April Theatre Reviews
April Theatre Reviews
Time Wounds All Heals in "Coronado" at S.F. Playhouse
The West Coast Premiere of "Coronado" by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River,
Gone Baby Gone) and directed by Susi Damilano opened March 22 at the
San Francisco Playhouse. Lehane introduces three plot lines in the
play's first scene which is set in a grimy, small-town bar, probably in
Texas. The word "Coronado" means "bar town."
"Coronado" does not follow a linear time frame. Past, present and
future are constantly intermingled, thus creating a puzzle by the
playwright to be figured out by the audience.
Lehane's characters, all grifters and losers, include a father and son
(Bill English and Chad Deverman) looking for a missing girl and a
stolen diamond; a psychiatrist and his high-strung patient (Louis
Parnell and Stacy Ross) who are entangled in an unethical affair, and a
pair of lovers (Will Springhorn Jr. and Kate del Castillo) who are
plotting a murder. By the time the play is over, we see that all of
the characters are inter-connected and their scenes together take place
in different time frames.
The ensemble cast, which also includes Lorraine Olson as a sympathetic
waitress, Phillip K. Toretto as a murder victim, and Rebecca Schweitzer
as the missing girl, Gwen, give fine performances.
The great set is by SF Playhouse Artistic Director Bill English with
vivid lighting by Cy Eaton and sound by Steven Klems. Valero Coble's
costumes were true to character.
"Coronado" is a suspenseful story under the smart direction of Susi
Damilano. Lehane plays fast and loose with his timeline and finally
integrates his characters in unexpected ways.
"Coronado" plays Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m. plus Saturdays at 3 p.m.
until April 26, at the SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter Street (1 block off
Union Square, between Powell and Mason).
For tickets or more information, call 415-677-9596 or go online at
Flora Lynn Isaacson
"Tragedy, a Tragedy" at Berkeley Rep
Night has fallen!" and that is pretty much the end of the story, except
that the newish kid on the block, playwright Will Eno has managed to
extend that thought for eighty minutes at BRep. TRAGEDY could even be
construed as a poorly constructed, unsubstantial imitation of Beckett.
In a TV newsroom, the seasoned anchor Frank (David Cromwell) sits at
his desk giving us the evening reports The BIG event is that "Night has
fallen."
The end of day as we know it; the end of the world; or is it they just
haven't gotten around to the morning yet to report if the sun has
bothered to come up? Surrounding the one interior newsroom location are
three other newscasters in the field to corroborate the story in
excruciating detail and vapid newspeak. The one female reporter
Constance (Marguerite Stimpson) is at a house describing its concrete
yard ornament — a broken-eared rabbit. The lights are out and no one
seems to be inside. Where did they go? Do we feel her pain over the
emptiness, or is it our sympathy for the actor caught in the
excruciating bind of having to say these words? A second reporter John
in the Field (Thomas Jay Ryan) talks about wishing his mother were
there to comfort him. Later when he suffers an anxiety attack,
Constance tries to calm him. Another newsman named Michael (Max Gordon
Moore) moves from one political location to another, with no visible
change. Wow! Is Eno trying to make a big pointarooney? All our
incompetent politicians have flown the coop. Don't we wish!
The premise is established and repeats with variations that run the
gamut from "A to A." It's the media in a repetitive loop that we all
witness every night, making news out of nothing. WE GET IT! … in the
first five minutes. And like any one-trick pony, it trots downhill
leaving unmentionables in our path. The real tragedy — if any — lies in
the enormous waste of artistry. If it werenen't for the noble cast of
five splendid actors — whose cumulative talent soars above the sewer
level of the piece — this member of the media would have walked out way
before the final blackout. Moments of humanity arise when the anchor
Frank thinks hehe's having a heart attack and none of his colleagues
are available to react. They are connected only via their electronic
equipment, which they occasionally turn off.
TRAGEDY is a show that might fare better while under the influence of
drugs. Although there were members of the audience (suspiciously
plant-like) who cackled in the first five minutes at every insipid
remark possible, even their forced laughter could not be sustained for
the duration. Simply stated this nightmare might make a great short
skit on Saturday Night Live, but in its present condition TRAGEDY lacks
the staying power for an evening of live theatre. Not recommended.
TRAGEDY: a tragedy continues through April 13 at Berkeley Repertory
Theatre, 2025 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($33 to $69) are
available by phone at (510) 647-2949 or online at www.berkeleyrep.org.q
Linda Ayres Frederick
The 7th Annual Bay One Acts Festival
When Three Wise Monkeys founders Richard Bernier, Aoise Stratford and
Dawson Moore first started this company, they had in mind a festival to
celebrate scores of talented local playwrights who were not being heard
in the Bay Area theatre scene.
Seven years later, they fulfilled their mission to give voice to eight
Bay Area playwrights, eight stories and the creative efforts of more
than 30 theatre artists—actors, directors, designers and technical
people.
The festival had two programs this year. Program One featured
playwrights and producing companies from BOA Festivals in the past
years. They symbolize the successes of their past efforts and
performances were held at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco from
February 21-March 2. From Program Two, March 6-16, new playwrights and
companies were invited to come and perform as they are the symbol of
where BOA is headed in the future.
This critic attended opening night of Program Two on March 6. The
first play of the evening was "Manners and Civility" by the talented
Nick Olivero, who is currently the Artistic Director for Boxcar Theatre
located in San Francisco and the playwright of the wonderful "Big Co."
which played at his theatre last fall. Produced by Boxcar Theatre,
"Manners and Civility" was beautifully directed by Peter Matthews,
co-Artistic Director of Boxcar Theatre and the star of "Big Co." I
found the subject matter of "Manners and Civility" very distasteful and
disturbing. A man is tied to a chair in a child's nursery and is
mercilessly tortured throughout the play for a crime which he may, or
may not have, committed many years ago. Nick Olivero was trying to show
that our society creates monsters. The victim, Mark Auditore, was
expertly performed by John Hutchinson, and his torturer, Dr. Henry
Chauncey, who wore a suit and a tie, was given a very mannerly
performance by Michael Moerman. These two performers gave the strongest
performances of any male actor in the four plays I saw that evening.
The second play, "General Admissions," by Crish Barth was directed by
Paul Cello and produced by Climate Theatre. This play took place in a
theatre where Sheila, played by Laura Jane Coles (with expert comedic
timing), is taken out for her birthday by her husband, Dan, a rather
uptight man in his late 30's played equally well by Mark Lariviere.
Both actors performed in tandem, both listening and responding to one
another as they sat in the handicapped row of the theatre. There was a
wonderful response from the audience on their "laugh" lines.
The third play, "End of the Line" by Liz Ryan, was performed after the
intermission. This play, directed by Jeffrey Hartgraves and produced
by the Ensemble Theatre, was this critic's favorite as it had the most
substance. The setting was a small Irish town, the day of Patrick's
and Moira's father's funeral. Padraic (Americanized to Patrick),
played by Jeffrey Hartgraves, returns home from the States accompanied
by his younger "boyfriend" played by T.J. Lee. The playwright Liz Ryan,
the strongest female performer of the evening, played the lesbian
sister Moira who was resentful for having to take care of her father
for many years.
"A Toss of the Hat" by Mike Ricca ended the evening's performance.
This play was directed by Hans Summers and produced by San Francisco
Improv Alliance. The leading man, Chris is played by Clay Roneson who
is a good stand-up comedian in his many monologues to the audience.
"Making the Toss" is a good metaphor for the entire play. Chris is the
kind of guy who isn't sure where he's going, doesn't remember where
he's been and doesn't know how to get to where he is, but is happy to
be there all the same. The play takes place in a coffee shop where
Chris falls for a waitress, Lisa, played by Lauren Pizzi. Shaun Landry
as a middle-aged patron who loves her crossword puzzles almost steals
the show.
For information about future Three Wise Monkey productions see
www.threewisemonkeys.org
Flora Lynn Isaacson
Woman's Will Presents the 10th Annual 24-Hour Play Fest
The idea is simple: Seven local playwrights, seven local directors
(all women) and a bevy of actors have 24 hours to write, rehearse, and
perform seven short plays built around the theme: the Seven Virtues.
What amazed this critic was that all of the actors had memorized their
lines and all of the directors did a great job blocking the action.
My personal favorite play was "The Fundraiser" which demonstrated the
virtues of Generosity and Charity by Karen Macklin and was directed by
Lisa Edsal-Giglio. The cast featured Chijundu Okonmah and Danielle
Perata as friends attending the fundraiser, and Sandra Weingart, and
Vidya Sundaram as two sisters who were the fundraisers.
A close runner-up was "Burial" by Judith Offer which pointed out the
virtue of Diligence. This play was imaginatively staged by Lila
Neugebauer. The cast featured Dee Baily, Ron Dritz, Jennifer Graham,
Shirley Hall, Maggie Tenenbaum, and Karen Meredith-Wolf as members of a
choir who were to sing at a funeral. This play took many clever twists
and turns. Also high up on my list was "A Wake" by Marisela Orta which
showed both Patience and Forgiveness. The play was cleverly directed
by Elizabeth Williamson. The cast featured Tara Generalovich, Gina
Seghi, Leah Herman, Khamara Pettus. In this play, a dead woman rises
up to speak to each person who comes to call.
"Food Service" by Susan-Jane Arevalo displayed Humility and Modesty.
Debbie Lynn Carriger was the director who had a good eye for pantomime.
The cast featured Kate Thompson, Sarita Ocon (in a comedic performance
as a new waitress), and a sole male performer, Patrick Engle.
Judy Juanita's play "The Art of Benevolence" pointed out the virtue of
Kindness. Directed by Nakissa Etemad, the cast featured Tamar Kohn as
an elderly woman, and Tenaya Hurst as her daughter. Clare McNulty gave
a spirited performance as an Irish caretaker and Carlye Pollack was a
ghost.
After a fifteen-minute intermission, "Late Night at the DHC" showing
the virtue of Chastity opened the second half of the program. The DHC
stands for the Department of Homeland Chastity. This play was directed
on rolling chairs by Hester Schell and featured in the cast were
Michaela Greeley, Alexandra Kay and Katie Kruger.
"Immoderate" by Susan Sobeloff demonstrated Temperance and Moderation.
The director was Tamika White and featured Julie Kurtz, Mary McGloin,
and Eleni Zaharopoulos.
. Upcoming shows to be presented by Woman's Will are "The Good Person
of Szechuan," by Bertolt Brecht July 12-August 17, 2008 and "Macbeth"
by William Shakespeare, October-November, 2008. For information and
reservations, call 510-420-0813 or buy tickets online at
Flora Lynn Isaacson
"Shadowlands"—A Shadow of the World to Come at Ross Valley Players
"At all and every time joy or suffering are connected. Remain pious in
joy and be ready with courage for sorrow." This Old Saying sums up for
me the meaning behind William Nicholson's "Shadowlands" which opened
Friday, March 14 at the Ross Valley Players. "Shadowlands" takes place
at Oxford in the early 1950's where C.S. Lewis, the noted British
theologian is a don, who is living a contented and simple bachelor life
with his brother Warnie in the cloistered comfort of Oxford academia.
His comfort zone is shattered by the arrival of Joy Davidman Gresham, a
fan who has come to England to meet Lewis with her young son, Douglas.
Lewis, known as "Jack," is charmed by Joy's frank honesty, her
intellect, and her life-affirming sense of humor. As their friendship
deepens, Jack agrees to marry Joy "in name only" so she may obtain
English citizenship. When Joy is diagnosed with an advanced form of
cancer, Jack realizes he has fallen deeply in love for the first time
and marries her in her hospital bed. Joy gets better, leaves the
hospital, and the two honeymoon in Greece. Joy eventually dies after
three glorious years of remission.
Chuck Isen is well cast as C.S. Lewis with his clipped diction and
repressed emotions. Jennifer Reimer manages to be believable as Joy
with her blunt humor and intelligence. The strongest performance was by
Alex Ross as Jack's devoted older brother Warnie with his perfect comic
timing. Wood Lockhard supplies more comic relief as Lewis' colleague,
Christopher Riley.
The artful and utilitarian set design by Patrick Kroboth and scenic
artist Megan Kenyon, is comprised of huge bookcases and sliding walls.
At the back of the set was a magical kingdom meant to invite the world
of wonder discovered by children in Lewis' fantasy tales and discovered
by Joy's son, Douglas, when he enters the magical kingdom of Narnia and
brings back an apple from a tree there to his mother in the hospital
just before her recovery. Ellen Brooks' lighting design enhanced this
beautifully.
The strong acting ensemble in "Shadowlands" is ably directed by Linda
Dunn. I especially like the way she staged the more intimate scenes
front and center and the large group scenes at the rear of the stage.
C.S. Lewis gives a monologue to the audience from the pulpit at the
beginning and ending of the play on Love, Pain and Suffering. He
raises the question, "If God loves us, why does he allow us to suffer
so much?" He comes up with the answer that this world which seems so
substantial is nothing more than shadowlands of the life to come.
"Shadowlands" plays until April 20 at the Barn Theatre, Marin Art and
Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at Lagunitas in Ross.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday and
2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, call 415-456-9555 or go online at
Coming up next at Ross Valley Players will be "Brooklyn Boy" by Donald
Margulies and directed by Phoebe Moyer from May 9-June 15.
Flora Lynn Isaacson
"Boston Marriage" at 6th St Playwhouse
Mamet writing about women? A comedy sprinkled wuth tenderness? Banter
laced
with lust, intrigue, rivalry? Go see Boston Marriage at the 6th Street
Playhouse
in Santa Rosa.
When entering the theatre, I was immediately transported to a
heavenly early
20th century parlor room. Set design by David Wright was richly
decorated with
startling light highlights created by David Lear.
Acting was one of the best I've seen at the Playhouse. Mamet is
challenging
for actors because of the unusual rhythm of phrases and words. The
actresses
carried the dialogue with ease and smooth pacing.
Danielle Cain as Anna is graceful, versatile in her physical
mannerisms and a
delight to the senses. Bronwen Shears as Claire had intriguing detailed
facial
expressions and hand gestures that held my focus. Tess Coughlin as the
maid...what a delight! A breath of fresh air...and she's only in high
school! I
hope to see her in more plays.
Thanks to Director Sheri Lee Miller, the length of the stage was
completely
used by the actors, props utilized and variety of movements between the
three
actresses kept my attention and the play moving in a steady pace. All
actresses
were natural in their interaction and creative in their unique postures.
Costumes by Pamela Johnson...beautiful, sensual materials and soft
colors
contrasting with rich. I loved watching the actresses flowing across
the room in their long trails behind them.
Curtain call bows with music and original exit dance gestures ended
the play For information on future productions call 707-523-4185
Nancy Long