Judy Richter

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is a popular choice for community theaters because it has a large cast, including a children’s chorus, and some catchy music — all surefire draws for an audience. Hillbarn Theatre capitalizes on these assets for its production, then adds some more of its own in the form of lots of good singing and dancing.

“Joseph” was the first publicly performed musical collaboration between composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, who began work on it in 1968 and recorded it as a concept album in 1969. It underwent various changes until its West End premiere in 1973. In the meantime, the two created the successful “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1970 and in 1976 went on to create “Evita,” their best work. Even though “Joseph” is a musical mashup of styles ranging from rock to calypso and country, one can hear some of Lloyd Webber’s signature riffs.

The large Hillbarn cast, skillfully directed by Nancy Fitzgerald-Metzler, is led by Noel Anthony in the title role of Joseph, one of 12 sons of Jacob (Bob Fitzgerald) in this Old Testament story. Because Joseph was Jacob’s favorite, the other brothers were so jealous that they sold Joseph into slavery and destroyed the colorful coat that Jacob had given him. Joseph then underwent numerous travails before gaining favor with Egypt’s Pharaoh (Michael D. Reed in an Elvis-like role) by interpreting his dreams. Eventually all turned out well, of course.

The story is mainly told by the Narrator, played by Lindsay Stark, who sings well and has a charismatic stage presence. Anthony also has good stage presence as Joseph, but he has some pitch problems in his higher range.

Choreography by Brandy Mieszkowski is one of the show’s highlights. The choral singing also is good, as overseen by musical director Greg Sudmeier. The singers are accompanied by recorded music.

The playground set designed by Steve Nyberg helps set the tone for this mostly playful show. It also serves as a good place for the 18-member children’s chorus to perch. The costumes, a mix of modern and quasi-biblical, are by Carolann Towe. Don Coluzzi’s lighting is busy in spots, especially near the end, while Alan Chang’s sound design is too loud.

Overall, though, it’s a fun show, one that has stood the test of time. It will continue at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, through Dec. 23. For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

By Judy Richter

If you’re like many people, watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” on TV is probably one of your favorite holiday traditions. Even if you’ve seen it umpteen times, you never get tired of this story about the triumph of good over evil, the emphasis on what’s truly important and the far-reaching impact that one person’s actions can have.

Marin Theatre Company dramatizes these simple truths in its production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Adapted by Joe Landry from director Frank Capra’s now-classic film, this version takes place in a New York City radio studio on Christmas Eve, 1946. Five actors portray actors who create all of the beloved characters as well as the sound effects and commercials in front of a live studio (theater) audience.

In this production well-directed by Jon Tracy, Gabriel Marin stars as George Bailey, the character so memorably created by James Stewart in the 1946 film. His wife, Mary, the Donna Reed role, is played by Sarah Overman. Carrie Paff plays all of the other female characters, while Patrick Kelly Jones and Michael Gene Sullivan portray the other male characters. Sullivan also serves as the emcee, warming up the audience before the show starts.

Set in the small town of Bedford Falls shortly after the end of World War II, the story revolves around the night that George, discouraged that his bank is about to go under, considers committing suicide. Instead, he’s distracted by his guardian angel, Clarence (Jones), who’s dispatched from heaven to earn his wings by saving George. He does so by showing George all the bad things that would have happened if he’d never been born. In short, many people would be a lot worse off, and Bedford Falls would have been taken over by the greedy, heartless Mr. Potter (Sullivan). But before Clarence descends to Earth, he learns about George’s early life, his dreams and the reality of how he came so close to ending it all.

While Marin and Overman play only one role each, the other three actors have a chance to display their versatility, which they do commendably. Since we first meet Paff as Violet, the town flirt, costume designer Callie Floor has outfitted her in a flattering, form-fitting dress. Nevertheless, it serves her well as Paff portrays little girls as well as older women, all convincingly.

Jones is especially notable as Clarence, the low-key guardian angel, while Sullivan appears as some of the older men, including Mr. Potter and befuddled Uncle Billy. Overman is sweetly appealing as Mary. Marin does a credible job as George, but he can become too loud and overwrought, especially near the end.

Besides acting and creating sound effects, the actors sing music by composer and sound designer Chris Houston. Eric Sinkkonen’s set, complemented by Michael Palumbo’s lighting, is a suitably cluttered radio studio complete with “Applause” and “On the Air” signs. Seren Helday, credited as properties designer, apparently was responsible for the items needed to create realistic sound effects for a radio audience.

This two-act, 105-minute production is a great way to see a holiday favorite in a new light and to enjoy watching some of the Bay Area’s best actors. It continues at Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, through Dec. 16. For tickets and information, call (415) 388-5208 or visit www.marintheatare.org.

By Judy Richter

“Brilliant” is the only word for “The White Snake,” written and directed by the gifted Mary Zimmerman. After proving to be a hit at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland earlier this year, “The White Snake” has come to Berkeley Repertory Theatre, its co-producer, with nearly all of the Ashland cast intact plus all of the designers and musicians.

Based on a classic Chinese fable that has undergone many permutations through the centuries, this theatrically inventive work has become a love story in Zimmerman’s hands. White Snake (Amy Kim Waschke) assumes the form of a beautiful woman so that she can thank the man, Xu Xian (Christopher Livingston), who saved her life when she was very young. She’s accompanied by her outspoken, impetuous friend, Green Snake (Tanya Thai McBride). White Snake and Xu Xian fall in love and marry, despite some of his doubts.

He’s a pharmacist’s assistant, but she sets him up in his own shop. It becomes quite successful because of White Snake’s skill in devising effective remedies and healing people. They’re happy until the villainous Fa Hai (Jack Willis), a Buddhist monk, arrives and tells Xu Xian that he’s married to a snake. “It’s just not natural,” Fa Hai says, as the 100-minute, intermissionless tale nears its mythical end.

Zimmerman’s staging employs some seemingly simple techniques, such as a billowing blue cloth to simulate a river, that aren’t necessarily original but that are nevertheless effective. Descending strips of blue cloth symbolize a rain storm.

Besides her writing and direction, the play attains its magical qualities through imaginative design elements, especially Mara Blumenfeld’s colorful costumes. Daniel Ostling’s uncluttered set design is augmented by Shawn Sagady’s projections and complemented by T.J. Gerckens’ lighting. Sound designer Andre Pluess also wrote the music, which is played by three costumed musicians below the stage.

Besides the four principals, the cast features seven other actors who play various roles and serve in the ensemble: Cristofer Jean, Lisa Tejero, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Gina Daniels, Richard Howard, Emily Sophia Knapp and Vin Kridakorn.

Berkeley Rep’s production is a great chance for those who saw “The White Snake” in Ashland to savor it all over again. Those who are seeing it for the first time are sure to be delighted and thrilled at its inventive theatricality.

“The White Snake” will continue at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre through Dec. 23. For tickets and information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org.

By Judy Richter

An upper middle class couple go to visit their son at Canp Kickapoo in Maine and return to their New York City home with their family dynamics drastically altered. That’s basically what happens in Anna Ziegler’s “Another Way Home,” receiving its world premiere at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.

The action starts in the present, when Lillian (Kim Martin-Cotten) and Philip (Mark Pinter) Nadelman describe that fateful visit to their 17-year-old, Joey (Daniel Petzold ). It smoothly moves to the past when the events unfolded, but often returns to the present.

To say that Joey is a difficult boy would be an understatement. Having been variously diagnosed with conditions like ADD, ADHD and other problems, he’s sullen, rude, disrespectful — all manifestations of anger and depression. His behavior arouses his parents’ anger, leading him to disappear for many hours. In turn, his distraught parents become angry and upset with each other, causing them to question their marriage.

Also figuring into the action are the Nadelmans’ other child, 16-year-old Nora (Riley Krull), who has stayed home, and Mike T. (Jeremy Kahn), Joey’s camp counselor. Unlike Joey, Nora is bright and outgoing, causing no problems. Mike T. is a quiet young man who provides some valuable insight for the Nadelmans.

Running about 90 minutes without intermission, the play is well cast with each of the talented actors creating believable characters under Meredith McDonough’s sharp direction. The standout is Martin-Cotten as Lillian, the loving, concerned mother who is forced to re-examine her own life as well as her marriage and family.

The minimal set design is by Annie Smart, who also designed the character-specific costumes. Lighting by Paul Toben helps define moods, while Sara Huddleston’s sound design is subtle yet specific, such as the sound of waves lapping against a lake shore.

Despite the play’s serious themes, it has some lighter moments. For example, Nora, a huge fan of Taylor Swift, belts out parts of the country singer’s hits to explain her feelings. In keeping with the play’s overall tone, though, the ending is ambiguous as both Philip and Lillian express some regrets but seem determined to forge ahead.

“Another Way Home” will continue at the Magic Theatre, Building D, third floor, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, through Dec. 2.. For tickets and information call (415) 441-8822 or visit www.magictheatre.org.

By Judy Richter

Versatile acting and inventive staging are the hallmarks of Aurora Theatre Company’s production of “Wilder Times,” a collection of four short plays by Thornton Wilder. Aurora chose the plays and titled the show as a tribute to one of the nation’s greatest playwrights. According to artistic director Tom Ross, the title reflects “the concept of time and how we human beings move through it (as) major themes in Wilder’s work.”

The show is divided into two acts, starting with the first two plays from a series, “Seven Ages of Man,” that Wilder never finished. These two, “Infancy” and “Childhood” premiered in 1962. “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden” and “The Long Christmas Dinner,” which comprise the second half, were written in 1931, but both are considered Wilder’s best known short works.

The cast features six actors — Heather Gordon, Soren Oliver, Marcia Pizzo, Stacy Ross, Patrick Russell and Brian Trybom. Focused direction by Barbara Oliver, Aurora’s co-founder and retired artistic director, lends unity. Before each act, for example, the actors sing simple songs like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as they move set pieces into place. Eric Sinkkonen’s mostly unadorned set, Maggi Yule’s color-coordinated costumes and Jim Cave’s lighting also unify the show.

In terms of writing, the first half is the weaker. “Infancy” is set in an urban park where a nanny (Gordon) and mother (Ross) tend to infants (Russell and Trybom) in baby carriages. While the women talk, the babies alternate between napping and being frustrated that they can’t understand the adults. Oliver (son of the director) adds some comic moments as a cop. Only good acting and directing keep the show moving.

The next part, “Childhood,” is more interesting. Ross and Trybom portray parents who are trying to figure out what their children do when they’re not around. The children are played by Pizzo as the eldest and leader, Gordon as the middle child and Russell as the youngest.

In “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden,” a family is on it way to visit the eldest daughter, who is married. Again Pizzo plays that daughter, while Gordon and Russell are the other two kids. Ross is the mother again, while Oliver is the father. In a technique developed more fully in Wilder’s “Our Town,” Trybom is the stage manager.

By far the most satisfying and intriguing work is the last, “The Long Christmas Dinner,” which depicts a family gathered for Christmas dinner over the course of several generations. It starts with Oliver and Pizzo as a newlywed couple joined by her mother (Ross), who recalls Christmases past. From there the action smoothly segues to births and deaths (signified as some musical notes in musical director Chris Houston’s sound design) as family dynamics change and one generation gives way to the next. It’s a touching depiction of the importance of family and family rituals.

Playing roles that vary in age and personality, the actors are outstanding. Except for the last act, however, the show doesn’t have the heft of Wilder’s most successful plays, “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth.”

“Wilder Times” will continue at the Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, though Dec. 9. For tickets and information, call (510) 843-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org.

By Judy Richter

Revisiting the Vanderhof household is like getting together with old friends after years apart and finding them just as delightful as ever despite their eccentricities. That’s what happens in Palo Alto Players’ production of the Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman chestnut, “You Can’t Take It With You.”

It opened on Broadway in December 1936 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama. And even though that was 76 years ago, the warm comedy’s basic philosophy still rings true: Good health, happiness and family are more important than fame or fortune even in the midst of the Depression.

Hence we meet an engagingly innocent New York City family whose genial patriarch, Grandpa Vanderhof (Tom Caldecott) quit his office job some 29 years ago and never looked back. His daughter, Penny Sycamore (Debi Durst), has been blithely trying to write plays for eight years, ever since a typewriter was mistakenly delivered to the house. Her husband, Paul (John Watson), plays with an Erector Set and manufactures fireworks in the basement.

One of their daughters, Essie Carmichael) (Kim Saunders, the show’s choreographer), has been studying ballet for eight years without much success. Her husband, Ed (Keith Sullivan), plays the xylophone, delivers candy that he and Essie make, and prints just about anything from tonight’s dinner menu (almost always corn flakes and tomatoes) to communist slogans.

The Sycamores’ other daughter, Alice (Lorie Goulart), is the only seemingly normal family member. She is a secretary in a Wall Street firm where she has become romantically involved with its vice president, Tony Kirby (Adam Cotugno), the boss’s son.

Another member of the household is Mr. De Pinna (Ronald Feichtmeir), who showed up a few years ago, stayed for dinner and never left. He’s Paul’s partner in fireworks-making. The family’s cook, Rheba (Rene M. Banks), also lives there. She’s frequently joined by her boyfriend, Donald (Max Williams). Another regular visitor is Essie’s ballet teacher, Boris Kolenkhov (Brandon Silberstein), a fiery Russian who fled his country after the revolution.

Everyone gets along famously and has a lot of fun until one night when Tony, by now engaged to Alice, and his parents (Beverly Griffith and Ron Talbot), show up for dinner on the wrong night.

Mix in a drunken actress, Gay Wellington (Diane Tasca), brought home by Penny, and an imperious Russian duchess, Olga Katrina (Celia Maurice), a friend of Kolenkhov and now a waitress, and the differences between the two families become starkly clear. And then there are the federal agents (Clint Andrew Hall and Evan Michael Schumacher) who show up with their own agenda. Thus, Alice breaks the engagement, much to the consternation of everyone except the elder Kirbys.

As directed by Cornelia Burdick Thompson, it’s all a lot of fun, but it also brings home its message about the importance of doing something you love even if you don’t get rich. Running about two hours and 10 minutes with two 10-minute intermissions, the show starts slowly but soon picks up, delivering one laugh after another.

Patrick Klein’s two-level living room set, lighted by Rick Amerson, is appropriately cluttered with items reflecting the family’s varied interests. Before the show and between acts, George Mauro’s sound design features popular songs and snatches of radio programs from the ’30s. The period costumes are by Mary Cravens, but Rheba’s outfits seem too dressy for a cook.

Overall, this production serves the classic comedy well as Palo Alto Players continues its 82nd season.

“You Can’t Take It With You” will continue through Nov. 18 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. For ticketsand information call (650) 329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org.

By Judy Richter

Echoes of the Trojan War and the generation-to-generation woes of Greece’s House of Atreus reverberate in Sophocles’ “Elektra,” presented by American Conservatory Theater in a translation and adaptation by playwright-scholar Timberlake Wertenbaker.

In brief, the title character, played by René Augesen, is still lamenting the murder of her father by her mother and her mother’s lover several years earlier. Elektra is hoping that her brother will return to Mycenae to avenge their father’s death. Because of her loud, unending mourning, Elektra has become something of an outcast in her own home and may be teetering on the brink of insanity.

In a tense confrontation between mother and daughter, the steely Clytemnestra (Caroline Lagerfelt) tells Elektra that she had killed Agamemnon to avenge his sacrificial murder of Elektra’s sister Iphigenia. Therefore, Clytemnestra felt her actions had been justified. ACT program notes go into further detail about all of the background leading up to this play, but Wertenbaker’s accessible translation provides basic background information clearly and simply.

Running 90 minutes without intermission, ACT’s production is directed by artistic director Carey Perloff, now in her 20th season with the company. Unlike many other classical Greek dramas, which use a Chorus of several people to comment on the action and serve as a kind of jury, this adaptation uses only one person, Olympia Dukakis, 81, to fill that role. With her silvery hair and dignified stage presence, Dukakis’s Chorus Leader serves as a voice of reason and a welcome counterpoint to Elektra’s rage. The Chorus Leader also helps the audience to explore the play’s key questions about the nature of justice.

Augesen, an ACT associate artist, has the daunting challenge of sustaining Elektra’s rage, grief and the frustration of being a powerless woman. She meets that challenge successfully even though her character’s extremes can be a bit much to take at times.

Lagerfelt’s Clytemnestra evokes little sympathy in her treatment of Elektra, yet she makes a persuasive argument for why she was so aggrieved by her husband. Nick Steen as Orestes, Elektra’s brother, brings an aura of strength, resolve and heroism as he returns and fulfills what he and Elektra see as his duty to avenge their father’s death.

Their sister, Chrysothemis, well played by Allegra Rose Edwards, has curried favor with their mother as a way of going along to get along, but Elektra wins her over. Among the other supporting characters, Anthony Fusco as Orestes’ Tutor has a standout scene when he gives a vivid (but fictional) description of Orestes’ death in a chariot race. Steven Anthony Jones as Aegisthus, Clytemnestra’s lover, and Titus Tompkins as Pylades, Orestes’ cousin and companion, complete the cast.

Ralph Funicello’s set foreshadows the play’s mood as the audience enters and sees a chain link fence topped by barbed wire stretching across the stage. Lighting by Nancy Schertler reveals the grimly black palace behind the fence and later uses red to symbolize the bloodshed within.

Costumes by Candice Donnelly run the gamut from, as Perloff says, ancient Greece to haute couture. The latter is seen in Chrysothemis, whose prissy white outfit evokes the mod mode of the late ’60s or early ’70s. Sound by Cliff Caruthers completes the play’s design components..

Another key element in this production is provided by composer David Lang’s haunting score, played and sometimes sung by cellist Theresa Wong, who sits on one side of the stage.

Because of its near-unrelenting keening, “Elektra” may be hard for some observers to take, but the acting and design elements are all outstanding.

“Elektra” will continue at American Conservatory Theater, 415 Mason St., San Francisco, through Nov. 18. For tickets and information call (415) 749-2228 or visit www.act-sf.org.

By Judy Richter

It was 8 1/2 years ago that TheatreWorks presented the world premiere of “Memphis” in Mountain View. My review at the time concluded, “The show does need some work, … but it’s very close to being ready to move on to bigger venues, especially with this dynamite cast, exciting music and first-rate creative team. It’s a feel-good show that casts light on a little-known aspect of American musical history.”

After becoming a smash on Broadway with several of its TheatreWorks cast members, a touring production of the show has returned to its Silicon Valley roots to open Broadway San Jose’s fourth season. With it comes an array of 2010 awards, including Tonys for Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (DiPietro) and Best Orchestrations (Bryan and Daryl Waters). The cast and designers are totally different from the original, and the show has undergone substantial revisions. Only about half of its original songs remain, but the basic story, based on a concept by Geroge W. George, is the same.

As implied by the title, the show is set in Memphis during the 1950s, when segregation was still deeply embedded in the South. The central character, Huey Calhoun (Bryan Fenkart), is based on DJ Dewey Phillips, who is credited with introducing rock ‘n’ roll to the American mainstream.

Huey, a white high school dropout who can’t read, happens to hear the music emanating from a downstairs black nightclub on Beale Street in Memphis. He’s so taken with it that he decides it needs wider exposure. The story takes him from the record counter of a department store to a radio station where he manages to play so-called race music. At each place, his bosses are ready to fire him, but the public response, especially from white teenagers, is so great that he goes on to become one of the city’s most popular DJs.

Along the way, he also falls in love with the nightclub’s star singer, Felicia Farrell (Felicia Boswell), sister of its owner, Delray Jones (Horace V. Rogers). Neither the protective Delray nor Huey’s mother, Gladys Calhoun (Julie Johnson), approves of their relationship. Neither do some rednecks who see them together in public and attack them. Still, thanks in large part to Huey, Felicia becomes a famous singer in her own right, leading to a chance to go to New York. She wants Huey to join her, but he’s too tied to Memphis to leave.

The music and the singing, especially by Boswell, are terrific. Director Christopher Ashley keeps the action flowing smoothly. The choreography by Sergio Trujillo is both inventive and energetic, well executed by the ensemble cast, starting with the opening number, “Underground.” The onstage band is led by Darryl Archibald on keyboard. The sets are by David Gallo, with costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howard Binkley and sound by Ken Travis.

The acting also is noteworthy, especially by Boswell, George and Johnson. Fenkart’s Huey is more problematic. Even though Huey is supposed to a bit of a wild man, Fenkart’s portrayal is too manic, making him less sympathetic than he should be.

Still, there’s no denying the overall power of this show, thanks in large part to its music and dancing.

“Memphis” will continue at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts through Oct. 28. Call (408) 792-4111 or visit www.broadwaysanjose.com.

By Judy Richter

Despite the rotary dial phone and manual typewriter, Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” remains as fresh and surprising as it was when it became a Broadway smash in 1978. Celebrating its 72nd season, Hillbarn Theatre makes this point abundantly clear in its production of the classic thriller.

The play is set in the comfortable Westport, Conn., home of Sidney Bruhl (Paul Stout) and his wife, Myra (Paige Cook ), who has health problems. Sidney is a well-known playwright who has written a number of wildly successful thrillers, but his recent works have flopped. Moreover, his finances are running low.

We meet him as he sits at his desk reading a play sent to him by a young man who attended one of Sidney’s playwriting seminars. Sidney immediately realizes that this play could be a sure-fire Broadway hit. He’s also quite jealous.

Thus the central question of “Deathtrap” emerges: How far will Sidney go for this script? To say any more would spoil the fun as the plot takes one unexpected, sometimes shocking, twist after another.

As directed by Karen Byrnes, this production works well on the surprise level, but the acting is uneven. Stout’s portrayal of Sidney is so smug that it’s off-putting right from the start. He also tends to overact. Cook’s Myra is one-dimensional, resorting to too much hand-wringing as she becomes more nervous about Sidney’s intentions.

On the other hand, Adam Magill is convincing as the young playwright, Clifford Anderson, who’s in awe of Sidney. Monica Cappuccini has fun with the play’s most outsized character, Helga Ten Dorp, a famous Dutch psychic who is temporarily living next door and who comes by to warn the Bruhls of dire doings. Richard Albert completes the cast as Porter Milgrim, Sidney’s level-headed friend and attorney.

The handsome set is by R. Dutch Fritz, while the effective sound and lighting are by Valerie Clear. The costumes are by Mae Matos. Durand Garcia served as fight choreographer.

Although this isn’t a perfect production, the play itself is so well written that the audience is in for a big treat.

“Deathtrap” will continue at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, through Nov. 4. Call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

By Judy Richter
Two of the 20th century’s greatest intellects converse in London on Sept. 3, 1939, the day that Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany to begin World War II. As air raid sirens wail and British bombers roar overhead, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and author-professor C.S. Lewis meet in Freud’s study in “Freud’s Last Session” by Mark St. Germain.

Presented by San Jose Repertory Theatre in a co-production with Arizona Theatre Company, this one-act, two-man play features J. Michael Flynn as Freud and Benjamin Evett as Lewis. Although the play clocks in at less than 90 minutes, it covers a range of philosophical territory focusing on the existence of God but delving into other topics such as love, sex and the meaning of life.

At first the 40-year-old Lewis doesn’t know why the 83-year-old Freud wants to meet. Lewis assumes that it’s because he recently satirized Freud. However, Freud explains that he wants to understand why Lewis, who was an atheist like Freud, has recently become a Christian. Hence much of their discussion focuses on religious ideas.

Along the way, both men talk about their upbringings, Freud as a Jew in Vienna and Lewis as a Protestant in England. Lewis also talks about his traumatic experiences as a soldier in World War I, while Freud explains that he moved to London because of Hitler’s persecution of Jews in Vienna and elsewhere. His daughter Anna, who followed in her father’s professional footsteps, is an unseen third character in the play.

Also figuring prominently in the drama is the fact that Freud is suffering from inoperable oral cancer and plans to end his life when he can’t stand the pain anymore. Lewis tells him that suicide would be a selfish act, but Freud died only 20 days later from fatal doses of morphine.

Although the play is mostly all conversation on weighty subjects, it has some elements of humor, and director Stephen Wrentmore keeps the action flowing smoothly. The handsome set and complementary lighting are by Kent Dorsey, while the costumes are by Annie Smart. Sound designer Steve Schoenbeck deserves special praise for effects ranging from a barking dog to scary air raid sirens, overhead planes and snatches of radio speeches by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and King George VI.

Both actors are outstanding in this Bay Area premiere. Evett as Lewis goes through a range of emotions as the conversation veers from areas where he’s comfortable to personal topics he’d rather not discuss.

Flynn successfully masters the greater challenge in portraying Freud as a stooped, stiff, sometimes pain-wracked man whose mind and powers of observation remain sharp. It’s a bravura performance in this talky, intellectual play about an imagined meeting.

“Freud’s Last Session” will continue at San Jose Repertory Theatre in downtown San Jose through Nov. 4. Call (408) 367-7255 or visit www.SJRep.com.