October Theatre Reviews

OCTOBER 09 THEATRE REVIEWS

ROCK OPERA AMERICAN IDIOT HAS BERKELEY REP SPECTATORS ROCKING

Grammy Award winning Punk Rock Green Day's album, American Idiot,
released in 2004 and that led to the creation of the theatricalized
version in the form of a rock opera, premiered at Berkeley Rep on
September 16th to a rollicking, warm audience. Directed by Michael
Mayer, the talented director of Spring Awakening, and choreographed by
Steven Hoggett, the piece is comprised of nineteen actor/singers and a
band on stage.
In this rock opera it is the theatricality of the lyrics that project a
youth's rebellious journey against his world and himself. Only a short
recited line here and there supports the dramatic action. We are first
introduced to the songs ".The American Idiot" and "Jesus of Suburbia,"
sung by John Gallagher in the role of Johnny, Matt Caplan as Tunny, and
Michael Esper as Will. At one point Johnny blasts out " I forgot to
take a shower," a line used as a thread of the action later. In the
next set of songs, Johnny and his buddies expose their malaise, the
futility of their existence, boy/girl relationships, sex, a pregnant
girl friend, drugs, violence, guns, death, and other adventures
depicting their sordid demise. The ending songs of this dramatization
of self destruction and the search for redemption are more mellow.
"We're Coming Home" and "Whatsername: bring the youthful exploits to a
reassuring end. And as the piece draws to the final scene Johnny
repeats the line "I forgot to take a shower!" suggesting his
reconciliation with a more structured world and self .

Christine Jones creates a spectacular set of a warehouse with
scaffolding and multiple T.V. video screens on a back wall that
simultaneously change images along with brightly glowing strobe lights
to suggest an electrifying atmosphere.

Costumes by Andres Lauer are causal togs worn by young people.

Although The American Idiot rock opera remains basically a brilliant
collage of songs well fused together under the theme of youthful
disillusion rather than an opera providing dramatic conflict and
development of dramatic action and characterization, this rendition of
angry and dissatisfied youth succeeds is pulling at our heart strings.
Its popular success Is due primarily to the beautifully written lyrics,
the masterful musical rendition, the high voltage energy of the
singers, and the realistic and timely portrayal of disheartened youth.
American Idiot plays through November 1, For information about American
Idiot or upcoming Tiny Kushner by Tony Kushner, call 510-647-2949 or
click on www.Berkeley Rep.org.
Dr. Annette L.st

PREMIERE OF DALE WASSERMAN'S "PREMIERE" OPENS RVP's 80th SEASON

The Ross Valley Players kicks off its 80th season with "Premiere"--the
last play written by award-winning playwright Dale Wasserman.
Wasserman was the Tony Award-Winning author of the book for "Man of La
Mancha" and the stage version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Author and Journalist, Abby Wasserman, niece of Dale Wasserman, brought
this play to RVP. According to her, "Dale's "Premiere is a rather old
fashioned play. It is an intimate drawing room play perfectly suited to
the Ross Valley Players' theatre. Premiere is marvelously lighter fare
for my uncle. It is about a very successful comedy playwright who
yearns to be a writer of serious plays. The story features a husband
and wife that
really love each other and has playfulness about it. This extremely
personal play depicts Dale's thoughts and feelings about the theatre
and theatre community woven throughout this play. He comments and makes
fun of academics, authenticity, fakery and producers."

A famous comedic playwright, Gil Fryman (Ron Severdia) decides to prove
to the world that he can write more than fluff and can be as
universally accepted as Shakespeare. So "The Tragedy of Alcibiades" is
born. Severdia is overly serious as befits a writer of comedy and
adores his wife, Becky (Molly McGrath) As Becky, McGrath is both
lively and lovely, affectionate but unpredictable with a frivolous
sense of humor. Becky's father, Dr. Eli Brand as played by Wood
Lockhart is both worldly wise and skeptical, just avoiding cynicism by
virtue of his affectionate humor. His son, Peter Brand (Edward
McCloud) is a theatrical producer, though more accurately a dilettante
with an avocation. The cast is rounded out by Buzz Halsing with a
wonderful New York accent as Lefty Guggenheim, a highly ethical book
forger with a love of language, and Judy Holmes as Professor Justinia
Hawkins, who is very British and learned on the subject of Shakespeare.

According to Director Robert Wilson, in this play Wasserman breaks the
fourth wall and each character, with the exception of Professor
Hawkins, has a wonderful monologue to the audience.

Premiere plays through October 11. For tickets or information on
upcoming MIracle Worker, call 415-456-9555 or visit
www.rossvalleyplayers.com.
Flora Lynn IsaacsonFlora Lynn Isaacson

PEN OAKLAND WRITERS' THEATRE PRESENTS A NIGHT OF SHORT PLAYS
Pen Oakland, a Bay Area Chapter of the International Organization of
Poets, Essayists and Novelists. is an inter-racial group of about 20
members. They staged previews of three plays on September 13.. The
first play, "The Boy, the Girl and the Piece of Chocolate" by Jack
Foley directed by Lewis Campbell, the Drama Director at Performing Arts
High School in San Francisco, examines how one piece of chocolate can
portray an entire relationship as the characters battle over who will
eat the last piece. The cast includes the Boy played by Fabian Herd and
the Girl played by Margery Bailey. In this short comedy, well directed
by Lewis Campbell, the actors perform with variety and a sense of comic
timing. They each end the play with a short poem. The Boy presents
"Truly I Have Lost Weight, The Skeletal Event of Primality" and the
Girl presents "Who Do We Fall In Love With If Not Ourselves."

The second play, "Firing Blanks At Moving Targets" was written by Doug
Howerton and directed by Michael Lange, a faculty member at San Jose
State University. This play follows the group "Move" in the 1970s in
its opposition to the technological age and the cruelty of animals
through inhumane procedures. John Africa, a revolutionary leader,
played with revolutionary zeal by Charles Du Bios, and his
revolutionaries (Move) take on Liberty and Justice with teachings from
the radical anti-technology manifesto "The Book." Reggie James gives a
strong performance as Daniel Cramel, a poet peacenik with his rendition
of "A Crack In the Liberty Bell."

The final play, "The Trial of Christopher Columbus" by John Curl and
directed by Kim McMillon, was set in Columbus' dungeon cell. This
historical drama examines the explorer's misdeeds towards the Native
American population, and recreates the events that took place in the
Caribbean island of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and Dominican
Republic) between 1492 and 1500. Kim McMillon. Along with a cast of ten
Paul Abbott gives an especially moving performance as Columbus. When
these three plays are presented at Live Oak Park Theatre next weekend,
a fourth play will be added, "The Remember Woman of Una," written and
directed by Tennessee Reed. A supernatural, science fiction myth, this
mystical one-woman show explores the Remember Woman of Una.

For information on the PEN OAKLAND WRITER'S THEATRE, , contact
www.penoakland.org. Flora Lynn Isaacson

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN—A TOUR DE FORCE BY MARIN ACTOR'S WORKSHOP

Marin Actor's Workshop opened Death and the Maiden September 11, 2009
to a sold-out house with a standing ovation.
September 11 is not only a dark day in the annals of infamy for the
United States of America. It is an ominous day in Chile's history as
well. On September 11, 1973, Chile's democratically elected government
presided over by President Salvador Allende was overthrown in a violent
coup staged by General Augusto Pinochet and his allies in the American
intelligence community. For years after, Chilean citizens were rounded
up, tortured and many of them "disappeared" never to be seen again.
Death and the Maiden is Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman's fictional
creation of the dark days and years that followed 9/11/73. To further
commemorate the date, the play was published on September 11, 1991 and
that is why September 11 was picked as opening night for the Marin
Actor's Workshop production of this politically and emotionally charged
play.
Heather Shepardson gives an amazing performance as Paulina Salas
Escobar, the heroine of Death and the Maiden. Greg Land gives a
sympathetic performance as her husband, Gerardo, a legal activist
appointed to investigate thousands of people tortured and murdered in
the 1970s in this South American country. What a pleasure to see Terry
McGovern act as Dr. Roberto Miranda, the man Paulina accuses of
blindfolding and torturing her.
I was bowled over by this taut and suspenseful production! A lot of
credit goes to Director Liz O'Neill and Producer Ken Bacon. I was very
impressed by the news reel footage at the beginning to set the scene
and the filmed concert at the end, the use of video of Miranda and the
lighting and sound effects to create suspense. There was not a dull
moment! Run, don't walk to get tickets for Death and the Maiden at
Marin Actor's Workshop.
For information on Marin Actors Workshop, contact
www.marinactorsworkshop.com or call 415-453-8858.
Flora Lynn Isaacson