All’s Well

My preview on “All’s Well the Ends with Monique” is in this week’s Style. Also, the T-D had a review of AART’s “Langston is my Man” yesterday.

Speaking of “All’s Well” – the Shakespearean version, that is – Playbill has an interesting interview of the Artistic Director of the Public Theater who made a point of taking on the “problem plays” this summer. It provides a little insight into the decision-making process of at least one prominent AD.

A local AD was prominently featured last night as Barksdale / Theatre IV staged a preview of their 2011-12 seasons. As part of Irene Ziegler’s funny and engaging patter, Bruce Miller was the butt of a Muriel McAuley joke, which he himself then reinforced. It’s hard not to be charmed by such willing self-deprecation.

The event as a whole was pretty amazing, providing tantalizing snippets of what’s to come. I would love it if other companies in town did this sort of thing, though I expect it’s not as easy to throw together as Billy Christopher Maupin and the whole Barksdale machine made it seem. The most thrilling part of the night for me was hearing Ali Thibodeau sing a selection from “Spring Awakening” (backed by Robin Harris and Brittany Simmons). It had the exact effect I think the Barksdale / Theatre IV folks intended: I now simply cannot wait to see this show.

The most intriguing interlude of the evening was David Robbins introducing a scene from “Scorched Earth,” the world premiere adaptation of his novel that the Barksdale is preparing. I am hopeful for this show and would love to see it succeed. But centered as it is on a small southern town’s legal process and a black man’s prosecution, it is dangerously reminiscent of other popular entertainments (“To Kill a Mockingbird,” the entire John Grisham canon and its adaptations). It will be a challenge for this show to transcend its antecedents.

The talent Barksdale / Maupin was able to pull together for the night was impressive, with David Janeski and Aly Wepplo appearing often, the two of them making even “Lend Me a Tenor” seem like a promising prospect. The show wrapped up with a medley from “My Fair Lady” and really, any time spent listening to Stacey Cabaj perform is a good time. Nuff said there.

I was entertained by the night’s performances and expect it was an unparalleled success in most ways. I couldn’t help but catch a little whiff of a weird dichotomy about the evening, though. I’d say the average age of the crowd was (by very generous estimate) 65 years old. Ms. Ziegler got some mileage out of joking about texting and Tweeting, prompting laughs from the appreciative older crowd. However, “Spring Awakening” is a relatively in-your-face musical for a distinctly younger generation. “God of Carnage” is peppered liberally with ‘fucks’ and ‘shits.’ And considering that the staffers of Barksdale / Theatre IV are among the most prolific Tweeters I know in town, there was a definite young / old tension in the air, at least for me.

I realize that subscribers (who are always older) are still the bread and butter of many theater companies. And the older folks ate up “My Fair Lady” and “Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas.” But it is my fervent hope that Barksdale / Theatre IV is planning to go balls to the wall in using shows like “Spring Awakening” and “Carnage” to bring new patrons – younger patrons – into the theater and, to that end, using texting, Tweeting, blogging, and every social media possible. These new vehicles need to be embraced, not denigrated, and if your crowd is older, perhaps they need to be gently educated instead of coddled by comforting reassurances about how live theater is still that “old style” entertainment they love. For those wondering how best to do this, I’m sure you could bring Monique in as a consultant.

Costumes

Here’s a recent quote from an interview of a long-standing Hollywood star: “I like the details of costume a lot. The costume is a very important thing. It speaks before you do…You get a reference and it gives context about other characters and the relationships.” This quote came from such an unlikely (IMHO) person that I’ll give a prize to the first reader who can name the star who made the remark. Hint: it was an interview about one of the summer’s big movies.

I bring up this quote because I gained some additional appreciation for costumes this weekend. First there was SPARC’s “Ragtime” that, in addition to all of the amazing performances I mentioned last week, had some gorgeous costumes put together by Kym Minks. A large percentage of the magic created by that production was thanks to the convincing costumes that, as the quote says, provided so much context and even helped define certain characters – the flirty flooziness of Evelyn Nesbit versus the earnest dedication of Emma Goldman versus the stately elegance of Mother was all communicated and enhanced by Ms. Minks costumes.

Then I took in “Langston is my Man,” the musical that African American Rep is putting on at Pine Camp and that is in turns boisterous and thoughtful, rollicking and historically rigorous. I enjoyed this show a great deal, and much of that enjoyment came from being credibly transported to two different eras: Harlem of the 1920s in the first act, then Harlem in the post-depression 1930s in the second.

During the earlier period, club patrons party and play; during the latter, they work and decry their economic plight. But even before a single actor says a word at the opening of the second act, the audience knows things are going to be different because of the dramatic change in Mara Lynch Cravey’s costumes from bright and decorative to dark and utilitarian.

And in one of director Derome Scott Smith’s cleverest moves, later in the second act he has his actors pull out costume pieces from the first act to remind them of that earlier time. It’s a neat little bit of stagecraft that utilizes the artistry of one of his designers to create a beautiful theatrical moment.

This show only runs one more weekend and I highly recommend it, and not only because tickets are free. Smith has convened a great cast, including a top-notch hoofer with Broadway credits, Eugene Fleming. Fleming, along with fellow choreographers Willie Hinton and LaWanda Raines, have developed several fine dance interludes, most utilizing Flemings prodigious tap dancing skills. And underlying the entire enterprise is a foundation of Langston Hughes’s compelling poetry. It’s a relatively short evening – 90 minutes with intermission – but Smith has packed plenty of entertainment value into that amount of time.

If I was being fussy, I’d say I wished for a little more historical and cultural depth in the show so that I would come away with a deeper understanding of what inspired Hughes’s work. But that is my homework assignment now and Smith does provide more than enough of the broad strokes of history to know where to start. And along the way, the show – bolstered by some great vocal work by the ensemble and powerfully led by musical director David Corey – gets the blood pumping with saucy songs and an extended extravaganza of percussion in the second act. Given the admission price, it may be the best entertainment value of the summer.

Kids and Grown-Ups

While I’ve been distracted, at least a couple of pieces in this week’s Style have generated a modicum of interesting comments. One is Mr. Griset’s review of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” that prompted a somewhat obscure comment on what a review is and then a few comments that echoed the review’s sentiments.

I was also interested in this week’s Back Page about Eric Cantor. I could get a good political rant going here but I won’t. I just point to this particular piece because of how the current “debate” in Washington has been increasingly characterized as “childish.” Behaviors like tantrums, digging in of heels, name-calling, and “playing chicken” with the economy have been exhibited on both sides.

What confounds me is the contrast between those grown-ups and the “kids” that currently make up the cast, crew and orchestra of “Ragtime” that SPARC opened at CenterStage last night. The professionalism, poise, and commitment these teens (with a couple of adults and pre-teens thrown in) demonstrate in this production are truly phenomenal. It makes clear that calling the stuff happening on Capitol Hill these days “childish” is demeaning to children.

I can’t talk about “Ragtime” without first saying that I simply adore this musical. The story captures so much of the essential character and struggle that defines our great country and it’s all wrapped up in such an electrifying and enlightening package of songs and scenes.

Starting with this fantastic raw material, director Deb Clinton and musical director Blanton Bradley have crafted something extraordinary, using some of the best talent in town. Don’t get me started on Makenzie Mercer as Mother because I just might not stop. A voice that soars expressively and effortlessly, an almost ethereal calm that grounds her dramatic scenes, and much much more. I could go on but I’ll just say that I thought it couldn’t get much better than Debra Wagoner playing Mother in the concert version Chase Kniffen did a few years back. I’d say Ms. Mercer gives Debra more than a good run for her money.

Ms. Mercer is just the tip of an iceberg of remarkable breath and depth. Durron Tyre devastating and brilliant as Coalhouse, Tanner Pippert excelling in the somewhat thankless role of Father, the gorgeous Courtney Jamison as Sarah, spunky Allison Gilman as Evelyn Nesbit, spry and engaging Michael Thibodeau as Harry Houdini, Thomas Nowlin distinguished and steadfast as Booker T. Washington, even a little Timberline child milking the laugh lines as the Little Boy… It’s a cast of exceptional musical theater performers where even the ensemble is bursting with talent.

But two call-outs I must make because they involve performances that both delighted me and surprised me. Sam Brackley gives Tateh such a mature level of gravitas and handles the complicated character arc with such grace that it is unbelievable that he is still a teenager. And Brian Lampley, uncredited as the one who sings at the 2nd act funeral (don’t want to give away any plot points for anyone…), has such a rich and powerful voice that his solo – as poignant and heart-rending as it is – could have gone on forever as far as I’m concerned.

SPARC’s Ragtime may be a “school edition” of the musical but it succeeds gloriously as a truly grown-up entertainment. If I sound a little overwrought in my praise it’s because that’s exactly how the production left me: choked up with emotion, bleary-eyed with tears and nearly breathless in appreciation. And eager to go on the whole adventure again.

Still some Waiting to do

Somewhere I said that "Wait Until Dark" was closing last weekend. I was just on the Mill's website and the show runs through this weekend. The bad news is I'm still not perfect. The good news is that you still have several more opportunities to see this show.

Tribute

My critical colleague, Liz Ramsay, has written a heart-felt and even stirring tribute to the Harry Potter series on her blog. As I often am, I’m envious of both the time and talent it took to write such a fine appreciation, since my time has been crunched as of late (even more than usual) and my talent, well, the very existence of that is debatable.

I’m quite a few years older than Ms. Ramsay so my attachment to the HP series comes from a different place: from being reluctantly drawn into a world my children were exploring and having it become just as all-encompassing for me as it was for them. After slowly being introduced to the story reading the first three books to my daughters, I read each successive book in a weekend, even bringing the 4th book with me as I walked the dog around the neighborhood. When the first movie came out, I was the one who bought the tickets online well before the premiere date and left work early to join my children at the theater. When HP7.2 premiered last weekend, I was at a midnight showing, semi-dragged along by my 10-year old.

I love the books, even though my critical instincts were tweaked by some of the clunky prose and the occasional clumsy plot-saving device (e.g., Ron and Harry saved from the spiders by the enchanted car, the whole time-turner thing, etc.) But the series as a whole is plotted with tremendous skill and there are aspects of the 7th book that I think are pure genius, including one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever read, all the more impressive given the immense pressure on Rowling to deliver something big (compare it to similar high-pressure series endings like “Seinfeld” or “Lost”).

In general, I’ve appreciated but not loved the movies (3 and 4 have been my faves). Most of them have had significant moments of gawking at the special effects or, in the last one, wasted time spent looking over artsy landscapes. The diminishing number of allowances made to those who aren’t intimately familiar with the story has made these last ones confusing for me, even though I’ve read the source material. And the complete bungling of the Harry and Ginny Weasley relationship is a crime (based on the movies, I’d have wanted Harry to end up with just about any other girl in the cast besides Ginny). Still, each movie has had at least one set-piece that was done spectacularly well. In this last movie, I thought the scene with Dumbledore and Harry in the celestial King’s Cross Station was about as good as I could have imagined it.

This is a lot of rambling about books on a blog that’s supposed to be about theater. I could say that Daniel Radcliffe is a Broadway star now so there’s some relevance. But actually the reason I go on is because, as I mentioned below, I saw the last HP movie only an hour or so after the curtain went down on the performance of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” I attended. And I consider them both blockbusters, each with the attendant pros and cons that come with such an enterprise.

There’s no denying the comic tsunami that is Scott Wichmann and the most guffaw-inducing scenes of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” involve his character’s ruses. Add Freddy Benson to the impressive list of characters that Scotty has taken to previously unimaginable comic heights. It would be easy to minimize the contribution of Broadway vet Jeff McCarthy in the face of Wichmann’s prodigious skills but that would be a mistake. McCarthy has a difficult and narrow path to travel. He has to be suave, worldly, confident but also a bit worn and you have to believe that after all of his years, that he actually falls for one of his marks. That I never questioned any of those aspects of his character is a tribute to the skill of the actor.

But unexpectedly, I came away from DRS newly impressed with Rachel Abrams, whose straight-forward but nuanced portrayal of Christine was a marked contrast to her last delightful appearance opposite Wichmann as Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.” I expected to love the scoundrels, but in the end, the sneaky subtlety of Abrams’ performance was what really wooed me. Speaking of which, I also ended up enjoying the stumbling romance of Andre (Joe Pabst) and Muriel (Robin Arthur) more than I would have thought. Between not-too-heavy-handed writing and fresh performances from the actors, this potentially schmaltzy sidelight actually bolstered the trajectory of the main plotline rather than detract from it.

In one last note on an actor, Nicole Oberleitner certainly makes the most out of supporting role that I imagine is the kind actors love where you get to hit the stage for a brief time, chew up all the scenery in sight, and then move on.

It would take another several hundred words to fawn over the technical elements of the show, specifically Brian Barker’s spectacular set and Sue Griffin’s dapper costumes. Let’s just say that comparing this set and costumes to others in town isn’t quite on the level of comparing apples to oranges but it’s close.

Of course, I do have a quibble list and first on it is the sound. I heard most of what I wanted to from those on stage but I heard from several other audience members who didn’t (and that also seems to have been one of Mr. Miller’s at GayRVA’s chief complaints). Every modern musical struggles with the infamous “catchy” conundrum – creating songs that fit in context but also somehow stand-alone enough to be memorable. There were some good songs here – “Great Big Stuff” and “Dirty Rotten Number” specifically – but they suffered a bit from being more percussive and punchy versus melodic and catchy. This does present the opportunity to praise Sandy Dacus’s musical direction though: the big, brassy numbers in particular were sparkling and stirring and a delight to listen to.

My final quibble is more esoteric and, on some levels, perhaps not even appropriate given the subject. It also brings me back to Harry Potter. One of the things Rowling did with the HP books was reinforce some pretty steadfast and even stodgy values – the importance of loyalty and friendship, the fact that our choices define us, etc. – in a way that was actually uplifting instead of pedantic. The movies, even with their whiz-bang effects and some fabulous acting by some of the best Brits around, never really communicated those fundamentals in a convincing way. And perhaps it’s impossible for a big budget summer entertainment to do so.

Similarly, as fabulous as all of the aspects of DRS were (and shoot, I didn’t even mention all of the amazing dance numbers…), I didn’t leave with a sense that it all added up to much. I was entertained – thoroughly so – and I congratulate director Chase Kniffen for engineering such a bedazzling evening. I would even consider going back to get that thoroughly entertained again. But when the show ended, I wasn’t enlightened or emboldened in any way. Perhaps it’s too much to expect to be. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting it.

Wrecked

I’m a bit wrecked this morning. Did a doubleheader last night of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and then “Harry Potter” at midnight. Up and out to work at 8am this morning. Running on caffeine and doughnuts. Gearing up for another gamut tonight. Never a dull moment…

I’ll be ruminating over DRS this weekend and expounding next week. However, I thought it was ironic that I took in Richmond’s blockbuster musical and Hollywood’s blockbuster event on the same evening. My initial reaction to both of them was “Wow!” There is a lot of pizzazz and amazingness in both and scenes that I could not imagine being done any better. And I had a few quibbles with both – minor things that, if I was a grading man, would only knock back an A to an A minus.

But I also have that slight self-critical uneasiness of thinking that the quibbles I have are like being given a delicious feast with variety and enchantment and not being satisfied with the silverware. Both DRS and HP deliver spectacle, wonder, laughs (a hell of a lot more in the former then the latter), and charm. Both are incredibly satisfying entertainment extravaganzas. And I’m really glad I saw both of them – though I’m paying the price this morning.

Which is all preliminary to my real message for today: last chances to see “Wait Until Dark” and "The Odyssey" this weekend and ONLY chances to see “Reasons to be Pretty” by the newcomers at Stage B and the New Voices readings at SPARC. Harry Potter’s going to be running for weeks so, if your time is limited, skip it for now and go see a play.

Next to Normal

Pick up this week's Style for Mr. Griset's reviews of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "Wait Until Dark." Time is running out on seeing "Wait" so don't....wait, that is, to get tickets.

I'm trying to think ahead -- looking forward to finally seeing DRS this week plus taking in some of SPARC's New Voices readings this weekend. But part of me is still stuck in this past weekend. See, my wife and son had talked up “Next to Normal” for months since they saw it in New York last summer. So I was giddy with anticipation when I took my seat in a Kennedy Center box (it was the back row of the box but still, I’d never seen a show at the Kennedy Center so it worked just fine for me). Just the N2N set is enough to peak your curiosity – it’s many levels and staircases giving it a modern, almost techno look.

The opening number (“Just Another Day”) didn’t disappoint – one of those openers in the classic musical mode that introduces most of the characters and their essential conflicts in an efficient but original manner. I was instantly impressed by Emma Hunton who plays the daughter Natalie and whose voice resonated clear and crystalline. All of the young performers were exceptional, propelled by a driving light-ish rock score.

But starting with the third song, “Who’s Crazy,” and really coming to the fore with “I Miss the Mountains,” there was something odd about lead actress Alice Ripley’s voice. At first, I just thought she had a weird pronunciation thing – an odd way of articulating specific words that I’ve since found out that others have commented on. But as the show continued, it became clearer that Ms. Ripley’s voice just wasn’t on par with the other singers in the cast. Again, there have been others on the Internets who have remarked on this situation with more depth and clarity than I really want to get into.

When the performance ended, I definitely had an appreciation for the power and originality of the show. There were many thrilling moments, most of them having to do with Ms. Hunton. As a parent, I felt a little weird to be identifying so completely with the teenage daughter and having little or no sympathy for the parents and a lot of that had to do with being annoying at Ms. Ripley for not singing better.

In the Washington Post review of the show, Peter Marks calls Ripley “tired.” In my opinion, that is an understatement. My somewhat stronger feelings on the matter are reflected in this review by Alice Kaderlan of the Seattle PI.

I'm a pretty easy-going guy and so, afterwards, I rationalized to myself that all things considered, it was a fine experience. I liked the music, I thought the story was challenging in many good ways, and there were some excellent performances. Perhaps more important, it was a good family outing spent traveling together, sharing conversation over some good food, and enjoying each other's company. But on another level I'm still sort of seething. I spent a whole day and a not-insignificant chunk of money to see a show that had a major defect in it. And it wasn't just that an artistic choice was made that somehow rubbed me the wrong way. There was/is a element in the show that is not working right. A colder, more pragmatic person would make the analogy that if a lighting instrument had burnt out during the course of a show, you'd replace it. Why hasn't someone made a similar replacement of the faulty piece of "Next to Normal?"

A Monday on the Links

The reviews for “Two Gentlemen of Verona” have started to appear, Ms. Haubenstock weighing in this weekend and Mr. Miller’s analysis hitting the GayRVA site today.

For those who do not have enough theater to take in this summer already, you might be interested in the first offering from Richmond’s latest company, Stage B. They’ll be opening “Reasons to be Pretty” at the Richmond Triangle Players theater this weekend.

I spent some time last week updating the RTCC website. Besides the basic details on this October’s gala event, I’ve uploaded pictures from the 2008 and 2009 ceremonies. I’ve got to organize my 2010 pictures and will have them up soon. Before long, news on presenters and nominees will start to appear on the site. Stay tuned.

This past Saturday, I saw “Next to Normal” at the Kennedy Center. I’ve already posted some of my opinions about this production on Facebook but I’ll summarize by asking, ‘what’s up with Alice Ripley’s voice?’ More on this tomorrow…

Last night

Last night was the opening of Richmond Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” When I saw this company do this show about a dozen years ago, the “two gentlemen” first came on stage wearing bathing suits to the sounds of the “Baywatch” theme. It was an irreverent and innovative way to make the Bard vital and new and it immediately engendered an affection for Mr. Mudge and his company that has never worn off, regardless of the ups and downs since. Their “Lear” was such a powerful production; I’m curious to see if they can pull off a true one-two punch this summer.

And speaking of “Lear,” did you read the blog-review Monique wrote about the production? It’s good for a laugh and, as such, I’ve added a link to Ms. Monique’s site to keep it in sight for future droll hilarity.

I didn’t spend last night at the Shakespeare opening. Instead, I answered the very kind request of a camp teacher at St. Catherine’s to watch the final production offered by their summer theater program. She thought they’d get a kick out of a “professional” review and I was happy to give them one. Since writing it took up any time I would have had to blog (I know, you’re heartbroken….ha!), I’ve included it below. Happy weekend!

Alice in Not-So-Wonderful Land

It stands to reason that a modern day Alice wouldn’t be traipsing around an English garden but rather dosing off in the midst of middle school detention. That’s only one of many amusing updates that playwright Don Zolidis has packed into “Alice’s Adventures with Poorly Cooked Cafeteria Seafood,” his highly entertaining script which received an energetic staging as part of St. Catherine’s Brilliant Summer camp program.

Unlike Lewis Carroll’s absurdist lampoon of all things British, Zolidis takes aim at a more specific contemporary target – the cult of excellence that drives American education – and his subversive lunacy sounds just right coming out of the mouths of these young performers.

Molly Berger headlines the show as the hapless Alice, constantly denigrated for not excelling in her scholarly pursuits the way her pushy, nerdy little brother Waldo (Tim Webb) does. Landing in detention after daring to stand up to the comically abusive biology teacher, Mrs. Snodgrass (Abigail DeLuca), Alice wanders through a low-rent looking glass (callouts to the lack of a production budget provide several laughs) to meet an array of wild and fairly mean creatures.

Some of these oddballs are simply entertaining: a Griffin (Maddie Ownby) and a Ninja Turtle (Anna Woodworth) provide nice Abbott-and-Costello-like banter. Others have a sly message hidden in their rhetoric, like Jeri Newman’s Catepillar, satisfied in her slackerhood and not at all eager to blossom into a butterfly. At least a couple of the creatures she meets seem determined to get in her way, the in-your-face March Hare (Sarah Wells) and the not-so-secretly violent Cheshire Cat (Rebecca Houck).

In her search for the elusive White Rabbit (Megan Deibel), Alice is offered a modicum of assistance by a cheeky Mouse (Isoke Wright). She eventually finds the Mad Hater (also Tim Webb) who points her to the Red Queen (also DeLuca) who, in turn, threatens her with execution. Only when Alice asserts her self-worth despite her mediocrity does she defeat the Queen and return to her other reality with a renewed sense of empowerment.

All of the St. Catherine’s actors give wholehearted performances and maintain their composure (for the most part) in the midst of the madness. Berger is a winning narrator and sympathetic protagonist, wearing her wide-eyed frustration well. As the villain of the piece (in both of her guises), DeLuca snips and snaps at those around her convincingly. The March Hare doesn’t get much stage time, but Wells makes the most of it, infusing the bunny with a quick wit and contrary attitude.

Wright plays a spry and cheerful Mouse and Newman is delightfully laid-back as the Catepillar. I would have enjoyed seeing more of Deibel who showed good range in portraying both the determined White Rabbit and the clearly-playing-favorites Mother. Woodworth’s forgetful Ninja Turtle prompted many laughs, and her concerned refrain of “The Children!” was a great counterpoint during the Mad Hater’s rampage. And Houck gets a nicely sinister gleam in her eye as the Cheshire Cat explains her proclivity toward mayhem.

Two performances stuck out to me for completely different reasons. Webb’s over-the-top rants as Waldo were funny and surprising but also a bit much. At least that’s what I thought until he really let loose as the Mad Hater and then it was downright disturbing in a way that lifted the production above youngsters playing at theater into a realm of social commentary of the most eye-opening kind. On the complete other end of the spectrum was Maddie Ownby’s pitch-perfect off-hand energy as the Griffin. Her performance showed how, in a production full of extreme weirdness, the simple and straightforward can work exceptionally well.

I attended this production of “Alice” expecting a bunch of kids struggling with their lines and stumbling across the stage. Instead, I was treated to a wry and wonderful evening of laughs and insubordination. Many thanks to director Tony Scarsella (and fellow theater teacher Christina Bellew) for lifting both my spirits and my hopes for the next generation of young thespians.

Trouble

I realized late yesterday that I gave short shrift to “The Odyssey,” just talking about its setting and not the show itself. Chalk it up to getting back into the swing of things coming off of a holiday weekend.

According to the Wikipedia, Odysseus means ‘trouble’ in Greek. I had been planning to use this factoid as part of my review because, while the Greek hero certainly had trouble thrown at him, he was also responsible for a fair amount of the trouble he faced. Similarly, the Sycamore Rouge production has some challenges thrust upon it, but also some of its problems are self-generated. Even so, as I mentioned in my review, there were many scenes where I got caught up in the action and the drama unfolding on stage. And I applaud the actors and production people who make the production work as well as it does, despite the challenges.

Certainly the trains are an issue. The performance I attended was interrupted 3 times by a train passing. The first time was kind of charming, the second time was still endurable, but by the third time, I was getting annoyed. The Rouge can’t control the trains, I know, so I don’t blame them. But I can’t deny that I found a fourth interruption in the action (including intermission) detrimental to my enjoyment of the experience.

I spent the first act of the show as close as possible to the stage. For the second act, I moved back to a back row on the lawn and that’s when I started hearing music from elsewhere. Again, not Sycamore Rouge’s fault but distracting for me.

I mention the episodic nature of the story. Much of “The Odyssey” unfolds as a series of misadventures and a dramatic arc such as one might expect in a modern-day drama doesn’t quite cohere. This also hampers character development to some extent. Some of Odysseus’s motivations didn’t quite work for me. Where does his pride in taunting the Cyclops come from that causes him such trouble with Poseidon? And after being away from home for decades, could he really keep his identity hidden from his son and wife for so long? The last quarter or so of the show where Odysseus has returned to Ithica takes entirely too long in my opinion.

There were some minor things that misfired at the performance I saw. The red ribbons signifying deaths were a great idea that were a mixed bag in practice – I didn’t even notice them until later in the show when the ribbon was curiously hanging out of Cyclops’ eye before it had been gouged. The occasionally awkward dialogue prompted some presentational performances, a bit stilted and forced at times. And there was a little pet peeve of mine that got tweaked when the gang of “suitors” at Odysseus’s home were often laughing and carrying on with no clear motivation. When characters just look at each other and start guffawing, it always takes me out of the action.

But putting all of that aside, there was plenty to cheer in the production. I enjoyed director kb saine’s modernizing touches – the “eyes on you” gesture Ms. Lewis mentioned, the come-ons from the Sirens, etc. Having the actor who played Zeus (Risegun Bennett-Olomidum) also provide sound effects enhanced the atmosphere at many key points. In my review, I called out Ms. Linas for her performance, which I enjoyed a great deal, but I did not have space to heap adequate praise on Ashley Maurisa Davis who infused her roles as Eurycleia and Calypso with delightful liveliness (including a musical “island” accent for the latter). Shanea Taylor brought her usual forcefulness to bear as the petulant Poseiden and Claire Biggers was entrancing throughout as narrator and Athena.

Zac Moon was a prime example of an actor who overcame the boundaries of the dialogue and made his Telemachus the most believable and natural character in the show. He was the reason I enjoyed many of the Ithica scenes the most. And of course, Jeff Cole managed to be the wild range of things the story required him to be convincingly and gracefully. He was prideful, sad, tormented, triumphant, tricky, and determined. And in perhaps the most effective scene of the show, he was wrenched emotionally as he chose between taking his boat into a whirlpool that would kill them all or into the clutches of a 6-headed beast that would devour one crew member for each head.

I hope the Rouge continues to do shows at Battersea Park because it is a beautiful location and there is a dearth of nice outdoor venues in the area (the Dell, Agecroft, and…am I missing something?) Next summer’s planned Battersea show is “Darker Face of the Earth,” which sounds like a perfect convergence of ancient source material, more modern situations, and an appropriate setting (i.e., an antebellum plantation). So I’ll definitely be back.

Sheer Volume

My review of Sycamore Rouge's “The Odyssey” is in Style this week. Battersea Park is a charming place to hang out for a few hours and the weather was lovely when I went there; it was downright chilly by the time the show wrapped up. I’d definitely recommend bringing a picnic but leave some room for the sweet kettle corn that the concessionaires are selling. Yummy.

I continue to be staggered by the sheer volume of theater happening in the summer time these days. Theatre IV’s “Little Red Hen” opened last weekend (a link to Ms. Lewis’s review is over there on the right) and the next Richmond Shakespeare offering, “Two Gentlemen of Verona” premieres this weekend. And, while I knew Dogwood Dell would have “Hairspray” at the end of the month, I just became aware of perhaps the most exciting development of the summer, a world premiere of “All’s Well that Ends with Monique,” which will hit the RTP stage at the end of the month. More on this soon…

In conjunction with my other piece in Style this week about the dovetailing of Firehouse’s Festival of New Plays and SPARC’s New Voices, I’m also surprised and delighted at the level of talent that is involved in staging these new works. I’m more aware of what’s happening with New Voices than the Firehouse festival and the casts of the shows being produced by SPARC reads like a who’s-who of local theater. The performers will include Andrew Boothby, Jeff Cole, Larry Cook, Lauren Leinhaas-Cook, Thomas Cunningham, Matt Hackman, Chris Hester, Audra Honaker, Dean Knight, Emma Mason, Jen Meharg, Daniel Moore, Jay Welch and that’s just pulling the names of actors I recognize as recently (or currently) starring in local professional productions. And they’ll be led by 8 impressive directors, most of whom also have professional credits under their belts.

Personally, I’m still trying to catch up on the shows that are already open. Where can we petition to make every summer weekend last three days so a poor ragged theater lover can see all of the shows in town?

Holiday Media Bonanza

I feel I’ve been playing catch up since I’ve been back from L.A., missing out on some of the big celebrity news (some of it summarized in this CBS news piece). Alicia Keys joining the ranks of producer should be a boon for those wanting more female perspectives and younger energy in the big-time professional stage world.

One of my NEA fellows was a bright and talented writer / editor named Grace Suh who has done a lot of thinking and writing about gender issues in theater. You can see some of that thought in this piece about the theater gender gap and this one where she asks some prominent theater people about this question.

Grace was also our go-to person for all things Julie Taymor. If you are interested, you can check out her coverage of Taymor’s time out in LA in this piece, arguably more comprehensive than this NYTimes piece on the recently embattled director.

There was plenty of local news to ponder, as well, and shows like “Pirates of the Chemotherapy” that I almost forgot were going to happen. Luckily, the T-D did some good work in reporting on that production.

And for other interesting reporting, you can check out Matt Miller’s interview with “King Lear” director, James Alexander Bond in today’s GayRVA. I particularly appreciate that Mr. Miller asked about the sexuality in his production (which I commented on in this space yesterday)and Mr. Bond's thoughtful response.

And to whet your appetite, Mr. Porter promises more coverage than his normal 3 minutes at his blog today. Check back to see some real analysis from someone who thinks about theater with more depth and experience than I’ll ever have.

Personally, I’ll be spending the long holiday weekend with family, getting too much sun and drinking too much beer. I hope you have a fine celebration of your own and manage to fit in attendance at a local show while you’re at it!

Lear

My enjoyment of Richmond Shakespeare's King Lear started the moment I sat down. I was soon approached by Thomas Cunningham in his guise as The Fool and was chatted up nicely. I think I was a boring subject but he soon moved on to other much more entertaining victims and provided a personalized and charming introduction to the play for many patrons. As per usual, RichShakes makes even waiting for their shows to start something interesting.

The production itself was fabulous with a boldness and sense of gravitas that begins and ends with Alan Sader's performance as the title character. His voice, his composure, even his regally shaggy mane of gray hair made his royal stature unmistakeable and his eventual descent into madness palpable. I loved the way director James Alexander Bond staged the first scene with the king and his daughters, Lear's directive for flattery seeming almost off-hand and casual. Oh, but what a tragic series of events springs from this simple command. Jai Goodman is quietly heart-breaking as Cordelia and her performance provides a tender frame to this otherwise dastardly mean-spirited play (and I mean that as praise), her scenes at the beginning and the end providing a window into a more sedate and loving time in Lear's reign.

Adrian Rieder was impressive as Edmund but there was also a bit more swagger in his performance where I might have wanted more anger or even hurt (at being so unfairly diminished by his father). Still, there's no denying the agility with which he navigates the moments he bounces between Goneril and Regan -- simply delicious. A still greater challenge falls to Charley Raintree whose Edgar starts noble and clueless, falls into pantomiming madness with incredible zeal, and then emerges noble once more but with a worldliness and an anger that gives his character even more depth than Lear. Raintree's performance really captivated me.

Rounding out a truly outstanding trio of dark, passionate, and handsome types was Ryan Bechard as Cornwall. Could this really be the same actor who played the washed-up alcoholic from RTP’s “Devil Boys?” I never would have believed it, his smoldering power-lust was like a physical force at times, propelling the emotion of many scenes and apparently inspiring near-constant passion from Regan.

In the midst of so much excellent stuff going on, it is easy to pass over other great performances, which would include Cunningham as The Fool (that he can be so hammy and erudite at the same time is really a gift) and Foster Solomon as Kent. It's true that in a few years, Solomon himself could be a darn good Lear (he's already been a damn good Hamlet) but he does fine work as Lear's most loyal and therefore most crestfallen acolyte. Agustin Correro projected just the right level of disdain and sometimes comic bitchiness as Oswald; I wonder when we’ll see Mr. Correro in a lead role that will display the full range of his gifts.

I found myself liking the mean daughters somewhat less than I expected to, particularly since I’m a fan of both Kerry McGee and Sarah Jamillah Johnson. Certainly, they both were satisfactorily callous to their father, oftentimes getting downright nasty. But I found Regan’s pawing of her husband, sometimes in the middle of his lines, distracting. Perhaps this was Mr. Bond’s choice and maybe it’s more evident in the text then a realize but it was a bit odd on stage. I also found myself confused at times whether their rebuke of their father was out of political gamesmanship, familial hurt (for being overlooked for the favorite Cordelia, in parallel to the Edgar story), or just ingrained badness. It could have been all three but their motivations at specific points as the drama unfolded were sometimes obscure to me.

I found myself noticing the lights at Agecroft (lighting design was by Maja White) more than I had in the past, which is mostly a good thing. The actors were all illuminated well without distracting shadows (a relief after some recent frustration at the Firehouse) and the light-play that enlivened the storm was first-rate. There was at least one time when I was confused about a reference in the play to it being night, however, because it seemed awfully bright. That’s probably a tough balance in an outdoor venue.

The Cairns / Hoskins teamwork on the costumes resulted in some exceptional outfits. The king and the members of his court were finely decked out, of course, but I found myself noticing small things, too, like how Poor Tom’s rags were barely there and yet securely covered everything needed to keep the show family friendly. Also, the garb Jai Goodman wore as a peasant helping Gloucester along the path was nicely simple.

I’m sure there’s plenty else I could say but this is a production that is rich with gifts and I can’t really enumerate them effectively. So I’ll end where I began, with Mr. Sader and Mr. Bond. As a director, Bond has once again shown he has a firm grasp of the oeuvre and can make Shakespeare vital and entertaining. And, if for no other reason, this is a show that’s worth seeing for Sader.

Required Viewing

A review of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” by Mr. Miller is up at the GayRVA site, a review that may incite some conversation.

I’m adding another little feature to my navigation over there on the right. One thing that my eyes were opened to when I was in Los Angeles was the number of people out there in cyberland who are covering theater. So I am adding a little sidebar with links to other websites that I have – or will start to – access for the latest “News and Reviews” on Broadway and theater around the country (or the world).

The first link is to an online publication called Arts Journal. One of the highlights of my L.A. experience was the opportunity to work with Doug McClennan who is a true visionary when it comes to the effect of the internet and new media on the arts. He did a talk at the TCG conference called “The Community Formerly Known as the Audience: Who They Are, What They Want, and What to do About It” (you can – and should! – pull up the livestream of the talk. Doug actually starts talking at about 6:11 so go to that point for the beginning and skip all of the milling around. And if you watch, yes, that’s me up there on the dais providing what tech support I could during the talk).

While the talk was going on, Doug was also taking questions from the audience in the form of texts and there was a Twitter feed with responses to the talk being broadcast live on the screen behind him. It was a truly brilliant conflagration of interaction and response that characterizes the inter-connected world of today.

This talk should be REQUIRED viewing for artistic and managing directors at theater companies across the country. If you want to understand how to align yourself with the audiences of the future, listen closely to what Doug says.

One of the most telling moments of the talk was when someone Tweeted that they didn’t like how people were laughing at anecdotes and stats related to how often people text or tweet or use Facebook or are involved in other new media. This comment was re-tweeted about a dozen times and Doug finally addressed it in his talk. Texting and Facebook and everything are not “cute.” As someone with two teenagers, I can tell you from first-hand experience that these are all integral aspects of life for a new generation of young people, AKA a generation of potential audience members. Tittering about this behavior is akin to scoffing at the appeal of that wacky new box called the television back in 1940s.

If you have suggestions for more websites for me to list as theater-specific news sources, please include them in a comment. Thanks!

Of Kings and Kids

Reviews of Barksdale’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and Sycamore Rouge’s “The Odyssey” have appeared in the T-D already. I expect other outlets to have their takes in print or online soon, so stay tuned.

I knew this past weekend was going to be a busy one, but I had no idea just how crazy it was going to be for some of the theater folks in town. The Cultural Xpo at the Science Museum had people from multiple companies readying displays and performances and even flash mobs. The production to benefit the Massey Cancer Center, “The Pirates of the Chemotherapy,” a show that got edged over to the periphery of my radar screen, came back front-n-center as I started to hear good words from people who attended.

My focus for the weekend was on the SPARC 30th anniversary gala, in part because of my close personal connection to one of the performers, but also because of the incredible display of local talent I knew was going to be on-hand. The crew of rising teen actors that SPARC has groomed never fails to delight and the reprise of songs like “Money” that they had performed as part of “The World Goes Round” back in January looked great on the big Carpenter Center stage.

But though I knew a bit of what I was going to see beforehand, I was surprised (always pleasantly) by many of the performances, including Chase Kniffen doing a bit from “Oliver!” Jason Marks commanding the stage with his powerful “Memory,” and a charming collection of SPARC parents rolling out a rag-tag version of “Kids.”

There was even a moment early on that gave a glimpse into the versatile talent that SPARC employs. During a rendition of “Hard Knock Life” by SPARC’s “rising star” students, the performers started to waver from the tempo the onstage band was setting. With a skill that only years of handling similar situations can hone, music director and pianist Paul Deiss eased the band into matching tempo in time for the song to end perfectly. That kind of in-the-moment flexibility exemplifies not just Mr. Deiss’s talent but the quality of most all of SPARC’s teachers.

I didn’t know until Saturday that there were a whole slew of follow-up activities that SPARC was hosting on Sunday, so I missed all of that. But I hear that they were lots of fun and included a bunch of fine performances as well. Me, I went to see “King Lear” at Agecroft Hall and, while I might contest those that say it’s the best thing Richmond Shakespeare’s ever done, it certainly is a rousing production with a wide array of exceptional performances. In fact, there’s so much to say about it that I’m going to have to collect my thoughts over the next couple of days and get back to you with a more complete assessment later in the week. I will say that the Sunday performance was a near-sell-out so I would not procrastinate if you want to see it.

The Underwriting on the Wall

To address yesterday’s teaser: I found out earlier this week that the generous folks at the Carpenter Foundation have granted the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle the necessary funds to underwrite this year’s “Artsies” event. When I found out, I let loose with an enthusiastic (though quiet – I was in a room full of people) whoop of excitement. It’s a major burden off us organizers of the awards not to have to worry about money. But it’s also a good thing for the local theater community as a whole.

Hm. You look skeptical so let me explain. With all costs covered, every cent of the admission you pay to attend the event will go to the Theatre Artists Fund, which in turn benefits all local theater artists. Even if you don’t attend, more of the proceeds from the event will end up going to the Fund, which will in turn benefit the community as a whole.

Also, built into the budget that is now being underwritten is a smallish chunk of money for advertising. If we are able to advertise a little more broadly, we might reach more people who will come to the event, get a glimpse of how good the local shows are and will consequently be more motivated to see more shows in the future. We also set aside some money (again, a smallish amount) to cover expenses for any “big name” presenters who we might invite in from out of town. The hope would be that the big names would likewise build excitement for the event, incite more people to attend, they get a glimpse of how good…, etc. etc.

These last two bits might be a little pipe-dream-ish, I know, but still, they fit in with the general mission of the event: to build interest in and excitement for the local theater scene. To the extent that the event does that, everybody wins.

With that in mind, there are a couple shows opening this weekend -- “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at the Barksdale and Sycamore Rouge’s “The Odyssey” down at Battersea Park -- not to mention "Wait Until Dark" at the Mill, the Charlie Brown duo wrapping up at the Firehouse, and of course "Lear." Sounds like a winning weekend all around!

Processing

The main computer system I use at work occasionally gets bogged down, the little chipmunks that make it run taking a lunch break or something, and when it does the system displays a message that says "Processing," and continues to flash that message over and over until Alvin and the gang get back to work.

I'm on a flight back from Los Angeles and I feel like that's what's happening in my head right now. I can't quite articulate anything about the experience of the last 10 days, the system is just processing...processing...processing...

While that's going on, I plan to read up on some of the stuff I've missed over the past week and a half and, if any of it still seems relevant I'll link to it here.

I wrote a fair amount of stuff while in L.A. But the piece I'm most proud of is this 'man on the street' video segment I did. I like it because I feel like you might get the same results if you approached people convening to see a big tour in Richmond and asked them about local shows. I also shot the video, edited it myself, and had it up on the site all within about 4 hours (with just a smidge of Engine28 tech help). So the world of video doesn't seem nearly as intimidating to me as it might have just a week or so ago.

The first bit of content I contributed to the site was this smallish rant in response to a panel the L.A. Times held to discuss "is L.A. a theater town?" featuring big names like Beth Henley and Tim Robbins. As you'll see if you read, I don't have much patience for that kind of navel-gazing.

The story that was the most fun to write - reflecting the enjoyment I had having the experience itself - was this story on seeing 4 shows in one night. It was a wacky night, only a fraction of which I could capture in the piece. Again, I like the aspect of universality in it; I expect many people could write a similar piece about any other kind of intense festival, whether it centered on music, film, theater, or dance.

The most interesting discussion / presentation I attended was the RADAR L.A. symposium that I reported on in this story, consisting of presentations by some of the most fervent, intelligent and articulate arts professionals I've heard speak. Associated with that story, I shot some other "man on the street" footage that became a little piece on people defining "devised theater." I can't find it on the site anymore, unfortunately. It was pretty funny, mostly because of the ingenious way the engine28 video gurus edited it.

I also did a story about L.A. actresses, prompted mostly by sitting next to an incredibly nice and chatty young woman at the L.A. Times panel who has done voice work in the "Land before Time" cartoons for years. It was eye-opening to hear stories from someone who has been on the inside of the movie and TV business for so long and yet didn't really have a clue about how the theater scene worked.

Finally, I did one straight review of a show called "Brewsie and Willie," a production that design-wise was pretty cool but content-wise didn't really deliver. The best part about doing this review was that I got to work one-on-one with Howard Shapiro, an incredibly learned and passionate critic who gave me some great insights into improving my critical writing. Also, I came up with the headline which I was proud of in that geeky self-satisfied way that writers can get when they think they've come up with something clever (that probably annoys the heck out of those around him, particularly spouses...)

So that's a taste of my fellowship experience, or as much as can be gleaned from the writing I did out there. More info and details may (or may not...) be forthcoming...

(UPDATE: Went through and corrected the more obvious grammer/spelling mistakes. Clearly, I've got some settling in to do before the blog flows as freely...and correctly...as before.)

Good, with some Grief

I'm out of town but the Style machine keeps rolling along, with my review of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in this week edition.

It's been a bit of an insane time in LA, attending a panel tonight that included Tim Robbins and Beth Henley. The NEA program's site goes live in about 20 minutes. Check it out here.

Both the T-D and GayRVA love "Lear." Though I'm not exactly looking forward to the heat of home (it was about 73 in LA today), I am excited about seeing this production. Looks like a winner for Richmond Shakespeare!

I'm Off

The NEA Fellowship program starts tomorrow. It's been a frantic week thanks to an astounding convergence of events and situations but here it is and I'll be on a plane heading west in a few hours. I'll be sorry to miss all of the goings on here over the next 10 days or so -- the big Tonys party at RTP, Richmond Shakespeare's first Agecroft show of the summer, a staged-reading at the Firehouse narrated by my pesky, constantly-involved son, etc. etc. I'll read what I can from a distance and hope people will fill me in on things when I get back.

I doubt I'll be posting much in the next couple of weeks but, if you are at all interested in goings-on at the TCG Conference and other things LA-theater related, you can follow the work of my fellow fellows and I here. Cheers!

Dog Sees God

The extremes of "Dog Sees God" can be off-putting. The early scenes practically pummel the audience with surrogates for the beloved Peanuts characters getting drunk, smoking dope, and snorting coke. It's not long before the crudest sexual innuendoes are pantomimed and unexpected sexual impulses acted on. I had very adventurous high school years but even at their most free-wheeling they weren't as debaucherous (sp?) as this. Charlie Brown seems to have matriculated into Sodom and Gomorrah High School.

But I think Bert Royal does this for more than shock value. In a clever way, I think he's honoring the perspective of the original Peanuts cartoons. As in those more innocent depictions of childhood, a world swirls around "CB" that he only sporadically engages in and seems relatively clueless about. As with the kids in the cartoons, the teens of "DSG" are precocious, but when you're in high school precociousness isn't just restricted to deep thoughts about Buddhism but can also devolve into manipulating people's emotions in order to get laid.

And in the midst of the carnal and chemical pleasures of "DSG," the sweet and simple relationships between CB and Beethoven, and more poignantly, CB and his little sister, are strikingly honest and clear. Oh, they're messy, with none of the people involved quite understanding what's going on, but isn't that how life is? Full of confusion and missteps and messy misunderstandings?

There are many specific pleasures in the Firehouse's production, most of them having to do with the exceptional performances. Kyle Cornell makes a great CB, not the full-blown blockhead he might have been as a kid, but still a little adrift. Ben Hill fully embraces the aggressively sexual teen role; he reminded me of a couple guys I knew in high school who acted in nearly the exact same overboard way. The "mean girls" were an entertaining sidelight and, while I continue to love Liz Blake White in just about everything I've seen her in (including her underwear!), I'll also be adding Maggie McGrann to the list of actresses I'll be looking forward to seeing on stage again.

In the end, the chemistry between Cornell and Audra Honaker as CB's sister sold me on this production. In the last several scenes, Honaker strips away the affectations that have characterized some of her more extreme roles in the past and plays it straight, to great effect. These are siblings that don't always click but, in their own way, they still love each other, and Honaker and Cornell make you feel that.

The technical elements of this production are all solid, with Adam Dorland's scenic design a nice departure from anything cartoon-y you might expected. The technical wizardry that enhances the final scene is impressive and surprising.

"DSG" is certainly very funny, a fact that the shout-laugher who was sitting behind me last weekend would certainly attest to. But what may be most surprising about the show is that on one level, it's a tale of empowerment. There is tragedy involved but instead of maximizing the melodrama that the final events could present, the show focuses on CB's ongoing journey toward self-awareness. Some folks could quibble that Beethoven (an intense and effective performance by Lucian Restivo) is given short shrift by the plot and that homosexuality is not embraced as triumphantly as you might expect. The orientation of several characters is not firmly established at the show's close. But CB has taken a devastating but significant step towards a sort of redemption. Linus, er, I mean Van the Buddhist would be happy.

As If

I have a Twitter account but still hardly ever use it. Due to time constraints, however, I’m thinking of this post as if it were a series of tweets. So here’s several 140 character or less slices of theater:

Nice piece in Style this week about the Tony Awards viewing party. Good times, good deed, doesn’t get any better right?

Review of “Charlie Brown” in the T-D and reviews of both the Peanuts-inspired rep shows in GayRVA. Both pluses and minuses highlighted (highlit?).

I saw the same shows as Mssrs. Miller and Lewis. My take: Liked “DSG” a lot, details to come. “Charlie Brown:” good, not great but Shofner’s awesome!

Last chances to see [title of show] this weekend. Don't miss out!

The cool and crazy Saines in Petersburg have started blogging! Keep up with them here.

A “Rocky” musical. Really? I’d be more skeptical if the creative team wasn’t so impressive. But then again, so was “Spiderman’s.”

1-2 Punch

I seldom have a clue what is going to get people talking. Apparently my “Casting Games” post on Wednesday struck a nerve of some kind because more than a dozen folks have chimed in with their thoughts. I love it when people are talking/writing because that means they care and/or think about theater and that’s the whole point of this thing here. (Update: you might want to check out Mr. Miller's recently-posted discussion about casting on the Barksdale blog.)

Style had two stories this week tangentially related to theater that you might have skipped over if you were only looking for theater reviews. One is this week’s cover story on the VCU library’s comic book collection – one of the largest in the country – that was written by the other Style theater reviewer, Rich Griset. The other is Ed Slipek’s architectural review of the still-relatively-new theater space that the Richmond Triangle Players has developed in Scott’s Addition. It’s an interesting piece, and not only because it’s twice as long as the typical Style theater review these days (no, I’m not bitter). This gives me the opportunity to point out that “[title of show]” has been extended until next weekend so hustle up and make reservations if you haven’t seen it yet.

(PS: Style also snuck in a quick story on the Conciliation Project’s latest production yesterday. Check out a preview of “Stolen Land” here.)

In other news, an eclectic group of theater folk has organized a Tonys Awards viewing party at the RTP theater as a benefit for the Theatre Artists Fund. This is a great idea and one that I would be totally there for if I wasn’t headed out of town. Still, you lucky folks who are here should waste no time making your reservations because I wouldn’t be surprised if this shindig sells out.

Finally, the Charlie Brown double-play has opened at the Firehouse. In an effort to take full advantage of the “rep” situation, I’m going to try and see both shows this weekend, perhaps to see if either production somehow informs the other. I’m also curious to see how a troupe of actors cast for a straight play has adapted to a musical. A few folks from the cast were on Virginia This Morning earlier this week. I can’t figure out how to link to the specific videos but both an interview and a performance from the appearance are available here. Judging from just this brief sneak preview, it seems they have adapted fine.

Casting Games

I haven’t linked to them explicitly before now but John Porter’s reviews of “[title of show]” and “Bloody Murder” were both posted relatively recently. For that matter, I didn’t link to the T-D review of “Murder” either – click here for Ms. Lewis’s take.

When the Barksdale “Signature Season” announcement came out a couple of weeks ago, one of the entries was listed as “rights pending.” Apparently, the rights for “God of Carnage” have come through and so now it’s their official “Acts of Faith” entry for next year, definitely an exciting development.

One of the fun things about season announcements has always been playing the casting guessing game. I know when word first started circulating that Barksdale was doing “Spring Awakening,” the speculation among “SA” devotees (e.g., my lovely wife) about who in town could / should play each part began in earnest. Now the same thing can happen with “God of Carnage.” The stars who originated the lead roles on Broadway definitely put distinctive stamps on them, making it hard for me to immediately plug local actors into each slot. It’s also interesting that the roles in this show have sometimes been swapped by the leads in each gender before so perhaps the specific person is not as important as someone who is just a damn good actor. Hmm.

The Barksdale shows aren’t the only ones that lend themselves to this game (“My Fair Lady” being precast took that one out of the running). Firehouse’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” certainly was rife for speculation (though not anymore since casting has been finalized). I’m still fascinated by thoughts of who among the extremely talented local youngsters will be tapped for Triangle Players’ “Stupid Kids.” Certainly, someone of substantial skill will need to play Shylock in Henley Street’s “Merchant of Venice.” Sycamore Rouge’s “Topdog / Underdog” should spark some intense competition for the two leads. And even Theatre IV’s season generates conjecture: who, for instance, would be appropriate to step into the shoes – or webbed feet, as it were – of either Frog or Toad?

This kind of casting conjecture happens all the time for movies: anyone remember the strum and drang over the casting of the "Twilight" leads? Similar anticipation followed the announcement of an American adaptation of the "Dragon Tattoo" series. More recently, the producers of "The Hunger Games" got a lot of press for their decision to make Jennifer Lawrence their Catniss (an excellent choice, IMHO). The final decisions are always the director’s, of course. But even so, it’s fun to imagine who might be perfect for a specific role. Anyone out there want to offer up your thoughts for upcoming Richmond shows? You'll probably have a better chance guessing who'll be Richmond's Stinky Cheese Man than Hollywood's Lisbeth Salander.

Fourth Wall

A month or so ago I stated in a review that “silence is one of the scariest things in live theater.” At the other end of the spectrum, one of the most fun aspects of live theater – and sometimes the trickiest – is the fourth wall. Just to heap a little more praise on “[title of show]”, I think the way the show doesn’t break the fourth wall outright, choosing instead to have the actors often give knowing looks or skittish glances that telegraph their awareness of the audience, is another one of its many charms.

From what I hear/read, CAT’s latest production, “Bloody Murder,” does break the fourth wall and, like “[tos],” has characters that know they are characters in a play. But while the musical’s characters were mostly happy to be there, the characters in “Bloody” are understandably none too thrilled about the plotline of their little drama and rebel against it. It’s a fabulous premise for a show and I really hope CAT can bring it off well. With a cast that includes talented vets like Emma Mason and Bob Murphy, the production certainly has good raw material to work with.

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. It won’t be long before Richmond’s stages are replete with scoundrels, Peanuts, epic battles and tragic kings, so brace yourself for the eminent onslaught of new productions.

Hilarious

What might not have been obvious about my review of Triangle Players’ “[title of show]” that I linked to yesterday is that it’s a bit more than just another rave about a cleverly directed, enthusiastically acted, and well-designed production. For one thing, it’s a review that I suggested be titled “Rave About Musical” to keep with the spirit of the show but my own little meta-effort apparently did not make the cut.

The review was also a bit of writing exercise for me. For much of the performance, when I wasn’t laughing out loud, I was smiling broadly or giggling softly. A show as consistently funny as that begs to be called “hilarious.” But ‘hilarious’ is one of those words that is notoriously overused in reviews. Sure, there are plenty of other options: ‘funny,’ ‘amusing,’ even ‘gut-busting,’ ‘side-splitting’ or ‘uproarious.’ But few words fit the bill as consistently as ‘hilarious.’ I thought a show as good as this one deserved a little extra effort on my part so I consciously avoided that one adjective. I was helped, so to speak, by a somewhat reduced word count on the review assignment but still, even with less space to fill, it was a challenge.

And that’s largely because this production is truly hilarious. It contains many clever little bits (the texting of potential stripper names), a few wonderfully ribald touches (I love the term ‘procrastibater’), some Richmond-specific shout-outs (yay, RTCC!), and even a crass prurient moment of semi-nakedness (Ms. Farmer’s scene may not have been this straight guy’s favorite moment but it was close!) The real genius of the piece, however, is how it maintains a logical narrative flow while also expertly walking the weird tightrope of meta-comedy. From small things like the impossible movement of chairs between apartments to the big concepts like the take-over of the show by secondary characters, “[tos]” does indeed push “meta to the max” and has a great time doing so.

So I succeeded in my little writing experiment but that was not nearly as impressive as this production. Each performer is spot-on – as my wife said to me, it’s now a show that’s hard to imagine with any other actor playing each part. But this is also one of those productions where I am more aware of the director’s skill than many others. Part of it is just a pacing thing – the show moves along at a great clip – but there is also a vision clearly guiding the production, an encouragement not to overplay certain parts while staging other scenes to maximize comic potential. So many kudos to Mr. Amellio for his accomplishment.

Finally, if you read this blog, then you ARE a theater geek and, while my review specifically said the show’s appeal transcends theater geekiness, it is a particular pleasure for the stage aficionado. Passing mentions of Dinah Manoff and shows like “Ruthless!” may be beyond the knowledge of even the most fervent geek, but the alternating excitement and drudgery of the perennial understudy or chorus filler will be familiar to many.

I really enjoy smart shows but, unlike intellectually overstuffed pieces like “Arcadia” (which I also loved, BTW), “[title of show]” has such a playful accessible intelligence that everyone can love it. It inspired me to try to write smarter; maybe it’ll inspire others to stretch new intellectual or theatrical muscles. Or, at the very least, to go see more shows.

VCU

I think the day after my review of “[title of show]” appeared in Style is a good time to give an overdue shout out to Theatre VCU. If there was any doubt as to the importance of this local university’s program to the local theater scene, a scan of the recent graduates should alleviate that. Looking just through the list of MFA recipients, I see at least two RTCC award winners and perhaps two other RTCC award nominees. And, thinking back on this past season, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least two more of the listed MFAs don’t snag a nomination before the year is over.

Not that the RTCC awards are the be-all-and-end-all but they are one convenient measure of the impact of these individuals specifically and the Theatre VCU program generally. It’s also worth mentioning that the folks who taught these graduates also participate regularly in the local professional scene, perhaps none more prolifically than Patti D’Beck (featured in this graduation ceremony picture).

I’ll admit to being too blasé about Theatre VCU in the past. I don’t make going to its productions a priority, though my colleague, John Porter, has encouraged me to do so several times in the past. This in the face of the fact that some of my favorite theatrical experiences over the past couple of years (“Chicago,” “Tommy,” etc.) have been at their productions. I don’t always scrutinize the school’s upcoming season when all of the other local companies are announcing theirs, even though this September they’ll produce the intriguing “Shakespeare R&J” directed by Keri Wormald, a fabulous director who’s been at the helm of some of the best pro productions in Richmond history (IMHO). And to complete the litany of inadequacy, I didn’t make it out to “The Bluest Eye,” the VCU co-pro with Barksdale, which I heard very good things about second-hand.

So I am going to do better in the future. For a start, I’ll add the fun and informative Theatre VCU BackStage Pass blog to the roll on the right. This should keep me (and any of you that care) apprised of some of the VCU goings on. And come next season, I’ll carve out the space required to see the VCU shows, something that won’t be chore by any means given shows like “Grease!” and “Arabian Nights” on their docket.

For those of you who pay attention, the Drama Desk awards were announced over the weekend and seem to give a good indication of how the Tonys might go, that is, lots of recognition for “The Book of Mormon.”

A few people have asked me about the NEA fellowship thing and I realized that I’ve probably confused some folks. I went to LA a few weeks ago as part of my 9-5 job, not for the fellowship. The NEA Institute begins two weeks from this Sunday and I’m alternately excited and terrified. Since I’m going to have to act like a real journalist while I’m there, I’ve been trying to pay more attention to how theater is covered. There’s no better place than the NYTimes to go for that and I was particularly impressed a couple of weeks ago at this little slideshow about “Catch Me If You Can.” It’s a great deconstruction of the choreography of a scene. I’ve always been a fan of journalism that’s instructive as well as informative and this piece definitely fits the bill. Now, if I could only make my blog posts just as good...

30, 31, 32

Reviews of “[title of show]” came out over the weekend, both Ms. Haubenstock at the T-D and Mr. Miller at GayRVA seeming to like it quite a bit. I finished up my review yesterday and it should be in next week’s Style. The best capsule review I can offer is also the simplest: don’t miss this show or you’ll be sorry you did.

This past weekend was a little weird in that seemingly all of a sudden, a big slew of shows were all closing. “Art,” “Honk!” and “Quilters” all wrapped up and, to complete the slew of one-word titles, “Shorts” opened and closed. (For those of you who might have missed it, Ms. Lewis in the Times-Dispatch wrote up “Shorts” and Mr. Miller weighed in on “Honk!” last week). I’m always more aware of openings and those occasional weekends when several shows arrive at the same time and there’s a buzz of new possibilities in the air. Now it’s like a big deflation as I look around and rue the shows I didn’t get a chance to see.

My recent out-of-town adventures allowed me to take in my 30th and 31st shows of the season. Several years ago I started keeping track of the local shows I’d seen during a season and this year I expanded my little spreadsheet tally to include any production whatsoever, including staged readings and out-of-town shows (I only counted the Radio City Xmas Spectacular once, even though I saw most or all of it at least 4 times). So “[title of show]” became the 32nd production I’ve seen this season, the 23rd local professional production.

Twenty-three was the total number of local pro productions I saw last season so I’m certainly going to beat that number this year. I’m looking ahead and thinking I could possibly make it to 30, particularly given that the Firehouse will have two shows in rep that I haven’t seen (thanks, Firehouse!). Even if I make it to 30, that’ll mean 39 productions overall for the year which will fall short of the 2008-2009 season when I saw 35 local pro productions and 5 non-pro ones.

Forty productions. That means that, on average, three weekends out of the four in the typical month I went to see a show. I’m not tooting my horn here or anything. It’s just a little staggering when I look at the numbers. Even more staggering to me is that I know people whose theater consumption dwarfs mine (looking at you, Ms. Haubenstock!) How do they find the time?

Spent

Sorry, blog-land. This week has been a killer for me in many ways and anything I would have written about would have been of the personal rant variety. Many companies are coming out with their 2011-12 seasons with some very interesting productions planned. I’ll try to get it together enough to write about that soon but, in the meantime, feel free to leave your comments.

If you have been paying attention, “Spiderman” turned off the dark recently (having been dark for three weeks). I’ve only read one recap of the differences in the newly imagined production. I’m somewhat amazed to read how much they’ve changed, particularly re-engineering the entire second act. It’s definitely a wise move based on what I saw but it also makes me glad that I saw the show before it was revamped. Perhaps what producers are counting on is people who will come back to see it again every time it goes through a facelift.

I’m looking forward to seeing “[title of show]” this weekend. Any of y’all seen it? Ms. Haubenstock at the T-D liked it. What did you think?

Stories

Our stories define us: tales from childhood retold at family reunions, nights of reverie recalled at high school reunions, the stories of courtship and marriage that parents tell their children. But at what point do these stories enslave us – trap us in roles from years past, encapsulating what is complicated and mutable into something pat and repeatable?

These is one of the meta-questions that lie behind “The Walworth Farce,” a production at the Studio Theatre in DC that my lovely wife and I took in a while back. But it won’t occur to you until at least midway through this disturbing slice of Irish darkness that is also fast-paced and intermittently funny. You’re likely to spend much of the first act just wondering what the heck is going on.

An old man sits in a beat-up armchair in the middle of a crumbling apartment, one younger man is in the next room ironing a dress, another nervously unpacks groceries in the kitchen. The old man, Dinny (Ted van Griethuysen), starts a tape recorder with peppy music from decades ago and the two younger men, who you soon find out are Dinny’s sons, fly into a bizarre series of interactions. Only a good way into the first act does it become clear that the boys, Sean (Alex Morf) and Blake (Aubrey Deeker), are acting out scenes from the last day Dinny spent in Ireland.

The play-within-a-play is a baroque farce involving two scams, two funerals, and a lot of quick costume changes (Blake plays all of the female parts). The boys’ agitation is palpable, and we discover why when Sean suffers the consequences of messing up some of the key props. He has had a conversation with a clerk, Hayley (Azania Dungee), at the grocery store and this contact with anyone outside the isolated apartment has totally unnerved him. When Hayley ultimately insinuates herself into this weird world, the results are disastrous.

Within its limited, strange little structure, “Walworth” is quite brilliant and presents prime opportunities for every actor involved to chew a healthy amount of scenery. As Sean, Morf has to surf between the three levels of reality in the play: Dinny’s fantastical story, the real-life relationship between a father and his sons, and the bigworld outside beyond their apartment door. Van Griethuysen’ Dinny is imperious and unhinged but also charming in places. Deeker makes Blake physically imposing but emotionally fragile, and the drama eventually turns on a decision his fevered mind must sort out. Dungee is unfortunately forced to sit and watch a lot of the action but she projects a breezy and appealing personality in her first scenes with Morf.

As the tension escalates, “Walworth” gets trapped in some frustrating scene constructions that you might expect in a bad horror movie. By late in the second act, you might find yourself asking, “Why doesn’t Hayley just use the knife prominently at hand in the kitchen?” Or “Why does Hayley’s cell phone ring for SO long?” For a show that teeters on the edge of plausibility as it is, these moments threaten to push it over the edge.

But even with its structural faults and overall weirdness, “Walworth” is fascinating in its exploration of the stories we tell ourselves and how they can ultimately determine our fate. A one-set show with only four actors, it’d be a prime candidate for production by the Firehouse or one of the fringier companies in town. The playwright is the recently celebrated Enda Walsh, a challenger to Martin McDonagh’s realm of idiosyncratic but amazing plays and a name I’ll be watching for in years to come.

Puncturing pretense

On the third day I was in Los Angeles, I finally realized that the Fox Studios backlot was only 2 blocks from my hotel. For two days, I had turned left out of my hotel toward Santa Monica Blvd (a street I can't even say in my head without a melody line, thanks to Sheryl Crow) whenever I went walking or jogging. The last day there I turned right and boom, there was the Fox lot. Not that I could just run right in and wander around, but on my jog that day I did circle around the whole compound and took what opportunities I could to peak in. Mostly, it was lots of golf carts puttering around and lots of numbered buildings. However, when I finally got around to the front gate where people who work there were driving in, I saw someone who looked distinctly like Amber Riley (Mercedes from "Glee") drive right in front of me. That's the story I'm sticking with even if it wasn't her.

This happened the morning after I had several bona fide celebrity encounters at the performance of "God of Carnage" with the original Broadway cast. After the show, I was heading down to retrieve the bag I'd checked and nearly ran head first into John Stamos. I said "excuse me" and sidestepped just in time, but not before taking in his very chiseled good looks and the scary fact that he doesn't look a day over 35 in person even though he is exactly 2 days OLDER than me. Oy.

I inadvertently went by the stage door as I was leaving the theater (I was going to find the bus; I guess all the beautiful people went in the opposite direction). Unlike Broadway where stage doors are swamped after a show, there were only 5 other folks hanging out at the Ahmanson waiting for autographs. So I joined them and soon Jeff Daniels (taller than expected and nice but perfunctory to the fans) and Hope Davis (warm and personable and a little weary perhaps) came out. After another 15 minutes, Marcia Gay Harden came out and seemed like she couldn't light up a smoke fast enough. She had a distinct kind of "old broad" attitude that was refreshing and funny and, even though she was carrying two large handbags full of stuff, she wouldn't accept any help.

As for the show, I'm going to go ahead and do something like a full length review of it because I've got to warm up in preparation for my fellowship thingy in June. I've realized that I'm so stuck in a 400 word box that I'm not sure whether I can write anything longer. So what follows is something close to what I'd write if I was writing for the LA Weekly or some such thing. Feel free to skip it if you've got better things to do.

Though I've only seen two of her plays, it seems clear to me that Yasmina Reza is determined to deflate high-minded intellectualism, exposing, as it were, the Bugs Bunny cartoon that lies just beneath the surface of every opera. "Art" is precipitated by the consideration of sophisticated modern art but devolves into various hijinks and pratfalls. Similarly, "God of Carnage" begins with the most civilized of discussions between well-mannered adults but it quickly become clear how close each of the four characters is to the edge of barbarism. The infamous (and impressive, stage magic-wise) hurl at the show's midpoint is just one sign-post leading inexorably from blithe discussions of recipes to childish destruction of ornamental flowers.

You probably know the basic story: two couples have come together to discuss a fight between their children. The 11 year-old son of Alan and Annette (Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis) has taken a stick to the son of Michael and Veronica (James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden), knocking out a couple of his teeth. There is no denying the entertainment value Reza skillfully draws from the tension that boils intensely beneath this simple set-up. But her brilliance truly becomes evident as allegiances fray and re-form during the course of the evening, demonstrating a remarkable depth of psychological insight into the dynamics between men and other men, women and other women, and married people of varying degrees of mental health.

Though filled with stars familiar from TV and movie screens, the cast of this production brings an intense theatricality to their roles, none more so than Daniels, who I found mesmerizing as the most nakedly assholish member of the quartet. Playing a lawyer trying to guide a pharmaceutical company through a potential lawsuit, Daniels uses the cell phone calls that regularly interrupt the evening to establish his profoundly cynical personality, which sets the stage for him to bond with kindred spirit, Michael. Gandolfini successfully escapes the bonds of his most famous role; when Michael finally untucks his shirt - a move that could be threatening coming from Tony Soprano - it's a signal of his resignation and frustration, not of impending violence.

Davis is slight and brittle on stage (seeing her afterwards in jeans and a loose sweater was like meeting a different person) and she traverses the highest highs and lowest lows here while never losing her bearings. Perhaps it's because her character ends up being the only one who doesn't seem to lose sight of the children that prompted the meeting in the first place. Harden has a somewhat thankless role, her Veronica clearly Reza's stand-in for deluded, righteous, and oversensitive do-gooders everywhere. Honestly, though she was excellent in the role, I'm surprised she was the one that one the Tony.

I laughed often and heartily throughout "Carnage" and not just at the slapsticky moments but also at Reza's unflinching disdain for pretense. However, I also tasted a little bile of bitterness seeping in by the play's conclusion, never a charming sensation. Michael's lament that "children devour your lives, and then they kill you" seems overwrought when he says it. But later you realize it's just a precursor to soften you up for the ugly epithets that will fly before the end. I think I would like Reza's plays better if I felt she left even the residue of sympathy somewhere in her characterizations. That the audience comes to consider Alan the only vestige of restraint is telling.

The production shines from a technical stand-point, with the subtle lighting design a particular stand-out. It was satisfying to me that even a big fancy Los Angeles theater can have trouble with sound design, as I heard a few people complain on the way out about not being able to hear certain lines.

In the end, I feel pretty profoundly lucky to have seen this production. I may not worship at the temple of this particular "God," but I had a fabulous time visiting it just the same

I get a-round

My review of "Circle Mirror Transformation" is in this week's Style. Better late than never, right? Mr. Griset's review of "Art" also appears this week, which is a cool coincidence since I just saw another of Yasmina Reza's works last night. More on that tomorrow.

It's always interesting for me to go back and read a review of mine a couple of weeks after I've written it. There's a way that a show settles into my consciousness: my initial impressions age and mature and don't always end up where they started. Sometimes this process results in a bolstering of my opinion of a show. After I saw "Avenue Q" the first time, my feelings about the show just got more and more positive (enhanced by repeated plays of the soundtrack) to the point that I was actually a little disappointed when I went and saw it a second time.

I wouldn't take back anything I said about "CMT" in my review. I enjoyed this show but it hasn't aged as well in my memory as other shows. Trying to think about it analytically, I suspect it's because this is a show of moments, usually small ones, subtle and simple character turns that are intriguing but also fleeting. At the performance I saw, the audience was older and relatively impatient about the pauses and stretches of silence. In the face of that, I felt a sense of defiance on behalf of the actors. I wanted to turn to the talkers in the crowd and say, 'pay attention -- there's good work going on here!' I also wanted to get pedantic and say, 'theater isn't always about rapid-fire dialogue!' So while I highlighted the pauses in my review, the rest reads to me now like a defense of the actors who utilize the open spaces in the script to fully inhabit the characters they play.

As I think back on it, I would put "CMT" in the category of plays that I appreciate more than I love. The lack of an intermission is a problem experientially. Some of the scenes are pretty indulgent (like the one where people portray the items in Schultz's room) and I'm not sure what they added to the play as a whole. As my colleague Mr. Porter suggests, there is also a fair amount of telling not showing going on thanks to the monologues where each character lays out another character's back story. For a show with less dialogue than many, the proportion of telling to showing seems high in retrospect.

There are other smaller issues that have popped up in my reflections about the show. I have ended up feeling frustrated with the Marti character. There is obviously a lot going on with this character but, more so than with any of the others, I think she gets short-changed by the play. I came away feeling like I wanted to empathize with her, particularly as portrayed by the always-winning Kelly Kennedy. But in the end, I don't think she really earns much empathy, seeming kind of rigid all the way to the end.

My appreciation of certain scenes has increased over the weeks, however. The "telling secrets" scene in particular is kind of stunning. I can pretty clearly remember each character's reaction as each secret was read. This is not a testament to my memory but to each actor's clarity in their almost entirely non-verbal response. Beyond being specifically impressed with Mr. Flannagan's performance, I thought he and Erin Thomas-Foley had a very compelling, very authentic chemistry, both as their relationship was heating up and as it frayed. In fact, every interaction between Theresa and another character had an energy a notch above the others, a reflection of Thomas-Foley's unique skills as an actress.

As I think back now, the scenes that most succinctly reflect how I ended up feeling about the show are the "lying in a circle, counting" scenes. I appreciate their purpose in the context of the play and there were some funny and/or interesting moments in them. But they also tended to go on too long and the pay-offs we're sometimes minimal. I can see how people with an abiding interest in theater and who happen to be fascinated by actors might be particularly enamored with "CMT." However, I can also see why some patrons, like the one who I overheard as I filed down the stairs at the Barksdale, might wonder, "...but what was it about?"

Out of town adventures

I haven’t really known what to post today, my mind still reeling a bit from the momentous news of last night. I’m also hanging out on the left coast this week so am fairly discombobulated thanks to that. After things settle a bit in my head, I’ll be able to regroup and post something more interesting. I have lots to talk about; Saturday I saw a weird and wonderful piece of work at The Studio Theatre in Washington called “The Walworth Farce” and on Tuesday, I’ll see “God of Carnage” with the original Broadway cast out here in L.A.

In the meantime, Ms. Lewis’s review of “Honk!” came out on Sunday and looks like another winner for Theatre IV. The Broadway in Richmond series for 2011-12 was announced and honestly, I'm not too impressed (I saw "South Pacific" on Broadway and, while wonderful, I don't think I need to see it again. Perhaps I'll take the opportunity to finally see Blue Man Group...) Also, the Tony nominations will be announced in about 7 hours as I write this. Since they’ll more than likely be out by the time you read this, who do you think is likely to collect a trophy? Were you shocked or disappointed by any of the noms?

UPDATE: The nominees are...