June Theatre Reviews
June Theatre Reviews
Nero Takes Over Berkeley Rep Thrust Stage
In Amy Freed's You, Nero, immediately after meeting Scribonius (Jeff
McCarthy), the playwright who will pen Nero's life to stage for the
Roman public, the audience begins to rollick with laughter due to the
provocative dialogue and content about the lascivious, power-obsessed
Roman Emperor who calmly and shamelessly exterminates many of his
citizens as well as his own mother. When the playwright meets with Nero
(Danny Scheie) the latter requests that he write the story of his life
in order to regain favor with the Roman citizens. We meet Nero's
despotic and ambitious mother (Lori Larsen) who plotted to make him
Emperor, his over sexed mistress Poppaea (Susannah Schulman), his fagot
lover (Kasey Mahaffy), philosophers (Mike McShane and Richard Doyle as
Seneca), silly eunuchs, and sensual slaves. These court scenes offer
comically lewd action that excites and retains audience interest.
Directed by former artistic director of Berkeley Rep, Sharon Ott,
caricatural comic effects are obtained through a relaxed modern day
style of mockery of Nero's reign that contrasts with the extravagantly
decorated sets (Erik Flatmo) and elegant period costumes (Paloma H.
Young) that portray the ancient formality of his court. The ceremonious
Roman atmosphere is also satirized through the use of contemporary
expressions thrown in to provoke laughter, such as Poppaea0s remark to
Scribonius when she seduces him:" I work on this body, Buster!" or
Nero's compliment to Scribonius's talent as a writer: "You could sell
sauerkraut to the gods!"
In this two hour long show, less could be more and cuts could alleviate
the actors' hard earned efforts to sustain audience interest. Yet, all
in all a trip to Berkeley Rep to view Danny Scheie as Nero in his take
over of the Berkeley Rep thrust stage in a visually brilliant
production penned by popular playwright Amy Freed, helmed by
award-winning director Sharon Ott, and filled with satirical witticisms
and a joie de vivre that makes it is a worthwhile one.
You, Nero plays until June 28. For information call 510-647-2949 or
visit berkeleyrep.org.
Dr.Annette Lust
Three on a Party at Theatre Rhinoceros
In a collaboration between Word for Word Company with Theatre
Rhinoceros, an evening of three works representing major 20th century
queer writers began with Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr and Miss Skeene,
performed by Joanne Winter and Sheila Balter, about two women taking
music lessons who meet circa 1911. They are described by Stein as being
"regularly gay" repeatedly in order for the author to portray lesbians
as being a natural sexual preference and occurrence. Tightly directed
by Delia MacDougall, the constant repetition of the words "gay" and
"regular," along
with the highly stylized movement and elegant period
clothing, render this piece particularly enticing, despite an overuse
of the words "gay" and "regular" a la Gertrude Stein that at times
provides comedic effects.
Tennessee Williams' Two on a Party represents the sexual freedom of the
1050ties in which a lonely lush named Cora and a gay Billy party their
way through the days and nights as they grow more andmore fond of one
another. This well crafted story, imaginatively directed by artistic
director of the Rhinoceros John Fisher, is powerfully enacted by Joanne
Winter as Cora and Ryan Tasker as Billy, who dramatize the literary
text so vividly that (despite the length of some scenes and the piece
in general) the spectator is seldom aware that they are interpreting
the literary text word for word rather than acting out the dialogue of
a play.
Suddenly Home by Armistead Maupin, also inventively directed by John
Fisher, offers a late 20th century view of homosexuals who, through
their experience of living together, are capable of imparting wisdom
about marriage and commitment. Here Will (Brendan Godfrey) and partner
Jamie ( Ryan Tasker) prevent Tess (Sheila Balter) from marrying for the
sake of marrying. A dialogue also appears more frequently and the
actors under the baton of Fisher make this piece about not being afraid
to be true to oneself work.
Word for Word, just back fro
m performing at the American Library in
Paris, continues to stun us with its faithfulness to the literary text
that comes alive through the innovative physicality of its actors and
the creative acting resources of its performers.
Three on a Party plays until June 21. For info about this show or
upcoming ones, call 415-861-5079 or visit www.theRhino.org.
Dr. Annette Lust
Mark Twain Comes to North Beach
The People's Theatre, recently founded by actress/playwright Mary
Knoll, made its debut at a dinner theatre in the Penapachamama Bolivian
restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach. This new
theatre presented a solo show entitled Captain Stormfield's Visit to
Heaven based on Mark Twain's story, adapted and performed by actor Tim
Hendrixson and directed by James Reese.
To the Mary Knoll's musical accompaniment, the solo begins with the
Captain's words "When I had been dead about thirty years I begun to get
a little anxious. I had been whizzing through space all that time like
a comet." Then Twain's captain proceeds to experience adventure after
adventure which propels him into bizarre meetings with characters in
heaven as eccentric as the Captain himself. He soon learns that no one
there has ever heard of San Francisco, nor California, nor America or
has the faintest idea about his
planet that they surmise must be no
bigger than a tiny wart. During these encounters and strange happenings
in heaven, the Captain reacts like a naïve, down-to-earth American and
his sense of adventure and humor that characterizes all of his works
retain our interest throughout. Added to these elements are his use of
science fiction, philosophy and satire.
The role of Captain Stormfield, dynamically performed by Hendrixson, is
faithful to Twain's humor and characterization of his hero. As he moves
through a packed room of spectators enjoying their Bolivian
specialities, a lively Hendrixson holds his audience's attention during
a long and detailed description of the Captain's journey.
During the intermission Mary Knoll intracts with the spectators. "Why a
People's Theatre?" we ask her. "I wanted to find a home for ordinary
working people who are also actors and artists " she replies. And she
adds that she chose a dinner theatre style because she wanted them to
be in an intimate setting where the audience could be close to them.
The piece performs through June 28th on Friday and Saturday nights at 7
p.m. Dinner is served from 5.30 on and the cost of dinner and the show
is $39. 95 or one can choose Tapas and the Performance for $19.95. For
the menu visit www.penapachamama.com
and for reservations call 415-259-1623.
Unexpected Connections from a Cell Phone at the S.F.=2
0Playhouse
In the Bay Area Premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone, Jean
(Amy Resnick), picks up a cell phone belonging to a dead man called
Gordon (Bill English) that changes her life. Jean has an instant
epiphany that makes her feel connected to Gordon (she learns his name
from one of the callers). That connection takes the form of a promise
to stay with him as long as he needs her and then wanting to comfort
his loved ones and try to make the memory of him live on positively in
their minds and hearts. Jean's interactions with Gordon's haughty
mother, Mrs. Gottlieb (Joan Mankin), his widow Hermia (Rachel Klyce),
his younger brother Dwight (Jackson Davis) and Gordon's long-time
mistress, Carlotta (Florentina Mocanu) helped Jean piece together the
puzzle of what sort of man Gordon was. Her journey is the play's
through-line, but each of the other characters gets a chance to shine.
Director Susi Damilano's clever direction includes an outstanding cast,
starting with Resnick who makes Jean an endlessly eager to please,
bottomlessly empathetic woman. Mankin's Mrs. Gottlieb is hilarious.
When we hear from Gordon, speaking from the other side, Bill English
makes him both cocky and undeniably charismatic. Rachel Klyce is
riotously funny as the thoroughly soused Hermia. Chic and mysterious,
Mocanu's mistress is the anti-Jean. Jackson Davis is the tender
Dwight, Jean's endlessly caring male counter
part.
Bill English's sets consist of clever ever-changing walls and a
brilliant use of space
Mark Koss' costumes are imaginative.
Dead Man's Cell Phone takes us on a journey down a rabbit hole with
Jean to explore the meaning of connection in the 21st century.
The play runs at the SF Playhouse through June 13. For tickets,
contact
t 415-677-9596 or go online at www.sfplayhouse.org.
Flora Lynn Isaacson
West Coast Premiere of Afghan Theatre of Exile and Bond Street
Theatre's Beyond the MIrror at the S.F. International Arts Festival
In their West Coast appearance of their world wide tour of Beyond the
Mirror, the New York Bond St. Theatre, that has for a number of years
organized theatre projects in teacher training and youth programs in
crisis areas, and the Kabul Exile Theatre, that began this multi-media
collaboration in 2002 with Bond Street, present the Afghan's struggle
to survive three decades of military domination. To the accompaniment
of the gentle soft notes of the Afghan ancient lute (called the
rubat), performed by a solo musician,
Beyond the Mirror begins with a video montage of beautiful Afghan snow
capped rolling hills and valleys. There follow scenes of quiet streets
and inhabitants peacefully shopping in market places that soon change
into otherscenes showing the presence of soldiers and frenzied
villagers running from bombs. An intricate Bond Street Theatre is
u
nique in its incorporation of multiple physical styles into its
creations utilized with subject matter that renders spectators
conscious of humanitarian issues. In their search for a universal
physical language, they have performed in international festivals and
set up workshops and training sessions in refugee camps and post
conflict areas. In their travels they have added to their own eclectic
physical style elements of other cultures such as Peking Opera,
European theatre, Brazilian and African dance, martial arts, shadow
puppetry, Baharata Natyam among others. They are a company that is
making a difference in its global outreach and aim to communicate with
diverse and impenetrable nations
Beyond the Mirror will be presented as part of the Fury Factory Theatre
Festival at the Traveling Jewish Theatre on June 11 at 9 p.m, June 12
at 7 p.m. and on June 18 at 7 p.m. For information visit www.ATJT.com
or call 415-292-1223.
Bond Street is also offering dynamic three hour acting workshops at
The Next Stage (1620 Gough St, S.F.) on either June 6 or June 7 at 2
p.m. for $25.00. For information contact Lewis Campbell at
415-333-6389.
Modern Shorts in the RAW at Ross Valley Players
These play readings presented at the Ross Valley Players on May 22 and
23 offer Alternative Works of four staged readings of works in
progress. The first comedy, On with the Wind, written and directed by
Carol She
ldon about five seniors watching Gone with the Wind in the
Community Room of a Retirement Home, is delightfully portrayed by Donna
Andrews, Jean Rose, Eleanor Prugh, Pat Parker and Norman Macleod, who
show what the seniors face each day. Vincent, written by J.D. Blair and
directed by Robert Estes, is a humorous take off on Vincent Van Gogh in
which the artist, satirically played by John Hurst, convinces art
critic Jobert, portrayed with perfect French by Charles Grant that his
paintings painted with cow piss are worth millions. John Clevenger
gives a laid back performance as Simone; Susanne Light is charming as
his waitress; Kim Bromley does yeoman's service as Ricardo, the
messenger, and both Charles Grant and Susan Donnelly are funny confused
tourists. The final comedy, A Change in the Air by VB Leghorn, directed
by Billie Cox, is a farce that takes place in Mertyl and Henry's small
apartment in Brooklyn where Mertyl, played snappily by Stephanie Miller
and Henry, a very funny Richard Howell, try to convince their daughter
Janie, sincerely played by Karen Leland, that they want to change
sexes.
The one "serious" play was Land of Camaan by Susan Jackson, who won the
Bay Areea Theatre Critics Circle Award for Blessing Her Heart as part
of the Marin Fringe Fall 2008 at Dominican University. In Land of
Camaan, directed by Maureen Studer, Lue Ann Eldar gave an outstanding
performance as Basil Carter, the caretaker of20comatose Mrs. Eleanor
Camaan, played by Susan Donnelly. In this play, Mrs. Camaan's daughter
(played with dignity by Dorothea Rastegar) who lives in San Francisco
comes on a monthly visit to her mother in a nursing home in the south.
There is a confrontation between these two women who both face a lack
of connection and how they come to bond at the play's end.
The staged readings were followed by a discussion with the audience
moderated by Kim Bromle, that gives the playwrights a real "hands on"
look at how their play is beginning to shape up on the stage.
Flora Lynn Isaacson
Theatre Review For Collected Stories at Petaluma's Cinnabar
You told your best friend a deep sacred secret that you held inside
your heart for years. Then she told everyone. Even wrote about it. How
would you feel? There is a reason why she did it. A reason you never
thought of. What in the world would that be? Go see Collected Stories
by Donald Margulies (a Yale professor and New York playwright). It
involves such a dilemma between two writers. An aging brilliant
published short story writer (Carol Mayo Jenkins) takes young protégée
(Anna Bullard) under her wing and they begin a personal as well
professional journey that ends in a surprise. Both Equity actresses
bring a riveting, high quality of performance. Carol May Jenkins
commands the stage with strength and wit. Her vulnerability comes
across in intimate mom
ents giving her character depth and variety of
color. Anna Bullard portrays a quirky, skittish and endearing quality
(reminding me of a Meg Ryan persona) that evokes laughter and dismay
from the audience. How she changes in the end is thought-provoking. The
chemistry between both actresses is evident. Delivery of lines are
sharp, quick, funny and intense. Director Elizabeth Craven is a pro in
placing her actresses in unique positions, creating variety on a one
set design beautifully designed by David R. Wright of a living room
with painted intriguing images of women posed in the background.
I especially loved the theme of the play because it involves writing,
friendship and its projections, moral choices, loyalty, secret
ambitions. We don't have to drive to the City to see quality community
theatre. It's here…in our backyard, waiting for us to attend, absorb,
go home feeling full and contemplative.
Collected Stories runs through to June 13, 2009
8:00 pm May 23, 29, 30/ June 5, 6, 11, 12 & 13
2:00pm May 31 & June 7 $20-22 a ticket
Cinnabar Theatre 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North Petaluma 707-763-8920
Nancy Long.