GOOD PEOPLE - Review

When I saw "August: Osage County" on Broadway back in 2007, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, I realized that an entirely new genre in theater had arrived. No longer entertaining or emotionally moving, now we were being exposed to somewhat cynical domestic dramas. Author David Lindsay-Abaire, born in South Boston, is grimly determined to reveal the pain in everyday life in this poor area. He was privy to the desolation and crushing of spirits among the people there, and he certainly brings that to our attention in this often bleak but also amusing comedy-drama.

 As reported formerly: " Margie is a white woman from the working-class neighborhood of South Boston. She’s a single mom caring for a grown, severely autistic daughter. Mike, her former high school beau, has gotten out of South Boston, become an M.D., and moved to the tony suburb of Chestnut Hill with his beautiful Black wife and their daughter. Now Margie has recently been fired from her job and is facing eviction. Some friends at the local church Bingo game suggest that she look up her old fling and ask him for a job. When Margie arrives at his doorstep, what will she ask and what will he do?"

 

Yes, this is a play that resounds today as its about contrasts, about those who 'make it' and those who don't. It's casting an eye on the unlucky in life and the now privileged, and what happens when they collide because of a long ago claim of kinship. It's so now when in essence one character says, in pleading desperation - you have all the luck, and I had all the hard knocks - now help me… and if you won't then I'll bring you down - maybe!

We are flies on the wall when Margie (a quixotically funny but tragic Alison Blanchard) is first mistaken for a domestic by the elegant Black lady of the house (a dazzling Charlotte Williams Roberts) in an ironic turnaround. We see the embarrassment and resentment that her old boyfriend, now a successful doctor (seething volcano Scott Facher) is driven to by his buried past. The scene between these three is riveting and the alternate pleading, threatening, placating, resounds through the house.   

The lead up to this confrontation is adroitly brought to life by clever director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky. My only concern is that much of the dialogue was lost due to the intimacy between the actors, especially Facher and Blanchard, who dug so deeply into their battle that they forgot they were onstage in a theatre, not in an actual living room.

Let's not overlook the rest of this excellent cast: Michael Kerr was wonderfully bewildered as a man caught in the crossfire between work and compassion; Suzan Solomon was delightfully casual as a friend with some clever suggestions, and Mariko Van Kampen was airily ditzy as a landlady with no heart of gold. Photos by Amir Kojoory and Eric Keitel.

Produced by David Hunt Stafford for Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Free Parking. Strict Covid protocols. Tickets: (310) 364-0535 or  www.theatre40.org

 

 

THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY - Reviewed by Cosmo Murphy

Well, I had a fun time at the show and am having even more fun writing this review as this sequel to "Pride and Prejudice" is a holiday treat where Jane Austen meets "Downton Abbey." This comic-drama, written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, is about the events leading up to a Christmas party at Pemberley. 

   Housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds has hired a new maid named Cassie and another character, Brian, has a crush on the girl. He spends a lot of time showing off his “inventions” to her, such as a device that makes baking biscuits easier. (It’s a roller combined with a biscuit cutter so she can roll dough and then immediately cut it into shapes for biscuits).

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have invited their friend, Lydia Wickham, who is married to George Wickham, who no one likes because of his toxic behavior. They all talk about how they don’t want George to show up and spoil their Christmas party.  So of course, George shows up belligerently drunk with his head bleeding from getting beaten up at a bar. To keep George’s arrival secret from Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth occupies his time by having sex with him upstairs, while Mrs. Reynolds occupies Lydia's time by shoving biscuits in her face and having her go to her room to eat them.

Then the maid, Cassie, discovers a letter addressed to George that reveals he had got another girl pregnant, and he owes a bunch of people money. (It was the brother of the girl he got pregnant who found him and beat him up). George realizes he lost the letter, that has now made its rounds to everyone in the house except for Lydia, his wife. George, eager to leave Pemberley, tells Lydia they ought to go abroad and she’s excited since she really wants to go to Paris. 

Lydia gets money from her dad, George and Lydia pack their bags and get ready to go, but just before they leave, the bombshell of George's behavior is dropped on Lydia. Although heartbroken, Lydia gives George the money her dad gave her for their trip abroad and George leaves the house alone. The final scene shows Brian giving Cassie a gift of a music box and they do a little dance to the music and that’s the end of the play.

    My favorite actor was Chelsea Kurtz for her portrayal of Lydia that had me laughing when she acted like a bimbo, and I empathized with her after she got her heart broken by George. Kyle T. Hester as George did an excellent job of being the antagonist but as his character was toxic I understood why no one wanted him around. Will Block played Brian with a schoolboy crush that had the audience laughing whenever he would introduce an invention. Kodi Jackman's Cassie strives for independence while her job as a maid allows her to have freedom from societal norms. 

 Nike Doukas as Mrs. Reynolds was the backbone of Pemberley, doing everything she could to ensure everything was fine and going well. Rebecca Mozo as Elizabeth was a moral person, a good friend to Lydia and a loyal wife to Mr Darcy. Adam Poss, was a badass Mr Darcy, charming towards the girls and didn’t take any nonsense from George while on the staircase.

Directed by Michael Butler, it's a fun show and an emotional experience as there were parts where I laughed and parts where I gasped. I enjoyed how the stage was set and how the characters used the space to tell the story. I recommend this play for Santa Barbarians that want to go out, be entertained, and cruise State Street after the show!  Photos by Zach Mendez.

Ensemble Theatre Company at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street, Santa Barbara. For tickets or info: (805) 965-5400 or www.etcsb.org

THE GAMES AFOOT review

If, like myself, you are an avid Sherlock Holmes fan this rousing comedy, full of mystery and suspense, is the chance to visit with the super sleuth. 

Playwright Ken Ludwig's script is cleverly based on the 19^th century actor William Gillette who donned a deerstalker hat and smoked a crooked pipe when he performed Holmes over a thousand times. Gillette was one of the biggest stage stars of his day, extremely wealthy, and lived in Connecticut in a 24-room mansion that he designed himself to look like a medieval castle.

 

This play is a mystery thriller with many characters, and anyone present could have done it! 

After an attempt on his life, Gillette has invited members of his theater company there for a Christmas weekend.  His actor-guests are a delightful bunch, flirting and teasing each other mercilessly with sly digs, even as they grandly quote from Shakespeare. All are extravagant characters with underlying motives and superb comic timing so, when one of his guests falls victim to foul play, the evening darkens and becomes a double whodunit. 

 Neil Thompson is calmly clever as the enigmatic Gillette; Clara Rodriguez is sweetly dotty as his carefree mother; Sascha Vanderslik and Troy Whitaker are delightfully devious as newlyweds with a dark secret; Patrick Skelton and Barbara Brownell are a joyful married couple who enjoy fun and games, and Susan Priver is hilarious as a glamorous but vindictive theater reviewer (hmmm) who admits with great glee that she has panned everyone there. Also delightful is Michele Schultz as the local police inspector who forgets her badge at the precinct and is suspicious of everything that moves.

Bombastically directed by Larry Eisenberg, who emphasizes the tongue-in-cheek nature of the comedy with larger-than-life emotions and theatrical gestures. The set by Chris Winfield is superb, and colorful costumes by Angela M. Eads capture the era. Bravos to producer Lloyd Pedersen. At The Group Rep's Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd. NOHO. Tickets: 818-763-5990 or http://www.thegrouprep.com

Review - "THE CHILDREN" - Hollywood

In this futuristic drama, two married scientists who once worked on a nuclear reactor are hiding out in a house in the country after the nearby reactor has imploded. The risk of radioactivity hangs over their lives as they attempt to carry on as normal. Then a visitor, a former colleague and friend, turns up with a shocking proposal. They may be safe, but the danger they think they are hiding from is an illusion and those who created this danger should help to disentangle it. It isn’t fair for the young people, the children, to have to risk their lives for the sins of their elders. It's a brilliant premise but, to my chagrin, the question of the play is never really answered.

Director Simon Levy has laid the question out well, stating “What I love about the play, is that it tackles these enormously important contemporary issues about our responsibility to the planet, to each other, to future generations, and grounds them in funny, complex, identifiable characters grappling with a moral dilemma….” To add impact to the theme, there is a discussion of these issues after each performance.

Lily Knight and Ron Bottitta are superb as the couple determined to continue in their lives as if danger is an illusion. Elizabeth Elias Huffman has the more difficult task of challenging their reality while her own life is in chaos. No stranger to controversy, playwright Lucy Kirkwood is writer in residence at Clean Break a British theatre company that performs the hidden stories of women in prison.

Produced by Stephen Sachs and James Bennett, with executive producer Karen Kondazian. At The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave, LA. Tkts: (323) 663-1525 or www.info@fountaintheatre.com

 

REVIEW: "A PERFECT GANESH" - West Los Angeles

When Terrence McNally's play opened in New York in 1993 it received mixed reviews before becoming a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His work always centered on the urgent need for human connection between disparate people and this play deals with many conflicting ideas and is certainly overlong. Then inspired by the ongoing AIDS crisis it resounds today during the Covid-19 epidemic. Ironically, the fact that McNally died in March 2020 from complications from Covid-19 brings it full circle as its theme of loss and unresolved grief rings especially true today.

For this critic it served as an emotional reminder that no matter how bravely you face life, and how far you travel, you can never escape your past. When two upper class American women vacation in India they come face to face with the bitter memories they believed were buried too deep to any longer cause pain. There to confront their blindness is Ganesha, the Hindu god of "wisdom, prudence, acceptance and love." Under his omnipresence they relive the deepest sorrow of their lives and yet are saved when they learn that what we have now are the people we are still able to love!

Heading the excellent cast is Mueen Jahan as Ganesh, perfect as a mercurial god whose wisdom is balanced by his sense of humor; Kathleen Gray as Katherine captures the hyper-enthusiast manner of a woman determined to be fun and friendly in the face of hidden tragedy; Mary Allwright as Margaret gets us to be really fed up with her imperious demands before revealing the vulnerability she covers so well. Judd Yort is deeply moving as Walter, a gay man who dies bravely and despised; Cameron Gregg and Delio Eswar shine as various characters interacting with the women as they journey, and Svetlana Tulasi and Pavia Sidhu are luminous dancers as well as various modern or historic women.

Directed with sensitivity and humor by David W. Callander and produced by his own Campus Cabaret. At the Pico (Playhouse), 10508 W. Pico Blvd. As the theme is adult no one under 12 will be admitted. All Covid protocols - vaccination cards and masks - are required. 

Reservations at: http://onstage411.com/ganesh

 

REVIEW: "VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE" at Kentwood Players

 

Originally slated to open in March 2020 this play, by one of my favorite playwrights Christopher Durang, has been rehearsing virtually since the shutdown happened immediately after the final dress rehearsal. It finally opened on September 17, but unfortunately this critic did not get to see it until the final performance. Such is life under Covid and here for the record is my review.

It was delightful to recognize the familiar Chekhov characters from a number of his plays, as well as one from Greek mythology, all spending a sunny weekend in Bucks County, PA. There's Vanya and Sonia, living and bickering in the house where they cared for their elderly parents; their fortune-telling maid Cassandra warning of impending dangers, and their movie star sister, Masha, arriving with her sexy, boy toy, Spike. The realization for Vanya and Sonia that their ancestral home is about to be sold, and they ejected, adds to their mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities.

Heading the excellent cast is Chris Morrison who, as Vanya, has a show stopping final diatribe when he speaks his mind to the heedless modern generation. The charming and amusing comedy suddenly grows electric when he explodes with words that show his anguish and rage.  It's hard to believe that this speech was written for the original 2012 production as it resonates so powerfully today.

Plaudits to Sarilee Kahn as delightful diva Masha; to Giovanni Navarro as her saucy sexy boy toy Spike; to Valerie Sullivan as the tremulous but spunky Sonia, and to a tour de force Susan Stangl as frantically bombastic Cassandra - as well as her splendid work as the Director of the play.

Produced by Alison Boole and Myron Klafter for the Kentwood Players in their newly upgraded Westchester Playhouse at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles. Upcoming in November is a special One-Weekend Musical Event "All Together Now" and in December "The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged)." For information call: (310) 645-5156 or email boxoffice@kentwoodplayers.org

REVIEWS: AS GOOD AS GOLD (Beverly Hills) & BIDEN MY TIME (Los Angeles)

In the online issue of NOT BORN YESTERDAY for October 2021, I announced these two shows in my column without having seen them. Since I am now happily returning to the real world, vaccinated and masked, I am able to review them both. Herewith...

AS GOOD AS GOLD 

Marilyn Anderson's comedy is witty and funny as it gives a shout-out to Hollywood's treatment of creative women. Three female writers decide their solution to the problem of selling a script is by writing a sex-saturated-action screenplay. After we witness their imagined scenes with guns, sex, and sadism, we can believe they have a sure hit. However, reality says their names as authors will send it right into the round file! Then fate steps in, with a goofy salesman without ambition or guile who gladly agrees to pose as the pretend author. The result, as might be expected, is a confusion of laughs and betrayal.

Heading this excellent cast, Marie Broderick, Nicola Victoria Buck and Wendy Hammers are delightful as the ambitiously beleaguered writers; Landon Beatty is charming as their rustic understudy; Chance Denman is impressive as 007 and other screen hunks; David Westbay is genuinely earnest in disparate roles, and Will Bradley is outstanding especially when, as an auditioning actor, he hilariously shows the desperation and determination of a performer seeking work.

Fast paced direction by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky keeps the laughs coming, even though at times the play radiates rather like a TV sitcom. Produced by David Hunt Stafford and presented by Theatre 40 in The Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Info at www.theatre40.org.

 

BIDEN MY TIME 

The Capital Comedy troupe, founded by Washington DC producer-writer Nicholas Zill, has been doing musical comedy political satire shows for over 15 years. In this age of savage attacks against anyone who dares to raise their heads publicly, one might expect to see acid being thrown in this new revue. However, it’s a gentle spoof on our present President, and other familiar notables now in the hot seat.

What raises this show above the amiability of its attack are the excellent ensemble performers, all who play multiple roles. There is Daniel Amerman as a geniality personified Joe Biden; Shefali Deshpande as a beleaguered but game Kamala Harris; Cristina Florez as a dynamic dancing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Joy Mamey as a delightfully pompous Mitch McConnell, and best of all Aaron Matijasic as a bombastic Bernie Sanders and a sardonic Jeff Bezos.

Taking well known songs and adding satiric lyrics makes for a truly fun show. For example: Biden Introduces his cabinet with "76 Skin Tones" and Harris asks for patience with "Give Biden Some Time" while Sanders and AOC as they visit McConnell's office warn "There Is a Dark and Gloomy Place"!

Scheduled to perhaps run at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave, LA, if fate decides. Look for listings online.