Mr. Davis

I've been wanting to mention just as an FYI that Bill C. Davis is a great interview and a very nice guy. I've been doing interviews for years now and, just like Forrest's box of chocolates, you never really know what you're going to get when you actually make contact. One of my worst interviews ever was with the comedian Stephen Wright whose deadpan, affectless delivery works great in his comedy but is just deadly in an interview. I've interviewed a fair amount of writers and some directors who were a bit full of themselves -- leading to very one-sided conversations. Given that Mr. Davis is both a writer and director, I was pleasantly surprised. He was polite and earnest and good-natured and forthcoming and had many wonderful things to say about Richmond.

Somewhat defying the popular stereotype, most of the actors I've interviewed have been delightful -- only one true prima donna that I can think of off-hand (and no, I'm not going to say who that was). And among the most delightful interviews I've ever had have been with hyphenates -- writer/directors, actor/directors, actor/producers, etc. Again, this seems to run against what the preconception would be -- someone good at multiple things must think they're a hotshot, right? Instead, the ones I've talked to seem to be somewhat humbled by the process of moving from one specialty to the other. Where's all that ego that's supposed to fuel you theater types?

Articles

Here's a link to my interview of Bill C. Davis, the playwright and director of "Austin's Bridge" set to open at the Firehouse tomorrow.

And the production of "Witches of Eastwick" in DC -- starring former Richmonder Emily Skinner -- has been getting a fair amount of press in the Washington Post. Here's one article and here's another. Logging into the Post's site is now required, in case you haven't registered there.

That should give you enough reading material for a while!

Apologies

The review of "The Tempest" didn't make it into this week's Style. Not sure why -- e-mail fired off to Arts editor to try to ascertain the situation.

But until it does, here's what I wrote. Not sure how it will appear in print. Enjoy.

Shelters in the Storm
Music, blithe spirit buoy Richmond Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
By David Timberline (357 words)

As befits its title, “The Tempest” is a whirlwind of emotion. Like none other of Shakespeare’s plays, this brilliant mash-up of comedy and tragedy churns with errant themes of love, betrayal, music and magic. It is comparatively thin plotwise, however, as if the immortal Bard decided to give himself over to the passions of the heart without undo concern for the intellect.

In Richmond Shakespeare Theatre’s merry and sometimes manic production of “The Tempest,” currently playing at Agecroft Hall, the calm at the center of this storm is provided by Stephen Lorne Williams as Prospero. Williams has an impressive history with “The Tempest:” thirty years ago, he played Prospero’s trusty fairy assistant, Ariel, in a Royal National Theatre production opposite John Gielgud. But while Williams has the pedigree for the role, I found his Prospero a bit staid. Ironically, it is this production’s Ariel, played by the remarkable Graham Birce, who infuses significant charm and vigor into the proceedings.

It is Ariel who Prospero sends off to implement the many components of his plan. Having been stranded on a lonely island for twelve years, Prospero has become an adept magician and raises a storm that shipwrecks his enemies. Years before, they had stripped him of his title as Duke of Milan, then set him adrift with his infant daughter, Miranda (played with delightful fervor by Liz Blake), who has since has grown into a comely maid. The storm will also bring her a suitor, Prince Ferdinand (Matt Polson). Using his sprightly magic, Ariel brings Miranda and Ferdinand together; undermines Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio (Andy Nagraj); and befuddles a trio of would-be assassins, led by the evil witch-spawn, Caliban (David White).

Amidst all of this, Birce moves about spryly in black Converse sneakers, plays violin beautifully, sings enchanting songs, and even walks on stilts. He is assisted by Andrew Hamm and his Foolhardy Band; their playful array of songs and incidental melodies serve as a perfect compliment to the action. There are other exceptional performances in this production: White’s Caliban, for instance, is memorably earthy and bitter. But ultimately it’s Graham Birce that stands out in the storm.

“The Tempest” plays Thursday – Sunday at Agecroft Hall until July 8th. Tickets are $13-$24. Call 232-4000 for details.

A Stormy Conversation

I brought a friend, his wife and their daughter to the first preview of “The Tempest” last Thursday. The audience was made up mostly of senior citizens, whose unfiltered comments throughout the play sometimes amounted to a performance in themselves. My favorite was the guy who grew tired of the “Not too late” chorus of Andrew’s opening song and began intoning it sarcastically halfway through each verse. The most annoying was the guy who loudly explained Prospero’s final speech to his wife as it was going on (“He’s saying that he won’t leave until we clap…”)

Though you will see that my review was positive, I heard a fair amount of negative feedback about that first preview. An old friend I met at “Into the Woods” the next night said she left at intermission because she couldn’t hear what anyone was saying. And below is a back-and-forth between me and my friend about the merits of the production. So, in case you are thinking that the criticisms that get published are the toughest, you can see that there are audience-members who are much tougher than I’ll ever be.

PS: I'll update the "Now Showing" section to the left someday soon....

From my friend:

Thoughts:
· I wasn't as impressed with Ariel as you were. He had his moments, but I thought him not quite otherwordly enough
· I thought the production was somewhat marred by the sound considerations. The band drowned out the actors not infrequently but this may have been a hazard of our seating only. I should have beeen surprised if anyone heard the content of either the first scene or Ariel's storm.
· The camp wears a little thin in this production at times. The "wedding" scene is a good example of this.

My response:

While the volume was often a bit intense, I did appreciate the quality of the band -- many productions of "The Tempest" try to get by with a few fairies playing triangles and tambourines. My appreciation of Ariel was largely because he was so earthbound -- big-ticket productions usually have him (or generally her) flying and harboring a secret love for Prospero. I thought the way they played him made him more of a counterpart to Caliban.

I agree about the camp -- a sentiment I tried to capture in the word "manic" in my description -- a lot to encapsulate in one word but that is my frustration with having to write so short. I'm often in this mid-ground of wanting to express something but then realizing to really express it would take up half the review.

No excuses

So I’ve been gone for a while. I expected I might let a week or two slip but I’m shocked that it’s been 5 months. I can’t really come up with a coherent excuse. Life has been busy but it’s always that way, isn’t it? I’ve been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster – my daughter has been applying to high schools and my best friend is leaving town for Atlanta in two weeks, both thing in process since the beginning of the year.

But maybe the most relevant thing to say is that I took a class in Film at U of R this past semester and I have just been more in tune with film for these past several months. As a result, I haven’t seen that many shows, written many pieces for Style, and, worst of all, not kept in touch that well with anyone in the theater world. I’m sorry, folks. Life is like that sometimes; I appreciate your indulgence.

On the flip side, the past couple of weeks have been all about theater for me. I interviewed Bill C. Davis, the playwright of “Austin’s Bridge,” and the director of the production opening at the Firehouse this week. I saw “The Tempest” and “Into the Woods” last week and will be catching “Bridge” this week. I’ll be commenting on all of these separately since I have much to blather on about them all.

But before that, did you happen to catch the Tony Awards recap on the Entertainment Weekly site? I enjoyed it and thought you might too. I really wish I had seen “Spring Awakening” last December though…

Southern Intrigue

There had been talk of a new kid on the block (if you charitably extend the Richmond block to include Hopewell). The historic Beacon Theatre was set to debut “Wit” next week in what was billed as a theater “fully restored to its original beauty.” But then this week I was forward this info:

Due to uncontrollable circumstances, and in the best interest and protection of our cast, the Board of Directors and staff of Hopewell Preservation, Inc and the Beacon Theatre regretfully have to reschedule the performances of 'Wit'. Original dates were previously scheduled for January 26 through February 4.

Hmmmm. I’m sure there’s a story here, but I certainly have no clue what it is. The show, originally scheduled to run two weekends, has since been rescheduled to one weekend in March. I guess I could call someone and try to get the inside scoop on this but I prefer to fill in the mystery with all sorts of wild speculation. I’ve got to do something to entertain myself.

Thoughts both Idol and envious

I was watching the “American Idol” auditions last night (not on purpose or anything mind you…was folding laundry in the family room and the kids were watching it…what was I supposed to do???) and I swear that I saw Scott Wichmann in a street shot of Seattle. There was a guy shaking out an umbrella and he said something to the camera (can’t remember exactly what…didn’t have the DVR primed…) and between the voice and the look, it was unmistakably him. If it wasn’t, Scottie’s got a twin who lives out in the NorthWest.

If you want to catch up with Scott and his adventures out west (where he caught up with Richmond expats Foster Solomon and Susan Sanford), be sure to check out his blog.

Did anyone see the second edition of “Grease: You’re the one that I want” auditions? I’m afraid that one is probably going to drop right off my radar screen as time goes on. I did see that the ratings for the show dropped from about 23rd on the first night to something in the mid-40s for the second edition. May not bode well…

I’ve enjoyed hearing about people who went to shows in NYC around the holidays. For oneeyedog who came face-to-face with Cynthia Nixon – you lucky dog! I loved her on “Sex and the City” and my esteem for her has only grown as she has continued to do cool shows on Broadway since SATC closed up shop. It was a possibility that I would see “Chorus Line” when I was up there but it turned out to be a girls-only show for our family: my daughters, wife and mom-in-law went and filled me in later. Their opinion (not informed by the critical distain that comes with my job) was that the show was great. My lovely wife was surprised at how much she had forgotten about the show since she first saw it years and years ago.

I really wanted to see “Spring Awakening” but because we were planning on bringing two adolescents with us, I balked on that one. A show about adolescence and sex might have been a little too real both for the kids and us parental types. Now the wife and I are mulling over a possible spring NYC trip that I think will include “Drowsy Chaperone” and “Awakening.”

I saw Kristin Chenowith on David Lettermen last week and she was quite a hoot. It’s remarkable how tiny she is! Next to Dave, she seemed a bit like a dwarf. I appreciate a talk show that recognizes Broadway stars; Dave will always be the post-baby boom generation’s answer to Johnny Carson, if you ask me. Jay who?

“Wicked” was truly amazing. I went in with pretty low expectations for a number of reasons too involved to go into here. But man, I was just blown away. Ana Gasteyer is truly up to the task of Elphaba; she blew the doors off of “Defying Gravity.” The story is genius, fitting together with “The Wizard of Oz” so that the old movie seems like just a small piece of a much more intricate and interesting puzzle. And I don’t know if I can string together an adequate number of adjectives to describe the cleverness and well-craftedness of Stephen Schwartz’s songs. Particularly listening to the cast recording afterwards, it’s clear that he put everything he had into this one. I’m looking forward to showing our little ones “The Wizard of Oz” soon so we’ll have an excuse to go see “Wicked” again! I know that watching the movie will never be the same again!

Did you know that the name Elphaba comes from the initials of "TWofOZ's" author? L. Frank Baum = LFB = El-fa-ba. How's that for a fun fact!

I’ll have to write more about “The Grinch” sometime – not just the production, but some not-so-positive things I think the production says about the unique niche of “opportunistic” theater.

Johnny, Sprites, and the feedback loop

If you are just sitting down to your morning cuppa Joe on Saturday morning and leafing through the blogoshere, you might want to pop on the Disney channel. At 10am this morning, a new children’s show premieres on the Disney channel that stars John Tartaglia from “Avenue Q” and, as described in this New York Times piece, has been enhanced by the involvement of a lot of Broadway vets up to and including no less than Mr. Stephen Schwartz.

I wanted to thank everyone who has commented on the ole blog lately, particularly the responses to my post about impressions and RTP. It was particularly nice to hear from Mr. Knapp who prompted the post. Let me try to respond in kind.

Jacquie, you are way too kind and also a good friend and someone I still owe a Christmas card to (yes, sad to say, we are still sending them out…) Please don’t hesitate to call me ignorant; god knows I am about many many things (as my children will be only TOO glad to point out for you!) What I hope I have done is try to approach theater criticism as a fan. I also went into this gig with no illusions that it was a great way to meet new pals in the theater world so, while I wouldn’t ask for your envy, you also shouldn’t feel too sorry for me either.

Amy, I love when you post a comment and really respect your perspective. I think you hit a nail on the head. As a writer for (and therefore a representative of) Style, I expect the magazine’s treatment of theater gets confused with my opinion of theater. This is completely understandable; I know I consider the T-D’s lack of a full-time staff writer covering the performing/fine arts a comment on their lack of respect for those communities. The situation with Style has some complications and maybe when I get a second I can expound a little on the inner workings of Style as I understand them. They may or may not reflect the reality of the situation. And yes, I do remember your letter, Amy! Too bad it was back in the days before blogs or else I might have had a chance to respond. Responses were discouraged back in those non-interactive days…

John, I thought there was a hint of jest in your comment but I couldn’t be sure. I guess it tweaked the guilt I feel for not seeing any RTP shows in almost two years. Yes, I have GOT to get out more.

Did I review Pageant? I don’t remember doing so but I’ll have to comb through the archives and make sure. Let me assure you that I know very well that those who work in theater do it because they love it not to make scads of cash (well, I did it to meet chicks but that was years ago…) I try to bring that perspective to my reviews as well. But I also try to bring another perspective, which is that of a patron who has paid their good money and is devoting an evening to a show and has a right to expect certain things in response (though I get most of my tickets for free, some schedule juggling or hiring of a babysitter is required even for me. And my mother-in-law doesn’t work cheap…) Just one anecdote to put out there as an example: a couple I know recently walked out of the TheatreVCU production of “Medea” and went out to see a movie because it was their night out, dammit, and they were determined to be entertained even if they had to pay for both a play and a movie to make that happen.

I guess my point is that I certainly respect and admire that people do theater because they love it. But, if they want pats on the back from a critic or adoration from an audience, they have to do more than show up and put in the hours. They also have to be creative, talented and maybe even a bit lucky. It's not an easy job, I know, but love is never easy.

As for the inner workings of Style and why certain things are covered or not, per my response to Amy I’ll do my best to talk about some of that in a future post. Fer sure.

Good thoughts and reality shows

Speaking of Richmond Triangle Players, please send prayers and positive energy to Michael Gooding who is recovering from surgery. He has worked tirelessly to build and sustain RTP over the years, but he’ll be needing to take it easy for the next month. Heal well, Michael.

Apparently, the “Grease” reality show did pretty well in the ratings last weekend (look here for a detailed breakdown), even though some other critics expressed some of the same concerns I had. If the show can make it through the rehearsals OK, I expect it’ll do pretty well during the “live shows.” As glib as Billy Bush is, I think he thinks pretty well on his feet.

And in further intersections between theater and reality shows, that Constantine guy from American Idol will be joining the cast of “Jacques Brel.” I think it’s a bit odd, and maybe a little disturbing, that Broadway has become the landing strip for so many reality show also-rans (e.g., Diana DiGarmo, Frenchy whats-her-name, etc.) I preferred instead that trend we were seeing where Hollywood A-listers were showing up in New York (Julianne Moore, Denzel Washington, etc.)

And one last random aside: the lovely wife and I just saw “Little Children” at the movies last week and I’ll tell you now, if Kate Winslett ever appears on Broadway or on the West End – not unlikely given her husband’s profession – I’d sell a kidney in order to see her. She’s just amazing. I’d also go to extreme measures to see Anna Paquin (whose limited engagements on Broadway have escaped me in the past), though I’d try to keep body parts out of the equation.

Preparing for a thrill

I’m always interested in how impressions get formed. I had the occasion today to speak to John Knapp, the Artistic Director for Richmond Triangle Players. Mr. Knapp has directed many fabulous productions for RTP and is currently preparing “Thrill Me,” which he asserts will be an intriguing and creepy departure for RTP. He mentioned in passing (and to be fair, possibly half in jest; it’s hard to gauge these things over the phone) that he realized that I didn’t have any great love for the stuff RTP did. This took me aback a bit. I tried to assure him that to a great degree I am ignorant of much of what RTP is doing because I haven’t had the chance to see one of their shows in so long.

This prompted me to look back into my archives and the last time I had written a review about an RTP production was an only mildly qualified rave review of “Breathe” in 2005 (which I made a point to mention again in my 2005 wrap-up column) and before that, an unqualified rave of “Santaland Diaries” in 2004. So where-for comes the idea that I’m down on RTP?

I know my former Style partner-in-criticism, Mr. Nickerson, was no RTP fan, judging from his reviews last year. And on the cyperpages of this blog I voiced some reservations in advance of the VCU-student led Christmas show last year and maybe some unkind second-hand comments about some recent RTP productions. Perhaps I’ve done so without enough qualifications (e.g., “the opinions expressed by those whose opinions I pass on are theirs and do not necessarily reflect the opinions – or lack thereof – of this author…”) But rest assured, I look forward to each RTP show I go to with as much fresh-faced eagerness as I approach any other show in town. Truth be told, my attitude about ANY show that I actually attend is usually pretty euphoric given that a night at the theater means a night I’m not overseeing bedtime for 2 cranky tweens and 2 obstinate pre-schoolers.

This reminds me of times in the past when folks at Chamberlayne Actors Theatre thought I was down on them (beware of what you say in line on opening night – you never know who might be listening) and leadership at Swift Creek Mill wouldn’t even talk to me. Those were giddy times indeed! I’m looking forward to 2007 and the sowing of additional mis-impressions…

You’re…NOT the show I’ll be watching Sunday nights

The new reality TV show, “Grease: You’re the One that I Want,” has done something that I never would have thought possible: made me appreciate Paula Abdul. I’m not a huge “American Idol” fan – though I must admit to having caught a mild case of the McPheever last season. Generally, I have found “Idol” judges Paula and Randy to be insipid and repetitious when not downright moronic. Simon is the “bad guy” but most often, he’s just the most honest, occasionally with a brutality that adds entertainment value to the show.

However, as flawed as Simon’s cohorts are, at least they have personalities. “Grease” director Kathleen Marshall may be a great choreographer but she showed the vitality of a stone when judging during the show last night. And “Grease” author, Jim somebody or other, could barely get a coherent word out, let alone say something amusing or even mildly insightful. The tour of the haunts that inspired “Grease” basically insisted of him getting out of cars and pointing. Scintillating television.

Producer David Ian is a solid enough screen presence and he isn’t as brittle as Simon. But he’s also not nearly as entertaining. He also dominates the show in a way that Simon doesn’t dominate “Idol” so I fear he will grow tiresome soon. His “You’re…NOT Sandy” tagline grew tiresome after only one episode.

I have to respect “Grease” for using the real people whose careers and whose money are wrapped up in the Broadway production. If (when) Katharine McPhee’s first album tanks, it’ll barely distract the “Idol” judges. But putting their livelihoods on the line here has perhaps paralyzed the “Grease” team in a ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ kind of way that doesn’t play that well on the small screen.

The strongest aspect of the show so far is the potential Dannys and Sandys. Of course, the judges then didn’t do the show any favors by booting a few of the most interesting prospects (the plus-size dancing cupcake, the pharmaceutical rep who walked in from a convention, and the Danny who was doing it for his dead brother). I’ll probably give the show one more chance (overheating the DVR next weekend thanks to ‘24’s premiere) but, unless I see anything compelling next week, interest in theater alone won’t keep me squandering an hour a week of my life on this show.

What did you all think?

Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were on a plane with only one parachute...

Sorry about the title but I figure it's the only way to get some traffic back on this site...

But more to the point, sorry about the extended absence from the blog-o-sphere. For some reason, the holidays -- all phases of them -- just wallopped me harder than usual this year. The early weeks of December were crazy with work in particular, the Tline clan was on the road for 10 of the 12 days of Christmas, and I feel I've been playing catch-up since the New Year. So the blogging has fallen by the wayside.

I also realized that last year I was feeling like I had to post 5 times a week to keep people's interest. And maybe somewhere in my murky subconscious I was thinking that if I wasn't posting that often, I might as well not post at all. There is at least 5-7 interesting things to say about theater every week so by golly, says my subconscious, I should be posting that regularly (my subconscious doesn't actually speak in such outdated idioms but its real vernacular would be unprintable on a family blog).

In the long run, 5 times a week is probably not going to be workable. So I'm setting a new goal of posting at least 3 times a week. The saying in the consultant biz is: Under-promise, over-perform. We'll see if that pans out.

But enough of this navel-gazing. This is a theater blog after all so let's talk about theater. Did anyone see any good shows over the past month? Did anyone (besides me) wander on up to NYC by any chance and catch something wonderful? I saw two shows on Broadway over Christmas: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Wicked." It didn't occur to me until more than a week later that the main character in each is green. How's that for an odd coincidence?

Unfortunately, I didn't see anything in Richmond, what with all the shopping, wrapping and packing to do at night. I'm especially disappointed that I missed the Barksdale Holiday Cabaret. I guess I need to carve out a spot in my calendar NOW to see the spring cabaret.

I'm TIVOing "Grease: The One That I Want" right now. In theory, I am both intrigued and horrified by it. When I get the chance, I'll chime in with my opinion of the reality of it. In the meantime, please post your own thoughts.

And please come back and read me again! I won't abandon ship again (until maybe next December...)

Adventures in Attribution

I have to extend my congratulations to Frank Creasy (and I'll try not to sprain my arm patting myself on the back in the process). If you perused the T-D's Weekend magazine, you'll see that our pals at the Barksdale pulled a quote from Mr. Creasy's comment on this here blog for use in their ad for "Over the River and Through the Woods." It's kind of funny since in his comment he specifically mentions that it's a good thing he's an actor not a critic. And then suddenly, he's being attributed as if he is one!

It's kind of fascinating, this pulling of quotes from reviews for ads. Maybe Judi C. will post something someday about what goes into it. Are specific adjectives important (in the "OTRATTW" ad, "remarkable" is pulled from my review)? Are there marketing angles that are being highlighted (e.g., Mr. Creasy's mention of the play being "in the spirit of the season")? It usually doesn't occur to me until long after I've written my review that it might be excerpted for an ad. And the few times I've written something and thought, "hey, that'd be a perfect quote for an ad," that particularly clever turn of phrase has gone completely unnoticed every single time. So it goes.

The best anecdote along these lines that I have is one year when the Firehouse put out a season schedule flyer that had two quotes from me on it. However, at the time, I was writing for Style as D.L. Hintz and for 64 Magazine under my real name so they could use me twice without appearing to pull from the same source. Pretty tricky!

A Christmas Carol for Two Actors

And what a great coupla actors! I was kind of jazzed about this production because I figured Grant Mudge would be in it. I can't remember that last time I saw Mr. Mudge onstage and I've always enjoyed his performances. But when you add Jen Meharg in as the second actor, well, that just makes for a real power duo. It's easy to grow cynical about 'A Christmas Carol' after you've seen it a dozen times or so but between this production and the Jacob Marley show at Sycamore Rouge, I'm actually looking forward to two doses of Scrooge this year.

Theater Reading

Since I’m a bit too swamped work-wise to write anything interesting (I have no excuses for the uninteresting writing I’ve done in the past…), I’ll send you to some places where people are writing interesting things. First off, there’s a review of RTP’s “Christmas with the Crawfords” in the latest Style. While you’re at it, you might want to read up on the new dance troupe Amaranth that made such a good impression at the Commonwealth Coalition Benefit at the Barksdale a month or so ago.

In perusing the weeklies we get at the T house, I saw this article on Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia” and there’s a neat little piece on the design of Mary Poppins’ house for the Broadway production. This last one isn’t the same without the picture – grab the magazine next time you’re at Barnes and Nobles and check it out.

Business and Art

It was refreshing and somehow appropriate to see Mystery Dinner Theater spotlighted in yesterday’s Business magazine in the T-D. Laura and Jim Daab are a couple of really nice people who I’ve known at least since my lovely wife appeared in one of their productions. Jim is also a great performer, which you might not know unless you caught him in one of the shows he did at the Mill years ago.

I say “appropriate” because Mystery Dinner Theater more than anything else seems like a great business model. It’s been interesting to see the company succeed and continue to expand. It also brings out a bit of a conflict in me and perhaps in other people, as well. There’s a bit of a snob in me that thinks that the MDT shows should not even be considered in the same ballpark as “artistic” shows like the ones the Barksdale, the Firehouse, etc. put on. When I think of MDT, I think in business terms: they have a fairly generic “product” that they repackage regularly to keep people interested. And clearly people like the product and continue to buy it.

That might sound a little cynical or condescending. But then I reflect on it a little and realize that it’s really what every theater does. You can look at the Barksdale’s move back into Hanover Tavern, for instance, and see that the product they’ve decided to sell out there is family-friendly classics. And clearly, that product is selling. Theatre IV sells kids shows, plain and simple. And they do a great job and the crowds come in and have a good time. So why, I wonder, am I just a touch disdainful about MDT? Am I holding on to this vague and highbrow notion that “art” shouldn’t be about commerce? Does a production have to big words or complicated themes or pretty sets to count as ‘theater’ in my narrow version of what theater is? Do I need to come down off my high horse of critical distance and mingle with the people a little? Regardless of how ‘important’ a show is, if nobody sees it, does it still make a sound?

I've added Mystery Dinner Theater to my "Producers" list to the left there in an effort to get over myself.

In the face of convention

OK, I know that what I should do today is talk about everything I'm thankful for and help to spread sweetness and light in the world. I sat down fully expecting to do such a thing. But now I'm annoyed so that particular post is going to have to wait for another day.

I don't mean to make this blog a continuing rant on any specific subject but Mr. Neman at the T-D just continues to get my goat. In the past few days, there have been sterling examples of what annoys me about him. First, there's the lazy use of 'we' that I've mentioned before. In his review of 'Bobby,' there's this:

"There is simply nothing intrinsically compelling about any of them, so we find ourselves bored and checking our watches with increasing frequency."

No, Dan, YOU checked your watch. We, who are reading, most likely haven't even seen the movie and so our watches weren't even close to the theater.

Then, there's the pseudo-cleverness that ends up just being kind of dumb, like in his appreciation of Robert Altman which ends like this:

"But no one quite made movies like Altman. To honor him best, we should stand around at a party talking about him, and let his microphone pick out the conversations he thinks are best."

OK, I get the idea -- sort of -- but it's expressed so badly that it ends up not really making sense.

Why does this annoy me so much? Because this is what Richmond readers are being trained to think is real criticism. But what they are getting, in fact, is lazy, bad writing. It also drives thinking people away from the T-D to read real film critics at The New Yorker or the Washington Post or really anywhere else.

Of course, there are people who would say, well, he's annoying you but you are still reading him. In fact, maybe by annoying you, he's actually making you a more fervent reader of the T-D. Actually, the exact opposite is true. I used to read the T-D Arts or Style sections cover to cover (as it were). Now, half of the time I skip over the movie reviews and -- though I like Ms. Ruggieri's writing style -- I only read the music articles if they are about an artist I have heard of (a diminishing pool, unfortunately). And theater reviews -- well, sometimes I can't find them to read them so I miss them oftentimes now too.

So, I guess in keeping with the spirit of the holiday, maybe what I should say is that I'm thankful for the website RottenTomatoes which gives me easy access to a whole host of movie reviewers who give me more insightful and clearly stated opinions on movies than what I can find in my daily paper.

Holiday Stylings

Here’s the theater-related story in Style that I mentioned, a pretty cool idea to talk about the holiday experience through several different characters. I wish I could say it was my idea…

And here’s the my review of “Over the River…” for your consideration.

New York, New York

There’s an interesting piece on “Mary Poppins” in the latest Newsweek. I’m glad to hear that the latest production makes MP a little darker, more of a Nanny McPhee-type character. This is enough to make me consider seeing this show now, maybe next year if it’s still around.

But for our December trip, it’s going to be “A Chorus Line” and “Wicked.” All of “the girls” wanted to see “ACL” and, through some tremendous good fortune and some most welcome generosity, we got killer seats for “Wicked,” so can’t argue with that. I’m still intrigued by “Spring Awakening” and would like a chance to see either “History Boys” or “A Drowsy Chaperone” before they disappear.

And finally, here’s a bit of cool news: Kevin Spacey will be playing on Broadway next spring in “A Moon for the Misbegotten.” I’d love to see that.

Stories of Winter Magic

The Science Museum has a winter-time show of storytelling. Looking for a respite as the days turn colder and vacation days from school loom large? The Science Museum is a great place to kill several hours and they serve Starbucks coffee there! Oh, and there's theater!

I'm done

I had the somewhat confounding realization yesterday that I'm done for the year. With Theatre IV's "Snowflake" cancellation and the shrunk run of its replacement show, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," I won't be seeing another show to review for the rest of the year. And yet, there will be all sorts of theater around, including a cabaret at Barksdale, a Broadway Under the Stars show and Richmond Shakespeare's "A Christmas Carol" just to name a few that I'm interested in seeing. It's both a little liberating and a little disappointing to think of no more reviews for the year. Even after doing hundreds of reviews, it's still kind of fun to see my work in print. And even after all of these years, I sometimes still don't believe someone publishes my words. I wonder if Stephen King ever still feels that.

Having said that, this is the season that being able to see shows because you want to is much preferable to seeing them because you have to. And with all of the productions around, there will still be plenty to talk about in this little corner of cyber-space.

Respecting a differing opinion

It was a full weekend of relevant and somewhat irreverent theater-related incidents for me. I went to see "Over the River and Through the Woods" on Thursday, though because of the rain earlier in the day a better name would have been "Through the Floodwater and Into the Woods" as we were almost swept away by the impromptu rivers running across Rte. 301 on the way. I had a very enjoyable time, finding myself laughing much more than I expected, particularly during the first act. Given that, I was very interested to read Ms. Haubenstock's review in the T-D on Saturday. As you'll read in a couple of days, in contrast to her opinion, I actually thought the humor was largely un-like what you find in the typical sitcom.

What I respect about Ms. Haubenstock in this review, however, is the line "...they say marginally funny things that repeatedly amused the opening-night audience, but left me cold." For one thing, it acknowledges that the audience was having a good time which I think is important, particularly if you weren't. And for another, it describes pretty succinctly an experience I've had before where I'm sitting amongst people laughing riotously and I'm wondering what it was they smoked or drank before curtain to make them so impossibly giddy. On one level, I think there is a sort of fundamental difference between a regular theater-goer and a critic in that, since the average person has paid money, they really want to have a good time (particularly if the ticket price is exceedingly high). On another, humor works in different ways for different people on different nights. My sister can sit through a Monty Python movie without cracking a smile while I dissolve into a giggling, sputtering puddle on the floor.

Anyway, this is one of those times when I disagree with -- yet respect -- the critic in question. There are plenty of times (like when reading a Daniel Neman review, for instance), when neither agreement nor respect is part of the equation.

I also spoke to several people on Sunday who are either in or involved with "Mame" and they said opening night went off well, though the last week before opening was a bit hectic (like 98% of productions, I expect). I also got the news that "Snowflake's" star wrenched his back and so Theatre IV is going to be hastily putting together a replacement production. Man, T4/Barksdale just seems to be getting hit with these kinds of curveballs lately (last minute cast changes, leaky roofs, etc.) While these are the times that try men's (and women's) souls, I expect the highly functional crew at T4 will come out of this just fine (knock wood). "Snowflake" was a bit of a tough sell anyway -- a silent clown for the holidays? I'm sure he's as magical as they say, but still, I was hemming and hawing on going and there were probably lotsa other folks in the same boat.

Finally, I had this totally surreal interlude at Lowe's on Saturday where a complete stranger walked up to me saying very emphatically "You should really..." just as I was answering a call on my cell phone from my lovely wife. So, I had to very upruptly shush this stranger while I completed a 5 minute phone call involving the very intricate and confusing details of which light switch plates I should buy. I expected this strange man to simply walk away since clearly I did not work at Lowe's (or was their most clueless employee) and was not going to be available to talk with him anytime soon. He stuck it out, however, and when I hung up he completed his sentence: "You should really take your boys..." -- I had my two youngest with me -- "...to see 'Amahl and the Night Visitors.' It's a great show and your boys would love it and I don't know why they don't do more to advertise it but I'm telling everyone because it is simply a great show and the boy who's in it this year -- sometimes it's a black boy but this year it's a white boy -- he is just fantastic..." at which point I had to stop him to tell him that I knew perfectly well that it was a great show, that I had seen it before, but please do go on and spread the word to as many other people as possible because gosh darn it, word of mouth is the best advertizing there is, even if it is some strange man who walks up to you at Lowe's.

When he walked away I couldn't help but wonder, do I just look like someone who wants to hear about theater?

Mame

Four things I bet you didn’t know about Patrick Dennis, who wrote the original novel “Auntie Mame,” upon which the musical is based.

1. “Patrick Dennis” was one of several pseudonyms for the man born Edward Everett Tanner III.

2. Dennis published his first four novels under the name "Virginia Rowans".

3. In 1956, with Auntie Mame, The Loving Couple: His (and Her) Story, and Guestward, Ho!, Dennis became the only writer ever to have three books on the New York Times bestseller list at the same time.

4. In Dennis's later years he left writing to become a butler, a job that his friends report that he enjoyed. At one time, he worked for Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's. Although he was at long last using his real name, he was in essence working yet again under a pseudonym; his employers had no inkling that their butler, Tanner, was the world-famous author Patrick Dennis.

Also, my little ole blog got a little slice of love from the "South of the James" blog as part of a piece on the Richmond Marquee magazine. I guess I've been a little sheltered in my little corner of the blogosphere. I'll have to branch out and see what other Richmond area blogs are out there, when I get some of that elusive treasure: free time! Thinking I'll ask for some for Christmas...2012.

Over the River and Through the Woods

Though two shows in a few months does not a stampede make, Joe Dipietro has been a prominent name in Richmond this year. “I Love You, Your’re Perfect, Now Change” ran for a healthy long time down at the Mill and now “OTR&TTW” opens up at Hanover Tavern. There’s an interesting interview with the playwright at TheaterMania if you are interested. A few things that I’m using to set my expectations appropriately about this show: it was written before “I Love You…” (back in 1994); with it’s older characters (two sets of grandparents), it’s clearly targeted at an older crowd; and the families are specifically Italian meaning that some thick accents and broad comedy can be expected. The cast looks good though, so I still have high hopes.

I’m curious what ever happened to Dipietro’s “Memphis” that was getting some try-outs a couple of years ago. Did he kick that to the curb so he could focus on “All Shook Up,” a high-concept musical (all Elvis songs) that just seemed like a bad idea to me. Though the New York Times said that, compared to other so-called ‘juke box’ musicals, ASU “actually rates as slicker and more skillful than most,” the show was generally damned by similarly faint praise. For instance, the NYT review went on to say “Were it staged in a pint-size theater with cardboard scenery and a campy young cast, "All Shook Up" might be a moderate hoot. But inflated to the proportions demanded by a glamour barn like the Palace, it becomes a mind-numbing holler.”

“All Shook Up” is currently touring nationwide, though nowhere really close to Richmond. A show that might be worth a trip out of town though is the regional tour of “Doubt,” which will feature Cherry Jones in the cast. That tour is coming to DC, Baltimore, and Charlotte, NC. I’m thinking I’ll be heading north to check it out come springtime.

Double Up

With this week’s edition, Style throws a third theater reviewer into the mix, the lovely and talented Shannon O’Neill. Her review of “Mme. Bonnard’s Bath” and my review of “Forever Plaid” can be found in the issue on newsstands now.

Also, be sure to pick up next week’s Style that will feature a theater-related cover story. Is your curiosity peaked?

Christmas with the Crawfords

If you take a look at the program for this production (the program download feature on the RTP website is pretty neat), you'll see it is positively swarming with TheatreVCU students. This could be pretty cool -- new blood, fresh perspectives, young energy -- or it could be a recipe for something not-so-cool. I'll hold off on any judgement until I see for myself.

And I must add that I have trouble thinking of Joan Crawford and Triangle Players together without a vision of Robert Throckmorton sneaking in. Where for art thou, Robert?

You Read It Here First?

I just got the schedule for Barksdale’s Hanover Tavern Shows for next year. Here’s the lineup:

Smoke on the Mountain: Feb. 23 – Apr. 29
The Odd Couple: May 18 – Aug. 5
Deathtrap: Sept. 7 – Oct. 21
Dames at Sea: Nov. 16 – Jan 20, 2008

My initial impressions: a) excited about "Smoke." I haven’t seen a production of it since the Mill’s triumphant production years ago (yes, I’m biased!), 2) wary of "The Odd Couple." My recollection is that this is not a play that has aged so well. The recent Broadway production with Broderick and Lane did not get very favorable reviews, if I remember correctly. III) Think both "Deathtrap" and "Dames" could be great, totally depending on the casts. I don’t have a particular affection for either of the scripts but the right people involved – like with most shows – can make for some excellent fun.

Forever Plaid

My biggest fear with this revival of “Forever Plaid” was that I wouldn’t be able to get the performances of the previous cast out of my head. And so, in my mind, the biggest success of this latest production is the ability of each of the lead actors to overcome those memories. Sure, there were a couple of times that I thought back fondly to Larry Cook’s singular Smudge, particularly in the “stage patter” scene with the 45s. And Brian Vaughn has a cuddly vibe about him that was always very endearing. But that is to take nothing away from Andy Nagraj and Brett Ambler who are both excellent. Particularly where it counts – vocally – this cast is just as robust as any “Plaid” you may have seen in the past (the woman sitting two seats away from me had seen it 6 times previously!) Even the occasional nostalgic pang for the “Plaids” of the past could keep me from appreciating the considerable talents of the current crew. Good work, gentlemen!

Clearly, Ms. Haubenstock at the T-D was fond of your performances as well. Here’s hoping for full houses for you all through the holidays!

More "Medea"

I was happy that the T-D did a story on “Medea” as well as Style because they were able to go into a little bit more depth about the production and Mary Vreeland, the star. Of course, I would have preferred being able to highlight the things that Ms. Vreeland and Ms. Davies told me but still, some interesting tidbits got in. One funny detail – I interviewed Ms. Davies and Ms. Vreeland in the same office where the picture for the T-D was taken and the director, interpreter, star and interviewer (based on where Ms. Davies is looking) were in the exact same configuration. OK, maybe just funny to me…

I won't get a chance to see the production but I did run into a friend who left the show at intermission. Not exactly an endorsement. But please go see it yourself and let me know what you think.

I’m adding a link to Andrew Hamm’s blog below in the “No People Like Show People” section. Based on what I’ve read, Mr. Hamm writes at length about many interesting topics, not just theater. I’ve enjoyed reading his take on the political scene over these past weeks; not necessarily agreed with his take, but enjoyed reading it just the same. He also gets a lot more comments than I do so is a more enjoyable and provocative writer, has more friends than I do, or most likely, both. My impression is that a debate between Mr. Hamm and Mr. Wichmann would prove verrrrry interesting...

Gifts

I was doing a search on Google having to do with Othello and found this posting on the “Get Out There, Richmond” blog. This post is like one of those Christmas presents that somehow gets lost underneath the tree and you don’t find it until you’re taking the tree down. While I’m sorry Ms. Jones found my review “choppy and hard to follow,” I’m glad that it inspired her to think and write more about both the review and the play. I welcome spirited debate of all kinds and I pretty much assume as many people will disagree with me as agree with me.

In his comment, the director Andrew Hamm, largely captured my sentiments (and was way too nicely complimentary to me). I’d only add two things:

1) There’s a bit of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation when it comes to mentioning race in some contexts. For instance, Richmond Shakespeare had Foster Solomon, a black man, playing Hamlet several years back. In my review, I didn’t mention his race at all, calling him “tall, bald and impassioned” but never calling him African-American. Why? Because I didn’t think it mattered in terms of either the production or his performance. A couple of weeks ago, Amy Beigelsen wrote a review of “Steel Magnolias” where she mentions race explicitly. Why? Because race matters in that production; for instance, it prompted some changes to the script to make the cultural references more appropriate. In both of these cases, I think the reviewers did the right thing.

2) In my review, I said the director did not call undue attention to the play’s racial overtones. Something NOT done is hard to describe, so let me do the reverse to illustrate what I mean. In Rick St. Peter’s production of “Taming of the Shrew” at the Barksdale several years ago, Rick blocked one of the fights between Kate and Petruchio as a boxing match, complete with a ring and gloves. That was calling heaps of attention to the play’s “battle of the sexes” overtones.

Finally, one last point (or maybe more exactly, plea for leniency), when you read any review, mine or anybody else’s, remember the writer usually has a relatively tiny amount of space (300 to 500 words) to capture plot, overall impression of the production, specifics on individual performances, and technical merits. For some perspective on how little that is, this post up to right here is about 400 words. Not much space.

If you happen to be planning to go to Las Vegas or Los Angeles in the next couple of days, you could consider trying out for the new reality TV show looking for the leads for “Grease.” Who knows? You could be the next Carrie Underwood! Meaning that, at the next Tony Awards, maybe you’ll get dissed by someone like Patti LuPone when you win best actress the way Faith Hill dissed Carrie.

In case you ever wonder

I expect that actors and directors – like the majority of other adult humans – occasionally get despondent, wondering whether they are doing the right thing with their lives or whether what they’re doing makes any difference in the world or whether anyone really appreciates the hard work and long hours they devote to their craft. Well, let me tell you a little story.

My boss asked me for a recommendation; he was looking to take his 7th grade daughter to a play. She is taking her first drama class and was encouraged to go see a professional production since she had never seen one before. (This last bit is of course a little astonishing to me given that my kids were generally IN shows before their first birthday, let alone attending them…) One of the recommendations I gave was CAT’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” I was a little hesitant because, as I remember it, the play has some pretty sophisticated humor in it amongst the silliness, and also over the years I have seen the occasional marginal production at CAT.

Well, apparently, his daughter was enchanted by the play and sat rapt in attention throughout, laughing frequently. Now she is totally psyched about theater and, just today, my boss came and asked for yet another recommendation (watch out, Plaids!) Anyway, I guess my point is that, even when you are toiling away in a show and you are deep into the run and the house isn’t very big and you frankly would rather be at home sipping hot chocolate, you might consider that your audience might include an impressionable youngster experiencing her first show. And your performance may make the difference between that youngster becoming a new and excited theater lover or just another teenage videogame slacker.

And thanks, by the way, all you good folks at CAT for helping me gain points with the boss. I appreciate it.

My preview piece on “Medea” is up on the Style website. For your enjoyment…

K-Fed voted out of office

Well, the marriage amendment passed, thereby officially writing prejudice into our state constitution. I’m wondering how long it will take before people realize what a mistake this was. Maybe not for decades. Who knows, maybe never.

As a Webb supporter, I’m psyched to see that it is looking like he will pull out a victory, though there probably won’t be any certainty to it for weeks or months even.

But in a piece of election news that I found both sublime and ridiculous, I was amused to read that Britney has filed for divorce from K-Fed. Looks like the Brit-ster was voting for a change on election day just like the rest of America.

Vote...please

It does make a difference. If you need any more inspiration than the issues the candidates are talking about, ask yourself this question: who do you want holding the purse strings when it comes to public funding for the arts? Now off to the touch screens with you!

...and again

Darn! I knew I was forgetting something. The "Avow" reading was last night at the Firehouse. I was in line at Starbucks this morning, leafing through last week's Brick and it smacked me right in the forehead. The nice invitations from Jacquie O. to come see it had put it on my radar screen, from which it quickly fell off in the face of press deadline yesterday, trying to get to bed early so I could get up early and vote, and a new episode of "Heroes" (I'm sorry, I'm a geek. What can I say...)

Bravo to 'Brick' by the way for pretty consistently including theater in its coverage. And when I was out trying to find Brick's website, I came across this site for another Brick magazine that is pretty fascinating as well. Just what we all need, another fascinating way to lose a couple of hours of sleep!

Falling down on the job again

Once again, a show has slipped through my fingers. HATTheatre is putting on “100 Years of Broadway” out there on the west end, featuring Tony Williams and Julie Fulcher fresh from their successful stint backing Debra Wagoner in her Barksdale Cabaret act. According to Vickie, the show’s selling out so that’s a good thing. If you want to catch it, it’s running this upcoming weekend as well.

I also screwed up by insinuating that Scott Wichman would be playing just one character in “Mme. Bonnard’s Bath.” As pointed out in Ms. Haubenstock’s not-too-enthusiastic review, Scott plays five characters, relative child’s play compared to the 14 thousand or so he did in “I Am My Own Wife.”

Last week, I was able to squeeze in an interview with Heather Davies and Mary Vreeland, director and star respectively, of “Medea” which starts at TheatreVCU this Thursday. It was one of those interviews that makes this theater writing gig worthwhile as both women were extremely intelligent and engaging and knowledgeable and just plain nice, too. We talked for more than an hour, even though the finished article will only be 300 words long. I easily could have written an 800-word lead story on them, they had so many good things to say. It was also one of those interviews that makes me glad that I married such a lovely and talented woman years ago. Otherwise, I would currently be struggling with a school-boy crush on Ms. Davies which would be bad for at least two reasons: 1) school-boy crushes are much less dignified when you are over 40 and 2) she is undoubtedly flying back to England within a week or two. Ms. Davies reminded me both in resemblance and general demeanor very much of Kate Winslet, who would be my supreme school-boy crush, if of course I wasn’t over 40 and above all that. So instead of staring into space and writing “Heather” with hearts instead of the “e”s all over my English composition notebook, perhaps I’ll buy my lovely wife some flowers on the way home from work today…

Congrats

...and a quick shout out to Lisa Kotula for the successful launch of "Richmond Marquee." I got my issue in the mail yesterday and it's a delightful read. Congratulations, Lisa! They've also got a website, check it out!

Lee's Miserables

There’s something surreal to me that instead of seeing “Lee’s Miserables” tonight at Sycamore Rouge – a show that I expect is a bit dark and tragic and gritty – I’ll be seeing a preview of “Forever Plaid,” a show with a decidedly peppier take on death. That’s the way the schedule bounces, I guess. I’m trying hard not to make it into a bigger existential statement about my life and decisions I’ve made (as the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “Life of Brian” streams through my head…)

What I would hope with “Miserables” is that Clay MacLeod Chapman, who is an amazing writer, shows growth as a dramatist. As I said in this review of his “Volume of Smoke” at the Firehouse a while back, Clay does individual scenes very well. But connecting them together in a trajectory of some sort and establishing characters whose relationships grow and change is still something I haven’t seen a lot of in his work. Some of his most intriguing characters in his “Pumpkin Pie Show” stories have been outsiders, misfits or otherwise estranged. For someone so good at capturing estrangement, developing connections dramatically seems to have proven a challenge. I say this with the caviat that I haven’t read most of his stories or his novel and with a reiteration that I have found some of his individual scenes, vignettes and images absolutely stunning.

The Secret of Mme. Bonnard's Bath

While I haven't seen this play yet, it makes me think of another topic that might prove interesting for discussion. And that's the point of "the Internets" anyway, isn't it, to prompt discussion?

Nudity. Obviously, this play's going to have some of that. Plays that I've seen that had nudity in them always stick out in my memory. Sometimes because the use of it has been organic and particularly effective (like the Barksdale's "Misfits" about 5 years ago), sometimes because it was jarring and out of place (a play called "Big Love" I saw at the Humana Festival many years ago started out with a woman emerging from a bath tub for no apparent reason). And in one unusual case, it's been because of both.

Maybe about 6 years ago, Triangle Players did a production of "The Judas Kiss," that starts out with a passionate interlude between a couple of servants. The RTP production had Stephanie Kelley playing one of the servants and the scene was blocked so that she stood up in the bed so her bedmate could "pleasure her orally" as one might say. Well, it was an effective way to get an audience's attention, that's for sure, and that scene has stuck in my mind ever since. The only problem was that the rest of the play was a moderately boring talk-fest and never matched the visceral intensity of those first few minutes.

I guess I think that in the best situations, nudity is just a natural aspect of a play, just like it is a natural aspect of life (I've got 4 kids; not many days go by when one of them isn't running around naked at some point...) From what I remember, "Frankie and Johnny in the Clare de Lune" has a couple of scenes like that, where people are naked because it's a situation where they would be naked in real life, you know? I guess Americans are so repressed about the whole nudity thing it's hard to just take it at face value. For instance, remember the big hullabaloo when Nicole Kidman appeared naked in a scene in "The Blue Room" on Broadway?

I don't have a specific point here, just some ramblings. Hope "The Secret" turns out well. I'm looking forward to seeing Scott as just one character for a change, instead of 6 dozen...

And another thing

I was happy to get a "no hard feelings" kind of response from Mr. Schmidt, one of the subjects of my "People Hate Critics" rant (scroll to bottom). I do certainly hope we have a chance to share a laugh (and maybe a beer) someday and talk about "Caesar" and onstage flubs and politics and pals who get your back. I'll buy. Do you know where I can find a good babysitter?

Stirring the pot

Well, it's been great to hear from my fans (or at least my fan – thanks, Lisa!) during this relatively fallow period in my posting. Work (the 9-to-5 thing, not the Style gig that I do solely for all the money, perks and chicks it gets me…) is sucking up all of my time these days. It’s sucking just in general, too, but that’s a longer story.

I hope you caught Ms. Biegelsen’s review of “Steel Magnolias” in today’s Style. There’s a possibility that yet another Style reviewer will be covering “Mme. Bonnard’s Bath.” If all goes well, this town will be positively infected with theater critics!

And while I’m on the subject of the Firehouse, I’d like to throw something out there that might stir the soup a little. The Firehouse has had an on-going relationship with Israel Horovitz for many years now. If I remember right, it was initiated back when Director Bill Patton was doing shows more regularly at there. I’m sure there are many interesting and exciting things that come out of this collaboration. But I also wonder how much it ultimately benefits the Firehouse. Here’s why I wonder that:

--- There are not many people outside of the already somewhat insular world of theater that know who Israel Horovitz is. Even within the theater world, people may not be familiar with “Line” or “The Indian Wants the Bronx” or the other big shows that launched the playwright’s career. So I guess I wonder whether his name is bringing more or different people to the Firehouse. More stuff by younger, hipper writers might be more effective (like Clay MacLoed Chapman’s “Volume of Smoke” which they did a while back).

--- This may just be my impression, but some of the plays by Mr. Horovitz that have been produced by the Firehouse have seemed not quite polished. The last they did, for instance, “Compromise,” had many intriguing elements that might have ultimately gelled into something truly compelling. But, in my mind, it still seemed a work in progress. (I should say that at least two of my friends whose opinions I respect a great deal really enjoyed “Compromise.” So maybe it’s just me…)

--- Lastly, not since “Lebensraum” has one of his shows really grabbed me. And much of the impact of that one was that it was such an interesting idea. The novelty of the premise carried it through some of the rough spots. Nothing since has struck me as particularly good.

I guess my ultimate question is: In a world full of exciting plays and only a limited number of spots on a season schedule, is the Firehouse hampering itself by so closely aligning itself with Mr. Horovitz?

And to be fair, part of this rant may spring from my frustration that there aren’t more places that new and challenging and even bizarre works can be seen in Richmond. I appreciate what Yellow House and RTP have done occasionally, and what Sycamore Rogue looks like it’s trying to do, but I have to say, I still really miss Theatre Gym.

Happy Halloween

Sorry gang; I'm a little overwhelmed with pre-Halloween madness at Camp RVAT so don't have much time to post. It was interesting to note that a whole bunch of productions ended their runs this past weekend. So there's a little bit of a calm before the storm right now as the Firehouse and Sycamore Rogue open shows this weekend and "Plaid" begins previews. Enjoy a breather while you can.

And, in case you missed it, the T-D came out against the marriage amendment. Will wonders ever cease?

Steel Magnolias

For some reason, I’ve noticed a flurry of national coverage of the Broadway scene today. Both Entertainment Weekly and USA Today (here, here and here) have big sections devoted to theater – relative, that is, to their usual coverage which is pretty limited. Don’t understand the timing but it makes for interesting reading just the same.

Living Word puts on Richmond's second production of “Steel Magnolias” this year, this one distinguished by its African-American cast. I won’t be seeing this production but Style is planning on covering it. Another possible reviewer is taking a shot at this production. Stay tuned for the results!

If you didn’t see it back during the winter, here’s an article written by Living Word founder Derome Scott Smith. Makes for an interesting read.

Speaking of reviews, I would have expected a review of “The Importance of Being Earnest” to show up in the T-D today, but didn’t see it. I did see the review of “Aida,” which didn’t say anything that made me want to see this traveling show.

The Importance of Being Earnest

My favorite production of “Earnest” was my first, mostly because it involved the recognition and appreciation of an amazing new talent. This was back in 1999, I think, at a winery way out toward Lake Anne somewhere that used to do outdoor summer production under a tent. Early during that summer, they had done Checkhov’s “The Seagull,” and Erin Thomas was luminous and delicate as Nina. Then they did “Earnest” and I don’t even remember what character Ms. Thomas played (I want to say Lady Bracknell, but that doesn’t seem right) but she was saucy and tart and incredibly funny. Those two roles back-to-back convinced me that she had a singular ability and she’s continued to do great things in town ever since. Lately, her big roles have tended toward the wide-eyed and innocent: Joan of Arc, Pocahontas. I hope she gets another saucy role like the one she had in “Earnest” to highlight the breadth of her talent.

The production that opened at CAT last night has Una Harrison as Lady Bracknell which could be something of a hoot (complete cast and crew listed here). I hope the production is good because I recommended it to my boss (sight unseen – not always a good idea!) and I don’t want to get fired…

I’m enjoying reading the responses/perspectives generated by the reviews I posted, particularly “Caesar.” I am heartened by the impression I’m getting that there are discerning theater patrons out there who think about productions in a critical way. I really believe it is possible to put out “constructive criticism;” the people posting (so far…) have certainly demonstrated that. It’s disheartening for me sometimes when audiences seem impressed by the simple mechanics (i.e., “how do you remember all of those line?”) and don’t think harder about whether an actor, designer or director did his/her job well.

Young and Old

According to the news, Angela Lansbury is heading back to Broadway in a show called “Deuce.” Perhaps the folks at Bifocals should put their name in the queue now for a shot at those rights.

And, the folks at Disney’s High School Musical will be doing a concert tour in a few weeks. I love this show, in part, because my kids love it (even the 6 year old can sing “Get Your Head in the Game”) but also because, in an almost subconscious way, it shines a national spotlight on the importance of theater programs in high school. Sure, it’s all Disney-fied and everything, but will it make more talented kids think about trying out for their OWN high school musicals? Undoubtedly.

Speaking of Disney, if I remember right, Aida opens tonight at the Landmark. Someone tell me if it’s good. The bad buzz it generated on Broadway will keep me far away across town from this show.

Chance encounters

I'm constantly reminded what a small town Richmond is. Like tonight, if you attended the first debate on the Marshall/Newman Amendment at U of R, you would have been able to chat with Jeff Shapiro, political columnist with the Times-Dispatch, whose lovely wife used to work for Theatre IV. You also might have had a chance to rub shoulders with former Vice Presidential candidate, Senator John Edwards. (At least that's what I thought at first. Actually, it was state senator John Edwards at the debate. Oops, my bad!)

Also, a few days after I posted something here about the possibility of running into someone at Ukrop's who I had written a bad review about, I happened to meet Jennie Brown from SPARC at the Carytown Ukrop's. Earlier this fall, I saw Cynde Liffick from Richmond Shakespeare jogging along Monument Avenue, probably only a week or so after seeing Thomas Nowlin (who was RS's "Othello") in the VCU Ukrop's. Last winter, I was pleasantly surprised bumping into Jill Bari Steinberg walking along in Carytown and one day last spring Grant Mudge was walking into Crossroads Coffee when I was walking out. A couple of summers ago, as my kids romped around the playground near the Carillon, I noticed Chris Evans and his lovely wife walking along in the park as well with their little one who I think was only 2 or 3 at the time.

But possibly the most interesting unexpected encounter I had was when I was visiting the offices of Media General probably 5-6 years ago. I was working for a consultant and had come to work on their computer system and walking toward the person's office I was supposed to meet, I happened to pass d.l.hopkins's office. I don't think I knew he was a computer geek like me until then.

Maybe some people feel claustrophobic in a town like this, where everybody seems to know everybody else. Personally, I think it's one of the many charms of Richmond, and one of the many reasons we have never been get ourselves to move away, though we've often thought of doing so.

Speaking of interesting encounters, if you are a big Garrison Keillor fan, he's going to be at the Barter Theater way down in Abingdon, VA, on Nov. 1. A drive down there might be a nice excuse to check out the tail-end of the changing leaves.

I've been enjoying the small bit of discussion that my "People Hate Critics" post seemed to generate; thank you all for your perspectives. I'll have to think up some additional juicy topics that might get some responses. Anyone else have any ideas?

Fall

Have you driven down Monument Ave. lately? It seems like all of a sudden, fall is here. The leaves have erupted into their annual cacophony of color and there’s a crunch underfoot when you walk along the sidewalks. The temperature is still all over the place but I’m loving those mornings that emerge with a bracing chill in the air. Fall is just a yummy time of year.

Speaking of beautiful sights, I caught a sneak peak of the upcoming premiere issue of “Richmond Marquee” (this job does have SOME perks) and it looks smashing. There are profiles of ubiquitous Lighting Designer Lynn Hartman and expatriate Rodney Hobbs, several other interesting articles plus listings of auditions and show openings through December. There’s a website up now too; check it out and be sure and subscribe. The price can’t be beat.

This weekend will see another production by a company that specializes in abbreviated Shakespeare, the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s “Completely Hollywood (abridged)” at U of R’s Jepson Theater. Just as a head’s up for next week, there’ll be a dramatic staged reading of selections from “Nickel and Dimed” at Jepson; it’s a great book worth checking out if you have a chance.

Also, there’s been a fair amount of press about the ComedySportz anniversary. This leads me to a gray area I’m not sure whether I should cover on this blog or not. There’s been plenty of interplay between actors and improvisation in the past; Jeff Clevenger and Jennifer Frank come to mind. I’ve written about stand-up before. And some stuff that is actually theater – the Mystery Dinner Playhouse shows, for instance – really skews more toward improvisational, or at least interactional, comedy. I’ve got to think about this and, if I have a spare minute, maybe I’ll add those folks into the blog in some way.

In the meantime, there’s a new Mystery Dinner Playhouse show opening this weekend called “Fashion to Die For!” Have a great weekend!

Two for the price of one

My reviews of Julius Caesar and Pocahontas are up on the Style Weekly site. Enjoy (and feel free to post rebuttals if you are so inclined!)

I heard news on Q94 (Q94!?!) this morning about the “Sweeney Todd” film that has Johnny Depp slated to play Sweeney. Director Tim Burton’s sweetie, Helena Bonham Carter will play Mrs. Lovett (as confirmed with this story on Broadway.com). What killed me was that, in order to say something that her young hip audience might relate to, the DJ Melissa Chase said something to the effect that you’d recognize the music from Sweeney Todd because it’s been in Looney Tunes cartoons. Oy. Can our pop culture get any dumber?

Day late, Dollar short

Well, dang. I had meant to mention the Bifocals Theater show "Table for Two" this week at the Barksdale. But performances were Monday and tonight. I hope they went well. Just to get a jump on the next production: Bifocals will be doing "The Day Joe Montana Retired" on Nov. 27 & 28. I'll try to be more on the ball about blogging about that one.

Have also been a little frustrated looking into the Broadway possibilities. Got some last row orchestra seats for "A Chorus Line" -- pretty pathetic but what are you going to do. Looked into "Wicked" -- all sold out for the week before Xmas. Oh, that is unless you're willing to pop for the $300 a piece "premium tickets." Excuse me?!?! As if $125/per for "regular" seats isn't enough? It's certainly another reason to be thankful we have so much quality theater right here in town, shows that you can see without taking out a second mortgage...

Taking suggestions

It’s looking like Team T will be able to take a quick trip to NYC around Christmas time, so I’m taking suggestions on what show people think we should see. One night, the girls are probably going to go see “A Chorus Line” but on the second night, we’re hoping to sneak out just Holly and I to see something. I’m intrigued by this show “Spring Awakening” that caught a little buzz in its off-Broadway run and will be opening on Broadway on Nov. 17. But then there’re the shows that have been around for awhile like “The Drowsy Chaperone” or “Spamalot.” I’ve heard Martin Short’s one-man deal is hilarious and of course there’s 3 or 4 off-Broadway shows that sound interesting (“Jewtopia” in particular catches one’s eye), but are they worth spending the only free night in New York to see?

What would you see if you had one night in New York right now?

Were you there?

Man, what a great night on Sunday. A wonderful crowd of people cheered on a great slate of performers at the Commonwealth Coalition Benefit at the Barksdale. I was very proud of my girls who sang “Castle on a Cloud” very sweetly and with only the slightest shakiness at the beginning. It was a very special 45 seconds for me and I think they got a big charge out of it. It’s hard to pick out the highlights from the rest of the night since it was all amazing. Jacquie O and Derek Phipps did the “I Can Live With That” scene from “I Love You, You’re Perfect, etc/” that always makes me tear up. It’s so sweet and funny and they both do such a great job with their characters. I especially liked it that my widowed mom (who was there with another widowed friend) was able to see that scene.

Debra Wagoner was astounding as usual, the singer/songwriter Kim Alexander rocked the house, and modern dance troupe Amaranth was mesmerizing. Scott Wichmann’s scene from “I Am My Own Wife” was particularly poignant. And the boys singing “Were You There?” sounded great on a song that managed to be sweet, funny, and significant all at the same time. It was an enchanting evening and if the energy from that one night could be loosed upon the Commonwealth at large I’m sure it would have the power to convince the un- or misinformed people who still plan on voting in support of the asinine Marshall/Newman Amendment.

Keeping it positive

I could get all ticked off that the Times-Dispatch chose not to list the Commonwealth Coalition benefit in the Weekend section. I'd like to think it has nothing to do with politics and it's some administrative oversight kind of thing. Really, I would.

But I'm ignoring that because there's plenty of stuff to be positive about. For one thing, shows are being extended left and right: "I Am My Own Wife" got pushed out another weekend and "Sordid Lives" added performances. And just when I think I've got at least a vague handle on all of the theaters in town, I see that a group called the Reflections Repertory Company is doing "A Bench in the Sun" starting tonight (the T-D posted an announcement about them...hmmmm....). According to their website, they're doing "Agnes of God" next, which is one of those plays that, with the right people in it, can be just transcendent. And if you are interested in going to a theater that tends to program shows in a more faith-based way, I'd recommend the Jewish Family Theatre at the JCC. They did a great "Anne Frank" a while back and will be starting up with "Crossing Delancey" in a few weeks.

Furthermore, the very nice responses from Mr. Hamm to my "People Hate Critics" rant lifted me out of the doldrums this afternoon. It seems that perhaps we CAN all get along! I really appreciate your further explanation of the moment I described in 'Julius Caesar,' Andrew, and your reassurance that I am not hated. (And nice job with Cassius, BTW, very excellent work!) I'm hoping that it comes across that I think pretty long and hard about saying negative things in a review. Sometimes it seems like there's no avoiding it but, as the song goes, I try to accentuate the positive. And, as I think I've said before, most of the time the on-stage mistakes bring out the real talents of theater pros. I am that much more impressed with them when they are able to work through the flubs and come out the other side with no one the wiser.

And Jacquie, I'm just not telling you when I'm going to see your shows anymore since I seem to be a jinx...

And last but not least, it's fall, it's going to get good and cold this weekend, I'm going to take a break from theater for a couple of days and maybe see a movie this weekend (since there's about three out now that I'm hankering for...), and I'm going to have the chance to share in the joy of people (very talented people) coming together on Sunday to support a good cause. For now, at least, I can't really complain.

Disappearing Act

Blogger seems to have misplace my blog today. Not sure what that's about. Maybe they REALLY hate critics!

Once more for the team

OK, one last plug for the Commonwealth Coalition benefit. Please come. It's this Sunday the 15th and it has a great slate of performers. If you haven't seen it, I've included the list below. And yes, if you look closely, there's a couple of Timberline girls tucked in there among all of the legitimate stars. Will I be nervous on Sunday? Oh my, yes.

AMARANTH
TODD MINNICH
MATT BEYER
KIRK MORTON
STEVE BOSCHEN
JACQUELINE O’CONNOR
TIM BREWSTER
DEREK PHIPPS
ELLIOTT BROMLEY
BRYCE TIMBERLINE
PAUL DEISS
SAGE TIMBERLINE
JANINE FULLER
DEBRA WAGONER
AMY HENDERSON
SCOTT WICHMAN

Please Go To: http://www.votenova.org/ To Pre-Register Your Donation And Reserve A Seat, OR Call (804)330-4566 For Reservations And Make Your Donation At The Theater.

Better late than never?

Here’s my review of “The Constant Wife,” for your consideration.

Also in the better late than never department: I’m sorry to have missed the Arts and Letters Live event on Monday. I’m planning on catching the broadcast on Thanksgiving. It’s pretty exciting to have (at least) two nationally recognized stars in our little town for the weekend (Hilarie Burton and Elliot Yamin, of course).

And I’ve fallen down on the job again, as “Frankenstein Lives!’ has been open a week at the Science Museum and I haven’t mentioned it. I have to admit to some puzzlement about the run of this show; I’m not quite sure why it is closing Oct. 29 just when the fever pitch about Halloween should be highest. Hope I can get the kiddies off to see this before then!

People Hate Critics

People hate critics. I know I do. I hated them before I became one and the situation hasn't changed since. Daniel Neman bugs the crap out of me. I find his overuse of "we" in his reviews annoying as heck, as if either he's assuming that "we" share his perspective (which I usually don't) or he's using the royal we. Danny -- it's YOU that saw the flick, not we.

Anyway, I'm sure that there's people that are annoyed or angered or bored by my reviews (or my blog). Fine by me. Difference of opinion is what makes our democracy strong.

But for you non-critics out there, here's a window into the conundrums critics face. I saw Richmond Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" last Friday. Generally a very good production (but I'll save the specifics for when my review shows up in Style). I liked the performance of Jeff Schmidt as Mark Antony quite a lot. He's was doing a great job with the funeral speech ("Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...") but then, at the very end of the scene, he totally went blank. Like, totally. It was the most complete full-stop flub I think I have ever seen on stage. There was nothing but dead air for a good few seconds. As I remember it, he eventually repeated one of the lines from earlier in the scene and then everyone just exited.

I'm not pointing this out to be mean. I think Mr. Schmidt is a fine actor; he had been doing well, performed nicely during the rest of the show, and overall did an admirable job. But as a critic, what do you do? Do you memorialize that momentary lapse in print in the spirit of giving an honest assessment of the production? Or do you gloss over it to be "nice?" Movie reviewers can be jerks in their assessments because they aren't usually going to see the person they wrote about at Ukrop's the following Friday. But how do you balance giving a hard-working actor the benefit of the doubt with keeping up a semblance of journalistic integrity?

Or how about this: "The True Story of Pocahontas" opened last week also. As Ms. Haubenstock pointed out in her review, the script has some serious problems. She didn't even mention what I thought were the most significant issues: Pocahontas's motivation for saving John Smith isn't explained, and a huge hunk of the show is told in the future tense, which was confusing to me, not to mention the kids of various ages I had along with me. But you also have to admire the fact that they tried to "keep it real" and not do something that totally made Pocahontas something that she wasn't. Do you reward intent? Or damn with faint praise by saying, "well, at least it wasn't something worse."

Q: What would you do?

A: Avoid becoming a critic at all costs, perhaps?

PS: Style could still use someone else to write them reviews. If this entry isn't inspiration enough, I should tell you the pay isn't so great either...

The True Story of Pocahontas

I expected to sit down and ramble on about Pocahontas but then got distracted by this item on the Entertainment Weekly website. The intersection of two of my guilty pleasures – Broadway and American Idol – in one article! How could I resist. If you have the time, you should check out the profile on Constantine Maroulis that is linked to in the Village Voice . It’s a pretty revealing look at the lifestyle of the semi-famous.

I’m always a little bit wary about anything calling itself “The True Story…” of anything. History is a notoriously slippery subject. Pocahontas seems like a historical figure who by default is romanticized. I’ll be intrigued to see how Pete and Julie dealt with this impulse.

This show also makes me think about how the majority of actors I’ve known have at one time or another had a “street theater” type job, like a character at a theme park or dancing/playing in a theme park show or working as an interpreter at a historical park, etc., or even a dancing/singing waiter/waitress. My lovely wife spent some time portraying a Native American – evocative of Pocahontas though it may not have been her explicitly – while working at Busch Gardens many moons ago. While I’ve heard these jobs can be a huge pain, people have also told me they represented some of the best training they’ve ever had. Care to share YOUR experience?

Julius Caesar

My best friend told me today that his 11-year old daughter is memorizing Mark Antony’s speech from ‘Julius Caesar’ for school. Having a daughter that age as well, I can imagine the delivery. Picture someone who just wants to get through the speech as fast as possible and whose ambition is certainly not made of ANY stuff right now, to say nothing of sterner stuff. The result is significant theatrical dissonance, which could almost be funny if overdone, like in a Christopher Guest movie or such. I'm expecting the rendition in the Richmond Shakespeare production will be a bit more rousing.

Also, yesterday was a testament to never knowing where theater is going to pop up in your life. I was reading a book called “Women in Early Imperial China,” because, well, it’s a long story but I just was. And here’s what I came across: “Sociologists have long used role playing to create subtle models of society. According to one theory, individuals in society are akin to actors in a play. Sometimes we carry ourselves as if we were back stage, preparing for a public performance. Other times we are on stage, in view of others, playing out chosen social roles. As social actors, we choose the props, clothing, and makeup that will make our performance appear most believable…In real life as in the theater, the actor and audience influence each other. Actors manipulate the audience, and the audience’s reaction shapes an ongoing performance….To a large degree, we are the sum of the social roles we perform.”

OK, so that’s a lot of sociological theory, but if you followed that, imagine that one of your social roles is being an actor (as it very likely might be if you are reading this). Then, it’s kind of like role-playing within role-playing! And what if the character you are playing is an actor! That’s like sociology to the third power!

And even though this seems like the kind of conversation you have late at night in a college dorm room, I assure you I’m not stoned as I’m writing this…

Indignities

First indignity (mine): After promising the folks at Sycamore Rouge that I would put their events on the blog, I totally let them down with their current show, The Complete Works of Wllm Shkspre, abridged, which has been running for a couple of weeks now. It’s showing tonight and next Sunday through Wednesday (10/8-11). I’m really sorry – I promise to do better in the future.

Second indignity (not mine): the Times-Dispatch review of David Sedaris’s appearance at the Landmark was tucked down below the obituaries in today’s paper. Jacquie O told me that the review of Swift Creek Mill’s “I Love You, etc.” was also placed in this ignominious location. Could the coverage of live performances BE any more invisible?

And in the better late than never department, here’s a link to my piece on Debra’s “The World on a String” and the Starlight Cabaret Series. If you haven’t gone yet, there’s a show this coming Saturday at 11pm – I expect that’s when Debra brings out Arlen’s more risqué material – plus two shows next week. Wouldn’t a trip to the Cabaret be a great end to a long Columbus Day weekend?

The International Scene

So Ashlee Simpson made her big theater debut in ‘Chicago’ last week. The guy who does “Talk Soup” had a wonderful line: whoever was singing her part from backstage did a great job. I haven’t read a true review of her performance yet and don’t really care enough to search too hard for one.

Closer to home, The Times They Are A-Changin' made its debut on Broadway last week as well. Also haven’t read anything from the NYC reviewers but the notices on the Chicago run certainly were positive. I’m hoping to make the yearly sojourn to NYC sometime early next year but am still undecided on whether this will be the big show to see or not.

Leftovers

Did anyone go see the Spalding Gray "Leftover Stories to Tell" show at the Firehouse? It's an interesting idea and a nice tribute and the last-minute (as far as I know) addition of Scott Wichmann to the cast almost propelled me to try and figure some way to get there. In the end, a nephew's birthday celebration won out for me.

You may not notice it but the reviews I'm writing for Style these days are more often around 400 words long versus 500 words in the past. It seems that everyone is cutting back some. Those missing 100 words mean that the review for "The Constant Wife" won't be mentioning some solid supporting performances (e.g., Jill Bari Steinberg, convincing as up-and-coming businesswoman friend to Constance; Andrew Boothby, a welcome dose of energy as socially awkward Mortimer) and some excellent technical work (Sue Griffin's costumes were divine -- where DID she find Bernard's Wimbleton shoes? Got to get me a pair of those!). One hundred words doesn't seem like much but three or four sentences is often the difference between getting a mention and not.

This "Wife" was also the kind of show that makes me wish I had the 1200 words or so that a NYTimes reviewer has. There's much that could be covered with this play -- in terms of the text and in terms of this particular production -- but not much that could be explored succinctly enough to fit into 400 words. Here's a few of the things that WON'T be in my published review:

-- This is a play that takes patience. The first act is a moderately funny drawing room comedy with most of the spunk coming from Mrs. and Martha Culver (great work by Kelly Kennedy and Jen Meharg in this production). Things really start rolling in the second act and but it was only in the third act that I felt fully engaged.

-- I really try not to be too politically-correct, but I was put off by the preponderant man-bashing. Men are called everything from wicked to weak to childish in this play. I don't think I would have minded so much if a) so much of the bashing hadn't happened in the first act which was relatively slow in comparison to the rest of the play, b) it was a little more clever and c) there was even a little less of it -- after the initial point was made (and remade), it just felt like piling on.

-- You come to appreciate the depth of Constance's insight and intelligence. She is truly a remarkable character. But after the show was over, I was struck by the 'what-if' scenario. What if Mortimer hadn't brought the whole situation to a head? Would things have continued on for her and John ad infinitum? The thought that Constance might simply have turned a blind eye for several more years makes her seem less noble.

-- There was something not quite clicking for me in the chemistry between John (Steve Perigard) and Mary-Louise (Laine Satterfield). I enjoyed each of their performances separately – particularly Steve’s growing apoplection in the third act – but there wasn’t much fire or verve or even a sense of sneakiness spurring their scenes together. The way I read the play, Mary-Louise is drawn to John because he’s a bit more dashing, sophisticated and intelligent than her somewhat blunt Mortimer and John is drawn to Mary-Louise because she’s a sweet young thing, a pleasant bauble that amuses him. I left the play not knowing why exactly they had ever been attracted to each other.

-- On some more positive notes, I could have gone on at length about the beautiful set, well-appointed down to the little trees visible through the living room window. And Larry Cook’s performance was a treat, particularly his restraint in the last scene where it would have been easy for more gloat to sneak in.

The only reason I haven’t mentioned Ms. Mamana is because I was able to sneak some praise of her into my 400 words. I thought she did a great job with a part that also required significant restraint. I’ll admit I was on the fence early on in the show but, by the end, I was duly impressed. It was probably the even-handed delivery of the “go to hell” line that won me over for good.

I hope I haven’t given away too much in this rambling bit of blogness. And I hope you check out my (much shorter) review when it shows up in print.