Blog Challenge, Community Theatre, Delaware, marin county, Theatre

11 Plays I’ll Remember from 2011

I’m closing out 2011 having seen 55 theatrical productions, traveled at least 7,000 miles, completed a masters degree, moved back to the East Coast, and with a multitude of additional memories to associate with the year. For this entry I’ll focus on those theatrical memories.

I made a top 10 list for the year several weeks ago, expecting that it might be modified before December 31 arrived. As it turned out, that list has remained mostly the same. I also compiled an accompanying Bottom 5 list, but decided not to share that publicly. However, making a list like that reminds me of one of my most interesting theatrical discussions of the year – whether someone receives feedback or not on a performance, and how that process is approached. Perhaps that’s a topic for a future entry.

Ultimately I decided that this would be a “top 11” list, in chronological order, highlighting the standout productions I saw in 2011 across the country. Without further ado…

Sonia Flew at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre in Bloomfield, Michigan – January
While this show actually opened and ran in 2010, I didn’t see it until its final performance on January 2, 2011, and thus will count it in the tally for this year. A powerful story about cross-generational family ties lingers in my mind alongside a historical issue I’d not been familiar with. I felt that the culmination energy of the closing performance added to the intensity and meaning of my seeing the show, alongside the pleasure of cheering on a friend featured in the cast and meeting the other cast members through him.

Clybourne Park at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California – January
A breath of fresh air for the normally quite static ACT, this show burst out of left field to become a New Year’s hit. I was captivated by the topicality and breexiness of the script, which knowingly looked at hot-button racial issues without taking itself too seriously. On a related level, the actors and director all worked in a seemingly relaxed manner, letting down some of the artifice or distance between them and the audience to create a lasting theatrical impression.

Cyrano at the Sonoma County Repertory Theater in Sebastopol, California – February
The final production at “The Rep”, which closed its doors immediately following this show’s run, was elegiac with integrity. I’m sure that my knowledge of the theatre’s real life situation added to my impressions of the drama. At the same time, I recall a certain timeless quality to the production, as if the characters were stepping out of time to give us a moment of their time, and then proceeding to move on to another world, dimension or era.

Born and Raised at the Berkeley Playhouse in Berkeley, California – May
This new work took a look at another hot-button issue (gay marriage) and humanized the experience. Prolific Bay Area director Jon Tracy helmed a locally rooted story about marriage equality, and added creative touches in musical numbers and a balanced, large cast to make the narrative involving and emotionally satisfying. The spirit of new plays, where anything can happen and story elements are in flux, was visible in the creative process and risk taking demonstrated by the cast.

Tiny Alice at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, California – June
In writing up this show, I referred to it as an “elaborate jigsaw puzzle” and while that impression still stands, six months later (now) I recall the heightened artistry of this production: the best use of MTC’s stage that I had ever seen, with the set opening on itself twice, the exaggerated yet sharp characterizations – especially Mark Anderson Phillips as the Butler, and the utter dedication of the five person cast. Director Jasson Minnidakis had clearly wanted to work on this play for a long while, and I hope he looks back on it with a sense of fulfillment.

Let Me Down Easy at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California – June
Renowned actress and storyteller Anna Deavere Smith returned to the Bay Area to tell this story as part of a national tour. Despite (or no matter of) these wide ranging roots, the show had an urgency and topicality that would put it at the top of my top 10 list – if I chose to organize this list that way. Smith made me forget all about her as she embodied a series of subjects/interviewees and recounted their experiences with health care. A show like this ought to have been mandatory viewing when the universal health care question engulfed the USA.

Care of Trees at the Shotgun Players in Berkeley, California – June
A striking, haunting story was given additional depth by director Susannah Martin and the talented two-hander team of Patrick Russell and Liz Sklar. Themes of supernaturalism and unpredictability ran through the piece, but (more strikingly) ran right alongside emotional realism, seen in Russell’s increasingly urgent, vibrant portrayal of the male lead and a series of videos and audio clips that furthered the character’s relationships – and audience understanding.

The Verona Project at the California Shakespeare Theatre in Orinda, California – July
Another breath of fresh air in the height of the summer, mixed now (in hindsight) with the Culmination/Crescendo of my Bay Area life that came to a close 10 days after seeing this show. The creators took a novel concept – turning the words of the Bard into a rock musical – and added unexpected humanity and honesty to the tale. An equal accomplishment was creating several tuneful, memorable songs that I wish were available on a soundtrack album!

Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning, Juliet at The Penny Seats in Ann Arbor, Michigan – August
Buoyant creativity and gleeful mirth sailed through this premiere production from The Penny Seats. This was another example of outside knowledge (being in attendance on Opening Night of the troupe’s Premiere Production) played in to my audience experience. That awareness was matched by a crackerjack acting and production team game for anything – even a rainstorm on the second night that did NOT deter the performance – and a tongue in cheek script mixing notable drama and cheerful irreverence in such a way that allowed The Penny Seats to make a memorable debut.

Little Foxes at the University of Delaware Resident Ensemble Players in Newark, Delaware – October
I’ll dare to say this show was a Revelatory debut experience for the UD/PTTP troupe. I went in expecting to be like “wow” at the end of the show, and I left feeling like “WOAH.” This production was the most skillfully dramatic of the year, as I recall feeling a mix of intensity and gleefulness from getting so involved in the dramatic storyline. The production team also pulled off the coup of making an older storyline seem fresh, which is not always successful. The production notes seemed to imply that the title had been a last-minute choice for production, but the professionalism and integrity of the product belied no evidence of any backstage debates.

A Little Night Music at the City Theater Company in Wilmington, Delaware – December
In a similar manner to the PTTP debut, this production was impressive and deceptively simple. I recall my mom’s comment following the show: “I would have easily driven to Philadelphia for a show like that” and know that I agree with her, where the skillful cast approached Sondheim’s story and score with focus and determination. Several performances from younger professionals showed much promise for future roles, while the veteran performers took a nuanced approach to their work and seemed to intuitively know why they were there and how they’d best fit into the tapestry of the story.

———————–

On a slightly melancholic note, I could not have anticipated how departing the Bay Area would result in such a steep drop in my theatregoing: 45 shows up until the end of July (leaving the Bay Area), and only 10 shows during the rest of the year. I sincerely hope that the new year will bring the return of more consistency to my theatre-going, now based in the Mid Atlantic Region… and an accompanying production gig would be the icing on the cake.

A note of accomplishment: I’m very grateful to have maintained this blog as a theatrical chronicle for this year, and know that I want to continue, and possibly enhance, this process in the future. It’s clear to me that keeping a record of all the shows has helped solidify and enhance my theatre studies and pursuits, changing the memory from “oh, what was that show?” to “YES, THAT WAS A MEMORABLE SHOW IN A MEMORABLE YEAR!“

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Delaware, Theatre

Celtic Christmas comes to Wilmington

My theatrical year came to a festive though slightly underwhelming end when I attended the “Celtic Christmas” touring show at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington on December 18th.

This page describes the tour. I most enjoyed the chance to experience the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, a storied venue that invites patrons in off Market Street, and could clearly serve as a destination for downtown, if/when the city chose to put more effort into its revitalization. They’re getting there, but they still have a ways to go.

This is another example of “If I’d written this entry earlier, I might have written more” – and I’ll keep that in mind.

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Community Theatre, Delaware, Theatre

Lots of Night Music at a Little Wilmington Venue

Thursday evening brought an introduction to the City Theater Company for their production of A Little Night Music. As show #54, this may win my year-end award for “most pleasing surprise” of my theatrical pursuits this year. I walked in expecting a modest production in a black box theatre space, and I (and other audience members, I hope) received a robust and well tuned fully realized stage interpretation.

I was glad to not be overly familiar with the play, though the song Send in the Clowns has become deservedly iconic. From their production history, it seems that this company takes pleasure in interpreting Stephen Sondheim. Previously, they have featured Into the Woods, Company, and possibly at least two other shows by him. I wouldn’t say that the shows were/are a vanity project, as the energy and focus of the cast exuded professionalism. I was quite taken by the bouncy costumes of the ensemble, changing to fit the different moods of the two acts. However, I agree with a local reviewer who felt that the costumes might have been too modern; I didn’t get a good sense of the time period the creators intended to evoke. On a technical note, the visible presence of the orchestra (off to the stage right side of the main characters) was pleasant, but also distracting at times to see the conductor’s hand raise up a few moments before a song began – as opposed to letting the actor guide the audience into the song. I certainly know these things can’t be perfect in a black box setting, and am merely noting it from the audience experience.

A well trained and evenly balanced cast gave unexpected depth to the storyline. In contrast to my recent experience comparing Delaware’s All My Sons cast to their Broadway cousins, this time I was relieved and impressed by the naturalism of Karen Murdock in the central role of Desiree. The part doesn’t need to be played by someone with the glamour of Catherine Zeta Jones, and if it’s not, I would say it’s more believable. In looking at the production history, I’m reminded that Judi Dench played Desiree (when Dench herself was in her early 60’s) in a 1995 London production. And it’s interesting to see that Diana Rigg was featured in the supporting role of Charlotte in the 1977 film version, which I’d like to see!

While reviewing the production history, I notice a coincidence. The most recent Broadway revival (November, 2009 – January, 2011) had in fact originated at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, a notable Fringe theatre that opened during my first stint of living in London in the fall of 2004. While I regrettably never saw a show at the Menier, this theatre-going experience (Thursday night in Wilmington) strongly reminded me of their aesthetic, location and production ethos: putting on a deceptively simple production of a usually elaborate show, in a small venue that might be known for something else, close to an elevated railroad and near the banks of a river.

So, is Wilmington on the way to becoming an American London?!

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Theatre

Two years later, that fat pig still evokes…

On this day two years ago, a friend and I met up in Berkeley to catch FAT PIG at the Aurora Theatre Company. I would not have anticipated that the production would stand out extremely clearly in my theatrical memory banks. Admittedly. this might have been expected with my status as a die-hard LaBute fan, having directed one of his earlier plays, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, in 2005 and met him personally in 2004. But when I’d read FAT PIG a year or two before the production, it had seemed… shallow, and not provocative along the lines of LaBute’s previous material. This Aurora production served as a metro Bay Area premiere, though the title had run at Sonoma State University earlier in 2009.

The reality of this particular production was devastatingly honest. I found myself captivated by the story (summarized in the SF Chronicle review) as if I was experiencing it for the first time. The director, Barbara Damashek, chose to elevate the emotional realism and tone down the cynicism, something that I (as a director) had also sought to achieve with my version of THE SHAPE OF THINGS. In particular, Jud Williford’s complex performance as Tom, the leading man of the show, skillfully embodied the personal and societal dilemma at the heart of the story. I clearly recall the intensity of the final scene, where I knew that a revelation was coming but again felt the force of it as if hearing it for the first time. Afterwards, I was intrigued to read that Liliane Klein, who portrayed the leading role of Helen, has East Coast roots and residency and had previously portrayed the same role at SpeakEasy Stages in Boston. Both her and Williford were (very deservedly) nominated for BATCC awards for the production – Klein returned to SF for the ceremony which I also attended – though only Williford won.

I re-visited the play just under a year later for a production at the (sadly) now defunct Sonoma County Repertory Theater. I’m sorry to see, in Googling it, that this production seems to have not receive a published review. It was a different experience for me, where I personally knew two of the actors, the director, and two members of the design team. For me, the pace and tone of this version proved moderately problematic, as it (in my opinion) did not focus on the emotional intensity and personal affect that was so notable at the Aurora. Nonetheless, I was pleased to see my friend Jen Stukey, in the leading role of Helen, immerse herself in the part with clarity and admirable energy.

FAT PIG is due for an upcoming Broadway revival – dates t0 be determined – with LaBute himself directing. I’ll be curious to hear if it gets the green light, and what comes of it.

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Blog Challenge, Community Theatre, marin county, Theatre

Alphabet Soup, revisited

Okay, I said I would do this, and I want to do it, so I will indeed do it. Belatedly.

Will this all be a SUMMARY, SYNOPSIS or actual RUMINATION? Let’s find out.

Let’s recap:
ALMOST, MAINE
BY THE BOG OF CATS
CABARET
DEAR LIAR

ALMOST, MAINE – seen at the College of Marin just over a year ago, December 4, 2010. My good friend Molly Noble guided 19 (mostly) student actors to an impressively rounded ensemble. A Pacific Sun review glowed with praise. For me, this show was an interesting example of personal and professional lives coming together in the theatre, where I knew the director and several cast members, but tried to remain objective in my opinion of the show.

So what was that list, again? I’m not sure if I truly want to write comments about 26 shows in the past, but I do want to make a note of when I saw them and where.

Almost, Maine
College of Marin, Kentfield, CA, December 4, 2010
By the Bog of Cats
Wyndham’s Theatre, London, England, November 27, 2004
Cabaret
1) Hampshire College Tavern, Amherst, MA, March 6, 2004
2) Lyric Theatre, London, England, April 19 (?), 2007
3) PCPA Theaterfest, Santa Maria, CA, May 15, 2008
Dear Liar
Chester Theatre Company, Chester, MA, October, 2007 – I served as an ASM
Equivocation
1) Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR, August 11, 2009
2) Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley, CA, April 20, 2010
False Servant
Cottesloe, National Theatre, London, England, September 13, 2004
Grand Hotel
Donmar Warehouse, London, England, November 19, 2004
Horses
AlterTheater, San Rafael, CA, October 22, 2009
Is He Dead?
Cinnabar Theater, Petaluma, CA, April, 2010
John Gabriel Borkman
Donmar Warehouse, London, England, April, 2007
King Lear
The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, March 29. 2007
Leading Ladies
6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa, CA, July 6, 2008
Murderous Instincts
Savoy Theatre, London, England, September 29, 2004
Night of the Iguana
Lyric Theatre, London, England, December, 2005
Of The Earth (The Salt Plays: Part 1)
John Hinckel Park, Berkeley, CA, September 26, 2010
P
(Fat Pig?)
Aurora Theatre, Berkeley, CA, December, 2009
Q
(Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party?)
San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco, CA, January, 2009
Ragtime
PCPA Theaterfest, Santa Maria, CA, July 10, 2008
Speaking in Tongues
Theatre 503, London, England, March, 2007
Tintin
Barbican Theatre, London, England, December, 2005
Under Milk Wood
Porchlight Theatre, Ross, CA, July 7, 2008
Verona Project
California Shakespeare Theatre, Orinda, CA, July 14, 2011
War Horse
Oliver, National Theatre, London, England, December, 2005
X
?????
You Never Can Tell
Garrick Theatre, London, England, December, 2005
Z
???????

That’s more of what I wanted to do, pulling those titles out of the memory banks. Time will tell if it leads to further commentary. Well, there are a few I would like to write in more detail about:

By the Bog of Cats
Equivocation
False Servant
Grand Hotel
King Lear
Murderous Instincts
(Fat Pig?)
(Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party?)
Tintin
Under Milk Wood
Verona Project
War Horse

… so it will be a challenge to do just that.

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Delaware, Theatre

Opposite Audience Experiences, Equally Satisfying Presentations

I’ve been back to my old tricks this week, seeing two plays in quick succession within a relatively small geographic radius here in Delaware. However, the audience experience of each play was in polar opposition to each other. I went from being the only person in the theatre (er, movie theatre) on Thursday night to part of a sold out house last night.

Show #52 (I thought my count was higher by now but it’s okay ;-\…) became the National Theatre Live screening of Collaborators by John Hodge.  This was the first time that the NT Live series has been “transmitted” (love those British phrases) from their Cottesloe Theatre, the smallest stage of their triplex and one with the most versatility. The Cottesloe was the scene of my first, and last/most recent visits to the NT, and I will always remember the revelatory feel of going there for the first time in 2004, intending to catch a play featuring Charlotte Rampling a few days before it closed – and, after the show, sticking around by the stage door intending to ask Rampling to sign my program, but then feeling satisfied by overhearing her ask “Where are we going?” in a seductive purr of a voice to the group of friends who had waited for her.

This time around, the Cottesloe hosted two notable British theatre actors, Alex Jennings and Simon Russell Beale, working alongside a talented ensemble led by Mark Addy, whom I recalled from his role in The Full Monty and subsequent modest stardom. All of the actors were used to thoughtful and detailed levels, although I might have liked to take more clear notes on the plot and presentation. Writing that reminds me that I particularly felt the absence of the theatrical nuances while watching this broadcast. Jennings’ performance seemed to be especially based on subtleties, with character motivation changes coming as he moved slowly from one viewpoint to another. I noticed several instances of Avengers-style synthesized music that seemed to fit the artistic reality of … a lot of reality and a little fantasy. Beale’s performance was expectedly grand, especially as he paid attention to the walk of Stalin and accentuating a sort of Jekyll and Hyde quality to the character.

I was not pleased to see that I was the only audience member in the cinema watching the broadcast, which created a weird situational irony, sitting in an empty movie theatre watching a sold out performance in the live theatre. I’m inclined to write a letter to the editor (which I have never done before) to the News Journal about the NT Live, because it clearly needs better marketing here in Delaware.

Delaware seems to know all about the “Delaware Rep” aka PTTP aka the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players – why do they have multiple names? The house was sold out when I returned there last night (show #53) for Noises Off by Michael Frayn. This is a play that I ought to be more familiar with, but am not. Until now!

The Rep delivered a satisfying and expertly rehearsed/timed comedic interpretation. I’d go back and see it again if only for the second act, which told multiple stories in a verbal and non verbal humorous, fast paced and upbeat manner. The play doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I appreciated that the play… just ended, without dramatic resolution, which might have seemed overlong and unnecessary in the context. The theatre’s marketing department displayed a similarly witty tone, with actor bios and headshots displayed twice in the program: once for Noises Off and once for the (play within a play) Nothing On, with accompanying fictional names and bios. That touch (does it happen with every version of the show?) may make it some of the most memorable publicity I have seen this year.

And more power to the PTTP! It’s commendable to go from the drama of Little Foxes to the comedy of Noises Off within such a short time frame. I’m honored to have them in my new back yard.

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Blog Challenge, Theatre

ALPHABETICAL THEATRICAL MEMORIES!

I created this blog with an intention of solidifying my theatrical experiences and making them more distinct in my life. I would say it has been successful, especially for shows I have seen this year. However, I can’t say the same thing for shows in the past – and have decided to deliberately examine some of those memories, while having fun with the process. Hence, I introduce a new challenge of …

ALPHABETICAL THEATRICAL MEMORIES!

By December 31, I will have gone through the entire English alphabet to pull out a play I saw (not in 2011) that had a title beginning with the corresponding letter. Those shows, subject to change, will be:

Almost, Maine
By the Bog of Cats
Cabaret
Dear Liar
Equivocation
False Servant
Grand Hotel
Horses
Is He Dead?
John Gabriel Borkman
King Lear
Leading Ladies
Murderous Instincts
Night of the Iguana
Of The Earth (The Salt Plays: Part 1)
P
Q
Ragtime
Speaking in Tongues
Tintin
Under Milk Wood
Verona Project
War Horse
X
You Never Can Tell
Z

Let’s get started!

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Uncategorized

Theatre N and the Gainsbourgs

Over the past month, I have quickly become a regular patron of Theatre N in downtown Wilmington. This single screen cinema inside an office building is an unusual place. It began life in 2002 specifically to show independent, foreign and specialty films AND (more importantly) bring some cultural life into the city’s downtown. I would say that it succeeds on both fronts. But, with my aforementioned high standards, I would like to see it open seven nights a week, offering a wider variety of programs including live events.

On my most recent visit, there was an unusual coincidence in film programming. While awaiting the start of a film called Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, chronicling the life and times of French musician Serge Gainsbourg, Theatre N happened to run a trailer for the film Melancholia (coming next weekend) which features Gainsbourg’s daughter Charlotte in a supporting role. Subsequently, the bio-pic rolled out, and Charlotte was a clear supporting presence in the film, portrayed by a young actress.

I feel like I want to say more about this coincidence, but the point in posting about it is that I got to thinking about those blurred lines between reality and fantasy, and art and life. I may not have been the only one in the audience who noticed Charlotte in the trailer, but I don’t think everyone there knew of the connection. Conversely, if Charlotte herself was sitting there in the Wilmington audience, would she want to be recognized? Incognito? A brief commentary? The situation was further amplified when I discovered she’d been offered the opportunity to portray her father in the bio-pic, but understandably declined.

Perhaps this coincidence is worthy of further discussion, or perhaps it is… just a coincidence.

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Uncategorized

Garofalo goes to the theatre

A recent NY Times ArtsBeat blog post reports that actress Janeane Garofalo, who was my favorite actress for a time in the 1990’s, will appear Off Broadway this winter. I am strongly inclined to attend!

The article provides some brief commentary from Janeane herself, with her customary self-deprecating humor.

“I don’t speak Russian,” she said. “The character is a Russian immigrant who speaks Russian so I double-checked that that was the part I was supposed to do.” Nonetheless, Ms. Garofalo was drawn to the production by the strength of the script and was convinced by Mr. Elliott that she could play the part. “I could probably fake my way through using broken English with a Russian accent, but he has this way of convincing you that you can do anything,” she said. “It’s an exciting challenge, but at the same time I am terrified about seeming like the biggest fraud in the world.”

 

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Community Theatre, Delaware, Theatre

Beauty Queen of New Ark

I made my second visit for theatre in Newark, Delaware, last night. This time, it was to the local community theatre, Chapel Street Players, for show #51: their production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. This Newark, for some reason, is pronounced “NEW ARK”, not “Nooark” – hence my entry title.

I feel the need to add some non-specific comments about my relationship to community theatre. At some point this year, or maybe even the year before that, I became aware that I was attending shows at mostly Equity/professional companies. As an Equity member myself and with a theatre background, it made sense to me that I’d have high standards. But I also wanted to do more comparing and contrasting of productions. So I set the intention to vary it up more between the regional houses, local professional companies, and community organizations. I’m not sure how successful that has been, but I do intend to make a year end listing of shows, so all will be revealed by that time.

With that in mind, I couldn’t help but reflect on my high standards when seeing this show. It was a serviceable and well focused effort from the quartet of actors, all of whom seemed to have worked with the company before. But the company’s possibly tight budget was revealed awkwardly with some of the props, and a surprising staging choice involving lights at the top of the second act. The accent work (Irish) was extremely detail oriented and well put together throughout the whole show. Most of the play is composed of two person scenes for which the respective actors had clearly put effort and attention into.

However, I didn’t really absorb the black comedy angle that I know McDonagh intended to appear somewhere in the play. It left me wondering about interpretations and challenges of creative material – if McDonagh’s film In Bruges, for instance, was played as a melodrama, would it have the same effect? (I don’t think so.) This version seemed unevenly melodramatic.

Despite my wider mixed impressions of community theatre, there’s no denying the heart and soul that the actors put into their work. In most cases, they want to be there on that stage, not just for the work or for the credit, and that energized feeling nearly always finds its way to the spotlight.

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