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Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” is still confounding and entertaining audiences some 56 years after it was written. Dragon Theatre’s production does nothing to shed more light on this three-act drama, yet it holds the audience spellbound.

Set in a boarding house on an English beach in the 1950s, the play starts quietly enough with the taciturn Petey (Tom Bleecker) coming home for breakfast with his morning paper and being served corn flakes by his ditzy but well meaning wife, Meg (Celia Maurice).

Soon they’re joined by their only boarder, the nasty, loutish Stanley (Paul Stout).

Later, two men in business suits, the smooth-talking Goldberg (Avi Jacobson) and the menacing McCann (Brian Levi), arrange for a room. When he hears about them, Stanleybecomes fearful.

That night, there’s a birthday party for Stanley, who insists it’s not his birthday. The celebrants are Meg, Goldberg, McCann and LuLu (Monica Ammerman), a sexy young neighbor. Petey is away at his weekly chess game.

With the alcohol flowing freely, the party evolves into an intense interrogation of Stanley by Goldberg and McCann. The next morning, he has been reduced to a catatonic state as the two men take him away.

That’s the crux of the plot, but what is and isn’t said is fascinating. What do Goldberg and McCann represent? What’s their connection toStanley? Why does Goldberg change details about his life? Those are just some of the questions that arise. More come from nuances in the characters’ reactions and interactions.

Thanks to astute direction by Jenny Hollingworth and her well chosen cast, there’s always an element of tension with some relief from humor.

Running about two hours and 10 minutes with two 10-minute intermissions, this Dragon production is endlessly enjoyable and engrossing.

“The Birthday Party” will continue at Dragon Productions Theatre, 2120 Broadway St., Redwood City, through June 15. For tickets and information, call (650) 493-2006 or visit www.dragonproductions.net.

Marga Gomez is Captivating in “Love Birds”

Marga Gomez is back in the Mission with her new show called “Lovebirds”. Bi-costal playwright and lesbian comic extraordinaire has the folks rolling in the aisles with her 75 minute solo performance with the world premiere of “Lovebirds” at The Marsh in San Francisco. This marks her 10th solo performance which is being directed by David Schweizer. Ms. Gomez who I call a Latino Whoopi Goldberg has been one the better lesbian comics traveling all over the United States with her one person show. She has an amazing personality with a great wit, a mobile face and a lithe body. She is one foxy lady who could be called a lesbian Jennifer Lopez.

“Lovebirds” is not one of her autobiographical soliloquys that she usually does. Here Marga plays Polaroid Phillie an enchantingly unconventional street photographer who still takes photos of couples with of all things with a Polaroid camera in Greenwich Village haunts gay ladies bars and Spanish restaurants.
Marga as Polaroid Phillie tells the audience about fond memories of taking photos in the 70’s in these clubs. She then portrays a crew of incurable romantics as they chase their heart’s desires into the night, through decades and to insane lengths. She is fantastic playing Orestes, a macho maître d’ infatuated with a tin eared singer who is married to an academic who never sleeps or even never awake.

Marga is also brilliant playing an emerging lesbian named Barbara and through her eyes we meet a raucously “butch” Turkey who comes on strong at a local disco. She changes her name to Dahlia and she wants to leave this selfish butch Turkey for a new love with a bewitching New York University woman’s studies teacher, Aurora. She also plays the tone deft singer and even herself toward the end of the 75 minute of the comic tour de force.

“Lovebird “ is Marga Gomez at her best. I wanted to see more but this fast pace presentation is over much too soon. “Lovebirds” runs through March 15 at The Marsh San Francisco Studio, 1062 Valencia Street, San Francisco. For tickets call 415-282-3055 or on line at www.themarsh.org

Gypsy by Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) is a real winner!  This Novato Theater Company production is brilliantly directed and choreographed by Blanca Florido assisted by Musical Director Andrew Klein and Producer Gary Gonser.

Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous strip tease artist and focuses on her mother, Rose (Daniela Innocenti-Beem) whose name has become synonymous with “the ultimate show business mother.”  The play follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise her two daughters to perform onstage and casts an eye on the hardships of show business life.  The character Louise (Gillian Eichenberger) is based on Lee and the character of June (Julianne Thompson) are based on Lee’s sister, the actress Joan Havoc.

There are 21 talented adult actors in Gypsy as well as 9 talented children.  The real star of this great production is Daniela Innocenti-Beem, an Ethel Merman look alike as Mama Rose, who has fabulous stage presence.  She is ably supported by her two daughters Louise and Baby June.  Other outstanding performers are Ron Dailey as Pop playing three parts, Weber and Phil; Patrick Barr as Herbie, the girl’s manager and Rose’s lover; Burl Lampert in four roles including Uncle Jocko, Bougeron-Cochon and Mr. Goldstone; and Michael Lumb as Tulsa who elopes with Baby June.

Set during the vaudeville era in the early 1920’s, Gypsy is about Rose, the archetype of a stage mother, aggressive and domineering, pushing her children to perform.  While June is an extroverted, talented child star, the older girl, Louise is shy.  Rose travels the country with the two daughters and manager Herbie. While June and Louise wish their mother would settle down and marry Herbie, Rose continues to pursue dreams of stardom for her girls.  But June deserts the act and marries Tulsa and Rose tries to turn shy Louise into a star. When the act is booked into a burlesque house by mistake, Louise is forced into the spotlight and Gypsy Rose Lee is born!

This musical contains many songs that became popular including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Together (Wherever We Go),” ” Small World,” and “Let Me Entertain You.”  Gypsy has been called the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers.

Gypsy runs October 18-November 10, 2013 at the Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Drive, Novato.  Curtain times are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 415-883-4498 or go online at www.novatotheatercompany.org.

Coming up next at Novato Theater Company will be “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” by Barbara Robinson, November 30-December 15, 2013.

Flora Lynn Isaacson

By Judy Richter

As bored as the tourists she leads through “the dullest house inEngland,” a guide begins to embroider her stories about the history of Fustian House.

Soon the tourists are fascinated as Peter Shaffer’s “Lettice and Lovage” gets under way at Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City. Eventually word of her fabrications gets back to her employer, England’s Preservation Trust. That’s when the guide, Lettice Douffet (Monica Cappuccini), is confronted by a Trust manager, Lotte Schoen (Celia Maurice), who fires her.

Ten weeks later, though, a contrite Lotte shows up at Lettice’s basement flat. The chilly air in this meeting begins to warm, especially when Lettice offers Lotte her special quaff, which includes vodka, other ingredients and an herb, lovage. Their friendship continues nicely until an unfortunate incident. Even that turns out well as the two middle-aged women figure out a new way to support themselves while making the best use of their particular skills.

Shaffer wrote this play for the great Dame Maggie Smith as Lettice. Although no one can duplicate a performer of that caliber, this play demands an actress who can carry it with long stretches of theatrical dialogue about English history and Lettice’s revered actress mother. Lettice tries to live by her mother’s motto, “Enlarge, enliven, enlighten.”

Director Greg Fritsch’s choice of Cappuccini is indeed fortuitous, for she delivers a tour de force performance throughout the three-act, two-intermission play. She’s well balanced by Maurice’s Lotte, whose more practical approach to life is an effective foil to Lettice’s dramatic ways.

The supporting cast is good, especially Lauren Rhodes as Miss Framer, Lotte’s giggly secretary; and John Baldwin as Mr. Bardolph, the solicitor who’s supposed to defend Lettice after the incident with Lotte.

Although their small parts are limited to the first act, Hiedeh Honari Saghi, Lindsey DeLost, Denise Beruman and Marc Berman quickly alter their personas as successive groups of tourists through Fustian House.

Using a turntable, the set by Robert Broadfoot readily switches to different locations. Shannon Maxham’s costumes are noteworthy, especially the red hats (a sly reference to the Red Hat Society for women) on one group of tourists.

Valerie Clear’s lighting works well, but the music in her sound design drowns out Lettice’s speeches at the beginning of Acts 1 and 2. This is a greater problem in Act 1, when Lettice repeats her set speech several times. Because the audience can’t hear it very well, there’s not enough contrast when the music stops and she begins to insert her own details.

Otherwise, this is an engaging, enjoyable production, thanks in large part to Cappuccini’s outstanding performance.

“Lettice and Lovage” will continue at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, through Nov. 3. For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

By Judy Richter

It’s only natural that a teenage girl would be alarmed when a strange boy suddenly enters her bedroom. Even when Anthony (Devion McArthur) explains that he’s there to work on an English class assignment with her, Caroline (Jessica Lynn Carroll) remains wary.

That’s how Lauren Gunderson’s intriguing “I and You” opens in its world premiere at Marin Theatre Company.

Caroline has a chronic liver condition that has kept her homebound for most of her life. She knows she could die if she doesn’t get a liver transplant, but she seems reasonably well resigned to what might lie ahead. Moreover, she remains optimistic and has dreams for the future.

In contrast to the frail white Caroline, Anthony is a tall black basketball player. They’re supposed to prepare a presentation analyzing the use of the pronouns “I” and “you” in Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” All of this is news to Caroline, who’s not familiar with the poem. She has to become knowledgeable in a hurry because the assignment is due the next day.

Caroline’s mother is nowhere to be seen, but Anthony assures Caroline that her mother sent him up to her room. Later, Caroline texts her mom to ask for a Coke for Anthony.

During the course of a long session that extends late into the night, Caroline gradually warms up to Anthony and becomes excited about “Song of Myself.” She sees that in some ways it speaks directly to her. She also opens up to Anthony, revealing that for all her bravado, she’s afraid.

Sensitively directed by Sarah Rasmussen, “I and You” is mainly Caroline’s story with Anthony apparently there to unwittingly guide her to a better emotional place. The surprise ending helps to make that point.

Running about 85 minutes without intermission, the play has a few slow spots. For the most part, though, it moves along, thanks to the two actors, who are quite believable as teenagers. Carroll’s Caroline may be a bit too believable with rapid speech that can typify teenage girls but that can be hard to understand at times.

Michael Locher’s set features an array of interesting photos on the walls. Caroline reveals that she took most of them with her smart phone. The set also features simple, inexpensive furniture that could be indicative of her family’s financial situation.

The lighting is by Wen-Ling Liao with costumes by Maggie Whitaker and sound and music by Will McCandless.

The MTC production of “I and You” is part of a rolling world premiere under the auspices of the National New Play Network. This alliance of not-for-profit theater companies fosters the development of new American plays. With a rolling world premiere, at least three companies agree to stage the play within a 12-month period. “I and You” is slated for additional productions in Maryland and Indiana.

If the MTC production is any indication, the play is likely to be snapped up by other companies, too. It’s an audience pleaser.

“I and You” will continue through Nov. 3 at Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., MillValley. For tickets and information, call (415) 388-5208 or visit www.marintheatre.org.