"Beyond the Horizon," seldom seen classic at Ensemble

Each year, Ensemble Theatre selects a classic play to be part of their season offerings.  Last year it was “The Iceman Cometh,” which was recognized by the Cleveland Critics Circle for Superior Achievement for a Non-Musical Production.  This year’s choice is Eugene O’Neill’s 1920 Pulitzer Prize winning, “Beyond the Horizon,” the author’s first full-length work.

A review of the first staging of “Beyond the Horizon” called the play “the closest approach any native author has yet made to the great American play.”  O’Neill’s epic gave birth to the play category of “new American tragedy.” 

Ironically, the playwright used a take-off on the romantic story line to achieve his goal.  It was probably the formulaic romantic story line that led an opening night reviewer to write, "There can be no question that it is a work of uncommon merit and definite ability, distinguished by general superiority from the great bulk of contemporaneous productions. However, the play ‘is not quite a masterpiece.’”

The play centers on a slowly evolving portrait of the Mayo family.  Andrew and Robert are bound by brotherly love, but are totally different.  One is a pragmatist, the other a dreamer.   The brothers fall in love with the same girl.  Both wind up sacrificing what they really want out of life in order to do what they think may be better for the other, and, in the end, both lose out. 

“Beyond the Horizon” is a play about dreams.  Every character has clearly etched desires.  The father, James, wants a bigger farm with his older son accomplishing his vision.  Ruth yearns to have a husband.  Robert and Andy have opposite dreams.  Andrew wants to accomplish his father’s goal.  Robert, a poet and reader, envisions himself living out his romantic dreams of going “beyond the horizon,” going to “the far places of the world that beckon alluringly.” 

The script effectively walks the fine line between melodrama and prescription romantic saga.  In lesser hands the plot probably would have strayed from reality and into romantic fantasy.  But, fortunately, O’Neill is too proficient a writer to allow for that.

The script follows the format of a three-act play, so popular in the early to mid-twentieth century.  It makes for a long, over two-hour sit.

Ensemble’s production, under the direction of Celeste Consentino, develops the playwright’s intentions.  The pacing is languid, maybe a little too languid in places.  Tensions don’t always build to their climax. The acting mainly stays on the surface, actors not digging deeply beneath the surface level of the thoughts and feelings of their characters, a digging that often unearths deep pain and emotional feelings that aids the performer to illuminate the person they are portraying.

James Rankin generally gives a nice poetic dreamer quality to Robert.  His closing scenes are properly wrought with pain and the letting go of any hope for the life he dreamed he’d live.

Keith Stevens, as the hard working Andrew, develops a nice contrast to his escapist brother.  Robert Hawkes clearly creates a rough, determined father.

The technical aspects are unnerving.  Large electronic projections of fields and a house interior visually overwhelm in the small Ensemble venue.  The pictures of Mary, the young daughter, many times larger than an actual child, with an overpowering voice, makes the youngster surreal.  That might have been fine for horror movie,  but this is a realistic play.

Capsule judgment:  “Beyond The Horizon” is a Eugene O’Neill classic which gets few stagings.  The Ensemble production, in general, allows us to experience the beautiful writing of a master playwright. Ensemble is to be praised for continuing in its task to help keep the classics alive by producing this and other epic plays.

“Beyond The Horizon” runs Fridays and Saturdays (8 PM) and Sundays (2 PM) through May 18, 2013, at Ensemble Theatre, housed in the Coventry Building, 2843 Washington Blvd, Cleveland Heights.  For tickets call 216-321-2930 or go online to http://www.ensemble-theatre.org

To read the views of other Cleveland area theatre reviewers go to:  clevelandtheaterreviews.com

Compelling, humorous "Informed Consent" enlightens at Cleveland Play House

If you were carrying a genetic factor that, in the future, doomed you with Alzheimer’s, cancer, or some other disease, even if science didn’t have a cure for the ailment, would you want to know it?   Would you be willing to allow your blood, bone marrow, or a tissue sample, to be used in scientific experiments to determine genetic possibilities?   What is an experimental scientist’s obligation to reveal what they will do with the information gained from the consent of volunteers in a medical study?  

Sound like subjects right out of tales that are popping up daily in our newspaper?   Those probes are the foundation of “Informed Consent,” now on stage at the Cleveland Play House as part of the New Ground Festival.”

Plays by Deborah Zoe Laufer, the author of “Informed Consent,” recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and a Lilly Award, have been called, “rapturously funny,” “poignantly redemptive,” “hilarious,” “engaging,” “funny as hell,” “touching,” and “weird and illuminating.”

Her “End Days,” which is receiving a staged reading by Interplay Jewish Theatre (http://interplaycleveland.com), as does “Informed Consent,” rips its topic out of the headlines.  The playwright exposes a dysfunctional family caught, in the aftermath of 911 attack, that is  trying to survive in a world hurtling toward Armageddon.  Only Stephen Hawking or Jesus can save them.

“Informed Consent,” like “End Days,” is a black comedy which centers on Gillian, an ambitious geneticist, who anxiously takes on a project to investigate why a Native American tribe is being devastated by diabetes.  Since diabetes is not her major interest, and also she wants to use the blood samples to probe into the genetic component of Alzheimer’s, her motives are not altruistic.  Her mother and other relatives have been the victims of the mind-ravaging illness and she would like to find a cure, not only for others, but to help herself and her daughter, who may also carry the errant gene that she suspects is the culprit. What to do?

Sound like a downer?  Not with the fertile imagination of Laufer.  The audience finds themselves in a conundrum of whether to laugh or cry, often doing both.

Is truth more interesting than fiction?  “Informed Consent” is based on a real event.  It takes on conflicts between cultural patterns, the roles of science and religion, the obligation of researchers to do their work with the weight of  governmental and university constraints.  The tale asks, among other questions, “just how much knowledge is too much?”

The Cleveland Play House production, under the insightful direction of Sean Daniels, is excellent.  The ninety-minute play, presented without an intermission, holds the audience with excellent pacing and allows the fine writing to develop both the drama and the comedy.

Jessica Wortham is superb as the scientist.  She creates a completely believable woman caught in a conflict between her obligation to the scientific process and protocol, self and child survival, and the need to be truthful, as well as her respect for cultural beliefs.

The rest of the cast, all of whom play various roles, Fajer Al-Kaisi, Larissa FastHorse, Gilbert Cruz, and Tina Fabrique, all are excellent, balancing the fine line between humor and drama with ease.  They get the laughs by playing real people, not caricatures.  What a wonderful assemblage of professionals.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  “Informed Consent” is a play for all theater-goers.  There is intellectual interest, mystery content, and humor, all rolled into one well-written script, which gets a superb staging!  This is a must see production!


“Informed Consent” runs through May 17, 2014 at the Allen Theatre in PlayhouseSquare.  For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com

"American Idiot" rocks the Palace, but the hallow book thwarts over-all effect

In 1968 “Hair,” dubbed the American Tribal Love-Rock musical, exploded on Broadway.  It shocked the nation, but gave an accurate picture of a world rocked with chaos.  The Vietnam war raged, the peace movement flourished, draft cards were burned, rebellion against traditional values exploded.  ”Drugs, sex and rock and roll” became the mantra of the day and were clearly exposed on stage.  The show’s book was strong and the score was filled with top ten hits including “Aquarius,”  “Good Morning Starshine,” “I Believe in Love,” and “Where Do I Go?”  It became the seminal musical theatre offering illustrating “theater representing the era from which it comes.”

In 1996 RENT, opened on Broadway.  The rock musical, aimed at the MTV generation, was a reflection of the era’s turn of the century dilemmas including HIV/AIDS, regentrification, the coarseness of a nation torn apart by political turmoil, and the emerging gay pride movement.  It had a strong story, identifiable characters, and contained such mega musical hits as, “Light My Candle,” “Life Support,” “Another Day,” “Your Eyes,” “Santa Fe,” and “Seasons of Love.”  It is considered to be the seminal musical theatrical work for entering into 21st century America.

Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, who created “American Idiot,” seemingly tried to duplicate the success of “Hair” and “Rent” in reflecting the societal image of the mid-2010s by creating a musical based on high-octane rock guitar riffs, vigorous singing and dancing, and what they term “an evergreen narrative of teen rage, love and loss.”

Unfortunately, their creation, though it works on some levels, does not have the story line depth, the quality of music, and the stage presence of “Hair” or “Rent.”

The show is an adaptation of the concept album “American Idiot” by punk rock band, Green Day. 

The show opened on Broadway in April of 2010 and ran for a year, marking up 422 performances.

A road tour version of “American Idiot” is running at the Palace theatre for an abbreviated four performance run.

The musical is filled with energy, but the wafer thin story lacks emotional depth.  There is little to grab and hold the audience’s imagination.  In contrast to “Hair” and “Rent,” it is difficult to feel empathy or attachment for any of the characters.  

Though the show’s album won a Grammy, there isn’t a standout song.  In fact, after a while, all the songs sound somewhat alike….loud and guitar heavy.

The choreography, though filled with high level energy, is repetitious and helps little in developing the story.

The tale takes place “in the recent past,” and concerns three guy friends who plan to escape their suburban “wasteland.”  As they are about to part, one (Will)  finds out that his girl friend (Heather) is pregnant.  He decides to stay home, leaving the other two to go on their way. 

Life in the “big city” doesn’t turn out to be what the boys expected.  One (Johnny) wanders down the road to drug addiction (supplied by the snarly St. Jimmy) and sexual depravity (with Whatsername).  The other (Tunny) enlists in the army and goes off to fight in the much hated Iraqi war.   Tunny loses a leg, but falls in love with his nurse (The Extraordinary Girl).  Eventually, Johnny recognizes the error of his ways and returns to suburbia, as does Tunny and his love.  (Oh, yes, the plot is thin.)

The cast of the touring production is excellent, especially considering the group has little to no professional experience.   They are recent college grads who are displaying their talents in their hopeful march to fame and fortune. 

Lead characters are Jared Nepute (Johnny), Casey O’Farrell (Will), Dan Tracy (Tunny), Mariah MacFarlane (Heather), Carson Higgins (St. Jimmy), Olivia Puckett (Whatsername), and Taylor Jones (The Extraordinary  Girl).

As was the case on Broadway, the set and lighting are outstanding.  

There is a nice trend in recent touring shows.  Strongsville native and Baldwin Wallace graduate, Corey Mach, starred “Flashdance” on the Palace stage, and the “American Idiot” band includes the talented bass playing of Josh Sebo, son of Temple Tifereth Israel’s superb cantor, Kathy Sebo, and husband Rommie Sebo.

Capsule judgment:  “Green Day’s American Idiot” is a loud, brash musical which attempts to tell the tale of modern day America.   In spite of a well-performed and musically proficient  performance, the thin script and redundant musical sounds resulted in a quickly to be forgotten theatrical experience. 

“American Idiot,” a part of the US Bank Star Performance Series, run at the Palace Theatre form April 25th through the 27th, 2014.

THE DROWNING GIRLS @ Cleveland Public Theatre

Hint:  Don’t read the program notes before “The Drowning Girls” at Cleveland Public Theatre

A person’s identity is based on the culture in which s/he was raised.  It has been the custom in many Euro-American societies to raise women with the attitude that they are not complete without a man in their lives.  Unmarried women have been identified as “old maids,” or “spinsters.”  The implication is that these women are less than their married gender mates.  Since many of our attitudes of self are based on the names we are called, the negative titles of those husbandless females perceive themselves negatively.  This phenomenon often leads to desperation to get married to whomever offers themselves for matrimony.

“The Drowning Girls,” by Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson and Daniela Vlaskalic centers on the lives of three woman who became victims because of their perceived need to marry.  In these cases, they each unknowingly married a fiend, with little time to really discover his true self, until it was too late.

Alice Burnham, Beatrice (Bessie) Mundy and Margaret Lofty, the women in the story, all were what the general society of the day would call, “getting on in their years.’  Each perceived that they needed to be quickly married, each was convinced by the same man, using a different name for his relationship with each woman, to marry.  Each had a tidy sum of money, were talked into buying life insurance policies in their husband’s name, and all met an untimely death in the same manner.  Each was found dead in a bathtub.  Each, it was assumed, died from natural causes. 

The script is nicely developed, though it may have been dragged on a big too long by extensive repetition.  Crum,who is Cleveland Public Theatre’s 2013-14 Joan Yellen-Horvitz Director Fellow, creatively staged the show.  Interesting visual images abound with the use of three bathtubs on a platform, backed up by a clothing line.  The use of water for not only each character’s demise, but for anointing, creating of illusions and analogies is interestingly woven into the production.   Sam Fisher, the 2013-14 Kulas Composer Fellow, adds mood enhancing music.

Natalie Green (Alice), Sarah Kunchik (Bessie) and Jaime Bouvier (Margaret) are entirely convincing in their portrayals.  The meld together into a cohesive unit.  These are each very impressive performances.

Val Kozienko’s set design and Ben Gantose’s lighting design both help in creating the correct moods.  Fisher’s music aids in heightening and highlighting the moods.

Normally, I urge theatre-goers to read the program notes before the show.  In this case, I would urge to hold off until after the production.  Reading the “Note form the Director” and “Following the Story” reveal too much information and almost makes watching the play redundant.  It ruins the heightening of emotions and takes the mystery out of the production.

Capsule judgement: “The Drowning Girls” is an intriguing script which gets a fine staging at Cleveland Public Theatre.  Be warned:  reading the program notes before the play may take some of the excitement out of experiencing the production.

“The Drowning Girl” continues at Cleveland Public Theatre through February 24.  For tickets go to: 216-631-2727 or go to www.cptonline.org

CPT’s next show is ANCESTRA, May 22-June 7.  It is an intimate biography of a contemporary woman which was inspired by the 1853 National Women’s Rights Convention held in Cleveland Performed from March 6 to 22 in Gordon Square Theatre @ 7:30.

The Musical Theater Project presents "Deconstructing Kurt Weill"

The wording on the gravestone of Kurt Weill comes from the song “A Bird of Passage” from his musical, “Lost in the Stars.”  It reads:  “This is the life of men on earth:  Out of darkness we come at birth.  Into a lamplit room, and then—Go forward into dark again.”

Weill’s life epitomizes that Maxwell Anderson poem.  Born into a secure Jewish-  German family in 1900, he grew to be one of the country’s more prominent and popular composers.  He, along with his equally well-know wife, singer Lotte Lenya, were forced into exile by the Nazis in 1933 because, not only were they Jewish, but held and espoused populist views. 

He emerged from the dark when he arrived in America, and assumed his place in American composing nobility by producing many well known works.

He felt so strongly about his expulsion from Deutschland, that he and wife, Lottie Lenya, decided not to speak German again, except in letters and conversations with his parents who had escaped to Palestine (now Israel).  They also Americanized the pronunciation of their name, using the “W,” rather than the Germanic “V” sound at the start of their last name.

His “American” compositions were a departure from his former work.  He wrote with an immediacy theme.  As he said, “I am writing for the masses.  Music they can sing, and music that deals with their problems.  That is the only significant form of composition nowadays.”

His massive music portfolio included stage and film works, cantatas, chamber music, piano music, orchestral works, and Lieder cycles/songs/chansons.  He is probably best known by the general public for “Mack the Knife,” from his “The Threepenny Opera,” which became a jazz standard via the Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin recording. 

The Musical Theater Project will present “Deconstructing Kurt Weill: The American Songs,” featuring narration by TMTP Executive Director Heather Meeker , input from Cleveland composer-arranger, Ty Alan Emerson, as sung by Fabio Polanco and Christine Fader, with music by guitarist Jake Fader and the instrumental trio “No Exit.”  

The concert centers on the theme, “How might Weill’s music sound if it were arranged and performed by contemporary artists?”   Emerson’s concept in arranging the music centered on his belief that “Weill became jaded by the Old World and wonderfully excited about becoming an American artist.  Where ever you turn in the songs, that colors his musical and dramatic choices.” 

“This composer embraced whatever sound he heard swirling around him—and in New York in the 1930s and 40s, those sounds included jazz, swing, the blues and pure Broadway ballads.”

Emerson also notes, in regard to Weill’s work, “I found that whether you’re a musical theater fan, opera or jazz musician, glam-rocker or indie-punk all-star, you can make Weill your own.”

Audiences will get their chance to experience Emerson’s interpretations of Weill on May 2 and 3 at 7 PM in the James Levine Theatre of Cleveland Public Theatre.  For tickets call 216-631-2727 or visit cptonline.org.

"As You Like It"-- comedic farce delights at Great Lakes Theater

What do the phrases, “all the world’s a stage” and “too much of a good thing” have in common?  They are both quotes from Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy “As You Like It.”  As is true of that genre, the play, which was written early in 1600, deals with shepherds and the rustic life, but, also concerns love, in its various forms.

“As You Like It” is  one of the Bard’s most famous works and, as presented at Great Lakes Theater, one that delights an audience.

The plot seems complicated, but, as is true of many of Shakespeare’s works of exile and romance, which are meant to entertain, there is a great deal of farcical slapstick, overly wrought lovers who find bliss by the time the final curtain falls, and what seems confusing is, in fact, simplistic.

The plot:  Frederick has taken over and exiled his older brother, Duke Senior.  The Duke’s daughter, Rosalind, has been allowed to stay in the castle to be a companion to her cousin Celia.  In a parallel plot, Orlando, whose wealthy father has died, is denied his part of his father’s estate by his older brother.  The stories join when Rosalind and Orlando fall in love, but their connection is broken when the Duke has a change of heart and exiles Rosalind.  Celia and Rosalind steal away to the forest where Duke Senior is ensconced with a group of his followers.  Rosalind, is dressed as a male, a common Shakespearean theatrical device of hidden identities.   Add a jester, a couple of sheppards, some chance encounters, some twists and turns, lots of farcical shticks, more music than is normal for Shakespearean play, and a happy ending.  Of course, to quote the Bard, “All’s well that ends well.”

Great Lakes Theater’s production, under the direction of Edward Morgan, is entertaining, but doesn’t seem to fulfill Morgan’s director’s notes.  He has reinvented the play, he contends, by changing its setting to America, which he feels, “gives the text new resonance.” 

Morgan writes that the play starts in New England, in the midst of the second Industrial Revolution, not long after the start of the 20th century.  “The Forest of Arden is in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains.  The villains are greedy, thriving Industrialists.”  “Rosalind and Orlando are the new Americans.”  “Rosalind becomes a kind of metaphor for American womanhood.”  The Elizabethan songs have been replaced “with tunes that echo these themes through Yankee sentiment and syncopation.”

Though he philosophizes those goals, starting the play with a metal grinding scene, does not an industrial revolution make.   How are we to know that is his intent?  None of the language of Shakespeare’s script carries the “industrial revolution” message nor any implication of the villains as “greedy Industrialists.”

The music insertions, though many create the right mood, do not all fit the time period described.

Rosalind, rather than being a metaphor for the liberated woman, follows the historical, tried and true path of putting a man (Orlando) above all else and gets her desire, not a career, but a marriage.

If Morgan wanted to really reimagine the play he needed to add dialogue that makes his message clear.  He would not have been the first to add to, or delete the Bard’s words.

All theorizing aside, the production delights.  Martin Céspedes’s choreography, which is evident throughout, is creative and brought applause from the audience.  Especially endearing is the soft-shoe tap dance of Touchstone (Dustin Tucker), the court fool.  Also creative is the dance at the end of the play in which Céspedes has developed character identifying moves for each couple.

The pacing, the visual images, the Borsht-belt shticks, and the performances are all top notch. 

The petite and talented Betsy Mugavero, makes for a radiant Rosalind.  Though she doesn’t really look like the “man” she is supposed to play during her “disguised” segments, she is right for the Shakespeare habit of sex switching.  (Interestingly, during the Bard’s time the task was easy, as young boys played the female roles.)

Handsome and gym-toned Torsten Johnson is a physically strong, yet gentle Orlando.  Johnson and Mugavero have a wonderful interpersonal chemistry that makes their love-in-bloom scenes engaging.

Dustin Tucker, who has a remarkable resemblance to old vaudeville performer Red Buttons, delights as the Court Fool.  He does slapstick exceedingly well.

The rest of the cast develops appropriate characterizations.

Russell Metheny’s set designs and Rick Martin’s lighting help in developing the story.  Kim Krumm Sorenson’s costumes often confuse.  They don’t always develop the era depicted.  Her backwoods inhabitant’s costumes, however, are character right.

Capsule judgement: Great Lakes Theater’s “As You Like It,” though it doesn’t
fully develop director Edward Morgan’s philosophical objectives, is delightful.  The many students who will attend should go away with a very positive concept of the Shakespearean comedy at its best.

“As You Like It” runs from April 9-14, 2014 at the Hanna Theatre.  For tickets go to: 216-664-6064 or www.greatlakestheater.org

Reviewer of the Reviewer's Review--Sean Derry

Hi Roy,

I just wanted to personally thank you for your kind words, time travelled, insightful critique, and continued support of none too fragile. Your reviews go a very long way in encouraging attendance among the public. Please know, you are respected and greatly appreciated by Alanna and I. We look forward to seeing you at "Possum Dreams" June 13th.

Sincerely,

Sean [Derry, Artistic Director, none too fragile theater]

Actors' Summit..HANDLE WITH CARE, it's mostly Hebrew to me

Picture this:  on a Thursday night, an American theatrical comedy, one-third of which’s dialogue was spoken in Hebrew, was viewed by an audience composed primarily of Hebrew speaking Israelis.  The setting:  Actors’ Summit in Akron.  Yes, Akron, Ohio!

How did this occurrence come to pass?  A group of Israeli teenagers were in the United States on an exchange program.  They were spending time in Cleveland, their hosts became aware of the production of Jason Odell Williams’ “Handle With Care,” and brought the Israeli students, and the students at Beachwood’s Akiva (Jewish) High School to the play.

Being in the audience with the students added a dimension to the theatrical experience.  During the show there was an underlying stream of comments.  One of the patrons thought the Israeli students were being disrespectful until it was pointed out that the sounds being heard were interpretations from English to Hebrew by the Akiva students.  The Israelis were as lost in the English as most of the rest of the audience was in the Hebrew spoken segments.

There was laughter from the students when Hebrew was being spoken, which was absent from the English speaking audience, and laughter when the English was being spoken from the rest of the audience, but not from the Israelis.  The subsets were reacting to what they understood, which was not available to the other group.

During the question and answer session, members of the cast, none of whom knew any Hebrew before their appearance in the play, were curious as to their ability to correctly pronounce the words they were speaking.  The Israeli students laughed as they explained that like any language, there are differences in pronunciation  in Hebrew.  They came to the conclusion that the accent being used was Russian-Hebrew (former Russians who emigrated to Israel, learned Hebrew, but pronounce it based on their Russian language pronunciation).  Not surprisingly, Oudi Singer, who acted as the Hebrew coach for the cast, speaks Russian-Hebrew.

Williams’ play is a pleasant comedy which has a feel good sit-com format.  It is one of those plays where the outcome becomes obvious about one-third into the goings-on.

Loosely following some aspects of the film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” complete with a bumbling “guardian angel” and lots of happy coincidences, it’s the kind of script that will probably be produced by Jewish theatres and temple drama groups.

The story centers on a trip to America by grandma Edna, on an undisclosed mission, and her granddaughter, Ayelet, who has recently broken up with her boyfriend.  As we come upon Ayelet, in a rundown motel in backwoods Virginia, she is hysterically yelling in Hebrew at Terrence, an air-headed delivery man.  We eventually find out that grandma Edna had died and her body was placed in a box for shipment back to Israel for burial.  (How the body got put into the box, doubtfully handled by Jewish ritual, which requires special preparation and the body never be left alone, is a mystery.) 

The body was “lost” when Terrence left the keys in his delivery truck and the vehicle was stolen while he made a 7-ll food stop.  Into the chaos enters Josh.  He’s a high school friend of Terrence’s, one of the few Jews in the area, and, of course, Terrence assumes that because of his religion he will be able to communicate with Ayelet.  The non-observant and Hebrew-illiterate Josh is of no help.  (But, as the audience figures out, he’s there for a plot-purpose.)

Josh’s wife died a few years ago.  Hmm….the plot unfolds.  Ayelet and Josh are both nice, Jewish, unmarried, and open for love!

The body is found, and grandma Edna’s belief in the “beshert” (Yiddish for “meant to be”) comes true.

A 2013-2014 off-Broadway production of “Handle With Care,” starring Carol Lawrence (of “West Side Story” fame), ran 112 performances and was called “fearlessly adorable” by the “NY Jewish Review.” 

The Actors’ Summit production, under the direction of Constance Thackaberry, who is a friend of the playwright, is quite pleasant.  The performances are very good.  Natalie Sander Kern undertook the daunting responsibility of learning hundreds of lines in a language she didn’t know.  She also had to learn to pronounce the words, and make dramatic sense of them.  She was outstanding, and, according to one of the Israeli students, “made me laugh.”

Keith Stevens was charming as the befuddled Josh.  Arthur Chu (who some in the audience knew as the very successful contestant on the nationally televised  “Jeopardy”) added with his southern-accented interpretation of the dim-witted Terrence.  Marci Paolucci made a nice “Savta” (Hebrew for grandmother), with a surprising past.

Capsule judgment: “Handle With Care” isn’t a great script, but makes for a smiling evening of theatre.  Seeing the show with a group of Israeli, Hebrew-speaking students, added a dimension of understanding of culture and language.

For tickets to HANDLE WITH CARE, which runs through April 13, 2014, call 330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org

GIDION'S KNOT @ none too fragile theater

Last year, none too fragile theater’s ON THE LINE was honored by the Cleveland Critics Circle as being the “Best Non-Musical Production of 1913.”  Their production of GIDION’S KNOT establishes itself as a candidate for the award this year!

Johnna Adams’ brilliantly written script, given a superb production, is riveting, disturbing, and emotionally wrenching.  Ironically, it is also funny at times.   Yes, sometimes you have to laugh through your tears.  Adams knows this and gives the needed moments of catharsis so as not to make the experience more than the audience members can emotionally bear.

Usually on the ride home after leaving a theatre, my wife and I have a lively discussion about the play we have just seen.  On the way home from GIDION’S KNOT, we sat in silence.  We were both in an emotional after-shock.  Talking would have taken us out of the mood. 

As I sit here writing this review, 12 hours after experiencing the production, I can still hear the lines and visualize its physical images.   The angst remains within.

The play’s title is an allusion to the legend of the Gordian Knot, in which Alexander the Great was challenged with the task of untying an intricate knot created by King Gorgius.  In modern terms, it relates to the question of how to deal with a complicated seemingly insoluble problem. 

Adams could not have picked a more perfect take-off on that legend as a title.  There is no way to untie, unknot the tale about Gidion and his complex problem and the resulting issues.

I can’t explain the story or my thoughts about it.  That would untie the knot for me, not for you.  It’s an unfair burden and for me to undertake.

On the surface, this is a telling of a meeting between an elementary school teacher and the mother of a young boy, Gidion, who has just committed suicide.  In reality, it is a series of questions: Is the disturbing story the boy wrote as a homework assignment that of an imaginative writer, an Edgar Allen Poe, or the exposition of a disturbed child who may some day turn out to be a mass murderer like Seugn-Hui Cho, who wrote murderous fantasies before shooting thirty-two people at Virginia Tech?

It further probes:  What are the responsibilities of schools regarding a student?  Should a teacher, or society, impose its ethical rules on others?  What is the “right” way to grieve? When does the fear of a law suit override the responsibilities of leadership?  Are we responsible for the way our actions affect others?  How do we recognize depression in others?  Should it be the child's, the mother's, or the teacher's perspective, that influences and informs the narrative for the child’s life?

The play offers no answers, it just lays bare the issues.  This may disturb those that want clear cut answers.  But, in reality, life doesn’t always offer clear cut answers.  In fact, the process of life usually provides more paths to inquiry.  The author wisely realizes this conundrum and leaves it to each person to untie the knot of her characters lives, if s/he desires, and has the psychological desires and abilities to attempt the task.

The none too fragile’s production, under the precise and insightful direction by Sean Derry, is spell-binding.  It is exquisitely paced, the actors develop real emotionally fragile people.  No acting here.  Each lives the character, leaving no doubt of the reality of the situation and internal chaos.  Nothing gets in the way of the well-crafted play.  Nothing gets in the way of getting the audience involved in the cerebral, yet emotional sense of the author.

Jen Klika is superlative as Corryn, the grieving mother.  This is performing at its highest level.  She rides the roller coaster of emotions with perfection, controlling the normal tendency of yelling to show strong emotions.  She uses pauses, stress highlighting, and nonverbal signs to convey Corryn’s deep hurt, guilt and chaos.

Alanna Romansky as Heather, the teacher, creates a multi-leveled woman whose own questions, doubts and insecurities become clearly evident.  At times her projection falls off, making her hard to hear, but these lapses of dialogue actually intensify Heather’s angst and choked up conflicted feelings.  Her final scene is wrenching.

This is among the saddest and thought-provoking plays I’ve ever seen.  It exposes so many raw nerves.  It seems ironic, but the experience was so perfect that  I would not want to see the play again because I don’t want to disturb the image, the keen emotional reaction of this experience.

I would ask the director to consider not having a curtain call, but letting the audience sit in the dark for a short period after the final line, so they can get the full impact of the play.  I was brought out of the emotional mood too quickly by the lights flashing on.  Yes, the actors should be recognized for their brilliant performances, but the deep silence would serve that purpose, and a gradual bringing up of the lights to indicate the play was over, would help cement the experience.

Capsule judgement:  If it is the purpose of theatre to have a life-awakening experience and to get the audience so emotionally involved that they forget they are in a theatre, then none too fragile’s GIDION’S KNOT fully fulfills that goal!   This is theatre at its finest and is an absolute MUST see.  Please avail yourself of the wonder of this  fine theatrical offering!  Bravo!

GIDION’S KNOT runs through  April 19, 2014 at none too fragile theater which is located in Bricco’s Restaurant, 1841 Merriman Road, Akron.  Use the free valet parking, as car space is limited.  For tickets call 330-671-4563 or go to http://www.nonetoofragile.com

Local actor, Corey Mach, turns on the audience in "Flashdance" at the Palace

 

On opening night, when Corey Mach made his first appearance on stage in “Flashdance The Musical,” the audience, after being prepped about his entrance by Gina Vernaci, Senior Vice President of Theater Operations, greeted him with a lengthy ovation.  During the curtain call, the audience exploded in vocal and physical adoration when Mach came on stage.  Then, when the 2006 Strongsville High School and 2010 Baldwin-Wallace alum put on an Indian’s baseball cap, the Palace Theatre literally shook with unbridled excitement.  Yes, this was a glorious “welcome home Corey” celebration.

Mach is Broadway leading man material.  He’s tall, dark, handsome, with a strong singing voice, great acting chops, and a charming “Midwest wholesome” personality.  Mach’s credits already include the international tour of “Rent,” as well as the role of Fiyero in the touring production of “Wicked,” and the Broadway revival of “Godspell.”

When I reviewed Mach in the 2010 BW/Playhouse Square production of “Chess,” as staged by BW Musical Theater faculty member, Victoria Bussert, I commented that he was “sincere and sensitive.”   In another commentary I tagged him as “ready for Broadway,” and as having “star quality.”   Yes, he’s another one of Bussert’s “kids” who is making good!

The touring version of “Flashdance The Musical” is part of the Key Bank Broadway series.  The national tour, which started in January of 2013, has four more stops, ending in Toronto (May 27-June 8).

The show is based on the 1983 romantic film, “Flashdance,” which was written by Tom Hedley and Clevelander, Joe Eszterhas.

Though the flick opened to negative reviews, it went on to be a surprise box office success.  It was the third highest grossing film of 1983 and has become a cult favorite, having brought in more than $100 million dollars in worldwide box office sales.  The sound track included “Maniac” and “Flashdance…What a Feeling” which have become pop standards. 

The musical stage version, which was billed as “an unmistakably unique musical about holding onto your dreams and love against all odds,” premiered in the UK, and toured that country.  The oft-promised Broadway opening is up-in-the-air.  Originally the show was announced as opening on the Great White Way in August of 1913.  That date has been set back, and now is in limbo again because the producers say, “The postponement is due to a lack of theaters.”

Both the stage and film versions center on Alex Owens, an eighteen-year-old small town girl who moves to Pittsburgh in order to pursue a career in dance.  She has no formal training and winds up working as an exotic dancer by night and a welder in the Hurley Steel Mill by day.  In the musical, into her workday life saunters Nick Hurley, the grandson of the mill’s owner.  Their on-and-off romance, her overcoming her lack of dance self-confidence, complications caused by issues of her co-workers at both the bar and the steel mill, and her need to learn the meaning of love, fuel the story. 

Of course, as happens in all feel-good, plot obvious musicals, only a “Maniac” wouldn’t know that in the “Steeltown Sky,” the girl will realize “It’s All in Reach,” as “Here and Now,” she understands that this is “Where I Belong,” and she learns to “Hang on,” so she finally can realize, “What a Feeling” it is to get her dancing dreams and a wealthy, nice, and studly guy.

The musical and book don’t exactly follow the same plan.  Sixteen songs have been added for the stage version, Grunt, the lovable dog of flick fame, is gone, lots of characters are cut and others added, the name of the dance conservatory has been changed, the character of Jeannie, an ice skating friend of Alex, has been modified, the character of Nick’s ex-wife is gone, and Alex doesn’t trash Nick’s apartment.  What is left is an obvious “I told you that’s the way it would turn out” ending of boy meets girl, girl rejects boy, boy pursues, girl finally realizes that he is prince charming!

The touring production is pure entertainment, centering on dancing, dancing and more dancing, plus singing, singing and more singing.  It sweeps up the audience, not with the story but with the choreography, musicality, and the abundant use of electronic graphics.

The role of Nick Hurley is a perfect vehicle for Mach.  He puts on the character and wears it with complete confidence and talent.  He makes Clevelanders proud to call him “ours.”

Tiny and adorable Sydney Morton has the right cocky, yet insecure persona as Alex.  Her singing and acting are excellent, her dancing not up to the required level.  Her highlight number, when she tries out for dance school, though perfectly adequate, doesn’t compel as it should.

Alison Ewing and Dequina Moore delight as exotic dancers, the dance chorus is high octane excellent, and the orchestra, though sounding rather shrill due to an over-dependence on the electronic keyboard, develops the multi-musical sounds.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  “Flashdance The Musical” is one of those musicals that delights audiences, while not being a well-written show.  It has strong music, great choreography and Corey Mach, local kid making good.  That ought be more than enough to please the Cleveland faithful.

“Flashdance The Musical” is scheduled to run through April 13, 2014.  For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org

Add-ons: 

•Prepare to be dazzled on May 2, when the $16-million upgrade of Playhouse Square becomes a reality…four welcoming gateways, video boards, marquees, a 48-foot Playhouse Square sign atop the Cowell & Hubbard Building, and the world’s largest outdoor chandelier will all be set ablaze.

•Congrats to the subscribers to the Key Bank Broadway series.  The 29,266 of you hold membership in the largest subscriber series in the U.S.!

CLYBOURNE PARK...a Pulitzer Prize view of neighborhood integration and gentrification

Have you ever wondered, after seeing a play, what might have happened to the characters or even the physical structure in which the story is set, before the play began or after it ended?  Bruce Norris’s ‘CLYBOURNE PARK’ does exactly that.

Flash back to 1959, where, at the conclusion of Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A RAISIN THE SUN,’ the black Younger family is about to move into the all-white Clybourne Park area of Chicago.   Before the move, fearing the lowering of housing costs and white flight, the neighbors sent Karl Lindner, a bigoted community leader, to offer the Youngers money for not finalizing the deal.  As it turned out, Lena, the matriarch of the family, refused the offer and the Youngers moved to a house numbered 406. 

(Side note:  the story parallels the plight of Hansberry’s family.  In 1937 her father bought a home in Chicago’s segregated Washington Park area.  The restrictive covenants were challenged, resulting in a legal case (Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32).  The Hansberry family won the suit, and lived in the property, which now has National Landmark Preservation status.)

(Enter Norris)   Act 1 of ‘CLYBOURNE PARK’ takes us back to 1959, into the house numbered 406, several days before the Youngers are to move in.  Bev and Russ, the owners of the property, are grief stricken.  Their son, Kenneth, who was accused of war crimes, had committed suicide in his bedroom.  The family, which has been ostracized, decided to sell the house.  We are never sure whether they sold to a black family to get back at their neighbors, or, as they state, were “unaware of the race of the new owners.”   Lindner, the bigoted  character from RAISIN, comes to plead with Bev and Russ to withdraw from the deal. After an emotional confrontation in front of a group of neighbors, the sellers refuse.  (Exit Norris.)

(Re-enter Norris).   The second act of CLYBOURNE PARK takes place in 2009.   The same actors as in Act 1, playing different characters, are present.  There is conflict as to whether the house, in what is now becoming a gentrified community, will be sold, leveled and a new structure built by a white family.  African American Lena and her husband represent the local neighborhood association, and mention that her Great-Aunt moved her family to that house in 1959.  (It is probably not by chance that the young lady has the same name as her Great-Aunt.) Racism enters as the blacks, who have rebuilt the neighborhood, don’t want white suburbanites to buy and change the character of the houses, many of which have been rebuilt to mirror their historical past.

Does the viewer have to know all of the intertwining stories in order to appreciate the Norris play?  No, but it does add a psychological jolt to realize that we are watching the blending of ideas of two great playwrights.  It is also eye-opening to realize that Hansberry, whose ‘RAISIN IN THE SUN’ is considered the seminal black civil rights play, did not win a Pulitzer Prize for her script, but Norris did for his.  One can only wonder if gender and race, subjects of both scripts, was a factor in Hansberry’s denial decision by the Pulitzer committee.

I found the Broadway production of the play fascinating, nicely balancing the powerful message with well developed natural humor.  The Cleveland Play House production is good, but under the direction of Mark Cuddy, there are disconnects.   Some characters are realistic, others developed as caricatures.  The pacing doesn’t build to the emotional climaxes.  The development somewhat sets aside the serious nature of segregation, problems caused by regentrification,  prejudice, and the language of hate.  All of these are in Norris’s writing, but not always strongly present on stage.

Part of the issue may be a lack of clarity as to what type of play this is, which sets the path for the pacing and character development.  In the before-the-play talk the moderator indicated the play was a “farce.”  Farce is defined as, “a light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, and often slapstick element are used for humorous effect.”  If this is the focus which director Mark Cuddy used, I can understand why I found the production somewhat lacking.   The Broadway version was developed as a realistic drama with wickedly comic interludes which came naturally from the language of the play.   

Norris, who is an actor as well as a playwright, writes characters that live.   The language and intentions are clear.  The plot is probable.  It could have been happening today in Cleveland’s Tremont, Ohio City or the Forest Hill area of East Cleveland/Cleveland Heights.

All the actors play dual characters.  One in the 1959 era, another in 2009.  This requires the actors to develop two clearly differentiated personages.  

Remi Sandri is compelling as the father who is still grieving for his now-dead son.  His inner rage at both the suicide of the boy and the virulent treatment towards his son by the neighbors, is clearly evident.    The writing arch which allows him, as the second act workman, who finds a buried trunk in the backyard, to open a letter found inside, and read aloud the dead son’s suicide note, is heart-wrenchingly developed. 

On the other hand, both as his wife and a lawyer, Roya Shanks comes off affected, portraying characters, not real persons.  Which, may be the issue with others in the cast who, I thought didn’t dig deeply enough into the motivations behind the real people they were portraying and, instead, gave the veneer of these people.

Bruce Norris says that his hopeful audience response to the play upon exiting the production is,  “I don’t know what’s right anymore.  I used to think I knew what was right, but I’m not sure I do.”  Hopefully, the audience will grab enough from the CPH production to satisfy Norris’s goal.

Capsule Judgement:  Pulitzer Prize winning ‘CLYBOURNE PARK’ is an emotionally moving and thought-provoking script that effectively highlights the still present distrust between members of different races.  It does that while inserting enough natural humor to keep the audience engaged.  It gets an acceptable, but not spellbinding production at CPH.  It’s a significant play worth seeing.

‘CLYBOURNE PARK’ continues at the Cleveland Play House’s Allen Theatre through April 13, 2014.  For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com

"'night Mother"--Pulitzer Prize script and maserful acting at Beck

One of the most common questions I encountered as a counselor when working with someone who had just experienced the suicide of a family member or acquaintance was “Why did s/he do it?”  Or, in confronting someone who was suicidal, the question is, “Why do you want to do that?” Ironically, most of the time there is no thoughtful answer. 

A humanistic psychology theory about suicide is that the person has come to the place in their life in which their basic human needs are not being met.  They no longer feel the need to survive.  Their life, from their perspective, is not filled with happiness.  They feel insecure because of mental anguish due to physical or psychological long or short-term illness.  They often feel that they have no way to control their own lives or the environment in which they exist.

The important concept of that theory is the idea that suicide is almost always an emotional (feeling), not a logical (thinking) act.  It is also based on personal perception.  It often doesn’t make sense to the survivors.  They, of course, are looking at the act from their perspective and in a logical manner. No, no matter how hard we try, we cannot feel the pain or anguish of someone else.

“‘night, Mother,” Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, which is now in production at Beck Center for the Arts, is a play about two people in varying states of life’s pain.  The approach of one, Jessie, the daughter, is to realize that her life, which is filled with depression, agoraphobia, seizures and isolation, is not going to get any better.  She concludes, in her emotionally controlled way, that her life is not worth living. 

Her mother, Thelma, has lived a life with an emotionally distant husband who seldom spoke to her and hid from personal contact, has unproductive and disappointing people in her life, and has chosen to ignore that which surrounds her.  She is dutifully going through the act of living.

At the start of the play, we meet Jessie, cleaning her father’s pistol, putting bullets in it, and announcing calmly to her mother, that shortly, she is going into her room to shot herself.  Before she does so, she gets the household life in order.  She has already made arrangements for groceries to be delivered to their rural dwelling, thoroughly cleaned the house, filled the candy dishes, packed up presents for her relatives, and taken care of the day-to-day household activities. Jessie is ready.

The duo spends their evening drinking hot cocoa, planning for Thelma’s weekly manicure, and talking about neighbors and relatives.  There is such a calm attitude that it is almost astounding to believe that within a short period of time, Jessie is going to end her life.  Or, is she? 

The audience may well be thrown off by the fact that there is no high drama, just an almost enveloping sense of the inevitable.  This is a tribute to both Norman’s superb writing, and the masterful performances of both Dorothy Silver and Laura Perrotta.   Their performances are a master class in acting.  They clearly illustrate, with the aid of Scott Plate’s spot on directing, that high drama does not need screaming, shouting, and out-of-control projection.   The audience is swept to the conclusion by their underplay and the calmness of the script.  The power of the emotion is the power of words and controlled actions.

One might ask, “Why doesn’t a mother, knowing that her daughter is about to commit suicide, hide the gun, call the police, intercede in some way?.”  That questions shows a lack of understanding of depression, of living in a world of denial and thinking that logic prevails.  Mental health people are aware that all things being equal, emotions override logic.  These women are both, in their own ways, victims of lives of frustration and defeat. 

Cast members of the play’s award winning Broadway production included Kathy Bates and Anne Pitoniak.  The 1986 film starred Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft.  A 2004 revival showcased Edie Falco and Brenda Blethyn.   As great as those performances were, Silver and Perrotta are their equals.  (BTW…a 2015 projected Great White Way rival is going to star Oprah Winfrey and Audra McDonald.)

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Beck’s “’night Mother ”is one of the finest evenings of theatre one can experience.  The script, the acting, the directing are all of the highest quality. It is not an escapist experience, but is an opportunity to look at an on-going issue of our culture and gain an understanding of how the lack of fulfillment of our basic needs has an effect on life decisions.  It’s not for escapists, but for realists. This is an absolutely, must see for anyone who wants to participate in an all embracing theatrical experience.

“’night Mother” is scheduled to run through May 4, 2014 at Beck Center for the Arts.  For tickets and information call 216-521-2540 or go online to http://www.beckcenter.org  

Deaf and blind Israeli performers enlighten audience at the Ohio

If one of the major purposes of theater is to make members of the audience feel and view things in a different light, then “Not By Bread Alone” has to be an unquestionable success.  The “play” explores the hopes, dreams and memories of a group of men and women.  It also explores their isolation, frustrations and loneliness. 

At the start of the adventure, the audience views a group of men and women, in chef’s hats and aprons, knead, shape and place dough onto baking sheets.  Viewing these “bakers,” it quickly becomes obvious that they are not looking at the dough or speaking to each other.  What’s wrong with this picture?

The members of the cast are members of the acting company of Israel’s Nalaga’at Theater.  They are all deaf and blind.  They are, as one member of the company states, “a whole company of Helen Kellers.” 

The company was founded in 2007 and is now housed in their own performance space, which also has a restaurant connected to it, which is operated by the cast and similarly afflicted people.  The complex is situated in a center in Jaffa, next to Tel Aviv.

“Nalaga’at” means “please touch” in Hebrew.  It is therefore not surprising that the company’s second show is entitled “Not By Bread Alone,” as the actions and contact feed the souls of both the performers and audience alike. 

During the performance the bread actually baked and the smell permeated the Ohio Theatre during the 75-minute performance.  Following the last “line,” the audience was invited up on the stage to taste the “lechem,” (the Hebrew word for bread) and interact with the cast with the assistance of interpreters. 

As the play starts, each of the 11 actors is wearing a featureless mask.  As the first scene unfolds, each, with the unobtrusive aid of a helper/interpreter, removes his/her mask as their story and identity is revealed.  As the flow of ideas continues, we learn the hopes, dreams, and frustrations of being born, or becoming deaf and blind.  In reality, only three can speak, mainly in Hebrew or Russian.  Most are carriers of Usher Syndrome, an inherited disorder which usually causes blindness and accompanying deafness.  Several are related to each other. 

Each, in their tales, report the importance of interaction and a desire for human connection and the need to communicate.  They have learned to do so through learning Russian and Hebrew sign language, touch-signing, glove language (each joint on the hand symbolizes a letter and is typed by one person on the hand of another), and Braille.  Several wear hearing aids which helps them distinguish sounds. 

The sound of a drum beat occasionally is heard.  This is a cue that announces the start of a new scene.  The actors feel the vibration and are aware of the need to transition to the next experience. 

Those expecting the actors to present a plot driven show, like those presented by the  now defunct Cleveland Signstage Theatre (also known as Fairmount Theater of the Deaf), may be disappointed.  

In reality what is performed are a series of what some might perceive to be awkward vignettes.  There is a wedding, a visit to a hairdresser, a trip to Italy which includes “seeing” the Pope, and some Laurel and Hardy slapstick routines.  Hokey, yes, but they are acting out the “bucket list” wishes of the cast and are performing within the limits of their physical restrictions.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: “NOT BY BREAD ALONE” is everything good theatre should be….a thought- provoking, experience-broadening, emotionally inspiring experience that should open the eyes and hearts of the viewer.  Mazel tov to Adina Tai and the Nalaga’at Deaf-Blind Theater Ensemble of Israel.

The Shaw Festival's 2014 season

 

The Shaw Festival is one of the two major Canadian theatre celebrations, the other being The Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario.  Both are professional,, high quality venues.

The Shaw Festival, which runs from April through October, is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries. 

Many Clevelanders take the four-hour drive up to “The Shaw,” as it is called by locals, to participate in theatre, tour the “most beautiful little city in Canada,” shop, visit the many wineries, and eat at the many restaurants.

This year’s season includes:

“Cabaret” (April 10-October 26)  Kander and Ebb’s award-winning musical tells the story of a seedy nightclub in 1930’s Berlin where a young English performer strikes up a relationship with an American writer, all while a zealous Master of Ceremonies commands the action at the Kit Kat Klub.

“The Philadelphia Story” (May 15-October 25)  A classic romantic comedy by Philip Barry which tells the story of a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and an attractive journalist.

“The Philanderer” (June 26-October 12)  Shaw’s comedy of one man and two women who are caught in a battle between modern ideas and conventional romance.  This production will include the “too daring” original final act.

“The Charity That Began At Home:  A Comedy For Philanthropists” (April 25-October 11)  St. John Hankin’s comedy probes the idea that anyone can be kind to the pleasant, but who will care for the mean?

“The Sea” (June 3-October 12)  In a mix of comedy and politics, author Edward Bond questions whether extraterrestrial aliens are about to invade.

“A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur” (June 28-October 11)  Tennessee Williams’ rarely produced one-act comedy, set in the mid-1930s, the play focuses on four women struggling for a sense of identity and independence.

“Arms And The Man” (April 4-October 18)  Worlds collide in this Shaw romantic comedy when two opposing soldiers vie for the heart of an idealistic young woman.

“When We Are Married” (May 7-October 26)  J. B. Priestley’s comedy examines what happens when three upstanding couples, who are celebrating their joint silver wedding anniversaries, learn that none of them are legally married.

“Juno And The Paycock” (June 28-October 12)  Sean O’Casey’s tale of the happenings in a working class tenement during the Irish Civil War.

“The Mountaintop” (July 16-September 7)  A conversation been Martin Luther King, Jr., who is in his motel room the night before his assassination, and a beautiful young hotel maid.   (To read my review of the Broadway production of this play, go to: http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog/2011/11/review-cle-to-nyc-the-mountaintop-opens-questions-about-martin-luther-king-jr/

It’s a good idea to make both theatre and lodging reservations early, especially with the B&Bs on weekends. Our home away from home is the beautiful and well-placed Wellington House (www.wellington.house@sympatico.ca), directly across the street from The Festival Theatre, within easy walking distance of all the theatres. For information on other B&Bs go to www.niagaraonthelake.com/showbedandbreakfasts

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.  Ask about packages that include lodging, meals and tickets.  Also be aware that the festival offers day-of-the-show rush tickets and senior matinee prices.

There are some wonderful restaurants including Queenston Heights Restaurant (http://www.queenstonheights.com).  It is located in a park just over the US-Canadian border and has a breathtaking view of the Niagara River gorge.  (Make a reservation and ask for a window table.)   A real find is the Benchmark Restaurant at the Niagara Culinary Institute (http://www.niagaracollege.ca/dining), at which student chefs hone their skills. My in-town favorite is The Grill on King Street (905-468-7222, 233 King Street).

Go to the Shaw Festival! Find out what lovely hosts Canadians are, and see some great theatre!  Don’t forget your passport as it’s the only form of identification that will be accepted for re-entry into the U.S.

'LOBSTER ALICE': Salvatore Dali and Walt Disney at convergence-contnuum

Walt Disney was an animator, cartoonist, producer, director, screenwriter, and the voice of Mickey Mouse.  He won 22 Academy Awards.  It is ironic that for a man noted for producing some of the most beloved and lovable visual characters, he was emotionally conservative, not often drawing attention to himself.

Salvador Dali was an egotistical surrealist Spanish painter, who was noted for his bizarre and striking art images.  His best-known piece was “The Persistence of Memory,” a melting clock.  He “loved everything that was gilded and excessive.”  He wore bizarre oriental clothing and colorful scarves.  He loved to draw attention to himself, and freely expressed his views.

Ironically, Disney and Dali, formed a partnership when, in 1946, the former hired the latter to be the creative consultant on Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Kira Obolensky’s “Lobster Alice,” which is now in production at convergence-continuum, is a historification of Dali’s involvement in the Alice project and the very short film that resulted from his “Hollywood adventure.”

The story centers on John Finch, an uptight, pedestrian Disney animator and his secretary/assistant, Alice Horowitz.   He is working on the “Alice in Wonderland” project and has a crush on his secretary.  She, much like the wonderland lass, is blonde and curious. 

Enter Dali, out goes routine.  Enter Dali, the whole world turns upside down, including Alice falling down a hole.  In this case, it’s a hole in the sofa in the Disney studio office.  (Hey, remember, this is a fantasy.)

The buttoned-down Finch has been assigned to oversee Dali’s animating the song, “Destino” in hopes of creating another “Fantasia.”  Weekly, Monday meetings are planned.  But Dali isn’t one for sticking to a project, following rules, or letting Finch and Alice lead their previous ordered existence.  Yes, Dali believes that “anything is possible in painting and in life,” and turns into the Mad Hatter who stirs the simmering dreams of Finch and Alice.

Obolensky’s surreal script isn’t extremely well written, but it does have enough bizarre lines and situations to hold the audience’s attention.  There are lots of mind-bending visual effects, some confounding uses of lobsters, a couch which acts as Alice’s hole to wonderland, a green and yellow “Caterpillar,” a cleaning man, Alice’s former boyfriend, and, of course, Salvador Dali.

Sarah Maria Hess, she of blond curls, a blue “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” dress, Betty Boop cutesy voice, and saucer blue eyes, makes for a delightful Alice Horowitz. 

Tom Coles is properly uptight as John Finch.  Though the writing causes him to overplay a naïve twit, he carries off the characterization well.

Grey Cross is hysterical as Dali. Complete with the famous “Dali waxed mustache,” he looks like the great surrealist.  He walks, swishes, sashays and controls the stage with a bigger than life portrayal.  Without Cross, the play would have gone down the hole and never come back.

Beau Reinker plays multi-roles, including a Caterpillar, with a nice touch of irony.

Director Clyde Simon keeps the action humming right along.

Capsule Judgement:  “Lobster Alice” is not a great play, but con-con gives it a surrealist production which should delight the theatre’s niche audience.  If you want an evening of the unexpected and irrational, this could be your thing.

“Lobster Alice” runs through  April 5, 2014 at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438 Scranton Rd. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. For information and reservations call 216-687-0074.

Con-con’s next show is the Cleveland premiere of ”Swimming in the Shallow” by Adam Bock, which runs from May 2 through the 24th.

"The Westing Game" pleases audience at geauga Lyric Theater Guild

Before the curtain went up at Geauga Lyric Theater Guild’s production of “The Westing Game,” the three tween boys sitting behind me were discussing Ellen Raskin’s book, on which the play is based.  They were trying to figure out how the director was going to stage the mystery which takes place in various settings, “too many to put on the stage.”  They decided that the book would be a better movie because of the special effects, such as explosions and disappearances, that “had to take place or the show would ‘suck’.”

“The Westing Game,” also titled “Get a Clue,” is a 1979 Newbery Medal winning novel which has been transformed into a movie and play. The Newbery Medal is awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children for publications aimed at young people.  

The book/play centers on Sam Westing, a wealthy manufacturer, his sixteen potential heirs, and an attempt to solve the mysteries concerning his death.  Was it a murder?  If so, who did it?  And, who will solve the crime and get the inheritance?

The heirs are chosen to live in the Sunset Towers apartments on the shore of Lake Michigan, somewhere near Milwaukee.  They are brought together by Westing with the intent of dividing them into groups of two, each set given some clues, all of which center on the lyrics to “America the Beautiful.”  Each person is given $10,000 to play the game.  This is their inheritance unless they are the one to solve the mystery.  If they are the best detective, they will inherit Westing’s $200 million fortune and become the owner of Westing Paper Products.

Sounds like a book, movie and play aimed at middle school audiences?  It is, and that is both the positive and negative of the script. 

The plusses are that the play is family friendly, the language and plot are simple to follow, there are no objectionable words or situations, and it gives the cast a chance to create many interesting characters.  

The main negative is that the format is written by a book writer, not a dramatist.  The form used is written language.  Spoken and written language have different vocabularies and sentence lengths.  It is often difficult to sound authentic while trying to speak written language instead of dialogue. 

Another problem is that the book format allows for the creation of multi-settings and actions , such as 14 different apartments and a restaurant, as well as explosions, that are nearly impossible for theaters, especially money-strapped community theatres, to create on small stages. 

Considering the limitations of the script and stage space, the Geauga Lyric Theatre production, as directed by Angela Miloro-Hansen, is an acceptable community theatre staging of “The Westing Game.”

The production incorporates some nice video designs by Jonathan Klein, thanks to the cooperation of the Tudor Manor Home in Euclid being opened to the theatre for filming due to the generosity of the Friends of Henn Mansion, a group dedicated to restoration and preservation of the manor.

There is clever use of pictures of the cast of characters around the proscenium arch being lit up as the characters are identified and perform.

There are some good performances in which real people emerge.  Included in these are Cara Battagia as Dani, Meg May as the Judge, and Evan Graham as Theo. 

Some of the cast found themselves acting, rather than creating real people.  Unreal gestures, and affected pronunciations made for problems.  Some of this may have been caused by the script’s creation of unreal characters with little motivations to speak some of the lines. 

Opening night found some of the cast stumbling and forgetting their lines, resulting in a member of the cast feeding the errant cast members their lines.  Cuing on-stage did help the verbally stumbling actor, but it is a frowned upon performance action.

Capsule judgment:  The tweens behind me expressed their satisfaction at the end of the play, as did the large audience who loudly applauded approval for their performing friends, relatives and neighbors. 

“The Westing Game,” with sponsorship by Middlefield Banking, runs through March 30, 2014 at the Chardon Theatre, 101 Water Street, on the square in downtown Chardon.  For tickets cal 440-286-2255 or go to geaugatheater.org