November 09 Theatre Reviews October Theatre Reviews
NOVEMBER 09 THEATRE REVIEWS
Tiny Kushner Shorts at Berkeley Rep Mirrors The American Experience
Tony Kushner's West Coast premiere of his Tiny Kushner that opened in
October at Berkeley Rep is in effect a "Big Kushner" regarding the
panorama of contemporary American viewpoints the playwright is able to
depict in five short acts. Presented from a fast paced East Coast
perspective, the shorts are directed with the expertise of Berkeley
Rep's artistic director Tony Taccone.
The first play, Flip Flop Fly, catches the audience's attention in its
portrayal of two culturally opposing females, a popular young American
song writer (played by a vibrant Valeri Mudek) and the sophisticated,
exiled and deposed Queen Geraldine of Albania (authoritatively
interpreted by Kate Eifrig) who meet on the moon after their deaths. We
are reminded of Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit in which a lesbian, an
attractive female, and a male survive side by side despite their
differences. In Kushner's play the women's contrasting characters are
presented in vaudeville style ending in a hilarious song and dance
routine.
Veloren Sein or Ambivalence revolves around a gay patient (performed by
an endearing J.C. Cutler) in love with his lesbian psychiatrist (Kate
Eifrig)., with their lovers Jim Lichtscheidl and Valeri Mudek hovering
about their partners while the patien tbegs his unconvinced shrink to
love him.
The third, a solo entitled East Coast Ode to Howard Jarvis, is
brilliantly played by Jim Lichtscheidl who presents individuals from
all walks of life who devise a scheme to prove they are exempt from
paying taxes because they do not legally exist. This clever fantasy,
although overloaded with details and never ending verbosity, has the
audience
racing to keep up with the narrator's rapid delivery and quick change
of characters.
In Dr. Arnold A. Hutschnecker in Paradise, we return to afterlife on
the moon where a psychoanalyst (convincingly played by J.C. Cutler)
complains to psychiatrist (Kate Eifrig) that he spends five days a week
analyzing Richard Nixon. This amusing satire on psychotherapy revealing
the character of Nixon is highly entertaining.
Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall Be Unhappy revolves around Laura
Bush in Paradise addressing three little Iraqi children who died with
thousands of other children because of American aggression.. Laura
Bush, well interpreted by Kate Eifrig, tries too justify husband
Bushie's actions by condemning Saddam Hussein as a cruel dictator who
needed to be overthrown. This piece has more of a moral tone than the
four others in its implication of America's tactics that caused the
death of innocent children.
Kushner offers sharp perceptions of the American scene set in a fantasy
of the afterlife depiccting the fantastical aspects of psychoanalysis.
Fantasy and truth about America experiencing a universe in peril
presented on a light note is what renders Kusnher a meaningful and
profound recorder of our times.
Tiny Tony plays through Nov. 29. For info and tickets call 510-647-2949
or click on BerkeleyRep.org. Dr. Annette Lust
When The Kids Are Away, The Parents Will Play
The San Francisco Playhouse just opened the World Premiere of The
First Day of School by Billy Aronson to kick off its new season. Susan
(Zehra Berkman) and David (Bill English) meet outside an elementary
school on the first day of school after dropping off their children.
They begin by comparing notes on their kids new teachers. With a whole
day to kill, they decide to fulfill a mutual fantasy and begin
propositioning other parents. They introduce themselves by saying to a
fellow parent, "Do you want to have sex with me?" The comedy takes
flight by the reactions they get. Susan begins by speaking to Peter,
played by a flustered and neurotic Jackson Davis. David follows suit by
speaking to Kim played by Marcia Pizzo as a righteous PTA activist, who
turns him down. Next, David speaks to Alice played by Stacy Ross as an
unapproachable, high powered attorney. Scene II opens up into Susan and
David's comfortable living room beautifully designed by Bill English.
Peter comes home with Susan and Alice comes home with David, and then
much to David's surprise, Kim also shows up. Peter, Alice and Kim seem
to be very uptight to swing with Susan and David. Scene III is again
in Susan and David's living room four years later where everyone is
having lots of fun and this evidently has been going on the first day
of school over the ensuing four years. High school student actors
Torie Laher and Myles Landberg show up, when the parents are upstairs
as teens who stumble into the midst of things. Chris Smith's smooth
direction and his talented cast make the most of Aronson's deft touch
with comic situations. Imaginative costumes suited to each character
were created by Bree Hylkema and Kimberly Richards' movement design.
In this fantastically funny new comedy by Billy Aronson I found myself
continuously laughing out loud! However, our protagonists in The First
Day of School yearn for a connection that will stave off their
loneliness. They hurdle into sexual situations hoping to find something
in the arms of others to sustain them in the empty world of conformity
and daily routine. Theirs is an eternal quest and Aronson opens the
skin of the mundane to expose longings we all understand.
First Day of School plays through November 7 For tickets, call
415-677-9596 or go to www.sfplayhouse.org.Up next at the San Francisco
Playhouse will be "She Stoops To Comedy" by David Greenspan and
directed by Mark Rucker, November 18, 2009-January 9, 2010. Flora
Lynn Isaacson
The Creature Speaks!
Black Box Theatre is currently presenting Trevor Allen's The
Creature,"a World Premiere adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein."
I attended the final preview on Saturday, October 24. In most
versions of Frankenstein, the monster is nearly mute, expressing
himself only in a series of inarticulate grunts and cries. In Allen's
version, the monster speaks.
The Creature begins with the epistolary technique of a correspondence
between Captain Robert Walton (Garth Petal) and his sister. These
letters form the framework of the story in which Walton tells his
sister the story of Victor Frankenstein (Gabriel Marin) and his
Creature (James Carpenter) as Frankenstein tells it to him. Walton
sets out to explore the North Pole and expand his scientific knowledge
in hopes of achieving fame; unfortunately, the ship becomes trapped in
ice. One day, the crew finds Frankenstein near the ship, weak and in
need of sustenance. Frankenstein starts to recover from his exertion
(he was on the trail of the Creature) and recounts
his story warning Walton of the effects of allowing one's ambition to
push one to aim beyond wha tone is capable of achieving. In the
original story, Victor Frankenstein neglects the Creature out of fear,
he does not intend to create a horror. The Creature begins as an
innocent loving being and does not develop hatred until the world
inflicts violence upon him. The Creature employs the voices of three
narrators--Victor Frankenstein, the Creature, and the ship's Captain
Walton in a mercurial interwoven style.
James Carpenter, in the lead role of the Creature, is outstanding. He
brings out the humanity in his character. He has a lot of empathy for
his tragic condition and that's what makes the whole production work.
Gabriel Marin gives a moving performance as Victor Frankenstein. Garth
Petal,
in addition to playing Captain Walton, plays a whole series of minor
characters as well. Director Rob Melrose took the concept of a radio
play as a jumping off point. He seeks a presentational look.
Sound Designer Cliff Caruthers brought in live microphones. Captain
Walton (Petal) uses them to read his letters, and they are so engaging.
Some of the hanging microphones echo, so when Frankenstein (Marin)
calls out to Captain Walton from his sled on ice, it is haunting
.
The set design by Michael Locker is rather minimal and quite
functional. My main criticism of the play is that it is too long and
drawn out. I believe a 90-minute version without an intermission would
be more effective.
The Creature plays Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
from October 23-November 7 at Thick House, 1695 18th Street (between
Carolina and Arkansas) in San Francisco. For tickets, the public may
call 415-401-8081 or visit thickhouse.org.
Flora Lynn Isaacson
The Doctor and His Demon
The Royal Underground Theatre Company is currently presenting a fresh
new look at "Jekyll and Hyde," the smash Broadway musical hit based on
the novel, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert
Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and
Frank Wildhorn with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.
Director Enrico Banson has re-imagined this show through a contemporary
viewpoint although it is set in London in 1886. He stripped the show
away from the original gigantic set pieces to focus on the talent at
hand. There is a candelabra on each side of the stage to set the
scene.
All of the actors (except for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the two
female leads), in a cast of 15, play musical instruments,
piano/keyboard, flute, violin, trumpet, double bass/alto horn, electric
bass, clarinet, alto sax, harp, and drums, as well as being able to
sing and dance.
My only criticism is that the volume of the music, at times, drowned
out the actors.
The battle between good and evil and the dual personality of man is the
theme ofJekyll and Hyde. We see onstage, a man possessed by a desire
drug induced flight into the realm of the inner sanctum of evil
inherent in man.
The highly talented Jonathan Reisfeld plays both Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde well. One is amazed as he successfully transforms himself into
the alter character. Molly Gazay as Lucy, the tart, is outstanding.
With her good looks and beautiful voice, she captures the audience.
Holly Nugent
creates a sympathetic Emma, Jekyll's fiance. Ms. Nugent is an
appealing presenceand has a pleasant voice. Chris Morrell as John
Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's lawyer and best friend, performs his role well.
Douglas Mandell, as Sir Danvers Carew, gives a moving performance
as Emma's father.
Song highlights include such hit tunes as "This Is the Moment," "A New
Life," "Alive,"
"Someone Like You," "Lost In the Darkness," and "Facade."
The period costumes by Cherilyn Chang showed an influence of modern
fashion designers
like Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
Enrico Banson has skillfully directed this production with a highly
talented cast to create a professional, polished, exciting evening of
theatre.
Coming up next in 2010, the Royal Underground Theatre Company performs
Jonathan Larson's "Rent"-January 22, 2010-February 21, 2010.
Flora Lynn Isaacson
FRINGE OF MARIN NOV 13 TO DEC 6 AT DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
For their twenty fourth season, Fringe of Marin's Bay Area actors and
Dominican Players stage new one-acts ranging from farce to light and
dark comedy for critics' awards at Meadowlands Hall, Dominican
University, 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael, Nov. 13 to Dec. 6, Fridays and
Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m., $14-$16 admission: $10 seniors &
students. Call 415-673-3131 or Jeanlust@aol.com.
Standard VersionTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyTrademarks
Context Sensitive
Shortcuts
© 2009 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved
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