Venus In Fur—Portland Center Stage—Downtown Portland

Who are we . . . really?

 

This show will be performed at PSC in their studio theatre until March 10^th.  The theatre is located at 128 NW 11^th Ave. (in the old Armory) in Portland.  It is written by David Ives and directed by Nancy Keystone.  For further information on their Season or tickets, go to www.psc.org or call 503-445-3700.

This is a two-character, highly intense, story (with no intermission) concerning, in short, the relationship between genders.  Specifically, it is from the pen of an 1870’s writer, Sacher-Masoch (where the term sadomasochism comes from, along with the author, De Sade).  From that, you may be able to glean some of the content of the story.

The pedigree of two-character lead’s (a man and a woman) tales, dealing with multiple identities and settings, is an impressive one.  The early 1900’s gave us some European one-acts, The Lesson, regarding an abusive relationship between a student and teacher, as well as later, Mamet’s, Oleanna, and Strindberg’s, Miss Julie, dealing with issues of class, and servant/master relationships.

And, there is Vonnegut’s, Who Am I this Time?, dealing with actors who only become relevant when they are on-stage and Tennessee Williams’s, Outcry, where relationships and situations become murky.  The film, Closetland, having to do with secret identities/selves is in this category and even an old W/B cartoon, with Bugs and Elmer, changing characters, as a wind blows various hats and costumes onto them, which they inhabit.

Perhaps Shakespeare had it right:  “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” or “All the world’s a stage, and the men and women, merely players….”  Within these limitless boundaries, anything is possible.  And Venus In Fur explores a small piece of this universal pie, the very fabric of our being.  As said, who are we…really?!

On the surface, the story is about a struggling writer and first-time director, Thomas (David Barlow), attempting to cast a play he’s written.  Into this rehearsal space, auditions long over, charges in Vanda (Ginny Myers Lee), dressed in black leathers and metal, ready for her chance at the elusive stardom.  The play he has adapted is of the name and author, mentioned above.  Reluctantly, he gives her a chance and the reading begins.

As they become enveloped in the reading, the lines between their roles and their “real” selves begin to blur.  Reality and Fantasy begin to intermingle and interchange.  The abuser becomes the abused; the master, the slave; even genders shift.  There can be no happy ending for this nightmare but, I guess, it depends on your definition of “happy” and even, “nightmare.”  Reality may be in the eye of the beholder and, if two realities collide, can they both survive?  If so, what would that world look like?  Multiply that, by the number of people on this earth, and it just might equal…Chaos.

The script, by Mr. Ives, is an intriguing study into human relationships.  It is a gripping tale but always has, at least, one foot grounded in the real world, that is, until the end.  Then it throws out that premises and falls into the Absurdist genre.  No, I won’t reveal the twist ending, but it comes off more silly then profound.  It’s as if the creator of this piece had painted himself into a corner with no way out.  But, until then, it’s a fascinating exercise!

The performances are unbelievably good!  Mr. Barlow (a ringer for Rob Lowe) is at his best in the thoughtful moments, as you see him listening, considering and acting on the events as they quickly take place.  He is totally convincing in the role.  And Ms. Lee, as the actress, is astounding!  She shifts from one character to another and then, a third, with such ease, you think it is a different person onstage.  She is so convincing as she reveals such conflicting stories as to who she is and how she knows the things she’s saying that, in the end, you really don’t know what to believe.  An amazing, sustained performance in a tension-filled play from each of these professionals.  Bravo, cast!

Ms. Keystone must also be commended for the vision and interpretation of this story with its many twists and turns.  The pacing is rapid but the audience is in her, and the cast’s, grip at every bend in this winding road.

In the end, what is “real?”  Extreme Nationalists would have us believe that domination over all is the purpose.  Some Financial Experts might argue that Greed is the aim.  Some religious leaders would contend God is the only answer.  Some Scientists say we are only interconnected dots.  For me, I tend to, perhaps naively, side with the Poets and Dreamers, in that, we may all see the world differently but it can be a beautiful one if we just “let it be….”

I recommend this show, but with reservations as those offended by the subject matter or strong language.  If you do go, tell them Dennis sent you.

Peter Pan—Northwest Children’s Theatre—Portland, OR

"The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up"

Peter Pan, the immortal classic by J. M.  Barrie and adapted for the stage by Milo Mowery, Rodolfo Ortega and Jeff Sanders is playing at the NW Cultural Center through  January 6^th, 2013.  It is located at 1819 NW Everett St.  The production is directed and choreographed by Sarah Jane Hardy (NWCT’s Artistic Director) with fight choreographed by Zero Feeney.  Flying By Foy has been doing this since the Mary Martin version in the early 50’s.  For further information go to www.nwcts.org or call 503-222-4130.

Productions of this play go back to the early 1900’s.  And the part of Peter has usually been played by a young woman.  It has been on stage and TV as a musical with Mary Martin; a Disney, animated version (voiced, this time, by a boy, child actor Bobby Driscoll); Mia Farrow in a later TV incarnation; Spielberg’s opus, Hook, with Robin Williams; a 5-act, British, Trevor Nunn stage interpretation; and, more recently, a very good, non-musical, Australian film, with a boy as Peter; et. al.

Reading into the story, it is clear that Barrie is very respectful of women (Mothers, in particular).  As Peter explains, the reason there are no girls as Lost Children in Neverland is because they are too smart to fall out their prams (and, thus, hustled off as a lost child).  He also has a dim view of Men, as they are pictured either as a Prig (aka, Mr. Darling) or a cut-throat Pirate.  And Neverland is an escaped from the horrors of Adulthood.  A chance to preserve forever the innocence of Childhood.  Alas, tis not to be—reality will win out.

This production is a premiere of another musical re-imaging of the tale.  Gone are Tiger Lily and her tribe (probably, politically incorrect, nowadays) and also the bittersweet epilogue where Peter meets Wendy’s daughter, Jane, unaware of the ravages of time.  And also gone are the endearing songs from the original musical and replaced with a new look into the unending magic.  Some are successful, some are not.

The story should be familiar.  Peter Pan (Michael Kepler Meo), a perpetual boy, is entranced by bedtime stories that the oldest daughter of the Darling family, Wendy (Lea Zawada), tells to her brothers.  So he entices her and her brood to fly with him to “…the second star to the right and straight on till morning,” so that she can be a Mother to his pack of Lost Boys.  Needless to say, a band of Pirates, under the leadership of Captain Hook (John Ellingson) are constantly at war with Peter and his group.  Of course, like all good fairy tales, this one ends up with everyone getting their just deserves.

The flying is super and set changes equally impressive, in how quick and smooth they are.  The sword-fighting scenes by Mr. Feeney were quite entrancing without appearing dangerous.  And the scenic designs and miking (Jeff Seats, Shana Targosz, & Kristeen Willis Crosser) were wonderful, especially the creation of the dog, bird and crocodile.  The flow of the show must have been a nightmare to coordinate but under Ms.  Hardy’s capable hands, it all comes off seamlessly.

As mentioned, some of the songs work and some don’t.  The best of them are I’ll Not Leave You; Boys Are Mean to Birds; I’ll Never Grow Up; and The Boy Who Lives Forever.  Much of the success of these numbers is because of the almost operatic voices of Mr. Meo (Peter), Ms. Zawada (Wendy), and Sophie Shely as the Neverbird.  They have a solid future in singing and musical roles if they choose to pursue it.

The Hook (Mr. Ellingson) and Smee (Kevin-Michael Moore) team, the villains you love  to hate, are quite effective in their exchanges with each other and, especially, with the audience (to cover the scene changes).

Mr. Meo as Peter is quite extraordinary, both in voice and as an actor.  I predict an exciting career in this field for him.  And Ms. Zawada as Wendy is equally impressive, both in singing and acting.  I have marveled at her before in OCT productions, as well as their Y/P improv troupe, Impulse, and as Rose Red in NWCT’s Snow White.  I look forward to seeing  her fine performances in future productions.

And to emphasis that a role being small doesn’t mean you can’t shine.  Cases in point, Ms. Shely in the demanding roles as Nana, the dog, the Neverbird and Tick-Tock, the Crock are excellent.  She manages to convey in her movement and singing the character of these varied creatures, as well as manipulating the puppets.  Well done, Ms. Shely.  And Parker LaRiviere as Slightly, one of the Lost Boys, is noticeable in his command of the stage when he’s on.  I expect good things of him, too, in the future.

This is a production to be seen, as the acting is outstanding and the story a recognizable classic.  A warning, though, get there early, as parking is a real problem in the  NW area of Portland.  And if you do choose to see this warm play over the Christmas Season, tell them Dennis sent you.

King Hedley II - Portland Playhouse - Portland, OR

"The Rhythms of Life"

This play is written by August Wilson and directed by Jade King Carroll.  It runs through December 30^th.  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.

Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Christmas Carol—Artists Repertory Theatre—Portland, OR

"Dole/Dickens - An Uneasy Alliance"

Sherlock Holmes… plays at ART through December 30^th.  It is written by John Longenbaugh and directed by Jon Kretzu.  ART is located at SW Alder & 16^th 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.