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February 14, 2002 Vol. 4 No. 11
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Theatre
Contentious Minds by Archie Rothman
The world premiere of Ben Pleasants' Contentious Minds now at Hollywood's Lillian Theatre Hellman, was a lesbian one. The playwright tries to explore what led to this assumption but it is very murky, possibly because of what happened in 1979 when McCarthy spoke on the Dick Cavett Show, which resulted in Hellman filing a 2.25 million dollar defamation suit against Cavett, The Educational Broadcasting Corporation and McCarthy. This reluctance not to call their affair a lesbian one must be a legal one, and a reason for the style of the play. Contentious Minds employs the techniques of Russian Constructivism, especially those of Soviet playwright Sergey Tretyakov, opening up ideas for discussion, instead of manipulating the audience into imposed conclusions. The play is written in four acts, like a symphony. It covers almost forty years in time. As we watch Miss Hellman and Miss McCarthy age upon stage, we are reminded of Tretyakov's comments about the theatre. In other words, it lets the audience in, move among them, take out the floor and the ceiling, and allow them to make up their own minds. My problem with this play style is that their relationship is never made clear other than its a story of two major talents who had nothing in common except their gender and their opposing beliefs on politics, art, sex and fame. Melissa Jones recreates the role of Lillian Hellman that she originally played in Pleasants' The Hemingway/Dos Passos Wars and captures Hellman's street-smart and tough personality. Jennifer Gundy, switches from that play's Martha Gellworn, to being Hellman's worthy opponent Mary McCarthy, and is superb as that great wit and beauty. Stephanie Stearns plays Laura and Ronald E. Wingate Jr. plays Tom. And Denise Gilman is Engadine Productions and Director.
The Lady's not for Burning by Michael Jarrett Christensen Th A woman accused of witchcraft is sentenced to the stake - complicated further by a man determined to meet his fate at the gallows. They present their cases to the Mayor, whose outdated and tired ideals are severely tested. His household offers no support as they have comedic foibles of their own. Kinetic energy ruled the set - comic from the get go. The script gave ample opportunity for the cast to flex their chops. Of particular interest was Charles Sedgwick Hall as a charismatic chaplain, Kelly Lynn Warren as a driven judge, K.C. Marsh as a man burdened with a conscious, and Kelly Godfrey, the "witch" who redeems a heavy heart. The direction is dynamic and well paced. The performers seemed at ease with the blocking and movement, creating a uninhibited feeling. The costumes and props were realistically vintage. The production was rewarding, the denouement sweet and a bit of a surprise, more substance than the norm. This play gave food for thought on beauty's danger, women's instinctual strength and the redeeming power of love - not for the cerebrally challenged, however.
Doing Judy by Don Grigware "And hand, and hair, and collar and cord!" Is it Judyrobics or "Jumpin for Judy"? No, ma'am, it's Doi Kenny Carlisle(Todd Sherry, oozing personality from every pore) is a female impersonator instructing a class in "Doing Judy". One by one his students start getting bumped off and he becomes a prime suspect. When macho Detective Manley (Jim Pirri) is forced to don drag as part of his investigation, friction (not the sexual kind) builds between him and Carlisle and the comic moments intensify. Within the class are Chica (George Weiss Vando), who is more suited to Carmen Miranda than Judy, Sugar (L.B. Fisher) and Shelley (the classy Sammy Williams)- all of whom would die -or kill- to be chosen the number one Judy. Also on board is Francine (Patti Allison in a delightfully crazed portrayal), a homophobe in search of her gay son. She is prone to emotional outbursts and has been assigned to the class as community service for striking a man with her purse. Following Manley around is Lucky (Michael Bailey Smith), a butch gay cop who wears leather and hates fems. Get the picture? Any one of these oddballs is a potential Judy killer. Rule out Captain McClafferty (Francesca P. Roberts in a tough female cop role a la Tyne Daly) and, of course, the victims - Jody Garland (Rick Felkins), Carl Channing (Jason Morton) and Rita Haywired (Oscar Quintero). This is clever stuff that cries out to be a musical. Its richly dark divas would make delectable songbirds! Producers Steve Gideon and Tom Pardoe (who also directs) succeed in breaking through the stereotypes by proving that every man has both a masculine and a feminine side.
Why is the Dog Howlin', Momma by Rosalyn Rosen The plaintive sound of a dog howling in the night is one that evokes melancholic grief, and it serves as a fitting image for the opening of Rosalyn Rosen's new play, Why Is The Dog Howlin', Momma? which carries its own load of grief through the story's night, at the American Renegade in NoHo. In the play's prologue, Momma Gates explains to her then-young son Scott that the dogs are howling because the lost souls of suicide victims are trapped inside them, howling to get out, leaving the audience to ponder whether there are some sins that can't be forgiven. Why Is The Dog Howlin' Momma is a play rich with sin about a family desperately seeking salvation. Set in West Texas, the play chronicles the Gates family's attempt to reclaim their wayward son, Carl (Luke Moyer), a delusional schizophrenic who has fled his family to pursue his art. The Gates follow him to a shabby motor-court hotel where they attempt to break through Carl's delusions to reach the son and brother they once knew. But the close quarters also force them to confront each other. Scott (JP Luckenback) must contend with his overbearing, alcoholic father, Ben (Mark Carlton), while Jo Ray pairs her insecurities over love and marriage with Momma's (Jody Jaress) religious fervor. As the family drama unfolds in one hotel room, Carl rages against the ghost of Bukowski, who haunts him relentlessly. Through his madness and unrelenting search for a "personal" kind of sanity, Carl shows his family the people they truly are, stripped of the delusions and lies they conceal themselves in and use to define their domestic reality. David Cox directs an amazingly talented cast and brings out the deep Texas flavor in each of them. His innovative set design (worth seeing by itself) turns the stage into a metaphor for the family's struggle, as the two sets fluidly shift from dens of tranquility to madness. But while one dog howling through the night has a mournful sound, a chorus of them loses the affect. By the end of the play, it becomes so over-burdened with family tragedy that the tragedy becomes comic and the power of the climax is diluted and drowned out in all the noise.
More Theatre by Archie Rothman Burbank's Colony Theatre presents the So. Cal. premiere of Side Show a legendary cult musical. This is a daring innovation for the Colony, both in subject matter and in its size and scope. With book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger it tells the true story of the Hilton Sisters Daisy (Julie Dixon Jackson) and Violet (Misty Cotton) - beautiful. talented, and joined at the hip - who became the toast of the vaudeville circuit during the Depression. When it opened on Broadway it received critical raves as a daring, enthralling, astonishingly effective, bright and moving musical. In this production it's all that and more - possibly the most lavish, opulent and Broadwayish musical the Colony has ever presented - as it traces the lives of these sisters from side show freaks to show biz sensations. With a cast of 21, a 6-piece live orchestra under the musical direction of Tom Griffin, and a 7 person technical staff, nothing has been spared to make this a showy spectacle. Stand-out performers are Cotton and Jackson, who sing as great as they look; Todd Nielson, a longtime Colony member, and a long list of credits as actor and director, is superb as the The Boss; and Kevin Earley, Mark W. Smith and David Jennings, who are outstanding as Terry, Buddy and Jake, all under the fine direction of Colony's Nick DeGruccio. Pasadena Playhouse presents Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues Tony Award winner for Best Play. This critically-acclaimed play follows Eugene Morris Jerome, Simon's most autobiographical chara
Worldly Acts by Janis Hashe Though Francis Ford Coppola's name is dropped everywhere throughout the materials provided for Worldly Acts, a collection of five one-acts currently at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood, it's hard to believe the film mogul had much to do with this evening. Despite some strong performances (and one real star turn from Jack Merrill as an endlessly inventive dweeby gay man picking up a guy in a bar), this is not a fun night in the theatre. Of the five pieces, the first, Sean Michael Welch's "Boise, Idaho" and the third, Garth Wingfield's "Daniel on a Thursday", succeed despite predictable plot development on the strength of watchable premises: In "Boise," a couple becomes part of a strange observer's spoken commentary, and in "Daniel," you just want to find out what the hilarious Merrill as Daniel is going to come up with next. But the other three plays, Amanda Beesley's "The Stolen Child," Joe Borini's "The Homecoming," and most especially Elizabeth Dewberry's "Who's On Top?" should never have made it out of Playwriting 1A. "Who's On Top" explores an evening with an engaged couple, dragging out every clich" in in excruciating detail. (This piece is not helped by unfocused and uncommitted performances by its two actors, who are virtually undirected.) "The Stolen Child," involving a wealthy bi-racial couple who go to Africa with unforeseen results, never manages to cut to the chase about what impact this trip has really had on these people and their lives, and instead becomes a dreary travelogue. As for "The Homecoming," in which a sailor comes home from WWII to a wife telling what seems to be increasingly tall tales, the obviously talented cast gives it their best, but charm alone cannot make this shopworn idea into something dramatically fresh. If celebrity names draw you in, this may be for you. If not, choose one of the other genuinely strong pieces of theatre on stage now in L.A.
A Night in November by Don Grigware
It's 1994. The Republic of Ireland compeats against Italy in the World Cup Final in New York City and wins. Irish Catholics rejoice. Enter Kenneth McCallister, a dole clerk and Protestant from East Belfast, celebrating a personal triumph. He has sacrificed everything to become "one of the lads". Marie Jones, who won an Olivier award for "Stones in his Pockets" and was nominated for two Tonys last season, wrote "A Night in November" exploring the emotional journey of the fictional McCallister within the framework of real events. This astounding play is currently on the boards of the Celtic Arts Center in NoHo. It is no small feat for McCallister to leave Northern Ireland where he was raised to hate the Catholics. By his account he has remained "safe in the stale air" where order represents nothing. Acceptance to a prestigious golf club to which his Catholic boss has been denied membership and a visit to the boss' disorderly, yet liberated world makes him realize how much he loathes himself. Where should he turn? In a bar full of tolerant strangers in a foreign land he finds solace and "a wonderful warm feeling of belonging". The play was written for one actor, who must not only live through McCallister's turmoil, but create 25 other characters as well. The bigotry McCallister opposes is universal and the audience may recognize many of his spiteful relatives, especially his chain-smoking father-in-law, referred to as Grandpa Nicotine. But alas, there are ecstatic moments mixed with the agonizing ones, as Maguire skillfully plays both men and women on a most pleasurable odyssey! This is a perfect union of actor and script. Jones' powerful words are in the capable hands of Marty Maguire whose stunning performance is the 'creme de la cr me' me' of LA Theatre. Tim Byron Owen directs commendably. The Celtic Arts Center 818-760-8322.
It's Just Sex by Archie Rothman
The Sherman Oaks Whitefire Theatre presents the world premiere of a new comedy drama of sexual ma To get even, hostess Joan plies her guests with drink during a parlor game that finds the men and women ultimately giving each other permission to participate in a sexual swap. It's not sneaking around. Consent has been granted. It's just sex, right? But soon we discover that sudden sexual license is really a quick fix for deeper problems of hidden sins within each marriage. There's Greg and Lisa (Greg is played by Craig Woolson as an inept, sexually- frustrated man, Lisa, played by Summer Mahoney, would love to have more sexual fun). Finally there's Carl (Bruze Nozick) who is highly sexed, and wife Kelly (Daintry Jensen) who is more sexually reserved. The couples discover it's their communication outside of the bedroom (or lack thereof) that endangers their relationship and confirms a very old truth: The most prominent, most sensitive sexual organ is between the ears, not between the legs. There's no nudity on display, but frank discussion on sexual themes means it's for mature audiences. The producer is Shannon Monahan and as casting director she deserves credit for the very talented and good-looking cast. Those looking for an adult and entertaining exploration of the dynamics of sex between men and women will find It's Just Sex to their liking as did the audience of thirty-somethings that were present opening night.
Romeo & Juliet by Kit Lavell
How about back to basics in a refreshing, faithful-to-the-text production with no preconceptions. Director Derrick McDaniel stages this classic tale of woe energetically and powerfully by contrasting smoldering romantic performances with tension that punctuates and eventually climaxes the play with violence. The Charlens Co. offers a solid round of performances. All roles are double cast. Jeremy Seely and Monica Welton in the title roles offer an engaging, truer-to-the-words performance I've seen in a while. The words seem as if spoken for the first time and they exude a youthful sexiness. Jeremy Gabriel plays Mercutio with reckless abandon and a dangerous air. A breath-taking fight scene (well choreographed by Nicholas Bonora) at this performance actually drew blood from Mercutio. As Lord Capulet, Davin Lawrence flawlessly delivers his lines, sometimes at a rate several times the normal, yet every syllable perfectly understandable. The tragic ending is mercifully interrupted with well-executed humor by the nurse (Liz Jacobson) and also by Peter the servant, (Martin Greenberg.) Workman-like sets and lighting by Steven J. Esselman and Alex Shore in the venerable Stella Adler Theater, dance choreography by Helen Yeomon and beautiful period costumes by Tricia Stubbs add well to this excellent production.
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alludes to the premise that the "affair" between the two famous female writers, a novelist and critic Mary McCarthy and esteemed playwright Lillian 
e Road Theatre Company presents an inspiring performance from a group of dedicated and polished performers to top off an evening of intellectual foreplay in this witty satire of prejudice and sexual repression in a fictional New England town set in the late 1940's. The Lady's Not For Burning is the story is a wicked allegory written by Christopher Fey that capitalized the growing paranoia and emotional inertia of McCarthyism. What captured the mystery of this era so provocatively is the use of the language and structure of Renaissance theatre! It takes a few moments to adjust - think of Shakespeare, or better yet, a poetic Dennis Miller, but the payoff is worth it. Careful attention reaps instant rewards.
ng Judy by first time playwright Dan Evans, and it's never a
cter, as he leaves home for the first time, joins the army and goes through basic training. Leaving his largely Jewish neighborhood, Eugene meets a cross section of Americans whose upbringings had no better prepared
nners and mores It's Just Sex written and directed by Jeff Gould. This comedy asks, "Is there sex after marriage?" In this darker look at marriage 3 couples converge at the home of Phil and Joan (Steven Meadows and Kristin Carey). This is soon after Joan catches Phil making-out with a hooker (Amanda Switsten).