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Aug 13 2013
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Berkeley Rep successfully navigates ‘No Man’s Land’

By Judy Richter

By Judy Richter

Four superb actors, one skilled director and one genius playwright add up to an unforgettable experience as Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land.”

Guided by director Sean Mathias, actors Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Billy Crudup and Shuler Hensley successfully navigate the ambiguities of Pinter’s 1975 play.

It opens as the impeccably tailored Hirst (Stewart) serves a drink to the rumpled Spooner (McKellen ), who has apparently been invited to Hirst’s home after running into him at a nearby pub. As Hirst becomes staggeringly drunk, his two manservants, Foster (Crudup) and Briggs (Hensley), assist him, leaving Spooner locked in the drawing room overnight.

As the two-act play progresses, one can’t be sure what’s true and what isn’t. What is clear, however, is the subtle air of menace that permeates the production, starting with the foreboding original music by sound designers Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen.

The manservants, Foster and Briggs, are especially menacing — Foster because he’s so slick and Briggs because he’s so big and stolid..

Hirst and Spooner both claim to be poets and may or may not have known each other atOxford. In one scene, Hirst has no idea who Spooner is, yet in another he goes into great detail about an affair he may have had with Spooner’s late wife. This subtle juggling for power among the various characters is a Pinter hallmark, along with the ambiguities and menace.

Bay Area audiences last saw McKellen as the title character in a memorable production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III”  inSan Francisco. Here he’s a far different man, apparently down on his luck and seemingly unsure of himself as he nervously shifts from one foot to the other and holds his coat throughout most of the play.

One would be hard-pressed to say exactly what the play is about or what actually happens, but it doesn’t matter because this production conveys the subtexts of Pinter’s writing, complete with his trademark pauses. The actors and director also mine the humor in the writing, relieving some of the tension.

The character-specific costumes are by Stephen Brimson Lewis, who also designed the spare but dignified set. The lighting is by Peter Kaczorowski.

After it completes its limited run in Berkeley, this production will move to Broadway, where it will be presented in rotating repertory with Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” also featuring McKellen and Stewart.

For now, Bay Area audiences can enjoy “No Man’s Land” through Aug. 31 in Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. For tickets and information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org.

 

Aug 12 2013
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Pinter’s NO MAN’S LAND a brilliant production at Berkeley Rep.

By Kedar K. Adour

(l to r) Legendary actors Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart star as two writers in a special presentation of the pre-Broadway engagement of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land at Berkeley Rep. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com

NO MAN’S LAND: Drama by Harold Pinter. Directed by Sean Mathias. Berkeley Rep’s, Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley, CA. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org.

August 11 – 31, 2013

Pinter’s NO MAN’S LAND a brilliant production at Berkeley Rep.

What you read in this first paragraph should not be construed as a negative review of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land that received a well deserved spontaneous standing ovation on opening night.  Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart give superb performances handling the nuances of “Pinteresque” infamous pauses written into the text with perfection. Sean Mathias’ meticulous direction demonstrates complete understanding of the author’s idiosyncrasies. However, becoming an aficionado of Pinter’s plays requires learned behavior since his brilliance and intention are often elliptical.

The elliptical nature of his dialog (and often the entire play) is understandable since Pinter was a student/admirer of Samuel Beckett’s obtuse style of writing. There is difficulty separating truth from untruth, myth from reality and past from the present.  So it is with No Man’s Land that is in the Bay Area for only 34 performances before mounting the boards on Broadway to play in repertory with Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

With soft ominous original music (Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen) wafting through the theatre, a gray aged tree branch is projected on the transparent proscenium arch curtain (Zachary Borovay) that lifts revealing an elegant curved study without books (Stephen Brimson Lewis) furnished only with a well stocked wet bar, one wing-back chair and two antique sitting chairs.

Sitting stoically in the wing chair is an inebriated Hirst (Patrick Stewart) while an equally drunk Spooner (Ian McKellen) stumbling about flooding the stage with dialog interspersed with the expected Pinter pauses.  Apparently, you can never be sure, the rich famous man of letters Hirst has been carousing at the Jack Straw Castle and brought back the semi-disheveled failed poet Spooner to his home. Hirst often asks Spooner, “Who are you” or “Do I know you.”

In act one the question of knowing who knows whom is never resolved nor do we get to know the relationship of two men who live with Hirst. One is the smaller talkative Foster (Billy Crudup) and the other the burly taciturn Briggs (Shuler Hensley). They resent the “lower class” Spooner for invading Hirst’s posh territory. The liquor flows for Hirst and Spooner. Spooner adroitly avoids being thrown out and Hirst falls to the floor and as he crawls out the only door, lights fade to black. It is the best non-verbal exit line yet devised. End of Act one.

In the intermission the audience conversations were muted with questions about what was going on in the play. Things clear up, sort of, in act two as Pinter adds back story for the characters. It is morning and a sober Spooner has been inexplicably locked into the room during the night. Why is never answered. When Briggs brings Spooner a fancy breakfast including a bottle of champagne, Briggs become talkative describing how

(l to r) Tony Award-winners Shuler Hensley and Billy Crudup co-star

he and Foster became partners (a suggestion as lovers) with Foster moving in as Hirst’s secretary/jack-of-all trades while Briggs remains as Hirst’s bodyguard. Hensley brings gales of laughter with his one major dialog that Pinter gives to him.

When a sober, immaculately dressed Hirst enters truth will out—or is it truth- when Pinter’s protagonist share reminiscences about their days at Oxford and their family life. When Hirst unabashedly tells Spooner that he has seduced his wife the banter about sexual encounters becomes a give and take with, again, the dichotomy of truth and fiction.

Pinter assigns Spooner the major share of dialog and Ian McKellen could not be better with interpretation of ambiguity and body language. Never fear about Patrick Stewart being upstaged. His non-verbal nuanced hand and face motions in act one is perfect foil for McKellen’s verbosity. In Act two Stewart’s Hirst becomes the dominant personae as McKellen as Spooner is assigned the act of pleading to remain in the house. McKellen nails the lines given the play’s title. They are at an age where memory, fact, fiction, truth, untruth and fantasy create a “no man’s land.”

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Aug 06 2013
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The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich — Film Review

By Joe Cillo

The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich


Directed by Antonin Svoboda

 

There are many things about Wilhelm Reich that never made sense to me.  I was hoping this film would clarify some of them, but it did not.  In fact, seeing this fictional depiction of him made me even more puzzled.  I have read many of Reich’s psychoanalytic writings and always judged him to be the smartest and best of the younger generation of psychoanalysts that succeeded Freud.  Reich understood the social implications of psychoanalysis and he understood the limitations of therapy focused individuals and the particular symptoms they present.  He saw the “neurotic” symptom as a manifestation of a structural problem that has to be understood in the context of one’s general character.  The symptom never occurs in isolation, but always in the context of one’s personality and familial constellation.  Similarly, the problems of individuals, although always specific and unique to particular circumstances, occur at the same time within a wider social context that provides the soil and the nurturing for similar kinds of difficulties that arise in the lives of many individuals living under those same cultural circumstances.  It is therefore necessary to understand and to address mental illness not only on the level of the individual, but also as a manifestation of cultural and social malaise.  This was one source of friction between Reich and the political and institutional establishment.

But there were others.  I am not as familiar with his later work on what he called “orgone energy.”  I was hoping  that the film would shed some light on this since this was what led to his wrangling with the U.S. government, the FDA, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Justice Department.  However, this film is not an in depth presentation of ideas.  It is a dramatization, not a documentary.   There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, but the outcome differs considerably from my expectations and hopes. 

If we take the film on its own terms, and evaluate how well it accomplishes the tasks it sets for itself, I would only give this a grudging C minus.  It is nice to see someone lifting Wilhelm Reich once again into public view, but what you get here is a kindly, benign, grandfatherly figure who seems harmlessly eccentric, yet for some reason is relentlessly and severely pursued by the FBI and the FDA — quite unjustly as it appears.  But it doesn’t make sense.  If Reich were crazy, if his ideas were loony, if he were simply on some bizarre, fruitless quest destined to go nowhere, why would the FBI and the FDA spend so much time and energy trying to thwart him, stop him, silence him, and eventually put him in jail?  Reich was a much more rough edged person that what is portrayed in this film.  Reich was combative, driven, stubborn, nonconforming, egotistical, and paranoid (perhaps with good reason).  And his ideas were subversive.  However, one does not get that from this film.  I would like to see a little more clearly who was out to get him and why. 

Reich had considerable difficulty in his personal life.  The film shows some hints of ambivalence in his relationship with his daughter, Eva, but we don’t get any insight into this, no deep exploration that might reveal character or psychic conflict.  There is nothing about his background in Vienna, nothing about growing up, his parents, his first wife, Freud makes only a cameo appearance, and we do not see his influence on Reich nor the reasons they parted ways.  It is very shallow biographically.  It is hard to understand the point of this film.  Are they just trying to portray Reich as the hapless victim of a mindless vendetta by the U.S. government?    Is that all there was to it?  The film is completely vacuous on this score. 

The film brings up Reich’s disappointing relationship with Albert Einstein, but it leaves open whether Einstein himself considered Reich to be a quack or if Einstein’s aides blocked Reich’s access to Einstein and prevented their collaboration.  This is another point where, in my view, the dramatization does not offer enough substance to do the issue justice.   A more straightforward, documentary approach would have been more satisfying, here, and in many other issues raised by the film.  

To get started on understanding Reich, you have to understand his ideas on psychoanalysis and particularly his differences with Freud and the intellectual debt he owed to Freud.  In Reich Speaks of Freud, Kurt Eissler conducted a lengthy interview with Reich about Freud and related topics that is fascinating for its illumination of the personal relationship between Reich and Freud and the intellectual differences that led to their parting.  You can get a much better feel for who Reich was as a person and the direction of his ideas from this volume than you can from this film.  But this lengthy interview leaves much unexplored and unexplained, and that was where I was hoping the film would pick up and expand.  But, alas, it did not.  The film creates an impression of Reich that differs markedly from the Reich we see in this 1952 interview.  The Reich in the film is a tame version, a soft soap version of the Reich in the interview.  It is clearly a fictionalization and one that tends to obscure and distort rather than enhance ones understanding of the subject.  I came away very disappointed in this film.  There is a lot more I would like to know about Wilhelm Reich.  I hope someday someone will put together a film that will treat him with the depth and insight that he deserves. 

Seen at the Jewish Film Festival, Castro Theater, San Francisco, July 30, 2013.  

 

 

Higgins, Mary; and Raphael, Chester M.;  Eds. (1967)  Reich Speaks of Freud.  New York:  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Aug 05 2013
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Dixie Swim Club — Teammates for Life

By Judith Wilson
Jayme Catalano as Jeri Neal, Pamela Ciochette as Dinah, Stephanie Albergh as Sheree and Hilda L. Roe as Lexie in the Ross Valley Players’ production
of “The Dixie Swim Club.”

The bond between women is often a strong one. It can be so powerful that a community in Japan puts girls together in groups of five when they are young, establishing friendships that last for life, in the belief that the social connection is one of the keys to longevity. That kind of enduring friendship is at the heart of “The Dixie Swim Club,” the current Ross Valley Players production, which explores the theme with mixed results.

The play, by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, opens in 1980, when five women who became friends as members of their college swim team gather for an annual get-together at a cottage in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. They are 44, and the yearly weekends each August have become a permanent fixture on their calendars, giving them a chance to catch up on the changes in their lives, share their ups and downs and give each other moral support. We see four such meetings over the course of 33 years, with the last scene in 2013, when the women are 77.

The first scene shows four friends waiting for a fifth, who has promised a surprise and arrives with a dandy. As they interact, the persona of the various characters becomes evident quickly. The most grounded appears to be Sheree, portrayed by Stephanie Ahlberg, who was captain of their college team and continues to take a leadership role, trying to organize the group as best she can. The needy, seemingly self-absorbed Lexie (Hilda L. Roe) laments one divorce after another, and accident-prone Vernadette (Floriana Alessandria), who makes her customary dash for the bathroom on arrival, takes life’s disappointments in stride with a sigh. Rounding out the group are Jeri Neal (Jayme Catalano), a former nun, and Dinah (Pamela Ciochette), an independent professional woman, who softens as time goes on.

It’s a diverse group, and over the course of their lives, they stick together to help each other share good times, face challenges and accept change. In the early scenes, the issues are less weighty, but as time goes on, the women confront some serious issues, such as aging, failed expectations and loss. The play, however, never really finds a sense of balance. Occasional scenes are almost slapstick, and some very clever lines draw the laughs, but when the comedy is juxtaposed with heavier themes, the play doesn’t know what it wants to be and somehow seems out of sync.

In a character-driven play like “The Dixie Swim Club,” development of the individuals is a crucial element in driving the story forward. We see the most growth in Lexie, who becomes less superficial as she ages and gains depth, realizing that what’s within is more important than one’s outer appearance. Sheree has substance from the beginning, but she is somewhat fixed in her ways, serving the same hors d’oeuvre year after year, until she has a breakthrough moment involving biscuits, which reflect her acceptance of change. Dinah is an interesting character, who as a heavy-drinking, unmarried litigation attorney must have been an anomaly for her generation, and yet the script never goes beyond the surface to give insight into the strength she must have summoned to overcome the obstacles she undoubtedly encountered.

Jeri Neal, in contrast, comes off as a complete airhead who never seems to mature, and Vernadette appears to be something of a ditz, whose family problems concern her—but not too much.

The characters aren’t fully fleshed out, yet the chemistry between the actresses works, and the strength of the story lies in the loyalty and kinship the women feel for each other, with revelations in the final scene showing how much they really do value each other.

All the action takes place in the screened porch of the cottage at the beach, and Ron Krempetz’s set design and Michael Walraven’s construction make it a realistic and effective setting for the character’s interaction, with various doors working to support the action. Sound design by Bruce Vieira takes advantage of popular songs to open scenes with lyrics appropriate for what is to come.

Costumes by Michael A. Berg reflect the personality of each character and change with the times, as do the women’s hairstyles and makeup.

On opening night, director Linda Dunn revealed that “The Dixie Swim Club” was her first experience directing an all-female cast, and she described it as a joy. She expected women to relate to it and said she hoped it would give men insight.

The script is lightweight, and chances are most men won’t perceive the importance of female bonding because it’s not part of their experience. They can, however, sit back, enjoy a few laughs and pay attention to the lyrics of the songs to get a clue.

“The Dixie Swim Club” opened on Friday, July 19, and runs through Sunday, August 18. Performances take place Thursday through Friday. Talk Backs with the director and actors take place after matinée performances on Sunday, August 4, and Sunday, August 11.

Tickets are $26 general admission and $22 for seniors 62 and over and children 18 and under. Thursday night tickets are $20 for all ages.

For information on performance times and to reserve tickets, go to www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Jul 31 2013
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Country Western Adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors at MSC

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Patrick Russell as Antipholus and Joe Deline as Dromio in A Comedy of Errors.  Photo by Eric Chazankin

A Comedy of Errors meets comedic cowboys in Marin Shakespeare Company’s Wild West theme take on William Shakespeare’s timeless farce written in 1594.  This version of A Comedy of Errors finds the cities of Abilene and Amarillo at war when some luckless cowboy merchants get caught up in a wild adventure of mistaken identity and romantic love.

A Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humor coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play.

A Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth.  Antipholus of Amarillo and his servant Dromio of Amarillo arrive in Abilene which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Abilene and Dromio of Abilene.

When the Amarillos encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps, based on mistaken identities, lead to wrongful beatings, a near seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Abilene and false accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and demonic possession. This madcap farce is adapted and directed by Lesley and Robert Currier and features live music and original songs, written for this adaptation by Leslie Harlib.

Outstanding performances are given by Patrick Russell playing both roles of Antipholus and John Deline, in a clown suit, as the two Dromios.  The two ladies of the town are delightful as played by Amanda Salazar as Adriana and Elena Wright as her sister Luciana.  Jack Powell as Aegeon opens and closes the show as a country hick and his wife, Jessica Powell closes the show in a surprise ending. Gary Grossman is particularly funny in a small role as Dr. Pinch.  Choreographer Lesley Schisgall Currier opens the show with a delightful square dance to put us in the mood. Billie Cox and her imaginative sound design back her up throughout.  The authentic country western costumes are designed by Tammy Berlin and Ellen Brooks does a great job with lighting.

A Comedy of Errors is a fun introduction to Shakespeare for all ages with some delightful new twists for Shakespeare fans.  A Comedy of Errors runs July 19-September 29, 2013 at Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, Dominican University, 890 Belle Avenue, San Rafael.  For tickets, call the box office at 415-499-4488 or go online at www.marinshakespeare.org.

Coming up next at Marin Shakespeare Company will be All’s Well That Ends Well directed by Robert Currier, August 24-September 28, 2013.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

Jul 30 2013
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‘Damn Yankees’ disappoints at Foothill

By Judy Richter

By Judy Richter

Sports fans can be a fanatical lot. Some will go to almost any lengths to help their favorite team.

That’s what happens in “Damn Yankees,” presented by Foothill Music Theatre and Foothill Theatre Arts. Frustrated that his beloved Washington Senators baseball team always loses the pennant to the hated New York Yankees, an avid fan says he’d sell his soul to see the Senators come out on top.

The devil incarnate takes him up on the offer. He’ll transform the middle-aged, out-of-shape fan into a young slugger who’ll lead the Senators to victory. The fan agrees, disappearing from his present life and reappearing as a young man with a different name.

Thus “Damn Yankees” illustrates a well known caution: Be careful what you wish for.

That’s what the hero, Joe Boyd (Matt Tipton), learns when he becomes the young Joe Hardy (Daniel Mitchell). Joe leaves behind his wife, Meg Boyd (Mary Melnick), and finds that he misses her more than he ever would have imagined.

The Tony-winning “Damn Yankees” was a smash hit when it opened on Broadway in 1955, and most of its subsequent productions have followed suit. The FMT production is not one of them.

As directed by Tom Gough of the Foothill faculty, it lacks some of the focus and cohesion that have characterized Foothill productions directed by former artistic director Jay Manley, who founded FMT but who recently retired to freelance.

Still, with its large cast of students and community members, the show has some strong qualities. They include performances by several principals, such as Boyd as older Joe, Mitchell as younger Joe and Melnick as Meg. Mitchell acts and sings well, especially in “Goodbye Old Girl,” sweetly sung first by older Joe and then by younger Joe as the transformation takes place.

Melnick is believable as Meg expresses her frustration in “Six Months Out of Every Year,” when her husband and so many others pay more attention to baseball than their wives. She also is convincing in Meg’s steadfast belief that Joe will eventually return.

Also noteworthy is Jeff Clarke as Applegate, the smooth-talking devil who’ll do anything he can to keep younger Joe from returning to his original life. Clarke has fun with “Those Were the Good Old Days,” in which Applegate recalls some of his nefarious deeds through the ages.

Richard Lewis makes a suitably crusty Benny Van Buren, manager of the Senators. His big moment comes in “(You Gotta Have) Heart.” Caitlin Lawrence-Papp does well as Gloria Thorpe, a nosy reporter.

Jen Wheatonfox sings well as Lola, the vamp sent by Applegate to make younger Joe forget Meg.

Choreography by Katie O’Bryon lacks precision and imagination. Musical director Catherine Snider’s orchestra sounds ragged at times.

Margaret Toomey’s scenic design also lacks imagination (or a more generous budget). The costumes are by Janis Bergmann, the lighting by Edward Hunter and the sound (sometimes problematic) by Ken Kilen.

Attending a show at Foothill always is pleasant because the campus is so attractive. Seeing “Damn Yankees” also was pleasant because of the show itself, but it was a bit of a letdown after so many outstanding FMT productions in the past.

“Damn Yankees” will continue in Smithwick Theatre, FoothillCollege, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, through Aug. 18. For tickets and information, call (650) 949-7360 or visit www.foothillmusicals.com.

 

Jul 29 2013
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SF Playhouse Gives Camelot A New Look

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Guenevere (Monique Hafen) in Camelot at SF Playhouse

Artistic Director Bill English and Producing Director Susi Damilano bring a triumphant conclusion to their 10th season now in their new venue with an award-winning cast for Camelot (1960) by Alan J. Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), directed by Bill English together with Music Director Dave Dobrusky.

The Camelot cast features four award-winning actors, Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Lancelot who won a Tony Award for his performance on Broadway in Rent; and Johnny Moreno (Arthur), Monique Hafen (Guenevere) and Charles Dean (Merlin/Pelinore) – all three winners of BATCC for Best Actors in a Musical for last summer’s SF Playhouse hit, My Fair Lady.

The SF Playhouse Director Bill English has chosen to push Camelot into the dark ages before the time of shining armor, when Europe was deeply buried in the ignorance and fear of the dark ages when Arthur’s ideas of justice and democracy were truly revolutionary.  Camelot is the timeless and powerful love triangle between the legendary King Arthur, his Queen Guenevere and his best friend, Lancelot in a much grittier version than earlier productions.

The cast and direction of Camelot are uniformly professional.  Nina Ball’s set is a masterpiece with effective use of moving set pieces on a revolving stage and a cyclorama that creates a feeling of a magical kingdom.  Abra Berman’s costumes are both impressive and imaginative.  Battles which were written to be peformed offstage now occur onstage and Miguel Martinez’s fight choreography is cleverly staged. Under his outstanding leadership, Bill English chalks up another success with Camelot equal to last year’s My Fair Lady.

Camelot runs at SF Playhouse July 16-September 14, 2013. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Saturday at 3 p.m. SF Playhouse is located at 450 Post Street (2nd Floor of Kensington Park Hotel b/n Powell and Mason), San Francisco. For tickets, call 415-677-9596 or go online at www.sfplayhouse.org.

Coming up next at SF Playhouse will be the World Premiere Sandbox Series featuring Grounded by George Brant and directed by Susannah Martin and starring Lauren English, August 15-September 7, 2013 at the A.C.T. Costume Shop, 1119 Market Street (at 7th St.), San Francisco. Performances will be Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. For tickets, call 415-677-9596 or go online at www.sfplayhouse.org.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

 

 

 

 

Jul 28 2013
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Solo storyteller adds actress, band — and still is funny

By Woody Weingarten

Josh Kornbluth emotes about his childhood, egged on by Amy Resnick. Photo: Heather McAlister.

 

Josh Kornbluth’s been making me laugh aloud for more than 20 years.

But he is changing.

In 1992, he was a bald, bespectacled chubby monologist in his 30s whose intelligence and offbeat sense of humor tickled me.

And made me think.

Today, he’s a bald, bespectacled chubby guy whose intelligence and offbeat sense of humor tickles me. And makes me think.

But he’s 54, graying at the temples.

And, in a colossal departure from his string of one-man shows, he leans on actress Amy Resnick (who does mock French and Valley Girl accents and uses a huge shawl to convert herself into God) and a four-piece band.

It’s easy to see, though, that Kornbluth’s new material at the Ashby Stage in Berkeley is infinitely more mature than previous introspections, interweaving themes without the scruffy seams he used to display.

“Sea of Reeds,” like its title, is multi-layered.

It’s a 90-minute-plus comedy that sporadically reveals Kornbluth’s earnestness and complexity — and leads playgoers to what promotional materials alternately call “the Promised Land of paradox” and “a story of faith and procrastination.”

It’s his latest exercise in cerebral self-pleasuring.

Yet his storytelling skills make it impossible not to enjoy the impressive flip side — his thorny wit.

The writer-performer draws chortles from unlikely places: having his violin ripped off by a Jewish/Hispanic street gang, childhood Red Christmases (his folks having been devotees of Marx — Karl more than Groucho), Exodus (the Bible book, not the Leon Uris novel) and the Dead Sea (“a good place to visit if you’re a scroll”).

He draws his biggest LOLs, however, from a risqué, slapstick oboe lesson designed by a spellbinding young temptress at camp, Monique.

Conversely, he bemoans his youthful inability to make a “leap of faith” off a diving board at an amusement park in suburban New Yawk.

The lifelong atheist segues into his decision to have an adult bar mitzvah two years ago in Israel atop a water tower in the desert — an outgrowth of an idea nurtured by his rabbi-friend, Menachem Creditor of Berkeley’s Congregation Netivot Shalom.

That mentor had paved the way for Kornbluth to reconcile his Communist upbringing with his cultural Jewishness by defining God with a catchall phrase, “the collective potential of the human imagination.”

But despite Hebrew terms and phrases being translated immediately, almost as if they were in parentheses, “Sea of Reeds” may be too sectarian for non-Jews.

And too Jewish for many Jews.

Some may flinch, too, when he dismembers his designated Torah portion, utilizing exaggerated body motions and fiery word-pictures to depict its violence and murder.

For those willing to remain open, his twin searches — for proficiency with his instrument and for faith — will make it all worthwhile.

Kornbluth, a Princeton dropout who’s been labeled “Berkeley’s favorite intellectual and provocateur” and who formerly stressed being a luckless bumbler, indicates his director and friend, David Dower has helped him grow — while structuring the chaos of the comedian-playwright’s improvisations.

“Sea of Reeds” was commissioned by the Shotgun Players, which co-produced the show with Jonathan Reinis (who just won a Tony for the Broadway revival of “Pippin”). Like Kornbluth’s previous efforts, it superimposes silliness onto soul-searching.

I’ve seen almost all his creations.

I became something of an addict-stalker after his first big stage hit, “Red Diaper Baby,” where I first noticed his addiction to red socks (shades of Garrison Keillor).

“Haiku Tunnel,” about being an incompetent legal assistant, solidified my high regard.

So did “Love & Taxes,” about the fiscal implications of not reporting royalties to the IRS, and “Ben Franklin Unplugged,” about his affinity for the historical figure he resembles.

In “Sea of Reeds,” Kornbluth uses an especially piquant line: ‘This is how rabbis roll.”

Well, this stretch is how he rolls these days — and I applaud it. Again he’s made me cogitate all sorts of stuff. And I still find him funny.

“Sea of Reeds” runs at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby St., Berkeley, through Aug. 18. Show times, 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $20 to $35. Information: (510) 841-6500 or www.shotgunplayers.org.

Jul 28 2013
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Symphony offers potpourri of pleasure, future goodies

By Woody Weingarten

Kenny Loggins

Jessye Norman

 

I have a couple of highbrow friends who braved all four parts of Wagner’s Ring cycle a while back in San Francisco.

And then they had the stamina to sit through the whole thing again in Manhattan.

Frankly, I wouldn’t endure that on a bet.

I also know some lowbrow folks who’ve been on pins and needles waiting for the next “American Idol” or “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” reality show.

Not my druthers.

On the third hand, I and my middlebrow colleagues agree we’ll attend carefully selected symphony, ballet and opera events, Shakespearean festivals, art-museum openings and the like, as well as pop this ‘n’ that — and, as a rule, thoroughly enjoy our cherry-picking.

Which brings me to the San Francisco Symphony and its recent variegated concert in tribute to John Goldman, who has relinquished the symphony’s presidency after 11 years.  

Pieces by Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Stephen Schwartz and Rodgers and Hammerstein, and guest performers Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Gil Shaham, Lisa Vroman and Kenny Loggins (in a “surprise” appearance) have all ranked among Goldman’s favorites.

The result? A potpourri of pleasure.

Said he to an appreciative audience, “You can tell I have eclectic tastes — some would call it weird.”

But it wasn’t a weird night at all, merely another extraordinary one.

Many uncommon nights can be expected in the near future — such as an orchestra-less concert with Jessye Norman Aug. 9 at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

She’ll sing a collection of songs, in the first half, by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kurt Well, Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington. After intermission, she’ll perform homages to Nina Simone, Lena Horne, Odetta and Ella Fitzgerald.

The soprano, who’ll be backed by pianist Mark Markham, rescheduled from July 31 because she wanted to sing instead at a U.S. Congress ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Other future San Francisco Symphony goodies will include “Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies,” a Sunday afternoon pops event July 28; a “Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration” featuring Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule vocalist/guitarist Warren Haynes; and the new season’s “Opening Night Gala” with Audra McDonald on Sept. 3.

The night of the Goldman tribute, Michael Tilson Thomas led the orchestra. Brilliantly. And the guest artists radiated talent as they played and sang.

The truth is, MTT and the SFS provide the extraordinary so often it’s become what’s anticipated. Certainly it’s what I always expect.

One glance at the diverse pops-loving folks jamming Davies — many decked out, some in chinos and jeans — proved the musicians had collectively fashioned one thing this balmy June evening: Fun.

That was especially palpable in the final piece of the evening, which found Tilson Thomas trying “to bring all these musical worlds together” as the symphony intermingled passages from Beethoven’s 5th with Loggins’ vigorous vocal of Chuck Berry’s 1956 rhythm ‘n’ blues smash, “Roll Over Beethoven.”

The pop hit’s lyrics, ironically, suggest R&B should replace classical music, a concept the Davies crowd would never accept.

Loggins also drew untamed applause when he performed the raucous “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and the more pensive “Return to Pooh Corner.”

But the crowd was equally delighted with classical strains.

My own favorite was the excerpts from Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G major,” with Jean-Yves Thibaudet displaying finger gymnastics with both soft and percussive segments.

Gil Shaham’s violin skills headed my wife’s list. His mastery of Tchaikovsky’s finale from “Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 35” was immediately clear, his confidence in full evidence as he fiercely stroked his instrument.

Lisa Vroman, a Broadway veteran with a striking voice, drew the biggest laughs with her rendition of “Honey Bun,” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” — her high-stepping and white sailor suit comically augmented by a chunky male accomplice in fright wig, grass skirt, mock-coconut bra and spats.

Vroman also delivered a couple of Schwartz tunes from his score of “Wicked,” with resident conductor Donato Cabrera on the podium, following her quick-change into a shimmering turquoise gown.

MTT, as is customary, was at the top of his game, whether leading the finale from Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Opus 27” or Gershwin’s sprightly “Walking the Dog.”

Tilson Thomas drew chuckles when he dedicated the latter to concertgoers who have dogs and then added he wasn’t ignoring “those of you who have lemurs — we love them, too.”

Speaking of pooches, I spied two: a small Spaniel service dog on a leash inside the theater, and a smaller Chihuahua in the arms of a homeless woman beggar just outside.

Were there any hiccup in the concert itself, it came when the nearly 100-member strong San Francisco Symphony Chorus, under the leadership of Ragnar Bohlin, presented excerpts from the soundtrack of “2001: A Space Odyssey” — that is to say, György Ligeti’s “Lux aeterna.”

That piece — though exquisitely performed — is definitely weird. To me, it emphasizes eeriness and what seems like hollow, metallic echoes.

Before the event, The Martini Brothers entertained in the lobby with dance tunes. Eight or nine couples gleefully strutted their stuff as many onlookers stared — and one wag talked about taking what she called “a tour of some of the finest facial surgery in the Bay Area.”

San Francisco Symphony concerts take place at Davies Hall, Grove Street (between Van Ness and Franklin), San Francisco. Information and tickets: (415) 864-6400 or www.sfsymphony.org.

Jul 27 2013
Love0

Kyd’s Play Strictly for Grownups

By Joe Cillo

Celebrating its “four-and-twentieth” season, Marin Shakespeare Company has reached even farther into theatrical history and come up with a pre-Shakespearean hit, Thomas Kyd’s “The Spanish Tragedy.”
Kyd’s play was packing playhouses by the time Shakespeare arrived in London, and “Spanish Tragedy” was revived over and over, even after The Bard began producing his own work. He certainly would have seen it at least once, and dramatic evidence suggests he borrowed from it here and there.
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” for instance, is rooted in the young prince’s vow to avenge his father’s death, a vow inspired by the father’s angry ghost. In “The “Spanish Tragedy,” it is the father who’s bent on getting revenge for his murdered son. Revenge is a character that lingers onstage in company with the ghost of another murder victim. (Revenge looks and sounds not at all as you might expect.)
The ghost’s former love — now a bereaved young woman — could almost stand in for Ophelia, and “Tragedy’s” smarmy, sneaky young nobleman could double for Iago, the villain in “Othello.” To top off the resemblances, Kyd even scripted a play-within-a-play as payback for the guilty parties, and as in Shakespearean plays to follow, the bodies begin to pile up.
Director Leslie Schisgall Currier has revived this gory old favorite, set it in a multi-level castle and cut it down to a manageable two hours and forty minutes’ playing time. The action begins with a tolling bell and a long funeral march of white-masked mourners. The deceased follows the march, describing the foul deeds that have made him a ghost. Ghost stays visible throughout the play, accompanied by Revenge.
The Duke of Castille, the King’s brother, describes the battle and shows off its most famous prisoner, Balthazar, Prince of Portugal. Horatio has helped apprehend him, though the Duke’s son, Lorenzo, claims that he was the real nabber. Lorenzo’s sister, Bellimperia, captures Balthazar’s attention, and in no time, speculations begin that a marriage between the two would cement peace between their nations. The young lady, however, had been the sweetheart of Don Andrea, now the Ghost pacing the battlements. She is not available, though her servant vows that the lady’s affections have recently turned to Horatio. This information enrages Balthazar; Horatio’s too much in his way.
But despite all the royalty represented onstage, the most complex character in “The Spanish Tragedy” is the judge, Hieronimo. When he finds his beloved son murdered, Hieronomo’s reaction is similar to King Lear’s over the corpse of his daughter, Cordelia. Justice now equals revenge.
In this large, outdoor performance space, trained voices enhance the show. Julian Lopez-Morillas is superb as Hieronomo, commanding the stage with a big voice and big emotions. Scott Coopwood, as the Duke of Castille has a similar presence, as does Jack Powell as the Viceroy of Portugal. Both Elena Wright in the role of Bellimperia and Jessica Powell as Hieronimo’s wife, Isabella, have roles with heavy vocal demands. Erik Johnson plays the ill-fated Horatio, and in three widely varying roles, Steve Price, who grew up on the Peninsula, portrays a Portuguese nobleman, a petitioner and a hangman. In a last-minute substitution on opening night, Liam Hughes took over the role of Balthazar. Twenty-five additional cast members round out this generously-sized production.
“The Spanish Tragedy” will play at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre on the Dominican University campus until August 11 and in repertory with “A Comedy of Errors” after July 27. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening performances are at 8 PM, with Sunday matinees at 4 PM. For tickets, directions and more information, call 499-4488.
As with all outdoor performances, dress for the weather and bring extra layers as the theatre gets cooler after dark. Picnics are welcome.