tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9244061667250069122024-03-18T12:57:46.752-07:00All Things Performing ArtsDennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.comBlogger835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-53126048430818555812024-03-11T12:22:00.000-07:002024-03-11T12:22:27.828-07:00Port Authority—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlvyZcwl3I8w32wngbaPvht3U9aLkW5DzyuphDyzSJXTgNvkP6L1PxuEtKtfeuEGao-Rcn3-VT2xioGHtYI2DsocaDW7m6LF02eeBaJ5ItgSvLehrNmzxK3jFlAwomhi-t4JNIbp4q72V206awUxtTbwJovR1B8Y4axrasIKUgebY99KFxBdzqLeVwBk/s655/Port%20Authority.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="655" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlvyZcwl3I8w32wngbaPvht3U9aLkW5DzyuphDyzSJXTgNvkP6L1PxuEtKtfeuEGao-Rcn3-VT2xioGHtYI2DsocaDW7m6LF02eeBaJ5ItgSvLehrNmzxK3jFlAwomhi-t4JNIbp4q72V206awUxtTbwJovR1B8Y4axrasIKUgebY99KFxBdzqLeVwBk/w400-h231/Port%20Authority.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <span style="text-align: center;"><b>The Pluck of the Irish</b></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This LIVE
production, is written by Conor McPherson, directed by Jerry Mouawad<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and produced by Carol Triffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It plays through March 24<sup>th</sup>at
Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup> Ave. (off E. Burnside).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Street parking can be an issue, so come
early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recommended for 16 and up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, contact them at </span><a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.imagotheatre.com</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-231-9581.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> What we see may not
be what we get…but what we get may be what we deserve.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">A random thought after seeing this play.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">The mind/memories are a tricky thing.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">When musing on the Past, what thoughts spring
to mind which, of course, are only brief snippets of our history.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">But why those, and why now…as we linger,
perhaps, at a terminal waiting for the next transport?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This play calls to
mind some European shows, such as, No Exit, of a bygone era…or of one closer to
home, Thornton Wilder’s, Our Town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
given time to reminisce, “…what dreams may come?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sum total of our existence may not be earth-shattering, as we might
anticipate…but like little cat paws upon an unbroken landscape, leaving not a
trace behind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And so, we are left
with three unconnected of three Irishmen at a terminal left to ponder and linger
in thoughts of yesteryear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t go
into the depths of their stories, for those should be absorbed by an audience’s
virgin ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you might consider your
own biographies when listening to theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Kevin (Mikhail
Duggan) has a rather uncommitted, carefree life, living at home with his
parents until it is strongly suggested he needs to try and make it on his
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, he gets himself roommates of
questionable types, except for Clare, who he’s a bit smitten with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They carouse together with rock music being
their common thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A life full of
empty possibilities, until, toward the end, a long walk will awaken, perhaps
too late, a more purposeful path appearing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Dermot (Matthew
Sunderland), is a family man who has not found his niche in life yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his meanderings down Life’s pathways,
leads him to drug and alcohol as being just the right fit for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, finally, the opportunity of a lifetime,
a dream job, falls into his lap and he is on cloud nine, but his navigational
skills are in need of repair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then truth
and reality raise their ugly heads and it’s not a pretty road anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Joe (Tory Mitchell)
is living at a Senior Center, whiling away in memoires, in the sunset of his
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A harmless sort who has had a fine
wife and kids but now only random memories invade his mundane existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, until a small package arrives with a
photo and a note of a chance encounter he had left behind and it opens up a world
of what-might-have-been for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cruel
footnote at the end of his journey, or a dream to hang his hat on?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> To me the stories
themselves are not the only highlight of the production, but the way they were
told, and the tellers, made a fulfilling couple of hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend remarked he thought they were
talking directly to him, with their eyes on his, and I felt the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The intensity of those run-of-the-mill
stories are what made them so compelling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The combination of McPherson carefully crafted script, the astute
direction of Mouawad and he the insightful performances of these three actors
are very much worth your while!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I recommend this
production. If you do see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="text-align: center;"><b></b></span><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-25738330104138538072024-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:002024-03-08T12:28:59.237-08:00Eleanor—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6diEAm0MyK2o-XnUyLlreH8v485hhdwGYRX4NYU7dbvmTKPI5jsb5if9dIyESWTDTihZjSc38w1d94wi63tjd9goxZtWwZSyX4FeHEtuk9b66MnjjzLWe-v6rqNAqzMJ4TBxgrMMv_pZzRexstXRQ3K_saoUAfTJEvWf9LN4hHjEtlKaKri-nUtqs0M/s607/Eleanor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="607" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6diEAm0MyK2o-XnUyLlreH8v485hhdwGYRX4NYU7dbvmTKPI5jsb5if9dIyESWTDTihZjSc38w1d94wi63tjd9goxZtWwZSyX4FeHEtuk9b66MnjjzLWe-v6rqNAqzMJ4TBxgrMMv_pZzRexstXRQ3K_saoUAfTJEvWf9LN4hHjEtlKaKri-nUtqs0M/w400-h221/Eleanor.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Something of Substance”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This one-woman, live
show, written by Mark St. Germain, and starring Margie Boule’, is directed by
Donald Horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing in their
space at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through
March 23rd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, go to
their site at </span><a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.trianglepro.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-239-5919.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Eleanor (Margie
Boule’) was the real, first woman on earth (with apologies to Eve), in my
opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amount of firsts in
accomplishments for women she introduced, is unparoled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t go into them all because that will allow
you to experience for yourselves this play, and discover the cornucopia of treasures
she unleashed upon our country…and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And this was not
from some flamboyant, rich kid from a Hyde Park family called the Roosevelts,
two of which, Teddy and Franklin, would become president, serving six terms
between them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, she was a simple,
awkward girl, who her mom confided in her that she was homely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, despite all that, as she played with her
fifth cousin, Franklin, as a child, she would eventually rise up and, with
strong objections from his mother, Sarah, become the First Lady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No mean feat when women had just recently
been given the right to vote.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> So, with little to
do of worth, she carved out her own path and became a voice for the underprivileged,
the disenfranchised, “the huddle masses, yearning to be free.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she was disillusioned with marriage (via
her husband’s mistresses) and so she had her own set of “admirers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She became a friend of the troops overseas
when she visited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She found her voice
and spoke her mind at political and social rallies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to this day, many other First Ladies have
emulated her stance and have truly become the Power behind the Power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And to think this is
all pulled off by another treasure, of the stage that is, Margie Boule.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, one person carries the burden of this
indominable woman, plus playing the parts of a dozen or so other characters
over a number of years, including Churchill, Sarah Roosevelt, FDR, et. al.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite of them was Lewis (or Louis), the
erasable, campaign manager, who was perhaps her guiding spirit through the murky
depths of the political game.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Boule’ does this
with such simplicity that it flows much like a beloved relative relating a very
personal story just to you alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
storyteller of the first kind, relatable to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is, of the stage, equal in stature to the
person she is playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t imagine
anyone else doing this role…and with such grace and humor and longing, too,
perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kudos of the highest order to
you, Ms. Boule’...long may your banner wave!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Horn is a
treasure, too, as he (and I’ve said this before) always manages to entertain,
inform, and educate an audience with his offerings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have rarely missed a production of his (and
this is one of his finest, (as well as hers) and am quite a devoted
follower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The almost two-hour play with
one woman is mesmerizing but, again, when you consider the geniuses involved
with it, it is not surprising!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-64239491994586898912023-12-10T13:17:00.000-08:002023-12-10T13:17:14.845-08:00ZooZoo—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7Nzx4ulxZmn-8qa57fFPJ673Gb4I7yc4JkGO1SOPA1pYguDDR7D0XjwRvaJU0LNbv3pGhVERQbMYqqX0gVrh0eeySKtNHkys09q_c-BZeimeCElWzjNMXEgfFGweN1TzXzgr2kpvg_atuKtDhHhMhchBBv5aMIDggHVeMs6dIpLATvYleul9o_WT6kI/s963/zoozoo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="963" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7Nzx4ulxZmn-8qa57fFPJ673Gb4I7yc4JkGO1SOPA1pYguDDR7D0XjwRvaJU0LNbv3pGhVERQbMYqqX0gVrh0eeySKtNHkys09q_c-BZeimeCElWzjNMXEgfFGweN1TzXzgr2kpvg_atuKtDhHhMhchBBv5aMIDggHVeMs6dIpLATvYleul9o_WT6kI/w640-h294/zoozoo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“A World of Pure
Imagination”</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> This award-winning,
delightful show for the whole family is conceived, designed directed and produced by Jerry Mouawad and
Carol Triffle, with original music by Katie Griesar. It plays through January1<sup>st</sup>, 2024at
Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup> Ave. (off E. Burnside). Parking can be an issue, so plan your time
accordingly. Recommended for ages 4 and
up. For more information, contact them
at <a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/">www.imagotheatre.com</a>
or call 503-231-9581.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Most of us live in
the world of Reality (sketchy as it is right now).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Artists visit the world of Reality only
as a tourist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a strong
relationship with the world of Imagination, and are willing to share it, as
needed, to give Mankind a boost (which is very much in demand right now, I
believe).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Imago is at the top of the
list, in my opinion, for creating such an atmosphere, as in this extraordinary
production of this magical show, ZooZoo!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> A warning, though,
some patrons have been licked by anteaters, sat on by penguins and jostled by
polar bears in these productions, so if this offends you, might choose to stay
away, or get your mind-set readjusted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The play is wordless from beginning to end and set on an essentially
bare stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the actors, music,
lighting, costumes, and sounds, plus your own imagination will transport you to
lands of wonder.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Yes, you will meet
products of the animal world:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>zebras,
polar bears, anteaters, cats, penguins, frogs and hippos…all displaying/portraying
various attitudes, some almost human-like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But you will also be introduced to an alternate universe in habited by
bugeyes, a paper bag (plus animal inside), larvabatics, windbags and paper…all
needing to express themselves. And, amazingly, they do get their point
across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is perhaps a
evolutionary/revolutionary/revealing/cautionary tale for us mere mortals to
drink in, swill around in our gullets and be transported to that world of pure
imagination in which one may release their inner child!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And what is most
amazing is that all these creatures are enacted, danced with athletic abandoned
by just 5 actors:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark Mullaney, Kaician
Kitko, Laura Loy, Isaac Ellingson, and John Mikhail Duggan—all brilliant!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creature designs/costumes by Triffle&
Mouawad is beyond words in their presentation, a work of art unto itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Griesar’s music/sound runs the garment of
genres, all perfectly in sync with the action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the lightning by Mouawad, plus Jeff Forbes and Chris Balo, creates
the tangible atmosphere in which they play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All in all, Mouawad &Triffle have created a masterpiece in which one
can wile away a couple of hours in the soothing cacophony of endless
possibilities!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> A final note, the
performance I witness had about 50% of its audience being young children and they
were totally captive by this magical world with its odd creatures, voicing
their pleasure at every turn and embracing the creatures as if they were old
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what was even more
remarkable, I noticed the adults/parents of these young minds, being caught up,
too, in the wonders of those moments, because they saw, just for a few moments,
what it was like to be an innocent again and what a mind-freeing experience
that is!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I very highly
recommend this production for All age, If you do choose to see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-47880051138511693012023-11-06T10:53:00.000-08:002023-11-06T10:53:24.240-08:00Murder at Gray Gables—Gray Gables Estate—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Stk6i7AQoMgWLCLzsM00VRC_ZPFV4Qhldx-gY7YMxmu6J3B8XMnzAVCHcI-MJzxaXuVFz24bti2A-q66xf4_Yi3QrST8rTzbHXeSAhdjJ-iYRgQmDJNOxEWdLVSNHmPak95t1aHDU2MnJmoZvLgv10VeNOHu9Xus6ZRAc2Y7NJPXe0ZkRHNqtuAhWSM/s943/engagment%20party.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="943" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Stk6i7AQoMgWLCLzsM00VRC_ZPFV4Qhldx-gY7YMxmu6J3B8XMnzAVCHcI-MJzxaXuVFz24bti2A-q66xf4_Yi3QrST8rTzbHXeSAhdjJ-iYRgQmDJNOxEWdLVSNHmPak95t1aHDU2MnJmoZvLgv10VeNOHu9Xus6ZRAc2Y7NJPXe0ZkRHNqtuAhWSM/w400-h199/engagment%20party.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>To Die For</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The Engagement
Party—a dark comedy, murder mystery, dinner-theatre is playing at Gray Gables
Estate, 3009 SE Chestnut Street, Portland, OR 97267.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is written by Doug Sellers, produced by
Jennifer Berryhill and directed by Meghan Daaboul.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For more details on
the show/experience/ food visit the Eventbrite page:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-engagement-party-a-murder-mystery-dinner-theatre-at-gray-gables-estate-tickets-729480113657?aff=ebdssbeac" target="_blank">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-engagement-party-a-murder-mystery-dinner-theatre-at-gray-gables-estate-tickets-729480113657?aff=ebdssbeac</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> This venue for a
theatre experience may be new to some.
Food and drinks are served in a restaurant-like atmosphere, while actors
perform around (and sometimes) with you
to enact a story. In this case, two
feuding, rich families in which, at some point, one of the guests is murdered
and it is up to you, and a detective, Bronson (the author, Doug Sellers), to
solve the crime.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> The plot is more
complicated than it needs to be, but the relationships (and food) are
delicious! The Swanson’s (Bride’s
family) and the Danner’s (Groom’s family) will verbally duke it out, revealing
and unveiling the worst in humankind.
Dysfunctional doesn’t begin to describe the tongue-lashing mayhem that
will ensure.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Bride, Elizabeth
(Meghan Daaboul), with her fiancé, Mark (Dirk Foley), seem to be above the
fray, but when things get touchy, even the lovebirds can begin pecking at the
seams of the family trees. Harvey (Jeff
Brosy), Elizabeth’s father, has a special gift for the intended, or are his
intentions barbed with deceit? Francine
(Francine Raften), the Bride’s mother (and Harvey’s ex-wife)is a brassy, outspoke
she-wolf, but are her bites worse than her howls? And Kinnedy (Caralynn Rose), Harvey’s
child-bride, seems in love with fashion and status and not much else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Robert (Michael
Rouches), Mark’s father, is obsessed with property stolen from him and schemes
to get it back. Gloria (Amber Green),
Mark’s mother, is family-oriented, as long as it benefits “her” family. Kevin (Brick Andrews), Mark’s brother, is a
playboy through and through, no matters who it hurts. And Amy (Erin Bickler), maid-of-honor, is
flirty and flighty, both in body and mind.
And then there is that pesky Bronson (Sellers), snooping about, possibly
for his own ends. And so you have it, a
perfect storm, a witch’s brew “to die for!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> To say the least,
these are not nice people but, at least, they’re entertaining for an evening,
but not someone you’d want for your next-door neighbor…or do you have neighbors
like this?!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> The actors all fit
their roles to a T. In particular,
Daaboul, Raften and Sellers. And
director, Daaboul, keeps the pace moving even through the more clunky moments
in the script. The food was very good
and healthy, and the atmosphere perfect for this type of play.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> I recommend this
show. If you do see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p><p><br /></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-49856753681220143762023-10-23T12:24:00.004-07:002023-10-23T12:24:52.296-07:00SPIdER—Young Professionals Company—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI-MA-bLHNr7DGusKIoNoptAyfqjyaVfdxQRSHgzeb8hlR7s5wBcaBnk0kYUBiwV6vDUn5hc34brqODvznG0-gvy0G7mBcSMMwHOU3rSoMIXC1YHSetkDqe0IVyNMH-NfLuHFp3xK6-1zRMmasYSsTjpxvLdl3JE8yp6YT3qhEUeLX4D2hkxQgGysJ9c/s733/Spider.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI-MA-bLHNr7DGusKIoNoptAyfqjyaVfdxQRSHgzeb8hlR7s5wBcaBnk0kYUBiwV6vDUn5hc34brqODvznG0-gvy0G7mBcSMMwHOU3rSoMIXC1YHSetkDqe0IVyNMH-NfLuHFp3xK6-1zRMmasYSsTjpxvLdl3JE8yp6YT3qhEUeLX4D2hkxQgGysJ9c/s320/Spider.JPG" width="318" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“Oh, What A Web We Weave”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The Y/P Company of
the Oregon Children’s Theatre presents this topical drama of our times, by
Madeleine Adriance and directed by Matthew B. Zrebski.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at the Curious Comedy Annex
Theater (parking in the rear and on the street), 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd., through November5<sup>th</sup>(for more information on the play and
tickets, go to their website at </span><a href="http://www.octc.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.octc.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-228-9571.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Picture, if you
will, a Creation, a world, left to it own devices, to reinvent itself at will,
over and over again, into endless strands of a web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, let’s say circumstances, allowed this
kinetic web to pause in its meanderings by, let’s say, a Virus, forcing the
creatures to take a hard look at themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And from that portrait, many tales erupt, some for good, some not…a
cautionary tale at best. With<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Social
Media as its “god,” with a “Web” to connect the dots.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> These mini-stories
are a microcosm of our world, of course, stories of isolation/loneliness;
bravery and love; death and new life; hesitant love with a dream; loss and
pain; hope and despair, et. al. and, perhaps, a “rage at the dying of the
light. ”Enacted by an ensemble of very talented young people:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aidan Colvin, Dylan Mojo, Elijah Tinker, Ava
Anderson, Olivia Chesire, and Emma Lombard, embodying about a dozen plus
characters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The events,
intriguing as they are, can be a bit confusing, trying to keep straight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they do hit home, I’m sure, at some
junction, with everyone in the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One must ask, how is the author, Adriance, connect with all these varied
stories, as she has certainly honed in on some basic truths of human nature and
“attention must be paid.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bravo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well as to the director, Zrebski, a
veteran of directing at Y/P, who has kept the staging to a bare minimum to
flesh out the story and challenge the actors to fill it with their talent!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This is not for
everyone (ages 14 and up recommended) but this play, as with all the
productions of Y/P (Artistic Director, Dani Baldwin), the youth are given a
broad canvas to explore, vent, evolve and grow in this rapidly moving
transition to adulthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a
safe haven, a repertory period, to decide their own paths for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to see truths of who our young
people of toady are, and what they’re going through, look no further than
Baldwin and her intrepid band of Youth, demanding to be heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t get any better than this,
folks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bravo!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-26806300239945895892023-10-09T15:31:00.002-07:002023-10-09T15:31:38.926-07:00My Bedroom is an Installation—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2JfEC6o8ioiXOqJYZsTu3rjRYd7GhS-XQkT6dt2oTBQsdG3_GBmX4ErCGR7BYZeF5c7Mis0oOvm9mBIQKBqN0ku3gN2jKcSvGIP10IUiO8HUjH-S7hyphenhyphenLurUlSNnUPpC2caTk3n_0o_rY-zd4i4O0CakFWCFmn72Rb_CD376mcofpfjjETBzRkK3OQIw/s1380/bed-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1380" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2JfEC6o8ioiXOqJYZsTu3rjRYd7GhS-XQkT6dt2oTBQsdG3_GBmX4ErCGR7BYZeF5c7Mis0oOvm9mBIQKBqN0ku3gN2jKcSvGIP10IUiO8HUjH-S7hyphenhyphenLurUlSNnUPpC2caTk3n_0o_rY-zd4i4O0CakFWCFmn72Rb_CD376mcofpfjjETBzRkK3OQIw/w400-h229/bed-home.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Kyle Delamarter</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“The Illusion of Reality”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This Premiere, dark
comedy, is written by Jerry Mouawad and Drew Pisarra, and directed and designed
by Mouawad, and produced by Carol Triffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It plays through October 22<sup>nd </sup>at Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup>
Ave. (off E. Burnside).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking can be
an issue, so plan your time accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Recommended for 16 and up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
more information, contact them at </span><a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.imagotheatre.com</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">503-231-9581.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The above quote is
from Tennessee Williams, speaking about plays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, if you add Mr. Shakespeare to that thought process, “All the
world’s a stage…” and we are simply actors upon it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, are we actually in a play ourselves and,
thus, an illusion?! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, perhaps, add to
that perspective, the writer of “Zorba, the Greek” espouses, that everybody
needs a little madness…to keep us sane (yikes!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep those thoughts in mind as you experience
this play.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Once Upon a Time, in
this dark, underbelly per-version of a, perhaps, apocalyptic, fairy-tale, there
reposed on a myriad of mattresses, a princess called “Cynthia” (Anne Sorce),
who was an insomniac (not because of a pea at the bottom of her bed, but a symbolic
time-bomb).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Her “castle” was
littered with boxes, as if she had just moved in (or was just to move
out?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among her “belongings” was also a
mute servant (more a like a ghostly image of her soul), named Solo (Sam
Gordon)…a confidant, protector, instigator, and a little puppet of seemingly Eastern
European origin, a gypsy (voiced by Sorce and designed & carved by
Mouawad), called Whip.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> These three will
rail against the elements together, in a cacophony of sounds and gestures, to
discover the reason for their being here and, perhaps, the author of their
plight, as she senses she is being…watched, and that this might be an
experiment, an “installation” for someone else’s amusement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if that’s the case, and one is looking
out into the Void, it must perchance mean, the Void is looking at you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(A perfect Halloween tale, perhaps).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> As you can see, I
can’t really tell you the plot, as it would be a Spoiler, if I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are only my perceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is more important that you decide for
yourselves the meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the play is
peppered with Shakespearean overtones, I believe, such as, The Tempest and King
Lear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, aspects of Pirandello and
the great English playwrights, Pinter, and Beckett, as the search for the
meaning of Life…and Death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mouawad (and his pen
pal, Pisarra) have created a tunnel of words and images to boggle the mind and
disturb the soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pathway is not
meant to lead you to answers or home, but only to more questions, which will
then open up venues for your own windmills of your mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, Mouawad (and Triffle) productions
are, indeed, the leading edge of innovative theatre!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Sorce is amazing in
the dual (voiced) role of Cynthia and Whip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My friend remarked, how can she keep all that straight in her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The simple(?) answer </span>is that she is the
best of the breed of actors, which all artists aspire to!...Bravo!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Gordon is a
brilliant mimist/dancer/clown and adds miles to the fluidity of the
production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mouawad’s Whip is a work of
Art!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the sound design, by Kyle
Delamarter, is jarring, sounding at times like a rat gnawing his way out of a
box.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">__DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-75325466031979108452023-09-11T12:10:00.001-07:002023-09-11T12:10:08.856-07:00Arsenic and Old Lace—Lakewood Theatre Company—Lake Oswego<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO83OZcRR9qeuPo-9tV2zDH_bpMOBydtRRLa_PYTpzoBhDoWku4BEfNxTu0uvrkwowejxahgVpiCfhQ4y06Mc8rSf6rInhXp-eUf6AWndjhyNjlHB-K3FNiipUHnt5f8zuvbWAUqBNt-WCqKueWNOK2shFmCOE0vAm-ZrII_rfX_YRxjnJnx1p6esa7gg/s571/Arsenic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="571" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO83OZcRR9qeuPo-9tV2zDH_bpMOBydtRRLa_PYTpzoBhDoWku4BEfNxTu0uvrkwowejxahgVpiCfhQ4y06Mc8rSf6rInhXp-eUf6AWndjhyNjlHB-K3FNiipUHnt5f8zuvbWAUqBNt-WCqKueWNOK2shFmCOE0vAm-ZrII_rfX_YRxjnJnx1p6esa7gg/w400-h230/Arsenic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>The Merry Madness of the Macabre</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> This farce, by
Joseph Kesselring, is directed by Don Alder.
It is playing through October 15<sup>th</sup> at their space, 368 S.
State St. in Lake Oswego (free parking lot in the rear). For more information on the show and/or
tickets, go to their website <a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/">www.lakewood-center.org</a> or call 503-635-3901.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It’s about time this
“ole chestnut” was dusted off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only
is it one of the rare parodies of thrillers that works (akin to the excellent,
A&C Meet Frankenstein), but it also comes at a perfect time (perhaps,
unwittingly) in which we can find humor in dire circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mel Brooks proclaimed that the best weapon
against Evil was laughter, as it hates to be laughed at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted that was not meant to be the theme of
this play originally, but it certainly comes at a welcome time…shaking our fists
at the horrors of madness, reminding us that sanity and love will still win the
day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Wow, what a madcap
ride!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It begins with two gentle, rich
old ladies, Abby ((Caren Graham) and her amiable sister, Marth Brewster (Jane
Bement Geesman), pillars of the town to children, as well as elderly, lonely
gentlemen, who find comfort in the fruit of the vine of these gentle, helpful
souls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> They do have a noisy
nephew, Teddy (Grant Byington), who is the “President” and has a passion for
digging holes in the basement; and another nephew, Mortimer (Tom Walton), who
is a drama critic who hates plays, but is engaged to Elaine (Melissa Whitney),
the daughter of the local Reverend Harper (Michael Streeter); and a nefarious
nephew, Jonathon (Todd Hermanson), who is a man of many faces and professions,
all outside the law; with his oily companion, Dr. Einstein (Mark Schwahn), who
espouses of his talents as a plastic surgeon, that “practice makes perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Among the able
supporting cast of cops and victims are Joe Healy, Will Futterman, Erik James,
Robert Lovitz, and Jeremy Southard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being a thrill/mystery, I really don’t want to be a spoiler, so can’t
give you much details of the plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
will give you hints-- Teddy’s holes/locks have a double meaning; the old gals “Elderbury”
wine makes quite a wallop; the window seat is a key clue of concealment; and
Mortimer is not quite who he seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Nuf
said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Alder has done a
wonderful job of restoring a much-needed nostalgic look to the yesteryear of
theatre, which has sorely been neglected, I believe, in the rush of new works
to grace the stage. All the performers
do a splendid job of recreating a lost era of theatre. Graham and Geesman are terrific as the erasable
ole ladies, and Hermanson is a ghoulish delight as the chief felonious fiend.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I recommend this
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-83248318126323481542023-06-02T17:03:00.002-07:002023-06-02T17:03:43.755-07:00The Inheritance (Part 2)—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR9UdsaZ7GFyOlRr41xm8RHoSezK4nmJwn37pylfTdMnB3uJ-5KHGtKYWqpcC13RQH-XRiU3DqDNq2HglqmW11beqofIHKemV_ExlMZWO0Mj33rosIfJ3aIHhtNFKZTmzI3KNT7vl8dosLmAW8Lsv2YUE2Gq-1iNQu-CMyLzpWUhFw46F8RHnumxQ/s600/Inheritance%20II%20tree.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR9UdsaZ7GFyOlRr41xm8RHoSezK4nmJwn37pylfTdMnB3uJ-5KHGtKYWqpcC13RQH-XRiU3DqDNq2HglqmW11beqofIHKemV_ExlMZWO0Mj33rosIfJ3aIHhtNFKZTmzI3KNT7vl8dosLmAW8Lsv2YUE2Gq-1iNQu-CMyLzpWUhFw46F8RHnumxQ/w400-h300/Inheritance%20II%20tree.png" width="400" /></a></div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> "…and so it goes…”</span></b><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This aw</span>ard-winning,
epic drama is written by Matthew Lopez, directed by Andres Alcala and produced
by Donald Horn. It is playing at their
space at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through
June 17<sup>th</sup>. For more
information, go to their site at <a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/">www.trianglepro.org</a> or call 503-239-5919. (Masks recommended because of Covid).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> WOW! What a way to end 33 remarkable seasons at
Triangle, with Donald Horn being the driving, inspirational force! If the next 33 seasons are anything like the
last ones, we are in for an amazing ride!
Horn has never failed to choose/produce/direct/design plays that are
both educational and enlightening. He
has, in a creative tapestry of worlds, woven into the fabric of our lives,
unforgettable experiences. My hat’s off to
you, my friend, and here’s to more of the same, but even better. And Happy Pride Month, too!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> And now to the play,
which has been a six plus hour roller-coaster ride, winding out this season
with Part 2 of, The Inheritance. Should
you have seen Part I? It would have been
helpful but this story does a good job of standing on its own by giving
references to its beginnings. Suffice to
say, it has an outstanding ensemble cast of 13 men being the narrators of, and
playing the characters in, this story.
And it’s all done on an essentially bare stage, and with masterful
direction by Alcala!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I hesitate to give
too much of the plot away, as the audience must make some discoveries on their
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it begins with a group of gay
men having a need to express their stories onstage, via the intervention of the
famous author, E. M. Forster (Gary Powell) who will gently guide their creative
paths at times.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It begins with Eric
(James Sharinghousen) an emotionally involved political activist and his lover,
Toby (Michael Teufel), an aspiring but erratic author/playwright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have broken off relationships at the
beginning of this part and Toby has taken up with the lead, young actor in his
play, Adam (Brave Sohacki), but it seems Adam has become somewhat temperamental,
and so that union is not going well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
so Toby takes up with a male prostitute, Leo (Sohacki, again) and a downward
spiral begins, involving drugs and alcohol.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Meanwhile Eric, has become
involved with Henry (Gary Wayne Cash), an eccentric billionaire, who takes a
liking to Eric and wants him in his life, but he is a bit of a recluse when it
come to sex, as his only real love was with his former mate, Walter (Gary
Norman), who has passed on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And underlying all
this is the threat of AIDS and its devastating effects on this community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these lives will again intersect and
overlap, some with touching outcomes and others end disastrously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others that interact with these major stories,
playing various characters are Tanner Huff, Dylan Hankins, Matthew Sunderland,
Kima Camat, Eric Zulu, Adam John Roper, and Julio Cesar Velazque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(To flesh out more of these characters, read
my review of Part 1).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> As I’ve said, I wanted
to keep the synopsis simple so as not to be a spoiler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a great deal of discussion does go on
regarding the color issue, political differences, the nature of creativity and
love/intimacy, AIDS, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a very
rick story but one that an audience should discover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Every one of the
performances is vital to the success of this epic production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Powell is outstanding as Forester, and is
particularly touch playing Margaret, the mother of an AIDS victim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teufel gives a heartbreaking portrayal of a
creative genius who is overwhelmed by his success (“the world is too much with
us”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cash proves the old adage that
money can by love, so he buries himself in work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sohacki gives us a realistic view of a
tortured youth trying to navigate the big, bad world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Sharinghousen has the unenviable task of
taking us on the lonest journey of self-discovery, which gives us hope for a
better tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Alcala and Horn have
some amazing handiwork here and all the blood, sweat and tears pay off in a
powerful production!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not for
everyone because of the subject matter and language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell them Dennis sent
you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-22119532526283056342023-04-10T17:13:00.002-07:002023-04-10T17:13:31.710-07:00Of Mice And Men—21TEN Theatre—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfLF4se2WtdDRYvAsOoiZoOIxZi77MghF5vgvQT18acV1AJtoYVBYQ86bPqI_rfSZWwH0MvYkyi2hyorROTTW91OwXwcArRXkRfEepB-ytOJhy1aV63t-jtv3Rxopj2ZO_Ge9F2KoO8TS5bNsqYJMoyAp9aw5nyS8McHcXlcjQoFwmrS50pT26UYo/s3412/Mice%20n%20Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2275" data-original-width="3412" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfLF4se2WtdDRYvAsOoiZoOIxZi77MghF5vgvQT18acV1AJtoYVBYQ86bPqI_rfSZWwH0MvYkyi2hyorROTTW91OwXwcArRXkRfEepB-ytOJhy1aV63t-jtv3Rxopj2ZO_Ge9F2KoO8TS5bNsqYJMoyAp9aw5nyS8McHcXlcjQoFwmrS50pT26UYo/w400-h266/Mice%20n%20Men.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>“All the Lonely People…”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Life In Arts
Productions present John Steinbeck’s immortal classic drama, at what used to be
the old Shoebox Theatre space (and Theatre Vertigo) at 2110 SE 10<sup>th</sup>
Ave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The production will run through
April 22<sup>nd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more
information, go to their website at </span><a href="http://www.life-in-arts.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.life-in-arts.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or for tickets,</span><a href="https://life-in-arts-productions.square.site/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">https://life-in-arts-productions.square.site</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or their email, </span><a href="mailto:lifeinartsproductions@gmail.com"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">lifeinartsproductions@gmail.com</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“…where do they all
come from?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That should be the story’s
theme. All these characters are set-apart from the American Dream…awkwardly
searching for meaning, friendship, and a reason to go forward…perhaps, not much
different than today. Except now, we put our faith, not in Mankind, but in the
cold god of Technology…shame on us!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Steinbeck’s real
claim to fame was, of course, The Grapes of Wrath, which was made into a very
good film in the 40’s with Henry Fonda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later, Gary Sinise and John Malkovitch adapted a rawer stage version ofit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also did a good film version of, Of Mice
and Men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But my favorite was a 30’s film
version with Burgess Meridith and Lon Chaney, Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Personally, my favorite book of his was,
Travels With Charley, the story of his adventures around the country with his
dog…as I’m a dog person).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> There has been some
criticism of the author’s view of George (Benjamin Daniel Philip) and Lenny’s
(Travis Schlegel) relationship, that George is taking advantage of Lenny’s
strength, rather than finding help for his mental deficiencies, to get
jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, George needs Lenny
more than Lenny needs George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
decide…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> They bounce from job
to job in the fields of Northern California of more than a hundred years ago,
seeking a stake so they can live out their American dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George is a quick, feisty fellow, looking for
a fast buck without too much effort. And his supposed albatross, Lenny, is a
burly man physically but more than a little light in the head, who just likes
to pet soft things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together they find
themselves on their next job, where the Boss (Chuck Weed) has been waiting for
them to buck grain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> They meet up with an
old retainer, Candy (Ron K. Palmblad), who has a hand missing and a blind old
dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also the stable buck, a black
man with a crooked back, called Crooks (Jelani Kee).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also meet the Boss’s surly son, Curley
(Chloe Duckart) and his flirtatious wife (Bobbie Kaye Kupfner).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> They get assigned to
Slim’s (Akitora Ishii) tea, who’s a decent fellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the other ranch hands are Carlson
(Brandon Michael) and Whit (Steve Radley).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is also a wandering mistral (Iris Evans), who underscores, with a
guitar, some of the incidents in the play, as well as a few songs the cast
sings to emphasize their feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the cast, as well, narrates parts of the book at times, to color the landscape
of the play.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The play has its own
power, which must be seen to appreciate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition to the music/songs, there is a stylized fight scene, snapped
in photo-like s stances, which is brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The set (Kyra Sanford, designer) is sparse to accommodate the many
settings of the scenes but works beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The cast is equally powerful with not a sour note among them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can capture the wandering looks in
Lenny’s eyes; the restless spirit in George’s movements; the righteous indignation
in Crooks demeanor; the hopeless bearing in Candy’s “dying of the light”
demeanor; the longing in Curley’s wife’s sashaying; the volcanic rage instilled
in Curley; and the quiet acceptance of Slims empty fate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> There is no director
credited, as they all seem to have a hand in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I assume Philip, as Artistic Director, is
the driving force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This a new company on
the Portland scene and, if this is any example of what is in store to the local
artistic scene, we are in for a treat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>BRAVO!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This is an intense
play and may not be suited for everyone, as well as containing the “N”
word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, it may hold only about 50
folks so best get your tickets soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
I highly recommend this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do
choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-59881701430522688472023-04-07T12:25:00.005-07:002023-04-07T12:25:59.875-07:00The Inheritance (Part I)—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65dtPCHEmSFff1SD4YUNkgzrTtHdnUbtJZl0aVqTrgbaokP8TZ-_FkDjTSV6mU7cMfKoh54CpRfJbwAtsLqsoBMuTz6XbsuX499ZzzYtZpeWPf7fQLlcBYJdpA3iqGhQVBUUPZgOpPHCSYdn6NKr4si8Jqv7g5nmwO2xBA0lWFSRy2JvtLwLNR7cS/s526/Inheritance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="526" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65dtPCHEmSFff1SD4YUNkgzrTtHdnUbtJZl0aVqTrgbaokP8TZ-_FkDjTSV6mU7cMfKoh54CpRfJbwAtsLqsoBMuTz6XbsuX499ZzzYtZpeWPf7fQLlcBYJdpA3iqGhQVBUUPZgOpPHCSYdn6NKr4si8Jqv7g5nmwO2xBA0lWFSRy2JvtLwLNR7cS/w400-h383/Inheritance.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>“What a Piece of Work is Man…”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This award-winning,
epic drama is written by Matthew Lopez, directed by Andres Alcala and produced
by Donald Horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at their
space at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through
April 17<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more
information, go to their site at </span><a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.trianglepro.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-239-5919.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Masks recommended because of Covid).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It is said, we are
the sum total of all our parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
those “parts” may stretch back generations. Our ancestors contributed much to
who we have become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our individual chemical/biological
make-up is a factor, as is as is the nurturing from relatives, teachers,
friends and the wide, world itself that we encounter along the journey of our
maturing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we make of it and what
legacy we may leave behind is firmly within our grasps….let us make proud our
heritage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stand on the shoulders of
others to become who we are today…and, likewise, others will stand on our
shoulders…let us ROAR!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This is an epic
story of three generations of gay men in NYC beginning in 2015 and ending, in
Part I, in 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The saga continues in
Part II from June 1<sup>st</sup> to 17<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is inspired by E. M. Forster’s, Howard’s
End.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It begins with Eric (James
Sharinghousen), a political activist, with his boyfriend, Toby (Michael Teufel)
and what happens when a stranger, Adam (Brave Sohacki) enter their lives,
uprooting them and catapulting them into different directions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This whole endeavor
is orchestrated by these three, et. al., by E. M. Forster himself (Gary
Powell), who this group has called upon to help them tell their story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toby is an aspiring writer and wants to write
the “great, American novel,” but is persuaded to make it into a play about his
own life, which is forthcoming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Adam, being an
aspiring actor, jockeys to play the lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Among others in this menagerie of souls is Eric’s boss, the very
serious, Jasper (Adam John Roper) and his lover, Tristan (Eric Zulu).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also the rather amusing Jason's, two
lovers with the same first names (Tanner Huff &Julio Cesar Velazquez).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also some rich friends of theirs, a
developer, the reclusive Henry (Gary Wayne Cash) and his shy lover, Walter
(Gary Norman).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Henry also has two rather
obnoxious sons, Charles (Kimo Camat) and Paul (Roper, again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And other characters yet to be fleshed out,
Peter (Matthew Sunderland) and Dylan Hankins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There stories and relationships are complicated, varied and, also, full
of surprises, which need to be viewed, not summarized.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I’ve review
Sharinghousen before and he is also an asset to any production, as he is here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His character is both charming and maddening,
at times, but very human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teufel is
terrific as the tortured playwright, trying to exorcise his demons without ever
facing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sohacki is seemingly
disarming as the naïve (or not) snake-in-the-grass that slithers into their
hearts and destroys their idyllic garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Powell is an ole pro of Portland stages (I even acted with him myself
once) and is perfect playing the grand architect, Forster, of this
extravaganza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was blown away by
Norman, as Walter, who has this amazing long, poignant<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>monologue of his awkward childhood and his
touching gift that he gives to those with Aids…a tour de force…Bravo!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Alcala has done a
super job of telling this story in a stylized way, much of the time, and pacing
his actors between tension and tenderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Horn has, once again, educated and entertained us with his choice of
material….and after 33 years, my hat’s off to you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A word about the setting and style:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an essentially bare stage with allthe
actors mostly in view much of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
lot like Pirandello’s, Six Characters in Search of an Author;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chekov/Simon’s, The Good Doctor; Marat/Sade;
and even, the film, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, in which the
characters, yet to be realized, have a say in their own development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love this style of theatre because, in
part, it allows the audience to view the artistic process close up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It should be noted,
this is R rated for subject matter and language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend this play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-89557018072556698722023-03-20T13:43:00.003-07:002023-03-20T13:43:58.737-07:00Doubt: A Parable—Lakewood Theatre Company—Lake Oswego<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhLvh9_pjNxMm4xHJSbQRELhT1eVArOq4O9ddWOc2sHAj1xNAzxaifeBnesGlxq7AdXGTAhx9TlP73S9q5BMyikta5poJ3tj-uD9AU_ACStK0o37s3zc7W5UMp0DVktKQMH6P0tHln3JPzkqpkzPeyqbiZVr4VV8DRb_uKATPdgi_d0u3PYlb2eq8/s864/Doubt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="593" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhLvh9_pjNxMm4xHJSbQRELhT1eVArOq4O9ddWOc2sHAj1xNAzxaifeBnesGlxq7AdXGTAhx9TlP73S9q5BMyikta5poJ3tj-uD9AU_ACStK0o37s3zc7W5UMp0DVktKQMH6P0tHln3JPzkqpkzPeyqbiZVr4VV8DRb_uKATPdgi_d0u3PYlb2eq8/w275-h400/Doubt.JPG" width="275" /></a></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Black & White Equals Gray</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This drama is
directed by Antonio Sonera and written by John Patrick Shanley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing through April8<sup>th</sup> at
their space, 368 S. State St. in Lake Oswego (free parking lot in the
rear).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information on the show
and Covid policies, go to their website </span><a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.lakewood-center.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-635-3901.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> It has been said, if
you tell a Lie often enough to a populace, it begins to muddy the waters, as to
what is really the Truth. Related adages
to this may be, “there’s a sucker born every minute” (P. T. Barnum). John Huston also said, if there is a choice
between printing the truth or the legend--print the legend…it is always much
more palpable to the Public. And, as
always, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
There are many ways to cloud an issue to one’s advantage…“and, thereby,
hangs a tale” (Shakespeare).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Father Flynn (Todd
Hermanson) is the very popular Pastor and basketball coach of the Catholic
school/church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His sermons are always
thought-provoking (for those who have open minds) but can be somewhat
disconcerting to those who follow a rigid moral path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is vibrant, accessible, and always willing
to lend an open hand to those in need, and a sympathetic ear to troubled souls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Sister Aloyisius
(Diane Kondrat) is made of sterner stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is principal of the school and believes her teachers should be
objective when dealing with students…coldly objective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her moral compass seems to be concentrate the
religious content of teaching and finds secular items, such as the Arts and
History, to be, at best, distracting to education.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Sister James (Ariel
Puls) is a naïve, young novice as a teacher and has a warm heart and caring
nature toward her charges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wants
them exposed to all of Nature’s wonders, so they will be prepared to cope when
released into the “outside” world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She tries
to be obedient to Mother Superior but is fully enchanted by Father Flynn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mrs. Muller
(Victoria Alvarez-Chacon) is the mother of the only black student in the
school, who is a sensitive boy, has no friends and is abused by his
father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is wise to the manipulations
of the “real” world and looking for solace for her son wherever she can find
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She seems to see, through all the
veils/facades of the other characters, their true nature and is not willing to
compromise her son’s small island of peace for any of the high-faulting
standards of those “in charge.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I cannot give you a
description of the plot, because it would be a spoiler, in itself, to what
happens and how you should feel about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The story is a microcosm, or parable, of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think you can imagine, with the
descriptions I have given you of the characters, the conflicts that must
inevitably occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The outcomes rest solely
at our feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Sonera has kept this
dialogue at a clipped pace, which increases the intensity of the scenes, and is
palpable. And his actors deliver it beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hermanson is the perfect Flynn, as he plays
it as an enigma, never sure what’s going on underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kondrat seems to personify the villain but
she also rides that thin line between humane and seemingly restrictive
feelings, which is marvelous to observe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Puls is the innocent soul, being buffeted between opposing schools of
thought but ultimately a feeling person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Alvarez-Chacon is a powerful presence in her one scene, possibly
being the only sane one of the bunch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Any inferences to
past and current activities within academia, social, religious, and political
arenas is purely intentional, I’m sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just see for yourselves the deeply divided areas plaguing folks, mainly
because of social media, the blatant misinformation vomiting forth and
infecting our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can only stop when
we can call it out for what it is, like Mrs. Muller, who will try to make it
better in her “own little corner of the world,” and then hopes that attitude
will spread outward!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I highly recommend
this play but know that it is intense and may not be for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b></b></span><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-65574806480017716042023-03-13T15:09:00.000-07:002023-03-13T15:09:12.807-07:00The Seafarer—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih25f6f_9yoQYGTYIyMN5rvem9gL6PPCifjKpXP7xUdcrh2QYS4sMEqEI3HBRD5L4Hjk_XJRV6E6eQj3Yzqn9rgDgwM-f_xHE2NJEqNHdRj4o9R4gBp-WWV6r8-uB_4F_MU19hSM4YzHMW0CVipyB5iWPFTr4mtol6wxEWgqQSp_clqQO0A0tpH4ff/s655/Seafarer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="655" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih25f6f_9yoQYGTYIyMN5rvem9gL6PPCifjKpXP7xUdcrh2QYS4sMEqEI3HBRD5L4Hjk_XJRV6E6eQj3Yzqn9rgDgwM-f_xHE2NJEqNHdRj4o9R4gBp-WWV6r8-uB_4F_MU19hSM4YzHMW0CVipyB5iWPFTr4mtol6wxEWgqQSp_clqQO0A0tpH4ff/w400-h309/Seafarer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“The Devil is in the Details”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This LIVE, dark
comedy production, is written by Conor McPherson, directed by Jerry
Mouawad<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and produced by Carol
Triffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It plays through March 26<sup>th</sup>at
Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup> Ave. (off E. Burnside).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking can be an issue, so come early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Covid protocols in place…with masks
required).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recommended for 16 and
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, contact them
at </span><a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.imagotheatre.com</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
or call 503-231-9581.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This Master
Manipulator, King of Liars, Lord of the Flies has been around since the
beginning of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s invaded our
world, in one form or another, in many incarnations,through all of civilization,
especially for our consideration in literature, plays and films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He appeared in the early Silents and has been
portrayed by many fine actors, among them Walter Huston (The Devil & Daniel
Webster), Vincent Price (The Story of Mankind), Jeff Goldblum (Mr. Frost), et.
al.; on TV by Burgess Meredith and Thomas Gomez, et. al.; and even by super
stars, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
to say the least, this sly, shape-shifter is embedded, quite firmly, in our very
psyche.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (A personal note, upstaged
by the Grand Architect himself, God, based on a Mexican tale:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Devil (or Evil) is the proof that God (or
Good) exists, because there would be no need for one, unless its counterpart
was in attendance, too!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When the Devil comes a-callin’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And the East wind be blowin’,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">No prayin’ on yer knees now.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jest go with the flow<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And see how it goes.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Miracles abound<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To those True of Heart,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For it’s never too late<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For a purposeful, new start!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The play is about
four ole seafarers (commercials fishermen) who love to gab and gossip; nag and
nitpick; booze and bamboozle; and raise holy hell in the neighborhood and in each
other’s lives. Richard (Tory Mitchell) is the blind owner of the house where
the action takes place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a
cantankerous ole sot, who runs his brother, Sharky (Jeff Giberson), ragged with
demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a great friend in Ivan
(Sean D Lujan), who is an occasional guest, usually sleeping off a hangover,
but an accommodating fellow, nevertheless.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It is Christmas Eve
in this seaside town and it is a tradition to play a hot game of poker on this
usually holy night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicky (Chris
Brantley),, the youngest of the brood, a natty dresser and loud in demeaner,
too, is the fourth member of this motley crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But everybody know you need at least five for a decent poker game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he has brought along a relative stranger,
Lockhart (Danny Bruno), who he met in a bar, to join them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sly ole gent this, as he seems to have a
hidden agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is looking for a lost
soul…the one that got away…and he means to have his revenge before the night is
over for, you see, he is the King of Hades, himself, and hates to be slighted
in such a way. And so, there will be hell to pay, before the light of the new
dawn!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Obviously, I can’t
tell you more or it would ruin this folk tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, to say the least, this deliberately, slow-moving, runaway train,
weaves its way along the dusty tracks, bouncing off both kith and kin alike,
detouring into dark recesses and endless valleys, to come to a screeching halt
when it reaches the its destination, only to find out, there is one more gasp
left in this old engine after all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mouawad is a genius
at manipulation, himself, as he allows the characters and story to develop
seemingly haphazardly, and letting the tension build to a boiling point, then
releasing the “kill shot” with a last little twist to bring a tear to one’s
eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he has able support from his
scenic designer, Alex Meyer, as well as lighting, Jon Farley and sound, Myrrh
Larsen, et. al.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A splendid team of
artists!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And the cast is a
true ensemble, working off and with each other with precision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giberson plays Sharky as a good-hearted but
ailing soul, who broods his way gently into your hearts (I’ve reviewed Giberson
before and he is always an asset to a production).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mitchell carries off the blindness with ease
and he is one of those loveable, old curmudgeons, who you sneakily like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lujan is the needed cement to the
relationships and does his best to keep the peace, while having his own
problems at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brantley is one of
those folks who everyone knows in their lives, who is tolerated but not
well-liked and he pulls it off smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Bruno has the unenviable task of playing Old Scratch in the flesh
and he does it with oily abandon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
marvelous crew!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to see it,
please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-54387285654397696712023-02-13T12:04:00.002-08:002023-02-13T12:04:51.897-08:00The Mad Ones—Young Professionals Company—NW Portland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn9O-F1hq0THX1IQp5wZRR8RhFJGL4p5oBadWSNXFT6lwIrjubNck0LJy2pgmoO5xVW9RwZS7y-dbQByNy-PTQ_0U-ZZiTlhZnWO3mGmaXB_94AgWToQ6bhqRmhjs2bVkEsvbErgmwDckV6RjuFCEMaXLvk3wxgDZmvdc8l1WG9MdSjWQaUGhnibV/s607/Mad%20ones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="607" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn9O-F1hq0THX1IQp5wZRR8RhFJGL4p5oBadWSNXFT6lwIrjubNck0LJy2pgmoO5xVW9RwZS7y-dbQByNy-PTQ_0U-ZZiTlhZnWO3mGmaXB_94AgWToQ6bhqRmhjs2bVkEsvbErgmwDckV6RjuFCEMaXLvk3wxgDZmvdc8l1WG9MdSjWQaUGhnibV/w400-h154/Mad%20ones.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Time Is Fleeting</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> The Y/P Company of
the Oregon Children’s Theatre presents this musical by Kait Kerrigan and
directed by Andrea White (recommended for folks 14 and up). It is playing at the CoHo Theatre space, 2257
NW Raleigh St., through Feb.26<sup>th</sup> (only street parking, so plan your
time accordingly). For more information
on tickets and Covid restrictions, go to their website at <a href="http://www.octc.org/">www.octc.org</a> or call 503-228-9571.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> We all need a little
madness in our lives to keep us sane (espoused by Zorba, The Greek)! Although the title for this show comes from
the “Beat Generation” of the 50’s, via
Jack Kerouac’s, On the Road book with
his bud, Neil Cassidy (note there is a good film about this era called, Young
Cassidy, with Rod Taylor as the title character and Nick Nolte as Kerouac. Other good films about Youth are, Rebel
Without a Cause and Eighth Grade). But “madness,”
aka Youth, is indeed, fleeting as high school senior, Sam (Ava Horton) is about
to find out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> She is also the
Every-Woman of this tale. Does it relate
to me and resonate with the audience…oh, my, Yes! Amazingly, it covers all the bases of the
teen years, leading up to “the dark at the top of the stairs,” adulthood. Her mother, Beverly (Kerie Darner), wants her
to go to an ivy-league college and becomes someone important. Her best friend, Kelly (Leah Wick), wants her
to just run away and explore the world with her. And her boyfriend, Adam (Sidra Cohen-Mallon)
wants her to just be with him.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> All these forces,
coupled with one’s own growing pains and teenage angst, seem to be puling he
apart. And what does Sam want…probably,
all of the above, as it would make others happy…but her hopes and dreams
(unrealized, unarticulated, unimagined) would be mingled with the dust, if she
followed that course. And her purpose in
life, gone with the wind. And how does
this concern us? It Is Us!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> will not ruin the
story by giving away incidents, but know that each of you will recognized
yourself within it. It is told in music
and song (unfortunately, a list of them
was not in the program, but the anthem that stands out is “Freedom”) which
beautifully mirrors the story. Credit
must be also given to the musical director, Addison De Santis, choreographer,
Eri Zinke and set designer, Samie Jo Pfeifer, who all lend to the simple majesty
of the story. And many kudos to the
writer, Kerrigan, who bring it all home for me, and the director, White, who
has led this intrepid team with dignity and insight.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> And the cast—Wow—not
a false note in them. Cohen-Mallon, the
epitome of the boy-next-door, who just want to do the right thing; Darner, as
the parent, who truly wants her daughter to be happy; Wick, as the flighty best
friend, terrific in voice and depth of character; and Horton, a star in the
making (I reviewed her as Anna in, Frozen, Jr., with the East Side Theater, and
she was great there, too) blances the unenviable task of making her an
individual, and yet universal, and rides that tightrope perfectly, both in song
and acting. Bravo to all the fine, young
artists and to Y/P under the tutelage of the multi-talented, Dani Baldwin!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> I highly recommend
this production. If you do choose to see
it, tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p> </p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-75594357917846152972023-02-03T13:20:00.001-08:002023-02-03T13:22:00.949-08:00Me and Tammy—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbeNNUU3NRUSJolm2s6OMN02_NO0zsfNU3nt7yWgq7Q-WrBQcjscWtqKZKkkFIKx4g83alNClw374uIxEgT45kYfRmFYpsY8QmJ4f__vBQilvvwP75Rvd20ZQGYTa6Hz0lRemB7V0Dvv8Gxo6zsSvj_zy8n-FtxaqzG9GVAaMiDV5v4_NKsyRdVat/s451/Tammy.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="451" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbeNNUU3NRUSJolm2s6OMN02_NO0zsfNU3nt7yWgq7Q-WrBQcjscWtqKZKkkFIKx4g83alNClw374uIxEgT45kYfRmFYpsY8QmJ4f__vBQilvvwP75Rvd20ZQGYTa6Hz0lRemB7V0Dvv8Gxo6zsSvj_zy8n-FtxaqzG9GVAaMiDV5v4_NKsyRdVat/w400-h259/Tammy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by David Kinder</td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Art of Becoming…</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This one-act play
with music about Tammy Wynette, is written by Donnie and directed by Donald
Horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at their space at
1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through February 18<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, go to their site at </span><a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.trianglepro.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-239-5919.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Masks still required because of Covid).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> “What a piece of
work is Man….”</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">We are all, according to
the Bard of Avon et. al., made up of multiple components and all seeking, in
one way or another, our purpose in this world...why are </span><i style="text-align: left;">we </i><span style="text-align: left;">here?!</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">When we reach the Golden Years, what is our
legacy…what are our regrets…our triumphs…and, if we had it to do all over
again, what, if anything, would we change?!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> These questions and
more are all contained in this short, beautifully, and subtly constructed show,
by Horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It occurs on the night Tammy
Wynette (Danielle Valentine), famous country-western singer/writer, has died in
1998 of a heart attack at 55.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she
seems to have one more mission to complete before her passage to her Eden
beyond…to see that her story is told.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And so she appears
to a local drag queen, John (Jeremy Anderson-Sloan), whose specialty happens to
be impersonating…you guessed it…the immoral, Tammy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She tells of her roots, of working the cotton
fields, waiting on tables, beautician, etc. and of her failed, many marriages
and kids who missed having a “normal” mom around to raise them, and the abuse
she endured and addictions she had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
then there we her successes in music, most notably “Stand By Your Man.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Valentine does
Tammy proud, with the renditions of many of her songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of my favorites are her opening number,
the caressingly presented (like flowing down a lazy river) of, “You and
Me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And “Bedtime Stories” is touching,
and the heart-felt, “Dear Daughters,” which will bring a tear to even the most
stalwart of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can also belt, too,
when called for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lovely performance!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Anderson-Sloan
rings out a couple numbers him self in a rich voice and even does a duet with
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most striking thing about the
style of the production, is that it is captivating, not because it comes on as
a brassy, typical show-biz presentation, but precisely because, it
doesn’t!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You feel as if you might be in
an intimate setting with these two, as they gently weave tales in songs and
stories of lives lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much credit must
go to Horn, in his company’s 33 season, and I only wish him another 33 years of
success, like this one!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-35646085496031356782023-01-10T14:52:00.004-08:002023-01-10T14:52:33.940-08:00The Ghost of David Belasco—Lakewood Theatre Company—Lake Oswego<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqzHXtxuVTNPIx24DWBKrWbldQ0jWVfg7vL-GaCllgKboqKGbfuievRDrkHq_inwnMpgp4SmsjWcICc2oc6Q-JsDIO6vJ43pbg47t2USQgvn0kNVuMyjm5k-C_cMlcaeO44TockGSsJKkivtREkb3hxV35wce3EnMv09zV5KhV-oHMSbnrhsacgk/s530/ghost.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="343" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqzHXtxuVTNPIx24DWBKrWbldQ0jWVfg7vL-GaCllgKboqKGbfuievRDrkHq_inwnMpgp4SmsjWcICc2oc6Q-JsDIO6vJ43pbg47t2USQgvn0kNVuMyjm5k-C_cMlcaeO44TockGSsJKkivtREkb3hxV35wce3EnMv09zV5KhV-oHMSbnrhsacgk/w259-h400/ghost.JPG" width="259" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Spirit Willing…Flesh Weak</span></b><o:p></o:p></u></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This world premiere
comedy farce is directed by Stephanie Mulligan and written by C. S. Whitcomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing through February12<sup>th</sup>
at their space, 368 S. State St. in Lake Oswego (free parking lot in the
rear).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information on the show
and Covid policies, go to their website </span><a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.lakewood-center.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-635-3901.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in;"> Ghosts are nothing
to be trifled with, for the simple reason, they like to trifle with us! Plenty of comedies in this ilk have graced
the stages before, such as Coward’s witty, Blithe Spirit (which Lakewood did a
few weeks ago) or the delightful new CBS series, Ghosts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Of course, they all
have an agenda and a reason to haunt whoever or wherever they choose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great resource for local hauntings in this
area is Pat Jollata, who has written a number of books on the subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is even the legend that the ghost
of Charles Laughton has been seen gracing the stage of the Oregon Shakespearean
Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was in negotiations to play
King Lear there until his untimely death, so maybe he is just fulfilling that
contract in the netherworld…who’s to say…?!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The plot of this
play involves at least three layers, including the relationships between the
actors onstage themselves; the characters they play; and the spirit world of
the ghosts of theatre folk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The play,
“Six Characters in Search of an Author,” and the movie, “The Wonderful World of
the Brothers Grimm,” come to mind, in which characters not yet fully conceived,
are seeking a life of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
author of this play, Whitcomb, must be intensely familiar with that dilemma, as
she has scores of successful plays and screenplays and awards for her writing under
her belt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> It begins with a
play within a play, with the beginnings of a séance with the medium, Madam
Blutovsky (Margo Schembre) attempting to raise the spirit of the great theatre Impresario,
David Belasco (Todd Hermanson).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
attendance are the well-to-do, Gussie ((Lisa Knox), her lovely niece, Abagail
(Kelsey Glasser) and her unimpressed friend, Jerome (Tom Walton).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> But things start off
wrong right from the beginning, as thunder and lightning strike the building and
one of the characters disappears; the ghost of Steven’s (Jerome) father (Mark
Schwahn) does appear to him; and the theatre’s doors are fused shut, forcing
the audience (us) unable to leave the building,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>so the ever-faithful, stage manage, Reggie (Lucy Paschall) must passify
the audience, contact the authorities (Matthew Sunderland & Melissa
Standley) and mollify the cast—whew!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> During this course
of events, the true nature of the actors come out; the ghosts make their
feelings known; and the audience is educated most fully into the inside world
of theatre (ghost lights, etc.), creating characters (the actor’s nightmare), possibly
the meaning of love, and even a marvelous exchange of character transference
(Madam/Gussie).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The description has to
be sketchy because there is so much going on and so little I can reveal without
giving away some of the plot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This play erupts
chocked full of lore about the theatrical process and the author certainly
knows her stuff (as I can attest, having been in theatre as a director, actor,
producer, and writer myself for over 50 years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it is so full of the myth and lore of theatre that it maybe should
have condensed the story down to fewer observations and streamlined the story
more, in order to make it more digestible to the average theatre-goer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The actors are
wonderful in their complex roles, especially Knox, Schembre and Paschall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Mulligan is herself a veteran of the
stage and handles this complicated play very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do recommend this play for the knowledge it
will give you about theatre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do
choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-17776910856017882092022-11-14T11:25:00.003-08:002022-11-14T11:25:48.952-08:00Elf the Musical—Lakewood Theatre Company—Lake Oswego<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprt8wlcUPvbKYh7QujswY-L_WRrOs_pPbqBv1rLDvSoVaKDoVnJYdCbyw0ZWc03GwQxepyGZnyBpUL1VtGbf7nJKLNxg1BJUSb8C9My0gxe2SmgT2ca8tEZgzuJrZEgx1UbgzTNuj4nQZ6Ce0mzT8MrV9pONaVIRbgS3r9snh_N7SyG-whV0b0Ptr/s411/Elf2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprt8wlcUPvbKYh7QujswY-L_WRrOs_pPbqBv1rLDvSoVaKDoVnJYdCbyw0ZWc03GwQxepyGZnyBpUL1VtGbf7nJKLNxg1BJUSb8C9My0gxe2SmgT2ca8tEZgzuJrZEgx1UbgzTNuj4nQZ6Ce0mzT8MrV9pONaVIRbgS3r9snh_N7SyG-whV0b0Ptr/s320/Elf2.JPG" width="223" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>The BIGGEST little
Miracle<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"> This heart-warming
musical is directed by Thomas C. Graff, songs by Matthew Skylar, lyrics by Chad
Beguelin and book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin (based on the film, Elf, by
David Berenbaum). Musical direction and
conducting by Cyndy Ramsey-Rier and choreography by Terry Brock and Cherie
Price. It is playing through December18<sup>th</sup>
at their space, 368 S. State St. in Lake Oswego (free parking lot in the
rear). For more information on the show
and Covid policies, go to their website <a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/">www.lakewood-center.org</a> or call 503-635-3901.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Tis the Season for
stories of hope and good cheer…and, boy, do we need that now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are basically two perspectives:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Biblical view, with the birth of Christ,
and the Santa Claus slant, with merry, ole St. Nick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the three most popular films deal with
Redemption, as in, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Dickens’s, “A Christmas Carol,” and
“Miracle on 34<sup>th</sup> Street.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also,
they all have one more thing in common:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The importance of Family, whether Holy, Jolly or, in the case of, Elf, perhaps,
the meaning of the ancient philosophy, it takes a whole village to raise a
child…thus, Family, in the most Universal sense of the word!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Once upon a time, on
Christmas Eve, while jolly Santa (Mark Pierce) was delivering presents at one
household, a baby climbed into his toy sack and was inadvertently whisked off
to the North Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirty years later, cheerful
but naïve, Buddy (Jeremy Anderson-Sloan), the human elf, has a yearning to find
his real family and walks thousands of miles to New York City to find his
father, Walter Hobbs (Jeremy Southard), who is a rather grumpy executive of a
Children’s book publishing company, Greenway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> He has a rude
awaking, though, when he discovers people do not believe in Santa, or
Christmas, other than in the “commercial” sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walter’s wife, Emily (Sophie MacKay) is a
pleasant enough lady and her daughter, Michael (Stella MacKay), is a nerd with
no thought of the magic of Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The employees at Walter’s business including Deb (Aurora C. Gooch), an
executive assistant, and the big honcho himself, Greenway (Michael Streeter), have
little regard for Christmas, other than the monies it generates for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Buddy’s new love interest, Jovie
(Camille Trinka), is rather a glum young lady.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> But don’t you all
know, this will just change dramatically with the entrance of innocence in the
guise of Buddy, Santa and his elves, and the changed hearts of citizens via
dance, music and songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this seems
like a familiar, feel-good, seasonal story (and it is) but the cast, musicians,
dancers, crew, all dust off this familiar tale and through their own Magic,
give it a Life that goes well beyond the pages of a bedtime story, which bursts
through that fourth wall and permeates the audience with warmth and good will
and seems to say, “God Bless Us Every One!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The MacKay’s are
real, as mother and daughter, and you can sense the true family ties within
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Southard plays just the right
balance between a grouchy old man and the inner life of a lonely soul, just
waiting to have his bubble burst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trinka
waffles between being a hardened urbanite and the waifish child beneath, just
waiting to be discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Gooch’s
Deb, becomes transformed, but you sense, Streeter’s Greenway never will, as
Corporate Greed will, unfortunately, always have its oily hands around the
throat of Middle America.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> But Anderson-Sloan
is Amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion, better than
the film, Buddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He actually oozes charm,
goodness and the child-like innocence that is too often lost in adults and much
too soon, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he is this year’s
poster child for the Christmas Spirit on stage, we have much to be thankful
for!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, Terry Brock
(co-choreographer) as the Macy’s store manager, almost steals the show with her
tap-dancing number, with the ensemble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a special shout-out to the chorus/ensemble, they are truly the heart
of a production, as they are here, too!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Ramsey-Rier and her
band of renown are splendid and they do Not make the fatal flaw that often
orchestras do in a musical, they do NOT over power the
actors/singers…Bravo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Brock and
Price as choreographers have some terrific numbers and an ensemble of dancers
to match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Graff as chief magic maker
on this production, out does himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
long-time teacher/director/performer in the Portland area, his obvious talent
shows brilliantly here (they couldn’t have chosen a better director for this
project),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“May he Live Long and
Prosper!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> One more thing, just
as an exercise in Imagination, before too long, sit down and write a letter to
Santa of hopes and dreams for Christmas--<u>that you can do for others in the
coming year</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And write them in
long-hand, too, (if you still remember how to do that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then send it off to Santa at the North Pole,
but keep a list for yourself, and next year at this time, see how much of it
came true.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-25439223388801039262022-10-31T13:18:00.007-07:002022-10-31T13:27:24.907-07:00Pestilence: Wow!—Young Professionals Company—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CY-_F00GxyX1CC5y8obkslFZYoUsdaye_p86BT7r9ATyL2aNuR_JRBJCgKHPVrbdxdlEoDWefw5fmZpj5lHhAPMx2xFoJPWzbxytTFekXAXAJX9bsvJMW5qIH_blitZS86JJbKtq1o1X_RfRUlEPKFS9kd0FoU-2K_PVgK178u_bMQQfXA4RyNor/s1200/Pestilence.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CY-_F00GxyX1CC5y8obkslFZYoUsdaye_p86BT7r9ATyL2aNuR_JRBJCgKHPVrbdxdlEoDWefw5fmZpj5lHhAPMx2xFoJPWzbxytTFekXAXAJX9bsvJMW5qIH_blitZS86JJbKtq1o1X_RfRUlEPKFS9kd0FoU-2K_PVgK178u_bMQQfXA4RyNor/w400-h209/Pestilence.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Survival of the…Wittiest</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Y/P Company of
the Oregon Children’s Theatre presents this dark comedy by Savannah Reich and
directed by Dani Baldwin (OCT’s Education Director).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at the Alberta House, 5131 NE
23<sup>rd</sup> Ave., through Nov. 13<sup>th</sup> (only street parking, so
plan your time accordingly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more
information on tickets and Covid restrictions, go to their website at </span><a href="http://www.octc.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.octc.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-228-9571. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The best description
I could come up with for this piece is from the director’s mouth herself (Dani
Baldwin):<span style="font-family: arial;"> "This show is described as a 'psychedelic feaver dream-...Monty Python mixed with social/political commentary. What happens to humanity when a crisis occurs? Even though it was written pre-Covid it's CRAZY how much you can draw connections."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It is an ensemble </span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: white;">group</span>, part Vaudeville troupe,
part Reality TV, part Game show, with a dash of human contradictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Host (Max Young) for this event will
give some contestants, from the Middle Ages, a chance to escape The Black
Plague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it means they have to come
up with answers to such things as, How did it start…who is responsible,
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the contestants are some
peasants including Raoul (Oliver Chally), Simone (Emma Fonseca Halverson),
Agnes (Alli Jaffe), Alphonse (Aiden Shafiuzzanman), Georgette (Ryder Thompson)
and other villagers including a couple of monks…Jason Nuesa, Ruth Siviglia, and
David Stephens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The tales of the participants, of this dreaded period in Europe, are
played out in skits, tableaus, dance/movement and even roller skates…you really
have to see it to believe it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also
welcome training exercises for young thespians to be able to play in the
difference mediums of theatre, including video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The young folks are excellent, each creating a unique character ranging
in types who just want to be a star, who are not bright enough to know what’s
going on, and bitterness toward whoever started this whole damn thing in the
first place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And Baldin is the Master of bringing out the best in raw talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were a parent and had a child, who
dreamed of being in the Arts, there is no better place, bar none, than OCT and
the Y/P programs with Baldwin at its helm!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For references in this type of genre, you might check out Marat/Sade, the
Dance of Death sequence in Bergman’s, The Seventh Seal, or the excellent Roger
Corman film, The Masque of Red Death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If there is a point to this outrageous story, it might be that put in
dire circumstances for all Mankind…such as a Virus or Climate Change…Man may
Not be the Noble Beast that we perceive, but instead, even though in all the
Animal Kingdom, we have Free Will and Reasoning Powers, and yet we still behave
very poorly, greedily and selfishly when the chips are down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider the current situation in the world
of today!?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(A side note,
during the Middle Ages, the Black Plague wiped out much of Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, surprisingly, a familiar, children’s
ditty came from this event:<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The virus first
appeared as reddish spots on the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, when it advanced, a circle would form around these marks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it was very contagious, bodies which
had died from this disease, were placed outside of homes, and flowers were put
in their pockets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their bodies then were
hauled to pits outside of town and burned…eventually the disease was wiped
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The song…?:<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Ring around the
Rosy…Pocketful of Posies…Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down!”).<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I highly recommend
this play but it does have language and situations that are adult in
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></span><p></p><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-4108774094638951962022-10-10T13:15:00.015-07:002022-10-10T13:41:38.574-07:00Little Shop of Horrors—Stumptown Stages—Downtown Portland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3tV3EA8aR_0HLhQV4FgBXQ1cVwmjCg6ja3FcAWJ0DSh4T1QslmBlB2waClnifiaA5C5n7jrH1WiZLMxOtJ0-B8yj3BF8_-KTpw-1Ao3ZJ9w8O1kE1Tl2MiCNx_1iYRuDXbVGsBv-1mYLGh1bMklz-oF9kzmJHPkuN6KRNrNXQosDiWpVAL9mPIyh/s560/Little%20shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="560" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3tV3EA8aR_0HLhQV4FgBXQ1cVwmjCg6ja3FcAWJ0DSh4T1QslmBlB2waClnifiaA5C5n7jrH1WiZLMxOtJ0-B8yj3BF8_-KTpw-1Ao3ZJ9w8O1kE1Tl2MiCNx_1iYRuDXbVGsBv-1mYLGh1bMklz-oF9kzmJHPkuN6KRNrNXQosDiWpVAL9mPIyh/s320/Little%20shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Seedy Botanical Beast</b></span><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">This dark comedic,
musical has book and lyrics by Howard Ashman,music by Alan Menken, choreography
by Jamie Langton, music direction by Adam Young and directed & designed by Steve
Coker. It is playing at The Winningstad
Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, through October30<sup>th</sup>. For more information, go to their site at <a href="http://www.stumptownstages.org/">www.stumptownstages.org</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">Once
upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, a lone seeding was starving to death,
as his planet’s life’s blood was diminished.
So, he took his chances and threw his fates to a passing meteor shower
and eventually fell to earth onto Skid Row on the planet, Earth. This seemed like a happy place to him, as the
talented street urchins of the village, Crystal (Lydia Fleming), Ronnette (Kristin
Robinson and Chiffon (Olivia Spohn) were always singing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">And
the young nerdy fellow, Seymour (Jason Hays) who found him and cared for him and
even named him, Audrey II (Kimo Camat, Liz Ghiz & Tim Giugni) was a nice
enough fellow. Seymour even was sweet on
a not-so-bright co-worker, Audrey (Tawni Peterson). But she was hung up on this “semi-sadist,”
laughing dentist, Orin (Dustin Fuentes),who was not so nice to her. And the shop’s owner, Mr. Mushnick (David Mitchum
Brown), was a stogy old tightwad who seemed to care for no one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">But
that was all soon to change, as there was a new character in town from out of
this world and he was taking no guff off anyone! And one more little thing…he had had found
the …nourishment he needed for life but getting it was going to require some
clever manipulations on his part. Does
this lead to a happy ending...depends on who’s telling the tale and it would be
delicious talking with you in person sometime about it…yum! --A/II<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">This
story originally had its origin in the Roger Corman school of B-movies (notably
for introducing Jack Nicholson to the film-going public in a small role). It then went onto becoming a very successful
Broadway play and movie and added music to its tawdry tale. Margie Boule and Randall Stuart had a couple notably revivals of this show
some years ago and now we have Stumptown with Stever Coker at the helm and this
genre fits him to a tee, having,in the past, very successful productions of a
stage version of Queen’s, Flash Gordon, and an original film noir detective
story about werewolves, and also a musical about werewolf cheerleaders from
outer space (I kid you not) and all very well done!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">All
the versions I’ve seen of this play, my favorites have always been the Greek
Chorus, the urchins, in this case,Fleming, Robinson and Spohn, who are a
smash. And the two leads, Hays and
Peterson, are in terrific form, especially with the show-stopping, “Suddenly,
Seymour.” And the outrageous character
of Orin (Fuentes) is over the top as the maniacal dentist. And Camat as the voice of the plant gives
just the right creepiness to the role.
And a special shout-out to the two set changers, Isaac Elmore &
Genevieve Hildebrand-Chupp, who are kept very busy during the show of changing
the scenes and “dislodging” the plant food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">This
is a perfect show for the Halloween season and I highly recommend it. If you do choose to see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: white;">--DJS</span><b style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p></p></div>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-18089291087366223992022-09-09T10:46:00.000-07:002022-09-09T10:46:53.384-07:00The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLKYhVVu7xiwR3Zi-eq-rfy9NeXpsKplrBUmiC24hCYYbuk2n7UfB1DuLr4mXB0nacRKQew0hFFNgjjDi8u_Q4aZjutjSpzNIfigWx5lMYazFQ34Hqxccr41Lx7mzsIfGnUIqUY5AEDTjeLHHsw8YuBDStCKpm66TgJYLJeTYoRjuzoFSkRZgy63P/s825/One%20act%20play%20goes%20wrong.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="825" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLKYhVVu7xiwR3Zi-eq-rfy9NeXpsKplrBUmiC24hCYYbuk2n7UfB1DuLr4mXB0nacRKQew0hFFNgjjDi8u_Q4aZjutjSpzNIfigWx5lMYazFQ34Hqxccr41Lx7mzsIfGnUIqUY5AEDTjeLHHsw8YuBDStCKpm66TgJYLJeTYoRjuzoFSkRZgy63P/w400-h309/One%20act%20play%20goes%20wrong.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“The Play’s the Thing…”</b></span><u><o:p></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"> This Live comedy is
written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields, directed by Angela
McKennie and produced by Donald Horn. It
is playing at their space at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the
building) through September 24<sup>th</sup>.
Be advised that full Covid protocols are in place…vaccine cards, masks,
etc. For more information, go to their
site at <a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/">www.trianglepro.org</a> or
call 503-239-5919.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> According to the
quote above from Hamlet, the story is the crux of the play, which will reveal
all. But it can also be taken in another
sense, using “play” the way a child might interpret it, as fun and games, where
anything can happen…and that is exactly what occurs here, as an inept,
community theatre group attempts to put on a murder mystery.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> This type of plot
has been done before, as in Tom Stoppard’s, The Real Inspector Hound (which I
have directed); or the movie and play from the board game, Clue (which Bag
& Baggage is doing in the Spring).
Or the excellent Christopher Guest film, Waiting For Guffman. But this is, by far, the most madcap, merry,
mix-up of mayhem I’ve ever seen.! And
it’s presented by an array of many former actors from Triangle’s past shows, to
celebrate its 33<sup>rd</sup> Season (yay)!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> The plot (such as it
is) revolves around the discovery of a corpse of the Patriarch of Haversham Manor,
Charles (Joe Healy), on the eve of his wedding to a socialite, Florence
(Lisamarie Harrison), a bit of a ditz.
Among the suspects are Thomas (Dave Cole), his mysterious brother; Cecil
(Alex Fox), a questionable associate; Perkins (Gary Wayne Cash), an annoying
butler; and a fiercely, dedicated stagehand, Annie (Melissa Whitney). Into this fray appears Inspector Carter
(James Sharinghousen)--not the sharpest knife in the drawer--prepared to solve
this infamous crime…but not before another murder victim is discovered, an
affair is unveiled, and folks are discovered not to be whom they seem (“curiouser
and curiouser”).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> If this all sounds
confusing, it is, but the meat of this play is not the plot of the murders, but
the inept way the actors go about presenting the show. And I can tell you, having been involved in
over 200 plays myself, these are no exaggerations: Props that are not there; set pieces that fall
apart; actors that write their lines on their costumes or arms; weapons that
don’t work; actors that don’t show up on cue; lines that get forgotten or that
are repeated; et al. They are all here
in this show and all true, folks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> The cast is dynamite
and it is truly a genius ensemble of some of the best comic talent in the
area! McKennie is a master of creating
visual and verbal comedy and is truly a laugh-out-loud presentation (which is
sorely needed in these chaotic and morose times in our history). Thank you, dear cast and director, for giving
us this reprieve from our troubled world…it is truly needed. And thank you, Donald Horn, for choosing this
vehicle to celebrate 32 seasons of inspiring theatre…may you have many more to
come!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I highly recommend
this show. If you do choose to see it,
please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></p><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-26274754402407652182022-07-25T11:48:00.005-07:002022-07-25T11:48:58.397-07:00Voiceover—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkUsDx5n1JE14nubOT7dD2KbB9YqT-5D-fHO5ks8SajkFGXhowu_zAsKLsHjUzHuUt3WaiwNi6tda5FUXSb-I52jiLgdX0BYb5WPzXJDyIVVXZLCPbScJc4Gd8n0WmIW088jX7N2zxSFCYnNBPcq4EUMS5glDzul8Q4QaeOl9L7X77n0-fmTO5buS/s916/Voiceover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="916" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkUsDx5n1JE14nubOT7dD2KbB9YqT-5D-fHO5ks8SajkFGXhowu_zAsKLsHjUzHuUt3WaiwNi6tda5FUXSb-I52jiLgdX0BYb5WPzXJDyIVVXZLCPbScJc4Gd8n0WmIW088jX7N2zxSFCYnNBPcq4EUMS5glDzul8Q4QaeOl9L7X77n0-fmTO5buS/w400-h244/Voiceover.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“The Windmills of Your Mind”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This World Premiere
LIVE production is co-written, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mouawad and
co-written by Drew Pisarra and produced by Carol Triffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It plays through July 30<sup>th</sup>at
Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup> Ave. (off E. Burnside).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking can be an issue, so come early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Covid protocols in place…vaccine cards,
masks required and spaced seating).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
more information, contact them at </span><a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.imagotheatre.com</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> call 503-231-9581.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Some inspirations
for this production may be found in Lugi Pirandello’s, “Six Characters in
Search of an Author,” in which unwritten or unfinished persona from a play seek
out in a theatre, some author/creator to finish their story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also recalls from the age of Cinerama
film-making, the movie, “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” in which
Laurence Harvey, as one of the brothers, lies very ill in bed and is visited by
all the little characters he has yet to create, begging him not to die, as that
means they will never have lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And, one more
reference, an excellent animated film by Pixar some years ago called, “Inside
Out,” which illustrates how the many emotions within a person’s brain, all try
to interact with each other, in order for an individual to connect with the
outside world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What a Piece of Work is
Man….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Existence is a
complicated thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just who are we, how
did we come into being and just what is our purpose anyhow?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, according to one biblical source, have
been given free will and reasoning powers, but what do we do with those
“gifts,” if they actually do exist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Aye, there’s the rub….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> In this incarnation
of some of those dilemmas, eight characters appear on a bare stage:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fiely Matias, Ariel Puls, Kellie Holway,
Index Marcus, Isaac Ellingson, Jessica Curtiss, Emma Holland and Sean
Bowie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are seemingly controlled by
an entity called, Jackie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, at times,
is their voice, always loud but definitely in charge for those moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, they only can communicated with
each other with a sort of telepathy, and we are able to hear them as
‘Voiceovers,” or a type of asides in theatre-speak.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> They do have one
thing in common though, they are all dancers and, thus, express their feelings
in stylized movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But are they truly
expressing <i>their </i>emotions, or is someone else pulling their strings, like
a puppeteer would?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, if so, what to
do about this grave situation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But an
even larger question teases our minds, as the audience is thrust into this
proposition, too, and then this enigma grows ever wider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter their world, if you dare…!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mouawad and Pisarra
have charted us into uncertain waters with this presentation and whether we
sink or swim is entirely up to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If to
swim, it means we have to jerk our heads out of the electronic jungle of the
internet highway, the all-knowing, all-seeing god for many of us, and actually
examine, for ourselves, who and what we are…and what is real and not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If to sink, it means, with eyes wide shut,
drowning ourselves into the endless and contradictory by-ways made up of the
cold, hard world of wily wires and condescending components.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a story of human development, in
which Man may come up short but, at least, we must try!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mouawad has, once
again, come up with a winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
direction, seemingly random, only means that he has lulled us into a deliberate
slumber, only to startle us at the end (beginning?) when the alarm goes off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his cast is exceptional, each one creating
a very specific individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
choosing dance as their means of locomotion, gives their stories a fluidity
that lures our imaginations out of the shadows and into working models of
humankind, which should have always been in existence, anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bravo!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to see it,
please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-81789904124342334472022-07-18T12:10:00.001-07:002022-07-18T12:47:56.241-07:00The Kiss—Lakewood Theatre Company—Lake Oswego<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP2RV-EQJH-Y4tFWAZQVJU5zLn-h6j4mcZsDPl131w8GUTu1dMgNFF-xBwUj0ERDD_vRmsthGT0aMeEl0s-O90WNtHZXQBQNmqibOAtW7P_E-FsLYtDZUh76zYD_byVjvlute-NeDYvwbBxqIox1pDGYkYMuWfw22nAR9HH6HqCcKy9J-u9VOf8O5/s538/THE-KISS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="415" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP2RV-EQJH-Y4tFWAZQVJU5zLn-h6j4mcZsDPl131w8GUTu1dMgNFF-xBwUj0ERDD_vRmsthGT0aMeEl0s-O90WNtHZXQBQNmqibOAtW7P_E-FsLYtDZUh76zYD_byVjvlute-NeDYvwbBxqIox1pDGYkYMuWfw22nAR9HH6HqCcKy9J-u9VOf8O5/w309-h400/THE-KISS.jpg" width="309" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“’Hopefully’ Ever After”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This world premiere
musical is directed by Greg Tamblyn, story conceived and original script by
Will Vinton, music and lyrics by David Pomeranz, book by Will Winton, Jesse
Vinton and Greg Tamblyn (loosely based on “The Frog Prince” by the Brothers
Grimm).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing through August21<sup>st</sup>
at their space, 368 S. State St. in Lake Oswego (free parking lot in the
rear).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information on the show
and Covid restrictions, go to their website </span><a href="http://www.lakewood-center.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.lakewood-center.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-635-3901.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> “Fairy tales can
come true, they can happen to you, when you’re young at heart….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, such a world as this do we need now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally, these stories were written as cautionary
tales for the youth of yore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now
they are seen as beacons of Hope, in which nasty dragons are slain, evil
witches are banished and lover conquers all, to lead to ending of “happily ever
after,” sealed with a kiss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is all that
still possibly?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time will tell….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> In this timeless
tale, conceived by Will Vinton, the father of Claymation in Portland, this
classic theme is reawakened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
neighboring kingdoms, each having a child born at the same time, a girl and a
boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They grow up playing together as
best friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But reality raises its
ugly head (politics, jealousy, greed, arrogance, selfishness, et. al.) when
they become adults and they must stifle childish thoughts and dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Eventually, Arro
(Keaton Fields) and Ember (Sophie MacKay) grow apart and all hopes of uniting
the two kingdoms by her father, King Gordo (Douglas Webster) are dashed as they
go their separate ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter now a
dragon that threatens their villages, and the king promises his daughter’s hand
in marriage to he whoever slays this vile creature.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The deed is
dispatched by a mysterious knight, Raoul (Collin Carver), or so it seems, and
suddenly Arro has disappeared, turned into a frog by a vengeful witch, Gladys (Emily
Sahler), for reasons discovered later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His only recourse out of this curse is to be kissed by a true love
within three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he does have some
allies to help, in the form of woodland animals, Granny Racoon (Melissa
Standley), Sheldon the Snail (Troy Sawyer) and Benny Beaver (Eric Zulu).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conclusion is classic storytelling which,
of course, you’ll have to see to discover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The songs (by
Pomeranz) and dances (choreographed by Erin Shannon) are a pure joy and enhance
the story, as well as fleshing out the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Tamblyn’s direction, a veteran of local
theatre, is paramount in his casting and staging of this magical
production. Some of my favorite numbers are “Club Mud,” a romp; “For the Good of
All”, revealing; “Sugar Lips,” a hoot; “Humans,” fun: “Kill the Frog Toad,” an
oily delight; and the romantic, “The Kiss.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Sahler is a seasoned
performer and quite a belter and it shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fields and Mackay have fine voices and Fields, in particular, shines in
the dance numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Webster is in fine
form with his powerful voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zulu,
Standley, and Sawyer,as the forest critters, play well off each other in their
comic timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they have an amazing
chorus, filling in the many supporting characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among them is Quinn Boyd, as the young Ember, who
shows promise in her well-crafted role.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> But there is a
sneaky rat that tends to spoil this lovely brew of characters, as Carver tends
to steal the show as the nefarious, nasty, no-good-nik villain of the
piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His “cheesy” performance is an
utter delight!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His background covers OCT
and Triangle, where I’ve reviewed him before, and he is still charming the
audiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And to each and all
of us, may the message of this play, selflessness is the key to happiness and
love, invade each our hearts, so that we may live in Peach and Harmony with
Nature and each other, so that we may truly live “hopefully ever after!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do chose to see this
play, please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-75439947567553525362022-06-12T11:40:00.002-07:002022-06-12T13:26:10.086-07:00Bad World—Crave theatre—SE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1d3ZIpU9m_ifh4uw1rhMGyu0RgA4OTMC55SaTZn4hpb0F53rVuC7KxohYEKX6_lQEWQyghp8WzVTArVytiqhl01PXX4hGtSrZn-17hEF_P-tRsAaqTPqWYoK0n-w29QGfx_f8kigf_6hTS9cbLYa4rnbz2wENTqA6X3RVAdzl4ZbK8fhTpU_NhzZ9/s851/Bad%20World.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1d3ZIpU9m_ifh4uw1rhMGyu0RgA4OTMC55SaTZn4hpb0F53rVuC7KxohYEKX6_lQEWQyghp8WzVTArVytiqhl01PXX4hGtSrZn-17hEF_P-tRsAaqTPqWYoK0n-w29QGfx_f8kigf_6hTS9cbLYa4rnbz2wENTqA6X3RVAdzl4ZbK8fhTpU_NhzZ9/w400-h148/Bad%20World.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tangerine Dreams…Icicle Kisses</span></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This original, Live
musical is written by Kylie Jenifer Rose,James Liptak, Jennifer Provenza,
Rachael Singer, Michael Cavazos, Ashley Mellinger, Maya Maria Brown, and
Zeloszelos Marchandt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music by James
Liptak and Kylie Jenifer Rose and lyrics by Rose and Jennifer Provenza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is directed by Rachael Singer and Jennifer
Lanier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at the
Shaking-the-Tree space, 823 SE Grant St. through July 3<sup>rd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full covid protocols in place…vaccine cards,
masks, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, go to
their site at </span><a href="http://www.cravetheatre.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.cravetheatre.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 360-931-5664.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Once upon a time
there was a little girl named Rose who grew up in a fun and loving family (good
world).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she got older, she dreamed of
distant lands and all the magical things that could happen there (good
world).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, she decided on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a career in the arts and to travel to Gay
Paree (good world).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Rose (Kylie
Jenifer Rose) was now a young adult, and out on her own, and the dreams she had
would soon be dramatically altered by some ruthless beasts who would shatter
those dreams (Bad World)!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This mostly sung
play is a map of the journey, cathartic for her and educational for
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she traverses her own path
down memory lane, she is joined by other selves; other victims of sexual abuse;
and even the strangers themselves, played in a mostly jazz, concert style, in
dance and song, as a reflection of her inner artist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> These three
remarkable people that share the stage with Rose, filling in the blanks of her
tale/memory are Zeloszelos Marchandt as Langston, Gayle Hammersley as Zaria and
Kayla Leacock as Linnea…and they are terrific!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being victims themselves, they are all a part of Rose’s, Symphony of
Life, and she a part of theirs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
struggle valiantly; they harmonize beautifully; and they relate a too, oft-told
tale of abuse by an ignorant, brutish gender that feel <i>they</i> are the
superior race and demand submission by all others… “a tale told by an idiot!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The is a play you
simply must see to appreciate and it is a safe space to explore this very
destructive trend in our society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rose is
a very brave lady and an absolutely amazing singer and actor! And hopefully
this show is Broadway-bound, as it is topical in content, and professionally
done in style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liptak’s music is
magical, as it always connects seamlessly with the lyrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but the lighting (Griffin
DeWitt) and set (Yelena Babinskaya) throb in unison with the music and
plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A union, I would say, conceived in
a…Good World!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this musical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do choose to see
it, please tell them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-46151906396884229202022-06-10T10:28:00.001-07:002022-06-10T10:28:25.694-07:00Mr. Madam—Triangle Productions—NE Portland<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4LYOKV3nbsxrrX6hks6qfx0fD_EnWbPr6OOnWkPLuCfXJW00ezUilKnOo84KYUq8CctuuVQ7z_iOGWUVMK0icrfGueGOlnqvdhdSK7dhaNUfUMwWga3iuTbWjikXLnAQsL9vvJVAOKmQrb7I1ZCvMJNQAMPVvgEJmoPHbh-79JpFp4QRbo9ANBOq/s1120/Mr.%20Madam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="1120" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4LYOKV3nbsxrrX6hks6qfx0fD_EnWbPr6OOnWkPLuCfXJW00ezUilKnOo84KYUq8CctuuVQ7z_iOGWUVMK0icrfGueGOlnqvdhdSK7dhaNUfUMwWga3iuTbWjikXLnAQsL9vvJVAOKmQrb7I1ZCvMJNQAMPVvgEJmoPHbh-79JpFp4QRbo9ANBOq/w400-h106/Mr.%20Madam.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“An Awfully Big Adventure”</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This Live dark
comedy is written by Donnie, directed by Donald Horn and is based on the
writings of Kenneth/Kate Marlowe, featuring Wade McCollum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at their space at 1785 NE Sandy
Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through June 25<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be advised that full Covid protocols are in
place…vaccine cards, masks, etc. (also restricted to those 18 and older only,
please).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, go to
their site at </span><a href="http://www.trianglepro.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.trianglepro.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-239-5919.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> From the mouths of
Peter Pan (who is often played by a girl, by the way) and the Lost Boys, to the
orphans in Annie, who must live “a hard-knock life,” childhood can be a scary
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in those formative years, our
personalities are emerging and will lead to who we are as adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is also the ages in which we discover
our self-identities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s agreed
by most experts that we all have a masculine and feminine side, regardless of
our physical gender.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Mine is my Muse, who
developed all my creative writings and reviews, and I trust her
implicitly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The subject of this play,
Kenneth/Kate Marlowe (Wade McCollum), also has a Muse who fosters his/her
writings, as this play is base on that life, much of it in print.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Marlowe has a less
than glamorous beginning, as spewed out by an alcoholic mother (who wanted a
girl) and a father “who was in love with long-distance.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he was very sexually active from a very
early age with other boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he grew,
he found his life-calling (more or less) in being a hair-dresser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also liked dressing up in women’s clothing
and make-up, and ended up becoming a drag queen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even worked in a club ran by the mob. He also
ran a call center, who got him a lot of prospects and even found, for a while,
a sugar daddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his little stint in
the army gave him a hard-hitting dose of reality for those such as he.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, finding the courage in the 70’s
to become—Kate!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I have skimmed over
his story because it pales in comparison to McCollum’s performance in relating
it, and to Donnie’s amazingly, poignant script of his journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is something you have to experience for
yourselves and I guarantee you will be profoundly moved, as was I!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will also see yourselves (and others) in
the character of Marlowe, as he is first and foremost, I believe, very human
and that is what softly explodes in your hearts and minds as you listen to his/her
story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> McCollum is a
consummate artist, being able to paint a vibrant personality, exploring every
nook and cranny of one’s being, and stitching together its threads to create a
rich tapestry…a cornucopia of adventures, that exemplifies who we are! And he
plays to perfection all those side characters he meets, as well!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of the hundreds of plays I have reviewed,
I can count on one hand those that could equal McCollum’s performance here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“May you live long and prosper!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And Horn’s script
should be Broadway-bound (but only with McCollum as its star and Horn as its
director)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donnie has managed to present
a riveting story of what makes us who we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think this is Horn’s best work and, further, I think you should not
miss seeing it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bless you, Horn, you
have a treasure here and it should be shared by the world!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I highly recommend
this play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-62039585875509063152022-06-06T11:18:00.001-07:002022-06-06T15:20:56.148-07:00Julia’s Place—Imago Theatre—SE Portland<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfNXljRgwOEpivoz-vIDQhfNzM3p_s1tDY0FXgnEFF9DVPg3yYq7uY1jOKepOkuPRSw_Vj7FnAXQ-e7rB7D6I4GFhPwwf-wnpMyHRqJATE69okT559WGjknDa4ia1hcULgfD9NeMkEntU_GhIUi7VzXy0LzHieusxTKWG1COCXqYf0pJOafW-VWA0/s660/Julias%20place.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="660" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfNXljRgwOEpivoz-vIDQhfNzM3p_s1tDY0FXgnEFF9DVPg3yYq7uY1jOKepOkuPRSw_Vj7FnAXQ-e7rB7D6I4GFhPwwf-wnpMyHRqJATE69okT559WGjknDa4ia1hcULgfD9NeMkEntU_GhIUi7VzXy0LzHieusxTKWG1COCXqYf0pJOafW-VWA0/w400-h293/Julias%20place.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic Design by David Deide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <b style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Once Upon a Time…Ever After</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This World Premiere
LIVE production is written, designed and directed by Jerry Mouawad and produced
by Carol Triffle (co-founders of Imago).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It plays through June 18<sup>th</sup> at Imago’s space, 17 SE 8<sup>th</sup>
Ave.(off E. Burnside).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking can be an
issue, so come early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Covid protocols
in place…vaccine cards, masks required and spaced seating).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, contact them at </span><a href="http://www.imagotheatre.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.imagotheatre.com</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-231-9581.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> Since Mouawad cites
Ionesco’s play, Rhinoceros, as an inspiration for his piece, I think it only fair
to give you a brief overview of the underlying substance of that avant-garde
play, written several years ago. There
is also a fairly good film of it starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and Karen
Black. Any resemblance to real life is
purely…intentional:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> “<i>Imagine a circumstance where an incompetent, egomaniacal
boob stands up in front of you, spewing out utter nonsense and promising to
fulfill this blather if he were King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then imagine a circumstance where this nitwit is offered just such a
position, and his herds of followers bow to his every whim, and blindly accept
every blathering he utters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon they
are espousing his “holey” words as truth, even as the world they knew and loved
collapses around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, he
leads them to a cliff and proclaims they should all jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this setting, those beings are called
lemmings, in this incarnation of them in this play, they are called Rhinos.</i>”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> The above definition holds pretty true to form for Julia’s
Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Julie (Carol Triffle) is the
owner, cook, server, et. al. for this little establishment located (perhaps) on
an “Ill-Land,” resembling an European café on the road to Forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s main dish, is not the food (except for
some stale saltines) but its motley crew of what may be the last vestiges of
civilization, as we know it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> There are the two regulars, consisting of Porkchop (Josh
Edward), a dishevel prophet (aka, John the Baptist), spewing words of seeming
nonsense, professing we are all just stories…and stories within stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there is his best pal Ralph (Noel
Olken), a more studious and reserved sort (looking much like a young Einstein),
who has a “thing” for Julia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> Into this dubious haven from life’s pitfalls, bursts
Leonardo (Christopher Kehoe), like a big-game hunter, looking to bag a prize
beast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, on hand, to complete this
picture of instability is Poem (Laura Loy), whose heart has been broken by a
lover who has deserted her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, yes,
there are a storm of rhinos (Cosmo Kay & Olivia Vavroch) marauding the
streets in packs, in search of what…a mate…to merge with the conforming
crowd…to evolve into the next step of Evolution?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> But where did they all come from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the characters seem to have an odd
yearning, and yet revulsion for this new, dominant tribe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is the quest much simpler…will Porkchop
ever get his desired slice of lasagna?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You just have to see it and draw your own conclusions as to the meaning
of it all.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> Mouawad’s casting, as always, is unique and they fill every
inch of these improbable characters, chief among them is Edward, as it’s his
narrative we follow, and he is marvelous in his zaniness to hold these fragile
threads of humanity together, even when everything around him is
unraveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The puppeteers (Kay & Vovroch),
too, are to be given kudos as, even as shadows, they exude an eerie menace, not
to be ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Mouawad’s script, of
the avant-garde genre, is chilling and thrilling, as it seems to speak to the
root of nightmares, where only the brave may tread!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> I highly recommend this play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell them Dennis
sent you.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">--DJS</p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924406166725006912.post-4011874497978409072022-05-16T16:17:00.000-07:002022-05-16T16:17:44.935-07:00Laughter on the 23rd Floor—HART Theatre—Hillsboro, OR<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFDQNGWTijuVzJOu3V8Cb-wnhmUOxv2-9F1AFglq5uPvJN34O_5XkwsIMrAslFd_SSE6Idi4ctfm9xahhgofPUPuvk_PXKJUE7htyBovxvOZcap6jfSZxSek7DtLztEdD5AvYSwVfKalrhTl7Z-2__QaGoh78UiFYsw-t6w5TcLhe8ivhNAhismLz/s1080/laughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFDQNGWTijuVzJOu3V8Cb-wnhmUOxv2-9F1AFglq5uPvJN34O_5XkwsIMrAslFd_SSE6Idi4ctfm9xahhgofPUPuvk_PXKJUE7htyBovxvOZcap6jfSZxSek7DtLztEdD5AvYSwVfKalrhTl7Z-2__QaGoh78UiFYsw-t6w5TcLhe8ivhNAhismLz/w400-h400/laughter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Endorphin Squad</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> This live production
of the comedy by the famous Broadway writer, Neil Simon, is directed by Meghan
Daaboul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is playing at their space
near downtown Hillsboro, 185 SE Washington, through May 22<sup>nd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, go to their website at </span><a href="http://www.hart-theatre.org/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">www.hart-theatre.org</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> or call 503-693-7815.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Ah, the good ole
days of the 50’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peace, once again,
except, of course, for the Cold War with Russia, and the Korean Conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, prosperity loomed just around the corner,
unless, of course, you were a subject of one of Joe McCarthy’s investigations
of “Commies” and ended up on the Black List.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the saving grace through it all was television, and its
comedy/variety shows, like the classic, Sid Caesar and his, Your Show of Shows.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Many of the
present-day comedians, directors, producers and actors wrote for this show,
including “Doc” Simon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some names that
come to mind are Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Dick Cavett, Howard
Morris, Imogene Coca and a plethora of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All in all, although it may not have been “the best of times,” it did
produce some the best of talent!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> The plot centers
around a gaggle of TV comedy writers on one of the upper floors of a high-rise
building in the mid-50’sin New York City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is the star of the show, the eccentric, Max Prince (Bobby
Jackson), who genuinely loves the biz but is thwarted at every turn by corporate
(executives (nothing much has changed in that regard nowadays).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And among his “mad”
team (“everybody must have a little madness to discover one’s true passion”),
is the head writer, a Russian Jew, Val (Jeff Brosy), who tries to be the
peacekeeper (without much success) of this motley crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there is Milt (Steven Koeppen), the
beret king, who likes to be set apart from the group; Brian (Seth Wayne), who’s
an aspiring screenwriter; Kenny (Jeff Ekdahl), the apple-cheeked kid, and Ira
(Michael Rouches), the hypochondriac.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Add to this mix the
only female writer of the bunch, Carol (Erin Bickler), who just wants to be
“one of the guys;” Helen (Deb Holmes, Max’s secretary, who wishes to be a
writer herself; and the newbie, Lucas (Brandon B. Weaver), who is the
storyteller (perhaps, Simon, himself?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
is said, everyone has his/her own story and such is the case here, but for an
audience to discover when watching the play.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Daaboul has assembled
a fine ensemble cast and they play beautifully off each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tricky thing for a director, when doing
this sort of show, is the motivated blocking (as in Twelve Angry Men), where
the center piece are the writer’s tables, and to move the actors around in a
meaningful way is no easy task but she pulls it off, so kudos to her!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I recommend this
show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do see it, please tell them
Dennis sent you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--DJS<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Dennis Sparkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903565514001783820noreply@blogger.com23