag of red pistachios from Syria?”
We look forward to Golden Thread's future full scale spring production of
the world premiere “Back of the Throat,” April 16-May 15 at Thick House,1695
18th Street, San Francisco,
For tickets, call 415-401-8081 or visit www.thickdescription.org or
www.goldenthread.org.
Reviewed by Flora Lynn Isaacson

A.C.T.’s Little Foxes Revival Relevant Today

A.C.T.’s The Little Foxes opened at the Geary Theatre November 1 to an
enthusiastic audience. Lillian Hellman’s southern semi-autobiographical drama is
based on Hellman’s own mother’s family, a wealthy southern clan whose unsavory
materialism fueled Hellman’s lifelong radicalism. In Regina’s wealthy family,
cold hard cash runs thicker than blood. When a prospective business deal could
guarantee them even greater riches, Regina and her brothers, Ben and Oscar,
each scramble to secure the spoils for themselves by any means necessary.
According to director Laird Williamson, “Greed has always been a driving
force in our culture, even when you look at our world today-be it the political
landscape or the discrepancy between the classes.”
The Little Foxes offers a gripping and incisive look at the lengths to which
people go to get their bigger share. Although this drama was written more than
60 years ago, the characters and truths are as fresh and alive as if this had
been written today.
Williamson’s smooth orchestration of the skillful performances of the entire
cast brings Hellman’s story vividly to life. “Foxes” hinges on a strong
Regina beautifully portrayed by Jacqueline Antaramian, who is blessed with worthy
opponents Nicholas Hormann as her husband, Horace, and Jack Willis and Robert
Parsons as her brothers Ben and Oscar and Julia Gibson who poignantly portrays
Oscar’s aristocratic wife, Birdie.
Robert Blackman’s high ceilinged, conspicuously wealthy Giddons living room
is a stunning creation lushly lit by Russel Champa.
For info about future ACT productions call 415-749-2228 or visit
www.act-sf.org for tickets.
Reviewed by Flora Lynn Isaacson

A Sneak Preview of the Xmas Carol

Humbug Theater presented Ron Serverdia in a sneak preview of his solo
performance of A Christmas Carol in the intimate setting of the Novato home of
publicist Kim Taylor on Nov. 6, 2006. Serverdia created a Dickens' version combined
with his personal depiction of Scrooge who awakens like a little chlld to walk
with the spirit and to find his former self growiing larger as he enters into
relationships with various characters. Directed by Julia Lopez-Morillas,
Serverdia 's rendering of the Dickens' character, close to the original version
and in which he portrays over 40 characters, is a vivid interpretation of the
author's 19th century miser.
The solo will be performed at the Ross Valley Barn Theatre December 21 thru
December 24th . For information call 415-456-9555 or visit
www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

A Rare Commedia Tartuffe at the Marin Theatre Company

A rare occasion to view a traditional Commedia Dell' Arte production of
Molière's Tartuffe directed by noted Italian born Giulio Cesare Perrone is offered
at Marin Theatre Company. From the sets to the use of traditional masks, wigs,
costumes and period physicality, Molière's masterpiece remains an authentic
reproduction of the Commedia tradition Molière so admired.
Initially banned for religious reasons, Molière's 1664 play centers around
the supposedly pious figure of Tartuffe, who poses as a spiritual advisor for
the bourgeois Orgon and his family. In reality Tartuffe is a hypocrite out to
get Orgon's money and his wife's sex favors. All the while Orgon is arranging a
marriage between the latter and his daughter Marianne who prefers to marry
young Valere..After Orgon, impressed by Tartuffe's moral qualities, deeds over
his home to the latter, his wife Elmire proves, in one of the playwright's
funniest scenes, how treacherous Tartuffe is by hiding Orgon under a table while
Tartuffe attempts to rape her. Finally, justice and harmony bring a happy ending
to all.
The Dell' Arte Company members from Blue Lake, California along with stage
director Giulio Cesare Perrone, Deborah Taylor-Barrera, Dimitri D. Marinov,
Mathew Graham Smith, and a production team selected by M.T.C. have collaborated to
revive a traditional physical theatre form with stock characters wearing
masks that one could have seen in Italy and France from the 16 to the 18th
centuries. The Dell'Arte Co. had as founder of their training company Carlo Clementi
Mazzone, an internationaly known Commedia expert and master of improvisational
comedy. The company and Perrone's Tartuffe are comprised of highly stylized
gestures and studied movement that are exaggerated puposefully for farcical
effects along with acrobatic and circus elements that lighten the formal dialogue
In Commedia style, Adrian C. Mejia excels in the role of the elderly Orgon
while Kevin Michael Fields takes command of the stage as Tartuffe. Deborah
Taylor-Barrera creates an Elmire that is played less flagrantly in Commedia style
and is replaced by dance movement to physicalize her role. For the most part,
the cast harmoniously abides by traditional Commedia embellished by alluring
period scenery, costumes, wigs and masks in a gem of an interpretaton of
Molière's fine comedy.
For information on Tartuffe or M.T.C.'s upcoming West Coast premiere of Frozen
by Bryony Lavery Jan. 11 to Feb. 11, call 415-388.5200 or visit
www.marintheatre.org.

Clown Mimes in Beckett Style Absurdism at Berkeley Rep

On a film screen, two lost figures wearing bowlers meander along a desolate
road and at some point pull out a wrinkled map with nothing on it and then
continue to ramble on aimlessly. At one point they fall out of the film onto the
stage, jump back into the film and then back onto the stage.
The entire show is based on a passive search in a silent void to which they
willingly resign themselves. By the end of the show they have slowly and
painfully developed some sort of relationship, especially when they encounter
hazardous physical challenges such as being knocked over by stage sets or are
threatened by stage alarms and sounds. Their nonaction, directed by Aleksandra
Wolska, often renders these clown mimes, as well as their spectators, hostage to
long moments of silence that are as mystifying to themselves as to the audience.
Aside from this the theme of emptiness that recalls the anxiety and futility
of human actions in Beckett's works, there are a number of more reassuring and
entertaining routines.
The two clown mimes (Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle) supposedly are inspired
by the silent films and by Laurel and Hardy in their character contrast, Geoff
being the more energetic leader and Trey the more docile sensitive follower.
While Geoff tears into objects, Trey stands there and waits for the
consequences. Although they don't consider themselves as clowns, they create some very
hilarious vaudeville routines such as displacing audience members from their
seats because they have the tickets for the latter, climbing all over the
spectators as they try to flee from the theatre, inventing a third character with a
bowler hat an interlacing of their hands, and a charming ventriloquist skit.
The most hilarious skit is the ending one in which Geoff attempts to flee from
the theatre through the stage walls and ends up tearing down the stage
curtains and scenery, masterfully designed by Ed Haynes.
In their show, the use of absurdism, in which nothingness or void as the
basic theme is pushed to the extreme, leaving the audience at times perplexed,
could be tightened and contain less lengthy pauses. Or these pauses should be
filled with clearer aims as to what these vaudevillians want to project. Aside
from that, Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle are on their way to something highly
innovative in their mixed media of film and stage clowning that brilliantly
captivates the hidden anxiety and emptiness of the theatre of the absurd.