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Aug 04 2015
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‘Demetrius Unbound (or the Homeric Midlife Crisis)’: a review by Victor Cordell

By Victor Cordell

A Farcical Take on the Mistakes We Make in Life

To contextualize Soren Oliver’s “Demetrius Unbound (or the Homeric Midlife Crisis)”, those familiar with Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” will remember this title character as one of the four lovers subjected to Puck’s pixie dust.  Thus, Demetrius was tricked into marrying Helena, rather than Hermia, whose father had committed to Demetrius.

Our story picks up twenty years on in ancient Athens, when we learn that as chicken supplier to King Theseus, Demetrius is “Lord of the Fowl”, which designation becomes fodder for several plays on words.  Trapped in a comfortable, but loveless marriage, he learns of the con that led to his marriage and uses that revelation to divorce Helena and pursue Hermia, a quest that leads to complicating intersections.

The concept of this farce is clever, and the script has many moments.  But which parts seem to work may depend on the viewer’s preference for spoof versus satire versus wit, each of which abound.  A classic door-slamming sequence is well choreographed, but the set undermined the comedic impact as actors blast through one flimsy door and three curtains.

The story line is clear, but unevenness and lack of focus mark the production.  Much of Act 1 deals with the apparent infliction of a succubus upon Demetrius and his attempt to resolve it.  The remainder of the play deals more with the impacts of decisions that characters have made and the rearrangement of relationships among them, with some unexpected and humorous outcomes.

The play is populated with ancient practices, having Greek and Shakespearian references that many will enjoy.   But there is an interesting overlay of modern attitudes and values that we Californians can relate to.  Along the way, humorous anachronisms are introduced concerning health care coverage, computational technology, abusive banking, and the hard-for-the-playwright-to-resist, Nike footwear, swoosh and all.  The inclusion of modern day feminism, transgenderism, and immigrant labor give more spine and purpose to the humor.  However, the instrumentalized Motown music that plays during the scene changes is one modern element that escapes me, though I did find myself humming along to the tunes.

“Demetrius Unbound….”  is the inaugural production of Bare Flag Theatre, and the company has attracted a largely Actor’s Equity cast, most of whom have dual roles.  Each actor rises to the occasion, though some interactions between them are not as crisp as they could be.  Stacy Ross plays Helena with the brightness and sense of clarity that she seems to bring to every role she plays.  In grittier roles as Hermia and Pythia, Delia MacDougal also shines, while Gendell Hernandez’s Puck is a frenetic whirlwind of action.

The surprise performance comes from our Demetrius – the playwright, Soren Oliver, himself.  The company lost it’s lead actor one week before opening, and fortunately, Oliver also acts and already knew the lines fairly well.  He is well suited and comports himself with aplomb in the central and one of the most comic roles in the play.  The other actors deserve recognition – Robert Sicular, Dodds Delzell, Jordan Winer, and Molly Benson, all of whom performed well.

As many world premiers this work may not have its final polish, but it is thoughtful; produces many laughs; and will likely improve over the run.  Possibly with a few tweeks it will satisfy an even larger audience.

Demetrius Unbound (or the Homeric Midlife Crisis) plays at the Live Oak Theater in Berkeley through August 22.

Aug 01 2015
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“Yesterday Again” at 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa & Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa

By Greg & Suzanne Angeo

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC)

Photos by Eric Chazankin

 

The past is never dead. It’s not even past.

— From “Requiem for a Nun”, Act I, Scene III, by William Faulkner

 

Lucy London, Jack Wolff

 

Local playwright/wunderkind Dezi Gallegos was certainly off to a good start in his career. He knew even before he could write that he wanted to tell stories. And by his early teens he had accomplished what many writers can only dream of: he co-wrote an award-winning play that was published and performed off-Broadway, “Prop 8 Love Stories”. He’s perhaps best known to Sonoma County theatregoers for yet another award-winning original work, “Hamlet’s Orphans”, which he wrote while still in high school. For this, he received the inaugural Annette Lust Award for Potential and Promise in Theatre at this year’s SFBATCC Awards Gala.

 

Barry Martin, Lucy London

Now 19 and a student at the University of Southern California studying film and TV production, he’s back at it with his latest, “Yesterday Again”. It’s a haunting, bittersweet love story with a brilliantly unique concept. This new effort has a “mini-rolling” world premiere at 6th Street Playhouse’s Studio Theater in Santa Rosa, rolling on to finish its run at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa.Director Sheri Lee Miller (with a commendable assist from Gallegos and stage manager/co-producer Natalie Herman) makes good use of the vignettes that are so integral to the story. It centers on Eric and Bella, close childhood friends who lose touch with each other as very young teens after things get too hot and heavy between them and their parents find out. Circumstances lead them down separate but strangely parallel paths. The set by Vincent Mothersbaugh is divided into four distinct time capsules, with different actors representing each character as their past, present and future selves. Some of these temporal zones have the actors performing simultaneously in all three of the characters’ life stages, an interesting effect. And there’s a phantom in their midst, but we don’t know it until the very end – a very tasty red herring.

Craig Miller, Alyssa Jirrels

Lucy London and Jack Wolff play the tween-aged Bella and Eric with great charm and poignancy. Their college-age selves are capably portrayed by Olivia Marie Rooney and Isaac Jay. As the mature Eric, 6th Street’s Artistic Director Craig Miller offers a touching, earnest performance. He’s joined by Alyssa Jirrels, noteworthy as Jamie, a young student he’s tutoring. Sharia Pierce is superb, displaying the bitter disappointment of Bella’s later years. John Browning gives a strong performance as Bella’s slightly creepy husband Mark. Barry Martin, co-founder of Lucky Penny Productions, delivers a vivid, heartbreaking Rick, her ultra-conservative and overbearing father, in sharp contrast to her weak and timid mother Lisa, played by Pam Koppel.

Sharia Pierce

 

“Yesterday Again” is ambitious, with a complex story and characters dealing with very mature subject matter. It also has a lot to say. Like, the best of intentions can have bad consequences. Or, you don’t always know how important you are to someone until it’s too late. It also asks important questions: Are we predestined to keep making the same mistakes throughout our lives? Are we at the mercy of unconscious choices we make based on past experiences, or can we take control and change our direction?The show has good bones, with just a few ragged holes in the storytelling itself (unclear choices and motives, under-developed characters, uneven transitions). It occasionally wanders into soap opera territory but finds its way out again, sometimes with extraordinary results. It also was under-rehearsed in its opening weekend and remains a work in progress, but a little polish will make this diamond-in-the-rough a real gem.

When: Now through August 2 (6th Street) & August 16 (Lucky Penny)

8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:00 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $15 to $25

Locations: Studio Theater at 6th Street Playhouse (through August 2)

52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa CA
Phone: 707-523-4185

Website: www.6thstreetplayhouse.com

 

Lucky Penny Community Arts Center (August 7 – 16)

1758 Industrial Way, Suites 204-209

Napa, CA

707-266-6305

www.luckypennynapa.com

 

 

Jul 29 2015
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Detroit Gets the Gears Right

By Test Review

A 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Detroit is as humorous as it is sharp. With tight writing by Lisa D’Amour (Airline Highway), the critically acclaimed play skillfully tangles the lives of aseemingly responsible older couple and a younger, more careless pair. Josh Costello ably directs Aurora Theater’s production in Berkeley, which leaves some in the audience diffident at best.

A friendly BBQ serves as a façade to the wreckage ahead in this well-structured expose’ on American life that shows just how distrusting people should be of others during oppressive economic times. At the outset, Ben (Jeff Garrett) and Mary (Amy Resnick) are a sharply drawn lower-middle class couple who fire up the grill for an All-American BBQ to welcome Sharon (Luisa Frasconi) and Kenny (Patrick Jones), a couple of drifters who move into the house next door — sans furniture.

As the neighborhood foursome bonds over backyard barbecues, remembered dreams and helping hands, their neighborly connection gets personal and accelerates into unanticipated directions, which threatens to ignite more than just their friendship.

Jeff Garrett is a Dick Van Dyke clone—with loose limbs, a rubbery face, and impeccable comedic timing. Even when the play’s focus is elsewhere, his impressive and adept listening and reactionary skills command attention. While most actors simply wait for their turn to speak, Mr. Garrett has truly mastered the art of active listening. Luisa Frasconi is, well, simply an amazing talent in bloom. It takes no stretch of the imagination to say that, one day, in the not-too-distant-future, we will all be paying large sums to see this funny, gifted lady work. Patrick Jones and Amy Resnick are solid performers.

Mr. Costello’s direction takes full advantage of the intimate space that is Aurora Theater’s main stage. His stage pictures are well-chosen, and his blocking, which can be tricky in a thrust environment like Aurora’s, almost always works smoothly.

The lighting design by Kurt Landisman is precise and skillful, at times even approaching ingenious. While most of the production is set outside the house, his clever lighting effects, used to light the interior during the tumultuous conclusion, are simple but very powerful. Using light to emphasize the denouement of Detroit is a bold choice that pays off in huge dividends.

Mikiko Uesugi’s set design masterfully takes advantage of the postage stamp stage. The attractive, solid and spare set could be a lesson in space economization for other designers. Uesui’s set construction — a wholly underappreciated aspect of live theater– was professional and well done. Theater carpenters, set construction staff, and set designers: this production is a shining example of design and handiwork.

The modern-day costumes by Christine Crook are perfect for the urban setting and complement the actors and the script.

The work backstage is deftly navigated. Set changes are flawless. Special marks go to the small backstage crew who not only maneuver what must be a chaotic backstage, but also who help the actors effect costume changes in the blink-of-an-eye, and under enormous performance pressure.

Daniel Banato resists the urge, too common in contemporary theater, to present the audience with a prop-laden set. Mr. Banato’s choices are largely complementary. His top-shelf props for the iterative grilling action are creative.

As pivotal to the plot as food and drink are, the clear sight of plastic props in lieu of legitimate consumables is an eye sore. While some productions get away with fabricated food and beverage, this piece demands the consumption of real, genuine food and ditto for the beverages which figure so prominently in the story.

Cliff Caruthers deserves special note for his very personal sound design. From subtle sound effects to music he specially produced for Detroit, Caruthers gives audiences something they rarely get today in a dramatic comedy, a well thought-out, carefully-considered and crisply rendered sound design—four stars for Mr. Caruthers.

Wesley Apfel’s stage management was tight, effective, and well executed. With as many moving parts as this production has, it’s clear Apfel’s presence and skill are in demand backstage.

Detroit’s greatest strengths lie in its technical aspects. From direction and stage management to lighting and sound, and from costumes and props to set design and construction, Aurora Theater’s production is a winner. It’s a real master class in technical artistry of contemporary theater.

Detroit ends its extended run on Sunday July 26, 2015. Tickets are available by phone on (510) 843-4822, online at www.auroratheater.org, or in person at the Aurora Theater Box Office, 2081 Addison St., in Berkeley.

Mr. Kris Neely is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle. A director who earned an SFBATCC Best Director award (2012, ‘Lend Me a Tenor’, Ross Valley Players), his commentaries are focused, primarily, on the production, direction, and technical aspects of Theater.

Jul 28 2015
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Funny things happen in Foothill’s ‘Forum’

By Judy Richter

The 1962 Broadway hit “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was the first musical for which Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and lyrics.

Much of his unique style can be heard as Foothill Music Theatre presents this show, based on farces by an ancient Roman, Plautus (254-184 B.C.).

Because it’s a farce and because it has Sondheim’s music and lyrics, it’s a challenge both dramatically and musically. Thanks to canny direction by Milissa Carey and Michael Ryken, who also choreographed the show, the comedic aspects work well.

Some of the singing isn’t quite as successful, but musical director Katie Coleman has made sure that excellent diction makes the intricate lyrics clear.

The show opens with a great introductory song, “Comedy Tonight,” featuring the central character, Pseudolus (Doug Santana), a Roman slave around 200 B.C.

Pseudolus desires his freedom, but in order to secure it, he must help his master, Hero (Anthony Stephens), win over the beautiful new woman whom he has seen on the balcony of neighbor Marcus Lycus (Ray D’Ambrosio), a keeper of courtesans.

However, the woman, Philia (Jessica Whittemore), has already been sold to a blustering general, Miles Gloriosus (Scotty Shoemaker), who’s due soon in Rome.

Other subplots arise in the book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, several of them due to mistaken identities. All of these complications require Pseudolus to think quickly, which he does.

Santana does an excellent job with this balancing act. Others who contribute to the fun are Todd Wright as Senex, Hero’s would-be philandering father; Jenifer Tice as his mother, Domina; and Mike Meadors as Hysterium, one of their slaves.

Then there are the courtesans, who have the most challenging of Ryken’s choreography. They are Vanessa Alvarez as Tintintabula, Evelyn Chan as Panacea, Sarah Hammer and Cami Jackson as the Geminae and Sara-Grace Kelly as Gymnasia.

Many of Pseudolus’s antics are witnessed by the Proteans: Jason Engelman, Marc Gonzalez and Kevin Reid.

The set is by Kuo-Hao Lo, the lighting by Michael Ramsaur, the outstanding costumes by Robert Horek and sound by Andrew Heller.

Running about two hours with one intermission, it’s an enjoyable show.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will continue in Foothill College’s Smithwick Theatre, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos, through Aug. 9. For tickets and information, call (650) 949-7360 or visit www.foothillmusicals.com.

 

Jul 27 2015
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Madness on Madrona Drive

By Charles Jarrett, Go See

Sometimes, a very silly comedy that moves very quickly and does not require much contemplation of how ludicrous the plot actually is, can provide a delightful evening of entertainment. Such is the case of Madness on Madrona Drive, the delightfully funny comedy by Louis Flynn that opened this past weekend in the Orinda Starlight Theater in the Orinda Community Center Park.

As this play opens, quirky homeowner Louise Mc Hough (Maureen-Theresa Williams), is assisting her daughter, Mary (Virginia Blanco), to prepare for her wedding nuptials with a professional wedding planner, Helen Henderson (Betsy White) in her home. Even though the discussion should be entirely about the plans for Mary’s forthcoming wedding, the household, including housekeeper Millie (Susan England), is all excited with the recent revelation that their neighbor is a well known gangster.   In addition, an incident occurred a day earlier, where-in that same neighbor had purportedly had to vacate his house quickly due to suspicions that his life might be in danger. Mrs. Mc Hugh is a woman who envisions herself being the focus of attention and is thrilled that she might be interviewed by the local media, seeking information about her nefarious neighbor.

MR. TRAVERS (Ken Sollazzo, left) keeps a watchful eye as Louise (Maureen-Theresa Williams) tries to explain things to her brother (Al Guaraglia as Frank) in the Orinda Starlight production of “Madness on Madrona Drive,” at the Orinda Community Park amphitheater through Aug. 15.
Charles Jarrett photo

In the midst of the excitement and curiosity surrounding the reports of suspicious people coming and going from the neighbor’s house across the street, a disgruntled senior newspaper delivery person, Jimmy McMann (Tom Westlake), arrives at the Mc Hough house demanding payment for past due newspaper delivery service.  A confrontation ensues between Mc Hough and Jimmy brought about by Mrs. Mc Hough’s chiding of Jimmy over the newspaper’s content. Jimmy goes on to explain that his newspaper is a “family” newspaper that does not dwell on all the yellow journalism that Mc Hough seems to prefer reading about.

In the midst of all the discussions relating to the wedding preparations being made, another gentleman, Mr. Travers (Ken Sollazzo), unexpectedly  arrives early, stating that he is the father of the groom, whom Mrs. Mc Hough has never met.  At this time, the Bride-to-be, Mary, heads out to do some shopping for wedding party decorations and other essential wedding items.

Millie, the housekeeper, subsequentlyadvises Mrs. Mc Hough that there is a telephone repairman up on the roof.  Mrs. Mc Hough states that she was not aware that anything was wrong with the telephone, nor that there was any repair necessary. In short order, the repairman (identified as “Dick” on his coveralls (played by Ryan Terry), falls from the roof into the backyard from a ladder.  Mrs. Mc Hough questions the inept repairman as to who called for phone repair service and questions what repairs he has made, receiving answers that make little or no sense, setting the idea in her mind that something unbelievably criminal is about to take place in her beautiful, mid – 70’s style West coast neighborhood. Suddenly, she discovers that her guests, the telephone repairman, the purported father-in-law, and the wedding planner, are not who they claim to be, but in reality are an inept hit-man team out to do in the crime-boss across the street.

The frightened but now cocky and emboldened Mrs. Mc Hough decides that she is not going to let the bad guys “take care” of the criminal boss neighbor and she begins to think of ways that she can spoil their plans. Unfortunately, each and every one of her plans fall apart almost as quickly as they are conceived. Her brother, the Reverend Frank Fitzgerald (S.J. Al Guaraglia) arrives at the house and is also held captive by the bad guys. Mrs. Mc Hough enrolls her none-too-anxious brother into her plans to thwart the bad-guys. A short time later, one of her friends, Florabel (Kelly Hansen), stops by the house and almost finds herself an unwitting assistant to Mrs. Mc Hough’s plans. The plans and counter plans hatched by the criminals and the household of wanna-be heroes become a series of kooky failure prone disasters, all guaranteed to keep you laughing. There are several more contributing actors including a policeman played by Dan Phillips and a newspaper reporter, Mr. Harris (Bill Chessman) who add to the chaos and levity. The costumes are equally outrageous but quite appropriate for the hippie west coast setting of this fun-filled play.

The acting is really very good, making the cartoon like characters in the crime spoof very enjoyable. The set isoutrageously fitted in 60’s -70’s decor, bringing back a vivid memory of the lava-lamp, space flavored wall clocks and shocking color combinations of the 1970’s in which the event occurs.

Madness on Madrona Drive is a delightful community theater comedy and continues Fridays and Saturdays through August 15th, with one Sunday performance on August 9th at 4 pm and on Thursday, August 13th at 8 pm. Tickets are a very reasonable $16 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. The theater is the amphitheater in the Orinda Community Center Park adjacent to the Orinda Community Center and Library at 26 Orinda Way. Be sure to dress in layers because this is an outdoor facility and is subject to the fog that occasionally rolls over the Oakland/Orinda hills into the community center area. For more information, call (925) 528-9225 or check out their web site at www.orsvp.org or contact them by email the company at info.orsvp.org.

Jul 26 2015
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Dance of the Holy Ghosts – a Play on Memory: a review by Victor Cordell

By Victor Cordell

Oakland-reared playwright Marcus Gardley has impressed the Bay Area theater community with his well-received “And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi” and “Head of Passes”.  Currently, Oakland’s Ubuntu Theater Project offers his first produced play “Dance of the Holy Ghosts – a Play on Memory”.  Appropriately, the play is being performed at Oakland City Church.

Vic’s [rating: 4]

Keith Wallace, Candace Thomas

The central character is Oscar Clifton, a live-alone, self-indulgent, 72 year old.  While laid-back, Oscar is a man of passions – a guitarist by trade, a skirt chaser by nature, and a chess player by pastime.  His life’s moments are recorded in a book of memories, which acts as a reference source for a time-layered reflection of significant periods of his adult family life.  Oscar is deftly played by Keith Wallace, who exudes the charm, irritability, and irresponsibility of the character.

Oscar’s current nemesis is his grandson, Marcus G., and it is hard to ignore the playwright’s choice of name for this character. William Thomas Hodgson plays Marcus through various ages and, like Wallace, without the benefit of makeup changes.  He, too, is very convincing in his portrayal, moving back and forth from the fourth grade through adulthood.  His spotty relationship with his grandfather swings from domineered to demanding, and Hodgson commands the emotional tenor of each age well.

The key events in Oscar’s life center around relationship conflicts with his long estranged wife Viola and daughter Darlene, adeptly played by Candace Thomas and Megan Wells, respectively.  Oscar is a recurring disappointment to the women in his life who want to rely on him and love him.

Rounding out a fine cast of principal actors is Halili Knox, listed in the program as “Woman of Wisdom”.  As an apparition reading stage directions and narrative transitions, she provides an authoritative presence.  The proceedings are punctuated with rhythmic original music and dance of both black American and Swahili origin, delivered by an always present lively choir that rings or fronts the stage.

Ubuntu is using site-specific locations for their current season, and the ambiance created by the church setting is suited to this work.  The scope for staging and lighting is somewhat restricted, but the bare bones setting is appropriate, and the choir, informally draped around the stage largely substitutes as a set.

Two versions of this play have been produced, the original (with a three hour running time) and a 40-minute shorter revision.  In consultation with the playwright, Ubuntu is performing the original.  Although most all vignettes are engaging, not all are essential to the dramatic arc.  In particular, a long episode concerning Marcus G. interacting with his fourth grade classmates is superfluous.  One can hypothesize that Gardley is loath to relinquish something that he had invested effort in or that retaining this episode is a way to give a meatier role to attract an equity actor.  And it is true that Hodgson stretches his acting chops with this scene, but it is a drag on the play’s momentum.  Although the singing and dancing add considerable color, they provide sense rather than meaning and could also be reduced by a third without loss.

All things considered, this is the kind of work that deserves an audience, and hopefully it will attract regular theater lovers as well as underserved communities.  Kudos to director Michael Socrates Moran for demonstrating that rewarding theater can come from very limited resources.

“Dance of the Holy Ghosts – a Play on Memory”

Through August 2

Oakland City Church
2735 MacArthur Blvd
Oakland, CA  94602

www.ubuntutheaterproject.com

Victor Cordell
July 25, 2015

 

 

Jul 23 2015
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The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art in Daytona Beach, Florida

By Test Review

The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art in Daytona Beach, Florida, features oil and watercolor paintings that tell of the cultural, geographic and natural history of Florida.

A BUILDING FOR HURRICANE COUNTRY. RLF Architects of Orlando and Bomar Construction, Inc. of Ormond Beach kept the look of the museum natural to Florida, while building it to withstand the extreme weather conditions possible in Central Florida. Architect Tom DeSimone, who served as RLF’s Project Architect for the museum, said, “The Browns’ art collection was absolutely the inspiration for the design of the building; utilizing covered porches with ceiling fans and gabled metal roofs to recall the simple, yet elegant architecture of early Florida, while balancing this with a modern sensibility, safety and sustainability for the art collection itself. The building also has state of the art lighting controls to maintain optimal lighting levels (footcandles) for viewing while preserving the art from damage, so this unique collection will continue to serve to educate our community about Florida’s history for future generations.” In the event of a hurricane or other sustained loss of power, the museum has been designed to remain operational for several days, powered by its own dedicated generator, and in case of a complete power outage artwork can be transferred for storage inside the museum to prevent damage from changes in humidity or temperature.

A VISUAL VISIT TO FLORIDA’S PAST: THE COLLECTORS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. Commenting on their collection, the Browns said, “It is a thrill for us to be able to share what we have developed with others who will make their own bonds to these works. We know that the paintings are a visual treat, but for many who have visited or lived in the state, the subjects will renew wonderful associations with the places depicted. Additionally, since many of the images presented in the collection are 19th-century paintings of places and things that no longer exist – viewing and contemplating them is a visual visit to Florida’s historical and colorful past.”

MUSEUM PARTICULARS: The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art is located at 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. The museum is set within native grasses, magnolias, oaks and cypress trees which complement heritage trees that were preserved throughout the construction process and incorporated into the site’s design. More information about the museum may be found at www.moas.org/ciciandhyattbrownmuseum.html.

Museum gotta see ‘um
June 27, 2015, 05:00 AM By Susan Cohn Daily Journal

Susan Cohn is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association, Bay Area Travel Writers, and the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association. She may be reached at susan@smdailyjournal.com. More of her features may be found at ifwtwa.org/author/susan-cohn.

Jul 22 2015
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Community theater’s musical ‘Pirates’ defies logic but enchants, amuses

By Woody Weingarten

[Woody’s [rating: 5]

Norman A. Hall portrays a blustery Major-General Stanley in “The Pirates of Penzance.” Photo by Robin Jackson.

Phillip Percy Williams plays a swashbuckling Pirate King in “The Pirates of Penzance.” Photo by Robin Jackson.

Jim Dunn’s retired from directing colossal musicals for The Mountain Play in Mill Valley.

But he hasn’t quit doing them elsewhere.

Exquisitely.

Need proof? Check out the Ross Valley Players’ production of “The Pirates of Penzance” at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross.

The company’s professionalism, congeniality-packed presentation, and mastery of the 136-year-old musical comedy/light opera may raise your perception of community-theater.

It did mine.

I’d expected it to be fun, but I hadn’t imagined it to be as impressive as it is.

This two-hour show’s as good as anything anywhere in the Bay Area.

Some folks may be more familiar with Capt. Hook’s crew, from this summer’s “Peter Pan” Mountain Play, or Johnny Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise, or, for that matter, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But Gilbert & Sullivan’s tender-hearted pirates, I believe, are funnier.

And more enchanting.

Even though their actions defy logic and common sense.

It’s almost impossible to watch the 22 performers spilling over the stage at The Barn, the RVP’s home, without feeling good.

Especially when the dainty daughters of Major-General Stanley prissily twirl their parasols, the bobbleheaded British bobbies stumble and bumble like Keystone Cops, or the decidedly un-menacing pirates engage in unison foot-stomping — all courtesy of imaginative choreographer Sandra Tanner.

Most audience members grinned from the first lines of the first number past the final curtain.

Like me.

Before the show, Dunn admitted to early birds he chose the show mainly because it was in the public domain, which meant the RVR wouldn’t have to pay royalties (as it would most modern musicals).

But he also informed one woman that, in contrast to the vulgar “Book of Mormon” he’d recently caught, he loved “Pirates” because of its old-fashioned innocence and it being a crowd-pleasing summer diversion.

Dainty daughters of Major-General Stanley in Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” include (from left) Kathryn McGeorge, Dana Cherry, Katie Sorensen, Chloe Hunwick and Arden Klizer. Photo by Robin Jackson.

In my view — one that dates back 70 years to a time when my father introduced me to the frenzied rhythms and lyrics of Gilbert & Sullivan, whose sprightliness and cleverness dad relished — Dunn utilizes his own fondness for G&S to inject a comedic music-hall over-the-topness that works extraordinarily well.

His direction, especially turning minor details into major laughs, is brilliant — as might be anticipated from an 83-year-old who’s been directing and teaching theater arts for half a century.

Everything works.

Even having two couples seated in extra-fee boxes on stage and waving teeny Union Jacks.

The cast as a whole is uncommonly good.

In a word: superb.

But several are even better than that: Norman A. Hall’s Major-General Stanley is letter perfect, setting a sky-high bar for other comic performers. Phillip Percy Williams’ Pirate King weaves exaggeration and energy into a smile-inducing, ideal blend. And Joni DeGabriele magnificently flaunts her coloratura, fancifully flutters her eyelashes and unsubtly scrunches up her face as Mabel, wannabe bride.

They’re all accompanied by the piano talent of Music Director Paul Smith, who, from the first note of the overture to the last note of the show, keeps well within the parameters of feel-good.

All that’s amazingly supplemented by the classic, colorful costumes of Michael A. Berg and the enchantingly spare but picturesque sets by Ron Krempetz.

The irrational plot finds Frederic mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until age 21 by his nurse. But because he was born on Leap Year’s Day, he’s stuck for an extra 63 years — despite having fallen for Mabel, daughter of Major-General Stanley. The pirates are sympathetic to orphans, so all who run afoul of them claim they’re orphans — including Stanley. Pirates pursue Stanley’s daughters. Police pursue pirates.

It all ends with everything in harmony — or in unison, if you prefer accuracy.

The best of the 28 musical numbers are — as always — the rollicking “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” and “The Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One.”

Nitpickers may gripe about some British accents coming and going like the tide off the shore of Cornwall, the play’s setting, or the old theater’s lack of air conditioning.

Clearly, their joy-ometer is off.

I spied no children in the audience opening night. A pity. Kids would undoubtedly find the frisky silliness to their liking.

As did the child in me.

“Pirates of Penzance” will run at The Barn, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, through Aug. 16. Night performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Matinees, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $17-$33. Information: (415) 456-9555 or www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Contact Woody Weingarten at www.vitalitypress.com/ or voodee@sbcglobal.net

 

Jul 22 2015
Love0

Unique Berkeley Rep show faces racial conflicts but may miss mark

By Woody Weingarten

[Woody’s [rating: 3]

Anna Deavere Smith portrays Johns Hopkins research Professor Robert Balfanz and many other characters in “Notes from the Field.” Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.

Anna Deavere Smith beat the odds — and became a theatrical powerhouse.

Despite being an African-American, despite writing one-woman shows with multivarious characters all played by Anna Deavere Smith, despite staging controversial in-your-face portraits of racial conflict.

Now she’s battling the odds again.

But is likely to fail.

In the unique Berkeley Rep’s “Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education,” she takes on the entire American educational system and its undermining attitude toward poor people of color.

It simply may be too wide a target.

The experimental piece — part drama, part audience participation — covers dense terrain and poses tons of questions.

But it provides only amorphous answers.

I kept waiting for a specificity that never came.

Part of Smith’s “Pipeline Project,” which is seeking to alter school-to-prison practices she contends have decimated the future of a generation, “Notes” is based on 150 interviews she conducted.

In sub-divided sections of an 80-minute first act, she impersonates a riot videographer, an Oakland mentor, a Stockton councilman, a Stanford shrink, UCLA and Johns Hopkins professors, a protestor from Baltimore (where the playwright-performer was born), a Native American ex-con, an emotional support counselor and a high school principal — plus a Philadelphia judge who cried when sentencing a young man because society also was guilty.

She recreates the individuals’ stories precisely as told to her.

That, according to a National Endowment for the Humanities website profile, means “complete with false starts, coughs, laughter, and so on…‘If they said ‘um’…I don’t take the ‘um’ out.’

As in the 64-year-old’s previous shows, Smith’s performance is phenomenally good.

Although her olive drab jacket/shirt and dark pants stay put, she changes personalities by altering facial expressions, verbal pace and timbre — and footwear.

Projected film clips of cops beating blacks and of rioting underline the painful pleas of her portrayal of youngsters being forced into the criminal justice system, of white officials who find few alternatives.

I found it depressing.

But not as disheartening as the ostensibly novel audience breakout sessions about which in a pre-show briefing Susan Medak, Rep managing director, said, “You are the second act.”

The mostly white 23-member group I attended — one of 20 clusters in all — just didn’t come alive.

Its discussion was buried in idealistic but impractical notions, though the writing pads we’d been given carried the printed motto, “The change starts with you.”

Participants proffered suggestions to “move beyond our comfort zone,” “fight racism” and “stop police brutality” — without explaining how.

I had the distinct sense I was at a rally that couldn’t gel.

Smith, who labeled this special presentation “The California Chapter” and a “work in progress,” punctuates all the heaviness with humor.

The opening night audience chuckled accordingly.

If a bit uncomfortably.

It also appeared to dismiss Marcus Shelby’s plucky but sometimes sorrowful jazz bass accompaniment.

Smith, who’s probably best known for her TV roles on “Nurse Jackie” and “The West Wing,” initially gained fame through two early ‘90s documentary theater inventions, “Fires in the Mirror” and “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.”

The first, dealing with the Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn, earned her a Pulitzer Prize nomination.

The second, about the Rodney King verdict aftermath, won two Tony nods.

“Notes” is in effect a variation of the theme.

Smith, who won a MacArthur fellowship for blending theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and “intimate reverie,” believes she’s now delivered “a chance to reimagine and recreate a new war on poverty. Education is a crucial part of that.”

In a dramatic coda, she utilizes circa 1970 quotes from black writer James Baldwin that the problem is “the children and their children.”

Not that much, I guess, has changed.

Yet 45 years have passed.

Smith’s UCLA character adds a thought in “Notes.” The “biggest problem in our country,” he proclaims, “is indifference.”

Anna Deavere Smith’s latest magnum opus may be many things, but uncaring isn’t any of them.

“Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, the California Chapter” plays at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre‘s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley, through Aug. 2. Night performances, 8 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays through Fridays, 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Matinees, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets: $25 to $89, subject to change, (510) 647-2949 or www.berkeleyrep.org.

Contact Woody Weingarten at www.vitalitypress.com/ or voodee@sbcglobal.net