September,/October Reviews
September/October Theatre Reviews by Annette Lust
Below is a short tribute to Marceal Marceau's passing on Sept.22.
printed in the L.A. Times and S.F. Chronicle. Marceau was Annette
Lust's inspiration for her book on the history of mime.
"Active until late in his life, Marceau toured the world for more than
half a century, giving more than 15,000 performances. Each included
several pieces featuring Bip, the beloved character he created early in
his career. Annette Bercut Lust, author of "From the Greek Mimes to
Marcel Marceau and Beyond," said Marceau's mentor, French mime master
Etienne Decroux, "reinvented the art of mime to revive modern theater
and the actor's art," whereas Marceau "popularized that art and brought
it to the whole world."
Shaw's Heartbreak House, a Studio in the Clouds, at Berkeley Rep
For Berkeley Reps 40th birthday, the company chose to stage Shaw's
Heartbreak House, a choice that could be enthusiastically welcomed by
Bay Area theatre goers. In Shaw's play, based on the reality of Shaw
living during the First World War, Shaw observes how the upper middle
classes living in a "studio in the clouds" (the original title of his
play) frivolously ignore that their country is at war. The reference to
Heartbreak House here refers not only to the romantic frivolity that
fills the lives of a group of family members and individuals who meet
at Captain Shotover's home. It also refers to the indifference and lack
of responsibility on their part due to a preoccupation with their
personal disappointments rather than being concerned about England's
engagement in a world wide war that could destroy their nation (Shaw
was against war to solve international conflict).
Directed by Les Waters, what the production powerfully portrays is a
Chekhov style ambience of social interaction between members of a
parasitical middle class society. But what it fails to captivate is
Shaw's satirical tone in the portrayal of these characters. In this
production in which Shaw's play is interpreted seriously, the play's
length and verbosity is more readily sensed by the spectator.
Acting with perfect accents by the entire cast (all very well selected
for their roles) is laudable. Particularly lively interpretations are
given by Lynne Soffer as Nurse Guinness, Michelle Morain as Hesione
Hushabye, and Michael Winters as Captain Shotover, whose role names
imply a satirical twist.
Sets, imagined and created from scratch by local designers, are one of
the productions strongest elements. Annie Smart's sets and Anna R.
Oliver's costumes are genuinely elegant. Lighting (Alexander V.
Nichols) and original music and sound (Obadia Eaves) enhance the
production.
Although the staging did not entirely capture the spirit of Shaw's
satirical masterpiece, it is a handsome production, worth seeing for
the visuals, the acting interpretations and Shaw's sharp verbal wit
concerning human behavior.
For information on Heartbreak House, playing until Oct. 14 or on
upcoming productions, call 510-647-2949 or click on BerkeleyRep.org
Sweeney Todd, A Melodramatic Musical Reborn Minimalist
A.C.T.'s September staging was Stephen Sondheim's popular musical about
a barber whose wife and little girl have been snatched from him by a
corrupt judge, who, after exiling Sweeney to Australia, faces the
latter's return to take revenge. The musical, directed and designed by
John Doyle in minimalist style, in Sondheim's view is the closest to
the Grand Guignol theatre that the composer always desired for this
piece. Grand Guignol is a type of popular French puppet theatre that
utilizes grotesque melodramatic themes and exaggerated characters and
performance to depict scenes of violence and crime that both frighten
and amuse spectators. John Doyle's vision does more than that. His
intimately human approach has us rooting for the barber to use the most
violent means to find revenge and liberate his daughter from the
corrupt judge on the verge of marrying her.
This rebirth of Sondheim's musical offers unpretentious means of
staging that place more emphasis on the intensity of human emotions.
Much of the intimacy is due to Doyle's paring down (originally for lack
of funds) of the large number musicians originally used. Doyle had the
ingenious idea of having the actors play the musical instruments (such
as Judy Kaye in the role of Mrs. Lovett, baking pies out of corpses as
she plays the tuba) that integrates the music with the dramatic action
and often contains a comical element.
Another reason for bringing more dramatic intensity to the musical is
through the economical use of the number of props and the rapid
changing of sets. For example, the coffin out of which Sweeney rises at
the outset is within seconds turned upside down to become the bar
behind which Mrs. Lovett serves drinks and later serves as a stand and
for other purposes. Only the most necessary props and set changes are
utilized and most of the action takes place downstage to better involve
spectators.
Among the memorable songs that intertwine with the action and are well
rendered are The Ballad of Sweeney Todd sung by Sweeney Todd (David
Hess) Tobias ( Edmund Bagnell) and the company; Anthony's (Benjamin
Magnuson) Johanna; Johanna (Lauren Molina) and Anthony's Kiss Me; and
Mrs. Lovett's (Judy Kaye) Little Priest.
This minimalist SweeneyTodd opens doors for future productions that,
instead of diverting one's attention by means of grandiose visual and
musical effects, through their more modest means succeed in readily
drawing spectators into the main action and more profoundly stir their
emotions.
For info about upcoming ACT productions, call 415.749.2228 or click
online at www.act-sf.org.
S.F. Playhouse Stages Guare's Compassion for an Imposter
John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation portrays more than the
connection we have with others because everyone on this planet is
separated by only six other people. It also develops the idea that
connectness also brings out unexplainable feelings of compassion. Based
on true facts concerning the arrest of an African American impostor who
extracted money and lodging from wealthy New Yorkers by posing as
Sidney Poitier's son, the dramatic action goes a step further to
demonstrate more than surprise and anger when his actions are revealed.
Guare sends a spiritual message when he introduces a female character,
Ouisa, who, despite the social condemnation of her milieu, reaches out
with compassion to help the lost youth.
Helmed by Bill English, the production has a lively pace, retaining our
interest with comic surprises throughout such as when two couples
compare notes about being hoodwinked by the same impostor. The
playwright's satire on upper class values is likewise well portrayed by
the direction and acting. Other moments are filled with poetic and
philosophic truths such as the passage about the role of the
imagination in our lives. At times the actors interact directly with
the audience, communicating the action to spectators as in the "word
for word" style of narration.
Acting credits go to Susi Damilano as Ouisa, the wife of Flanders, an
ambitious money hungry art dealer (played with conviction by Robert
Parsons). Damilano plays a woman not fearful of allowing her heart to
guide her, making her character's transition from possessing
materialistic values to more spiritual ones clearer and more marked
through physical and vocal expression than they are communicated in the
playwright's words. Daveed Digg's portrayal of con artist Paul moves
the production forward with the young actor's energy and confident
stage presence. The remainder of the cast play roles that contrast the
younger and older generation, adding to the comedic elements that
enliven this so-called tragic-comedy.
Discreet sets by Bill English, costumes by Bree Hylkema, lights by
Selina Young, and music and sound by Chris Houston, give precedence to
acting values.
The S.F. Playhouse continues to select and produce plays that relate to
their very own mission, in this production, in Bill English's citation
of John Donne's words, "the interconnectedness at the core of both Six
Degrees
And the S.F. Playhouse.
Six Degrees runs through Nov. 17. For information call 415-677 9596 or
click on www.s.f.playhouse.org.
Henry 1V, Part I, A Play About Rebellion at Marin Shakespeare
With the production of Henry IV, Part I, centered on rebellion during
the English king's reign, Marin Shakes has staged one of the Bard's
most intricate plays. The action is developed through three themes. The
theme of
Royal rule and the welfare of the kingdom Lustis represented by an
authoritative Henry IV's (Jarion Monroe) attempt to reform his decadent
son Prince Hal (dynamically played by Grant Goodman as the Prince, who
finally decides to fight to save his father's kingdom that he will
inherit); that of the obsession with honor and military glory
(interpreted a bit over the top by William Elsman as Hal's enemy who
lives to vanquish in battle); that of pleasure seeking and robbing
(brilliantly interpreted by Stephen Reynolds as Falstaff, the most
comical of Shakespeare's characters, who, along with his tavern
companions, pursue their hoodlum adventures).
The main action centers on Prince Hal's promise to redeem himself from
his former life style by fighting and killing their rebel enemy Hotspur
in battle. Placed in charge of a unit of his father's troops, Hal goes
off to battle. Although the detailed complex exposure of the reasons
for battle is at first difficult to comprehend, the action is enlivened
and clarified through the powerful acting of the main protagonists and
particularly through Falstaff's comic scenes that lighten the
discourses on the intrigues between the members of the court and the
rebels. These latter scenes soon grab the spectator until the play's
end. One then looks back on the production wanting to see Henry IV,
Part 2 and hoping that Marin Shakes will in the future stage Henry V.
Fight scenes by Anthony Shaw Abaté are magnificently choreographed like
a dance. Costumes by Abra Berman, sets by Bruce Lackovic and lighting
by Ellen Brooks are simple and practical, allowing for the emphasis to
be placed on the acting and the dramatic action. Composer Billie Cox
creates the sound and the music that blends well with the dramatic
action.
For information about upcoming productions and activities at Marin
Shakespeare call 415-499-4488 or visit www.marinshakespeare.olrg.
Ross Valley Player's 78th Season
Revives Blithe Spirit
Noel Coward' Blithe Spirit, popular for so many years in London and on
Broadway, was written in 1925 to divert Londoners from the Blitz
bombings with a lighter subject. And the piece may as well be staged by
the Ross Valley Players for sentimental reasons, calling to mind their
first full length 1930 production of Coward's Hay Fever as well as
their 1988 production of Blithe Spirit.
The production, ably directed by Bob Wilson, revolving around ghosts
and a psychic, develops a simple theme that could be placed in any
period. The man action is centered around Charles being haunted by the
appearance of his first wife's ghost that irritates his second wife,
who eventually joins the first wife as a ghost to both continue
tormenting Charles for having previously tormented them.
The characters that bring the most to this supposedly hilarious farce
are Lynn Audrey Tijerina as the happy-go-lucky eccentric psychic who
communicates with the ghosts of both women and has Charles performing
strange rituals to in turn communicate with him. Theresa Miller's role
as the constantly astonished young maid brings fresh reactions that
have the audience roaring with laughter. Marianne Shine and Robyn
Wiley, who play the ghosts, move about like models rather than blithe
supernatural beings.Ron Serverdia plays a highly believeable perplexed
Charles along with Hugh Campion and Kim Bromley as Dr. and Mrs. Bradman.
Fine period sets are designed by former award winner set designer Ken
Rowland, now residing in Bangor, Wales. Michael Berg's costumes,
particularly that of psychic Mme Arcati, enrich the characterizations.
The Ross Valley Players'choice of restaging Coward's Blithe Spirit for
their 78th season represents the company's commitment to presenting the
finest of English as well as other world playwrights.
Blithe Spirit continues through Oct. 21. For information call
415-456-9555. Or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com
In Marivaux's Triumph of Love, Does Love Really Triumph?
A sharply drawn and elegantly composed comedy, the 18th century French
Pierre Marivaux's romantic comedy The Triumph of Love explores the
nature of love in all its romantic glory and painful cruelty at Cal
Shakes World Premiere adapted by Lillian Groag. In The Triumph of Love,
Leonide (Stacy Ross), a reigning princess, wishes to restore the throne
to the rightful heir, Agis (Jud Williford), with whom she has fallen in
love, and who lives with a philosopher (Dan Hiatt) and his unmarried
sister (Dominique Lozano). The clever princess, in male disguise as
Phocion, seduces both the philosopher as well as his unmarried sister
to get access to Agis.
In Marivaux's The Triumph of Love, love is complicated and ironic in a
sophisticated world of artifice existing on many different levels. We
experience with the characters both the joy and the pain of love as
well as a broken heart, which Arlecchino (Danny Schiee) carries out in
the end. Arlecchino is based on Harlequin, a stock character of the
commedia dell'arte.
One of France's most influential 18th century playwrights, Pierre
Marivaux was born in Paris in 1688. He wrote some 35 plays, mostly
comedies about the state of "amour" and awakening emotions. His
writings reflect the changes in the court of King Louis XIV to the more
hedonistic period of King Louis XV. Marivaux's most famous play is The
Game of Love, 1732. Next to Moliere, Marivaux is the second most
performed comic author at the legendary Comédie Francaise.
Cal Shakes World Premiere of The Triumph of Love, a co-production with
San Jose Repertory, directed by Lilian Groag and performed from August
11 to September 2 at the Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda, will be
performed at the San Jose Rep, September 22-October 21. The brilliant
ensemble cast also featured two Cal Shakes Associate Artists: Ron
Campbell (Dimas), a gardener, and Katherine Castellanos (Corine),
lady-in-waiting to Princess Leonide (in disguise as Hermidas).
The production team included Frederick Kluck, who worked with Groag on
the translation; Kate Edmunds (set designer); Raquel Barreto (costume
designer); Russel Champa (lighting designer); Jeff Mockus (sound
designer); and Robert Estes (assistant director) who gave an
insightful, informal, 20 minute talk before the production.
Coming up next at Cal Shakes will be King Lear which opens on September
22-October 14, 2007. For information on California Shakespeare Theatre
performances at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd. in Orinda
call
510-548-9666 or visitwww.calshakes.org.
Flora Lynn Isaacson for Annette Lust
Words First
Words First, a dynamic new group presenting the storyteller's art in
performance, made its debut on September 5 with Martin A. David at the
helm. The program opened with Rebecca Stronger, a talented
acrobat, who performed a piece of her life with a rope, combining both
dance and acrobatic movements to highlight her narration.
Bruce Pachtman, a talented standup comedian, presented Solo Show #2, a
work in progress in which a wide variety of characters attempt to break
into show business.
Carolyn Doyle made a big hit in her comic monologue, A Girl's Guide to
Cotton Candy Lip Smackers. Benjamin Benavides, an Indian writer, actor
and performer, rounded out the evening with his Apache Tale.
Words First provides a venue for writers and storytellers to perform
their short works. Future programs will be presented on the first
Wednesday of each month, October 1, November 7 and December 5 at 8 p.m.
at Counter Pulse, 1310 Mission St.(at 9th) in San Francisco.
Flora Lynn Isaacson for Annette Lust
San Francisco Fringe Festival 2007
The Exit Theatre produced San Francisco Fringe Festival from September
5-16,the second oldest Fringe Festival in the U.S. Each year the Exit
presented over 500 performances of some 100 productions by more than 75
companies and is one of San Francisco's most successful and enduring
centers
of alternative performances. Now in its 3rd decade, Exit continues to
commission, develop and produce new work and present independent
artists.
I Hate My Friends was produced 21 times due to the limited size of the
venue (8 people) at the Hotel Bijou. In the lobby we met Vivian, our
conference hostess wearing a "I Hate My Friends" t-shirt, who led us to
a hotel room where we became invisible voyeurs, witnessing moments in
time.
Jeff Dooley opened the show as therapist,Thomas Allan, who arrived with
his beloved dog from L.A. to S.F. to give a lecture at a "Mental Health
Convention" When the actors left the hotel room after the first act, we
were ushered by Vivian downstairs to the conference room where we
registered for Tom's lecture on friendship, which had a surprise
ending. The cast also included Shari Gulley as Edie and Katherine
McDowell as Vivian who gave realistic performances.
On the Fringe's closing night,playwright/director Robert Este's
performed in 1 Quandry Plac and in three monologues written by himself,
The Perfect Memory, Nobody Likes Me and Are You Happy?
Flora Lynn Isaacson for Annette Lust
The Clean House at Cinnabar
Theatre
What would you do if your housemaid suddenly didn't want to clean your
house? Keep her? Or help her write the perfect joke? The Clean House
directed by Tara Blau at the Cinnabar Theatre in Petaluma is more than
just dusting away cobwebs in the corners. It's about marriage, love,
death, sisters and one delightful surprise line after line. From the
beginning monologue to the dialogue between characters, I was captured
and entranced with the clever playwriting, creative direction with
surreal scene changes and the excellent performance of all the actors.
Linda Ayres-Frederick as Anna was enchanting to watch and sultry in her
dancing with Tim Kniffin as Charles, her soulmate lover. Danille Thys
as Lane conveyed emotions in an array of different proportions and
Laura Jorgensen as her sister, Virginia, had me laughing continually
with her delivery of one-liners and diverse facial expressions. Juliet
Tanner as Matilde the Housemaid held my attention with her stories and
memories of her parents' passion.
Incredible play. A wondrous intimate theatre in Petaluma. Professional
cast. Upcoming shows: The Consul (Opera) October 19-November 10 It's A
Wonderful Life A November 30-December 16 For more info.:
or call: 707-763-8920
Nancy Long for Annette Lust
Annette Lust, member of S.F. Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and
Dominican University faculty.
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