Jill Hayman

Rocky River High grade to appear in 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST'

When Disney’s 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' makes its joyous return to Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre in early February, Rocky River High School alum Jill Hayman will be returning home for the first time in many years. In a recent interview with the 1975 RRHS grad she revealed that she is looking forward to returning to a city which, when she was growing up, had the reputation of being “the mistake on the lake.” She said, “People come home as adults and often everything seems small and shabbier. Coming home to Cleveland, however, gives me pride and a feeling of being awestruck by what Cleveland has done with itself in the last 25 years.” It’s great to see a marvelous town which is full of pride.” She went on to say, in spite of her now being a landed immigrant in Canada, she still cheers for the Indians, and is “proud to be a Clevelander.”

Jill’s Cleveland theatre connections run deep. She appeared at Huntington Theatre, playing the lead in 'FINIAN’S RAINBOW,' Greenbrier (now Cassidy Theatre) in 'GUYS AND DOLLS,' Carousel Dinner Theatre, Kenley Players and was even a regular on the long-running Sunday morning 'GENE CARROLL’S AMATEUR HOUR.'

Right out of high school she worked at Halle’s Department Store selling panty hose and three nights a week she served as singer-guitarist at Don’s Lighthouse. This was followed by two seasons at the Cleveland Play House.

She moved on to New York. In her first tryout she was offered a role in a production at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, so back to Cleveland she came.

She fondly remembers Bill Allman, the Managing Director of Berea Summer Theatre, who she feels did so much for helping her theatrical career.

Her connection with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST started in 1995. She was cast in the touring production and performed for four and-a-half months. She has been on the present tour for about five months.

How will you find Jill on stage? Generally you look for the Egg timer. She sometimes plays the Wardrobe. On February 14 she will meet and greet her family and friends while playing the major role of Mr. Potts.

As Jill said with a giggle in her voice, “I haven’t always been the Egg Timer. At one point I portrayed the Sugar Bowl.” This enactment led to one of her most embarrassing moments on stage. She recounted, “I was making my entrance during the song ‘Be My Guest.’ The costume weighed 30-pounds. I was on top of a 20-foot staircase, started coming down, turned my ankle and fell to the stage. I hit the floor, my wig and hat came off, I landed in the middle of the dancers, continued to sing while lying on the floor, was hoisted up by another cast member and finished the number.” The next edition of the Disney newspaper contained a story about the mishap with the headline, “Sugar Bowl Not Broken.”

Jill’s future? She will continue with the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST tour until August. She then plans to go back to one of her passions...traveling. She will do her solo act on cruise ships. She has travelled most of her adult life and the thought of getting paid while she gets the opportunity to perform is, as she puts it, “a good thing.” Until then she will continue with her one-week stops as the show wends its way across the USA. As she indicated, “It’s a nice way to go. Disney takes very good care of us.”

She encourages all her Cleveland friends to see this production, even if they’ve seen past editions. She proudly says, “they have done some restaging and I’m impressed with the changes.”

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the classic love story of Belle, a young woman in a small mythical town, and the Beast, who really is a prince trapped, by a spell, in the ugly body.

Over the River and Through the Woods (Actors' Summit)

Audience pleasing 'OVER THE RIVER' at Actors' Summit

Every once in a while a strange phenomena happens on a stage. A play is selected which is not a great script and the production values miss the mark. In spite of this, the final result is very positive and results in an audience pleasing production. That is the case with 'OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS' at Actors’ Summit.

The story centers on Nick Cristano, a third-generation Italian American who finds himself emotionally trapped in New Jersey with his two sets of grandparents who feel abandoned when their children move to Florida and their granddaughter moves to San Diego. The elder’s last grasp on familia is to smother Nick with love and food. The problems start when Nick is offered a promotion which entails moving to Seattle and leaving his grandparents behind.

The script has some wonderful lines that set the theme and tone of the happenings: “I need to make my life something of my own doing.” “How much do you owe those who have done so much for you?” “You can’t keep the people around you forever.”

Director Neil Thackaberry has assembled a group of Cleveland area pros to portray the grandparents. These are people who are comfortable with the stage. Unfortunately, because of their Anglo physical appearance, it’s hard to accept the duet as the Italians they are supposed to be portraying. Accents, both Italian and New Jersey, also come and go.

Glen Colerider as Frank, one of the grandfathers is properly stolid. Jean Colerider is warm and meaningful as Frank’s wife. Lenne Snively is wonderful as the other grandmother. Robert Snook, in spite of some line problems, is effective as the near-death grandfather. His speech near the end when he emotionally lets go of Nick is nothing short of superb. Peter Voinovich, as Nick, never seems comfortable with his role. Though one would like to pinch his chunky cheeks for being such a good grandson, he acts rather than reacts facial expressions and line interpretations, thus losing some of the character’s impact.

The production is blessed with a wonderful Robert Stegmiller two level set. It is period perfect in every detail, down to the table top doilies. Before the opening curtain you know who lives there, what the family is like (the large dining room table dominates the space), and the loving qualities that surround the inhabitants.

Joe DiPietro’s play is very funny, and the writer knows no restraint when it comes to sentimentality. He weaves in every tear-jerking device every conceived...old age, hidden illness, death, abandonment, immigrant displacement, family disintegration, loneliness, and emotional manipulation. Its ending is a three-hanky affair. The results? The audience is charmed.

Capsule judgement: All in all, in spite of a flawed script and performance issues, audiences will laugh, cry and love 'OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS' at Actors’ Summit. Go, see, and mange emotionally and literally with the familia.

Times Theatre Tributes--2001

Times Theatre Tributes--2002

For many years the Cleveland Critics Circle recognized theatre directors, performers and technicians for excellence in providing top quality presentations to local audiences. Changes in personnel in the various media outlets has led to the elimination of those awards.

It is not the purpose of the “Times Theatre Tributes” to take the place of Cleveland Critics Circle awards. They are to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the mind of this reviewer, were excellent.

No attempt is being made to name the best in each classification. Actors were not separated by sex or leading or supporting roles. It is also recognized that I did not see all of the productions in the area. Selections are limited to locally produced performances, so none of the touring shows are recognized. Only plays performed during the year 2000 were considered.

Thanks to the following for making the theatre scene in the Cleveland area a vital and exciting place.

A Times Theatre Tribute 2000 for an Outstanding Production to:

CROSSROADS DANCING--Dobama
INFINITE REGRESS OF HUMAN VANITY--Cleveland Play House
NEVER A SINNER--Halle Theatre of Jewish Community Center
SIDE SHOW--Cain Park
THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH--Cleveland Public Theatre
TWELFTH NIGHT--Great Lakes Theatre Festival
WIT--Dobama

A Times Theatre Tribute 2000 for Outstanding Performances to:

Catherine Albers in WIT--Dobama
Kirk Brown in THE TRESTLE AT POP LICK CREEK--Dobama
Bernard Canapari in NEVER A SINNER--HalleTheatre--Jewish Community Center
Hannah DelMonte in VIOLET--Cain Park
Keith Gerchak in BILOXI BLUES--Porthouse Theatre
Lissy Gulick in FUDDY MEERS--Dobama
David Hansen in CLOUD NINE--Bad Epitaph Theatre
Ken Jennings in CROSSROADS DANCING--Dobama
Nick Koesters in CLOUD NINE--Bad Epitaph Theatre
Jason Markouc in NEVER A SINNER--HalleTheatre--Jewish Community Center
Andrew May in DREAM PLAY--The Cleveland Play House
Andrew May in INFINITE REGRESS OF HUMAN VANITY--The Cleveland Play House
Andrew May in THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House
Ernest Perry, Jr. In THE TRAGEDY OF PUDD’NHEAD WILSON--The Cleveland Play House
Scott Platte in VIOLET--Cain Park
Scott Platte in GROSS INDECENCIES: THE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE--Cleveland Public Theatre
Karin Randoja in THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH--Cleveland Public Theatre
Craig Recko in DAMN YANKEES--Cain Park
Doug Rossi in NEVER A SINNER at HalleTheatre--Jewish Community Center
Reuben Silver in 2-1/2 Jews--Cleveland State University/Actors’ Summit
Chuck Richie in FUDDY MEERS--Dobama
Deidrium Ring in DREAM PLAY--The Cleveland Play House
Lori Scarlett in VIOLET--Cain Park
Dorothy Silver in CROSSROADS DANCING--Dobama
Dorothy Silver in COLLECTED STORIES--Halle Theatre of Jewish Community Center
Brian Anthony Wilson in TWO TRAINS RUNNING--The Cleveland Play House

Times Theatre Tribute 2000 for Outstanding Directing to:

Raymond Bobgan--THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH--Cleveland Public Theatre
Victoria Bussert--VIOLET--Cain Park
Daniel Fish--TWELFTH NIGHT--Great Lakes Theatre Festival
Joel Hammer--NEVER A SINNER--Halle Theatre of Jewish Community Center
Hegyi Arpad Jutocsa--THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House
Sonya Robbins--WIT--Dobama
Reuben Silver--COLLECTED STORIES--Halle Theatre of Jewish Community Center

A Times Theatre Tribute 2000 for Outstanding Technical Work to:

Beverly Emmons--Lighting Design--TWELFTH NIGHT--Great Lakes Theatre Festival
Christine Jones--Set design--TWELFTH NIGHT--Great Lakes Theatre Festival
Elizabeth Novak--Costumes--THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House
Vicki Smith--Set design--THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House
Vicki Smith--Set design--THE TRAGEDY OF PUDD’NHEAD WILSON--The Cleveland Play House
Aubrey Wertheim--Program notes--THE GUARDSMAN--The Cleveland Play House

The Alchemist (Bad Epitaph)

'THE ALCHEMIST' self-destructs at Bad Epitaph

I have a self-imposed rule. I never leave a theatrical presentation before it’s over. If at all possible I try to follow that resolve. Several years ago I attended a nearly sold-out production of the musical 'ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.' After intermission I was the only reviewer and one of only a dozen viewers who remained.

I attended the opening night of Bad Epitaph Theatre’s 'THE ALCHEMIST.' I must publicly admit that I broke my cardinal rule...I left before the production was complete. I could no longer sit and listen to the incessant screaming, the high pitched wailing that after a while sounded like fingernails scratching on a blackboard, the misinterpretation of the script, the poor acting, the direction which intended to insight the audience to laugh at the antics rather than with the material. I left after two hours. There was still another act to go.

'THE ALCHEMIST' is a recognized theatrical classic. Written by Ben Jonson, who is considered, along with Shakespeare, the major writer of the early 1600s, he is most noted for his comedies which include 'VOLPONE, THE ALCHEMIST' and 'BARTHOLOMEW.' He uses comedy to highlight those who lie, cheat and steal from others. His language is fluid and, though dated by modern standards, evokes laughter. Well done productions of his works delight.

For some inexplicable reason director Lawrence Nehring decided that Jonson’s intent and writing was not enough. He decided to make the comedy into a farce. A farce with no restraint. Rather than let the words evoke audience reactions he added prat falls, exaggerated acting techniques, sexual innuendoes, confusing costuming, and lots of screaming and door slamming. The company’s publicity called this their third modern interpretation of a classic work. Modern interpretations can be fine. Great Lakes Theatre Festival, among others, has been successful in modernizing when they decide that a play has a contemporary message and by adjusting the setting, costumes and/or the language. The audience then gets the intent and purpose of the writing as it pertains to today. Why did Nehring modernize 'THE ALCHEMIST?' He made comedy into visual farce. Did any of this help the attender to get Jonson’s message? I think not.

The night wasn’t a total waste. There were some talented actors on stage who, with the right guidance, could have shown off their skills. Don McBride’s two-room set was beautiful and, in the real world, the Indians beat the Yankees!

After the first act many of the audience did not return. As I left after the second act, there was an additional parade down the stairs to the great out-of-doors. As one man said rather loudly to his wife on their exit, “I’ve had enough! This is bad theatre!” He echoed my thoughts.

Capsule judgement: Too bad, Bad Epitaph has done some marvelous theatre. Their 'CLOUD NINE' earlier this season was brilliant. Not so for 'THE ALCHEMIST.'