A Double-Edge Sword
The Lost Boy by local playwright,
Susan Mach and directed by ART’s Artistic Director, Allan Nause, will play
through February 10th. The
theatre is located on SW 16th and Alder. For more information on the show and/or
season contact them at www.artistisrep.org or call 503-241-1278 for tickets.
The story is set in the late 1800’s. It
concerns the kidnapping of a young boy, Charley Ross (Logan Martin & Agatha
Day Olson), from a prominent family in Philadelphia. Two drifters, Bill (Duffy Epstein) and Joe
(Sean Doran), looking to get rich quick, lure the boy with promises of candies
and fireworks, if he comes with them.
Needless to say, the sweet enticements are a ruse and the boy disappears
from view.
A ransom note for $20,000 is sent to his father, Christian (Michael
Fisher-Welsh). But all is not as it
seems on the home front. The family, far
from being rich, is actually deep in debt.
In an attempt to stave off the kidnappers, a bevy of characters get
involved, including a detective, Heins (Doren Elias), the newspapers and even
P.T. Barnum (Gray Eubank) himself and his circus. (This may be where the term “media circus”
came from).
During this ordeal, it is revealed that the family has had its own demons to
deal with. The father, from a lack
of funds; the mother, Sarah (Dana
Millican), dealing with a ghost from the past; and the older son, Walter
(Harper Lea), feeling guilt for letting his brother go with them. And the Media factions, more interested in looking
out for their own publicity, muddy the already turbulent waters even more. To reveal anything else of the plot would
spoil the mystery, which I’m not
prepared to do.
But it is a fascinating story, mirroring somewhat, the sensational Lindbergh
kidnapping of the early 1900’s, the early 2000 Gaddis/Pond kidnapping and
murders, and the more recent abduction of Kyron Horman from his school. But, as intriguing as the story is, Ms. Mach’s
setting of it, as a background for Barnum’s side-show, is downright brilliant. The façade of a circus arena, reflecting the
real life events, gives the story its edge.
Perhaps, “The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll capture the conscience of
the king” (Hamlet).
Mr. Eubanks (Barnum) is appropriately bombastic and his minions (San Dinkowitz,
Luisa Sermol, Elizabeth Houghton, and Geoff Kanick) are all very good at
creating this surreal atmosphere, needing to be proficient in tumbling,
singing, and juggling. Bravo, troupe! And
the recreations of the Barnum banners/portraits of his characters (Jeff
Seats) are quite stunning, as well as the period costumes (Sarah Gahagan).
Mr. Fisher-Welsh, as the father, begins the show with a lack of urgency in his
performance, which should have been there.
But by the second act he acquires the necessary desperation needed for
the character. Perhaps the most riveting
scene (both in acting, by Ms. Millican and writing, by Ms. Mach) in the show is the monologue in the
second act, in which she describes another demon that haunts her. It is a spell-binding moment.
But veteran actor, Mr. Epstein, as the lead kidnapper, is absolutely wonderful
to watch. You can actually observe him
thinking onstage, as he controls his partner to his bidding; deceives the
golden goose, Mr. Ross (through letters); and weaves sweet nothings out of the
air to entice children. A masterly
performance of a thoroughly evil man.
Mr. Nause, the Director, is always a pleasure to watch, as he creates the little,
quiet moments, in contrast with the rough ‘n tumble of the more gregarious
conflicts—an actor’s director. I’ve never
been disappointed in his directing of a show (or his performing). Hopefully, we’ll continue to see his genius
upon the stage, as his tenure of Artistic Director culminates this year.
Ms. Mach’s terrific script carefully balances her characters, never really
taking sides as to her views but, instead, letting the audience make up their
own minds as to who may be the villains or heroes of the piece. And all the traits of these characters can
easily be translated into our modern world.
A world, perhaps, not of color, but all shades of gray.
This production is well worth seeing and, hopefully, will prompt discussions of
“stranger danger” with your children. A
side note, Ms. Mach also has another production premiering at the same time at the
Third Rail (503-235-1101 or www.ThirdRailRep.org ) at the Winningstad Theatre, A Noble Failure, about our education
system. This should be engrossing, also,
as she is a teacher herself. If you
choose to see this fine production of The
Lost Boy, tell them Dennis sent you.
"The Rhythms of Life"
This
play is written by August Wilson and directed by Jade King Carroll. It runs through December 30th. The theatre is located 602 NE Prescott St. in
North Portland. For ticket and season
information call 503-488-5822 or visit them at www.portlandplayhouse.org.
The late, great playwright, August Wilson, wrote a 10-cycle play series about
the black experience from the 1900’s though the 1990’s in the Hill District of
Pittsburgh, PA, where he grew up. Recently ART did a prequel of this story, Seven Guitars, with a couple of the
same cast members. (Read my review of that show on this blog.)
At the center of the story is King Hedley II (OSF actor, Peter Macon), a
ticking time bomb, dissatisfied with his lot in life. He is looking, if not for easy money, at
least a fair shake, unhampered by race issues.
He has a willing accomplice and supporter of anything he does from
Mister (Vin Shambry, son of Red from Seven
Guitars). Meanwhile his wife, Tonya
(Ramona Lisa Alexander—from Seven
Guitars) has a job and wants a family and a “normal” way of life.
They are living with the woman who raised Hedley, Ruby (Monica Parks), who has
her own desires and secrets. Next door lives Stool Pigeon (Victor Mack,
playing an older version of the same character he was in Seven Guitars). He spouts
Bible quotes, collects newspapers for his view of the world and, with all his
eccentricities, may be the most aware person of them all.
Into this explosive mix arrives Elmore (John Cothran, Jr.), a con man and an
old flame of Rudy’s. His intrusion into
their precarious lives, upsets the delicate balance and sets off a chain of
events that will, ultimately, end in tragedy.
To tell more of the story would expose parts of it best left to the
discovery of the audience.
The direction by Ms. Carroll keeps the energy and flow of the story moving at a
brisk space, although three hours long, it is never boring. Her connection with the actors in the show is
obvious, as every look and nuance of theirs has meaning. And the Scenic Design by Owen Walz is
terrific. You literally feel you have
been transported in time and space to the poorer section of a large city in the
80’s.
The whole cast is electric! I couldn’t
imagine anyone else playing those roles.
They actually inhabit them, as any trained professional actor would. Mr. Macon, as Hedley, is a powerhouse, a
force of Nature to be reckoned with, driving his character and the story to
its inevitable conclusion. Mr. Mack is fascinating to watch, as his
character tries to balance Bible
teachings with the harsh realities of the “real” world, a continuation of his character, Canewell, in Seven Guitars.
Mr. Cothran, Jr. is a master. His
monologues set up much of the history of the story and one is rapt when he
waxes eloquent on them. And Ms. Parks
does equally well with her reminisces of a world gone by and a life never
realized. Mr. Shambry and Ms. Alexander round out this
powerful cast, filling in solid support for the sad but powerful structure of
this tale.
An overall theme of Mr. Wilson’s about the world may be echoed in Stool
Pigeon’s words, “Ain’t gotta believe in it for it to be true.” And, possibly, from Ruby, about men, “…talks
like sugar but gives salt.”
But it’s also about Birth, Death, and Re-birth.
As proof, the seeds that Hedley plants to grow flowers; the kitten that
is buried in the garden, with the understanding that it will be re-born; the
death of one of the characters in the story, with a baby on the way to fill
this void; and Bible quotes throughout to the Cycle’s continuation. (Similar instances are in Seven Guitars.) The world may be “too much with us,” but with
us, it is, like it or not, for better or
worse.
Interesting to note that Wilson’s Two
Trains Running will be playing at OSF this Spring. The third of his plays performed in Oregon
within a year. Good to hear, as it’s
well deserved. If you choose to see this
play, tell them Dennis sent you.
"Dole/Dickens - An Uneasy Alliance"
Sherlock Holmes… plays at ART through December 30th. It is written by John Longenbaugh and
directed by Jon Kretzu. ART is located
at SW Alder & 16th Ave.
Contact them at www.artistsrep.org or
call 503-241-1278 for ticket/season information.
This is the second time (first, being Triangle Productions) this weekend I’ve
reviewed a show with a terrific cast being hampered by a flawed script. The intent of the play is to join Dickens’s
Scrooge with Doyle’s Holmes. As far as
the script goes, this union is forced, at best.
But a wonderful cast manages to pull Christmas magic from a shaky
premise.
As the story begins, Mr. Holmes (Michael Mendelson) coldly ignores and shuns
his closest companions, Dr. Watson (Tim Blough) and Mrs. Hudson (Jane
Fellows). With that accomplished, he
sits alone on Christmas Eve to contemplate his barren existence. Thus arrives Moriarty (Tobias Anderson) from
the grave. As penance for all his evil
doings, he forewarns Sherlock of visits he will have of three spirits, sent to
alter his behavior.
The first spirit (Nathan Crosby) illuminates a lonely youth (Matthew Kerrigan)
of Holmes, where he alienates himself from his family and his true love, Becky
(Melissa Whitney). The second spirit
(Gary R. Powell) exposes the present day, in which he is a silent witness to
those around him, as to how much he really is loved and needed. The third spirit propels him to a future in
which the world is ravaged by war and destruction, and he will become a
Moriarty-like contributor.
I think we all know the outcome. Holmes
sees the errors of his ways and becomes a changed man. He is redeemed. He embraces his friends and Christmas and
even solves a mystery in the bargain.
Such is the Beauty of this Season!
The entire cast (as mentioned) is wonderful.
Most of them play numerous roles and do them all very well. They are all articulate and precise in their
speech, lending well to the diverse portrayals of each of their characters.
Outstanding among the supporting players are Mr. Anderson (Moriarty, et. al.),
a veteran of many years in Portland theatre.
He shines in every role he plays.
Next he will be seen in a one-man show, The Illustrated Bradbury, based on stories by one of my favorite
authors, Ray Bradbury. It will be
produced by Theatre/Theater in the Spring.
Also Gary R. Powell (Spirit 2, et. al.), another long-time Portland veteran is
a joy to watch in the many incarnations he creates on the stage. (I had the pleasure of acting with him many
moons ago in The Firebugs.) A true
professional. And Mr. Blough gives a
heart-felt performance as Watson. You see
the complexity of his emotions toward his friend, Holmes, and the hurt he must
feel when pushed away.
And the acting of Holmes by Mr. Mendelson (another local veteran) is spot on. He has the right look and feel (script
notwithstanding) of the character. His
range of emotions of this (uneasy) marriage of Ebenezer and Sherlock seems
quite genuine. This character dominates
the story and the actor must likewise do so with the role, as he does.
The scenic design by Jeff Seats is pliable and works well in the many settings
that are called for in the story.
Likewise, the direction by Mr. Kretzu keeps the action flowing, in and
out of the different scenes, with nary a misstep as to where they are,
sometimes with only minimal settings as a suggestion.
The costumes, on the other hand, don’t always succeed. The flimsy “mask” of the first spirit is an amateurish attempt at
anonymity. The costume of Spirit 2 is
silly, at best, looking like a giant leprechaun. Spirit 3 fits the setting of the future (as written),
being an industrial black smoke stack, but it comes across more of a toy than
anything scary, albeit the mechanics of
it, (the same, I assume, as the boat in their Jack Goes Boating) is quite
effective. This, of course, could all be
called for in the script and, if so, is not the fault of the Costume Designer
(Jessica Bobillot). The rest of the
costumes are quite compelling.
The fault, then, “lies not in our ‘stars,’” but in the material. The attempt of meshing two famous, legendary,
fictional characters into one story is dangerous from the outset. You must, at least, have two compatible
genres and, in this case, you don’t.
Yes, they are both written by
British authors about loners “living” at approximately the same time (late
1800’s). But that is where the
resemblance ends.
Dickens’s Scrooge, is a morality character, journeying in a tale about “sin”
and redemption. Doyle’s Holmes is a
brilliant detective solving crimes. In
Longenbaugh’s interpretation, Holmes, in the first act, is simply mean-spirited
toward his closest companions for no apparent reason. (Yes, Doyle’s Holmes can be aloof, arrogant
and aggravating at times toward people but never deliberately mean.)
And his childhood doesn’t really seem so bleak (except for his mother dying) as
his brother, Mycroft, seems very supportive and he obviously has the love of
Becky. But, again,for no discernible
reason, he spurns both of these gestures of warmth.
The second act works the best, seeing the importance of his influence on people
and situations. But the third act seems
more of an indictment on War rather than having anything to do with the
immediate story. (Interesting note,
there was a television presentation by Hallmark, I believe, in the 60’s called Carol For Another Christmas, which had a
similar theme, but the formula was used throughout the tale.) In short, the joining of various
themes/genres in this play, doesn’t often work.
Does this mean the show is not worth seeing?
Absolutely not. The cast is
excellent and should be applauded. And
is it not the holiday season wherein feelings of joy and good fellowship should
rein? You bet. And this production, by the end, does leave
you with that.
A side note, one of ART’s Season Sponsors, the Hotel Deluxe (only a block away),
has an excellent Happy Hour menu and a terrific brunch. I highly recommend it. And if you do go to one, or both of these
venues, tell them Dennis sent you.
"Mercenary Madness"
Mother Courage… by Bertolt Brecht and translated by
Tony Kushner (Angels In America) plays at theatre vertigo through
November 17th. It is directed
by John Steinkamp with original music by Joseph Appel. Contact them for more info at www.theatrevertigo.org or call 503-306-0870.
Brecht, a German Expressionist writer during the early 1900’s, was disillusioned
by many things: War, Religion, the
Military, and Society, in general. What
he seemed to be in favor of was—survival.
Survival at any cost. His Mother
Courage seems to be the epitome of that philosophy.
The story is about a mercenary, Mother Courage (Paige Jones), and her wagon
of wares, that is her survival kit,
during the religious wars that swept across Europe during the 1600’s. With her are her three children, Eilif (Mario
Calcagno), the eldest and cleverest, Swiss Cheese (Robert Wyllie), the youngest
and a little simple, and her daughter, Kattrin (Brooke Fletcher), a mute.
They encounter the various opposing forces during the war and she sells to
each, after all, she is an equal-opportunity-mercenary. She befriends a few, like the Cook (Jason
Glick) to one of the Generals, a man with an agenda of his own; a Chaplin (Matt
Kerrigan), who changes allegiances as it
suits his purpose; and Yvette (Karen Wennstrom), a prostitute, playing with
both sides of the fence. In short, they all know how to survive.
The War takes a tragic toll on Mother Courage’s family. But she, undaunted, traverses the shell-shocked
countryside in search of the next meal, monies, more goods for her wagon,
sometimes even just for a decent conversation.
The brief respites of Peace seem to breed no real change in her
world. But she, like Mother Earth, will
endure. She does not fight the climate
of change but embraces it, as just another challenge in an ever-changing map. She
will survive and we are glad of it.
The most striking thing to me about this production is the use of space. Mr. Steinkamp has, with very few set and
props pieces, takes us on a trek across time and space, that is totally
believable. He has, with the swinging of
a gate, changing the position of the wagon, or putting up a curtain, taken our
imagination of a roller-coaster journey.
And the wagon, which is as much of a character in the show as any of the
actors, is a marvel, thanks to Scenic Designer, Ryan Nicolai.
Except for the main characters already mentioned, the cast is an ensemble piece,
and they are all very good at changing gears when necessary. But at the heart of it is Mother Courage, who must be the driving force in the production. And Ms. Jones is just such a whirlwind! As good as the other actors are, she commands
the stage, as the character should. She
embodies Courage and is unwavering in the choices she makes, and gives us a
view of a person that will overcome every obstacle and survive all tragedies.
Equally as good is Ms. Fletcher as her mute daughter. She has an amazing ability to give complete
focus to all the situations onstage. And
she can successfully communicate, with no real dialogue, what she is feeling,
just through her expressions. A talent
any actor can envy.
The original music (Joseph Appel) and musicians are good and is a backdrop for
spoken dialogue. It underscores it well
and is part of the storytelling atmosphere of the show. One should be warned that there are adult
situations and harsh language in the show and the running time is about three
hours. But the time is well spent. If you see it, tell them Dennis sent you.
"Elusive Truth"
The Body of
an American is in PCS’s Ellyn Bye Studio, at 128NW 11th in the Pearl
District of Portland. It plays through
November 11th. It is written
by Dan O’Brien and directed by Bill Rauch (OSF’s Artistic Director). Check out their website www.pcs.org for further information, play
dates/times and ticket prices.
Essentially the story is about the relationship between two men, Dan O’Brien, a
writer, and photojournalist, Paul Watson.
At the heart of the saga is a photo of a dead, desecrated, American
soldier in Afghanistan taken by Watson.
Before he took the photo, it purportedly spoke to him saying, “If you do
this, I will own you!” And he is haunted
through the rest of the play by these prophetic words.
Paul (William Salyers) is a reporter and photographer for the Toronto Star
newspaper. His assignments take him to
Australia, Africa and Alaska, as well.
His focus seems to be on the
native people of these lands and how war, strife and “progress” affects
them. After corresponding with Dan
(Danny Wolohan), an American writer, he feels he has met a kindred spirit. Together they form a union and the story
explodes from there.
They both have had a troubled (to say the least) childhood and early adult
life. Does this affect their view of the
World and Life? Probably. But they acknowledge this. And that does not negate the fact that they
are witnesses to some horrible atrocities and have the guts to report it, even
at the risk of their own sanity.
The play takes place over a period of time and several different locations. The twenty or so characters are played by
just these two actors. And they do it
exceedingly well! Goaded along, I’m
sure, by not only the director, but also by the Dialect Coach, Mary
McDonald-Lewis. The stark but versatile set,
lighting and projections (Christopher Acebo, James F. Ingalls and Eamonn
Farrell) also are extremely inventive and add immensely to the success of the
style of this production.
I cannot say enough good things about the actors. Playing all kinds of different characters and
keeping it straight within their minds, as well as for audience, is
extraordinary. Only a few times did I
get confused momentarily as to who was who but, even then, they were quickly
back on track. Some awards should be in
the making for these Herculean efforts.
And Bill Rauch’s adaptation and direction is outstanding. Recently he adapted and directed
Medea/MacBeth/Cinderella for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Combining these three stories on an
essentially bare stage was a seemingly, even more of a challenge. But he pulled that off, too, with nary a
misstep. His vision for this show is so
intricate that one wonders how he did it and still managed to keep the drama
flowing for his actors and audiences.
But do it, he does, and with amazing skill and artistry.
Another element to the story is Truth.
One might be reminded of the blind men who try to describe an
elephant. Each description is different,
depending on what part of the elephant they have touched. The best one might expect in searching for
this elusive element is one’s own
truth to a situation (depending on one’s own background), not necessarily, the Truth. (See Kurosawa’s film, Rashomon, as an example). All
things considered, the “elephant” is still there, it’s just our separate views
of it that may differ.
It should be noted that this play has some harsh language, adult situations and
graphic photos. But it is a play worth
seeing and a story worth considering.
Bravo! Tell them Dennis sent you.
