Lady

So long Bang and Clatter, BUT…………..

About five years ago Bang and Clatter, an Akron based theatre, the dream child of Sean Derry and Sean McConaha, appeared on the local scene. Dedicated to producing innovative, challenging works of modern American playwrights, it set a high level of theatrical creativity. Shows like ‘FAT PIG’ and ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER,’ were outstanding, some of the finest productions in the area.

Not happy to stay just in Akron, the duo decided also to venture into Cleveland. They constructed and opened another theatre in the abandoned Cole’s Shoes Store on Euclid Avenue near Public Square. Their world crashed down around them as grants, and other money agreements were late in arriving or fell through. That, along with little money for public relations, losing their Akron performance space, and personal chaos in each of the lives of the “Seans,” resulted in the closing of both the Akron and Cleveland facilities. Too bad. The area will miss their creativity.

BUT, there may still be a light at the end of the tunnel. A recent conversation with Sean Derry indicated that he is venturing out, sans McConaha, and opening a theatre on the river bank in Cuyahoga Falls. He hopes to open in the Spring of 2010, but there may be a December production. Let’s hope so, as the area needs the kind of productions that Bang and Clatter put forth.

The last B&G show is Craig Wright’s ‘LADY.’ Mainly known for his writing for television shows such as Six Feet Under, Lost, Brothers and Sisters and developing his own show, Dirty Sexy Money, Wright is also a prolific playwright.

‘LADY,’ according to the author, is "about unfaithfulness: unfaithfulness to spouses, unfaithfulness to friends, unfaithfulness to patriotic ideals and unfaithfulness to the simple innocence of life's desire to live.''
Originally commissioned and performed by Northlight Theatre in suburban Chicago, the drama is set in the woods of Southern Illinois, hours from Skokie, where Northlight makes its home.

The story concerns a hunting trip which turns tragic when a U.S. Congressman reveals to his closest friends that he is changing his political party and stance on the war in Iraq. While the friends struggle with their conflicting thoughts and feelings, one hunter's dog, Lady, wanders in the forest, with tragic results. One thing seems certain: after this experience in the woods, their lives and relationships will never be the same.
B&G’s production, under the direction of Sean Derry, is compelling. The acting, by Jeffrey Grover (Graham, a Democratic congressman who has adopted Republican ideals), Richard Worswick (Dyson, a college professor who master- minded Graham’s election), and William Martin (Kenny, whose wife is dying of cancer and fears losing the world as he knows it) is excellent. All men develop believable and clear characters.

The setting, in B&G’s 30-seat temporary home in Akron, is an authentic woods scene, complete with huge rocks, sand floors and dead or dying trees. Believe me, the set was real, as was attested to by my emerging allergies as I sat through the 90-minute production.

Capsule judgment: It’s to bad Bang and Clatter has come to the end of its run, but at least it went out on a high note. ‘LADY’ is a thought-provoking, well acted play.

Militant Language

‘MILITANT LANGUAGE’—a script which asks more questions than it answers

‘MILITANT LANGUAGE: A PLAY IN THE SAND,’ is in a unique production cycle. The script is simultaneously being world premiered at Cleveland’s Bang and Clatter, Theatre of Cincinnati, Available Light [Theatre] of Columbus, Halcyon Theatre in Chicago and Next Stage in Seattle.

Set in modern day Iraq, the story unfolds from an opening scene in which a pair of American soldiers return from a routine surveillance detail filled with angst. What happened? As that unanswered question becomes an underlying issue, a Captain fights to control his troops as they find themselves involved in a secret homosexual affair, the sexual abuse of a female soldier, a search for a missing Iraqi boy, and a baby found in the desert, ala Moses.

The script is filled with visions and illusions of violence begetting violence, lies resulting in more lies, and questions of whether truth can be born from honesty. It wraps up with the question, “Does war make no more sense than sand raining from the heavens?”

The setting is an unspecified building site. What’s going on? What’s really going on? A question that the script doesn’t really answer. Sean Christopher Lewis, the play’s author says that ‘MILITANT LANGUAGE’ is "a play about responsibility in a world that doesn't make sense anymore." And, one can only wonder if the unidentified site is a metaphor for the damage of war, when things aren’t built but rather are destroyed. And, whether the U.S. foray into Iraq was a flight of Bush ego, which has resulted in the destruction of not only that country but the economy and self-pride of the US.

We see Pfc. Marcus Goop conflicted about a violent act in which he was a participant. Pfc. Emma Beed is placed in degrading female roles, including being raped. Sensitive and gay Pfc. Andrew Wallace mostly wants to sing Country songs, but he soon gets swept up in the turbulence. Pfc. Damian Jacks is obsessed with being a macho man-boy soldier. And Capt. Davis Crain is faced with spinning chaos seemingly beyond his control.

Sounds like an interesting concept and set of characters. If the play was more focused on a clarity of purpose, and the characters fully fleshed out, it would have been a better evening of theatre. But, even with the script’s weaknesses, director Daniel Taylor should have been able to mold the production into a more cohesive unit. The combination of some misguided directing, including slow pacing, awkward blocking and unfocused characterizaions, made the 90-minutes seem like twice that long. Taylor needed to help some of his actors develop clear personas by working with them to understand each individual as a real person.

Michael May is excellent as Marcus Goop. He is consistent in his textured performance. Scott Thomas is properly tender and naïve as Wallace.

Raina Semivan (Beed) has some good moments and Jocelyn Roueiheb is acceptable, as Huda, an Iraqi in search of the lost boy. However, both were on the surface and could have developed deeper characterizations.

Rick Bowling yells his lines, many of which lacked idea clarity due to his shouting words rather than stressing the meanings of his words. And Joshua Davis seems to have no clue of the underpinnings of the role of Damian. He’s like a verbal Ken doll, dressed in red, white and blue boxers, which are definitely not Army issue.

Capsule judgment: Bang and Clatter’s MILITANT LANGUAGE misses the mark on two counts…the script is of questionable construction and the production qualities are often weak. It’s going to be interesting to read the reviews of other productions to see what, if anything, B&G audiences may have missed out on.

Blasted

Bang & Clatter’s ‘BLASTED’ not for everyone!

Bang & Clatter, Cleveland’s Public Square Theatre, is noted for going outside the box in choosing their scripts. More often than not, their bold choices pay off by producing plays that other venues wouldn’t produce, and challenging audiences to think. Their latest choice, ‘BLASTED,” Sarah Kane’s antiwar/anti-life play is a case in point.

‘BLASTED’ was the first of the British author’s five plays. The initial performance was fiercely attacked by most newspaper critics, many of whom regarded it as a rather immature attempt to shock the audience.
(Note: I don’t normally give the step-by-step plot details in reviewing a play, but anyone planning on seeing this production needs to know exactly what they’re is in for. So…)

The play is set in an expensive hotel room in Leeds, England. Ian, a foul-mouthed middle-aged tabloid journalist has brought Cate, a young woman, to the room for the night. Cate is much younger than Ian, and emotionally fragile. They appear to have a past history together, but the playwright fails to fill in those details. Throughout Scene 1, Ian tries to seduce Cate, but she resists. The scene is populated by Ian’s statements about misogyny, racism and homophobia.

Scene 2 begins the next morning. Ian has raped Cate during the night. She goes to “take a shower,” and escapes out of the bathroom window. Unexpectedly, a soldier enters the hotel room. The hotel is struck by bomb. But, because the playwright fails to give us any idea of what war is being raged, and why, we are again at a loss.

In Scene 3, the hotel room is in ruins. The soldier and Ian begin to talk,. The soldier tells Ian about appalling atrocities that he has witnessed and taken part in, involving rape, torture and genocide, and says he has done everything as an act of revenge for the murder of his girlfriend. He then rapes Ian and sucks out his eyes. (Yes, that’s what happens. Would I make something like this up?) Why this happens I do not know as the motivation for those actions are not made clear.

In Scene 4, Ian lies blinded, next to the soldier who has committed suicide. Cate returns, describing the city being overrun by soldiers, and bringing with her a baby that she has rescued. However, the baby dies.

Scene 5 consists of a series of brief images, showing Ian crying and even hugging the dead soldier for comfort as he starves in the ruined room. Eventually, he crawls into the hole in the mattress in which the dead baby has been placed by Cate, and proceeds to eat it. Cate returns, bringing some food. Because her legs and vaginal area are covered with blood, we can only assume she has sold her body or has been raped. She eats and feeds the rest of her food to Ian, who says: "Thank you." Curtain!

After sitting through the 90-minute intermissionless play, I tend to agree with the London critics about the limited quality of the play. I’m not a prude, but the brutal show which contains masturbation, male sodomy, rape, urinating on stage and cannibalism was even a bit much for my sensibilities. And I left wondering what Kane was trying to share with me.

Sarah Kane committed suicide at age 28. I can only assume, based on ‘BLAST’ that she was a very troubled woman. As a counselor, I can possibly analyze that her play, from a psychological view point, was a cry for personal help from the demons who were at war within her mind.

Bang and Clatter’s production brings forth all the brutality of the script. It was well directed by Sean McConaha. Nick Koesters gives an amazing performance as the demonized Ian. This is an exhausting endeavor. Faye Hargate is nearly his equal as Cate. Allen Branstein is not quite as effective as the Soldier as he fails to clearly add the confused nature of the character. In the original script, to add to the emotional level of the play, the soldier is of color. Such casting would have heightened Nick’s horror from being raped by a member of a group he finds so abhorrent.

Capsule judgment: ‘BLASTED’ is an excruciating experience. For those who like their theatre raw, this is their thing. For the rest of us, maybe something a little less graphic with a more meaningful message, might be in order.

David's Redhaired Death

Bang & Clatter’s ‘DAVID’S REDHAIRED DEATH’ leaves little after-effect

Every once in a while I leave a theatre and could care less about a show I’ve just seen. Unfortunately, that was my reaction as I wandered around the parking garage searching for my car, after seeing Bang & Clatter’s newest Cleveland theatre’s DAVID’S REDHAIRED DEATH.’

The lack of emotional or cerebral involvement wasn’t totally the fault of director Sean McConaha or the acting company. It was mainly the vehicle itself. Author Sherry Kramer, just doesn’t create characters who I cared about, who I could empathize with, or had lives or issues that made me want to care.

That opinion of Kramer’s writing is not shared by other critics. In its Washington, DC production reviewers stated, “All the scenes are interspersed foreshadowing of things to come, so there is a coiled, spiraled tension instead of the suspense of an ordinary linear plot and, ‘DAVID'S REDHAIRED DEATH’ is a stirring, annoying and difficult piece of work.”

Being married to a redhead, yes, a real redhead, I was expecting to get some insights into the personality of these unusual creatures. It was sure alluded to enough. Nope, nothing here turned me onto any real secrets of redheads, so I guess I’ll just have to continue to search for the key to my wife’s unique personality.

The tale is of a man named David's sudden and violent suicide. David, who we never meet, is etched for us by his sister Jean and her lover Marilyn’s words. And though David is supposed to be the center of the action, it is really the tale two people dealing with death and their struggle to form new relationships in the aftermath of a tragedy, that is in the forefront.
Told in a unique mixture of nonlinear monologues, and abstract dialogue, we are supposed to see how the two deal with the death from different perspectives. Supposed is the key word here, for I couldn’t get involved enough to perceive those reactions.

Faye Hargate’s Jean is well etched. She is a good actress who develops a clear character. On the other hand, Katelyn Cornelius plays at being seductive and coltish. I never believed she was Marilyn. She stayed on the surface most of the time, never digging into and living Marilyn. The interaction between them was not really interaction, as I felt little real connection between the actors. Even the kissing scenes lacked linkage.

Capsule judgment: Bang and Clatter’s ‘DAVID’S REDHAIRED DEATH’ just didn’t move or enlighten me. It didn’t pull me in. I like plays that have a clarity of message and are linear in development rather than truncated. On the other hand, that may be your thing. (For those who are smoke sensitive: Be aware that there is great deal of smoking onstage which drifts into the seating area.

This Is How It Goes

Bang & Clatter: new venue opens with well produced play

The Bang and Clatter Theatre Company, which moved into its new home in Cleveland, chose to produce a Neil LaBute play as its premiere piece. LaBute and B&G have a lot in common. They are both entities that do not fade away from the “in your face” kind of theatre.

B&G, was founded by two modern day Don Quixotes…Sean Derry and Sean McConaha, who in 2005 “dreamed the impossible dream.” They started a theatre with $4000 in Akron! Sound like a sure highway ride to road kill? In spite of the odds, the unconventional dynamic duo envisioned a venue for the production of “innovative, challenging works of exceptional quality and imagination with a particular emphasis on modern American plays never have been seen in Ohio.” And, have they succeeded! The plays have generally been impressive, gaining many critical bravos. (Including almost a dozen Times Tribute Outstanding Theatre Awards last year alone.)

The many Cuyahoga County residents, along with a few Akronites, who have trekked out to the Rubber City to attend B&G shows is impressive. Last year their production season operated on about a quarter of a million dollars. They sold over 500 season tickets and charge only $15 per ticket. And, if you can’t afford that, you pay what you can.

Their new Cleveland home is the old Cole’s Shoe Store, next to the vacant May Company Building on Euclid. MRN Ltd, the developers of the East 4th Street walking street, downtown’s new entertainment mecca, with such restaurants as Lola’s and Saigon and entertainment venues, including The House of Blues and Pickwick and Frolic, had such faith in the Seans, that they have given them the space rent-free for five years. Real estate developer Cliff Hershman, the George Gund Foundation and the City of Cleveland also are strongly backing the project.

Their opening show, ‘THIS IS HOW IT GOES,’ is a typical B&G script selection.
The Sean’s, who are fans of LaBute, produced an amazing production of ‘FAT PIG’ last season.

LaBute is noted for his realistic language, edgy topics and unsettling portrayals of human relationships. It is impossible to be an impassive viewer of his plays. He sweeps you in, often with his vivid language, his clear character developments, with his blatant use of words (the “N” word has great prominence in this script), and always with his subject matter.

‘THIS IS HOW IT GOES,’ on the surface, is a play about a love triangle between a white male and an interracial couple. The seed for the plot evolved from a damning letter LaBute received after directing the film, ‘NURSE BETTY,’ in which there is a kiss between a white woman and a black man. Yes, racial hated is alive and well in this country, in spite of all the strides that have been made to eradicate it.

The play confronts race, morality, and American ethos through the use of humor, drama, intrigue, and a clever plot twist. Using the theatrical device of alienation, in which the audience is constantly made aware they are in a theatre, LaBute includes multi-locations with all set changes being made in clear view, and a narrator who not only guides the journey but steps into the action, playing one of the lead characters. He does this because, as he states, “Theater only needs someone to stand up and say: ‘Listen to this.’”

The play is set in a small Midwestern town. Cody, who is African American, was once the star of the high school track team. He has become a successful businessman. His white wife Belinda, a former cheerleader, stays at home with the baby. When a high school acquaintance returns to town and rents the room over their garage, he upsets the delicate balance of their relationship, raising questions about who they want to be, who they are, and what made them that way.

From the audience’s standpoint, the question becomes, “Which of the tales we are watching is real, truthful, authentic?” Who is fooling who? Is it only the characters who are playing with each other, or is LaBute playing with us, the viewers?

B&B’s production, under the adept direction of Fred Sternfeld, is on track. Though a long sit at a little over two hours with no intermission, the pacing is appropriate and there is little time for the mind to wander.

The cast is excellent. Doug Kulak, who has a wonderful way of playing with words and the mobile face to amaze and amuse, is tremendous as Man, the high school acquaintance. The role was played by Ben Stiller in the New York production, and it is difficult to believe that he was any better than Kusak.

Michael May, who was outstanding in Dobama’s production of ‘TAKE ME OUT,’ again hits a homer as Cody, a man driven by early-life demons.

Leighann Niles DeLorenzo, though she sometimes seems to lose concentration, is believable as Belinda.

Rachel Zake moves the set pieces and highlights Cody’s insecurities as the Waitress.

Capsule judgment: Walking into the Cole Shoe Store, where I had my very first job as a high schooler, and seeing it transformed into an attractive and functioning theatre space, was a surreal experience. Seeing a quality production of the show by the B&G family was not surreal. Clevelanders should open their arms and pocketbooks wide to welcome Bang and Clatter to the area. Good luck Seans!!!!!

Orange Flower Water

Bang & Clatter’s ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER, theatre at its best

Craig Wright, the author of ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER,’ now being performed by The Bang and The Clatter, writes plays about people in families, people who question the course of their lives. He is a very talented writer. His ‘THE PAVILION’ was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His HBO series, “Six Feet Under,” was critically acclaimed.

In “ORANGE FLOWER WATER,’ he delves into the lives of two couples who, for many years, have each given the illusion of being happy. Unfortunately, the facade is a fraud. The charade comes to a head when one member of each couple unite in an adulterous affair. Through a series of scenes which take place around and in a single bed, which represents various beds, we watch as four lives unravel. Questions arise. What will happen to the children? Was the affair a mistake or a necessary intrusion to bring about needed changes? Was the action the pursuit of selfishness or a search for personal happiness? Will the results be like the fragrance of orange flower water, sweet but overpowering?

This is a raw, painful and graphic tale. It is a challenging play which forces us to ask, “In the end, is a happy ending worth the pain?

B&G’s production, under the well defined direction of Sean McConaha, is compelling. The pacing is appropriately precise, the acting performances well-honed and the idea development clear.

Jean Klika (Beth) is excellent as the wife of a controlling, abusive husband. The actress has several monologues in which the character comes close to nervous breakdowns. Each is done with realism and elicits compassion.

Daniel McElhaney (Brad) is properly vile as Beth’s controlling husband. He paces the stage like a caged tiger, about to attack. He transforms himself into a character whom the audience comes to hate.

Teresa McDonough, as the uptight Kathy, draws sympathy as the perfectly organized mother and wife who is put upon by a husband who cannot accept her version of life and love. Her librarian glasses, coifed hair and prim clothing create the perfect visual image for her ice lady emotions.

Mark Mayo creates a completely etched character as David, the pharmacist who wants to escape his present life, but has an unrealistic view of the consequences that will be wrought by his pursing a married woman.

Written with assurance and constructed with drama and humor, the play is emotionally wrenching. The tribute to both the script and the production was the reverent silence at the play’s conclusion. There was nary an audible sound after the lights went off signally the end. When, after an appropriate pause, the lights came on, the audience was brought back to the reality of being in the theatre, and gave the performers a hearty ovation.

Capsule judgment: Bravo B&G! ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER’ is a not-to-be-missed production. It should stimulate long discussions and encourage a replay in the viewer’s mind, long after the final bows. (Be aware that the play contains nudity and a sex scene.)

Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead

Sean Derry gives tour-de-force acting performance at BANG AND CLATTER

As Sean Derry was literally pounding his head on the floor at the conclusion of ‘POUNDING NAILS IN THE FLOOR WITH MY FOREHEAD,’ now in production at The Bang and Clatter Theatre, I totally empathized.

For two acts I, and members of the audience, had been subjected to and immersed in a series of attacks and tirades using language that was vulgar, angry and outrageous. Almost all things political, social, moral and ethical had come under attack. Almost every foul word and image had been used to assault our senses.

Throughout I could not help but wonder what it felt like for Derry to go through a nervous breakdown nightly. Not only did he have hundreds and hundreds of words to memorize and spit out each night, but the emotional level of the one-person show allows for little time to relax. Almost every line is explosive, there is no calm within the storm.

Eric Bogosian’s ‘POUNDING NAILS IN THE FLOOR WITH MY FOREHEAD’ is a series of character studies, concentrating on men who range from the seriously troubled to those positively repugnant. The monologues were originally portrayed by Bogosian, himself. Since then, a number of actors have taken up the role. I doubt if any one them did a better job than Derry, Bang and Clatter’s co-artistic and managing director.

Bogosian is the writer of ‘TALK RADIO,’ a Pulitzer Prize finalist. He also authored ‘subUrbia,’ ‘GRILLER’ and ‘SEX, DRUGS, ROCK & ROLL.’

The opening segment, “Molecules,” finds a bum in a subway talking in detail about the molecules that infect others from his bodily excretions. It verbally slaps the audience into an awareness of Bogosian’s hateful reaction to the ills of this nation.

Other characters include a guilt-ridden suburbanite, a doctor prescribing the worst medicine in the world, and a “recovering male” who confesses his shame to fashion models in magazines because of the fantasies he harbors about them.

As a reviewer of a previous production stated, “Bogosian has deep-seated anger, and the author’s anguish swings between the longing for numbness and the desire to feel something. Monotony is never a problem in this show.”

Capsule judgment: The show is not for gentlefolk, definitely not for redstaters. It is, however, for anyone who wants to see an amazing performance, probably one of the best performances on local stages this year, and have their mental and physical senses assaulted.

A Narrow Bridge

Poorly written and performed ‘A NARROW BRIDGE’ at Bang and Clatter

You have to give a lot of credit to Bang and Clatter, the Akron-based theatre that has a goal of doing world and local premieres, such as their present offering, Clevelander Cliff Hershman’s ‘A NARROW BRIDGE.’

But, as much as the Seans (producers Derry and McConaha) deserve credit for their dedication to helping expose the audience to new material, they also need to make wise choices. “A NARROW BRIDGE’ is a case-in-point.

Hershman, in spite of dedication and a valiant try, doesn’t seem to have the playwriting skills to pull off the needed natural dialogue, development of exposition, and built in motivation for the actors to develop their characters. He doesn’t make us care about the people he is writing about. The script shows a strong need for a good dramaturg to work with the writer to develop the material.

As reflected by actions of the second night-of-the-run audience, the play fails to captivate. There was no applause at the intermission, the sold-out audience thinned after intermission, and the curtain call was met with polite, if unenthusiastic applause.

The story centers on yet another dysfunctional family. This one, a Toledo, Ohio unit, presents Blue, a man who has been a failure most of his life and is out to scam his second-wife, Edie, out of the value of her house. Edie is an insecure woman who was abandoned by her previous husband, and has only the house she salvaged out of the divorce. Her junior high school daughter (Kim) is being seduced by her step-father as part of his plan to get the youngster to convince her mother to sign loan papers which will allow Blue to grab the dough and run. The final member of the group is Willy, Blue’s drugged-out son from a previous marriage who has returned, for no explicable reason, from wandering in the desert where he has “faced the void.” (I’m not sure what that means, but at one point in the production a character asked about the “meaning of meaning.” Someone in the audience, after having hearing the phrase expressed more than a dozen times, yelled, out, “It’s all about the void, man.” It got the biggest reaction of the night.)

Hershman knows no bounds when it comes to psychological problems and has stacked them high in the script. Bulimia, drug and alcohol use, emotional avoidance, drug addiction, absent-father syndrome, abandonment, depression, incest and sexual depravity are only some of the deviances glanced over.

The writing style leaves the actors at bay. The cast seemed confused about their characters’ identities. The motivations behind the character’s actions were often not developed.

The over-all effect was four weak performances and little audience empathy. The cause? Part script, part talent, part directing.

Chuck Simon showed no understanding of the motivations behind the role of Blue. The idea development of his lines was generally missing. In addition, he stumbled over lines and overlapped some of his speeches with those of other cast members.

Ann McEvoy (Edie) valiantly tried to create the mother role, but she, too, was thwarted by the writing.

Jennifer Hoffman (Kim), was too old for the role of a junior high student, and was unconvincing in her portrayal.

Even Ton Weaver, a B&C favorite who has shown he is a fine actor, failed to develop a clear characterization.

The set added to the chaos. A back wall served as a divider/stairway for three different rooms and the house’s entrance. Actors kept ducking in-and-out behind the wall, making for chaos as to where they were or where they were going.

Some questionable directing decisions were made by Sean McConaha. When Kim turned on a set of personal headphones, the audience could hear the music...why? When, in the final scene, a car speeds away from the house, we hear the car. This is the only time we hear outside noises. And, people walked through “locked” doors.

Capsule judgement: During “A NARROW BRIDGE’ one of the characters stated, “I’m sorry you had to see this.” A person sitting next to me moaned, “Yep!” Unfortunately, there is little that I can conjure up to encourage the reader to attend this production other than to say that you get all the free wine and beer you want before the opening curtain and at intermission. Too bad I’m not a drinker. it might have helped.

Roulette

Under-rehearsed ‘ROULETTE’ not up to par for Bang and Clatter

Bang and Clatter, which is northeast Ohio’s new kitsch theatre, is staging Paul Weitz’s black comedy, ‘ROULETTE.’ Originally, another show was supposed to be staged. That play was withdrawn when the production’s two leads were cast in a major motion picture and had to leave the cast. Going by the motto, “the show must go on,” ‘ROULETTE’ was quickly staged with the opening date pushed back a week.

Unfortunately, the limited rehearsal time shows in the B&C production. The theatre’s usual precision and clarity is missing. Instead, there are muffed lines, lack of clear character development, and a general uncertainty in the staging. Actors tripped going up a makeshift stairway with which they seemed not to have rehearsed. There were times when actors seemed uncertain as to which stage exit to use. Long pauses between scenes did nothing but accentuate the show’s haggard pacing.

Paul Weitz, the author of ‘ROULETTE’ is best known for his raunchy ‘AMERICAN PIE’ movie. He is also the coauthor of the films "ANTZ" and "ABOUT A BOY." Don’t go to see ‘ROULETTE’ expecting gags about bodily fluids, band camp, talking ants or teen angst. This may be funny, but it concerns much more serious stuff.

At the very start of the show, anyone who had a vision Weitz’s writing will realize that this is something quite different. Jon, who we learn is the husband and father of a very dysfunctional suburban family, enters, sits at a table, opens a brief case, extracts a gun, places one bullet in the chamber, spins the chamber, puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger. There is a click, but no explosion. He smiles, puts the gun back into his brief case and exits. Ah, but the clue is laid that we may see this scene repeated!

In the course of the next two acts, we meet Jon’s wife Enid, who is having an affair with their neighbor, Steve, who is married to Virginia, who thinks she might like to be a nun. We also are introduced to Jon and Enid’s sex-driven, drug-using teenage daughter, Jenny and son Jock, who has more muscles than brains.

Reviews of the show’s off-Broadway run were mixed. The general trend was, “‘ROULETTE’ squanders its opportunity to have something to say by focusing on cartoonish situations. Without the je ne sais quoi that makes an impact on your emotions, the laughs leave you with a hollow feeling.”

It is difficult to evaluate the cast as they seemed so uncertain that it was impossible to ascertain who was throwing the wrong cues and who was dropping lines. None of the characterizations were truly on the mark.

The set was an impressive realistic kitchen. But due to a large table being placed at the very lip of the acting area, actors had difficulty maneuvering around the lower edge of the piece of furniture, making for some awkward movements.

Capsule judgment: ‘ROULETTE’ was not the quality production audiences have come to expect from The Bang and Clatter. It probably would have been wise to hold the opening even longer so the cast could have been better prepared.

Red Light Winter

Disturbing, unnerving ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ at Bang and Clatter

Akron’s off-off Broadway theatre, THE BANG AND THE CLATTER, is presenting Adam Rapp’s controversial play, ‘RED LIGHT WINTER.’ This show is not for the feint of heart. It’s not for those who can’t tolerate full-frontal nudity, gross language, depiction of graphic sex, or don’t like to have their senses assaulted.

To be honest, I don't like the script, but I can't and won't deny that the raw smells, tastes and visions got into my senses and won’t get out. I don’t like the people. I don’t like what they represent. I don’t like that they can’t and or won’t save themselves from their destructive paths. Yet, I can’t get them out of my mind.

The name Adam Rapp may sound familiar, even if you aren’t a theatre person. A novelist, film maker and playwright, his book ‘THE BUFFALO TREE’ was brought to national attention when it was censored by the Muhlenberg School Board in Reading, Pennsylvania for its language and subject matter.

Rapp uses graphic language, sexual content and themes that are repulsive to some. Personally, I’m not shocked or turned off by his language or subject matter. But I am turned off by his style. I just think he writes speeches which don’t sound like they would be spoken by a normal person, writes characters that are overdrawn, and puts shock before substance. I find that he throws in gimmicks to move along the plot that often make no sense.

‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ begins in a small bedroom in a hostel in Amsterdam, where nerdy, unsuccessful playwright Matt attempts to kill himself. Right after his half hearted attempt fails, his traveling mate Davis turns up. The two are friends from college and are vacationing together in Europe. Davis has a present for Matt—a prostitute named Christina.

Christina appears to be French but, as Matt deduces, is actually an American. She undresses Matt, takes him to bed, then she exits, leaving behind a tape recorder and the fancy red dress she changed into just before bedding the somewhat shy and inexperienced young man.

Act Two takes place in New York, in Matt's apartment. If any more of the plot is revealed the effect of the evening will be ruined, so I’m stopping here with just the comment that the play has no curtain call and that is one of the dramatic highlights of the evening.

Okay, here are my issues with Rapp and his script. Yes, opposites may attract and people turn to those who are unlike themselves in order to get some thrills. But, that obsessive-compulsive insecure Matt would be friends with Davis, who has no redeeming qualities, is questionable. As written, Davis wouldn’t be an actual friend to anyone, least of all Matt, whose girl friend Davis stole some years back. As for Christina, she's something of an enigma throughout. At first I thought that it was the fault of Laurel Johnson, who plays the role. She has a bad French accent, is a weak singer, and her lines often lack unity of thought. Nope, it’s not Laurel’s fault. The character is poorly and manipulatively drawn by Rapp. Her language and lines don’t ring true. Questions abound: Why the false French accent? Why does she leave her dress and the tape recorder behind? Of all the people in the world, why does she seek out a scumbag like Davis when she comes to New York? The answer is that these are all plot development devices.

What is surprising is that ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ was one of the finalist for last year’s Pulitzer Prize. With the quality of this script, no wonder no award was given.

As they are apt to do, the Bang and Clatter gives the play a good production. In fact, the production, outclasses the material, though trimming the first act (one hour and thirty minutes was way too long) and picking up the pace in the second act, would have helped.

Doug Kusak is generally on target as Matt. He probably has the clearest of the characters to interpret, even with the question of his loyalty to Davis. I found his interpretation of the closing scene a little unclear, but otherwise, it was a good acting exercise.

Mark Mayo knows no boundaries as Davis. He is way, way over-the-top. It can only be assumed that Director Sean McConaha really, really wanted us to hate Davis. He succeeded. I wonder what would have happened if Mayo had pulled back the character a little. If he had not screamed almost every line, over-acted ever gross action and syllable that spewed forth from his mouth.

The second act confrontation scene between Davis and Christina was so finely tuned it was pure emotional agony. It was almost unwatchable because of the uncompromising reality of the performers.

Gorgeous Laurel Johnson does what she can with the poorly written role of Christina/Christine/ Annie. Her physical change between the first and second acts is amazing. She perfectly transforms into a Keene painting of a hollow-eyed child looking at finality.

Capsule judgement: ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ has to be one of the, if not the most disturbing productions I’ve ever seen. I’m writing this 24 hours after having seen the show and I’m still in a state of shock!

Fat Pig (The Bang and The Clatter)

A MUST SEE! ‘FAT PIG’--thought provoking, well performed at BANG AND CLATTER

The Bang and The Clatter is dedicated to producing “innovative, challenging works, of exceptional quality and imagination with a particular emphasis on modern American plays.” They intend not only to entertain, but “to push the envelope, and lick it.” They accomplish those objectives in ‘FAT PIG,’ which is getting its local premiere at B&C.

Neil LaBute, the play’s author, is noted for his ability to expose the underbelly of human behavior. He often focuses on the casual cruelty that one person can inflict on another, either intentionally or unintentionally. His recent feature film, ‘IN THE COMPANY OF MEN,’ showcases two male co-workers who relieve their boredom by deciding to both court a deaf woman, build up her self-esteem, and then simultaneously dump her.

‘FAT PIG’ highlights the pettiness and meanness of people who deride others because of their physical appearance. It showcases the effect of peer pressure to conform to arbitrary evaluation of others. To make matters even more pointed, LaBute writes in such a way that we laugh through our tears. He makes the viewer feel guilty about laughing, even psychologically restricting the audience from applauding at the end of brilliantly written and conceived scenes.

The script centers on a romance between an attractive guy (Tom) with an upscale career and an amply endowed Rubenesque woman (Helen).

Tom and Helen have their first encounter at a self-service restaurant. She is eating three slices of pizza and dessert while he pecks away at a salad. They talk, she is charming and full of self-put downs over her weight. He, after a series of bad relationships, including one with a co-worker, is charmed with her unaffected realism. They begin to date. He hides the fact from his co-workers. Eventually, the need to face reality hits and leads to an emotionally drenched ending.

The Bang and The Clatter production, though a little slowly paced, is enveloping. Director Sean McConaha has finely honed the skills of his actors. He highlights the emotional highs and lows, effectively keys the pauses, glances and awkward moments. He is aided by a cast which ranges from brilliant to effective.

Jenna Messina, as the full-bodied Helen, takes on a very difficult role. The actress who plays the role must not only physically fit the part, but have a personal attitude that allows the audience to truly believe that in real life she is proud of who she is, yet vulnerable to the attacks of others. Messina plays the role with total believability. This is a tour-de-force performance!

Sean Derry is not as physically attractive as might be expected for the actor playing Tom . He doesn’t have the Brad Pitt looks that make women weak-kneed, but he is such a fine actor that he makes us believe the illusion is true. He is brilliant in the final scene as he glances toward where his friends are congregated, probably making fun of the hefty Helen, while carrying on a conversation with the woman he supposedly loves.

Tony Waver shines as Tom’s caustic co-worker who exemplifies all the shallowness of our advertising-driven culture which stresses superficiality and appearance over substance. Alana Romansky is convincing as Jeannie, a co-worker who yearns for a permanent relationship with Tom, but, at times her character slips and we get words rather than meanings.

The production is aided by a well-conceived scenic design by Sean Derry. Sean McConaha’s selection of musical interludes helped bridge the often overly long between-scenes pauses.

In other productions of the play, the titles for each of the seven scenes are projected on a screen. The device reinforces the theme of each segment. It is an effective device which could have helped the B&G’s excellent production to be even more pointed.

Capsule judgment: Several years go, while visiting in Washington, DC, I saw a production of ‘FAT PIG.’ The show was outstanding and went on to win several Helen Hayes’ Citations, DC’s equivalent of the Tony Awards. The Bang and The Clatter production is every bit as effective as the presentation in the nation’s capital. THIS IS A MUST SEE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE!!!!!