Deep Magic
C.S.
Lewis’s classic play, The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe is playing at the Newmark Theatre on Broadway in downtown
Portland. It is produced by OCT and
directed by Matthew B. Zrebski. This
adaptation is written by Joseph Robinette and will play through February 17th. For further information contact www.octc.org or call 503-228-9571.
There is no doubt that Lewis wrote some of the great classic literature for the
young when he penned the stories of the world of Narnia. He was great pals in
college with J.R.R. Tolkien who, at the same time, was writing the Lord of the Rings books. Both these classics have enjoyed stage, film,
TV, animated, and audio book adaptations.
They not only speak to the young but also to people of all ages and
cultures.
This presentation is a shortened and scaled-down version of the story, lasting
a little more than an hour. But it is,
nonetheless, satisfying and gives a glimpse into the world of the
make-believe. In reality, many children
in WWII England, were sent to the country to live with relatives or other friends
to spare them the horrors of the bombing of the cities. Lewis was part of this network and, thus, was
born the transportation of “two daughters of Eve,” Lucy (Hannah Baggs) and
Susan (Jesse Turner) and “two sons of Adam,” Edmund (Chase Klotter) and Peter
(Sean Sele) to an estate in the country and, inadvertently, to Narnia.
Narnia is ruled by the wicked and feared White Witch (Cecily Overman), where
the land is constantly Winter. With her
cohorts Ferris Ulf, a wolf (Ben Buckley) and the Dwarf (Melissa Kaiser) they
hold the inhabitants in their icy grip.
But salvation is just around the corner with the advent of Aslan, the
Lion (Matthew D. Pavik). But before
order can be restored and the land returned to Summer and the warmth of the
sun, a sacrifice must be offered and battles and deaths will ensue. Any references to religions and the politics
of the day were probably intentional.
The four children were all good, carrying well the heavy line-load the parts
demanded and having the right look for the roles. But the British accents, although adequate,
were all over the map. Mr. Pavik, as
Aslan, had the right voice and look for the role but seemed to be missing, at times, the urgency and nobility
the part demands. London Bauman, in the
key role of Tumnus, had the right feel and appearance in the role of the faun.
Particularly effective was Ms. Overman as the Witch/Queen. She had the chilling power in body and voice
to make one believe that she, indeed, did rule.
And Mr. Buckley, as her evil minion, oozed energy and nastiness with
every move and inflection. The death
scene of the wolf in the Queen’s arms was the most touching in the show. Impressive, also, was Ms. Kaiser in the
contrasting roles of the naughty Dwarf and the jovial Elf (as well, in the
silent role of the elusive, White Stag).
And she played all three roles with equal effectiveness.
Probably, overall, the best scene was the battle toward the end as a dance/movement
piece. It was beautifully choreographed
by (I assume) the Director, Mr. Zrebski, who kept the whole play moving at a
brisk pace. The set (Tal Sanders) was
well designed, allowing for easy movement of the actors. And the costumes (Ashton Grace Hull) were
also good, giving the impression of the character and yet allowing the
performer to interpret the role in movement and facial expressions.
A side note, the play, Shadowlands,
about the relationship between Lewis and the love of his life, will be presented
at Magenta Theatre in downtown Vancouver in mid-April. I would recommend L/W/W and, if you do go to
either show, please tell them Dennis sent you.
Extreme Angst
The Huntsmen by Quincy Long and directed by Kathleen
Dimmick is playing at the Portland Playhouse until February 17th. The theatre is housed in an old church at 602
NE Prescott St. For further information
on times and dates and their Season, contact them at www.portlandplayhouse.org and/or call 503-488-5822.
Oh, for the good ole days, we often say to ourselves. Things were much simpler then, in our
Youth. The lead character, Devon (Dean
Linnard) in this play, would sharply disagree, I’m sure, in a very cutting
way. We may be such “stuff as dreams are
made on,” but when the lines between reality and fantasy blur, it’s time
to…burst into song?!
The story of this misfit, alienated teenager does not easily follow a linear
path. This young fellow may simply be
experiencing growing pains (at best) or be a sociopath with homicidal tendencies
(at worst). He kills a fellow classmate
(or does he?) that laughs at his inability to perform sex; then his father
(Michael O’Connell) for wanting to turn him in (or does he?); then a series of
strangers, for either real or imagined wrongs, until he is a full-fledged
serial killer (or is he?) The dilemma is
real, the truth may not be.
Through it all, this inarticulate boy, seems to find his true voice only in
song. Is he really bad (or mad) or
just…misunderstood? Is his relationship
in this dysfunctional family with his father and mother (Sharonlee Mclean) and
her authoritarian boyfriend (Gavin Gregory) the root of all this evil within
him? Will the music he hears really,
eventually “soothe the savage beast?”
Questions asked but with no definitive answer forthcoming.
The style of the play is somewhat reminiscent of the 50’s avant-garde writers
such as Pinter, Beckett and even, early Albee. They only barely touched on plot-driven
stories and, only then, for the audience’s convenience. Their tales took place in the mind. A “no man’s land,” a kaleidoscope of kinetic
energy, signifying…nothing (or everything) depending on the viewer’s
interpretation. Is Hamlet (a teenager,
too) mad, or is his convenient “madness” just a good excuse for acting out his
growing pains. The same question might
be asked here, also.
The arc of the story does seem to follow an odd sort of logical line. Most of Mr. Jones’s chronology of events,
albeit chaotic at times, flows reasonably smoothly. The only bump in the road is his connection
with a music mogul and his blind daughter (Crystal Munoz). Although a well-acted bit, it seems to come
out of nowhere and, thus, has nowhere to go.
The music, (possibly a throw-back to the 50’s) is sung acappella by the
cast. The meaning is muddy at times but
many people do define their Youth by the music that was popular at the time. But, overall, it’s a riveting story,
well-played by an excellent cast, doing multiple roles.
Mr. Linnard is extraordinary as the teenager who is the focus of the
story. His hesitant delivery of lines,
his inarticulateness, his snapshot view of events, all lend to an awareness of
obvious frustration with himself and his environment. He is truly a joy to watch. And Mr. O’Connell as the father and the music
mogul, et. al., lends a sense of scary reality of recognizable characters from
life. He makes it look easy as he slips
from one role to another.
The rest of the cast is equally as good, playing all the other roles, as well
as a singing “Greek Chorus,” commentators of the action. Add Jared Miller, (very good as the Detective),
perhaps the one voice of reason (and possibly the audience’s viewpoint) who
tries to make sense of the proceedings.
The direction by Ms. Dimmick keeps the play moving at a brisk pace, much
like a stream of consciousness, attempting to put us inside the head of
storyteller.
Portland Playhouse consistently does innovative productions, never failing to
engage, engross and entertain an audience.
They are definitely one of the five best theatres in the Portland
area! I recommend this play. If you do go, please tell them that Dennis
sent you.
A Epicurean Delight
This one-man
show about chef, James Beard (Rob Nagle), is written by James Still and
directed by Jessica Kubzansky. It plays
at PCS through February 3rd.
PCS is located in the Pearl district at 128 NW 11th Ave. For more information on this show and their
season, go to www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700.
Take a large dose of laughter, sprinkle in dreams of being Chinese, add two
tablespoons of classical opera, pepper generously with being openly gay and
what do you get?!
A wonderful concoction called James Beard, chef extraordinaire. This Portland native went onto become one of
the best-known chefs in the world and the first to have his own televised cooking shows, back in the
mid-1940’s, and the creator of over 20 cook books.
This one-man show about Beard (Rob Nagle) consists of this eccentric, rotund,
personage telling us, in short snippets, the story of his life. He re-creates his cooking show for Borden’s,
with his co-host, a hand-held puppet of their symbol, Elsie, the cow. He explains about his humble beginnings in
his parents’ boarding house in Portland and his first fascination with cooking
from their Chinese cook (and his Godfather).
He brags that he never had a cooking lesson in his life and that making
good meals need not be just for the rich and fancy of our world.
His orations are constantly interrupted by phone calls from various friends,
lovers and strangers, as he insists that his phone number be listed and that he
enjoys being able to salvage mealtime accidents. He occasionally slips into a semi-coma when
he hears classical opera and concedes
that his real calling was to be a great singer of it. Then he whips up a tasty, simple, homemade
sandwich that he shares with some of the audience. But, through all the joy, he confesses to
never really being loved. Being content
is not the same as being happy, he surmises.
The set (Tom Buderwitz) is Beard’s kitchen in his home. It is colorfully decorated and allows for an easy flow of movement. The direction (Ms. Kubzansky) lets the actor
explore the space and keeps the action moving at all times. When needed, she allows the pace to slow for
his more poignant memories and then clips along, when necessary, for his more
joyous escapades.
But the script, although good, could easily sink, if the Beard role was not in
capable hands. In PSC’s case, Mr. Nagle is not only capable
but exceeds all expectations! He truly
inhabits the role. He has the physical
look, the mannerisms and voice and, most of all, portrays the heart and soul of
Mr. Beard. He literally has the audience
in the palm of his hand, to mold
whatever feast he chooses. He plays the
quiet moments with as much passion and meaning as the more bombastic ones. I couldn’t imagine this journey without Mr. Nagle
at the helm. Or, perhaps to summarize it
in Mr. Beard’s own words: “Goody, Goody!
It should be noted that, until recently, there is no permanent tribute in
Portland to this native son. The
oversight has been rectified recently, as there will be a James Beard Public
Market near the Morrison Bridge, sometime in the near future. If you choose to experience this exciting
performance, tell them Dennis sent you.
A Double-Edge Sword
The Lost Boy by local playwright,
Susan Mach and directed by ART’s Artistic Director, Allan Nause, will play
through February 10th. The
theatre is located on SW 16th and Alder. For more information on the show and/or
season contact them at www.artistisrep.org or call 503-241-1278 for tickets.
The story is set in the late 1800’s. It
concerns the kidnapping of a young boy, Charley Ross (Logan Martin & Agatha
Day Olson), from a prominent family in Philadelphia. Two drifters, Bill (Duffy Epstein) and Joe
(Sean Doran), looking to get rich quick, lure the boy with promises of candies
and fireworks, if he comes with them.
Needless to say, the sweet enticements are a ruse and the boy disappears
from view.
A ransom note for $20,000 is sent to his father, Christian (Michael
Fisher-Welsh). But all is not as it
seems on the home front. The family, far
from being rich, is actually deep in debt.
In an attempt to stave off the kidnappers, a bevy of characters get
involved, including a detective, Heins (Doren Elias), the newspapers and even
P.T. Barnum (Gray Eubank) himself and his circus. (This may be where the term “media circus”
came from).
During this ordeal, it is revealed that the family has had its own demons to
deal with. The father, from a lack
of funds; the mother, Sarah (Dana
Millican), dealing with a ghost from the past; and the older son, Walter
(Harper Lea), feeling guilt for letting his brother go with them. And the Media factions, more interested in looking
out for their own publicity, muddy the already turbulent waters even more. To reveal anything else of the plot would
spoil the mystery, which I’m not
prepared to do.
But it is a fascinating story, mirroring somewhat, the sensational Lindbergh
kidnapping of the early 1900’s, the early 2000 Gaddis/Pond kidnapping and
murders, and the more recent abduction of Kyron Horman from his school. But, as intriguing as the story is, Ms. Mach’s
setting of it, as a background for Barnum’s side-show, is downright brilliant. The façade of a circus arena, reflecting the
real life events, gives the story its edge.
Perhaps, “The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll capture the conscience of
the king” (Hamlet).
Mr. Eubanks (Barnum) is appropriately bombastic and his minions (San Dinkowitz,
Luisa Sermol, Elizabeth Houghton, and Geoff Kanick) are all very good at
creating this surreal atmosphere, needing to be proficient in tumbling,
singing, and juggling. Bravo, troupe! And
the recreations of the Barnum banners/portraits of his characters (Jeff
Seats) are quite stunning, as well as the period costumes (Sarah Gahagan).
Mr. Fisher-Welsh, as the father, begins the show with a lack of urgency in his
performance, which should have been there.
But by the second act he acquires the necessary desperation needed for
the character. Perhaps the most riveting
scene (both in acting, by Ms. Millican and writing, by Ms. Mach) in the show is the monologue in the
second act, in which she describes another demon that haunts her. It is a spell-binding moment.
But veteran actor, Mr. Epstein, as the lead kidnapper, is absolutely wonderful
to watch. You can actually observe him
thinking onstage, as he controls his partner to his bidding; deceives the
golden goose, Mr. Ross (through letters); and weaves sweet nothings out of the
air to entice children. A masterly
performance of a thoroughly evil man.
Mr. Nause, the Director, is always a pleasure to watch, as he creates the little,
quiet moments, in contrast with the rough ‘n tumble of the more gregarious
conflicts—an actor’s director. I’ve never
been disappointed in his directing of a show (or his performing). Hopefully, we’ll continue to see his genius
upon the stage, as his tenure of Artistic Director culminates this year.
Ms. Mach’s terrific script carefully balances her characters, never really
taking sides as to her views but, instead, letting the audience make up their
own minds as to who may be the villains or heroes of the piece. And all the traits of these characters can
easily be translated into our modern world.
A world, perhaps, not of color, but all shades of gray.
This production is well worth seeing and, hopefully, will prompt discussions of
“stranger danger” with your children. A
side note, Ms. Mach also has another production premiering at the same time at the
Third Rail (503-235-1101 or www.ThirdRailRep.org ) at the Winningstad Theatre, A Noble Failure, about our education
system. This should be engrossing, also,
as she is a teacher herself. If you
choose to see this fine production of The
Lost Boy, tell them Dennis sent you.
