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Nov 10 2014
Love0

VIEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND

By Joe Cillo

ART IS GOING TO THE APES

An ape cannot speak about his art
Anymore than a monkey can discuss a his digestion.
Jacques Cocteau and Lynn Ruth

In the late sixties, a gorilla won the Modern Art competition at the Detroit Museum of Art. The animals’ owner put several tubes of paint and a blank canvas in the ape’s cage.  The furry artist, whom I shall call Sybil, stomped on the tubes of paint and smeared the colors on the canvas with her paws.  After an hour, she tired of dancing and began eating the tubes of paint.  Her owner pulled the canvas out of her cage, hosed Sybil down and was amazed at the finished canvas.   It reminded him of a combination of a Jackson Pollack with a smattering of Kandinsky, a dash of Picasso and traces of Klee.  When Sybil’s masterpiece dried, he varnished it, framed it and entered it in the museum’s competition.

To his delight, the painting won first prize.  He bought a jeweled collar for Sybil, pinned a pink ribbon in her hair and brought her to the award ceremony. It was a little dicey getting her in the front door  but the owner insisted she was a service animal  He managed to keep her from molesting the guests by feeding her bananas and bit of cadmium red. When they called his name to accept the award, Sybil joined him on stage.  He told the astounded judges that it was not he who created the masterpiece they so admired.  It was his Sybil.

Years later, I took a class with the fabulously talented realistic painter Joseph Sheppard and he told me that Sybil was indeed a magnificent talent.  Indeed, he had joined her in her cage a few years after her triumph to raise money for the museum.  Together they painted a still life that hangs now in that same museum.

Evidently, gorillas not only paint, but they know what they are painting. Sister and brother gorillas Michael and Koko were taught sign language.  As a result, Koko (the artist in the family) was able to explain to her curator Dr. Penny Patterson, that she had painted a bird.

Just this past month, word is out that a zoo in North Dakota is selling the artwork of its 275 pound orangutan named Tal. His paintings are so colorful that they literally fly off the wall.  The animal’s favorite color is yellow and often he eats as much of the paint as he smears on his canvases. “Could be because it looks like a banana,” said the zoo’s curator.

There is no doubt that creativity is fundamental in the ape psyche. The animals  love using crayons, pencils and finger paint although they prefer oils they can eat. Everyone knows that children have the same propensity to eat the colors they use to paint. I believe we can learn a lot from the apes and their ability to transform their creative efforts into funds that support their favorite institutions.  I propose that we exhibit and sell all the paintings from local kindergarten classes to pay for amenities in their schools.  Think of it! We would no longer have to pay taxes to support education!  Our kindergartners would finance the system for us…and who knows?  There might be enough money left to reward the young artists with a few bananas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov 10 2014
Love0

VIEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND

By Joe Cillo

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

Politeness; The most acceptable hypocrisy.
Ambrose Bierce

British men are the politest animals in the universe.  The first thing they ask you is “Are you all right?” and, if you are an innocent, you believe they really want to know. They seem so caring, so mild, so…so sweet.  But underneath that proper façade, lurks suppressed anger, aggression and hatred boiling about, absolutely aching to let off steam.  Just ask any woman over 14.  She knows.  She has seen it.  She has defended herself against it. And she has won.

Obviously, male testosterone and animal aggression are at an all time high universally in this century.  In Spain, chastity belts are a way of life. In Greece,…well…we all know what those men do to a woman. In Britain, however all that hormonal activity  is repressed and re-channeled.

That is why the crime rate for men in Britain has plummeted.  The male Brit is simply too proper for confrontation. In the UK, the very idea of murder is terribly upsetting. It is so messy.  The thought of assaulting someone on the street is repugnant to a real gentleman (and we all KNOW how correct an Englishman must appear).  It might stain your shirt or even worse…leave a bruise.

Every woman in a heterosexual partnership can testify to the passive–aggressive garbage they must ignore every day (for they too are very PC.)  For example, it is a well-known fact that a man will always call you darling before he hits you.  Always.  It is the way it is done.

The truth is that any fellow who is British in bed, will always apologize and we women know why. We watch pornography, too.   In fact, although the maternal instinct is very strong, most women would prefer that their partner was not present at the conception of their children.  They always hope for a French intervention…or even an Italian one.  Those men don’t bother with protocol.  They just get in there and get the job done.

No full-blooded Englishman ever actually leaves his wife. That explains those tortuous 40-year alliances that drag on and on plodding through rearing the children, indulging the grand kids and going on cruises to ease the boredom of it all.   A real Englishman stays with his spouse and ignores for her for so long, that she is forced to leave to preserve her sanity.  Clever fellows!  That is how THEY become the injured one.

Besides, as every male knows, it is foolhardy to walk out of a partnership until he has found himself a proper house cleaner and a hot young thing for recreation.

The fact is that English MEN have a sense of entitlement that women must accept.  They get it from their mothers.  They know how to push the right buttons to make women and children indulge them and juries excuse their behavior.

The buttons they push these days are on their smart phones and their I-pads.  Men in this country are addicted to online bullying and misanthropic tweeting. It doesn’t leave a scar.  It is not unusual for a hard working woman, to slave away for 8 hours at the office, gallop to Lidl (she knows where to find the bargains) on the way home, Hoover the house as she charges through it to the kitchen to make a healthy stir fry for the children while her partner is belching quietly and watching television in the parlor, scratching his private parts.  As she tosses the pasta into the drainer and chops the garlic, she will inevitably hear a beep from her phone, glance at it and see a picture of a hot pair of baubles with a cryptic note:  “Why aren’t yours like this?”

Women are not bothered by all this foolishness.  After all, we can multi-task.  Don’t think you guys are the only ones with secrets.  Women always have the final say when it comes to any connection with a man.  We know how to say no.

 

 

Nov 10 2014
Love0

VIEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND

By Joe Cillo

A HUG IN TIME

A hug is the perfect gift- one size fits all
and nobody minds if you exchange it.
Irvin Ball

A very young man in our Midwest was expelled from school for hugging his teacher.  The administration explained that his gesture of affection was inappropriate.  The young man was 11 years old.

What a sad statement about an adult’s interpretation of a child’s spontaneous impulse.  That young man was not planning to pin a teacher 30 years his senior and twice his size against a wall and ravish her.  He was telling her, in the most wonderful way any human can, that she is a wonderful being to him.

I can think of no sweeter gift to receive than a hug …it says so much more than a kiss or fling between the sheets.  It says, “I love who you are and I want you to know that right now.”  It does NOT say, “You belong to me,” or “you need to live with me,” or “I need your body this minute.”  Not at all.

It does say, “You are so great at this moment in time that I need to hold you close and absorb some of your lovely, inspiring energy.”   What greater gift any anyone give another?

A few years ago, in Edinburgh I as walking down the street with an Englishman who had been such an immense help to me that I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you seemed so lame, so inadequate.   Suddenly, I knew that I had to hug him that very minute to show him that he was like a god to me….and  I did.  I dropped my packages and threw my arms around him and held him tight.

To my embarrassed surprise, he pushed me away.  At first, I was humiliated and angry, but I was puzzled as well.  I had no designs on him.  I had no thoughts of indulging in lascivious behavior in the middle of a busy Edinburgh street.  I was giving him the biggest compliment I knew how to give and he trampled on it.  And then I realized how sad it was that this poor fellow didn’t understand the power of an innocent hug.  He didn’t get that it is one of those human things we can do face to face.  It cannot be done on a cell phone or skype. A facebook post is simply not the same.  It doesn’t have the power…the intensity of feeling…. that a hug can give.

A hug has to be done person to person.  It is a gorgeous moment in time that transforms your world for just a tiny. beautiful second.  It is better than a vitamin, stronger than a shot of whisky and more lasting than any flower I could have pinned in that obtuse guy’s buttonhole.

I attributed his rejection to his being English until that next year when I came to Brighton and went down to the pier bearing a sign “HUG A GRANNY.”  Since everyone on the pier was English, I figured I would stand there, shivering and alone for five minutes and then rollup my invitation and go home.

Not so.

Within seconds, I was hugged by couples, mothers, teen agers, tiny children, a whole school of adolescents and three policemen who assured me I had made their day.  It might have been the sea air that loosened their inhibitions; it might have been that in Brighton we understand the value of a hug.  I am not sure what caused the avalanche of affection I received that memorable day.

What I do know is that I will never be afraid to hug anyone ever again…it is the best way I know to say “What a unique human being you are!” and if that person doesn’t hear me?  Well, I guess, if we were in America, he could expel me from school.  BUT if he lived in Brighton, he would hug me right back.

 

 

Nov 09 2014
Love0

CHICAGO the Musical lights up the Orpheum Stage

By Kedar K. Adour

The cast of Broadway’s CHICAGO.
Photo by Jeremy

CHICAGO, The Musical: Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. SHN Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market at Hyde Street, San Francisco.

www.shnsf.com  or 888-746-1799.  NOVEMBER 7 – 16, 2014

CHICAGO the Musical lights up the Orpheum Stage. [rating: 3]

When Chicago, The Musical burst onto the Broadway stage in 1976, the opening number “All That Jazz” had finger snapping Chita Rivera as Velma leading the ensemble. Her costars were Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart and Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn. The Tony Award winning 1997 revival was equally populated with stars including Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton. The not-to-be-out-done movie version included Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere. It was nominated for a slew of awards winning the Best Picture Award. In that movie, that is still fresh in the minds of many, accolades went to John C. Reilly as Amos Hart and Queen Latifah as Matron “Mama” Morton.

Following such an illustrious group of actors this national road show is at a disadvantage since their time on stage will be compared with the previous unforgettable performances. Even though most of the starring cast performs with class and superb energy the total evening was marred by second level characters that are designed to compliment the leads and add raucous humor to the proceedings.

Humor is paramount to the show since it is a satire of the judicial system and sad reflection on the prohibition era populous of Chicago that cheered for basically unsavory (but maybe loveable in a macabre sort of way) characters. The first baddy we meet in prison is Velma Kelly (Terra C. MacLeod) who murdered both her husband and her sister when she found them in bed together. She welcomes the audience singing and dancing (finger snapping) with “All That Jazz” and a great ensemble backup.

Next up we meet, married in name only to Amos (Jacob Keith Watson), Roxie Hart (Bianca Marroquin),  who pumps multiple bullets into her lover who is going to leave her. She is thrown into the hoosegow controlled by Matron “mama” Morton (Roz Ryan ) who, for the right price, can get the ‘girls’ anything they wish. “Mama”, despite the consternation of Zelma arranges for Roxie to be defended by notoriously successful handsome lawyer Billy Flynn (John O’Hurley).

Before that happens the ‘girls’ tell their stories in the hilarious grotesque “Cell Block Tango”.  Billy makes his gala entrance with a Busby Berkeley type dance number replete with huge white feathered fans manipulated by the girls in “All I Care About [is love]). The final main character is news/radio reporter Marry Sunshine (C. Newcomer) whose external personality is sung with “A Little Bit of Good.’

The story line is carried out in appropriately named songs with a plethora of energetic dances with Roxie and Velma physically intertwining with the ensemble keeping a fast and furious pace. In Act 2 there is another Billy/John O’Hurley production number with the girls that is the marvelous “Razzle Dazzle.” The penultimate dance of the evening by  our two female stars “Hot Honey Rag” allows you to leave the theatre with a bounce in your step.

Terra C. MacLeod’s Velma is really great and outshines Bianca Marroquin’s Roxie. Roz Ryan is miscast as Matron “mama” Morton and seems embarrassed in her duet with MacLeod of “Class.”  Jacob Keith Watson plays nerdy Amos to perfection but is misdirected in his solo “Mister Cellophane” that should be a show stopper. As for C. Newcomer as Mary Sunshine, all is not what it seems.

Even with all the caveats the show is well worth visiting or revisiting. The dancing, staging and lighting with the excellent 15 piece onstage band are excellent. Running time 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.

Cast: Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart, Terra C. MacLeod as Velma, John O’Hurley as Billy, Jacob Keith Watson as Amos, Roz Ryan as “Mama”, C. Newcomer as Mary Sunshine.

Artistic Staff:  Supervising Music Director, Rob Fisher; Music Director, Robert Billig

Scenic Design, John Lee Beatty; Costume Design, William Ivey Long; Lighting Design, Ken Billington; Sound Design, Scott Lehrer; Orchestrations  , Ralph Burns ; Dance Music Arrangements, Peter Howard; Choreographer Original New York Production, Ann Reinking, in the style of Bob Fosse; Re-creation of Original Production Choreography by David Bushman; Director Original New York Production, Walter Bobbie; Re-creation of Original Production, Direction by David Hyslop

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

 

Nov 07 2014
Love0

Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike at Main Stage West, Sebastopol CA

By Greg & Suzanne Angeo

Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo

Members, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle

 

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Of Hootie Pies and Voodoo Dolls in Bucks County, PA

Have no fear. This crisp and wickedly funny homage to the revered Russian writer Anton Chekhov,  by American playwright Christopher Durang, may be filled with references to themes in Chekhov’s work, but they are so cleverly interwoven into the story that you don’t even have to know Chekhov to enjoy the fun. And if you do, all the better. What’s more, it’s fresh. “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” just opened on Broadway last year and won the Tony Award for Best Play.

Main Stage West presents an outstanding ensemble piece that draws many a chuckle. The central characters, Vanya, Sonia and Masha, are siblings whose late parents were Chekhov devotees and named them accordingly. Their lives have unfolded in incredibly Chekhovian ways (including a cherry orchard which may not be a cherry orchard) with a little Greek tragedy is thrown in for good measure.

Madeleine Ashe (left), Elly Lichenstein

Vanya (Eric Thompson) and Sonia (Madeleine Ashe) have reached middle age existing in a sort of bubble. They spent most of their lives caring for their parents, who have recently died.  Their jet-setting sister Masha (Elly Lichenstein) has lived at the opposite extreme – she’s a glamorous movie star whose fame and fortune has supported her family. Now she’s swooped in from the coast with her much-younger boyfriend Spike (Tyler Costin), to remind everyone just how wonderful and important she is. All four are a steaming mass of insecurities.  Complicating matters further is a star-struck lovely young neighbor Nina (Ivy Rose Miller). Then the bell of doom sounds when their clairvoyant housekeeper Cassandra (Naomi Sample) delivers a solemn proclamation: beware of Hootie Pie.

As if that weren’t enough, Vanya has been secretly writing a play over the years, a post-apocalyptic  piece featuring talking molecules. The inevitable play-reading leads to a hilariously rambling stream-of-consciousness trip down memory lane by Vanya, reflecting bittersweet annoyance with cultural changes over the past 50 years and longing for the good old days of Howdy Doody.  “We used to lick postage stamps!” he exclaims, as if that’s the key to solving all the problems in the world today.

Naomi Sample

Thompson offers an excellent rendition of an aging, frustrated gay man pining for what he can’t have. Lichenstein shows remarkable versatility and is always a pleasant surprise, displaying real star power through Masha’s magnificent self-obsession. Sample is a real gem, a sparkling centerpiece of the show.  The way her Cassandra uses voodoo on Masha is one of the most hilarious scenes in the play. But the real revelation is that Ashe’s Sonia ends up as the life of the party by being someone else. If Masha is the wicked stepsister (disguised as Snow White), then Sonia is Cinderella (disguised as Dame Maggie Smith), and she may find her prince charming after all.

Costin as Spike is a departure from the typical casting for this role. Instead of a buffed-up beefcake, Spike’s wiry physique and relentless narcissism makes him seem all the more comical, and he plays it to the hilt. Miller as Nina gives a guileless, almost ethereal performance, and through her childlike innocence helps the unhappy siblings see the light.

Eric Thompson, Ivy Rose Miller

Sharp ensemble directing is by Sheri Lee Miller, with subtle details in movements and staging that serve as fluid support for the zany antics. The energy level drags a bit in some spots during the play-reading scene but loses none of its comic irony. As always, there’s an excellent set by David Lear, with soft pastels used in the scenic design that contrast nicely with the acerbic humor. Truly an ideal showcase for some of the best talent in Sonoma County, this is a very funny, original and unique production.

 

When: Now through November 16, 2014

8:00 p.m Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

5:00 p.m. Sundays

Tickets $15 to $25

Where: Main Stage West

104 North Main Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-0177

www.mainstagewest.com

Nov 07 2014
Love0

‘Testament’ sees Jesus through mother’s eyes

By Judy Richter

Throughout most of her 80 minutes on stage, Seana McKenna engages the minds and hearts of her American Conservatory Theater audience for “Testament” by Colm Tóibín.

Astutely directed by ACT artistic director Carey Perloff, this demanding one-woman play tells the story of Jesus from the viewpoint of his mother, Mary. In the play, however, her character is called the Woman, while she refers to Jesus as “our son.” She seems to refute the idea of the immaculate conception by saying she recalls quite well how her son was conceived.

Although the time and place aren’t specified in the program, Perloff says the stage directions call for “Place: A Space. Time: Now.” However, it appears that the Woman might be in the old Greek (now Turkish) city of Ephesus after the crucifixion of Jesus.

She is supervised by men she calls “two brutes” who have temporarily left and who want her to write her recollections in accord with their specifications, but she’s defying them. Her supervisors aren’t named, but perhaps they’re two of the four apostles who wrote the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Much of her story concentrates on the crucifixion, starting with Roman soldiers forcing Jesus to carry his cross to its destination while wearing the painful crown of thorns. She goes into excruciating detail about the process as well as the reprehensible behavior of some people in the crowd and the danger she was in.

Prior to the crucifixion, she talks about how her son became the leader of a group of radicals who were viewed askance by both the ruling Romans and the Jewish elders. She also mentions some of the miracles attributed to him, such as healing a lame man, turning water into wine (she’s doubtful about that) and raising Lazarus from the dead. Finally, she pays homage to the Greek gods, especially the goddess Artemis.

Except for a few early moments, “Testament” is a fascinating play with a riveting performance by McKenna.

She appears on a relatively simple set designed and lighted by Alexander V. Nichols. It has just a card table, two wood chairs and camp stool bordered by large shards of glass. The sound design by Will McCandless is unobtrusive yet effective at emphasizing key passages.

People who accept the biblical account of the life of Jesus might find this play offensive to their religious beliefs, but others will see it more as the story of a mother’s anguish at the cruel loss of her son.

“Testament” will continue at ACT, 415 Geary St., San Francisco, through Nov. 23. For tickets and information, call (415) 749-2229 or visit www.act-sf.org.

 

Nov 07 2014
Love0

An intriguing yet disconcerting TESTAMENT at A.C.T.

By Kedar K. Adour

Seana McKenna in A.C.T’s Testament.

TESTAMENT: Solo Drama play by Colm Tóibín. Directed by Carey Perloff. Starring Seana McKenna. American Conservatory Theater (ACT), 415 Geary St., San Francisco, CA. (415) 749-2228 or www.act-sf.org. October 23 – November 17, 2013.

An intriguing yet disconcerting TESTAMENT at A.C.T. [Rating:3]

There are many versions of the circumstances revolving around the crucifixion of Jesus and separating fact from fancy becomes disturbing if one wishes to search for the truth. The ‘truth’ of one tale conflicts with the ‘truth’ of many others and is influenced (if truth can influenced) by one’s religious or non-religious beliefs. In 2011 multitalented Colm Tóibín (novelist, journalist and playwright) wrote a novella “The Testament of Mary” that was converted into a one woman show presented in Dublin in 2011. A longer version of the play was presented on Broadway in 2013 and collaboratively reworked for this A.C.T. production.

Although the story teller is never named there is no doubt it is Mary mother of Jesus.  She is reiterating her ‘story’ about the details and meaning of the crucifixion while being influenced by zealots who wish her to relate the details in a manner that would further their aspirations. (“Witnesses will be needed.”) From this starting point the story is told by a grieving mother whose son, she cannot says his name, has died a horrible death and she plaintively asks how long does it take to die after crucifixion.

The ‘facts’ surrounding the life of Jesus beginning with his ‘unruly’ followers, the miracle of restoring health to a cripple, the converting water to wine and the resurrection of Lazarus are interwoven into the narrative that is descriptive of the mores of the time. As written by Tóibín Mary’s story is one of self-preservation to avoid ‘the strangler.” The incredulity in Seana McKenna’s voice with the questioning words “Son of God” and “King of the Jews” certainly will raise the hackles of devout Christians.

Imagery abounds throughout the 80 minutes of the play and McKenna’s delivery is a marvel but did not keep a seat mate sufficiently alert to stay awake. The ending is confusing when the ancient Roman god Artemis of Ephesus, is evoked before the lights go out on the nondescript set surrounded by shards of glass. Running time 80 minutes without intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

Nov 04 2014
Love0

THE BOY FRIEND a colorful splash by 42nd Street Moon

By Kedar K. Adour, Uncategorized

THE BOY FRIEND: Musical Satire Revue. Directed and Choreographed by Cindy Goldfield. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sandy Wilson. 42nd Street Moon, Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St., San Francisco. Box Office:  415/255-8207 or www.42ndstmoon.org. October 29 – November 16, 2014

THE BOY FRIEND a colorful splash by 42nd Street Moon [rating:3]

Welcome back Cindy Goldfield! Actually Cindy has not departed from the Bay Area but is back at the Eureka to helm the charming musical satire that introduced American audiences to Julie Andrews and started her career to stardom. It all began in London in 1953 when Sandy Wilson wrote a one act musical spoof to end all musical spoofs about the age of the flappers (1920s) that was so successful it was expanded to two acts and went on to be the most popular show of its time lasting for 2,078 performances. The 1954 Broadway run, produced by Cy Feur and Ernest Martin (Guys and Dolls and Can-Can) ran for 14 months and had a successful revival in 1970.

42nd Street Moon’s production has many of the ingredients needed to be a smash hit. There are Goldfield’s spot-on direction/choreography, colorful costumes (Yvonne Ortiz), excellent singers, marvelous songs, Dave Dobrusky’s fine piano accompaniment and some individual superb performances.  The problem seems to be in the casting. It is difficult to perceive the female ensemble as 18 year old finishing school debutantes and the French accents need polishing to become intelligible. It is unfair to be hypercritical since this revue is a spoof and broad acting is part of the genre.

 The action takes place in 1920 on the French Riviera mostly at Madame Dubonnet’s School for Young Ladies that include the protagonist Polly Browne (a fine Jennifer Mitchell) and classmates Masie, Dulcie, Faye and Nancy (Andrea St. Clair, Khalia Davis, Melissa Reinertson, Barbara Pond). Poor Polly, the daughter of a rich financier Percival (Paul Myrvhold) does not have a date (read boyfriend) for the upcoming masquerade ball. Along comes Tony (Nathaniel Rothrock) a delivery boy and sparks fly between our erstwhile love birds (the charming “I could be Happy With You”) and continue later on with “A Room In Bloomsbury.”

Polly and Tony

Before that happens the young ladies sing and dance up a storm with “Perfect Young Ladies” who need “The Boy Friend” and we meet Bobby Van Husen (hunky Brandon Dahlquist),  Masie’s boyfriend. They receive appreciative applause for their dancing and singing of “Won’t You Charleston With Me.” The male ensemble (Adam Roy, Michael Doppe and Burton Thomas) strut-their-stuff with Masie and Bobby in the spiffy “Safety in Numbers” song and dance.

In the second act costumer Yvonne Ortiz has a field day with the youngsters in one piece tank top swim suits frolicking on “The Riveria.” Goldfield throws in a rambunctious dance for the swim suit crowd with beach balls flying between the cast in the aisles. Later, the costumes for the Masquerade ball are delicious. But the show stopper to end all show stoppers, which alone is worth the price of admission, is performed by Mark Farrell (as the lecherous Lord Brockhurst) and the sexy beauty Khalia Davis in “It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love.” Stephanie Prentice who filled in for Maureen McVerry turns in a fine performance in song with “Fancy Forgetting” and “The You-Don’t-Want-to-Play-With-Me Blues.”

Running time 2 hours and 10 minutes with an intermission.

CAST: Jennifer Mitchell as Polly Browne, Nathaniel Rothrock as Tony, Stephanie Prentice as Madame Dubonnet, Katherine Cooper as Hortense, Brandon Dahiquist as Bobby Van Husen, Khalia Davis as Dulcie, Michael Doppe as Pierre, Mark Farrell as Lord Brockhurst, Paul Myrvold as Percival Browne, Barbara Pond as Nancy, Melissa Reinertson as Faye, Andrea St. Clair as Maisie, Burton Thomas as Alphonse, and Erin-Kate Whitcomb as Lady Brockhurst.

ARTISTIC STAFF: Directed & Choreographed by Cindy Goldfield; Music Director Dave Dobrusky; Stage Manager Becky Saunders; Production Manager Hector Zavala; Costume Design & Assistant Stage Manager Yvonne Ortiz; Set Design Arael Dominguez; Lighting Design Danny Maher; Prop Design Amy Crumpacker.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of  www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

Oct 28 2014
Love0

Dracula

By Guest Review

I had the opportunity to see “Dracula” at the Sonoma Community Theater last weekend and it was spectacular! I thought I was at an ACT production! Len Handeland was amazing as Dracula and the cast certainly surpassed the expectations of a small community theater. I would highly recommend!

Joanne Maher

Oct 28 2014
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DRACULA is one of the BEST PLAYS to hit SONOMA in a LONG TIME!

By Guest Review

I’ve attended MANY plays in Sonoma at Andrews Hall on the Rotary stage, have seen countless plays on Broadway in New York and in San Francisco
at A.C.T. as well as at the Curran. Recently I had the pleasure of attending (several times now!) Silver Moon theatre’s production of DRACULA starring Len Handeland as Count Dracula and directed by Nellie Cravens. Everything from the set (which rumor has it, was built by someone who had built sets for A.C.T. and the San Francisco Opera company) a special effects person who had worked in L.A. with Francis Ford Coppola has elevated what a person would think of as “Community theatre” The acting is spot on, Len Handeland (as Count Dracula) captures the essence of “the King of all Vampires” Evil, diabolical, intense and downright TERRORIFIYING! He is mersmerizing to watch, captures the audience and virtually steals the show! His performance as the Count is hypnotic you might say! The supporting cast, Matt Witthaus as Professor Van Helsing (Count Dracula’s adversary and mortal enemy) plays his character intensely, with such conviction and concentration that it appears Count Dracula has a formidable opponenet in him! North Bay Actor veteran (Dan Monez) who has appeared in MANY North Bay productions (most recently “The Full Monty” & Cabaret and many others in Sonoma and Napa) is brilliant as Dr Seward (who runs the Sanitorium where Renfield, Dracula’s servant is kept) plays his character with elegance and grace. The youthful Michael Hunter (who plays Renfield) is equally as intense and a bit disturbing as the fly eating servant to Dracula. Michael Miller’s performance as the frustrated, concerned, fiance to Lucy Seward, is very convincing and is able to convey his emotions brilliantly! A mention goes out to Susan Lee (Alice the Maid) as well as George Bereschik as the Attendant (at the Seward Sanitorium) lend laughter and a bit of frivolity to an otherwise dark, eerie, terrorifying play! Courtney Bristow as Dracula’s victim and daughter of Dr Seward, plays the victim beautifully, her life force being drained out of her with every visit by her immortal suitor (Dracula) All in all I would give this (as the late Siskel & Ebert used to say) a four thumbs up! Everyone should run, not walk! To see this amazing (professionally) staged production of play writes Hamilton Deane and John Halderston. This is a production that would make Bram Stoker proud!

Byron W Hancock CFP Byron@hancock-partners.com Tel: (415) 987-6111