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May 11 2015
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Fringe of Marin One-Act Play Festival Celebrates 25 Years!

By Flora Lynn Isaacson

Fringe of Marin One-Act Play Festival Celebrates 25 Years!

The Fringe of Marin is one of the oldest Fringe Festivals in the country and the oldest in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The Fringe of Marin is now celebrating its 25th season with some of the most innovative work of San Francisco Bay Area playwrights, directors, and actors.

Established by Dr. Annette Lust in 1985, who was a professor at Dominican University and who continued to run the festival until her death two years ago in late February.  At this time, Gina Pandiani, Dominican alum who graduated in 1985, stepped up to the plate as Managing Director to make sure that the show will continue to go on at the Fringe of Marin.

This review is centered on Program B which consists of four plays and one monologue.  Program B was presented on Saturday, May 2, and Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m. at Angelico Hall at Dominican University.  

Program B opened with Chill, written and directed by Nathan Day.  In Chill, a bickering young couple, Suzy (Iris Mallgren) and Bobby (Nick Coelius) are dressed in bathing suits and sitting in beach chairs.  It is supposed to be warm, but they’re freezing to death.  They wrap their beach towels around themselves.  Bobby’s towel is very patriotic – like the American flag.  Chill was well cast with a good contrast in character.  It was well directed with a lot of laughs from the audience.

That light satirical play was followed by Wii, written and directed by Gary Green.  Stacey Anderson plays Sharon, a transgender (who was Liam’s father but is now Liam’s mother).  Nico Canivet, a child actor plays Liam, who was trying to make a difficult adjustment.  Director Gary Green should have moved the important scene on the couch forward toward the audience instead of at the back.  Nico Canivet is wonderful as Liam in a challenging role.

The last play before intermission was Alby and Me, written, directed, and acted by veteran Fringe favorite, Steve North.  Steve North is a real pro, who has performed stand-up comedy at the Marsh in Berkeley.  Steve has a great sense of comic timing, and he had the audience roaring with laughter as an aging actor trying to remember his lines.  He carries a script as a prop.  “Alby,” in the title, comes from the albatross which he drags in at the end from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.  Steve North has the skill to keep the audience in the palm of his hand.

The second half of Program B opened with Sheroe by Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko and directed by Sydney Painter.  In this play, Jasmine Williams plays Cheryl, who is visited by the ghost of her dead Mother, skillfully played by Paige L. Mayes.  This play was beautifully acted and directed.

The final play of Program B was Safe House written and directed by Fringe Festival veteran Charley Lerrigo.  In Safe House, a hurricane drives the Sheriff John Hurlbut, solidly performed by Bruce Carlton to the safe house of Hattie Peterson, a long-time friend, seductively portrayed by Sanna Cook.  She offers the sheriff something warm to drink and sets about to seduce him.

Program A was performed on Friday, May 1, Saturday, May 2, and Saturday May 9 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday May 2, at 2:00 p.m., at Angelico Hall.

At the end of the Festival program, Gina Pandiani announced the 2015 Fringe of Marin winners.  All of the winners were from Program B, except for the Best Ensemble, called Pizza Man from Program A.  These are the results:

Best Director: Sidney Painter
Runner-Up: Gary Green

Best Male Performance: Nico Canivet
Runner-Up: Nick Coelius

Best Female Performance: Jasmine Williams and Paige L. Mayes
Runner-Up: Iris Mallgren

Best Ensemble: the cast of Pizza Man

Best Play: Sheroe
Runner-Up: Chill

 

What a wealth of talent I witnessed in Program B, of directors, actors, and playwrights!  

Congratulations to Gina Pandiani for keeping the show going on!

 Flora Lynn Isaacson

May 24 2014
Love0

Fringe of Marin Spring 2014: Season Opener

By David Hirzel

The Fringe of Marin has gotten off to a good start for Spring 2014, opening their 33rd season’s Program One at Dominican University’s Angelico Hall.  This relatively new venue (2nd season there) is in most ways a decided improvement over the stage at Meadowlands.  There is, for example, a real theatrical sound and lighting system, a real stage and several hundred banked seats.  These, taken together, add a theatrical polish to the overall production, and this in turn brings out the best in the performances.

One of the best of these is the opener, “Fourteen” (written by Inbal Kashtan), a glimpse into the frustration and desperation of an adolescent girl (very well played by Stefanee Martin) seeking connection in a disintegrating household.  Very well staged and directed by Jon Tracey.  Gaetana Caldwell-Smith’s “Andrew Primo” looks into a woman’s discovery that her man is, literally, a machine.  Wth Edith Reiner’s performance as Elaine, it all makes sense.  Lesbian honeymooners on a camping trip are “Fighting for Survival” against all intruders—men, bears, nude dancers, a thunderstorm.  Lucas Hatton’s over-the-top stint as a hapless campground-census taker brought the evening’s richest laughter.  Dylan Brody’s “PreOccupy Hollywood” takes us to the staging room of a group of movie extras hoping for a shot at the bigger time.

For all that this new venue adds, something has been taken away—the close-in intimacy of Meadowlands’ black-box narrow hall.   This is particularly noticeable in “Little Moscow” where Rick Roitinger’s estimable portrayal of a Russian Jewish tailor’s reflective monologue to an unseen customer loses much of the potency of Alecks Merilo’s powerful script to the cavernous auditorium.  It is a credit to his performance and physical embodiment of that tailor, that Roitinger transcends the difficulties of giving an outward projection to the thoughts and words of an inwardly-directed character.

Altogether, a great evening’s entertainment right here in San Rafael.  Program Two promises at least as much, if not more.  Premiere Program Two Saturday May 24, 2:00.

For all dates this season, click Fringe Spring 2014

Box office:  Fringe 2014

Review by David Hirzel  www.davidhirzel.net

Apr 21 2013
Love0

Fringe of Marin: Season 31, Program Two–Another Winning Lineup

By David Hirzel

Program Two gets off with a bang, a great piece of broad ensemble comedy,”Here’s Your Life (A Tribute to Sid Caesar)”. Great lines (Stacy Lapin and Pamela Rand), great timing, great physical comedy, just what you’d expect from the title, all delivered under the firm and driving hand of director Jerry Ambinder. The mood changes abruptly with Deanna Anderson’s touching and thoughtful reading of Longfellow’s “The Wreck” (of the Hesperus), interwoven with adult memories of a turbulent childhood. “The Freeons” (written and directed by Rachel Cohen) take us to an unusual dining experience near an elegant restaurant, and helps to challenge a young lady’s and our own preconceptions about the meaning and value of food. Right before the intermission Steve North takes us on another wild ride through his psyche and his life experience. His piece is full of laughs and insights where “Something’s Not Wright” but neither he nor we quite know what or why as he veers between seemingly unscripted moments. All a part of the stagecraft of this consummate professional.

Terri Barker in her directorial debut gives us the maturing friendship between a young student aspiring to art, an older man whose muse has left him staring out at the horizon In Peter Hseih’s “Lauren and the Ocean.” In an art of a different kind, Michael Belitsos returns to the stage with a spellbinding mix—“Admissions in the Dark”—of illusionism, stage hypnosis, and a paean to monster and “Ghost” films from Hollywood’s glory days in the genre. The evening closes with a Gina Pandiani’s wry update of Chekhov’s “A Marriage Proposal (2013)” with the battle this time between the Tea Party conservative Ivan and his intended, the Knee-Jerk liberal Natalia, with a surprise ending that Chekhov would never considered.

All in all, a great 31st season, strong line-ups in all departments, for both programs. Special thanks to Pamela Rand and Gina Pandiani for their heroic work in carrying on the noble tradition of the Fringe of Marin started 31 seasons ago by Annette Lust. Also to light + sound wizard Jeremy Block, and the behind the scenes stagehands who help to make it all happen. The spirit continues! Long live the Fringe!

Nov 15 2012
Love0
image of Keon Saghari, Yuko Hata, Regan Fairfield in Chysalis photo by Weidong Yang

Labayen Dance/SF: TAKE 5

By Jo Tomalin
image of Jaidah Terry + Yuko Hata in Love Songs Photo by Weidong Yang

Jaidah Terry + Yuko Hata in Songs of Love  Photo by Weidong Yang

image of Victpr Talledos + Leda Pennell in Love Songs Photo by Weidong Yang
Victor Talledos + Leda Pennell in Songs of Love,  Photo by Weidong Yang

(Above) Keon Saghari, Yuko Hata, Regan Fairfield in Chysalis (photo by Weidong Yang)

Wonderful Evening of New Dance Works in San Francisco

The Labayen Dance/SF company’s latest show TAKE 5 at The Garage in San Francisco November 1-3, showcased four prolific choreographers working with this company, and culminated with a compelling piece choreographed by award winning choreographer Enrico Labayen himself.

Labayen’s premiere of his memory dance Awit ng Pag-Ibig (translated from Tagalog:  Songs of Love) is based on his family life growing up in the Philippines, exploring themes of love, domestic violence and poverty, set to melodic Violin and Piano music by Gilopez Kabayao & Corazon Pineda. The four sections: silent witnesses, mother & daughter, children in fear, despair & abandonment, were danced sensitively in changing combinations by five excellent dancers: Leda Pennell, Regan Fairfield, Jaidah Terry, Yuko Hata and Victor Talledos. Pennell and Talledos were outstanding in the last duo, playing the parents expressing a range of emotions through intricate choreography, ending with Talledos alone in an innovative section intertwining on a bench, with a dramatic ending – very powerful and moving. Labayen’s dancers do not only dance with commitment but they also act the characters believably, which is impressive.

image of Anna Rehr in Such Great Heights Photo by Robert Baranyal

Anna Rehr in Such Great Heights
Photo by Robert Baranyal

 

 

 

 

Such Great Heights, a new work choreographed by Frederick Gaudette is set to dynamic dance music by The Temper Trap and The Postal Service. Three accomplished dancers (Anna Rehr, Lauren McCarthy & Regan Fairfield) danced athletically and joyfully in black shorts and tops in this fun piece. These very flexible dancers came and went doing short solos and duos with fluid movement, expressive arms, and perfect timing. They made it look so easy and almost made you want to get up and dance!

Another premiere, Call to Prayer choreographed by Laura Bernasconi is a fascinating piece based on “the realization that anatomical configuration is secondary to the love between two spirits of human beings.” This mise en scène was accompanied mainly by the continuous rhythmic sound of a Halo, a round resonant steel instrument played on stage by Gabriel Goldberg. Five dancers featured in this piece – Samantha Beach, Ana Robles, Katherine Disenhof, Victor Talledos & Kevin Hockenberry. In the first section the Asian influenced hands and arm movements were striking.  Beach, Robles and Disenhof next became a type of Chorus setting up the final male duo beautifully performed by Talledos and Hockenberry with sustained balances, precision, fluid movement and excellent phrasing.

Walls within Walls choreographed and performed by Frederick Gaudette to Samuel Barber’s wonderfully mournful music was an appropriately inward dance yet had leaps and tension as the dancer was searching for freedom from self-limitation. Dramatic lighting supported the mood very well.

image of Rachel Elliot in Chrysalis Photo by Weidong Yang

Rachael Elliot in Chrysalis Photo by Weidong Yang

Chrysalis, with concept and choreography by Daiane Lopes da Silva, investigates “the connection between the primitive state of mind and bodily sensations.” This is an innovative piece danced by Michelle Kinny, Rachael Elliot, Keon Saghari, Reagan Fairfield and Yuko Hata. All five dancers are wonderful and perform in duos and trios.  The highlight is an outstanding beguiling solo near the end, as the dancer, Rachael Elliot, in a white shirt is covered with the colorful abstract projections by Weidong Yang & Wolfram Arnold. While the projections were intriguing they were also a slight distraction at times, depending on the placement of the dancer. However, this is a very creative piece, which surprised us with its unpredictability, entertained us with moments like the toy dog, and moved us – therefore, it is well worth developing further.

Desde lo mas Profundo del Corazon al Limite de la Razon (from the depths of the heart to the limit of reason) choreographed by Victor Talledos, danced by Leda Pennell. On a diagonal in a narrow line of light, Pennell movingly danced this emotional piece, with dramatic movement as she stretched out towards the light.

image of Ana Robles and Ismael Acosta in Desolation Photo by Richard Baranyai

Ana Robles and Ismael Acosta in Desolation
Photo by Richard Baranyai

 

Desolation is a moving piece choreographed by Victor Talledos, which tells the story of two strangers who have both given up on life, set to music by Singur Ros. Ana Robles and Ismael Acosta make a tall, dramatic, sultry duo, very well matched in grace, precision and athleticism. Their adagio style lifts and swoons with superb lines are outstanding.  This choreography is complex and Robles and Acosta deliver – even when knotting themselves around each other flexibly one minute and seemingly defy gravity by flying the next.

Labayen Dance/SF is a small but mighty celebrated contemporary ballet company founded in 1994 which has toured nationally and internationally – and always offers thought provoking work. Check out this company’s upcoming shows.

 

For more information:

Labayen Dance/SF
http://www.labayendancesf.org

Jo Tomalin
Critics World
San Francisco
www.forallevents.com

Nov 02 2012
Love0

Russell Maliphant Company: AfterLight

By Jo Tomalin
Image of Russell Maliphant Company

Russell Maliphant Company
Thomasin Gülgeç and Gemma Nixon in AfterLight
Photo: Dana Fouras

 

Dynamic New Dance Work from London

Opening Night of the London based Russell Maliphant Company’s new dance work titled AfterLight on October 13, 2012, presented by San Francisco Performances at the Lam Research Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, glowed very warmly.

AfterLight is co-produced by the Russell Maliphant Company and London’s prestigious dance venue Sadler’s Wells, where it had it’s world premiere on September 28, 2010. Maliphant directed and choreographed this work that comprises several parts set to Erik Satie’s beautiful Piano Music: Gnossiennes 1 – 4 and Original Music by Andy Cowton.

Originally trained in ballet Maliphant danced with the Sadler’s Wells Royal ballet for several years. He has since danced with DV8 Physical Theatre, Michael Clark & Company, then created his own company and set works on renowned artists and companies including Sylvie Guillem, Robert Lepage, Ballet Boyz and Lyon Opera Ballet.

AfterLight is not a story ballet. Malipant describes it as a Nijinsky inspired piece he developed while working closely with Lighting Designer Michael Hulls, that is more about “painting in space” with the dance flowing through space and light, expressing elements from photos of the legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. Maliphant and Hull worked at first by improvising light and dark elements to produce a “shower of light” with projections and animations (by Jan Urbanowski & James Chorley) to explore the movement and light together, before refining the choreography for an audience.

As an interesting aside, not all of the music choices were made before the dances – some music was selected after the dance and light choreography, according to Maliphant. This is extraordinary, because the choreography as a whole seems to respond to the music – and the one complements the other incredibly well.

Malipant’s choreography melds traditional dance to his interests in physical movement and bio-mechanics. AfterLight, with Costume Design by Stevie Stewart, is an exquisite one hour performance of ephemeral, sculptural, meditative, muscular movement, which resonates from the three outstanding dancers, Silvina Cortés, Thomasin Gülgeç and Gemma Nixon to produce a dynamic and stirring audience experience.

The Russel Maliphant Company is currently touring internationally and will perform The Rodin Project in New York City December 3, 5-9, 2012.

San Francisco Performances upcoming November events include:

More Information & Tickets:

Russel Maliphant Company
http://www.rmcompany.co.uk

San Francisco Performances
http://www.performances.org

Jo Tomalin
Critics World
www.forallevents.com

Aug 23 2012
Love0

Baryshnikov: Theatre “In Paris”

By Jo Tomalin

Legendary performer Mikhail Baryshnikov comes to Berkeley Rep for a special presentation of In Paris.
Photographer: Maria Baranova

Mikhail Baryshnikov at Berkeley Rep Theatre – In Paris

“In Paris” is a performance piece incorporating movement, music, projections, video, text in Russian and French with English supertitles, adapted from a short story by Nobel Prize-winner Ivan Bunin, about a lonely Russian man who meets a lonely young Russian woman. Set in the city of light, Paris, in the 1930s this romantic tale is creatively brought to life by the cast of seven led by legendary dancer and award-winning performer Mikhail Baryshnivov, and director Dmitry Krymov, who also adapted the story. Mikhail Baryshnikov at Berkeley Rep for a special presentation of In Paris.
Photographer: Annie Leibovitz

Krymov is a painter, set designer and director who develops innovative pieces (that are often silent) in Moscow at the Dmitry Krymov Laboratory which play internationally.  For sure, Krymov’s Laboratory with young actors, his innovative approach to theatre making together with Baryshnikov’s legendary presence and instinctive acting and movement skills make an interesting collaborative group. The result is fascinating. It’s stripped down production style is a welcome challenge to the imagination and engenders complicity with the audience.

Mikhail Baryshnikov (right) and Anna Sinyakina at Berkeley Rep in presentation of In Paris.
Photographer: Maria Baranova

 The transformative set by Maria Tregubova is simple and effective comprising a turntable stage, rigging on view, large cut out images that transport us to Paris and an absurdist looking bar table and chair. The cast interact around and within the set pieces as the revolving scene becomes a Parisian bar, a taxi ride and a wonderful old cinema scene evoked by dim projections of Charlie Chaplin and cigarette smoke (Audio & Video Design by Tei Blow).

Mikhail Baryshnikov (right) and Anna Sinyakina at Berkeley Rep in presentation of In Paris.
Photographer: Maria Baranova

 Baryshnivov’s Russian man and the Russian woman played by Krymov Laboratory member and film actor Anna Sinyakina meet, converse and flirt – they express themselves at first in the bar with brief, abstract movements and attitudes tilting the bar table and chair beautifully (movement Coach Andrey Schukin and Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky). Krymov’s staging is brilliant given the spare text and dialogue – with surreal imagery such as a “Magritte look” when Baryshnikov stands in shadows with an umbrella.

The story and subtext of sentiment is often told through non-verbal moments such as when she changes clothes for the date and as he shaves himself and prepares.  A moment in the narrative that might have been interesting to bring to life was near the end of the date when they were deciding whether to go to his or her place, however, at this point the couple was in shadows and the supertitles covered the stage.

Visionary director Dmitry Krymov teams up with other
Russian artists like Mikhail Baryshnikov for Berkeley Rep’s
special presentation of In Paris.
Photo courtesy of Berkeley Repertory Theatre

All images © Berkeley Repertory Theatre. All rights reserved.

A supporting cast of five from Krymov’s Laboratory play background characters, quietly move set pieces to create the scenes, and help Baryshnikov change clothes onstage as in Japanese theatre. They also sing arias, motets and more to accompany the action and Tei Blow provides a variety of additional music and sound effects that add humor and pathos.

Krymov and his team have created clever effects which are part of the whole in this production, such as the woman’s beautiful  long gown transforming to a short dress (costumes by Tregubova), dramatic lighting by Damir Ismagilov – with humor when the spot light following Baryshnikov walking across the stage seems to develop a mind of its own.  A chase between Sinyakina and Baryshnikov becomes magical – and transforms as she turns upside down into a pietà-like statue. In response, Baryshnikov  transforms his coat into a cape and performs an intensely moving brief matador dance. A wonderful production that sells out fast – see it if you can!

More Information:

  • Baryshnikov Arts Center: http://www.bacnyc.org/

    Additional Tour Dates/Locations: Spoleto Festival, Italy, June 30-July 1, 2012; Lincoln Center Festival, New York City, August 1-August 5, 2012.

Jo Tomalin Ph.D.
Critics World
www.forallevents.com
https://forallevents.com/reviews/jo-tomalin/