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Mar 23 2013
Love0

ENCHANTED APRIL AT RVP IS ANOTHER HIT… Do not miss it!!

By Kedar K. Adour

 

 

 

 

 

 

L to R, Top Row: AvilaReese as Lotty;TweedConrad as Rose.  Seated L to R:  Anne Ripley as Mrs. Graves; Kate Fox Marcom as Lady Caroline

 

ENCHANTED APRIL: A romantic comedy by Matthew Barber, novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Directed by Cris Cassell. RossValleyPlayers (RVP) Barn Theater, MarinArt & GardenCenter, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross.  415-456-9555, ext. 1 or www.rossvalleyplayers.com. March 15 –April 14, 2013

ENCHANTED APRIL AT RVP IS ANOTHER HIT… Do not miss it!!

This reviewer always attempts to avoid the first person singular when writing reviews but this time I personally endorse this production of Enchanted April, a sentimental old chestnut that probably has been staged by every community theater in the country. My first experience with the play was a bare bones affair in the Redwood Grove just down the hill from the RVP barn put on by Cinnebar Theatre of Petaluma. It was a joy to see.  The second performance was by the professional Equity Center Rep in Walnut Creek with a spectacular buffo cast and second act set that earned thunderous applause. Now the RVP in its 83 continuous season comes up a winner that is best described as a cross between the previous two mentioned and probably is the best buck for your theatre allowance.

The time is 1920 and the effects of WW I are still apparent and play a role in setting the tone in the early scenes played out in front a simple gray background with sound effects of depressing rain filling the stage. The play is book ended by unhappy housewife Lotty Wilton (a superb Avila Reese) who is described by her husband Melleresh (Ron Daily) as having a “mind like a humming bird” with incessant talking.

Lotty reads an ad in the paper offering a “sunny small castle, draped with wisteria and a view of the sea” in Northern Italy for rent. With her effusive charm she cons Rose (beautifully under played by Tweed Conrad) a member of her club and an equally unhappy wife of straight laced lawyer Frederick  (a fine Tom Hudgens who almost stole the show Tuna Texas as Vera Carp) to join her in the rental.

Needing a couple more ladies to share the cost of the rental, Lotty places an ad in the paper for two others to share the castle in Italy. Next up is the beautiful sophisticated society woman Lady Caroline Bramble who is depressed with her life in the limelight seeking solitude in the sun. That role is a perfect fit for the gorgeous Kate Fox Marcom whose elegant bearing makes up for the limited dialog written for the role. Finally, there is the grumpy older Mrs. Grave (an appropriate name) played to perfection by the always professional Anne Ripley who delivers her Oscar Wilde type lines with spot on timing always getting a laugh without breaking the ensemble acting concept. Wilding (Ross Berger) is the owner of the castle and is also an artist. His role, although limited, is a minor deus ex machina needed to solve minor problems and charm Mrs. Graves out of her grumpy attitude and be a love interest for Lady Caroline Bramble.

Then there is the cook and housekeeper Costanza (Maxine Sattizan) whose dialog is entirely in Italian except for a final “Marvellous” near the end of the play that caused the audience to erupt in laughter. She absolutely ‘nails’ the role and becomes the center of attention with her entrances and exits but never upsetting the ensemble concept. Credit Cris Cassell with a directing job well done.

Conflict is never serious and often hilarious and the ending justifies the title of Enchanted April. After the drab first act set is struck a glorious sunlight patio, complete with the promised wisteria abundant flowers and a naughty statue of Cupid propped in center stage. After all, the play is a love story. This play is highly recommended with running time about two hours.

Kedar K. Adour MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com

Mar 23 2013
Love0

FALLACI A DRAMATIC ‘TWO HANDER’ AT BEREKLEY REP

By Kedar K. Adour

 

Marjan as Maryam

Concetta Tomei as Oriana Fallaci

 

 

Fallaci: Drama. By Lawrence Wright.  Directed by Oskar Eustis. Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley.  90 minutes. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org. Through April 21, 2013.

FALLACI A DRAMATIC ‘TWO HANDER’ AT BEREKLEY REP

If you are not familiar with the name Oriana Fallaci you are not alone. If so, plan on arriving early to read the program and discover she was an Italian journalist that became famous for her confrontational yet influential interviews of people in power as well as the famous in Hollywood. These included Quaddafi, Castro, Kissinger, Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir among others. Where journalists are expected to be factual without bias, she injected her personal views often being accused of writing self-serving articles that had more than a touch of fiction.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Lawrence Wright is himself a journalist famous for his essays in The New Yorker and best-selling books about al Qaeda and Scientology. He also writes plays and has acted in many of his own monologues. His journalistic background qualifies him to create a script where a fledgling journalist undertakes to interview Fallaci and before the evening is complete the pair is inextricably fused.

Fallaci who has been diagnosed with lung cancer has become a relative recluse in her New York apartment. Maryam (Marjan Neshat) a neophyte female New York Times reporter arrives to interview Fallaci (Concetta Tomei).

When Fallaci discovers that the purpose of the visit is to obtain data for her obituary the first conflict begins. Bit by bit Wright feeds scraps of information about each character into the play. Maryam is an Iranian and her family were resistant to the oppressive regime. Similarly Fallaci’s family were resistance fighters to the Italian fascists regime in World War II. Fallaci herself became an active fighter at the age of 14. After dropping out of medical school she became a full time reporter in Italy with an astounding career that brought her to the United States and places throughout the world. Her stint in Vietnam that reported the atrocities committed there where written after her actual visits to the front lines. She even interviewed the North Vietnamese. After the 9/11 downing of the World Trade building she wrote a scalding book denouncing Muslims that sold 500,000 copies in Italy.

The play is written in three scenes and the second scene takes place three years later. A more mature Maryam is back to confront Fallaci and we learn that Maryam had returned to Iran suffering severe indignities. The verbal exchanges between them start out as arguments about their differences but by end of the second scene their differences become shockingly similar and by the end of third scene, that is an epilog after Fallaci’s death, ends the evening on a hopeful note.

Neshat and Tomei are both superb and director Oska Eustis keeps the verbal sparring and the stage movements flowing adding emphasis to a rather strange play that will keep you thinking and may influence you to go to the Internet to find out the whole story about this tiger of a woman.

Photo: – courtesy of kevinberne.com – Marjan Neshat portrays a young woman sent to interview Fallaci – Concetta Tomei portrays legendary journalist Oriana Fallaci 

Kedar K. Adour, MD

 

 

Mar 22 2013
Love0

Flowers, despite short shelf life, complement museum art

By Woody Weingarten

Floral materials (forefront) burlesque American Art piece in “Bouquets to Art.” exhibit. Photo: Woody Weingarten.

Simple, elegant floral construct by Friends of Filoli (Valerie Meechi, Elsa Wyant and Jeanne Maniscalco) pays homage to “Oranges in Tissue Paper” by William Joseph McCloskey. Photo: Woody Weingarten.

Floral art sits in front of Whistler’s “The Gold Scab” in de Young’s “Bouquets to Art.” Photo: Woody Weingarten

 

Colorful creation by Waterlily Pond Floral Design Studio (Natasha Lisistsa and Carla Parkinson) mirrors the tree of Richard Mayhew’s “Rhapsody.” Photo: Woody Weingarten.

Risking being taunted as a wretched pun-tificaotr, I hereby affirm that the de Young’s floral-art exhibit  unearths how great it is when artisans put their mettle to the petal.

Truly.

“Bouquets to Art,” a vital though short-lived array at that San Francisco museum, colorfully blossoms each year like a perennial.

The gestalt of this year’s parade of flora is much more vibrant than any of its component blooms — and the work of more than 125 exhibitors as a whole is as compelling as any of its 28 annual predecessors.

Skeptics beware: Floral art can dynamically complement oils and sculptures.

The two-floored 2013 display, where each artist (or group of floral designers) is inspired by an individual piece of the permanent collection to create a tribute to that art, can comfortably be covered in a few hours. But expect your ears to be filled during that brief visit with glowing, gushing commentaries from other guests ­— art lovers, floral lovers, “Bouquets to Art” lovers.

This year’s exhibit provides sharper contrasts than usual.

Why?

Ultra-simple arrangements vie for attention with complicated constructions.

Monochromatic wonders compete with glitzy, sparkly thingies (yes, art snobs may quake in their finery at my use of such a slangy term — and my tinge of derision).

And fancy draped fabric, string and high-wire acts steal the floodlights of more modest interpretations — impressionistic or realistic — of fine art.

My favorite is by Half Moon Flowers (Leila Simms), a homage to James McNeill Whistler’s 1879 “The Gold Scab: Eruption in Filthy Lucre (The Creditor),” an unusual dark painting that caricatures Whistler’s benefactor.

The floral display ideally mimics the artwork in both tone and color.

Since whimsy was under-represented this year, I was particularly happy to find an American Art burlesque by violetta (arlene boyle) of a head with horns.

“Bouquets” always acts as a reminder to me of how fleeting life is — and how lasting art can be.

Most of the flowers — like the sand sculptures created on a beach only to have the waves wash them away shortly after they’re built — survive only a few days (some must be replenished daily), while the paintings and sculptures they represent are, well, a lot more permanent.

So, if require additional reassurance about longevity when you finish your tour, you might wander downstairs to another exhibit, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” subtitled “Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis.”

That display features the famed 1665 Vermeer oil on canvas. But if that and its companion pieces don’t satisfy your quest for classics, try the tangential exhibit of “Rembrandt’s Century,” which features 200 smaller works (including rarely seen Rembrandt depictions of homelessness and poverty).

Though you must rush to catch “Bouquets to Art,” you can be a little more leisurely with “Girl” and “Rembrandt” — those shows will run through June 2.

“Bouquets to Art” runs through March 23 at the de Young, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive at John F. Kennedy Drive, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Tickets: Free for members and children under 5, $20 adults, $17 seniors (over 65), $16 youths (6-17). Information: (415) 750-3600 or contact@famsf.org.

Mar 21 2013
Love0

FBI Moneypak Computer Virus Greendot

By Joe Cillo

FBI Moneypak Computer Virus

 

Last week I had a computer virus that locked down my computer and rendered it unusable for five days. I don’t really understand what happened, but I will recount my experience. My computer skills and sophistication are only middling to moderate. Undoubtedly, many of you will understand this much better than I do.

I don’t really know how I got this virus. I haven’t been able to figure it out. The way it got started, I think, is that perhaps a month ago upon startup of the computer, the scanner software would open and the scanner would start to scan, even though there was nothing on the scanner to scan and I hadn’t been using the scanner recently. I am using Windows 7 operating system, by the way. So every time I started the computer up I would have to manually close about four windows related to the scanner. This process began spontaneously for no obvious reason that I can discern. It was a nuisance and a week ago on a Saturday morning I got up and decided to see if I could fix this.

If you click the Start button, you get the command line, and you type msconfig and a window opens with a menu. If you click the Startup tab there is a list of programs that open when you start the computer with check boxes. You can uncheck the ones you don’t want to open when the computer starts up. So I did this, unchecking the scanner software and a number of others. When I restarted the computer, however, the scanner software still started up, as it had been doing, even though it was unchecked in msconfig. So I thought, OK, I’ll uninstall the scanner software. So I did that uninstalling the scanner software in Control Panel. Then I restarted the computer, and some parts of the scanner software still started up, although not all of it, even though it had been uninstalled from the computer. So I said, OK, I’m going to completely uninstall the scanner, the driver, anything having to do with the scanner, uninstall. So I did that and when I restarted the computer, Windows loaded and was immediately superceded by a black screen with FBI and Justice Department logos on it and a message that I had been illegally downloading copyrighted material, looking at child pornography, and various other offenses, and my computer would be locked down until I clicked on the button indicated and paid a fine. If I didn’t do this within 72 hours, the FBI would prosecute me for a host of felonies, or something to that effect. There was a green button labeled ‘Greendot,’ that I was asked to click on it for the instructions on how to make this payment. I did not click on it. Don’t be intimidated. This is not from the FBI or the government. This is heavy handed extortion by criminals. However, you cannot get out of this screen by any means. It completely takes over the computer and immobilizes it. You can’t even shut the computer down. I had to shut it down and turn it back on with the power button. Every time I turned the computer on Windows loaded, but then this threatening screen took over. There was nothing that could be done. The computer was completely locked up.

Fortunately, I also have an Android tablet, which I never use, and regard as a waste of money, but it does have a working internet connection, and I was able to research the problem with it.  So maybe I should hold it in slightly higher esteem. I found that there are a number of different versions of this virus and the one I had was called ‘FBI Moneypak Greendot.’ The most common way people defeated the FBI Moneypak virus was by starting the computer in Safe Mode. In Safe Mode you can operate the computer, connect to the internet, download an antivirus program called “Malwarebytes,” and run it and remove the virus. To get into Safe Mode, you press the ‘Delete’ key when the computer first starts up, before Windows starts to load. It’s good to keep hitting it. You get a black screen with white lettering inviting you to choose how you want Windows to load. Choose Safe Mode with Internet Connection. I did this and Windows loaded, but immediately the black FBI screen took over and shut everything down. So Safe Mode did not work. The Greendot version of this virus disables Safe Mode. Now what?

I got a friend to make a Windows 7 startup disc for me. You can download to a CD the minimal files necessary to operate the computer and boot the computer from the CD. I did this and it worked. I could boot the computer from the CD and get a command prompt. However, I was not able to run anything from the command prompt. I could see into the computer, the file directories were there, but I wasn’t able to do anything. I tried ‘regedit’ to edit the registry — a risky move, for someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. I was able to find the files in the WinLogon section which were attributed to the virus and deleted them, but when I restarted the computer, the virus was still present and the computer was still completely locked down. Deleting the files in the registry that were said to operate the virus did not have any effect. I went back into Regedit and looked again. The two files I had deleted were back just as they had been before. They seem to have self repaired. So I realized that there was more to this virus that those two files. I decided I would not be able to get rid of it by manually deleting it. I tried to run an antivirus software program from a CD, but that didn’t work either. I thought I was stuck.

Then the same friend who made the CD for me told me about a Windows Recovery Manager that is built into the computer, which I did not know about. You access it by pressing F11 upon startup, just as pressing ‘Delete’ gave you the Safe Mode options. Pressing F11 gets you a Recovery Manager screen with three options on it: Microsoft System Repair Tool, Microsoft Startup Recovery Tool, and System Restore. I tried the Microsoft System Repair Tool and restarted the computer, but it did not work. The virus was still stubbornly in charge. I tried again with the Microsoft Startup Recovery Tool. This worked. After running the Startup Recovery Tool, Windows loaded normally and everything was fine. Like magic, after five days, the problem had been solved. So easy, if you know exactly what to do. That’s why I am posting this. It might save you five days of distress.

I immediately ran Malwarebytes with a full scan of the computer. It took about an hour and a half and it located one Trojan file on the computer. I had it deleted and there was a link that said ‘show location of the file.’ I clicked this and the internet browser opened and it went to Yahoo.com. What do you make of that? I reinstalled the scanner and its related software. The computer has worked normally since, except that the scanner software started to open spontaneously again after a day or so. I immediately ran Malwarebytes again, but it did not find any suspicious files. However, after running a full scan with Malwarebytes, the scanner stopped opening upon Startup, and the computer has run perfectly since.

I’m still puzzled about how I acquired this malware and what its relationship is to the scanner. I remember some time ago having a brief power failure in my apartment with the computer on. So the computer did not shut down properly at that time. Could that have had something to do with it? I really don’t know. Those are the facts. I have no explanations.

Mar 21 2013
Love0

McNALLY’S THE LISBON TRAVIATA HAS FINE ENSEMBLE ACTING

By Kedar K. Adour

Opera Queens Stephen and Mendy discuss records and love.L to R: Michael Sally (Mendy) and Matt Weimer (Stephen).

THE LISBON TRAVIATA by Terrence McNally. Directed by Dennis Lickteig. New Conservatory Theatre Center, (Decker Theatre), located at 25 Van Ness Avenue near Market Street in San Francisco, 94102. (415) 861-8972 or online at www.nctcsf.org.  Through March 31, 2013

McNALLY’S THE LISBON TRAVIATA HAS FINE ENSEMBLE ACTING

The multitalented Terrence McNally has many interests, two of which are opera (Maria Callas in particular) and gay relationships. He paid homage to Callas in 1995 with his Master
Class that became the award winning vehicle for many actresses including Zoe Caldwell and Patti Lapone.  His plays involving gay relationships are legendary including Love, Valor and Compassion and Lips Together, Teeth Apart that received an excellent performance at NCTC last year.

The Lisbon Traviata predates those mentioned above (1989) and became a starring vehicle for Nathan Lane who played the role of the opera devotee Mendy in San Francisco and on Broadway. It is a juicy role that Michael Sally performs with gusto and perfect timing that is reminiscent of Nathan Lane and that is good. The other three members of the cast give yeomen performances creating a unified ensemble effort.

Clever McNally creates two distinct character types, those who appreciate opera and those who do not. If you are of the former persuasion you will be more appreciative of act one where Mendy is sharing an evening of esoteric opera banter with good friend Stephen, a top-notch editor who has perfect pitch for music and a fantastic store of opera trivia. Mendy and Stephen  seem to be made for each other and there is more than a suggestion that they were intimate in the past. If Mendy had his way, they would (could?) be so again.

The title of the play derives from 1958 Callas production of La Traviata  at Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos in Lisbon. An unauthorized recording was made of the live performance and due to the limited number of copies; it became a collector’s item. Stephen just happens to have a copy and Mendy wants to hear it now and not tomorrow. The record is in Stephen’s apartment where Mike (Philippe Gosselin) his doctor lover of eight years is having a tryst with Paul (Adam Roy) a hunky graduate student.  Apparently it is an “open” relationship and Stephen is scheduled to have an assignation with a young fledgling writer who is a waiter. That meeting never happens and Stephen stays over at Mendy’s place.

We learn a good deal about Mike who appears briefly     and Paul who never appears in act one, through conversations, telephone calls and answering machines. The banter is decidedly gay with some great zingers as Stephen and Mendy upstage each other with their individual knowledge of opera. The entire act can be described as frothy with a touch of uncertainty prescience of drama in act two.

During intermission the entire set depicting Mendy’s colorful cluttered apartment is replaced with the immaculate apartment of Mike and Stephen. It becomes apparent through subtle directorial touches that Mike is a compulsive. Licktig moves the characters about the stage creating understated apprehension and conflict. Whereas humor abounds in act one it is totally absent in act two where Stephen returns early to meet a nude Paul stepping out of the bedroom. What happens could be the basis of an opera and the outcome will not be divulged here.

Although the storyline is riveting the running time of 2 hours and 25 minutes is a bit long. However, this play is stunning and well worth seeing.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Mar 20 2013
Love0

A Breath of Fresh Air–Enchanted April at RVP

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Pictured: L to R, Top Row:  Avila Reese as Lotty; Tweed Conrad as Rose. Seated L to R:  Anne Ripley as Mrs. Graves; Kate Fox Marcom as Lady Caroline.  Photo by: Robin Jackson

Ross Valley Players opened the 4th show of their 83rd season Friday, March 15, 2013 with Matthew Barber’s Enchanted April.  It is a wonderful romantic comedy and definitely a must see for all ages.  Mr. Barber’s lively adaptation of a charming novel by Elizabeth von Arnim called The Enchanted April, is set at a villa in Portofino in the province of Genoa, Italy which von Arnim visited during the 1920’s. There was a 1992 film version and Barber’s 2003 play won three Best Play Awards and was nominated for a Tony.

Enchanted April tells the story of four very different women in 1920’s England who leave their damp and rainy surroundings to go on a holiday to a secluded, coastal villa in Italy.  Mrs. Rose Arnott (Tweed Conrad) and Mrs. Lotty Wilton (Avila Reese) who belong to the same church but have never spoken, become acquainted after reading a newspaper advertisement for a villa in Italy that is available for rent.  They find some common ground in that both are struggling to make the best of unhappy marriages.  Having decided to seek other ladies to help share expenses, they reluctantly take on the irritable, Mrs. Graves (Anne Ripley) and the charming Lady Caroline Bramble (Kate Fox Marcom).  These four women come together at the villa and find rejuvenation in the tranquil beauty of their surroundings, rediscovering hope and love.  Enchanted April is beautifully directed by Cris Cassell and produced by Maureen O’Donoghue.

Avila Reese is funny, feisty and touching in the role of Lotty Wilton. Her scenes with Tweed Conrad who plays Rose Arnott are priceless. Tweed is perfect as the long suffering Rose who so wants to bust out but just can’t seem to do it.  Kate Fox Marcom is excellent as the beautiful socialite, Lady Caroline.  This character requires an actress with outstanding acting ability, a dancer’s grace and striking beauty. Ms. Marcom fills the bill in all these areas.  Maxine Sattizahn provides many laughs as the Italian housekeeper, Costanza.   She speaks only Italian throughout the entire show both with her voice and her body. The most riveting performance is given by Anne Ripley as Mrs. Graves. Her physicality, perfect sense of timing, and wonderful voice were so rich and full that she leaves a lasting impression.

Enchanted April not only has great roles for women but the supporting male roles are also interesting. Ross Burger is the handsome and hospitable Antony Wilding, the owner of the charming villa.  Tom Hudgens is Rose’s philandering husband Frederick Arnott who captures the complexity of his character with a multi-layered performance.  Ron Dailey turns in a fine performance as Lotty’s cold and clueless husband, Mellersh.  To Mr. Dailey belongs the funniest scene in the show when he arrives on the terrace dressed only in a bath towel and tries desperately to avoid showing any nudity.

The first act seems dreary but it is supposed to be–all the action takes place in London, in front of a dark curtain with an iron gate at the front and two sets of tables and chairs across the stage as the plot for the trip unfolds.  Thanks to Billie Cox, we hear the rain and the thunder.

When we begin Act II, as the ladies arrive for their adventure, we see an amazing set change. Scenic Designer Malcolm Rodgers’ gorgeous flower laden garden and impressive villa received a rousing applause from the audience.  Lighting Designer Ellen Brooks’ wonderful lighting makes us feel the warmth of the Italian sun and the romantic atmosphere of an Italian evening.

Costume Designer Michael A. Berg’s costumes are a visual feast. In Act I, the apparel is certainly in the 1920’s era, but the clothing is dark and heavy reflecting the feelings after World War I. In Act II, the colors and styles are bright and breezy.

Director Cris Cassell has orchestrated something truly magical in this play. Each actor is so well cast. You have until April 14, 2013 to become enchanted and charmed.

Thursday night performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Barn Theatre, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, CA.  For tickets, call 415-456-9555, ext. 1 or go to www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Coming up next at Ross Valley Players will be All My Sons by Arthur Miller, directed by Caroline Altman, May 17-June 16, 2013.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

 

 

Mar 20 2013
Love0

EURYDICE at Custom Made Theatre

By Kedar K. Adour

 

 

Eurydice,(Jessica Rudholm) Her Father (Fred Pitts) and the Three Stones (Jermy Parkin, Helen Papas, Stefin Collins in Custom Made’s production of Eurydice.

 

 NOW EXTENDED THROUGH APRIL 28!

 

 

EURYDICE by Sarah Ruhl. A reimagining of the Greek Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Directed by Katja Rivera. Production concept by Brian Katz. Original score by Liz Ryder. Custom Made Theatre Company, 1620 Gough Street, San Francisco. www.custommade.org. March 19- April 14, 2013.

AN AMBITIOUS, IMAGINATIVE, ENTERTAINING, THOUGHTFUL EVENING

Sarah Ruhl is an icon in the theatre and two of her plays (In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play and The Clean House) were Pulitzer Prize finalists. There is no doubt in this reviewer’s mind the she will eventually grab the brass ring and win that coveted prize. Her play Eurydice, written early in her career does not rate the accolades of her more recent works but is an intriguing part of her development as a playwright having more than a touch of self-importance as she undertakes a new slant on a well-known popular myth.

In ancient Greek myth Orpheus was a legendary musician with the ability to charm all living and inanimate things and even stones. When Eurydice dies shortly after their wedding and is sent to the Underworld, the distraught Orpheus breaks through the Gates Hell to retrieve her. And you know the rest of the story. If not, go to the intimate Custom Made Theatre and see an ambitious and imaginative production and find out the answer.

Where the plight of Orpheus descending into the underworld is the major theme of the myth, strong feminist activist Ruhl poses the question, “What is the plight of Eurydice?” The play is constructed from her viewpoint and requires a talented actor to play the role.  The diminutive Jessica Rudholm fits the bill beginning with the opening acrobatic love scene with statuesque David Naughton playing Orpheus. They are ably supported by Fred Pitts playing Eurydice’s father with understated charm and authority. Eric O’Kelly as a Nasty Interesting Man strides on stage on stilts and later appears without them as he pedals a child’s scooter to undertake the role of Lord of the Underworld. The ubiquitous Greek chorus is another imaginative touch being Big Stone, Loud Stone and Little Stone (Jeremy Parkin, Helen Pappas and Stefin Collins).

The production values are very clever and often whimsical with original music (Liz Ryder) well-suited to the action. There is an atmospheric modernistic set (Sarah Phykitt) in black and white skewed designs with a jagged door as Gate of the Underworld dominating rear stage. Providentially the running time of about 85 minutes will hold your attention.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Mar 19 2013
Love0

“John & Jen” perservere through the years

By Judy Richter

“John & Jen” (also written as “john & jen”), an intimate musical presented by Hillbarn Theatre, may be seen as an intriguing psychological study in family dynamics.

With just two characters, it covers 38 years in the life of a woman, Jen (Alicia Teeter), starting in 1952, when she’s 6 years old and welcoming her newborn brother, John (William Giammona), into the world. On Christmas Eve five years later, it’s apparent that their parents don’t get along and that their father is abusive.

Other transitions follow until Jen is 18 and goes off to college in 1964, leaving her despairing brother behind. In subsequent years, she becomes a hippie and peacenik, moving toCanadawith her draft-dodging boyfriend, while John becomes closer to their father. In 1970, when John is 18, he enlists in the Navy and is soon killed inVietnam, much to Jen’s sorrow.

Two years later, Jen has given birth to a son, whom she names John. Sometime after that, the boy’s father leaves. In the meantime, Jen seems determined to turn her son into her brother’s reincarnation. As he grows older, he resents those efforts, which impede his ability to follow his own path. Ultimately, she sees the light as he heads off to college.

With a book by Tom Greenwald and Andrew Lippa, much of the story is told through songs with music by Lippa and lyrics by Greenwald. It takes place on an uncluttered set created by Robert Broadfoot with lighting by Aya Matsutomo and sound by Alan Chang. The actors are onstage almost the entire two acts. Transitions from one year to another are achieved through slight changes of clothing (costumes by Mae Matos).

Director Jay Manley guides the two with intelligence and sensitivity. Although Teeter may seem to have the easier role because she’s the same person in both acts, she has some of the more demanding songs — well sung — and goes on a longer emotional journey. On the other hand, Giammona has the challenge of being an adult portraying a child or teenager. Both actors succeed.

The songs are all pleasant though not particularly memorable. Sitting on the side with a cellist and percussionist, Graham Sobelman serves as musical director and keyboardist.

“John & Jen” will continue at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, through April 7. For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

Mar 19 2013
Love0

“Enchanted April” — Ross Valley Players Greet Spring

By Judith Wilson

England in winter with its gray skies and incessant rain can be a dreary place, so when Charlotte Wilton (Avila Reese) spots a tiny newspaper ad offering a castle for rent in Italy for the month of April, she finds the temptation of a respite with wisteria and sunshine irresistible.

Lotty (aka Charlotte) soon convinces Rose Arnott (Tweed Conrad), whose acquaintance she makes at her ladies’ club, to join her, and their plans for a holiday abroad, sans husbands, begin to take shape. The money they’ve squirreled away won’t cover the costs, so they advertise spots for two other ladies to share the expense. The severe Mrs. Graves (Anne Ripley), a widow who hobnobbed with literary notables when she was younger, and Lady Caroline Bramley (Kate Fox Marcom), a young socialite who craves a change of scene, round out the foursome. So, with an intriguing mix of disparate personalities, the sojourn at Castello San Salvatore begins.

“Enchanted April,” the Ross Valley Players production currently running at the Barn Theatre at the Marin Art & Garden Center, is based on the novel “The Enchanted April” by Australian-born British novelist Elizabeth von Arnim. Matthew Barber adapted the book, published in 1922, into the play, which made its Broadway debut in 2003 and went on to become an award winner.

The story reflects Europe of the 1920s, when the established social order was changing, and women in England had won the right to vote and were gaining new rights. Social change also has an individual effect; thus, the action revolves around four women who are unhappy with their lives and are looking for something, even if they don’t know quite know what. “Something has shifted, and I don’t recognize anything anymore,” says Lotty, as she tries to identify the source of her dissatisfaction. Spring, though, is a season for beginnings, and the light and sun of Italy prove to be an antidote to the gloom, as the women begin to blossom and change.

This is a character-driven play, and with Cris Cassell’s direction, the actresses shine, each projecting a distinct personality. Reese gives us a determined, enthusiastic Lotty who seems as though she could accomplish anything, while Conrad portrays Rose with a reserved demeanor punctuated with bursts of emotion that reveal her insecurity and sadness, as she reluctantly goes along for the ride and eventually opens herself to new possibilities.

A perfectly turned-out flapper, Marcom delivers a Lady Caroline who is somewhat aloof yet shows her vulnerability, as she warms up ever so slowly. “San Salvatore is working its magic on all of us. Just at different rates, that’s all,” says Lotty, who perceives, correctly, that Caroline is more than meets the eye.

In a masterful portrayal, Ripley’s Mrs. Graves is stern and demanding at first, laying out rules and stating that “modern language” is not acceptable. Ripley subtly transforms her from a stiff-buttoned up old lady into a complex and interesting woman who becomes increasingly more relaxed in a gentle evolution reflected in her clothing, hair and even her speech.

Although the story focuses on the women, the husbands, Mellersh Wilton (Ron Dailey) and Frederick Arnott (Tom Hudgens), are integral to the plot, and the actors convincingly show the dilemma facing them. Today, their behavior would be considered chauvinistic, but men in the 1920s had grown up in a patriarchal world, so the changing role of women must have been difficult to comprehend. Thus, Mellersh is outraged at Lotty’s temerity when he discovers she plans to go on holiday without him, while Frederick, whose life with Rose seems to be unraveling, doesn’t know how to deal with her intransigence. Both turn in polished performances, with Frederick bringing an unexpected complication to the plot, while Mellersh draws laughs in a revealing slapstick moment.

Ross Berger plays Anthony Wilding, San Salvatore’s owner, and although earnest, he misses the mark, miscast in a role that appears to be intended for someone older, who can convey the experience of a man who has lived through a war and add the sophistication and élan we expect of an eligible bachelor during the Roaring Twenties in Europe.

Rounding out the cast is Maxine Sattizahn as the delightful Italian housekeeper Constanza, whose body language and humor add a light touch to a script filled with little gems. Listen for the word marvelous in Italian as well as English.

Malcolm Rodgers’ sets serve to contrast the dull grayness of Hampstead with sunny San Salvatore, as the characters move from dissatisfaction and uncertainty to clarity and hope. At first glance, “Enchanted April” might seem simple, but in reality it’s a thoughtful play with themes as relevant today as they were almost a century ago.

“Enchanted April” plays through April 15. Tickets are $26 general admission and $22 for seniors 62 and over and students 18 and under. Thursday night tickets are $20 for all ages. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.rossvalleyplayers.com or call the box office at 415-456-9555, ext. 1.

Mar 18 2013
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Harvest of Empire — Film Review

By Joe Cillo

Harvest of Empire

Directed by Peter Getzels & Eduardo López

 

This is an informative, well-presented story of the Latino migration to the United States throughout the twentieth century and continuing into the present. It makes clear the relationship between the Latin migration to the United States and the economic and political policies of the United States government, examining numerous specific cases in great detail: Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Each case is somewhat different, but the basic pattern is consistent: the United States destabilizes popular governments, engineers coups, promotes civil wars, and supports repressive dictatorial regimes that promote the economic interests of large U.S. corporations who exploit the citizenry of these countries, extract their resources, pervert the local economy, and corrupt the government and the judicial system. The citizenry then flee poverty, repression, war, hopelessness, and despair, and where do they come? The United States. People do not leave their homes, their cultures, their languages, and their national identity easily. They do so reluctantly and often at great risk. In a great many cases they are not coming to seek work or to make money, but to flee terror and genocide. The United States trains, arms, and supports the repressive governments that brutalize the civilian population and create the intolerable conditions that promote large scale migration. This film documents this pattern with many vivid examples. It is based on the book Harvest of Empire, by Juan Gonzalez, who is featured as a commentator throughout the film. Anyone who is Latino should see it. Anyone who isn’t Latino should also see it, because it might help to discredit some of the paranoid nonsense being promoted in politics and the media — which is also portrayed in the film — about securing the borders with fences and drones and armed patrols and criminalizing undocumented immigrants and deporting them by the thousands and millions, which is not feasible and not in our interest in any case. It is a powerful and important story that will have lasting implications for the future of our nation. There are about 51 million Latin immigrants in the United States right now, with about two thirds of them from Mexico. According to the Pew Research Center, by 2050 the Latino population in the United States will triple in size and make up 29% of the population compared to 14% in 2005. Nearly one in five Americans will be an immigrant in 2050, compared to one in eight in 2005. It is a major long term demographic and cultural shift underway in the United States: an inadvertent, unforeseen consequence of short-sighted, misguided economic and political policies carried out by our government over many years. This film provides a clearheaded, historically informed, constructive look at the issue that is interesting and rich in examples of the many varied impacts it has on individual human lives.