A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Portland Center Stage, Portland, OR

"The Stuff of Dreams"


Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays through December 23rd at PSC.  It is directed by OSF veteran, Penny Metropulos.  Information on times and prices are at www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700.

This is the second time I’ve reviewed “…Dream” in the past few months.  Check out  my review on this blog for MilePost5’s production last July.  A third production of this classic play is looming next year at OSF in Ashland.

 

Shakespeare’s “…Dream” is one of the loveliest fantasies every written.  It stirs in romance, adventure, comedy, status, politics, mistaken intentions, merry mix-ups and magic in a veritable quandary of a delicious feast.  Most of these elements are wonderfully realized in PCS’s production.

The story involves two sets of lovers but, both men, Demetrius (Joel Gelman) and Lysander (Ty Boice) love the same woman, Hermia (Kayla Lian), leaving Helena (Jenni Putney) on the outside looking in.  They escape to the forest to sort out their troubles and are beset by the Fairies, who have their own share of problems.  The merry prankster, Puck (Daisuke Tsuji) manages to screw things up even more for the lovers, by putting a love potion onto the wrong people, turning the triangle in favor of Helena.

Meanwhile, on the home front, Nick Bottom (James Newcomb) and a motley crew of tradesmen, have decided to put on a play for the nobility of their fair town, Theseus (Richard Baird) and Hippolyta (Dana Green), on their nuptial day.  But, again thanks to Puck, Bottom ends up making a perfect ass of himself.  Needless to say, all turns out as it should, and every Jack will have his Jill.

Most of the cast play dual roles and this transition makes for some acting challenges, which the actors are well-suited for.  And the Bard’s text is conversationally spoken, which makes it easier for the audience to understand.  Especially clear and concise are Mr. Baird and Ms. Green (also playing the Fairy King and Queen, Oberon and Titania).

Much of the success of the show is due to the physical antics of the characters, little nuances that make them so endearing, such as Demetrius constantly tripping over the  same  step, or Pyramus’s sword that has a mind of  its own, or the Changling Boy (Dylan Earhart) as Puck’s  assistant, et. al.  Kudos to the Director, Ms. Metropulos, for these additions.  And thanks also to some top local professionals in smaller roles, such as Linda Apler, a veteran of  OSF  (Quince, et.  al.), Todd Van Voris (Starveling, et. al.), a member of ART’s acting company, and Tim True (Snug, et. al.), founding member of Third Rail Theatre.

Mr. Newcomb is a fine Bottom, especially effective in his revelation speech near the end.  And the lovers are good with Mr. Boice and Ms. Lian being particularly notable.   Mr. Tsuji is a little too subdued in his presentation of Puck.  The role calls for a mischievous energy which isn’t there some of the time.

A couple things seem to be missing in this production.  The setting, although having a couple of terrific trees and a backdrop with images of the moon phases and dawn, don’t have the magic that is needed for such a  cavernous space.  It’s okay to do a stripped-down model of the play but it would need a smaller space for that.  This stage has the space to fulfill the fantasy but is not as well realized as it could be.

The costuming, except for the Fairy King and Queen and the tradesmen, do not suggest any time period the play may be set in.  And the Fairies’ garbs seem to be more silly than magical.  Also the Pyramus and Thisbe scene could use a dose of drama like, as mentioned, Bottom’s revelation speech.  The humor comes from the fact that these tradesmen are trying to be serious but are inept as actors.  They are not trying to be funny.  Some grasped this concept, some did not.

Overall, the show was enjoyable.  It is good to see a clear and clean interpretation of the dialogue.  If you go, tell them Dennis sent you.

Mother Courage and Her Children - Theatre Vertigo - Portland, Oregon

"Mercenary Madness"

Mother Courage… by Bertolt Brecht and translated by Tony Kushner (Angels In  America) plays at theatre vertigo through November 17^th.  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.

Who is Afraid of Virginia Wolf? - review by SW WA Stage & Theater Arts Review - Clark College, Vancouver, WA

Who is Afraid of Virginia Wolf?

Edward Albee’s classic play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, opened Friday night, November 2 at Clark College in the Decker Theatre.  It is directed by Mark Owsley and runs through November 17^th.  Tickets are at the door or at the Clark College Bookstore, 360-992-2815 or www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp

Check out the wonderful review of Who is Afraid of Virginia Wolf? by SW WA Stage & Theater Arts Review.  www.swwastar.blogspot.com.

Dracula - Oregon Childrens Theatre, Young Professionals Company, Portland, OR

"Children of the Night"

The classic thriller, Dracula, by Bram Stoker and adapted by Christopher P. Nicholas was presented, for one weekend only, to sold-out crowds by Oregon Children’s Theatre’s youth company, Young Professionals. It was directed by James Sharinghousen (recently seen as an actor in Triangle’s Avenue Q).

Although this only played for one weekend, it’s worth noting because it is presented by a company of youth, both in the acting and behind the scenes. These young people are from their school and are a good example of what young people are capable of when trained by a quality school/theatre such as OCT.

They are also presenting, for a second time, A WWII Radio Christmas, December 8th-16th, which sold-out last year (hint-hint). Call 503-228-9571 for tickets or go to their website www.octc.org for more information on classes and shows.

This is, indeed, one of the classic horror stories of all time. Although tales of vampires had been around before this, Dracula firmly cemented them into the minds and hearts of readers/viewers everywhere. And this stripped-down, hour-long model of the story adds enough suspense to make it a worthwhile experience.

The story should be familiar to most. In this version, Mina (Anne Parham) is a guest of Dr. Seward (Hannah Wilson), and her assistant, Snelling (Michael Cline), in his institution. She has a strange malady, which not only physically weakens her but gives her strange hallucinations, as well. Even her fiancé, Jonathan Harker (Martin Tebo) is at wit’s end as to what to do.

Enter Professor Van Helsing (Stephanie Roessler), a highly respected doctor to discover the problem and solution, which has nothing to do with earthly science. She discovers that one of the patients, Renfield (Carter Bryan) has a strange connection to Mina, seeming to sense the evil surrounding her. And, of course, the mysterious Count Dracula (Jeremy Howard), a recent transplant from Eastern Europe, lurks in the background.

As mentioned, this is a stark production and only has one setting (Dr. Seward’s office) with a minimal cast and a short time period to chill the viewer. Therefore, much of the adventuresome story is lost and/or changed to fit these criteria. But that doesn’t diminish the strength of this presentation. It relies more on a story-telling technique to get across its point rather than elaborate pageantry, in which often the tale gets lost, smothered by effects.

The direction, by Mr. Sharinghousen, since he has such a limited environment, tends to accentuate the little things to create tension. The cat-and-mouse circling of the Count and the Professor; the seductive blood connection between Dracula and Mina; the puppet-like gyrations of characters; and the eerie, vacant stares toward the audience at the end, are quite effective measures of suspense.

The entire cast is very capable in their depiction of the characters. And I highly approve of the cross-gender casting in the characters of Van Helsing and Seward. Neither gender (nor culture, nor age) should ever be a factor in not casting the best person for the part. In the final result, Art will prevail.

Mr. Howard, as Dracula, has a difficult task, competing with the likes of able performers such as Jack Palance, Gary Oldman, Frank Langella, Christopher Lee, and, of course, Mr. Lugosi, himself. But his boyish good-looks and underplaying the menace, gives him a boy-next-door persona, which is all the more scary. Dare I say it, you almost like him at times.

Ms. Parham, as Mina, is quite effective in playing the duplicity of her character, traversing the difficult path between good and evil with ease. And, especially prominent, is Mr. Bryan, as Renfield. The Jekyll & Hyde presentation of this role is a delicate balance between madness and sanity and he walks this tightrope with remarkable dexterity. Probably the most complex character in the story and performed very well.

If they revive this for next season, it would be well to remember that his would not be recommend for young children, as the story may be too intense for them and there is some onstage blood spilled toward the end. If you do see a production by this troupe, tell them Dennis sent you.

Duck for President - Oregon Children's Theatre at Newmark Theatre, Portland, OR

"Dream the Dream"

Duck For President, a musical by James E. Grote and George Howe and directed by Kirk Mouser, is now playing at the Newmark Theatre in downtown Portland.  It is presented by Oregon Children’s Theatre, now in its 25th year in operation, and arguably one of the best children’s theatre/schools in the area.  It plays through November 4^th.  Check their website www.octc.org for more information.

The play is, I’m sure, not an accidently choice, being this is an election year.  Although the script is somewhat lightweight in the satirical aspects, it is an excellent source for young  people’s exposure to the political workings of our system.  And the youth in the audience were quite animated in their pleasure of this production.

The story concerns Farmer Brown (Joshua Stenseth) who is the leader of the farm and really a pretty fair boss.  But the rest of the animals, especially Duck (well-played by Hogan Fritz), feel that  he is working them too hard.  All they really want to do is play.

So Duck convinces Cow (Haley Ward), Pig (Emily Sahler Beleele) and Hen (Ashlee Waldbauer) that he should run for Farmer, since that is the democratic way of doing things in this country.  He makes promises that life will be easier for them if he is elected.  Any resemblance to current situations in politics is, I’m sure, entirely…intentional.

He discovers that being the boss of a farm is not so easy, but he feels his real calling is to be Governor.  When that becomes a fact, he decides to run for…you guessed it…President.  The conclusion is rather touching and, like Aesop’s fables, may have a moral:  Maybe the  grass is not always greener on the other side.  But, like Dorothy from Kansas, you have to go over the rainbow before you can appreciate what you have at home.  Boy, are we a stubborn breed, or what?!

The music and dance numbers lend themselves very well to the story and the young people are easily up to the challenge.  Mr. Mouser has led this team to a very energetic and enjoyable performance.  And the costumes by Dani Baldwin (OCT’s Education Director) lend well to this production, never overshadowing the actors, but complimenting what they do.

The performances by all are first-rate.  Mr. Stenseth, as the Farmer, plays multiple characters and does them all very well.  And Ms. Beleele, as Pig, has some outstanding moments as the lead in the  song, Hitch Your Wagon to a Star (at least I think that’s the name of  the number, as they’re not listed in the  program).  The band was also exceptional,  although a bit overpowering at times and drowning out the singers.

But the highlight of the show was Haley Ward, as Cow.  Her belting of the number Whatda Think (?) was a showstopper.  Her bio states that she is just beginning her entrance into theatre.  If she lives up to the performing she did in this show, she has a long and prosperous career ahead of her.  Bravo, Haley!

I do recommend this show and their school for young people.  The Youth of this world need artistic outlets like this.  It builds character, confidence and teamwork.  And it exposes one, in a safe environment, to the world of…Imagination, a Land of never-ending possibilities…a Place where one can explore, discover, nurture and grow to one’s full  potential.

“The world is too much with us,” the poet said.  As adults, that may be true.  But in the World of Youth, one can still Dream…and in dreaming, shape who we want to become.  This production is one step in that direction.  I recommend it.  Tell them Dennis sent you.