ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE SHAW'S "THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE"

ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE by Ted Swindley, directed by Elizabeth Craven and Elly Lichenstein. Hardt Theatre, 6th Street Playhouse, (Located in historic Railroad Square) 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. 707-523-4185 or www.6thstreetplayhouse.com.

Through December 7, 2008

A GREAT EVENING OF COUNTRY WESTERN AND POP SINGING WITH GOSPEL AND TORCH SONGS THROWN IN

Patsy Cline was a legendary country singer who made a smooth transition to traditional pop, Nashville sound, honky tonk, rock & roll, standards and rockabilly genres. Her recording career spanned only 15 months but in that time produced many classics before dying at age 30 in a plane crash in 1963. “Always, Patsy Cline” is based on a true story about her friendship with Louise Seger that blossomed into continued letter writing that always ended with “Love always, Patsy Cline.”

The story unfolds in flashbacks with Louise Seger (Liz Jahren) reminiscing from her Houston kitchen. . After first hearing Patsy (Mary Gannon-Graham)on the “Arthur Godfrey Show” in 1957, Seger became an avid fan, constantly hounding a local radio disc jockey to play her records. In 1961 when Cline went to Houston for a show, Seger and her buddies arrived about an hour-and-a-half early at a honky-tonk, striking up a friendship that ended with Patsy staying overnight and the two women becoming fast friends.

Seger is the narrator while Patsy enters and exits in multiple changes of costumes to sing the songs that made her famous starting with a rousing “Honky-Tonk Merry Go Round” ending the show with the gospel “How Great You Are” followed by three encores of “If You’ve Got Leavin’ on Your Mind”, “True Love” and “Bill Bailey.” In between were known greats, to name a few are “Anytime”, “Walkin' After Midnight”, “She's Got You”, “Sweet Dreams”, and “Crazy.” Hyperactive Liz Jahren as Seger joins in the fun with humorous comments and down home dance steps making the audience roar as well as leading them into participating with clapping hands and singing. An equal mixture of humor and sadness emanates from the lyrics.

Mary Gannon-Graham captures Cline’s controlled vibrato with that distinctive catch in her voice that expresses true yearning. In the more physically vocal numbers her exuberance blasts across the footlights. The 6-piece Bobcat Orchestra add depth to her performance giving you foot-stomping desires. The standing ovation was well deserved. Running time about 2 hours with intermission.

The Bodacious Bobcats: Jim Peterson (Guitar), Dave Zirbel (Steel guitar), Robin Zickel (Drums), Stuart Rabinowitsh (Piano), Josh Fossgreen (Bass), Michael Kane (Fiddle).

Complete song list: “Honky Tonk Merry Go Round”, “Back In Baby's Arms”, “Anytime”, “Walkin' After Midnight”, “I Fall To Pieces”, “It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”, “ Come On In And Sit Right", “Your Cheatin' Heart”, “Stupid Cupid”, “You Belong To Me”, “ San Antonio Rose”, “Lovesick Blues”, “ Sweet Dreams”, “She's Got You”, “Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray”, “Seven Lonely Days”, “Just a Closer Walk", “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, “Gotta Lotta Rhythm”, “Shake Rattle and Roll”, “Faded Love”, “How Great Thou Art”, “True Love”, “If You"ve Got Leavin' On Your Mind”, “Bill Bailey” and “Crazy.”

Kedar K Adour, MD

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE, by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Barbara Oliver. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822 or www.auroratheatre.org. October 31, 2008 - December 7, 2008

Judith Anderson (front, Stacy Ross) prays as the British (l. Warren David Keith, c. left, Michael Ray Wisely, c. right, Trish Mulholland, r. Anthony Nemirovsky) prepare to hang Richard Dudgeon (c. Gabriel Marin) Photo by David Allen

“HISTORY, AS USUAL, WILL TELL LIES”

“The Devil’s Disciple” is the second play in Aurora Theatre’s American Trilogy project and from the reaction of the opening night audience they a have another winner following on the heels of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man.” The original New York production in 1987 featured thirty-three actors and a military band and was billed as a melodrama. Director Barbara Oliver has cut the cast to nine playing 14 parts, dispensed with the military Band and emphasizes satiric humor to replace melodrama. George Bernard Shaw’s words lend themselves to such an interpretation and the superb local cast gleefully joins in the transition.

Those who have read historian/novelist George McCullough’s “1776” are familiar with the suggestion that because of great ineptitude the Revolutionists did not “win” the War but the British just gave up and sailed back to England. It is prophetic that late in the play, General Burgoyne’s (Warren David Keith) reply to Major Swindon’s (Allen McKelvey) question “What Will history say?” is a droll but telling truism, “History, as usual, will tell lies.”

“Devil’s Disciple” is Shaw’s only play to be set in America. It is 1777 in a New England village that has been invaded by the Red Coats (costumes by Anna Oliver) who are the habit of hanging rebels as a means of intimidating the locals into cooperation. Dick Dudgeon, Shaw’s protagonist, relishes his reputation as “the devil’s disciple” because of his open challenge to the church in general and his mother’s (Trish Mulholand) scathing religious fervent. Her admonition to Reverend Anderson (Søren Oliver) that he will be punished for marrying Judith (Stacy Ross) for love is emblematic of her twisted personality for which she gets her comeuppance when a deathbed will deprives her of her inheritance.

Dudgeon, while visiting the home of Reverend Anderson and Judith, he is left alone with Judith when the Reverend is called away. Physical attraction between the pair is palpable but is bilaterally denied. The Redcoats, mistake him for the Reverend who is wanted for treason, and Dudgeon goes along with the false identity knowing he will be hanged. Was his motivation love for Judith, love of country, a sense of duty or, to quote comedian Flip Wilson, “the devil made me do it!”

There are many delicious cutting and satiric lines that are voiced with perfect timing and authenticity by the entire cast. Although Gabe Marin, as the protagonist performs up to his usual professional standard, he is upstaged by Keith as General Borgoyne with his complete mastery of Shavian wit. The chemistry between Marin and Ross is palpable but does not reach the level displayed in their previous dual outings. Trish Mulholland radiates religious rigidity justifying her son’s withdrawal from her home.

The other members of the cast, Allen McKelvey (Uncle Titus/Swindon), Anthony Nemirovsky (Christy/Chaplain), Tara Tomicevic (Essie) and Michael Ray Wisely (Hawkins/The Sergeant) add depth to the play with special mention to McKelvey for his pompous repartee with Keith and Wisely for his underplayed humorous antics.

Unlike most of Shaw’s plays, this production runs a scant 2 hours including intermission and is well worth attending. Be assured you will leave with admiration for Oliver’s directorial skills and Aurora’s continued ability to be a major player in the Bay Area theater scene.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com