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FloraLynnIsaacson

Mar 25 2015
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Turgenev’s Moving 1848 Comedy “A Month in the Country” at RVP

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

We are greeted with the sounds of birds chirping in the wings of Ken Rowland’s lovely outdoor set, which quickly converts to an inner living room and dining room.  The play begins with the entire cast offering themselves to the audience with what Director James Nelson terms as their outstretched hands inviting the audience to come with them on the journey of their story.

We are about to see Brian Friel’s adaptation of Turgenev’s 1848 classic A Month in the Country.  The setting we have just seen is the Estate of Arkady Islayev in Russia.

Natalya (Shannon Veon Kase) is married to Arkady (Tom Hudgens), a rich land-owner 7-years her senior.  Bored with life, she welcomes the attention of Michel (Ben Ortega) as her devoted but resentful admirer, without ever letting their friendship ever develop into a love affair.

Shannon Veon Kase, Zach Stewart

The arrival of the handsome 21-year-old student Alexsey (Zach Stewart) as a tutor to her son ends Natalya’s boredom.  She falls in love with Alexsey and so does her ward Vera (Emily Ludlow), the Islayev’s 17-year-old foster daughter.  To rid herself of her rival, Natalya proposes that Vera should marry a rich old neighbor, but the rivalry remains unresolved.  Michel struggles with his love for Natalya as she wrestles with hers for Alexsey, while Vera and Alexsey draw closer. 

Misunderstandings arise, and after Michel begins to have his suspicions, both Michel and Alexsey are obliged to leave.  As other members of the household drift off to their own world, Natalya’s life returns to a state of boredom.

Both servants, Matvey (Johnny DeBernard) and Katya (Jocelyn Roddie), did an excellent job of adding some good physical comedy and romance to the story, as well.

Secondary characters include Arkady’s mother Anna (Kim Bromley), her companion Lizaveta (Robyn Wiley), a neighbor Bolshintsov (Frederick Lein), Dr. Shpigelsky (Wood Lockhart) and a German tutor Herr Schaaf (Mark Shepard).

Michael A. Berg’s costumes are right on target as is the effective lighting design by Frank Sarrubi which added much to the play’s atmosphere.  Director James Nelson was largely successful in finding 12 actors skilled in playing comedy.

According to Director Nelson, A Month in the Country is a play about the “destructive and incendiary nature of desire.”  There is a web of romantic pursuit involving every one of the 12 characters, and we see offers, rejections, dismissals, and evasions of love at every turn, providing a fiery contrast to the calm, polite setting of an isolated Russian country estate.

 

A Month in the Country runs from March 13 through April 12, 2015, with performances on

Thursdays 7:30 pm on March 12, 19, and 26; April 2 and 9

Fridays 8:00 pm on March 13, 20, and 27; April 3 and 10

Saturdays 8:00 pm on March 14, 21, and 28

(Saturday, April 11: 2:00 pm Matinee and 8:00 pm)

Sundays 2:00 pm on March 22, 29, and April 12

 

All performances take place at The Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross CA.  To order tickets, telephone 415-456-9555 ext. 1, or online at www.rossvalleyplayers.com

Coming up next at Ross Valley Players is The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl and Directed by JoAnne Winter from May 15 through June 14, 2015.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

 

 

Feb 11 2015
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The Bat – Elaborately staged at NTC by Clay David

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

THE BAT
Elaborately staged at NTC by Clay David

Novato Theater Company is currently presenting The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood from February 8 through March 1, 2015.  It is directed by award-winning Director Clay David and produced by Sandi Rubay.  The Bat is a murder-mystery-thriller, originally set in 1927, but for this production it is 1954.

When wealthy Cornelia Von Gorder (Leslie Klor), along with her ditsy secretary Lizzy (Marilyn Hughes), rents an isolated mansion called Cedar Crest, having belonged to the Fleming family, she finds herself terrorized by mysterious circumstances.  Lizzy is sure it’s a ghost or the criminal “The Bat,” and the house mistress Willa (Siobhan O’Brien) agrees with them.

The audience and houseful of suspects (who all have reasons to lie), soon learn that only Jack Brooks (played by Director Clay David on the spot) is suspected of stealing money in the house and being secretly engaged to Dale (Arden Kilzer), Cornelia’s niece.  Then there is discovered the body of Ashley Fleming (Alison Sacha-Ross), the founder and owner of the bank and Cedar Crest.  Ashley had presumably been declared dead by Dr. Wells (Michael Walraven).

Everyone, including Fleming’s friend Reginald Beresford (Sumi Narendran) is trying to find the secret room where Cornelia is sure the stolen money is hidden.  Detective Anderson (John Conway) seems determined to disregard Cornelia’s amateur instincts and put down poor Lizzy.  Red herrings and wrong turns abound – though if you look for the not-so-obvious, you’ll have the answer.

Director Clay David was able to generate great acting performances from his talented cast.  This should certainly be a feather in his cap.  NTC is so lucky to have engaged such a talented Director.

The Set Designer, Michael Walraven, did a fabulous job of recreating the time-period, as did the Costume Designers Paula Aiello and Clay David.  Bruce Vieira’s Sound Design enhanced the performance, as did Ellen Brooks’ Lighting Design.  Adrianne Goff managed the stage.

Performances are at the NTC Playhouse, 5420 Nave Drive, Suite C, Novato, and are held Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through March 1st.  For tickets, call 415-883-4498 or go online at www.novatotheatercompany.org.

Coming up next at NTC will be Fiddler on the Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, from March 26 through April 26, 2015.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Photo by Wendell H. Wilson

Jan 26 2015
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Strong Cast and Direction Steers “Impressionism” at RVP

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

The New Year gets off to a great start at RVP with the romantic comedy Impressionism by Michael Jacobs and directed by Billie Cox.  Impressionism raises the question: Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? 

The playwright, Michael Jacobs has written for Broadway and television.  For many years, Director Billie Cox has been a director, playwright, composer, lyricist, and sound designer.  

The setting by Malcolm Rodgers is a small art gallery of Katharine Keenan (Mary Ann Rodgers) where Thomas Buckle (Tom Reilly) has been employed for the past two years.  Thomas brings Katharine coffee each morning and tells her his stories.  These stories lead to flashbacks that have led to the present state as well as a relationship to the art that hangs in the gallery.  Both people use the gallery as a “hiding place” to separate themselves from a world which has wounded them – Thomas, by his time as a world-traveling photojournalist, and Katharine, by many failed relationships. 

In Impressionism, we’re informed by artwork wonderfully projected onto the gallery’s rear wall.  Katharine can’t bring herself to sell her merchandise, and Thomas is a photographer who seems to be suffering from the photographer’s version of “writer’s block.” 

In the end, the audience is taken on a journey through which a love story shows Katharine and Thomas, that, just like the impressionist art on the walls, the more they step away from the canvas of their lives up to now, the more they realize their future together might hold more depth than the past that has led them to each other. 

The two lead actors – Tom Reilly and Mary Ann Rodgers – give professional performances.  They’re supported by an outstanding cast, including Ellen Brooks, as Julia Davidson; Phillip Percy Williams as Chiambuane, and also as Mr. Linder;  Dale Camden as Douglas Finch; James Montellato as Ben Joplin; Alana Samuels as Nicole Halladay; and Elena Gnatek (Juliana Postrel and also alternating as young Katharine).

Impressionism is a gentle romantic comedy which weaves a spell that will remain with you long after you’ve seen the show.

Impressionism runs January 16 through February 15, 2015, with performances on Thursdays at 7:30pm; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm; and Sundays at 2:00pm.

 Please note there will be no matinee performance on Super Bowl Sunday, February 1st, and there will be two performances on February 14th: at 2:00pm and 8:00pm.

All performances take place at the Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross CA.  To order tickets, telephone 415-456-9555 ext. 1, or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com

Coming up next at Ross Valley Players is A Month in the Country, a tragi-comedy adapted by Brian Friel from Turgenev, from March 13 through April 12, 2015.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Oct 21 2014
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Avenue Q Scores with Large, Enthusiastic Audience at NTC

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Award-winning Director Carl Jordan has brilliantly directly Avenue Q, which
recently opened at Novato Theater Company. This outrageous romp features
both puppets and human actors and is known for its high energy naughty fun.
Most of the characters in the show are puppets operated by actors on stage.
Both the human characters and puppet characters sing. This musical is set in
several tenements on a street in New York City. 

Avenue Q is an American musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and
Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff
Whitty. Avenue Q is a coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the
issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters
lament that, as children, they were assured by their parents and children’s
television programs, such as Sesame Street that they were “special” and
“could do anything,” but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise
and dismay that in the real world their options are limited, and they are no
more “special” than anyone else.

Avenue Q opened on Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards,
including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book and rated 23rd on the list
of longest-running shows in Broadway history.

Director Carl Jordan has put together a wonderful cast and crew for Avenue
Q: Robert Nelson from Leading Ladies is fabulous as Princeton, and Melissa
Claire fields the show as Lucy.  Dell Parker exhibits fine energy as Gary
Coleman. Set designer Michael Walraven has created a colorful inner city
with impressive lighting by Frank Sarubbi.  Special credit goes to Mary
Nagler who has done magical work with the creation of the puppets. Musical
Director Monica Norcia keeps the Avenue Q band moving at a brisk pace.

Avenue Q is a real treat for all of us – and judging by the warm welcome of
the house – will have a successful run.

Avenue Q will run from October 10 to November 9, 2014, at the Novato Theater
Playhouse, 5420 Nave Drive, Suite C, in Novato.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2
p.m.  For tickets, go online to www.novatotheatercompany.org or call 415
883-4498.

Coming up next at NTC will be “Inspecting Carol” by Daniel Sullivan, from
November 29 through December 20, 2014.

Sep 23 2014
Love0

The Fox on the Fairway

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

RVP OPENS 85TH SEASON WITH

THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY 

By Ken Ludwig

The Fox on the Fairway is a hilarious farce by the incomparable Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor and Leading Ladies). The Fox on the Fairway takes us on a romp which pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy members of a private country club. This play is a charmingly nutty adventure about love, life, and man’s eternal love affair with golf.

Bingham (Louis Schilling) President of the Quail Valley Country Club, is in a difficult position, less by finding out that his newly hired hand, Justin (Derek Jepsen) is in love with Louise (Lydia Singleton), the waitress at the clubhouse, but by finding out that the golfer he thought would play for his club has switched sides – recruited by his counterpart and opponent, the cocky and arrogant Dickie (Javier Alarcon), and the huge bet he had foolishly wagered is likely to be lost. Fortunately, he discovers that Justin is actually quite a good golfer and finagles his nomination.

Justin does not disappoint and has a huge lead, when close to its end the tournament is interrupted by bad weather. When Justin learns that Louise has lost the engagement ring he gave her – she accidentally flushed it down the toilet – he comes unglued. The game resumes the next day, but Justin loses the lead and, upset, takes an unfortunate swing, breaking his arm. Bingham is desperate, and the appearance of his wife Muriel (Sumi Naendran) complicates the matter, as she catches him much too close to Pamela (Eileen Fisher), his sex-starved Vice-President.

Can Bingham find a replacement for Justin to win the game, win the wager, and get his life in order? Come and see this madcap comedy at Ross Valley Players, and find out.

Julianna Rees, the Director, knows how to keep the machinery percolating –The Fox on the Fairway barrels along. Ken Rowland’s clubhouse set is suitably sporty, and the costumes by Michael A. Berg are swanky.

The Fox on the Fairway knocked one straight off the tee and hit a hole-in-one, as it mixes golf, romance and fashion, keeping the audience in stitches. The Fox on the Fairway began with a preview on Thursday, September 11th and will run through Sunday, October 12th. Thursday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players – 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross CA. For tickets, call 415-456-9555, ext. 1, or visit www.RossValleyPlayers.com.

Coming up next at Ross Valley Players will be Jane Austen’s Persuasion, adapted by Jennifer LeBlanc, directed by Mary Ann Rodgers, from November 14th through December 14th, 2014.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Aug 29 2014
Love0

“Leading Ladies” – Ken Ludwig’s Theatrical Farce At NTC

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Our play first opens with a clever abridged version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and then proceeds to tell the story about two English Shakespearean actors, Leo Clark (Craig Christianson) and Jack Gable (Robert Nelson), who find themselves down on their luck, so they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” in the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish county of Pennsylvania.

 When they hear that an old lady by the name of Florence (Christina Jacqua) in York, PA, is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long-lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash.

When they discover that “Max” and “Steve” are actually “Maxine” and “Stephen,” they continue on undaunted, in drag. Leo falls for Florence’s actual niece Meg (Laura Domingo), while Jack swoons over Florence’s part-time aide, Audrey (Laura Espino).

Florence recovers just as the pair arrives, but they decide to keep on, both to try to outlast her health and to stay close to the objects of their interest. Leo convinces Meg, who is enamored with Shakespeare and a fan of Jack and Leo, to put on a production at Florence’s estate, to give himself more of an opportunity to be with her, both as Leo and Maxine.  Meanwhile, Meg’s fiancé Duncan grows increasingly suspicious of the “leading ladies.”

With this play, Ken Ludwig again proves his reputation as the master of American farce, so well established with “Lend Me a Tenor.”

Craig Christianson steals the show as Leo Clark. His performance is varied, subtle and complex, far beyond such broad comedy. Leo’s dialects are quite different for each facet of his character: Shakespearean actor, actor not performing, lover, woman and actress. Christianson’s vocal performance never falters.

Robert Nelson, as Jack Gable, is in control at all times – knowing how much of Gable’s frustration to show each of the other characters and how much to demonstrate to the audience. He has some priceless stage business as the deaf and dumb Stephanie about how she is to understand someone else speaking.

 There are so many other highlights. This is a show in which the wise-cracks come only from smart alecs, and chief among them is Doc Myers, portrayed by the amazing Michael Walraven.

Laura Domingo walks a more subtle line as Meg.  Neither hard-boiled nor dim-witted, Meg is serious and smart and concerned with the interplay of honor and desire. David Kester plays the Rev. Duncan Woolery as oily and superior.

Marie Meier’s and Janice Deneau’s costumes are wonderful, and Michael Walraven’s set is a masterpiece. Superbly staged and paced by Kris Neely, Leading Ladies at the Novato Theater Company is magnificently realized.

Leading Ladies opened on August 22nd and will play through September 14th, 2014, at the Novato Theater Company. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. NTC is located at 5420 Nave Drive in Novato. For tickets, call 415-883-4488, or go online at www.novatotheatercompany.org.

Coming up next at NTC will be Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty, from October 9th through November 9th, 2014.

 

Jul 27 2014
Love0

RVP Presents “Old Money” by Wendy Wasserstein

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

For the final production of their 2013-1014 season, Ross Valley Players is presenting “Old Money,” a comedy of manners that explores the differences between “old money” and “new money” in New York City, by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning-author Wendy Wasserstein.

Under the imaginative direction of Kim Bromley, in an appropriately gorgeous house designed and built by Michael Walraven and showcasing a Gary Marsh sculpture, the company of 8 actors are all double-cast because the play is set in two eras, the early 1900s and the beginning of the 21st Century. These 8 actors move effortlessly from one time period to the other at a dinner party in a lavish mansion on the fashionable Upper East Side of Manhattan.

The host, Jeffrey Bernstein (Geoffrey Colton), a contemporary master of high risk arbitrage in the present day, alternates with Arnold Strauss at a previous dinner party in the past. So it goes with the rest of the cast. Bernstein’s guests of today include a Hollywood director Sid Nercessian (Johnny DeBernard) who becomes the outspoken robber baron Tobias Pfeiffer in the past. Bernstein’s aggressive publicist, Flinty McGee (Karen Leland), becomes socialite Florence DeRoot in the past. Film director Sid Nercessian’s wife Penny (Trungta Kositchaimongkol), an online lingerie designer, becomes Betina Brevoort, in the past. Other guests include the film director’s rebellious daughter Caroline (Gillian Eichenberger) who alternates as the maid Mary Gallagher, also in the present. Robin Wiley plays the not-so-cutting-edge sculptor, Saulina, who becomes Sally Webster, in the past. Veteran actor Wood Lockhart portrays the academic Tobias Vivian Pfeiffer III who taught the history of New York City for 50 years in the present and becomes the architect Schuyler Lynch, in the past. Observing the whole play and commenting to the audience is Jeffrey’s college-age-son, Ovid Walpole Bernstein (Jesse Lumb, in a great performance).

Trips to the garden allow these 8 actors to switch into the costumes required for their double roles. Having this happen so often is confusing for the audience. This applies to all 8 actors and the 16 characters they play. In this continual dance of rich story-telling and social commentary, it becomes strikingly clear that while old money has become new, little else has changed over the years.

“Old Money” is running at Ross Valley Players from July 17 through August 17, 2014. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Barn Theatre home of the Ross Valley Players, located at 30
Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Ross CA. To order tickets, call 415-456-9555, extension 1, or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Coming up next at Ross Valley Players to begin their new season will be “The Fox on the Fairway,” a hilarious farce by Ken Ludwig, September 12 through October 12, 2014.

Jul 21 2014
Love0

Marin Shakes celebrates 25th Anniversary with As You Like It

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

[rating: 4.0]

Marin Shakespeare kicks off its 25th Silver Season with a classic production of As You Like It , Shakespeare’s exuberant comedy  set in the Forest of Arden.  At its recent Silver Anniversary Gala, the Company announced that it has been given an anonymous donation of one million dollars. “This gift will create new jobs, touch more lives and ensure the future of Shakespeare in Marin,” said Managing Director, Lesley Currier.

The opening night at Dominican University’s Forest Meadows Amphitheatre had lots of pre-show speeches from various politicians, and it was announced that all performances of this first play of the season are “pay-as-you- like- it.”

Director Robert Currier presents this charming production in a classical style with authentic classical Shakespearian costumes by Tammy Berlin, with a minimal set by Jackson Currier which clearly turns into the Forest of Arden, accompanied with beautiful songs composed by Billie Cox.

As You Like It begins in the Court of evil Duke Frederick (Scott Coopwood) who sees the dukedom from his good brother (also Coopwood). The exiled duke’s daughter, Rosalind  (Elena Wright), is suddenly exiled by the evil Duke, and she goes off to live in the Forest of Arden dressed as a man with her cousin, Celia (Livia Demarchi) going along as her faithful companion.  Right before she left, Rosalind fell in love at first site with Orlando (Teddy Spencer), a young nobleman with an evil brother of his own (Davern Wright). Orlando also has to flee the Court to avoid being killed, so everyone winds up in the Forest of Arden. Tagging along with Rosalind is a clown, Touchstone (Adam Roy).  Attending the good Duke is Jacques (Glenn Havlan), a melancholy intellectual who has one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches (“All the World’s a Stage”).  Julian Lopez-Morillas, who has either directed or performed in every existing Shakespearian play, is wonderful as the old shepherd, Corin.  A realistic wrestling scene in the First Act between Orlando and Charles the wrestler (Jeffrey Lloyd Heatherly) is brilliantly choreographed  by Richard Pallaziol, Fight Director.

As You Like It performs in repertory with Romeo and Juliette through August 10, 2014, at Forest Meadow s Amphitheatre, 890 Belle Avenue, Dominican University, in San Rafael.  Due to the million dollar grant, admission is free; however admission donations of any amount will be greatly accepted at the door. Order tickets on-line at www.marinshakespeare.org  or call 415-499-4488.

Coming up next at Marin Shakespeare will be Romeo and Juliette, directed by Lesley Schisgall Currier from July 18 through September 28, 2014.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Jul 12 2014
Love0

Favorite Fairy Tales Follow Into the Woods at SF Playhouse

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

 Baker’s Wife (El Beh) meets handsome Prince (Jeffrey Brian Adams) in Into the Woods at SF Playhouse. Photo by Jessica Palopoli.

The San Francisco Playhouse concludes its provocative 11th season with Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book).  This musical intertwines the plots of many Brothers Grimm fairy tales and explores the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, and “Cinderella.”

The musical is tied together by an original story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a Witch who has placed a curse on them, and other storybook characters during their journey.

Making her musical directorial debut, Susi Damilano deftly guides her large and talented cast through the overlapping story lines of the various tales and also adds the silent role of a boy (Ian DeVaynes) who introduces the characters. All the players have shining moments. Exceptional performances come from Keith Pinto as the Baker, Monique Hafen as Cinderella and Safiya Fredericks as the Witch.  Louis Parnell is delightful as the Narrator.

Music Director Dave Dobrusky brilliantly leads a seven-piece orchestra and Kimberly Richards’ choreography is outstanding.  Kudos also go to Nina Ball’s multilevel set and Abra Berman’s lovely costumes.

Into the Woods is structured so that Act I ends on an upbeat “happily ever after” note and then Act II delves into the darkness that follows when people get what they think they want.

Into the Woods runs at SF Playhouse from June 24-September 6, 2014.  Performances are held Tuesday-Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at 450 Post Street (2nd Floor Kensington Park Hotel), San Francisco. Call 415-677-9596 or go to www.sfplayhouse.org.

Coming up next at SF Playhouse will be the World Premiere of From Red to Black by Rhett Rossi and directed by Susi Damilano, August 7-8 (previews) and August 9-30, 2014 at the A.C.T. Costume Shop, 1119 Market Street (at Seventh Street), San Francisco.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Jun 15 2014
Love0

Life Is A Journey, Death A Destination in Failure: A Love Story at MTC

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Time marches on for the Fail Sisters – Jenny June (Liz Sklar), Gertrude (Megan Smith) and Nelly (Kathryn Zdan) – with a little musical accompaniment from Mortimer Mortimer (Brian Herndon on trombone) and John N. Fail (Patrick Kelly Jones on snare) in the West Coast premiere of Philip Dawkins’ Failure: A Love Story at Marin Theatre Company.

 [rating:4] (4/5 stars)

1928 is the last year of each of the Fail sisters’ lives.  Nelly (Kathryn Zdan) is the first of the Fail girls to die, followed soon after by her sisters Jenny June (Liz Sklar) and Gerty (Megan Pearl Smith).  As with so many things in life—blunt objects, disappearances and consumption—they never see death coming.  Written by Chicago playwright, Philip Dawkins, Failure: A Love Story is a magical, musical fable that traces the sisters’ triumphs and defeats. Set in a rickety two-story building by the Chicago River that is the Fail family home and clock shop, this funny, moving and profoundly wise play reminds us that in the end, all that remains is love.

Failure: A Love Story is a lighthearted production not withstanding the premature demise of the Fail sisters. Only the two men and their lives survive into old age–John N. Fail (Patrick Kelly Jones) is washed up on shore as a baby and adopted by the Fail’s and Mortimer Mortimer (Brian Herndon), the earnest gentleman caller who loves each of the sisters in turn.

The play opens with the cast inviting the audience to sing-along In the Good Old Summertime and Let Me Call You Sweetheart.  A marvelous cast briskly directed by Jasson Minadakis doubles as narrators and the scenes and stories of their past lives are in keeping with what Dawkins calls “the hidden love story of our play, the love of telling stories.”  Here the stories include Mortimer Mortimer’s bittersweet, fruitless search for love, the loneliness of his “almost” brother-in-law, John N. Fail, Nelly’s silly but fetching girlishness and Jenny June’s bold optimistic goal of swimming across the rough and heavy waters.

The actors also accompany themselves on a variety of instruments, i.e. ukulele, trombone, stand up bass, drums, piano—as they sing hits of the 1920’s, arranged by Sound Designer, Composer and Music Director Chris Houston.

Other important inanimate characters occupy this household as well –a few birds, a snake named Moses and a dog called Pete.  Since the passage of time is the recurrent theme, clocks and timepieces abound with Nina Ball’s effective set design.  The lighting by York Kennedy, costumes by Jacqueline Firkins all contribute to a memorable evening whose theme, storytelling–the key to surviving human tragedy–resonates long after the play ends.

Failure: A Love Story runs June 5-June 29, 2014 at Marin Theatre Company with 8 performances a week–Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m. with matinees Sunday at 2 p.m. There are special performances Saturday June 28 at 2 p.m. and Thursday June 19 at 1 p.m. All performances are held at 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley.  For tickets, call 415-388-5208 or go online at www.marintheatre.org.

Coming up next at Marin Theatre Company will be Fetch Clay, Make Man  by Will Power and directed by Derrick Sanders (Fences) August 14-September 7, 2014.

Flora Lynn Isaacson