It’s always a shame when a theater production with the best of intentions goes astray, as does director Gulu Monteiro’s misguided adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Soul of Szechwan, now playing at the Electric Lodge Theater in Venice. The tale begins earnestly enough, with Brecht’s good-souled heroine, the prostitute Shen Teh, inheriting a tobacco shop from three gods who believe in her selflessness. Shen Teh is Szechwan’s resident hooker with a heart of gold, a cross between Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman and Audrey Tautou’s Amélie.
Though she gives endlessly to her community, Shen Teh’s generosity is rarely thanked and often serves to compound her own problems, begging the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people. To compensate for her kindness, she masquerades part time as her male cousin Shui Ta — the Mr. Hyde to her Dr. Jekyll — allowing her to put her greedy neighbors in check.
While the German-born Brecht’s parable of maintaining goodness in trying circumstances is skillfully written, it is poorly executed by Monteiro’s Ipanema Theatre Troupe, which often tries too hard to create both laughs and profundity. The performances, sets and pacing are in need of major retooling; the acrobatic sequences also seem awkward and laborious, as does the half-hearted attempt at audience participation.
Perhaps the adaptation’s greatest attributes are the Asian-flavored costumes and masks. Yet on the whole, this version of The Good Soul of Szechwan does little to amplify Brecht’s genius, showcasing instead the mistakes of a disorganized cast and crew whose vision is commendable, but not cohesive. See ad.
Parallel Lives
by Roy Maurer
In a limited engagement run through February 8th, the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood presents Parallel Lives, featuring Maggie Grant and Lisa Joffrey in a two woman show playing 28 characters. Presented as a collection of sketches, both comedic and dramatic, the program is a smartly written and an impressively performed work, offering insightful glimpses at humanity. It has been described as "fables and foibles," by one reviewer, and that's apt. A theme of the play may be struggle, the struggle on a first date, at the passing of a loved one, even the struggle in being a woman and preparing for the day. But the message is a non-judgemental celebration of life's struggles.
The standout sketches include one entitled Las Hermanas, in which our actors play two elderly but sprightly women on a field trip for their extension class in performance art. They attempt to adapt to the trendy "chemical free, meat free, male free" cafe they visit with humorous results, when suddenly the scene shifts into a poignant solo piece, as the character played by Grant relates her discovery of her favorite nephew's homosexuality. As with most of the characters both actors play, Grant is affectingly good at digging deep and becoming the character.
In another well done sketch entitled Three Sisters, both actors play off of a roomful of imaginary people, and do so remarkably well, while still hitting the right notes of humor and drama. In this one, about a family gathering at the death of a beloved grandmother, but really about the reconciling of sisters that have grown apart, Lisa Joffrey plays two of the sisters handily.
In one of my favorite set pieces, Silent Torture, Maggie and Lisa interpret the morning ritual of the modern woman silently, side by side, as mirror images, to the plucks and strains of that old classic, Dueling Banjos. An instance when sensual and intellectual stimulation produces a consciousness of the intended concept, my definition of art.
And in a haunting drama that stayed with me called Hank and Karen Sue, the audience peeks in on a doleful scene in a seedy country and western bar, and an impression of the lives of the title characters. Hank is a middle aged cowboy and barfly, Karen Sue a distraught single mother wrestling with loneliness and weighted down with depression.
While the dramatic scenes are more deeply affecting, laughs are also served with this entree. It must be said that the writing and acting are at such a high level that the production element, currently at a bare minimum, should be filled in, as to create a fuller body for the tragicomedy. Parallel Lives stands as a touching collection of sketches with the potential to be a great play. See ad
Wild Mushrooms by Wes Wyse
When dining with the Mob, what’s on the menu may prove to be the difference between a miss and a hit. Wild Mushrooms, directed by T. J. Castronovo and currently playing at the American Renegade Theatre in North Hollywood, is a hilarious look at life in the Bronx and the wisdom of choosing one’s friends – and perhaps relatives – most carefully.
Seen through the eyes of a budding literary genius, 13-year-old Joey (Micah Henson on this night, alternating with Kelly Grager), Wild Mushrooms is a modern-day comedy that revolves around Benny Scrivente, a widower who does his best to raise a family amid the challenges of dealing with a diverse blend of personalities. Benny’s daughter Dodie (Barbara Ross) is a sweet, sincere, and unfortunately clueless woman who is engaged to Mario (James Grinaldi), a gentleman of questionable character. Her sister Regina (Kate Forster) is a strong-willed, intelligent woman who, much to the chagrin of her father, prefers to play the field – and not necessarily with the nice Italian boys her father prefers. Benny’s dream is to open his own Italian restaurant and showcase his cooking, and Dodie, always proud of her father, invites a few of Mario’s potential investor friends over for dinner. A party with a frightening mix of guests threatens to get out of control until the clairvoyant Aunt Rose (Chi Chi Novarro) manages to save the day – and perhaps a few lives – with an unorthodox choice of hors d’oeuvres.
On the afternoon of this review, understudy Vince Palmieri did an admirable job standing in as Benny, and the entire cast is evenly talented and does a remarkable job handling rapid-fire lines and a difficult comedy script. A few sections seemed overly improvisational – and farce only really works when timing is absolutely on target – yet the overall flow of this piece showcases the talents of this capable troupe. Ross and Forster play their roles to absolute perfection and are so completely in character throughout the show that there are occasions when it is tempting to watch only them, even when they are not actively involved in the scene.
Wild Mushrooms is a fun show that can only get better with time. See ad in paper.
Chicago
by Carol Kaufman Segal
It might be cold in Chicago at this time of the year, but Chicago is hot at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The touring company of this award-winning returned recently to Los Angeles for a three-week engagement.
Film and Broadway star Patrick Swayze has joined the company as Billy Flynn, the attorney who sees to it that his clients “get away with murder.” This production marks a return to the live stage for Patrick Swayze, who made his Broadway debut in Goodtime Charley, and later starred in Grease. He is well-known for his movie role in Dirty Dancing, and, perhaps not well-known by many, is a classically trained dancer who has performed with several ballet companies.
Bianca Marroquin stars as Roxie Hart and Reva Rice as Velma Kelly, both of whom prove their singing and dancing skills. Carol Woods gives a rousing performance as Matron Mama Morton, and Ray Bokhour elicits sympathy as Amos Hart in his rendition of Cellophane Man. R. Bean is an amusing Mary Sunshine.
Chicago is an energetic musical written by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It is directed by Walter Bobbie. Ann Reinking created the choreography in the style of Bob Fosse, which is recreated for the production by Gary Chryst. The dancers are superb. They include Eddie Bennett, Nicole Bridgewater, Christine Brooks, Caitlin Carter, Lloyd Culbreath, Jennifer Mackensie Dunne, Mike Jackson, David Kent, Marianne McCord, Kevin Neil McCready, Sharon Moore, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Mark C. Reis, Dante A. Sciarra, Randy Slovacek, and Steven Sofia. The orchestra is conducted by Vincent Fanuele and performs on stage in tiers. On occasion, Fanuele even gets involved in the play.
Chicago is the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. It has the distinction of being Broadway’s longest running revival, having played over 2700 performances. It is still playing to standing-room-only crowds in its seventh year at the Ambassador Theatre in New York, and you can see it here at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through Jan 25. See listing.
Glengarry Glen Ross
by Brandon Burkhart
Working in sales can be extremely stressful, especially when the “product” is shady Florida real estate. In Glengarry Glen Ross, playwright David Mamet places four high-strung salesmen on the edge of either getting rich or getting fired and uses the ensuing fireworks to illustrate how the American dream can become a nightmare. Happily, the Coleman & Smith Artistic Company is currently reviving Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece at the Working Stage Theatre in West Hollywood.
In the opening scene, the fast-talking, foul-mouthed, and cruelly hilarious tone is set by Blake (Kenneth Foster, who also directed), a corporate shill sent from the head office to whip the lagging sales staff into shape. He questions their manhood and tells everyone that they’re fired unless they can prove themselves in a week. The old has-been Levine (Ken Bernfield), the gullible neurotic Aaronow (Ben Alexander), the manipulative cynic Moss (Randy Robertson) and the charismatic golden boy Roma (Rico Simonini) pace their shabby office like hungry lions, turning their rage on each other, their potential clients, and their office manager (Phil Selvey).
What makes this ultimately depressing morality tale fun to watch is Mamet’s vibrant writing. Glengarry is an actor’s dream, an ensemble piece in which every cast member has a showcase moment and the rhythm of the dialogue gives them plenty of ammunition. Like Shakespearean cadences, Mamet-speak will bring out great acting if it’s handled correctly, but if it’s done in a sloppy way, it quickly dissolves into a phony-sounding self-parody. As a whole, the cast is able to pull off this balancing act.
In the first act, the pace lags a bit, but luckily Simonini takes the stage in time to save things. His charisma makes Roma’s every move riveting. Foster’s direction comes into sharper focus in the second act, as dramatic bombshells explode and the tension becomes unbearable. Bernfield makes Levine’s heartbreak devastatingly palpable, and Selvey shows that his character has depths that were only hinted at earlier.
There are a total of three rotating casts, including an all-female cast (which inevitably put a different spin on the macho posturing in the script). RECOMMENDED See ad.
Cedar Production One Acts
by Don Grigware
Cedar Production remains fiercely ambitious with the classics as they present not one or 2 or 3, but 4 one-acts by master playwrights currently at the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center. There is not a single theme running through, so the whole program is meant ‘to show the massive gambit of theatre’ from broad comedy to Greek tragedy. Bite off more than they can chew? Hardly. Cedar members are up to the task and deliver the goods 100%. Note the rotating schedule at the end, as only 3 of the 4 play together in one evening (except Feb 8 closing night).*
“The Boor” by Anton Chekhov is a delightful duel between a widow and a working-class man. Although casting here is not the norm, the actors are up to the challenge. Randi Tahara and Cory Schonauer connect, and producer Waleed Issa’s direction is smooth.
“She Married Well” by John Kirkpatrick is certainly dated (when was the last time you heard the expression ‘get my goat’ to refer to a state of exasperation?) but an amusing exploration of the extremes two former rivals will take to outdo one another. The entire cast is sublime and Issa as director pulls out all the stops. As with The Boor, there exists that element of surprise that keeps the audience riveted.
“Waiting For Lefty” is a Clifford Odets dramatic gem and my pick of the evening. Capitalism and abuse of the working class will never die. Outstanding cast too numerous to mention with solid direction from Francine M. Sondelli, who makes powerful use of the tiny space by mixing actors with audience members.
Euripides’ “Medea” gets tedious in the wrong hands. The beautiful Marissa Swain acts from her head, not from her gut and completely intellectualizes Medea’s motivations, yet Brian Abraham with his gut-wrenching final speech as Jason makes up for it. Great work from the chorus (Layla Lyons, Heather Keller and Kathryn Brayton standouts) and deftly choreographed by Michael Najjar.
*Remaining performances
The Boor: Jan 24, 31, Feb 1, 8.
She Married Well: Jan 24, 25, Feb 1, 7, 8.
Lefty: Jan 24, 25, 31, Feb 7, 8.
Medea: Jan 25, 31, Feb 1, 7, 8.
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Savage in Limbo
by Don Grigware
L.O.V.E. via the ups and downs of male/female relationships is so elusive. It can bring great joy or much pain, but through the eyes of John Patrick Shanley, one thing is crystal clear - it is never boring. He always manages to come up with some maniacally absurd detail that will throw everyone into a tailspin, yet still make total sense. “If I don’t date ugly girls, I won’t know what I’m missing” bemuses Tony Aronica (Fred Saldone), causing his Monday night bounce Linda Rotunda (Pam Levin) to go slightly ballistic as we enter the world of Savage in Limbo at the Actor’s Lab in Hollywood.
The Bronx bar commandeered by bartender Murk (Joe Guarneri) who likes to play God – and sometimes Santa Claus - and set his own rules, plays host to a varied group of problematic barflies. Interesting note is that all the ladies are age 32. At a crossroads in their lives, will they make it to 33 and beyond? Last call. First there’s April (Elizabeth Killmond) the pride and joy of her Catholic grade school class – destined to become a nun – now disillusioned and crazy as a bedbug.
Killmond’s fierce intensity is amazing especially in her moments of quiet desperation. Rotunda is a streetwise whiner that loves to create a scene and push others around. Pam Levin has the steam of a tornado and lends wit and intelligence to this unbridled wild horse. Denise Savage (Stacy Marr) is undeniably the most interesting character. A 32-year virgin, she stands up for change and action, but when it comes right down to it, she is the ultimate loser. Marr finds a happy balance in playing Savage - never going over the top and always retaining a sense of likeability. Tony is the macho stud with gullibility, and Saldone wears him like a glove.
Shanley’s words in the mouths of this motley group of losers provoke us to reevaluate ourselves. No one can deny the logic and power of – “Aren’t you tired of living if this is all living is?” Steven Price directs his outstanding ensemble with a brisk yet easy-going pace. Recommended. See ad.
Recommended
Fleetwood Macbeth Falcon Theatre thru January 31
“The Troubadour Theater Co’s magnetic lunacy captivates Falcon audiences once again, as they parody the Bard’s Scottish play whose title we dare not speak. Lisa Valenzuela proclaims Lady Macbeth ‘the Queen of drama queens’. Shakespeare would perchance turn over in his grave if he were to hear all the bawdy variations on the Dagger scene. Or…maybe not! Maybe those deliciously naughty rhyming words might just turn him on! That bevy of lusty witches surely would! This is obscene fun with the Fleetwood Mac hits “You Can Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” never more spirited!” – Don G
Talley’s Folly
Pasadena Playhouse thru Feb 15
“Sheldon Epps has made the perfect choice this time with the lyrical Lanford Wilson Pulitzer Prize winner. Co-produced with the Arizona Theatre Company and with superb actors Angela Reed and Michael Santo, director Andrew J. Traister and set designer D Martyn Bookwalter aboard, the 97 minutes inside the boathouse on the Talley farm in Lebanon, Missouri, 1944 become some of the most memorable in this or any lifetime. This is a gold nougat of a play that illuminates the transition of family as we know it and the timelessness of true love. For those refined folk that walk a dangerous tightrope of unsuitability, Wilson erects a monument. Bookwalter’s lush decor puts us right into the midst of the crickets and fireflies. Five stars.” – Don G
L.O.V.E. via the ups and downs of male/female relationships is so elusive. It can bring great joy or much pain, but through the eyes of John Patrick Shanley, one thing is crystal clear - it is never boring. He always manages to come up with some maniacally absurd detail that will throw everyone into a tailspin, yet still make total sense. “If I don’t date ugly girls, I won’t know what I’m missing” bemuses Tony Aronica (Fred Saldone), causing his Monday night bounce Linda Rotunda (Pam Levin) to go slightly ballistic as we enter the world of Savage in Limbo at the Actor’s Lab in Hollywood.