Kedar Adour reviews

EVIE'S WALTZ at The Magic Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:53:00 +0000

Marielle Heller (Evie), Darren Bridgett (Clay), Julie Brothers (Gloria), Photo by David Allen

EVIES WALTZ by Carter W. Lewis, directed by Loretta Greco. MAGIC THEATRE

Bldg D – Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA 94123. (Parking lot entrance at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St.) Box Office: 415.441.8822 or http://www.magictheatre.org./.

November 15 through December 7.

EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 21, 2008

A SHATTERING & ENGROSSING EXPERIENCE

Loretta Greco, Magic Theatre’s new Artistic Director, chose “Evie’s Waltz”, written by Carter W. Lewis for her directorial debut, engaging an excellent cast to perform on an Erick Flatmo set that is integral to the unfolding of the plot. Picture a peaceful back yard patio in an upscale neighborhood where a married couple is enjoying drinks preparing an outdoor barbeque on a high-tech stainless steel model. In old-married-couple type of bantering, there is an almost incidental, rather causal acknowledgment that their teen-aged son has been expelled for carrying a gun to school. This is the first foreshadowing of what builds to a shattering, physically and emotionally, tension filled 90 minutes of theatre.

Father Clay (Darren Bridgett) and wife Gloria (Julia Brothers) are awaiting the mother of their son’s girlfriend Evie. Clay is ready to overlook and forgive his son’s transgression (“There is nothing that can’t be worked out.”) while Gloria is livid (“He is not my son.”), not willing to forgive. Evie (Marielle Heller) arrives saying that her mother is drunk and will not be coming. Her explanation for the blood on her shoulder is hardly believable and the banter gradually shifts to ominous accusations stripping the veneer of family unity displaying dysfunctional relationships between parents and son.

The son, Danny, is masterfully brought to life by Lewis’s brisk, sharp dialog exchanges between Evie and Gloria although he never appears on stage. We feel the intense passion of youth driven by schoolyard bullying, lack of parental acceptance and a perverted form of “Romeo and Juliet” love between Evie and Danny that is driving this frightening story. Greco moves her characters adroitly about the stage and when the “waltz” of the title is revealed, the strains of the “Blue Danube” are spine chilling.

Marielle Heller, a newcomer to the Magic Theatre, gives a tour de force performance and the always-superb Julie Brothers more than holds her own gaining strength in her interpretation of a mother torn with guilt and confused love for the unseen Danny. Darren Bridgett handles the underwritten role of father Clay expertly. There is the feeling that the play is still in a transition stage that is often the case with Magic Theatre’s dedication to development and production of new plays. Without revealing the total story line, one might take issue with the reaction of Gloria and Clay knowing that a sniper scoped high-powered rifle is aimed at them and they know the marksman is their son.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN at NCTC

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:26:00 +0000

AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN by Douglas Carter Beane, directed by Andrew Nance. The New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) Walker Theatre, 25 Van Ness Ave. at Market St., San Francisco, 94102. Tickets are available at NCTC’s Box Office (415) 861 8972, or online at www.nctcsf.org. Runs through December 21, 2008 (There are no performances on November 16, 26, and 27).

ACT 1: FRENETIC WITHOUT CLASS ACT 2: A WINNER

Plays written about the theatre often emphasize problems with writing a second act. “As Bees In Honey Drown” author Douglas Carter Beane, winner of a 2007 Tony Award nomination for “The Little Dog Laughed” and the book for cult favorite “Xanadu”, does not have that problem. The second act is worth the wait with its well-paced, zany story line expertly blocked making up for a first act mish mash that needs work. The problem is not in the writing but in the direction relying on physical shtick where a touch of class is needed.

Six characters play 21 roles with the two leads having the luxury of playing one character. They can be considered co-protagonists, if there is such a term. Even Wyler (Jonathan Bock) is a gay twenty something year old novelist enjoying his 15 minutes of fame as “the hot young thing of the moment” rating a semi-nude photo in a splashy magazine. Alexa Vere de Vere (Juliet Heller), a con artist of the highest quality who preys on the “almost famous”, stripping them of their cash and egos. Evan is her latest conquest. Alexa claims to be a record producer asking Evan to write a screenplay based on her unbelievable life in society. She promises him fame and fortune, just as she has promised other young celebrities before she rips them off. Writers are her favorite because, "they always have the last word--they know so many" and "nobody pulls the cashmere over their heads."

As Alexa drags naïve Evan around New York money is spent like a drunken sailor with lavish dining, expensive clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue etc. Early on Evan offers to pay for lunch, and through a clever ruse shecons him into repeatedly paying, with her promise to repay, which she never does. Alexa even cons homosexual Evan into a romantic sexual liaison sealing the deal. The movies supposedly beckon when Evan discovers his credit card has maxed out and Alexa has disappeared. The search for the true Alexa leads to record producer Morris Kaden (Dene Larson) who helps to unravel the mystery at the end of Act 1.

With revenge on his mind, Evan meets Alexa's supposedly dead husband, Michael “just plain Mike” Stabinsky (Ben Fisher), a painter who is alive and living in New York. The story of how Mike and Brenda Gelb, just plain “poor white trash” from Pennsylvania, created Alexa Vere de Vere unfolds followed by a plan by Morris Kaden, dancer Illya Mannon (Stephanie Goldstein) and violinist Ginny Camerson (Melissa Jones Briggs) to unmask Alexa. Not all goes well but there is a satisfying ending not to be revealed here.

Heller has the most demanding role with almost the entire first act devoted to her monologs only briefly interrupted by the many characters. She displays her acting diversity when she appears as just plain Brenda Gelb before she is consumed by the “Alexa personae.” Bock exudes naïve charm as Evan before Alexa “stole my arrogance” that is regained before the play ends. Kudos goes to Ben Fisher for his underplaying to perfection of Mike the painter. The remainder of the cast has their moments to shine, especially in the second act. Some of the directorial problems are accentuated by the tiny utilitarian, yet attractive, set created by Seren Helday. Prem Lathi’s costumes do add a touch of class to the show.
Running time about 2 hours including intermission.
Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine
www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

SABRINA FAIR at Ross Valley Players

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:32:00 +0000

From L to R: Barbara Van Demeer (Aunt Julie), Cary Cronholm (Sabrina), Robyn Wiley (Maude Larrabee) and Stephen Gustavson (David Larrabee) admire the Cockatoo bird in Act 1 of Sabrina Fair.

SABRINA FAIR by Samuel Taylor, directed by Michael Paul Pulizzano. Ross Valley Players Barn Theatre, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at Lagunitas, Ross, CA. 415-456-9555 or www.rossvalleyplayers.com.November 7 to December 7, 2008.

NEW FACES/VOICES SPARKLE IN “SABRINA FAIR”

For the 2^nd production of Ross Valley Players (RVP) 2008/2009 season they have acquired two new top-notch actors, a new director and the services of a superb scenic designer. With these additions to the very competent list of seasoned veterans, RVP’s opening of “Sabrina Fair” is a show that will tickle the cockles of your heart.

Many of you will remember the 1954 movie version directed by Billy Wilder, titled simply “Sabrina”, starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. Put aside any comparisons and your expectations and thoroughly enjoy newcomer Cary Cronholm in the lead role of Sabrina. She worked at Chicago’s Second City and Steppenwolf after graduating from A.C.T. training program and is a bundle of energy, with an expressive voice. Her non-verbal responses while being discussed by Maude (Robyn Wiley) and Linus Sr. (Tom Reilly) are a joy watch. The other newcomer, Tom Reilly, steals many of the scenes with his perfect depiction of the pompous Linus Sr. garnering most of the laughs with his one line zingers without once stepping out of character.

“Sabrina Fair” is a love story, social commentary on the dichotomy of the rich and those whom they employ and the emerging equalization of male-female relationships. Don’t allow the last sentence to deter your attendance since there is a happy fairy tale ending relatively specific to time and place. It is 1952, the estate of the Larrabee family on the exclusive North Shore of Long Island, about an hour from New York City.

Sabrina is the daughter of the loyal Larrabee chauffeur Tom Fairchild (John Anthony Nolan) whom the Larrabee family addresses only as “Fairchild.” Sabrina has just returned after three years in Paris where she has blossomed from an energetic tween into an independent woman of beauty, charm and sophistication with great enthusiasm for life. Her return sets up a chain of events that involve all the Larrabees. There is Linus Sr. an ostentatious business tycoon (“It’s a shame not to own the things we can afford.”) and his oldest son Linus Jr. a cynical workaholic obsessed with power and wealth. Recently divorced younger brother David (Stephen Gustavson) is a true romantic but is controlled by his mother Maude who defends her social status with the will of a lioness. Aunt Julie (Barbara Van Dermeer) a successful magazine editor, recuperating from a surgical procedure, enjoys being on the estate where “there are more servants than people.”

Sabrina, leaving a wealthy suitor behind in France, returns to test her unrequited love for David. David’s disclosure to marry Sabrina is met with consternation by his parents; especially Maude who staunchly proclaims that servants should remain in their places. Another obstacle expressed by Linus Sr. is the expected notoriety and “How could you marry a woman without money?” David’s reply “But I love her” is hardly adequate.

Sabrina discovers that her love for David was only a young girl’s fancy and she is drawn to Linus Jr. with his intellectual views of male/female relationships in general and marriage in particular. The remaining obstacle preventing a union between Sabrina and Linus Jr. is their financial breach. It is revealed that Sabrina's father has amassed a fortune on the stock market over the past decades by buying General Motors stock and selling out before the 1929 stock market crash, then reinvesting in Larrabee Industries. Sabrina is now a financial, as well as an intellectual equal. The fairy tale has a mostly happy ending.

John Anthony Nolan as chauffer Fairchild can be considered the deus ex machina with his droll tale of how he amassed his millions bringing spontaneous appreciative laughter. Statuesque Robyn Wiley as the rigid matriarch starts out slowly with her lengthy first act monolog but has complete control of stage in the later acts. The remainder of the cast performs adequately without distinction.

Last but not least, scenic David Apple has created a marvelous set of the garden patio, huge French doors enclosing the party room and a spiral iron staircase leading to the Fairchild quarters above the garage. It exudes wealth and allows director Michael Paul Pulizzano to move his characters gracefully about the entire stage in choreographic fashion.

Running time is a little over two hour with two intermissions.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:32:00 +0000

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

SHAW'S "THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE"

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:25:00 +0000

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

JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE at Berkeley Rep

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:46:00 +0000

(l to r) At Berkeley Rep, Barry Shabaka Henley, Kim Staunton, Don Guillory and Brent Jennings star in Delroy Lindo’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com

JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, written by August Wilson, directed by Delroy Lindo in association with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. Berkeley Rep, Main Season, Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison Street @ Shattuck, Downtown Berkeley, 510.647.2949 or www.berkeleyrep.org . October 31–December 14, 2008

POWERFUL PLAY, EXCELLENT CAST OVERCOME PROBLAMATIC DIRECTION

It is a pity that August Wilson is not alive to witness the stunning election of Barak Obama to the Presidency of the United States. He surely would create an addendum to his monumental 10-play cycle that chronicles the African-American experience from 1904 (“Gem of the Ocean”) to 1997 (“Radio Golf”). In “Radio Golf”, the last play in the cycle, it is 1995 and his protagonist Harmond Wilks enters into politics aspiring to the first black mayor of Pittsburg.

The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre is co-producer of this production having mounted an excellent taunt version of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” 2 years ago at their now defunct San Francisco Theatre. Berkeley Rep has gathered a stunning cast, hired famed actor Delroy Lindo to direct and mounted the play on scenic designer Scott Bradley’s fantastically realistic set. In 1987, Lindo garnered a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of the protagonist Herald Loomis and spent over two years associated with performances in the U.S.A. and London and has directed with a loving but flawed hand.

Wilson did not write his plays in chronological order and “Joe Turner’s come and Gone” is the third episode, written in 1986, again taking place in the Hill District of Pittsburg. The time is 1911, less than 50 years after the Civil War. The was a mass exodus of Blacks from the rural South to the industrial North, all searching for jobs, lost relatives or personal identity. Being familiar with other plays in the series, especially “Gem of the Ocean” would add depth to your appreciation of the play but it does stand-alone as a significant piece of the Black experience in America.

Tormented and angry Herald Loomis (Teagle F. Bougere), with Zona (Nia Renee Warren), his 11-year-old daughter in tow, is physically searching for his missing wife and spiritually for “his song” to give him an internal identity. We eventually learn that he was torn from his wife and indentured for seven tortuous years to the notorious Joe Turner (a real life brother of a Tennessee governor). They are newly arrived in Pittsburgh seeking room in the boarding house run by Seth (Barry Shabaka Henley) and Bertha (Kim Staunton) Holly. Another boarder, Bynum Walker (Brent Jennings), a mystic voodoo conjurer, sacrifices pigeons for their blood to create visions as he searches for the meaning of life. Loomis and Bynum share a mutual vision of bones arising from the sea, walking on water and arriving on land with fully formed bodies. This is a direct reference to slaves, while being transported across the Atlantic Ocean, those who died were thrown overboard.

Seth Holly, is the only character not born in the South and is intolerant of cotton-field migrants. He is a tinsmith who trades with white peddler Rutherford Selig (Dan Hiatt), who, because of his wide journeys, doubles as a finder of lost persons. Two other inhabitants of the boarding house include young, handsome, guitar playing Jeremy Furlow (Don Guillory), Mattie Campbell (Tiffany Michelle Thompson) a forlorn young woman deserted by her lover who moves in with Jeremy. Later, attractive, independent and disillusioned with men, Molly Cunningham (Erica Peoples) arrives to be swept off by Jeremy. Then there is the young neighbor Reuben Mercer (Keanu Beausier) who forms a bond with Zonia. The final character is Herald’s wife Martha (Kenya Brome) who, while also searching for her child, has found religion as her savior to rationality.

The intermingling of the diverse group is all tied to the mystic conjurer Bynum who expounds, at length, August Wilson’s philosophical viewpoints on the relationship of men and woman, whites and Blacks and more profoundly the search for Black identity and connection with their past. He inserts a religious “Juba” dance (Juba for jubilation) following a Sunday supper that has direct links to their African origin that triggers a convulsive attack in Loomis who cannot find his “spiritual legs.” It is a powerful scene. The ending is even more powerful when Loomis and Martha clash and Loomis cleanses himself with blood and finds his “song” (identity).

Lindo’s exasperating slow pacing stretches the first act to one hour and 25 minutes. He then, for inexplicable reasons, stages the touching scenes between the youngsters on the floor of the auditorium, in front of the stage, making it almost impossible to understand what their words. That being said, he gets without exception, great performances from his cast and you are drawn into the Wilson’s depiction of their world. The second act is stunning gem not to be missed.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine

42nd STREET: The Lullaby of Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:46:00 +0000

42nd STREET: The Lullaby of Broadway. Music by Harry Warren, Lyrics by Al Dubin, Book by Michael Stewart & Mark Bramble. Director Jennifer Denison Perry, Musical Director Ken Bergmann. Contra Costa Musical Theatre (CCMT) at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. 925-210-0268 or www.ccmt.org.

Runs through November 8, 2008.

HAPPY FEET, GREAT MUSIC & ENERGETIC CAST = FUN EVENING

Many will be disappointed after the Presidential election but no one will be disappointed when attending CCMT’s production of “42^nd Street. The Lullaby of Broadway.” Sure, the story of a small town girl named Peggy Sawyer (Courtney Iventosch) who becomes an unlikely “Star!” on Broadway is as corny as one can contemplate. But that’s part of the fun. And fun it is from the opening with Andy (Martin Newton) leading the tap dance audition number before Billy (dulcet voiced Jason Hite)swings into Young and Healthy with Peggy to introduce the love angle. Almost immediately, the hilarious, satiric Shadow Waltz brings on fading star Dorothy Brock(Terry Darcy D’Emidio), her sugar-daddy Abner Dillion (Mathew Gracy) and comedienne Maggie (Heidi Schmidt). This first scene that sets the pace for the rest of the show which zings along making the two hour running time proof of Henri Bergson’s concept of relative time. . . “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

The story is based on the 1933 movie taken from a novel by Bradford Ropes and converted into the musical, first produced on Broadway in 1980, winning the Tony Award for best musical. Its London production became a long running hit. The marvelous songs that the present generation might consider archaic, actually are pure delight and you will catch yourself humming the melody as you leave the theater. They include You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me, We’re in the Money, Lullaby of Broadway, About a Quarter to Nine and Shuffle Off to Buffalo. The frequently revived show is a perfect vehicle for community-based theatre giving local talent a chance to show their stuff. CCMT has gathered a professional cast for the major roles and a bevy of beauties that tap dance up a storm with their male counterparts.

Added to all this is the freely moving artistic sets designed by Kelly Tighe that allow the show to flow through many scene changes and a colorful collection of costumes selected by Melissa Patterson. The eye-popping production number with the girls sashaying on a runway extending around the orchestra while Jason Hite belts out the song Dames will bring back memories of the Ziegfeld Follies. Busby Berkely style We’re in the Money song and dance is the first show stopper.

Collectively, all are great singers and individual accolades need to be awarded. Iventosch, as Peggy, conveys innocence and determination and makes the audience burst into applause as the true “Star!” in the 42^nd Street Ballet finale. Smooth, sultry, sexy songstress D’Emidio is the perfect opposite of Peggy. Hiedi Schmidt knows how to belt a song and is in full command of comedic timing. Scott Strain and Amy Nielson, with Maggie and the girls are showstoppers with Shuffle Off toBuffalo. Jason Hite could project a bit more worldliness for his role as Billy but receives 3 stars out of 4 for his singing. Tom Reardon as Julia Marsh, the tough task master producer, has to wait late into the show to demonstrate his rich baritone voice and command of the stage.

Do go and allow the 26-member cast to lift up your spirits.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

THE QUALITY OF LIFE at A.C.T.

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:35:00 +0000

THE QUALITY OF LIFE; Written and directed by Jane Anderson. American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), 415 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

415.749.2228 or www.act-sf.org. September 25 through November 23, 2008

IT’S A CRUEL F------ WORLD

In the non-classical sense of the word, personal tragedy affects us in a multitude of ways. Some of the individual responses are acceptance, depression, anger, withdrawal and solace within organized religion. Astute, award winning dramatist Jane Anderson has ignored the maxim never to openly discuss political and religious tenets creating an interesting drama bringing together two diverse couples coping with devastating trauma. With this play she hopes, in her own words, “. . . to help the audience recognize that in the face of (a) dichotomy of ideals, there's the possibility of finding a common human connection." It is a noble attempt but does not capture the brass ring.

There are only four in the cast which forces the author to rely on lengthy dialog that expresses oft heard differences of opinion and documented verbal/intellectual conflict. Considering these obstacles, the superb staging (Donald Eastman), adept direction and thoroughly professional ensemble acting are in evidence. Three members from the world premiere 2007 production in Los Angeles, Dennis Boutsikaris (Neil), Laurie Metcalf (Jeannette) and JoBeth Williams (Dinah) repeat their roles and are joined by Stephen Culp (Bill). With a few notable glitches they inhabit the personae of their characters making one appreciate their differences while vying for audience acceptance.

We first meet Bill and Dinah, a Midwestern couple who are dealing with an unspecified tragedy that we later learn is the murder, one year ago, of their only daughter by a crazed man. Dinah convinces reluctant Bill to accompany her to visit a distant free spirited cousin Jeannette and her husband Neil who have been burned out of their home in the 1995 Mount Vision fire. Bill and Dinah arrive to find Neil and Jeannette living in a yurt with outdoor kitchen and plumbing surrounded by a burned out tree from which they have hung the charred remains of formerly precious belongings. They have learned, and accepted, that material things are of little importance since Neil is dying of cancer.

Bill has become a born-again Christian as a means of dealing with his deep depression and is appalled to learn Neil, in hospice mode, is giving up any further chemotherapy, uses marijuana to deal with his physical pain and plans to commit suicide in two weeks. They clash on intellectual grounds as Bill unsuccessfully attempts to convert Neil to “God’s will.” Further, Jeannette, afraid of a future of intense longing without Neil and the prospect of growing old and decrepit, plans to accompany Neil in suicide.

Contrary to what the previous paragraphs may suggest, there is a great deal of humor (maybe a bit too much) throughout the evening since Anderson is a successful writer for TV. There is a hilarious, heartwarming vignette when Dinah, for the first time, inhales marijuana. She has the most powerful scene in the play when Bill declaims that the fire that destroyed Jeannette and Neil’s home was just retribution by God. Dinah strikes out at Bill asking what did our daughter due to deserve her fate. Although the author professes to be even handed, Christianity gets the short end of the stick and the dual ending for the fate of each couple is unsatisfying. The real truism is reflected in the single line late in the play, “It’s a cruel f------ life!”

Running time 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (October-November)

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Eddie Carbone (Armando Durán) and his wife Beatrice (Vilma Silva) try to find some common ground. Photo by Jenny Graham.

OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (OSF); P.O. Box 158, 15 South Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR 97520. 541-482-2111, 541-482-0446 fax, 541-482-4331 box office; www.osfashland.org

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER.

With the closure of the outdoor Elizabethan Stage October 12, 2008, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival continues indoors until November 2. On the main Angus Bowmer Theatre there is a tremendous “do not miss” production of Arthur Miller’s “View From The Bridge.” Written and produced in 1955, before container ships became the de rigueur for ocean cargo transportation, it may seem a bit dated but it still packs an emotional and physical wallop with strong characters and brilliant staging. The casting could not be better and director Libby Appel has expanded the cast to create living tableau that freeze during the monologues delivered by Mr. Alfieri (Tony DeBruno) a lawyer, the narrator and a one man Greek Chorus with prophecies for future calamities.

The general setting is a tenement house and streets in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the home of Eddie Carbone (Armando Duran), his wife Beatrice (Vilma Silva) and their niece Catherine (Stephanie Beatriz) who is blossoming into womanhood. They agree to take in Beatrice’s cousins Marco (David DeSantos) and his brother Rudolpho (Juan Rivera LeBron) who are there illegally from economically depressed Sicily.

Eddie, the central character, is inarticulate but admirable, having raised his orphaned niece and now makes room for the smuggled Sicilians. Eddie’s love for his niece borders on incestuousness and his antipathy to the handsome, blond Rudolpho’s attachment to Catherine snowballs into obsessiveness. His violent opposition masks his hidden desires and he deludes himself into suspecting Rudolpho of being less than a man because “He sings, he sews, he can cook, . . . he’s not what a man should be.” The stage is set for a stunning dramatic ending

Duran’s performance has the right mixture to convey the complexities of Eddie’s character with the dominating physical presence dictated by Miller’s stage direction. Vilma Silva’s portrayal of the acquiescent wife that grows to a pillar of strength is the perfect sounding board for the smouldering Eddie. David DeSantos creates a strong, reticent Marco that flares to violence while Stephanie Beatriz and Juan Rivera LeBron handle the burgeoning love affair with a charming mixture of gentle exuberance and desire.
Running Time about two hours an 30 minutes .

Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will never be the same after Mark Rucker’s concept production that was received with great appreciation by the younger audiences that are flocking to see it. When Rucker directed “Twelfth Night” for California Shakespeare Company, a headline read “RUCKER CREATES A RUCKUS!” He carries his modus operandi throughout this super-modern version with inter-galactic costumes, rock concert staging and forest fairies that would be a smash hit at the San Francisco Folsom Street Fair or Halloween in the Castro District. The review begs for alliteration since the entire show is raucous, raunchy, racy and ribald and right on for an evening (or matinee) of riotous fun.
Running Time about two hours and 41 minutes.

The “near” world premiere of “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner” is a strange play given a fantastically interesting staging in the confines of the New Theatre. (The world premiere was produced in the Mark Taper forum in Los Angeles.) It is an admixture of heartfelt comedy/drama with surrealistic fantasy. If there is a basic tenet it is related to either, no one loves a fat person or within every fat person there is a thin person trying to get out of her body. The four-member cast of Sandra Marquez, Zilah Mendoza, G. Valmont Thomas and Rene Millan are all excellent actors working as an ensemble with each having individual moments to shine. What makes this show a “must see” production is the set and technical design especially with the “out of body” special effects? The question mark is intentional.
Running Time about two hours and 5 minutes.

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine
www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

RADIO GOLF by August Wilson

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:45:00 +0000

RADIO GOLF by August Wilson, directed by Harry J. Elam Jr. TheatreWorks, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.(at Mercy), Mountain View. 650-903-6000 or www.theatreworks.org . Through November 2, 2008.

TOP NOTCH CAST CREATE A MEMORABLE EVENING

TheatreWorks presents the regional premiere of August Wilson's final episode of his monumental 10-play cycle that chronicles the African-American experience from 1904 ("Gem of the Ocean") to 1997. It is a powerful play of unfulfilled dreams, hardships and resentment. Similar to his other plays, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Wilson relies on long moralistic speeches to vocalize previous experiences and define character. Such construction requires superb acting and directing and TheatreWorks' production is an unqualified success with (alphabetically) local actors Aldo Billingslea, Charles Branklyn, L. Peter Callender, Anthony J. Haney and C. Kelly Wright on Eric Flatmo's fantastically realistic set. The spontaneous standing ovation at the end of the play was well deserved.

Once again the action plays out in Pittsburgh's Hill District that is in the process of being condemned to make way for redevelopment in late 1990s. In a shabby storefront real estate office we are introduced to a young successful African American entrepreneur Harmond Wilks (Aldo Billingslea who was stunning playing the lead in "Elephant Man"), his wife Mame (C. Kelly Wright a smashing success in "Caroline, or Change") and partner Roosevelt Hicks (Anthony J. Haney, a TheatreWorks veteran). While Roosevelt is set on making a killing in real estate and being able to "sit at the table" with the white elite, Harmond, with Mame as his public relation whiz, desires to become the first African-American mayor of Pittsburgh.

Conflict arises when impecunious Elder Joseph Barlow (audience favorite Charles Branklyn) arrives to claim the Wilks' ancestral home that is scheduled to be razed but sits in the middle of the proposed project. Wilson creates Sterling Johnson (forceful, CalShakes veteran, L. Peter Callender), a shady, somewhat ethereal, much traveled handyman as the moralconscience of the play.

It is not necessary to be familiar with Wilson's previous plays but doing so adds depth to the plot when it is revealed that Harmond and Elder Barlow are brothers. Roosevelt's great love of golf is driven by the opportunity to associate with the movers and shakers in the community even though their motivations are highly suspect. He becomes the "token black" owner of a local radio station (Radio Golf, of course). Harmond changes his perspective becoming an advocate "championing black heritage" to the detriment of his political campaign. Mame who has social ambitions, further complicates Harmond's reawakening with conflicts between her social desires and her emotional bond with Harmond.

Under Elam's direction, all but Branklyn is allowed to have bombastic moments. Whereas, Haney and Wright convey verisimilitude, Billingslea's portrayal does not convey truth in his sudden conversion to be part of the great black heritage. Branklyn never raises his voice but his sly facial expression and "down-to-earth" mannerisms convey greater meaning than the actual words. Between the dramatic confrontations, Branklyn and Wright have been given humorous lines that break the tension and are a joy to observe. Callender's high-energy performance looses meaning when he drops his voice to an inaudible level at the end of his sentences. Yes, the minor flaws are there but in its totality "Radio Golf" is a fitting end to Wilson's chronicles. Running time 2 hours and 40 minutes with intermission.
Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

VERA WILDE

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:20:00 +0000

SHOTGUN PLAYERS PRESENT:VERA WILDE; Book, Music & Lyrics by Chris Jeffries, directed by Maya Gurantz, musical director Dave Malloy. The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley California 94703 Tel 510.841.6500 FAX 510.841.7468 E-mail info@shotgunplayers.org.
September 19 through October 26

VERA ZASULICH & OSCAR WILDE ON A WILD RIDE

It is certain that most of you know Oscar Wilde but wonder who Vera Zasulich was and why their names are intertwined. Would you believe that Oscar Wilde’s first play was “Vera or The Nihilist” and it was a colossal flop? Vera was an orphaned Russian growing up to earn the title “mother of terrorism” after she shot a Russian military general in the groin, was acquitted for her crime, then going on to be a leading figure of the pre-1917 revolution. Oscar was in the forefront of the gay “movement” long before the Stonewall riots. Both ended up destitute. I guess that that says something about bucking social and political injustice.

Featured (LtoR): Tyler Kent, Alexandra Creighton, Sean Owens. Photo by Jessica Palopoli.

It certainly meant something to the creativity of fringe icon Chris Jeffries who fashions a small gem in this play with music. He has taken pages from Tom Stoppard (“Travesties”) and Stephen Sondheim (“Merrily We Roll Along”) combining a “what if” scenario with very creditable music, including blue grass, London music hall and even an a ccapella number. The guitar, banjo, violin, drum and bass orchestra under Dave Malloy's baton is in great form and it alone is worth a visit to the Ashby stage.

Jefferies main interest seems to be the similarities between Vera and Oscar. The highlights of their lives are told in parallel with a clever twist. Vera’s story progresses forward from Russia in 1875 and Wilde’s unfolds backwards from his self-imposed exile in Paris in 1897. Statements such as “never more calm”, “hypocrisy” and “obstinacies” and others are used to describe their similarities and their individual fling the judicial system(s) as “the trial of the century.” The action plays out on a split stage in front of tilted, askew white and black buildings, probably meant to mimic the screwed up lives of the protagonists whom he identifies with the Joan of Arc and Galileo.

Although Vera ( Alexandra Creighton) and Wilde (Shawn Owens) are the main characters, there is an ensemble effort with Edward Brauer, Tyler Kent and Danielle Levin in multiple roles. You know you’re in for fun with an early number “Midnight in Russia” and you’ll end up clapping in the second act when Danielle Levin and Edward Brauer belt out “That’s How a Show Should Go” in classic music hall tempo ino the musical version of Wilde’s play “Vera”. The appalled look on Wilde’s face is priceless.

Creighton does a very creditable acting job but is up against the fine flamboyant performance of Owens. This occasionally detracts from her role. The entire cast performs admirably but their singing abilities occasionally do not match their enthusiasm.

Jefferies sums up the futility of being leaders of social/political change since both Vera and Oscar ended up destitute: “No one asked to be heroes.” That being said, the Shotgun Players have a winner in this production that runs just under 2 hours with intermission.

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine.

SHINING CITY

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:21:00 +0000

SHINING CITY by Conor McPherson, directed by Amy Glazer; SF Playhouse, 588 Sutter Street #318, San Francisco, California 94102. 415-677-9596 or www.sfplayhouse.org. October1- November 22, 2008

STRONG ACTING AND A TERRIFIC PRODUCTION

“Shining City" is set in the therapist's office, with the stark silhouettes of Dublin’s church steeples visible through large multi-paned window in need of cleaning. Since a therapist is a major character, it is appropriate to confess I have no love for Irish plays since they talk and talk and talk. Further, Conor McPherson’s “The Weir”, the recipient of the Olivier Award for best play in London, did not warm the cockles-of-my-heart. However, after seeing this terrific 100-minute production under Amy Glazer’s astute direction with Paul Whitworth in the lead role, that aversion has been tempered.

At its heart, "Shining City" is a ghost story. Paul Whitworth plays John, a widower who seeks help from a therapist after he sees his wife's ghost. The therapist, Ian (Alex Moggridge), a former priest, takes on John as his first patient. As with most therapists, they have their own problems that influence their relationships.

It is a five-scene play and although there are four characters, only two are on stage at any time. The second scene is the conflict between Ian and his girlfriend Neasa (Beth Wilmurt), the mother of his baby daughter. The penultimate scene involves Laurence (Alex Conde), an impecunious hustler that Ian has brought to the office for an assignation. Each scene is meticulously written and beautifully acted.

You may feel like a voyeur but you will be unable to avert your eyes or ears as the fascinating tale is being spun, at the same time trying to tell John to “Get on with it!” One can visualize John pacing nervously while talking, but Glazer has chosen to have John sit, legs crossed, sipping a glass of water relying on Whitworth to use expressive voice and facial gestures to portray meaning. And he does this to perfection with natural projection of McPherson’s exasperating unfinished sentences that end in “You know.” Alex Moggridge handles the most difficult role of being the listener displaying interest and giving only perfunctory comment, often just the ubiquitous “I, know.” Beth Wilmurt is a joy to watch. Her questioning diatribes convey anger, hurt and truth. Alex Conde with few words and gentle forwardness creates an individual deserving our empathy.

It is a ghost story and Bill English’s detailed, gray, spare setting contributes to the play's ghostly element suggesting there is something out there larger than ourselves. You may become a believer when you see the most spine chilling ending of any play you will ever see. Highly recommended.

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine

DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:01:00 +0000

DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller, directed by Sheri Lee Miller. G.K. 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 Oct. 3 to Oct. 26, 2008 (Running time about 3 hours with intermission)

DANIEL BENZALI PUTS HIS STAMP ON DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Benzali as Willy Loman. Photo byEric Chazankin)

The Pulitzer Prize winning play, “Death of a Salesman”, became an instant American classic when it first appear on the stage in 1949 with Lee J. Cobb turning in a spectacular performance as Willy Loman the salesman who lived on a “smile and a shoeshine.” Frederic March (1951) added his touch to the role garnering an Oscar nomination in the black and white movie. Since that time, the much sought after role has attracted such luminaries as George C. Scott (1975), Dustin Hoffman (1984) and Brian Dennehy in 1999. In this 6^th Street Playhouse production, Golden Globe nominated Daniel Benzali starts a bit hesitantly but by the end on the show has the audience enthralled into hushed silence and then receiving a standing ovation at the curtain call.

The play is non-linear with the present action occupying only 24 hours in the contentious lives of the Loman family leading to the dramatic conclusion signified by the title. The play can be considered a memory play since segments of the action take place in Willy’s mind with imaginary conversations with dead brother Uncle Ben ("When I was seventeen, I walked into the jungle. And by twenty-one, I walked out. And by God, I was rich!"). Author Miller’s stage directions ask for specific set constructions and scenic designer David Lear has complied. The multi-area, multilevel design takes up the entire stage with no solid walls allowing effective light design by John Connole as the story moves flawless between reality and fantasy and between shifts in time. Miller decries the use of the word “flashbacks” insisting they are "mobile concurrences."

Reams of text are written about the many levels of meaning within the play starting with the elusive American Dream that Willy is pursuing. For Willy the pursuit of monetary gain is less important than being liked. He sanctifies the business of salesmanship and he wishes to emulate a highly successful, respected acquaintance "He died the death of a salesman, in his green velvet slippers..." His desire for his sons is dashed when athletic Biff inexplicably gives up and travels west in search of space and Happy is content with the world of women. Willy returns from a trip completely broken in spirit only to confront Biff who has returned. The consequences of the father son confrontation are the catalyst that allows Miller to weave his tale that is well known and needs no repeating.

Director Sheri Lee Miller is also fortunate to have Time Kniffin and Michael Navarra, two excellent Equity actors, for the roles of Biff and Happy Loman to support Benzali. Tori Truss in a pivotal role of the long-suffering wife and mother Linda, gives an only creditable performance but does not do credit to some of the famous lines. Mark Bradbury is excellent in the role Bernard, both as a youth and as an adult. Gina Rose Tiso is perfect as The Woman and the rest of cast do a serviceable job. The accolades belong to the powerful acting of Benzali with dramatic shifts of personality from gleeful elation to self pity to domineering head of the household and to ranting at the world.

CAST: Starring Daniel Benzali * of Los Angeles as Willy Loman. Also starring Tori Truss of San Anselmo as Linda Loman; Tim Kniffin* of Santa Rosa as Biff Loman; Michael Navarra* of San Rafael as Happy Loman; John Craven of Cotati as Charlie; Jeff Cote of Santa Rosa as Howard; Mark Bradbury of Santa Rosa as Bernard; Eric Burke of Santa Rosa as Uncle Ben; Gina Rose Tiso of Santa Rosa as The Woman; April Krautner of Santa Rosa as Miss Forsythe; Rose Roberts of Santa Rosa as Letta; Chris Ginesi of Sonoma as Stanley, the waiter. (* Member AEA)

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine.

THE K of D: An Urban Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Photo: Maya Lawson (Photo by www.davidallenstudio.com .)

THE K OF D, an urban legend, a new play by Laura Schellhardt, directed by Rebecca Novick. MAGIC THEATRE, Bldg D – Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA 94123 (Parking lot entrance at Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St.) Box Office: 415.441.8822
www.MagicTheatre.org. September 20 – October 19, 2008

STORY TELLING AT ITS BEST

Two years ago at the Eugene O’Neil Theater Center, “The K of D” was one of 15 plays honored with a full workshop production at the Playwrights Conference. As a fledgling critic at the National Critics Institute, one of my assignments involved observation of the artistic process of Laura Schellhardt’s play. At the pre-production meeting, she emphasized the critical importance of sound and light to the play. The script used for Magic’s staging is the fourth draft and the play is imbued with stunning light (Kate Boyd) and sound (Sara Huddleston) to complement Maya Lawson’s superb, 80 minute tour de force creation of 12 characters under the able direction of Rebecca Novick.

As legend would have it, the “kiss of death” is bestowed on a young Charlotte McGraw after kissing her dying twin brother Jamie who, while skate boarding, was hit by “a rusty blue Dodge” driven by no-goodnik Johnny Whistler. The story takes place in a rural town in west Ohio with a nearby lake and is told by an unnamed Girl who insists it is not about her. “They’re called urban legends . . . seeing how most of ‘em take place somewhere rural. . .” After Jamie’s death, a strange large bird flies into the town and takes up residence in the lake. Since her twin died, Charlotte has become mute and the Girl knows that, in time, others will be the recipients of the K of D.

The Girl’s coterie of friends include an odd assortment, the oldest being 16 year old Becky Ray Voss who is addicted to “smoking” bubble gum cigarettes, loud mouth Quisp Drucker, gore aficionado Steffi Post, brothers Trent & Brett Hoffman and, of course Charlotte. Adults include schoolteacher Mrs. McGraw and her husband, Johnny and Johnny’s girlfriends. Maya Lawson makes these characters believable and she does so with expert timing, changing voice inflections, perfect hand, and body movement as she spins the ghostly story.

Charlotte gets her chance to avenge her twin’s death when she and her friends take advantage of the feud between the McGraws and their neighbor, the nefarious Johnny Whistler. The Girl’s description of the various girls who temporarily share Johnny’s bed adds a humorous respite for what is to come. To frighten Johnny, the pack starts a series of pranks that escalates into a chilling encounter involving dogs, a gun and the accidentally shooting of the bird and a final K of D.

The above paragraphs give a modicum of information about the fantastic assortment of sound cues that populate this ghostly story, all requiring eerie lighting to augment Lawson’s brilliant performance. You will leave the auditorium admiring Magic Theater’s dedication to bring innovative, thought provoking drama to the Bay Area.courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine.

THE HISTORY BOYS

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Kedar Karim Adour) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:26:00 +0000

Standing (l to r) Jonathan Shue, James Breedlove, Ryan Foster, Nic Knerr
Sitting (l to r) Christopher Morrell, Zac Schuman, Juan Carlos De La Rosa.

THE HISTORY BOYS by Alan Bennett , directed by Ed Decker. The New Conservatory Theatre Center (Decker Theatre), located at 25 Van Ness Ave. near Market St. in San Francisco, 94102. Box Office (415) 861 8972, or online at www.nctcsf.org. September 19 – October 26, 2008

EXPECT LESS AND GET MORE

This Bay Area premiere of Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys” was a coup for Artistic Director Ed Decker and one wondered how he could mount a play that had won multiple awards including the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play in London and 2006 Tony Award on Broadway whose elaborate productions used film clips between multiple scene changes to emphasize time and place. Decker and scenic designer have come up with an extremely attractive set, using minimal props (eight chairs and a desk) a sliding wall and adept direction to keep the action flowing without interruption.

Bennett has created a non-linear play with a narrator/observer that starts in the present, flashes back to 1980, and allows individual characters to break the fourth wall with addresses directly to the audience. The narrator, Scripps (Jonathan Shue) is the introspective one of the seven English schoolboys who are preparing to take exams for entrance to prestigious colleges. The have been assigned to a class on General Studies taught by unorthodox Hector, who takes a broader view of his teaching role than the headmaster would like. These boys are clever and witty. Attractive Dakin (James Breedlove) is the leader and most sought after of the group. Musical talented Posner (Ryan Foster) is Jewish and gay with a crush on Dakin. The less intellectual Rudge (Nic Knerr) is a terrific sportsman with a four-handicap golf game. The class cut-up Timms (Zac Schuman) carries a great part of the humor. The other students are Muslim Akthar (Juan Carlos DeLa Rosa), Crowther (Bradley Mena), Lockwood (Christopher Morell).

Headmaster (Stephen Schwartz) hires young instructor Irwin (Jeff Cohlman), who teaches ingenious ways to ace the exam by devising novel approaches for defining history. He is somewhat overawed by Hector who has an ongoing competition with the boys who enact famous clips from classic film of the 1940s and 1950s. Hector knows not only the title and year but also the director and screenwriter. In these scenes the superbly performing cast give the play a big lift between semi-didactic scenes when Irwin is in charge.

The play comes to life with the ensemble performance of the boys. Breedlove as Dakin exudes sexual attraction and leadership and Ryan Foster as Posner, with a praise worthy singing voice and stage presence, is an excellent foil for Breedlove. Zac Schuman as Timms assumes the rambunctious role with pizzazz and Nic Knerr’s macho but insecure projection of Rudge is right on the mark. Decker deserves accolades for rounding up this young professional cast.

Further description of the storyline that includes dramatic scenes becomes a difficult task in a short review. Richard Ryan who usually plays flamboyant roles, is surprisingly good as the fatally flawed Hector, as he holds his own amongst the young cast. Jeff Cohlman’s Irwin has a ring of authenticity with initial reticence blossoming into control of the class. There are problems with this production but they not sufficiently noteworthy except to mention that the almost three hour running time may be a reflection of the pacing in the scenes not involving the boys.

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine