David Roberts

“We two, how long we were fool’d,/Now transmuted, we swiftly escape as Nature escapes,/We are Nature, long have we been absent, but now we return./We have voided all but freedom and all but our joy.”  Walt Whitman, “Leaves of Grass”

After receiving clearance from Caroline’s (Kayla Ferguson) mother, high school classmate Anthony (Reggie D. White) shows up in Caroline’s bedroom accompanied by his book bag and a line from Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” – “I and this mystery, here we stand.” Obviously surprised by Anthony’s unannounced arrival, Caroline initially rejects Anthony’s attempts to convince her they need to work on their American Literature project but eventually trusts him and opens up to the project and to Anthony’s endearing personality.

Anthony succeeds in convincing Caroline she a good match for Whitman’s poetry and its apparent nihilism and further opens her to Whitman’s more transcendental and metaphysical qualities that penetrate the depths of her current condition. Caroline has been homebound awaiting a liver transplant without which she faces imminent death. Playwright Lauren Gunderson skillfully creates a parallel universe between Whitman’s life and poetry and the relationship between Caroline and Anthony. Ms. Gunderson explores all the possibilities of the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘I.’

At first, this seems to be a well-crafted play about friendship and understanding in the face of death and dying. Caroline is dying and Anthony witnessed the death of a teammate on the basketball court just before visiting Caroline. Both are bereft and vulnerable. But it becomes evident there is more happening here on a variety of levels and the audience member needs to pay particular attention to important details provided by the playwright. Why, for example does Caroline not know Anthony from school and why does he want to meet her and what does he hope will work between them? Why does Caroline’s mother allow a stranger into her daughter’s bedroom? Why doesn’t Caroline’s mother ever deliver the soft drink Caroline texts her mother to bring for Anthony? And what’s that beeping noise in the bedroom: a smoke detector or perhaps something else?

These details lead to a surprise ending, one that is as cataclysmic as it is electrifying. Under Sean Daniels’ careful direction, Ms. Ferguson and Mr. White deliver exquisite performances that manage to dodge the obvious and keep the suspense in high gear throughout the play. It is only after the unanticipated ending that the audience member reviews all that has transpired and experiences dozens of “aha” moments that only register as relevant after the play’s dénouement. Michael Carnahan’s set design is appropriate and serves the surprise ending well. Brian J. Lilienthal’s lighting is unnecessarily obtuse and adds little to the play until the very end.

This well constructed play will remain with you for quite some time after the end of the performance and perhaps lure you back for a second look. In the end neither Caroline nor Anthony are fooled by the restrictions of mortality and society. They “have circled and circled and arrived home again” and “have voided all but freedom and all but [their] own joy.” Home, it turns out, will be different for each of them but their freedom and joy – and that aforementioned secret – will “grow in the openings side by side” forever and they will be “deathless.”

I AND YOU

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in association withRichard Winkler. The design team includes scenic design by Michael Carnahan;lighting design by Brian J. Lilienthal; costumedesign by Jennifer Caprio; and sound design byDavid Remedios. Production photos by Carol Rosegg.

“I and You”runs for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 28 at 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street in Manhattan. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Thursday at 7 PM; Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM; Sunday at 3 PM.There is an added performance on Sunday, January 17 at 7 PM. Single tickets are $70 ($49 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.  The running time is 90 minutes without intermission.

WITH: Kayla Ferguson and Reggie D. White.

Kris Neely

These commentaries are primarily focused on the production, direction, and technical aspects of theater and performing arts.

In the movie G.I. Jane, one of the characters says, “It’s like having sex in a car crash!” That’s what experiencing SF Playhouse’s production of The Nether felt like to this reviewer. 

The play, written by Jennifer Haley and winner of the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn prize, is brilliant, tricky, multi-leveled, well-honed, and hits the subject of imagination, the perils of law enforcement in a cyber-centric world, and the psychological cage match between desire and decorum that is the human condition like a ton of intellectual bricks. As produced by SF Playhouse and helmed by veteran director and SF Playhouse artistic director Bill English, the play is beautifully rendered, visually stunning, and a technical triumph.  

The Nether’s press release describes the play as, “A new virtual wonderland [that] provides total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity, and indulge your every whim. But when a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, she triggers a dark battle over technology and human desire. The Nether is both serpentine crime drama and haunting sci-fi thriller that explores the consequences of living out our private dreams.”

Michael Billington’s review of The Nether for London’s Guardian adds: “At the heart of Jennifer Haley's play…lies a serious question: do sexual and violent images have consequences? To put it more bluntly, would the creation of a digital…fantasy-world incite or suppress socially damaging desires?” 

I would add to Mr. Billington’s comments by asking: what of the people who create and trade and live in such a world? Are we safer when they are in that world, their world—or in ours? That is the darkest question that lies at the raw-nerve core of The Nether.

At the end of the play, the audience left SF Playhouse reflecting on the alternate lives of the future presented in the show. They looked happy and thoughtful, but is it because they liked what the play had to say or because they wanted that future for themselves today, to be fellow travelers on a Twilight Zone-esque voyage into the darker recesses of their (and our) imaginations? After all, the audience of The Nether, through the voyeuristic act of watching the play are complicit in its story, feeding it and making it possible.

In summary, SF Playhouse has selected a brilliant play in The Nether, cast it with distinction, presented it with near technical precision, and made it one of the most important theater experiences of the decade. The Nether at SF Playhouse is one of the must see plays of 2016.
***

Scenic Design
In a word, Nina Ball’s set design is brilliant. After more than 30 years in the theater, I’ve never seen a stage turntable used to better effect.  Essentially putting a four-sided set on a turntable, each facet of Ms. Ball’s design is unique, expertly rendered, and visually stunning. From Victorian parlor and bedroom to police interrogation cell to a grove of trees, this set design is a master’s thesis. (Score: 9.25/10)

Set Construction
Production manager Maggie Koch and her team have set the bar to Olympian heights with their craft and the execution of this set. Exceptionally well-rendered seams, joins, and interfaces between floor and set, walls and door flats, etc., all earn full marks for SF Playhouse’s technical team, production assistants and intern, carpenters, electricians, and scenic painter (a superb, nuanced, and well-finished job by Karen McNulty). The set construction and finish work on this show will be the envy of theaters of any budget across the Bay Area.

The set construction renders an almost unmatched attention to detail representing an envious set budget…almost because while the use of blackouts between set changes is required for this show, a little more strategic (and less obvious) use of glow tape might have catapulted this set construction to a near perfect score. A pitch-black stage and theater are effective aspects of this play, which depends on keeping the audience’s mind locked into the narrative and not wondering what all the little glowing strips are as scenes change. (Score: 9.25/10)

Stage Management
The stage management for this show could serve as an MFA course at any university. The cues are tight, the scene changes as crisp as safely possible with a stage turntable the size of the one in use, and the quick costume changes admirable in the extreme. Congratulations to stage manager Jamie Mann and stage management intern Keili Elliott. (Score: 9.75/10)

Sound     
Theodore Hulsker’s sound design is largely well selected and executed. The crisp, staccato music that ends with abrupt lights-up works particularly well on the scene changes. One note: the music used for the scene changes works best when there is enough clearly articulated bass and sub-bass (60-20 Hz) to cover the sound of the turntable moving. The mix is good on the early scene changes but a couple changes later in the show are done with lighter music, rendering the turntable audible. Again, this is a play that depends on keeping the audience’s mind locked into the narrative and not wondering: What is that sound? at the turntable moving.   (Score: 8/10)

Props
Jacquelyn Scott’s props are just sublime, well executed, and appropriate in every particular. The choice of the toy rabbit is particularly period and endearing, if also heart-rending.  (Score: 9/10).

Costumes
Brooke Jennings delivers an almost flawless ensemble. The period clothes are particularly well rendered. Other theaters should take note of how the costumes for this show looked the part: crisp, ironed, well fitted, and color coordinated. With the abundance of outlets for costume designers in the Bay Area, getting the fit and look right, as in this production, should be a reflex.

A couple small notes: the watch worn by Morris was a bit distracting. It looked too big on her wrist and too K-Mart Timex. Also, the shoes and hose worn by Ms. Qian also seemed oddly out of character. (Score: 9/10) 

Direction
Having competed against Bill English in the past for best director honors, I know first-hand that Mr. English is a consummate, spirited, well-trained professional. His direction of The Nether is sure-handed, nuanced, and steady. 

Opening night jitters jostled the play’s pace in spots, but Mr. English gives his cast plenty of room to use the sub-text of pauses and silence—a somewhat scarce skill in directors of any level—to add dramatic impact and tension when needed. Character movement was well orchestrated, intentional, and justified. Stage pictures were solid, yet thankfully avoided the overdone, bilateral symmetry leaned on so heavily by lesser directors. Beat management and changes were largely crisp and well-articulated. Dialog rhythms—a trickier issue in this play than one might first suspect—were smart. Entrances, often a weak aspect of today’s theater, were confident, realistic, and notable for not disturbing the flow of the show by being too loud, prominent, or lengthy. A bit more use of the apron might have pulled the audience even deeper into the play.  (Score: 9.25/10)

Lights
Michael Oesch’s lighting design was superb and used both light and shading well. Light balance across the acting area—and the lack of the dreaded dim spots between lights—was the most consistent of any play I’ve seen in some time. Colors were well selected and tasteful.   (Score: 9/10)

Casting
Casting was largely solid. Warren David Keith was of particular note, handling the tricky character of Sims with aplomb. Sims is full of layers and justifications that so often trip up less experienced actors who don’t have the experience or talent to make acting choices that sync with the scene, text, emotion, and arc of the beat at hand. Mr. Keith has no such limitations. 

Similarly, Carmen Steele (who shares the role of Iris in rep with Matilda Holtz) is a talent of the first order. Iris requires some damn difficult acting in what is being said (and why) as well as what is being portrayed (and why). Most theaters would have cast a diminutive adult as Iris due to the role’s complex (and highly adult) requirements. Kudos to SF Playhouse for not doing so. I cannot commend enough the acting craft displayed by Carmen Steele.

Josh Schell as Woodnut was a study in acting and character strata. A fine, noteworthy, and understated performance. Few actors can handle the arc of a character like Woodnut. Mr. Schell rocked the part.

I have some reservations about the performance of Ruibo Qian. Obviously a talented, well-educated, and trained thespian, I nevertheless did not buy Qian as Detective Morris. The performance felt forced, particularly in the opening interrogation scenes when Detective Morris has Mr. Sims dead-to-rights. I never saw the utter contempt nor the cat playing with a mouse dominance those scenes demanded.   (Score: 9/10)

Overall Production

From the book to the direction to the ensemble acting to the achievements of the artistic production staff, SF Playhouse sets the bar high with their production of The Nether.  (Score: 9.5/10)
Reviewer Score

SF Playhouse has selected a brilliant play in The Nether, cast it with distinction, presented it with near technical precision, and made it one of the most important theater experiences of the decade. (Score: 9.50/10)

Overall Theater Tech Score: (100.5/110) The Nether at SF Playhouse is one of the must see plays of 2016.

The Nether by Jennifer Haley
Directed by Bill English
Through March 5, 2016
SF Playhouse 450 Post St. 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA
Tickets available online at http://sfplayhouse.org
Run time: 80 minutes with no intermission.

Kris Neely is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics’ Circle and an award-winning stage director. In 2013 Neely earned an SFBATCC Best Director award for Lend Me a Tenor (Ross Valley Players) and his direction of Leading Ladies for Novato Theater Company was listed as one of the 10 Best Plays of 2014 in the North Bay by the Marin Independent Journal newspaper. He was also nominated for a 2013 Outstanding Production Shellie Award for directing A Case of Libel for the Pittsburg Community Theater.
Mr. Neely’s blogs on theater and performing arts are found online at Aisle Seat Reviews https://aisleseatreview.wordpress.com/, For All Events (www.forallevents.com), Marin Onstage (http://backstage.marinonstage.org), and nationally at OnStage (www.onstageblog.com)

Thomas Burns Scully

I like reviewing Shakespeare plays, because I get to skip writing the most boring paragraph of the review. The paragraph where I explain the plot. Because either the reader already knows the plot, or can easily Google a much more succinct synopsis than I could ever write. I also don’t like reviewing Shakespeare plays, because I know how it’s going to end. So, more than almost any show I’m likely to see in the city, the incentive to watch is in how its told. The show depends on its aesthetic and the commitment of its actors, and that worries me. Because that makes Shakespeare an auteur’s medium. And most directors aren’t auteurs. So that’s why I don’t like reviewing Shakespeare. With that in mind, I’m now about to take a look at Rogue and Peasant Players’ production of ‘Henry V’.

The story of ‘Henry V’… is on Wikipedia. We just talked about this. A King, a war, French people, death, “Once more in to the breach!”, St. Crispin’s day, you get the gist. Rogue and Peasant Players’ production stages it in a deliberately theatrical fashion, actively acknowledging the audience and the reality of actors on stage, playing directly in to the chorus’ speeches. This comes off well for the most part and is enjoyably direct, without being too distracting. Their cast is also largely female, with almost totally gender-flipped casting. This doesn’t lend anything significant to the show thematically, but also doesn’t distract from the action. The fact that these are women playing male parts is never distinctly addressed or made light of, and the female actors play their parts just as well as a male actor would. From a design perspective things are also fine, mostly found-objects and bedsheets, with a few specific touches added for comedy (modeling balloons are used as swords in certain scenes for amusing effect). On the whole, the show looks interesting, without being especially remarkable. And that might be my final summation of it.

Everything about this ‘Henry V’ works. It all hangs together, the actors know what they’re doing, an aesthetic has been committed to, a world has been created, you can watch and experience Shakespeare’s play without impediment. And that’s it. This show doesn’t reinvent the story, it doesn’t challenge it and break new observational or theatrical ground, it just tells the story well. This is wholly commendable and is by no means a failing grade, but if you have seen ‘Henry V’ before, this iteration is not going to change you. Nothing about it is distinctly bad nor riotously amazing, with two notable exceptions. First is the music. The music of the show is a bit drab. Not out and out deplorable, but not particularly engaging either. On one side of the stage has been erected an improvised, hanging glass-bottle marimba with various tub drums placed around it. Throughout the show odd glass notes and war drums are struck on this set-up, but rarely does it pack a strong percussive hit or entertain conjecture of a battle. At its best, it is un-distracting, at its worst, it is distracting. It’s nowhere near enough to kill the action, but it’s the only distinct let-down an audience member will experience in the show. The second exception are the scenes with the French speaking characters. Which were so good, we will start a new paragraph to discuss them.

Something about director Kelly Monroe Johnston’s staging of the scenes between Katharine and her lady-in-waiting Alice is beyond charming, and creates a brilliant stage rom-com that seems strangely adrift amidst all the scenes of battle and woe. Alejandra Venancio (Katherine) and Dee Dee Popper (Alice) have impeccable chemistry that, if anything, seems even stronger when they are communicating in French. The privacy and silliness of their scenes together illicit nothing but pure delight and are probably the best thing in the show. That said, running a close second is the scene between these two and Brenna Yeary as Henry. Henry’s half-translated, half-misunderstood courtship of the French princess is a marvel of stagecraft that you simply don’t want to end. They briefly elevate the show from solid and dependable to excruciatingly good.

And that is essentially all I have to say. This is a good retelling of a familiar story that occasionally jumps from good to amazing, but most of the time is just good. Rogue and Peasant Players are to be commended on their work with decent audience attendance, which it is now up to you, dear reader, to provide. If you’re looking for your Shakespeare fix and can’t wait till the Summer to see it in the park, then you’d be well disposed to head to Access Theatre. It’s good actresses, and a couple of good actors, doing good work under good direction. Go see it.

The Rogue and Peasant Players production ‘Henry V’ runs at the Access Theatre until February 14th. Tickets start at $18, for more info see rogueandpeasantplayers.com

This review was written by Thomas Burns Scully, a New York based writer, actor and musician. His work has been lauded in Time Out NY and the New York Times, and his writing has been performed on three continents. He is generally considered to be the thrifty person’s Renaissance man. 

Follow him on Facebook (as Thomas Burns Scully), and on Twitter (@ThomasDBS)

David Roberts

“All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.”  (Sean O’Casey)

Brendan Gall’s “Wide Awake Hearts” currently running at 59E59 Theaters is “about” many things. There are themes in this lustrously written play despite its Character A’s (Ben Cole) protestation that “I don’t write from theme. It’s just a story I thought of.” And there is conflict - again despite Character A’s belief that he is going to write the first television drama “with absolutely no conflict.” Ultimately Brendan Gall’s superbly crafted and brilliantly written play is about the splendor of good writing and the power of that which we call drama whether it be on stage or on film. The specific power to awaken hearts even hearts of stone.

L-R: Tony Naumovski, Ben Cole and Clea Alsip in WIDE AWAKE HEARTS at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Carol Rosegg

Infidelity, ennui, and duplicity have shuttered four hearts leaving them to slowly solidify over years of rehearsals – on an off sets and stages. Two relationships morphed into at least four struggling to survive their scripted requiem mass. Screenwriter – the aforementioned Character A – is married to Character B (Clea Alsip) who he casts in his current film. He calls in old friend Character C (Tony Naumovski) to play a love story opposite his wife and Character C’s longtime squeeze Character D (Maren Bush) to edit the film. 

Character A’s dilemma? How to make the best film about the story he not only “thought of” but has been living through for years. The screenwriter’s actor wife has been having an affair with his not-so-great actor friend without the knowledge of the actor’s significant other and film cutter. Character A decides that the best way to make the film is to have those living out the “story” act out the story and let reality and fiction implode and explode on the set and in his home.

Ben Cole’s screenwriter – made a cuckold by Character C – is appropriately vengeful and suspicious. Mr. Cole delivers Mr. Gall’s scintillating opening monologue with a haunting vacuous power that awakens the heart. Clea Alsip’s Character B – A’s wife – delivers an authentic performance laced with disappointment, sadness, and concomitant rage. This woman scorned does not take lightly her accusers’ taunts. Character C – the actor apparently past his prime – is portrayed by Tony Naumovski with a sorrowful countenance and a splendid emptiness. And Maren Bush – Character D – rages on against her boyfriend’s infidelity with honesty and delivers her monologue on “editing” with palpable grit.

Under the steady hand of director Stefan Dzeparoski, truth and fiction, reality and fantasy, move into and out of the shadows neatly provided by Mike Riggs’ exquisite lighting design and play out in a variety of settings easily handled by Konstantin Roth’s versatile set design. The four characters – nameless because they are in essence each an “Everyman” – interact in a clever matrix of situations in which their real stories blend with their fictional stories in remarkable synchronicity. This is truly one of the best scripts extant with its layered and complex series of subplots. It is often difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy, truth and fiction.

The faded projections – other than counterpointing the text – served only to complicate the performance and added little to the overall effect of the staging. Though as they dissemble, so does the filming of Character A’s attempts to capture and/or recreate his reality. Using a matrix of brain science, film history, and relationship theory, playwright Brendan Gall creates a dark rehearsal of love found and lost and a quartet of “poor players strutting and fretting upon the stage” (Macbeth). The play ends with Characters C and B attempting to “get it right” – both their scene and their affair – by repeating Meisner style their brief love scene:

C: I love you.
B: I love you, too. (They kiss) Goodbye.

But there is no getting it right for these characters and perhaps for others on the way to “dusty death.” Shakespeare (once again) captured it with grace: “And then it is heard no more. It is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing” (from “Macbeth,” spoken by Macbeth).

See “Wide Awake Hearts” before it fades from the stage on Sunday February 7, 2016.

WIDE AWAKE HEARTS

“Wide Awake Hearts” is presented by Birdland Theatre (Artistic Producer: Zorna Kydd). The design team includes Mike Riggs (lighting design); Elliott Davoren (sound design); and Rocco DiSanti (projection design). The production stage manager is Sofia Montgomery. The artistic producer is Zorana Kydd. Production photos by Carol Rosegg.

“Wide Awake Hearts” runs for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 7. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.  Running time is 75 minutes without intermission. 

WITH: Clea Alsip, Maren Bush, Ben Cole, and Tony Naumovski.

Elaine Plybon

Seeing beauty in the mundane is an endeavor often missed by those with hurried lives and heavy responsibilities. While Billy in Clever Little Lies is struggling to see the beauty in his life, the talent in Circle Theatre’s production of the recently closed off-Broadway play is easy to see.

The regional premiere at Circle Theatre opened on the tails of the final show in New York on January 24. During its off-Broadway run, starring Marlo Thomas in the role of Alice, the play enjoyed favorable reviews in part because of the talent behind the script, Joe DiPietro. The play, which is set in modern day, provides a glimpse into the life of four people – a mother and father (Bill and Alice), their son, Billy, and his wife, Jane. The play opens in a locker room with father and son having a conversation following a tennis match, where the younger Bill reveals a secret despite being warned by the elder Bill “your mom has a way of extracting information from me.” As can be predicted, the secret isn’t protected for long and during an evening of cheesecake and drinks, the two couples learn more about each other than they had planned. The script is funny, yet thought-provoking. The expert writing was complemented well by the strong talent and crew during the opening night performance.

There were three locations for all of the action, the locker room, a car, and Bill and Alice’s living room. The clever little set design, by Clare Floyd DeVries, consisted of multi-use furniture and a very nicely designed wall that began as a wall of lockers then neatly changed into the back wall of the living room with a set of hinged pieces that folded to hide the lockers. Furniture was used in multiple ways to represent the interior of an automobile, the benches in a locker room, and a coffee table and seating in the living room. This quick-changing set was helpful to keeping the pace by refraining from lengthy set changes while providing a realistic backdrop to the events being portrayed.

The cast consisted of only four actors, two men and two women. The quartet meshed smoothly with each other and their professionalism made the opening night performance seem easy and well-rehearsed. 

In the role of Alice, Linda Leonard convincingly paraded across the stage, orchestrating each interaction as a conductor at a symphony. With an always-appropriate attitude, highlighted with raised eyebrows and sidelong glances, Leonard’s portrayal counted nearly as much on her body language as the delivery of lines. Her performance was solid and convincing.

The younger wife, Jane, was played by Kelsey Milbourn. I have seen Milbourn in even lighter fare, and it was a delight to see her in a role that showcased a portion of the range of her talents. The choices made by Milbourn delivered a strong and complex characterization. With slightly disheveled hair and long sweater, Milbourn appeared as a woman who is beautiful but does not have the time to tend to that beauty because of a new baby and an often-absent husband. Milbourn’s facial expressions were pleasant and apprehensive at the same time, which was exactly what the script demanded. 

Jake Buchanan’s portrayal of Billy encouraged me to dislike Billy and be hopeful for his future at the same time. A cocky gait about the stage and self-assured demeanor solidified the strength of this performance. Buchanan and the Bill Jenkins, playing the elder Bill, Sr., had a remarkable familiarity on stage – the relationship on stage appeared as a natural father and son relationship. The ease and comfort with which they bantered with each other was a tribute to the superb casting and direction of director, Steven Pounders.

My favorite performance of the evening, as a whole, was that of Jenkins. The character bears the weight of the entire secret. Jenkins delivered an astounding performance that was marked by impeccable timing when delivering the lines sure to evoke a chuckle from the audience. He also utilized the most telling of facial expressions, whether in response to a surprise or a revelation. The strength of Jenkins in the role of the patriarch resulted in the entire group operating as if a well-oiled machine.

The script is delightful, the performances spot on, and the crew exceptional in Circle Theatre’s exploration of a modern-day comedy. Clever Little Lies is a cleverly executed dive into love and marriage with a message that left me with something to think about.

The action runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. There is some strong language and adult situations.

Reviewed by Elaine Plybon, Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

David Roberts

Once upon a time there was a couple who, while vacationing in Vegas, decide to get married in the Little White Wedding Chapel. When they return home to Manhattan, Michael (played with a powerful vulnerability by Johnny Wu) assumes he will be able to move in to his new wife Sonya’s (played with the charming mix of feisty aggressiveness with gentle susceptiveness by playwright Nandita Shenoy) Upper East Side studio condo. But when the doorman won’t let Michael up to the apartment without buzzing Sonya, this fairy tale begins to unravel. It turns out that Sonya never mentioned Michael would have to stay in the apartment illegally nor did she share her slight discomfort about being married. That discomfort reveals itself in the nervous tic Sonya displays when saying the word ‘marriage.’ Add Michael’s overprotective mother to the mix and the fairy tale morphs into a delicious farce – prat falls and all.

Nandita Shenoy’s “Washer/Dryer,” currently running at the Beckett Theater on Theater Row, is the engaging tale of how Michael and Sonya navigate their dual-ethnicity marriage given the pressures of culture and tradition and how they ultimately deal with the lack of transparency that has plagued their relationship from the start. Ma-Yi’s smart cast easily navigates Ms. Shenoy’s clever script to a happily-ever-after ending that makes the hearing of this tale sweet and satisfying.

Sonya’s prized combination washer and electric dryer is the play’s trope (extended metaphor here) for both that which challenges her relationship with Michael and that which ultimately reconciles them. It has taken Sonya a long time to achieve independence and “washer/dryer” status and after rushing into the marriage with Michael, she is not certain she should relinquish that freedom. It takes the village of her friend Sam (Jamyl Dobson), the Co-op Board Chair Wendee (played with an appropriate yet annoying officiousness by Annie McNamara), and even Michael’s mother Dr. Lee (Jade Wu)) to understand they really are meant for one another and that marriage was the right arrangement for their future.

Ms. Shenoy’s well-crafted script is directed with a steady hand by Benjamin Kamine and each member of the ensemble cast delivers believable and authentic performances. Jade Wu delivers a particularly memorable performance as Michael’s uber-protective mother who ultimately negotiates a victory for her son and his new wife – a victory in relationship and in real estate. Jamyl Dobson is perfect as Sonya’s gay neighbor whose gender-bending tryst with Michael is as hilarious as it is engaging and thought-provoking.

The performance viewed for this review seemed a little under rehearsed with the timing a bit off. Given the credentials of the cast and creative team, this issue will have been resolved by now. “Washer/Dryer” is worth a look.

WASHER/DRYER

Featured in the cast are: Annie McNamara, Nandita Shenoy, Jade Wu, Johnny Wu, and Jamyl Dobson. The creative team includes scenic design by Anshuman Bhatia, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Jonathan Cottle and sound design by Miles Polaski. Production photos are by Isaiah Tanenbaum.

Scheduled through February 20 at the Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street in Manhattan. “Washer/Dryer” will perform Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.; Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. An additional performance has been added for Saturday February 20 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets range in price from $25-$30-$35 and can be purchased via Telecharge at 212 239 6200 or online at www.telecharge.com or www.ma-yitheatre.org. The running time is 80 minutes without intermission.

Noah Golden

For me, the most magical moments I’ve ever seen on stage aren’t what you might think. No, it’s not Elphaba levitating above the Ozian guards or Cinderella quick changing into her ball gown. Those have their charms, but to me the magic of theater is less about pyrotechnics and more about using inventive, purposeful moments of simple staging to elevate the most commonplace of settings. Think of the emotional gut-punch of Ernst taking off his jacket to reveal a swastika in “Cabaret,” when Cathy and Jamie finally lock eyes during their boat ride in “Last Five Years” or, more recently, the kids of the “Spring Awakening” revival escaping the confines of their harsh grey set at the end of “Purple Summer.” All three beautiful stage pictures that take audience members aback yet could be replicated by even the most budget-conscious community theater groups.

There were multiple moments like that in “Once,” a modest but emotionally satisfying musical, whose second national tour I saw at The Shubert Theater in New Haven.  While the story, performances and music are solid (if not slightly hit-or-miss) “Once” is first and foremost a showcase for John Tiffany’s smart and lyrical Tony-winning direction. Set entirely in a Dublin pub (that hosts a pre-show concert and actually serves drinks to audience members at intermission), Tiffany uses old tables, chairs and a handful of props to denote scene changes to a vacuum shop, a recording studio and a bank. Flanking the stage, and often times becoming living parts of the scenery, is a Greek chorus of actor/musicians who play the supporting roles and double as the band. The merging of actor and musician, stagehand and back-up singer, is flawlessly done and so seamless that the immense amount of thought and care that went into the blocking feels incredibly organic. Just the scene change transitions alone are more artfully staged than most musicals you’re likely to see. 

Closely based on the 2007 Irish indie, “Once” follows the relationship between a sullen busker (listed in the program as Guy) and a lonely, talkative Czech immigrant (you got it, Girl). Guy plays acoustic guitar, Girl plays classical piano and, eventually, writes lyrics to Guy’s music. They become friends, both bonding over their lost loves – for him a girlfriend who went to America, for her an estranged husband half a world away – and the beautiful music they make together. They decided to record a demo of their songs and, eventually, do so. Thankfully, the stage adaptation by Enda Walsh mostly sticks to the modest scale and raw emotionality of the film. Except for a few missteps – Walsh’s book contains a few too many trite aphorisms and one of the new characters, a music shop owner, feels like he wandered in from the “School of Rock” musical – “Once: The Musical” successfully conveys the spirit of the original while expanding that world to fit on a Broadway stage (the shaggy folk singer on screen is cleaned up into more of a brooding leading man, for instance.)

Speaking of that leading man, he’s inhabited well by Sam Cieri, who appropriately underplays the role and displays a rugged, powerful tenor. As his counterpart, Mackenzie Lesser-Roy brings a wry sense of humor and bright pop voice to Girl, even if her Czech accident never felt totally authentic.

But truly, the cast and plot are largely a vehicle for some terrific folk-rock tunes by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. While “Falling Slowly” is the most famous song (it won an Oscar and is now commonly heard on TV), there are a handful of beautiful and melodic songs that are worth the price of admission alone. From the haunting “If You Want Me” to the rhythmically inventive “When Your Mind’s Made Up” and the gorgeous Irish ballad “Gold,” the songs of “Once” are ones you could easily listen to devoid of the production.

But when combined with Tiffany’s brilliant-but-simple direction, magic really does happen. The scene where Guy and Girl sing together for the first time in the music shop is as captivating as any big song-and-dance number I can think of, despite the fact that both actors barely move from an upright piano. Same goes for a exquisitely still confessional scene that takes place on top of the bar and an a cappella number late in the second act. 

“Once” isn’t a perfect show. The tone is muddled at times and the story, even with its melancholy charm, is hardly original. But there was a lot of joy on that stage, which is the other part of that stage magic I was talking about. “Once” overflowed with the joy that comes with talented musicians exercising their craft alongside friends and the joy that comes from making the mundane into art. Despite not partaking in any of the pub’s free flowing spirits, I can’t say I didn’t leave the theater a little buzzed.

David Roberts

Yeah, and every time, you say, “no no no,” and then three months later we’re back

together again or you want to be back together again and I’m like “no way” and so why

don’t we just cut the crap and do it right one time.” Chris to Amber in “Utility”

In the midst of the caucuses in Iowa and the elections in New Hampshire with teeming crowds of smiling fist-pumping messiah-seekers hoping to hold on to their middle-class value system, there are far too many Americans who will probably never reach the status of middle class – that fading glory-daypost- war fabrication of optimism. These are the disenfranchised, the poor, the desperate Americans caught incycles of despair, disappointment, and dereliction. Among these are Chris (James Kautz) and Amber (Vanessa Vache) the mismatched but star-crossed mates whose marriage is on and off the rocks as often as is Chris’s promises to reform: “I’m a different person now. Hey, look at me. I’m a different person. I kicked the pills.For real this time. Last Christmas. Ain’t had a single slip up.”

This promise to Amber on her mother Laura’s (Melissa Hurst) porch begins the process of repairing and renovating their water-damaged house and attempting to repair and renovate their relationship which Amber has gnawing doubts about. “And there’s a whole mess of reasons why we shouldn’t get back together,”she reminds Chris during his sales pitch. Emily Schwend’s new play “Utility,” currently running at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, picks up the restoration three months later when Amber and Chris have moved back in their house. That matrix of messy things, besides Chris’ addiction, includes Chris’ bartending shifts at JJ’s where his old flame Michelle has worked, Chris’ penchant for forgetting important commitments, Amber’s deep depression, and her inability to trust the power of forgiveness.

Under Jay Stull’s precise and assiduous direction, “Utility” focuses on a couple of days in the life of this couple as they navigate the bumpy road to reconciliation and prepare for Amber’s daughter Janie’s eighth birthday. As Amber prepares for the party, the vicissitudes of her relationships with Chris, her mother (also a fractured and fragile creature), and Chris’ brother Jim (Alex Grubbs) ricochet off the walls of her kitchenwith an audacious melancholy. Amber is completely overwhelmed with trying to support her family and striving to understand her husband’s inability to be present for her and the children. The word ‘like’ appears numerous times in the script: nothing is exact for Amber. Things only approach normalcy for Amber and this disquiet perpetually keeps her off balance and on the defense. The tipping point for Amber comes when the power is cut off in the house because Chris fails to pay the monthly bill.

The ensemble cast deliver authentic and honest performances. Alex Grubbs solidly portrays Chris’ brother Jim whose low monotone vocal cadence affirms both his moral strength and his seething unrequited love for Amber. Mr. Grubb’s scene with Amber near the play’s end is spellbinding. Melissa Hurst’s portrayal of Laura, Amber’s mother, is a somewhat disturbing reminder of the traps that one generation inadvertently sets for another. Laura wants to help but she simply does not know how. James Kautz delivers a scintillating performance as Chris giving the character a deep brooding countenance and a wistful hopefulness that can never be assuaged. And Vanessa Vachedelivers an equally stunning performance as Amber giving the character a melancholy and a weariness that is disturbingly palpable.

Kate Noll’s set design is appropriately claustrophobic and dour and Nicholas Houfek’s lighting design seems to be able to gaugethe mood of the characters and illuminate proportionately. Sometimes the pace seems slow; however, this assessment surely is the result of the discomfit experienced at the raw truth delivered by Ms. Schwend’s disarmingly accurate script. The Amoralists have provided a shocking glimpse at the underbelly of the epicenter of the free world.

Amber ultimately settles for a life of utility, nothing attractive but a completely functional existence. As she broods in the shadows at the end of the play - for what seems like an eternity - one wonders what she is thinking. Rehearsing the good times she might have had with Chris? Remembering what she was indeed thinking when she first met his brother Jim? Or just waiting for a sign to resign to the functionality of the dissolution of the American Dream.Amber will probably be able to depend on her fractured family system. Someone after all pays the balance of the electricity bill and the lights go back on as Amber broods and flounders in the crevices of the past. Whether this will suffice remains as elusive as the birthday party balloon bits scattered across the backyard and the branches of the trees.

UTILITY

The cast includes Alex Grubbs, Melissa Hurst, James Kautz, and Vanessa Vache.

The design team includes Kate Noll (Set Design), Jeanne Travis (Sound Design), Nick Houfek (Lighting Design), Angela Harner (Costume Design) and Zach Serafin (Prop Design). The production team includes Nikki Castle (Production Stage Manager), Anderson Heinz (Associate Producer) and Jeremy Pape (Production Manager). Production photos are by Russ Rowland.

Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays 8:00 p.m.at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place) in New York. There are additional performances on Sunday, February 14 at 3:00 p.m., and Wednesday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 and can be purchased online at http://www.TheAmoralists.com or by calling 1-866-811-4111. The running time is 95 minutes. For further information, visit http://www.TheAmoralists.com.

Noah Golden

My mother loves period movies. From multi-hour Jane Austin adaptations to stiff-collared BBC dramas that get negative-star ratings on Netflix, if it has a scullery maid, she’ll watch it. That trait wasn’t passed down to me as I find those kinds of things cinematic Ambien. Unless that scullery maid is played by a naked Mila Kunis, I’ll pass. So I was a bit skeptical walking into the world premiere of “The Moors” at the Yale Repertory Theatre. From it’s “inspired by the Brontes” marketing to the in-program essay on the connection between the English moors and gothic literature, it may seem like Jen Silverman’s play, directed by Jackson Gay, is “Masterpiece Theater” on stage.

But very quickly, it becomes apparent we’re in for something totally different. The dollhouse-like set (rendered beautifully by Alexander Woodward) is decorated more like a dusty antique store than Downton Abbey, with second-hand portraits and taxidermy animals lining the walls. The two spinster sisters (Birgit Huppuch and Kelly McAndrew) speak in American accents and with an unpretentious, witty repartee reminiscent of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Their huge mastiff is played by a man in a shaggy overcoat (Jeff Biehl) who, when he isn’t lounging lazily in the parlor, waxes philosophical about love and loneliness either by himself or with an injured moor-hen (Jessica Love). The maid (Hannah Cabell), who changes identities depending on what room she’s in, is pregnant with an unwanted child and sick with typhus. But, really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this smart, often hilarious and occasionally frustrating play.

The sisters in question are not named Charlotte and Emily but Agatha and Huldey. Agatha (McAndrew) is manipulative and no-nonsense; Huldey (Huppuch) is depressed and desperate for attention. Everything is bleak and dull on the moors, with Agatha spending her days knitting and bossing around her sister, who writes incessantly in her diary, dreaming of being a famous writer despite the fact that no one wants to read her work. Entering into this madness is Emilie (Miriam Silverman, bringing to mind a restrained Vanessa Bayer), a chipper governess from London. Who exactly she is there to govern and whether the master of the house, Mr. Branwell, is even alive is another matter.

Inventive sets, handsome costumes and confident performances aside, the success or failure of “The Moors” really rests on Silverman’s script. Like all good gothic lit, it grabs your attention immediately and doles out just enough of the manner’s secrets at a time to keep you guessing. The dialogue is sharp and clever, rife with deadpan, dark humor and dashes of Christopher Durang whimsy. Beneath the laughs is also a dense rumination on sexual politics, power dynamics and the immense power of recognition. This is a play written, directed and starring women (with the exception of Biehl who quite literally plays a dog) and the theme of subverted gender roles runs at its very core.

But even at an intermissionless 90-minutes, “The Moors” feels overstuffed and meandering at times, as if a tight 50-minute one-act was expanded to fill a full-length timeslot. This is especially true in the scenes between the mastiff and the moor-hen which, despite their cleverness, come off as repetitive and overwritten. In a play all about secrets and diverted morals, these scenes are perhaps a bit too on the nose and end up feeling like an anthropomorphic twist on “Almost, Maine.” 

Unlike the titular landscape, which is repeatedly said to be harsh and boring, “The Moors” is ultimately quite clever and a lot of bloody fun. Silverman is playing with some fascinating ideas, twisting the time-honored themes and tropes of works like “Jane Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights” into a distinctly 21st century female-driven play. The performances, especially from Huppuch and Biehl, are outstanding and the simple set is used to great effect. But the place and the play do one have thing in common. With both, you won’t want to spend too much time visiting.

Nancy Sasso Janis

‘Rock of Ages’ blew on to the main stage at the Warner Theatre last night to a packed house. Billed above the title as “the one night stand you will always remember,” the Warner has the honor of being the first community theater in New England to bring this epic production to the stage. I raved about the touring company production that I saw at Waterbury’s Palace Theater, but I will certainly remember this opening night performance as an ‘event’ that I enjoyed even more because I knew so many of the community theatre veterans involved.

The shamelessly rock/jukebox musical has a paper-thin book by Chris D’Arenzio and arrangements and orchestrations of songs with music and lyrics by “a bunch of really sweet 80s bands” by Ethan Popp. The bands in what Executive Director Lynn Gelormino calls this “1980’s dream concert” include REO Speedwagon, Journey and Steve Perry, Pat Benatar, Styx, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and Europe (but not Def Leppard until after the curtain call.) The song list in tiny print fills an entire page in the program, although some pieces are mashed up with others, or just appear in snippets, but the choral arrangements of many are fabulously performed by this outstanding cast under the musical direction of Dan Ringuette. The conductor was decked out in an 80s wig but on his monitor looked to be enjoying himself anyway.

Sharon A. Wilcox looked very 80s herself as she introduced the show on opening night. A self-admitted 80s baby, Ms. Wilcox has been waiting a long time to direct and choreograph this show (that she saw on Broadway a whopping ten times) and she encouraged the audience to sing, clap and dance along. She didn’t have to ask me twice, and I waving the faux lighter I found under my seat made it even more real. This truly was “an epic production of big dreams, big egos and even bigger hair” that “doesn’t need a complex plot to make you feel--it just needs characters who don’t take themselves too seriously and a rockin’ score of classic 80s music.”

The actors shouldn’t take themselves too seriously either, but they all need to be outstanding singers and dancers. Costumes designed by Renee Purdy and Aurora Montenero brought the 80s back in its colorful and sexy glory and the big hair wigs were gravity defying. The girls in the ensemble wore very little (and even less in the Venus Club scenes) and the guys were very glam metal; they gave their dancing everything they had. Kudos to every member of the rockin’ ensemble for bringing down the house.

The guys in the onstage band “Arsenal” embraced the era in every way and were almost unrecognizable. With the help of the program I managed to figure out that they included Mr. Ringuette on keyboard, Mark Garthwait on guitar, Meric Martin on guitar, Dan Porri on bass and Nate Dobos on drum kit. 

Michael King made his Warner debut as the “dramatic conjurer” Lonny Barnett, the sound guy who serves as the show’s narrator. He was a natural, very funny and just a little endearing as he often broke the fourth wall. Erin West Reed (‘Peter Pan’ himself at the Warner) sang the heck out of the role of Venus Club owner Justice Charlier. Kevin Sturmer took on the role of aging rocker and Sunset Strip club owner Dennis Dupree and did it well. 

Bristol native Noel Roberge, who was a standout as the balladeer in ‘Assassins,’ was perfect for the role of the young busboy/rocker Drew Boley and I can’t imagine anyone else in the role of his beloved Sherrie Christian than the fabulously talented Katie Brunetto. Tony Leone (St. Jimmy in ‘American Idiot’) was wonderful as the heartthrob rocker Stacee Jaxx.

AlexaRae Campagna was adorable as the feisty Regina Koontz, a girl on a mission to save the strip, and quick-changed to play a stripper named Candi. Ruben Soto (‘Ragtime’) was great as the mayor and Ja’Keith. Dick Terhune (‘The 39 Steps’) came back to the Warner stage to play developer Hertz Klinemann and Anthony Amorando made his Warner debut as his son Franz. Katie Chamberlain was billed as Waitress #1, Kaitlyn Anthony was a reporter and Peter Bard played Stacee’s replacement Joey Primo. Rounding out the cast was Caitlin Barra as Destiny, Lauren Jacob as Sapphire, Christopher Franci as a sleazy producer, Geoff Ruckdeschel as the strip club DJ and Leanna Scaglione as a young groupie.

The ‘ROA’ experience began even before the show did with loud 80s music and an authentic and busy set with neon and Christmas lights. Pumped up lighting by Andrew Smith included the house at times, and there were projections as well. The big crowd was as loud as the music and it was appropriate. While the members of ‘Arsenal’ made up an exciting band, there were times in the first act that they drowned out the dialog, or at least made it difficult to understand. Otherwise the sound was well-balanced and loud, of course. I so wanted to join the backstage singers Anne DeMichiel, Martha Irving, and Lana Peck. 

Don’t miss this loud trip through the 80s with a stellar cast that ROCKS in every way. ‘Rock of Ages’ runs at the Warner through Feb. 14.

Photo Credit: Mandi Martini ©2016 The Warner Theatre

Liz Vestal

I first heard the music to Ragtime during the 1998 Tony Award telecast. That 4 min clip intrigued me enough to purchase the CD and for the next 18 years I would listen to it over and over again. The revival wasn’t on Broadway long enough for me to see it in 2009, so you can imagine how quickly I jumped on the chance to see the touring production when it came to Worcester January 29-31. 

I had read the book but it was years ago and to be honest I’d largely forgotten the plot except for what you piece together via the soundtrack. The curtain rose for the Prologue and we were off- Warn the Duke!

It’s a beautiful production, scaled down for touring I would imagine but still impactful. I wasn’t prepared for the thoughts that ran through my head as the show evolved. I found the 3 seemingly disparate story-lines of the “traditional” American family, the African-American and immigrant families incredibly resonant in 2016.  We like to believe that we have come so far since the early 1900’s in terms of tolerance and acceptance. I think our reality is far closer to the opening scene when all 3 groups view each other warily and stay with their respective sides. 

Women are still viewed as helpless perhaps not to the extent of the way Father views Mother. I would have loved to see more of her independence come out to Father instead of one passing mention of how busy the factory has been and how she needs a salary.  Both in 2016 and 1906ish her salary would not have been the same as her male counterparts no matter how hard she worked. 

I particularly found Coalhouse’s last moments mesmerizing. Walking out peacefully with his hands up only to be shot invoked thoughts of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests. Yes. Coalhouse had embarked on a reign of terror, killing and wounding many. The idea of him being awarded a fair trial as he asked for in 1910ish is absurd; it would never have happened and he must have realized that. Unfortunately, in 2016 it’s possible to imagine that Coalhouse would have difficulty receiving a fair trial even now. 

Finally having seen the show, now fully understanding the context behind the songs, “Wheels of a Dream” is especially poignant to me. I’m not sure if we’re there yet, when anyone can truly travel as far as their heart can take them. I hope within my lifetime we’ll reach that day.

Thomas Burns Scully

One of the perks of being a reviewer is that sometimes you get to be there at the start of things, but way before the start. Today I was among a select group of press and industry that was invited to a producers’ and investors’ reading of a new play: ‘Subprime’ by Beck Lee. The talent involved already is staggering, the cast list included: Geneva Carr (‘Hand to God’), Jeremy Holm (‘House of Cards’, ‘Mr. Robot’), Joe Tapper (‘You Can’t Take it With You’), Kathy Searle (‘Fringe’ ‘Gossip Girl’) and Julian Cihi (‘Doctor Zhivago’). Director Alice Jankell has worked with Disney, Elaine Stritch and the Public Theatre. Writer/Producer Beck Lee, also a well known man about town, on and off Broadway, has assembled something special here. As it is still in development, I will be a little spartan with details about ‘Subprime’, but I hope the information I can provide will serve to whet the appetite.

Lee’s play follows the story of two married couples from Minneapolis taking a city break to New York. The year is 2008 and the global economic recession looms. In their hotel suite they enjoy a pleasant post-sightseeing drink. Drinks gradually escalate to snacks, which escalate to ice cream, which escalate to dark revelations and criminal behavior. Events take on a classic ‘Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf’, ‘God of Carnage’ feel as they descend further and further in to the weird and woeful depths of human behavior. The veil of civility is pulled gently in to the dirt and then not so gently stamped upon by all involved. It’s all rather good to watch.

As you would expect, the cast here are all excellent, lending incredible credence to the script, even within the restrictions of a staged reading. They are more than willing to mire themselves in the silly debauchery of the story, giving it a touch of warmth and fun that could so easily end up missing from a script like this. That’s often the trap of cynical plays of this kind, they will become so mired in creating horrible human beings that the characters become unsympathetic and unlikable. ‘Subprime’ does not fall in to this trap. The cast refuse to let this happen, and so does the text. It’s incredibly heartening, whilst remaining twisted, broken and fun.

Like most in development works, the script needs a few tweaks for pacing, and within the limits of a staged reading certain sections of the play are still only part-realized. However, watching ‘Subprime’ you very much get the sense that this show is ready to go, ready to move to, literally, the next stage. If you think you might at all be interested in watching the next ‘God of Carnage’ take shape, then you owe it to yourself to give ‘Subprime’ a look when it takes to Off-Broadway later in the year. It’s a show that’s going to get talked about, so I’m going to start talking now.

‘Subprime’ is currently at an industry development stage. For updates as to when it will make its premiere, or to consider investing in the show, see mediablitz.biz.

This preview was written by Thomas Burns Scully, a New York based writer, actor and musician. His work has been lauded in TimeOut NY and the New York Times, and his writing has been performed on three continents. He is generally considered to be the thrifty person’s Renaissance man. 

Follow him on Facebook (as Thomas Burns Scully), and on Twitter (@ThomasDBS

David Roberts

“Quiet please. It’s Jane Austen. Sit still and pay attention so you don’t miss anything. She’s tough to understand sometimes.” None of these admonitions or warnings are relevant when watching Bedlam’s production of Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” adapted for the stage by Kate Hamill and currently playing at The Gym at Judson in Manhattan. Bedlam’s stage version of this iconic piece is without question one of the best pieces of theatre in Manhattan and assuredly one of the best stage adaptations of Austen’s classic tale.

Bedlam’s production is fresh, buoyant, engaging, and richly authentic. The story of Elinor Dashwood’s (Bedlam co-founder Andrus Nichols) and her sister Marianne Dashwood’s (Kate Hamill) turbulent love affairs with Edward Ferrars (Jason O’Connell) and John Willoughby (John Russell) is wonderfully accessible in this production and is given remarkable believability and relevance by Bedlam’s cast and creative team.  Austen’s dense writing – replete with minute detail – could not be more clear here and could not give the audience more exuberant joy as Ms. Hamill’s adaptation untangles Austen’s web of intrigue and reveals how Elinor’s “sense” and Marianne’s “sensibility” eventually reward their efforts to understand and find love and their efforts to navigate their provincial male-dominated and wealth-bedeviled society.

Members of the talented ensemble cast portray several characters (John Russell, for example, plays both John Dashwood and John Willoughby) and the ever-present and seemingly omniscient gaggle of gossipy members of the Devonshire and London communities that serve as the play’s settings. Each delivers authentic and honest portrayals of their characters. For instance, Laura Baranik portrays the cold and selfish Fanny Dashwood with a robotic snap of the neck that chills even the faintest generous streak in her husband John. Andrus Nichols stands taller than her natural frame as Elinor Dashwood and Kate Hamill’s Marianne Dashwood knows no boundaries or limits to her emotional and spiritual dynamism. 

Bedlam’s “Sense and Sensibility” is transformative theatre, groundbreaking theatre, immersive theatre, theatre not to be missed. Eric Tucker’s staging is sparse and inventive. Setting is provided by landscapes hanging on the walls of the Gym at Judson, a few trellises, a rolling door frame, some tables and chairs on wheels, and three hanging chandeliers. The actors either are pushed around or cleverly paddle their way around the stage. It is all brilliant and under Mr. Tucker’s inventive direction this staging allows the core of “Sense and Sensibility” to be revealed in its purest articulation.

Thanks to Bedlam’s willingness to explore new ways to preserve and present theatre, “Sense and Sensibility” need no longer only be understood in the context of its particular culture: this classic is now not only accessible to the present but relevant to this twenty-first century’s attempts to understand not only the vicissitudes of love but also its penchant for accumulating wealth and power. Edward Ferrar’s ability to extricate himself from his mother’s matrix of wealth, greed, and control serves as a dynamic trope for Marianne’s mantra: “You must be driven almost mad by PASSION, by RAGE, by love for the FRAIL BEAUTY OF LIFE ITSELF!”

Bravo Bedlam, Kate Hamill, and Eric Tucker for allowing your ensemble to wander close to us before curtain, prepare themselves in their “no walls” dressing room, and then breathe even closer, look into our eyes and share the pure joy of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.”

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Bedlam’s production of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” features Laura Baranik, Jessica Frey, Kate Hamill, Edmund Lewis, Andrus Nichols, Jason O’Connell, John Russell, Samantha Steinmetz, Stephan Wolfert and Gabra Zackman, and has scenic design by John McDermott, lighting design by Les Dickert, costume design by Angela Huff and choreography by Alexandra Beller. Production photos by Ashley Garrett.

Tickets range from $69.00 to $89.00, and are available at http://www.bedlam.org and at Ovation Tix (866-811-4111). The playing schedule for “Sense and Sensibility” is as follows: Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday at 7:30pm.  Please note there will be no performance Sunday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 6 at 7:30pm.  There will be added performances Monday, February 29 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m. Running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.

Joseph Verlezza

“What hope is there for an escape from evil?”  (Nick Chopper)

“The Woodsman,” the new theater piece by James Ortiz, is inspired by the back story of the “Tin Man” before Dorothy arrives in Oz and is adapted from the beloved writings of L. Frank Baum. It is an inventive, magical journey empowered to be told with sparse dialogue, beautiful haunting music, ingeniously captivating puppets, and a remarkable cast that is able to embody and exude endless natural sounds and conjure up an array of heartfelt emotions. This current production affords this winning combination to unlock the powerful communication needed to encompass all senses and eventually capture your heart. It is pure, honest, human and a theatrical feast.

The tall lanky Mr. Ortiz is superb as Nick Chopper, with telling limbs that seem to touch the sky, poke a cloud and cause an emotional rainstorm. The sublime Eliza Martin Simpson inhabits the role of Nimmee, the witch’s slave, with grace, vulnerability and understanding. Both these actors are extremely generous, confident in every turn to release irrepressible energy to exhibit incredibly passionate commitment. Under the direction of James Ortiz and Claire Karpen the ensemble is brilliant as they each portray several characters, sing, and produce most of the sound effects. As they maneuver the remarkable puppets, they inescapably become their souls. They infuse their puppets with genuine, intentional movement. Their bodies twist and turn while their faces contort, grimace and relax to reveal all.

Amanda A. Lederer and Sophia Zukoski bring the Witch to a haunting reality as she does all she can to destroy the love between her slave Nimmee (Eliza Martin Simpson) and Nick Chopper. And Tinkers Will Gallacher and Axex J. Gould reconstruct Nick Chopper with tin parts that replace his missing limbs. Nick’s transformation to the Tin Man is spellbinding.

The music by Edward W. Hardy is complimentary and evokes all the necessary moods required to enhance each scene. It is delivered by a solo violin played with competent precision by Naomi Florin and accompanied by the accomplished vocals of the ensemble. Lyrics by Jen Loring are intelligent and integrate well into the storyline.

Perhaps the most revealing part of this production is the collaboration which seems to be the evident element for success. Everything depends on everything here and all components are equal. It is obviously Mr. Ortiz’s vision but it is the creative team and cast who make it visible and viable. They search and seize the meaning of love and loss. They empty their hearts simply to fill yours and give us hope that all who reside just East of Oz can live with the confidence that there is indeed a way to escape from all that is evil.

Do yourself a favor and luxuriate your senses in this impassioned production of “The Woodsman.”

THE WOODSMAN

Directed by James Ortiz and Claire Karpen and written by James Ortiz with music composed by Edward W. Hardy and lyrics by Jen Loring, “The Woodsman” ensemble features Benjamin Bass, Devin Dunne Cannon, Will Gallacher, Alex J. Gould, Amanda A. Lederer, Aaron McDaniel, Lauren Nordvig, James Oritz, Eliza Martin Simpson, Meghan St. Thomas, and Sophia Zukoski. 

“The Woodsman” creative team includes James Ortiz (set and puppet design), Molly Seidel (costume design), Carol Uraneck (original costume design), Catherine Clark and Jamie Roderick (lighting design), Devin Dunne Cannon (associate director), Will Gallacher (movement coordinator), Aaron McDaniel (fight director) and Naomi Florin (music director & violinist). The Woodsman is produced by Robb Nanus, Rachel Sussman, Ryan Bogner and Adam Silberman and was originally produced and developed by Strangemen & Co. Press photos by Matthew Murphy and Emma Mead.

Tickets for “The Woodsman” range from $45.00 - $85.00 and can be purchased via www.Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) and at the New World Stages box office (340 West 50th Street). The performance schedule for “The Woodsman” is Monday at 8 p.m., (Tuesday dark), Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8pm, and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The running time is approximately 75 minutes without intermission. Recommended for children 8+.

Michael L. Quintos

As a young student in college many, many moons ago, one of the things that I grappled with as I thought of viable career prospects for someone pursuing two degrees in the Arts, was whether my choices for personal artistic fulfillment would mean I'd have to, well, literally be a starving artist. I wondered... is it possible to achieve both or are the two aspects mutually exclusive of each other? Well, eventually I ended up focusing on a design career—painting with digital canvases rather than wall-hanging ones—thinking it would be the best possible hybrid that would allow my creativity to flow whilst guaranteeing some food on the table.

This, I surmise, is perhaps the constant, psyche-stirring tug-of-war most artists—very serious ones, at least—must contend with on an ongoing basis: the ability to achieve their authentic, rich, desired artistry while making sure their rent's paid at the same time. That is certainly one of several, thought-provoking running motifs in John Logan's riveting Tony Award-winning two-character play RED, an exquisite regional production of which is currently on stage at Orange County's South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through February 21, under the direction of one of SCR's Founding Artistic Directors, David Emmes.

The intriguing play imagines a specific time period (1958-1959) inside the paint-splattered New York City studio of world-renowned abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (played with superb gusto by Mark Harelik) and his struggles to remain an appreciated, serious artiste at the dawn of pop art, Andy Warhol, and the rise of pretty (and well-funded) "over mantle" modern art. How does one remain artistically relevant in this new era?

In this particular juncture, Rothko—at the height of his career and whose name is often uttered in the same breath as the likes of Rembrandt, Turner, and even his artistic rival Pollock—has just been commissioned to paint a large series of well-funded (funny enough) paintings for the brand new luxe Four Seasons restaurant at the posh Seagram Building in Manhattan. While the commission, on paper, feels like an apropos project of Rothko's stature and "importance," inside his tortured soul, the artist is conflicted by the assignment, even as he forges ahead, still giving the murals his apparent due diligence and forethought. As one would expect with an artist of his caliber and serious thematic sensibilities, he is completely torn between achieving artistic greatness and giving the rich folks at the Four Seasons exactly what they paid good money for.

But will his expensive paintings live on merely drowned in a sea of high-priced, high-brow power lunches and dinners, where the patrons could care less about his work on the walls? Are these red-emblazoned paintings—a clear extension of Rothko's current fiery emotions that may as well be his own biological children—just going to disappear into the background, all for a paycheck?

It is this turmoil that drives the play to question one's motivations for artistic value and merit, particularly with such a passionate artist like Rothko. Luckily for the audience (and, in a way, for Rothko himself) the painter volleys this turmoil with someone he probably didn't expect to be having such meaningful discussions with, yet fate almost dictates it. This Four Seasons commission, we can assume, is the main purpose for him hiring a brand new assistant, a young budding artist named Ken (played by the impressive Paul David Story), who perhaps came to the studio to gain and learn from a well-known mentor while, obviously, helping the aging artist mix paints, fetch lunches, and build/prep his massive canvases (to note, Ken is an entirely fictional character that sprung from Logan's vivid imagination). Well, he certainly fulfilled those duties—plus being Rothko's virtual punching bag, so to speak.

At the start of the drama, Rothko, in heavy-thinking silence, stares up, beyond the fourth wall of the stage, presumably examining and meticulously over-analyzing his latest work of art hanging in his gallery. He stares at it rather inquisitively—mostly puzzled, and partly vexed and irritated. The audience is watching an artistic mind at work, pouring over his painted labor that we can assume is saturated with, you know, Deep Important Themes.

When Ken enters cautiously, confused but with a small bit of idol-worship twinkle in his eye, Rothko breaks his silence with a question.

"What do you see?" he asks, passionately uttered.

It's a simple question that can be interpreted in several ways, from simplistic to downright existential—but, man, is it ever a loaded question. 

"Red," answers his new assistant, matter-of-factly. The audience is amused. Rothko... not so much.

This triggers the enthralling exchange stretched out for many, many months between the young artist-in-training with his own dark past and the noted, seasoned artist who wishes to remain relevant as tastes and sensitivities change with the time. Some of their exchanges vary from volatile to sad to surprisingly poignant—as both men learn from each other on what may or may not constitute a "real" artist. For Ken, who clearly sees Rothko as someone he can learn a great deal from to strengthen his own artistic hopes, the Four Seasons projects seems totally against what Rothko claims to be about, which Rothko realizes, but also, in his own way, justifies.

"If someone says one of my paintings is pretty," Rothko protests, "it makes me want to vomit!"

So why take on such a commercial, "sell-out" assignment? For Rothko, he sees his series of red-hued murals as a subliminal eff-you to all the rich assholes dining in the exclusive restaurant. But much deeper than that, these "color field" paintings truly reflect the deep abyss that has slowly been developing within the artist (in real life, Rothko eventually commits suicide in 1970).

As time passes—and his patience understandably running thin—the often unjustifiably ridiculed and berated Ken starts challenging the highly-opinionated, often erratically conflicted Rothko right back. Ken even questions, at one point, whether his laboring for the temperamental Rothko all these months were a waste of time. For his part, though Rothko openly admits that he's not looking to be Ken's mentor, slowly and surely, he totally takes on the role anyway, whether he was aware of it or not.

Still, as Rothko soldiers on with the project, he alludes that his paintings are windows to his genuine feelings of an overtaking despair. 

"There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend," he admits, "one day, the black will swallow the red." You see, for Rothko, black hues equal death and the absence of light. 

Running at a well-paced 90 minutes (without an intermission), RED is at its most gripping when one anticipates the next outburst or declarative speech from Rothko (so winningly rendered by Harelik), and how Ken (essayed powerfully by Story) reacts to the varying degrees of passion, passive-aggression, or even the occasional pleasantness that may meet him at any given day. Both actors do their best to go beyond the expected surface traits of their respective characters—Rothko is much more than just a frustrated, cantankerous old man; Ken is much more than the fragile boy desperately seeking a father figure/mentor guide. Their interplay and conversations about art feels certainly high-brow, yet somehow dispenses with the expected pretension, perhaps because the audience sees Ken as a peer, our representative into Rothko's work and mindset, and, therefore at times speaks to our own questions of/for Rothko. 

Though Logan includes a fairly clichéd backstory for Ken that involves a haunting childhood trauma (a device, perhaps, meant to give Rothko a chance to evoke a brief moment of empathy towards his young Padawan, er... apprentice), the play is still, overall, a riveting two-person drama that's rich in artistic articulation. Ralph Funicello's darkly beautiful, incredibly detailed warehouse set—haunted with quite a foreboding quality with its lived-in feel and hanging painted canvases hoisted all around—is an excellent framework for the drama, complimented well with Tom Rozika's dramatic lighting design, Fred Kinney's vintage costumes, and Cricket Myers' environmental sounds.

A definite, quite thrilling highlight in RED, however, is the hypnotic, beautifully-choreographed rapid-fire pas de deux painting frenzy that had Harelik and Story  spend minutes meticulously painting over a canvas completely in a dark red coat. It's quite an amazing, dialogue-free moment that not only demonstrates the incredible harmony the two actors display as their characters, but it also shows a lovely, if fleeting moment in which the two characters—two artists with one mutual goal—retreat from their mentor/men-tee corners to come together in sync and totally immersed in their artistic endeavor. It seems like such a simple, staged moment, but it becomes a powerful, visceral symbol of unabashed artistic expression.

Like all artists, desperately conveying ideas, thoughts, and deeper meanings underneath layers upon layers of splattered, purposefully placed paint, RED is more than a visual treatise on artistic merit in the face of changing attitudes and monetary values. At its base coat, it's an everyman story of a man with strong artistic convictions who just wants to leave something valuable to the world. It may not always be pretty to look at, but it's at least something interesting with plenty to say.

* Follow this reviewer on Twitter/Instagram: @cre8iveMLQ *

Photos by Debora Robinson for South Coast Repertory. Review originally published for OnStage.

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John Logan's RED continues performances at South Coast Repertory through February 21, 2016. Tickets can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. 

Michele Farbman

Waiting for the Sun, written, directed, and produced by Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and Wayne J. Keeley

To watch a vulnerable male lead on stage is captivating. To watch a vulnerable male lead who's just 21 years young and may not live until his thirties is not only captivating, it's original. What is most exciting and entertaining about the play Waiting for the Sun, written by husband-and-wife team Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and Wayne J. Keeley, is its main character's point of view.

Justin, played by the incredibly open Logan Roberts, is a college student whose muscles are wasting away. He suffers from Becker Muscular Dystrophy and lives his life in a wheelchair. Still, he fights the good fight by composing music and verbally sparring with his party-loving roommate, Zack (played by Michael Evan Werner, an actor with excellent comic timing and warmth).

When Zack leaves for a bash at their fraternity house, Justin receives a visitor – a surprise birthday present from his roommate. Exotic dancer Tiffany has been hired to spend the night with Justin. Unfortunately she has a wheelchair phobia, but this is only the first obstacle to getting Justin out of his wheelchair and into his birthday suit, so to speak. 

Tiffany, played by the wonderfully nuanced and funny Emma Jean Delia is as vulnerable as her wheelchair-bound client. She has secrets, but so does Justin. 

Watching the two of them interact and open each other up is entertaining and transforming as you feel you are unfolding along with their relationship. Tiffany's visit to Justin is her first venture from exotic dancer to “escort” and she is not comfortable with her task to sleep, for $200, with the thoughtful young man with a life-threatening disease. Justin doesn't push for anything physical and the two end up baring heart and soul to each other.

The final scene is hilarious and touching, and makes you wish you could cuddle up with them both.  

Waiting for the Sun shares a rare point of view with laugh-out-loud moments and heartbreaking truths. The 90-minute show played to very pleased audiences in the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival at the Hudson Guild Theater, 441 26th St., New York, NY.

Kudos to the cast for funny and heartbreaking performances, and to Lyons-Keeley and.Keeley for an enlightening and entertaining piece of theater.

Waiting for the Sun is part of the Venus/Adonis Theatre Festival competing along with 48 other plays. The festival runs through March 10, 2016. 

Amanda Christine

With their selection of dramatic plays, there seems to be an artistic renaissance occurring at the Town Players of New Canaan. Rather than producing typical commercial enticing community theatre material, TPNC has striven to be bolder in their season selections. Needless to say, it's paying off. 

Last year this site awarded them 3 OnStage Critics Awards including Outstanding Play for their production of A Time to Kill. With their current running production of Other Desert Cities, they might have another winner on their hands. 

With an impeccable cast aided by light handed direction, this production weaves through family issues of depression, addiction and (perfectly timed) politics. 

The story surrounds Brooke Wyeth, who returns home to Palm Springs after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother, and her aunt. Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family's history, a wound they don't want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it.

Director Tom Butterworth has assembled quite the cast to pull off a production filled with raw emotion and resonating moments. 

Julie Thaxter-Gourlay is the perfect choice for the role of Brooke. Biting, conflicted, some of her best moments are not with spoken word but reacting to what's being thrown at her, especially in the plays final scenes. It is an accomplished performance.

Formidable is the word I would describe Maureen Cummings' portrayal of matriarch Polly Wyeth. There is a fierce, yet protective attitude about her which Cumming deliciously brings out. As her husband, Will Jeffries(who also serves as the show's producer), gives a performance full of complexity and control. Watching these two go at it with Thaxter-Gourlay is worth the price of admission alone.

Larry Gabbard's Trip is often given the funniest lines of the play, which he delivers very well. Nancy Sinacori's Silda is a gem that I wish was on stage a lot more. 

The focus of this play is clearly with the acting. Which Robert Doran is known for his elaborate set design, but here, he chooses a much simpler, conventional design plan. Jeff Klein's lighting is also a bit subdued which works as well. Finally, Gwen Bihl's costuming suits these characters very well. 

While some might be frustrated with the late act twist this play throws at its audience, I like the choice. It upends much of the progression these characters go through and only adds to the overall theme of deception. Needless to say this one will keep you thinking long after the final bows. 

The show runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. from Feb. 5-20, and on Sundays Feb. 7 and 14 at 2:30 p.m. at the Powerhouse Performing Arts Center in Waveny Park. For more information and tickets, call 203-966-7371 or visit.

Steve Gifford

Since its opening, I've maintained that the Bijou Theatre is one of the best locations to watch live theatre. Its intimate setting puts you right on top of the actors, which allows you to take in everything these casts are giving you right down to the minute detail. It also doesn't hurt that they serve food and drink as well. 

The use of this intimate space is one of the fantastic elements with their production of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ which sets a new bar for this theatre. 

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" revolves around a "charming rogue who contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather in a prison. This, he learns, was a mistake. He clashes with the head nurse, a fierce artinet. Quickly, he takes over the yard and accomplishes what the medical profession has been unable to do for twelve years; he makes a presumed deaf and dumb Indian talk. He leads others out of introversion, stages a revolt so that they can see the world series on television, and arranges a rollicking midnight party with liquor and chippies

Director Tanya Feduik Smith masterfully paces the piece, never moving it too fast and it never feels like its dragging. It's an immersive show. The cast here is simply marvelous. Geoffrey Gilbert gives a magnificent performance of the iconic McMurphy, thankfully giving his own spin on the character. Playing his perfect adversary Nurse Ratched is  Avery Eady, someone who the entire community would benefit from if we continue to see her on stage. She is an imposing presence and watching her and Gilbert go at it is a joy to watch. Also giving an excellent performance is Paul Brown as Chief Bromden. 

It's very hard not the root for the rest of these characters as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see the depth and commitment from John R Smith Jr, Jhulenty Delossantos and Christopher Cooney as Harding, Bibbit and Scanlon respectively. 

This extraordinary cast also includes, Daniel J Mulvihill, Tom Torpey, William Cody, Nick Kaye, Ainsley Andrade, Bryn Berg, Nicole Yates,  Brian J. Alvarado and Betzabeth Castro.

While I thought I was attending the closing performance, I was happy to hear that the show has been extended due to popular demand thru this weekend. I could not recommend seeing this more. 

The show runs thru Feb 14th. For more info visit the website, thebijoutheatre.com, or call the Box Office at (203) 332-3228. 

David Roberts and Joseph Verlezza

“This nose precedes me everywhere/A quarter of an hour in front, to say, ‘Beware/Don’t love Cyrano’ to even the ugliest/And now Cyrano has to love the best,/The brightest, bravest, wittiest, the most/Beautiful!”

Were he to live in the present, Cyrano de Bergerac would assume that women viewing his twenty-first century profile on Bumble or Tinder would immediate swipe left and leave him dateless. Despite his stellar profile, his proboscis would be unbecoming enough to ruin his chances for love. That low self-esteem plagued the fictionalized Cyrano in 17th Century France and believed his ugliness prevented his cousin Roxanne from falling in love with him choosing instead the handsome and young soldier Christian de Neuvillette.

The classic play’s themes raise important and enduring questions about fear, beauty, loyalty, friendship, love, and difference – what it means to be different and what it means to accept those perceived as being different. Resonance Ensemble’s production of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” currently running at The Theatre at St. Clement’s, is an adaptation of the play based on the translation by Anthony Burgess and it faithful to the text and to the spirit of the iconic work. It is easy to identify the characters and their conflicts and the plot driven by these engaging problems that are as contemporary as they are part of the fabric of 17th Century France.
 
The music and lyrics – despite their skilled execution – are superfluous and add nothing to the overall development of the action of the play. And the attempt to include audience members by having them read a few lines or trot across the stage is ineffective and seriously detracts from the production.  The simple and economical set and props serve their purpose well with a somewhat 17th century theatrical flair. What diminishes this is the actors wandering about in order to change costumes, retrieve props or instruct would be flustered thespians who are seated on stage of their next assignment. This could possibly enhance the effect but the constant peripheral business only diminishes important scenes.

The performance at Hotel Burgundy, Roxanne’s confession of love for Christian at the poet’s cook shop, Roxanne’s kiss and marriage to Christian, the siege of Arras and death of Christian, the convent fifteen later where Roxanne learns the truth about Cyrano’s love and letters and where Cyrano dies after being ambushed by an enemy – all of these important components of Rostand’s enduring love story are extant in the Resonance production.

This is truly one of the greatest classic love stories that has proven the test of time. Unfortunately what is lacking in this particular production is the chemistry needed between the characters to communicate their feelings of insurmountable love. The infatuation, desire, longing, admiration and lust is just not believable; therefore, the relationships become unimportant which is the crux of the story. The actors are competent on their own but a bit selfish in their presence and need to be a bit more generous in order to create meaningful relationships. Less bravura and more humility might be a good antidote. 

It is Edmond Rostand’s text and Gabriel Barre’s inventive and direction, although flawed, that serve the production best. Mr. Rostand understands the “language of love” and the actors understand that language, letting his prose roll gently off their tongues or spew fiercely through their lips when necessary. The problem occurs when actors fail to catch these words and savor them in order to give a heartfelt response.

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

The cast of “Cyrano de Bergerac” includes Rin Allen, Gabriel Barre, Luke Darnell, Joe Jung, Mark Peters, Bridget Saracino, Alexander Sovronsky, and Louis Tucci. The creative team includes Ashley Cusack (scenic design), Pamela Kupper (lighting design), and Peter Fogel (costume design). Production photos by John Kandel.
 
Performances of “Cyrano de Bergerac” run through February 28, 2016 at The Theatre at St. Clements (423 West 46th Street). The playing schedule is Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Thursday - Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with added performances on Tuesday February 16 and February 23 at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit ResonanceEnsemble.org. Running time is 1 hour and 15 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.

Thomas Burns Scully

In an early episode of the excellent British sit-com ‘The IT Crowd’, the characters end up going to a gay musical called ‘GAY!’, filled with gay-centric humor and raging 80s gay-archetypes. The night devolves in to hilarious misunderstandings, and the episode gets more and more ridiculous as it goes on. However, the joke within the show is that the musical is not that well-written, and is capitalizing on shock value and a right-on audience of those familiar with the gay scene. The other night, I was worried that this was the show I was going to see. A cabaret-musical called ‘The Engaygement’ at the Metropolitan Room by David Auxier-Loyola. It’s the usual pre-show reviewer nerves: Am I going to have to sit through something I’m going to slate later? Am I going to be awkward and uncomfortable knowing that some of these people know that I am here to judge their talents? Am I going to end up in as mad cap a situation as Moss and Roy from ‘The IT Crowd’? However, I am quite pleased to report that ‘The Engaygement’ is not a ball of ear wax. In fact if it were made out of wax at all, it would be beeswax that could serve as a suitable candle that would shine affably in to the long night. Highly serviceable, well-written and fun. Perfect, no, but a much better than average take on the subject matter, and definitely worth a look. Let us delve deeper.

‘Engaygement’ follows two gay men (played by David Auxier-Loyola and Seph Stanek) as they negotiate the New York gay scene, find each other, fall in love, and go through the trials and tribulations of their relationship. They are accompanied and helped on their way by their friends, two further gay men of different descriptions (played by Chris-Ian Sanchez and Elliott Mattox) and a married couple (played by Jason Whitfield and Colleen Harris). As a group they gather round the piano at their favorite bar, sing songs, and enjoy each other. In private moments we see the difficulties of love, how life can shake two people right down, and then bring them right back together again.

The relationship at the core of ‘Engaygement’ is excellent. Stanek and Auxier share a lovely privacy onstage and their duets are often rather touching. You would completely believe them as a couple. With their touching adorkable moments and their sometimes catty, sometimes cutting rows, they are every inch a couple. The writing and the performances come together in such a way that creates utter believability. ‘Engaygement’ also stands out musically. The calibre of singing is incredible. Musically, the show is streets ahead of other shows at a similar level, and would even give certain Broadway shows a run for their money. Somewhere between Auxier-Loyola’s compositions and Mark York’s arrangements, magic happens. The show features harmonies worthy of any of the great composers, and each of the cast’s singers demonstrates abilities that would have musical theatre stalwarts sliding in to paroxysms of weeping inadequacy.

Now, as good as the music is, and it is very, very, very good, I will say that there is too much of it. The show runs to just under two hours, and almost all of it is music. Book scenes are spartan to say the least, providing almost no base to leapfrog in to the next song. This could well be a feature of this format, in a cabaret setting it is, of course, understandable to lean on the musical side of things. But, at least for my part, I was suffering from music fatigue by the halfway mark. Part of the problem is that there are too many similar songs. A few too many laments, and sad songs in particular. I know Auxier-Loyola can write other stuff, because there are some great bouncy numbers in the show. The show’s opener ‘Just Another Night’ had a buoyant, Gilbert and Sullivan feel to it, mixed with lovable gay-lyrical counterpointing. It was fantastic. A little more of that, and a lot less of the other would go a long way to balance out the show. ‘Engaygement’ should run to a neat hour and forty, tops. Preferably less. That’s what the story needs to give it zip. As it is currently, it’s on the long side.

I also have a gripe with the title. Don’t worry, put down the vitriol, I’m not about to come out against gay marriage. It’s just that the story of the play isn’t about an engagement, it’s about everything that leads up to it. To call it ‘Engaygement’ is to give away the ending, and to dampen a lot of the drama that comes from the build up. It would be like calling ‘Les Miz’ ‘Javert Will Commit Suicide After He Learns a Lesson’. The title also doesn’t set the tone of the show well. The story is a ‘Will they? Won’t they?’, but calling it ‘Engaygement’ puts me in mind of a wedding comedy. Which the show is not. It creates a false-expectation is what I’m saying. 

These gripes aside, though, if asked to give a ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ on ‘Engaygement’ I would give it a Yay. It more than earns it right to exist and be performed. There’s plenty to like: fun character moments, wonderful jokes, a gentle willingness to laugh at itself, and, above all, a refreshing honesty with its characters that goes out of its way to not push stupid fairy-tale expectations on to its characters. David Auxier-Loyola’s writing is great, he could use a whip cracking editor, but everything he puts in is pro-quality. Duncan Pflaster’s direction is excellent, his work with the cast has obviously allowed them a great deal of freedom, which comes through in easy, lovable performances. Mark York’s musical arrangement is faultless, and it all comes together in an, unfortunately lengthy, but still highly enjoyable spectacle that ranks with some of the city’s best dinner theatre. Worth a look if you like good musical, or a good cabaret.

‘The Engagement’ runs at the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) through to June 22.  Performance dates are: Wed February 10; Thur April 21; Tue May 24, and Wed June 22 all at 7pm. The music charge is $20 (plus a two-drink minimum). For reservations call the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues), at 212-206-0440 or to order online visit metropolitanroom.com.

This preview was written by Thomas Burns Scully, a New York based writer, actor and musician. His work has been lauded by TimeOut NY, the New York Times, BAFTA US and other smaller organizations too numerous to mention. His writing has been performed on three continents. He is generally considered to be the thrifty person’s Renaissance man. 

Follow him on Facebook (as Thomas Burns Scully), and on Twitter (@ThomasDBS)