OMG! Its…The DONNIE Show—Triangle Productions!—NE Portland

Hereeeees, Donnie!

This original production is conceived and directed and designed by Don Horn, Triangle’s Executive Director and Founder.  It runs through June 22^nd at their site at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd.  For more information, go to their site at www.tripro.org or call 503-239-5919.

I have to confess that without a program a reviewer is somewhat lost.  So, if I get names, dates, titles of songs, wrong or missing, etc., I apologize.  But, with that in mind, on with the “really big shew,” as Mr. Sullivan would say.  Yes, this is a type of talk/variety show that might have existed 40+ years ago.  It is a bit of afternoon talk show, via Merv, or the edgier, late-night variety, via Johnny.

And, since there really is no story, and much of it is made up on the spot, my review will chronologically   go through the show, giving a rating for each segment.  One * meaning Poor, up to five ***** meaning Excellent.  The pre-show had Donnie’s side-kick and Musical Director, the fabulous, Jonathan Quesenberry and his band (who must remain nameless because, as mentioned, no program).  But they did a good job of warming up the audience.

My favorite moment being a rendition of “Memories” from Cats.  Band rating ****

Then we move into the lowest point of the show, a comedian called “Craig Tamblyn” (sp?) came out and did a comic (?) routine of what is called “blue” material, or X-rated jokes.  It fell flat, as evidenced by the only occasional titters from the audience.  It would barely get * and that is because it was probably a gal dressed up as a guy telling sexist jokes about women…interesting.  But the good thing is that the show goes uphill from here.

The Donnettes (Dana Thompson, Lydia Fleming & Jalena Montrond) appeared throughout the show doing their best Supremes aping and were terrific.  Lovely to look at and listen to ***  All these acts are interspersed with Donnie (Don Horn), the show’s host, chatting with guests, discussing topical issues of the day, introducing acts, and kibitzing with his sidekick, Quesenberry.  But more about Donnie later….

Then came the fabulous James Shareninghousen, reprising a song his alter-ego did, a type of Muppet, from their extraordinary, Avenue Q.  They have reprised this show once, both to mostly sold-out houses and promise to do it again.  Mr. S. is always good ****  Then a young fellow named David came on and did a number, “In the Box,” from Hedwig and the Angry Inch ***  He said he was auditioning for the lead, as Don says he may produce it some season.  He’s got my vote.

And then there is the ever popular, Golda (Wendy Westerwelle), from the many, essentially one-person shows she does every season, talking about her husband, Saul, and her many views on people and life ****  She’s wonderful and very funny!  And “Angel” a “female illusionist” or drag queen, belted out a couple of numbers that rocked the house.  Especially fine was the number, “Big Spender,” from Sweet Charity.  ***

Gary Wayne Cash, who I’ve touted in a couple of my reviews of him, is always an asset to a show.  He and (I’m just guessing now on his partner name) Lisa Marie Harrison (?) did a number from Jonathon Larson’s play, tick, tick…boom, (which will be done next season at Triangle) the author of the award-winning, Rent.  Cash also did an impromptu number of a woman’s song, “Adele’s Lament,” from Guys and Dolls.  A super actor and performer ****  Mitch, from the band, who plays 50+ instruments, was involved with a couple of semi-solo numbers and played a Shami-san (sp?), a sort of three-stringed, Japanese guitar, strummed with what looked like a type of carving knife.  And he played a number on a coffee cup, too.  Super talent ***

There were also audience-participation games, such as a variation of the card game War, where you might get damp if you were sitting in the wrong place, and a guess-the-price game, where one had to guess the real price of an item which, at the Dollar Store, was only a buck.  Fun. **  Then, a surprise ending, which I won’t reveal, in which a mirror ball was involved and Donnie appeared unlike his usual self.  A fun end to a fun evening.

Did I forget anything?  Oh, yes, Horn’s rating *************************************  He’s a treasure and deserves everyone of those stars!  His plays have always been entertaining, of a very professional quality, and also extremely thought-provoking!  Maybe we’ll see him again onstage someday.  Pass the word, his shows are not to be missed! 

I recommend this show but it is very adult in content and language.  If you do see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Fiction—Serendipity Players—Vancouver, WA

“Achingly Vibrant”

This drama by Steven Dietz and directed by Daniel Hobbs is playing at the Eagles Lodge, 107 E. 7^th St. in downtown Vancouver.  It shows through June 29^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.serendipityplayers.org or call 360-834-3588.

The above heading is a quote from the play, as its chief asset is that his language is so rich, akin to a Fitzgerald or T. Williams.  One could probably enjoy reading this play as much as seeing it.  It is a story about writers and the nature of creative writing, or Fiction.

For them, and possibly all of us, doesn’t our fantasy world sometimes get so intertwined with our so-called, real world, that the lines between truth and dreams become blurred?  And what is really “real?”  Is it in the “eye of the beholder?”  Or, as it has been said, “Reality?  I only go as a tourist.”

But this is also a story about Love and Trust…commitment…and the complicated nature of relationships.  In this case, the two writers/lovers, Michael (Tony Broom, Serendipity’s Artistic Director and cofounder) and Linda (Tamara Sorelli) meet in a little café in Paris.  She is a novelist and he, a budding writer.  They trade sarcasms and well-worn lines with each other but, being artists, do speak a language all their own.

And so they marry and write and teach.  He goes to a writers retreat and meets one of the heads of it, Abby (Ia Solis).  She can match wits with him, barb for barb, which inspires him and, evidently, her, too.  He rails against the establishment and the bastardization of books being made into films, pale imitations of the writer’s talent.  She seems stimulated by his passion and so an affair is begun.  Or is it?

He is a writer after all and imagination is sorely needed for penning fiction.  And, like many writers, including his wife, Linda, he keeps a journal.  Years go by and it is discovered that Linda has acquired a fatal brain tumor.  One of her last requests is that he read her journals after she is gone.  But she also wants to read his and since she only has a short time left, it must be now.

They both agree to these terms “but, therein, lies the rub.”  What they both discover about each other, the secret lives, will make them question the very nature of their being.  I can’t tell you more or it would spoil the discoveries an audience must make.

But, it must be said, that true love may be complicated, but it is still, “true love.”  He quotes Dante on this, “Heaven had but one imperfection, the lack of her.”  Or, as Twain has said, when Adam spoke of the death of his Eve, “Wherever she was, there was Eden.”  Amen.

I can speak from personal experience on both of these fronts, as a writer/artist and having lost a “true love.”  As an artist, what you put into your Art is a part of your soul, your essence, your true self.  But Art can be a cruel mistress for, if it finds you worthy, will guide your course.  Your life can be easily fragmented, but instead of the lines blurring between reality and fiction, they expand, become deeper.

And, as for True Love, my own humble contribution was indeed also written at a Writer’s Workshop: 

“In a World of Stories,

You are my Bible.

In a World of Numbers,

You cannot be Divided.

In a World of Places,

You are my Eden!”

I believe that all of us can ascribe to feeling of being, at times, as if a stranger looking into the real world and wondering what all the fuss is about.  A “Stranger in a Strange Land,” perhaps.

In others words, this is a play that can speak to everybody.  Hobbs has done a wonderful job of leading his actors through the mazes of a complicated world, and yet keeping it simple, as the set is, so just the words and the actors shine through.

Broom and Sorelli are perfect for the married writers.  You would think that they actually were married to each other, as they play their scenes smoothly and with an uncanny understanding.  They also underplay their parts and, therefore, become more real for us that way.  Two pros who seem to know their craft very well.

And Solis, as the “other woman,” is a dream as an actor.  She has a focus and a simplicity to her performing that draws you in immediately.  She finds the Truth in her character, a chief asset for any actor, and then displays it for an audience, so that you will believe her, too.  A true talent!

Only sour note was that there seems to be some outside (and/or inside) loud talking/laughing from the bars and/or the streets.  You’d think that people would respect the fact that there is a play going on and to tone it down for a couple of hours.  Perhaps there needs to be signs posted as to “Quiet, Please!  Performance in Session” and/or a monitor to patrol the outside areas of the theatre space.

I recommend this play but it is adult in nature.  If you do choose to go, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Pimento & Pullman—Imago Theatre—SE Portland

Rules of Engagement

These two, absurdist one-acts are directed by Jerry Mouawad and produced by Carol Triffle (Imago’s founders and artistic directors).  Pimento is written and directed by Mouawad.  Pullman Car Hiawatha is written by Thornton Wilder and also directed by Mouawad.  The plays run through this weekend only, June 15^th, at their space at 17 SE 8^th Ave.  For more information, go to their site at www.imagotheatre.com or call 503-231-9581.

Pimento is the shorter of the two pieces, less than a half hour.  Actually the definition of the word is a spice like, I suppose, that red thing in green olives, or a pigment.  In terms of a palette for this piece, the colors of the costumes are all over the map.  And the spice is that it is a bit racy or, better said for its time, saucy.  For its broadness in characterizations, it does have something in common with the supporting roles in Beauty and the Beast.  For content, it has more in common with Beckett and Pinter.

The plot is relatively simple.  A mother (Carol Triffle) is attempting to introduce her daughter (Stephanie Elizabeth Woods) to the finer aspects and rules of being wooed and wooing.  The young man (Mark Mullaney), as the object of this encounter, is a soldier and seems as inept at this love game as she is.  They attempt various ways of making contact but with mama in the picture, that is not easy.

He brings candy, which only he enjoys…or not.  She giggles and coos and seems naïve of his advances…or not.  And mama finally occupies herself with other chores…or not.  And, oh, by the way, didn’t I tell you, this is all done in pantomime and gibberish, seemingly Germanic and Asian, depending on who’s speaking.  And the characters are something out of the Commedia del art school of acting.

But, and most importantly, in their presentation, they do succeed in getting their point across.  The photos on the table suggest the family history, they attempt to communicate through various means, with musical instruments, and dialogue, and even in a unguarded moment, sneak off, partly out of view of prying eyes (Mama’s and ours) to find a more intimate way to communicate, finally resulting in him drawing pictures of felines (think about it).  In the end, they do make beautiful music together.

The story may be slight, but the presentation is the show, thanks to its inventive director & writer, Mouawad. And all three of the cast members are very adept at stylized movement and over-the-top characters which, when all is said and done, seem very familiar if you think about it.  Well done to all!

Heaven & Earth…and All That Jazz

The second piece, Pullman… by Wilder, is the longer of the two, at just under an hour.  (Both Triffle and Mullaney, from the first show, are part of this ensemble, too.)  There are some identifiable Wilder touches in the play, who wrote the classic, Our Town.  There is a Narrator (Bill Barry, I assume, since no roles are actually identified) or Storyteller.  There is a fair amount of time dedicated to talks about death and what comes after…and went before.  They are about the small-town folk.  And they are done on a relatively bare stage with simple pieces to convey settings.

The time is winter, 1930, and a variety of people are on their way to Chicago on a train, for a variety of reasons.  The story seems to be influenced by a couple of men-in-black, who control the lighting, may manipulate the action, when necessary, and listen in on the prostrations and frustrations of the inhabitants.  These people are the common folk of our planet but do have aspirations, regrets, demons and dreams, just like all of us.

We are permitted, via our guides and the Storyteller, to visit this microcosm of society.  We hear what they are saying, view how they relate, contemplate what they are thinking and are exposed to the outcome of, at least, one life.  We also explore their views on literature, astronomy, theology, and philosophy.  And it is all done through playing musical chairs, to change settings; mini-monologues, to hear individual stories; tableaus or statues, to freeze a group experience; and stylized movement/dance, to give the story its flow.

A lot of territory is examined in these non-traditional presentations by Mouawad and cast.  Triffle, in particular, stands out, as the woman who goes to the end (or a new beginning) of her journey.  But the whole cast in both shows is very adept at movement, expression and simplicity in the presentation of the material.  Imago is famous for exploring these methods of examining the human condition.  My they live long and prosper!

I recommend this show but they are for a mature audience.  And, keep in mind, it ends this weekend.  If you do go, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Lizzie—Portland Center Stage----NW Portland

A “Whacky” World

This rock opera is written by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner and directed by Rose Riordan, with musical direction by James Beaton.  It is playing at their space, 128 NW 11^th Ave. through June 29^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700.

I’m sure everyone has heard, at one time or another, that cute, little children’s ditty:  Lizzie Borden took an ax, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, gave her father forty-one.  The  history surrounding that rhyme is steeped in legend and myth and half-truths.  Although she was acquitted of the crime, as having no witnesses or confession, it is generally believed Lizzie (Mary Kate Morrissey) did the dastardly deed.  The trusty maid, Bridget/Maggie (Carrie Cimma) and Lizzie’s sister, Emma (Leslie McDonel) and even her best friend, Alice (Kacie Sheik), all testified against her.

There was no shortage of motives for the crime.  Their step-mother was in the process of cutting them out of the will, as Mr. Borden was a ruthless businessman and very thrifty with his money.  Also her father slaughtered all her birds in the barn that she held dear.  He felt they were filthy animals.  And then there was the little matter of possible sexual abuse from father to daughter and her possible jealousy of her step-mother for her father’s affections.

Also Lizzie was thirty-two at the time of the murders in this sleepy little New England hamlet in the late 1800’s, unmarried and still living at home.  There was some talk that she and her friend, Alice, were lovers.  To be fair, there was some speculation briefly on the older sister, Emma who, at the time of the murders, was away, sorting out family matters.  Or did she sneak back and wait for a ripe opportunity to kill her folks?  Also the maid was a sassy, Irish upstart who hated her lowly job and employers.  And Lizzie’s friend, Alice, may not have wanted to share Lizzie with Daddy.

But the onus fell on Lizzie, as her lifestyle suggested that she certainly could have been unhinged by the circumstances of her upbringing.  The jury found her innocent in a matter of a couple hours, lacking any hard, direct evidence and she lived to the ripe old age of 67 with her inheritance in tack and carrying the secret of her guilt or innocence to the grave.

I wonder what forensic evidence would find if the murders had happened today?  Would it not make a grand TV series if CSI detectives could go back in time to investigate such murders, such as the Bordens, the Lindberg kidnapping, the Zodiac killer and Jack the Ripper?

That’s the story in general, but the style is a rock opera (combining hard rock music with an operatic presentation, in which most of the words/dialogue is sung).  There has been other famous personages from legend and history, as the subject matter for such presentations, like Jesus Christ, Superstar, Jekyll & Hyde, Rent, and John & Rice’s Aida.  Next possible stop, the madcap, mayhem of The Ripper?  I’m sure it’s been thought of.

Although this script/music is not as memorable as the above shows mentioned, the production is!  The delicious, devilish and deadly foursome (Cimma, McDonel, Morrissey & Sheik) that present this lurid tale of the dismembering of the Borden’s, is the selling point for the production!  And the band (Beaton, conductor/music director) also is outstanding!  For once, the music did not overpower the singers,  partly because of good mikes (Cecil Averett, sound designer) and partly because of the intense nature of many songs/singers.  Personally, I preferred the ballads, Maybe Someday, Will You Stay? and Watchmen for the Morning, beautifully performed by the cast.  

Riordan has assembled a perfect cast and band for this show.  And the stark setting and inventive lighting (Daniel Meeker) adds greatly to the success of the production.  A word of warning, though, you might not want to sit in the front row because of a very clever prop device.  Can’t tell you more but if you’ve ever seen a stage show with Galliger, you might get the idea, only it’s not watermelon juice that will be coming at you.

I recommend this show but it is very adult in language and subject matter.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged—Post 5 Theatre—NE Portland

The Ribald Tales of Willy S.

This three-man raunchy, romp through the ages is written by Adam Long, Jess Winfield and Daniel Singer (and, of course, Mr. S., himself).  It is directed by Cassandra Boice and stars her husband, Ty and Chip Sherman and Alex Klein.  It is playing at their space at 900 NE 81^st Ave. through June 28^th.  (Parking can be a problem, as it is neighborhood streets, so get their early or take alternate transportation.)  For more information, go to their site at www.postfivetheatre.org

This is probably the fourth rendering of this play I’ve seen over the past several months.  Post 5 itself did an earlier one directed by Ty Boice (5’s Artist Director), then OCT’s Young Professionals Company did a family version of one, then the film, which stars one of the original writers.  Strangely, every production I’ve seen seems like a different show, so great latitude is given as to what the company itself can add to the show.

It is opened by Sherman, who then introduces a purported scholar, Klein, who then has the third member of the cast, Boice, come onstage from the audience.  The premise of the show is that these three, tireless thespians, are to present the great works of Shakespeare in about 90 minutes.  Of course, great liberties will be taken as to what is presented, how it is presented and thus, the added title, “Abridged,” very abridged, I might add.

The concentration during the First Act is on Romeo and Juliet and then on Titus… as a cooking show, “the Gory Gourmet,” hosted by a famous chef.  MacBeth, er, the Scottish Play, is spoken in the tradition of the rolling R’s of that sect.  Othello, the Moor, (no, not a story about boat landings) is done in Rap, once they discover that he was black, er, African-American, er, African-Italian.  His histories, King John to Henry VIII, are quickly routed as a sports contest.

And they touch on the comedies, even giving a nod to one that has questionable parentage, Two Noble Kinsmen or, as they put it, T-Mobile Kinsmen.  I think you can see from this, the tenor of their prostrations and frustrations.  And one member of the troupe won’t have anything to do with presenting Coriolanus because of the suggestive nature of the second part of his name.  Yes, the show does get down and dirty, so is not for anyone easily offended.

After doing what they think is the whole canon in about an hour they discover they have forgotten perhaps the most important of his shows, Hamlet.  So the second act is concentrated on that play, with Klein as the “Great Dane,” and the other two as the myriad of other characters.  Of course, there are very different takes on this play, such as the breaking down of Ophelia’s layers of being, consisting of the Ego, the Super Ego and the Id, with a huge assist by the audience.

Then, there is the re-enactment of the murder scene by the Players, in this case, finger puppets (and what the shark from Jaws does to one of the puppets is definitely X-rated).  There is the famous fight scene, but this time done with light sabers, courtesy of Star Wars.  The only touching point from all this mayhem is a poignant rendition of “What a piece of work is Man…” by Klein and nicely underplayed.  But it ain’t over yet, folks, as they attempt the play in 90 seconds…and then backward.  Wonder why they didn’t try it sideways but…ooops, don’t want to give them any more fodder for their antics.  (Also, wonder why it’s never done by three women…just a thought.)

These three clowns should be exhausted by the end of the show and they got a well-deserved, standing ovation.  If they were The Three Stooges, Sherman would be Moe, Klein would be Larry and Boice, Curly.  They are all excellent comic actors, Boice is the acknowledged butt of many gags (note their toilet humor in R&J with the phrase “butt love”); Klein the somewhat more studious of the trio, or pseudo-studious; and Sherman, the leader of the pack, with his lithe, dancer’s body and movements.

I quite liked this version, directed by Mrs. Boice, but it does get a hard R for content.  But, damn-it, it is funny.  Boice was also involved with directing The Tempest, playing Lady Macbeth and writing Therapy Hunger and is very talented in all these areas.  She succeeds in all three and I’m sure we’ll not be seeing the last of her.  Hopefully she’ll get a chance to immerse herself in her writing later this summer, as her husband plays the lead in Angels In America, Parts I & II at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle.

I recommend this show but it is very adult, so be warned.  If you do choose to go, tell them Dennis sent you.

Buried Child—Profile Theatre—SW Portland

Buried Secrets

This Pulitzer Prize winning black comedy by Sam Shepard is directed by Adriana Baer (Profile’s Artistic Director).  It is performing at Artist Rep.’s space at SW Alder St. and 16^th Ave. through June 15^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.profiletheatre.org or call 503-242-0080.

Sometimes what is in the past can come back to haunt us.  For this family, late in the 1970’s, in a farmhouse in Illinois, nothing could be truer.  And their desolate home, in the middle of nowhere, like a skeleton of its former self, with its stairway to…salvation (?), seems the perfect playhouse for such restless spirits.  It is a ghost story, I believe, but best said by its director, Baer:  You should leave and “…talk about the play…argue with friends about ‘what really happened’…think hard and question everything.”  Amen.

This family, as most Shepard families are, is a prime example of the meaning of dysfunctional.  Dodge (Tobias Andersen), is the patriarch of the clan.  He’s a grizzled, old alcoholic spending most of his days coughing his guts up on the couch and watching sports on TV in the dimly-lit living room.  His wife, Halie (Jane Fellows), spends most of her days in the lighted upstairs, away from the dusty reality that hovers below her.  Or, if not there, she is out with her spiritual leader, Father Dewis (David Bodin), who has his eyes on her welfare, spiritual and otherwise.

Their eldest son, Tilden, is currently living with them, having left (or was run out of) his home in New Mexico because of “some trouble” he had gotten himself involved with.  He is a man-child, akin to the character of Lenny in Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men.  He even likes to pet rabbits (fur, that is) and is a wonder at finding an abundance of fresh vegetables, carrots and corn, in a land that is barren.  The youngest son, Bradley, is a bit of a bully and a sadist.  He has an artificial leg, having lost his real one in a farming accident, and makes up for this deficiency by lording over the rest of the family.

There is a third son, Ansel, a war hero, who is never seen in the play, but his presence permeates this decaying residence, constantly reminding the residents of what could have been.  He died untimely in a Motel room some years ago, the method is never discussed but it might not be too hard to guess.  Into this motley crew appears, out of the blue, Vince (Ty Hewitt), Tilden’s boy, the Prodigal son, who nobody seems to remember.  Along for the ride is his current main squeeze, Shelly (Foss Curtis), at first, seeming to be a bimbo, but probably is the most savvy of the bunch.

Really can’t tell you anymore about the play, as there are discoveries for the audience to make around every corner.  But, I will say this, that the story is always compelling and yet there are still enigmas, like relics buried in the soil, left to be…“unearthed.”  Shepard is a grand storyteller and his characters, like the ones in Profiles excellent, Eyes For Consuela, always seem to exist on more than one plain, but that is for you to deduce, discover and digest.

Baer is a pro at finding just the right casts for her shows.  I couldn’t imagine anyone else in these roles.  And she is wonderful in modulating the pacing of the speeches and dialogues in the stories, so that the pauses are just as ripe as the written word as to meanings and shadings.  Scenic design by Alan E. Schwanke and lighting by Kristeen Willis Crosser fit the confined decadence and lost dreams of these inhabitants of this space.  Loved the partly finished staircase and the light at the top of the ascent.

Andersen is always an asset to any show.  He occupies the center piece, the couch, in the show, as active life swirls around him.  He is always engaged (and engaging) and he pulls every ounce of humor and tragedy out of his lines.  He is, quite simply, a marvel to observe, and a true icon of Portland theatre!  His wife (of more than one play), Fellows, is also very effective as the not-so-saintly matriarch of the family.

Blough is terrific as the as the sensitive, simple, childlike soul in the body of a man.  Your heart goes out to him as he struggles to understand the complex society of the outside world.  Well done.  And Lyons is the antithesis of his brother, hurting himself and lashing out by hurting others.  He does a fine job of playing a wounded animal with a dark soul.

Hewitt plays the misfit member of the family, waffling between needing to be recognized and wanting to escape, not an easy position to be in.  Nicely done.  And Curtis is amazing as possibly the most complicated character in the story.  She beautifully rides that thin line between being sexy and alluring, which she is, and probably the brightest member of the group.  An enigma herself and she does it very well.  And Bodin lends ample support as the very worldly church-man.

I recommend this show but, keep in mind, it is adult in nature.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Macbeth—NW Classical Theatre—SE Portland

Dagger of the Mind

This classical Shakespearean tragedy is playing at the Shoebox Theatre space at 2110 SE 10^th Ave. through June 22^nd.  It is directed by Butch Flowers.  For more information, go to their site at www.nwctc.org

Possibility the most supernatural of all his dramas, one has to question whether this story is to be taken literally or is just a product of a fevered imagination of Macbeth’s mind.  Probably the best filmed interpretation is the one a number of years ago with a young Ian McKellan and Judi Dench in the lead roles.  It, too, was a stripped down model of the play, as this is, and very effective.

Ambition burns hot in this Macbeth’s (Jason Maniccia) mind as he becomes a hero in a battle.  But, feeling he doesn’t get his true reward, he fusses and fumes, awaiting his chance to get even.  He, and his best friend, Banquo (Peter Platt) happen upon three seers (Clara-Liis Hillier, Bonnie Auguston and Caitlin Fisher-Draeger) upon their travels and they predict great things for both men.

Upon arriving home, the young thane tells his wife (Melissa Whitney) of his accomplishments and disappointments.  And she burns hotter than he with ambition, seeing a kingship in his future.  And so, it comes to pass, that the King (Chris Porter) is to spend a night in their castle.  Unable to pass up the opportunity, the Macbeths’ murder the lot of them.  But, once one starts down that slippery slope of ambition and vengeance, lo to anyone standing in their way, even best friends.

Finally a full-scale war ensues and his chief rival, McDuff (Todd Van Voris), flees the country.  But when he discovers that his entire family, even his “pretty babies,” have been slaughtered by this Thane, he raises an army and strikes back.  Macbeth feels fearless, as the seers have given him some information, albeit misleading, that he might be invincible.  You might be able to guess the rest, but I won’t spoil it by giving you the grisly details.

This show is done on an almost a completely bare stage with only a table and a few chairs at one point to represent the infamous banquet scene.  So it is left to the actors (in modern dress) and the remarkable lighting designer (Jeff Woods) to create the story, settings and mood.  And they all do an amazing job under Flowers’s direction.  This is storytelling at its best!

There is another unique aspect about this production, which I quite liked.  The three witches, Hillier, Auguston and Fisher-Draeger are not the expected old hags from previous incarnations of the story, but are a trio of quite attractive ladies, infiltrating different guises of characters throughout the play, to glean the information they need to make their prophesies.  And they are quite good.  A novel approach by Flowers and it works.

Whitney as Lady Macbeth is very good as she schemes, works her wiles to weave her web and has the most effective, bone-chilling scream (or screech) I’ve ever heard onstage.  Maniccia is not quite as effective as he could be as the lead character.  His build start off well but he stays too much at the same high-pitched level much of the play.  He speaks the language well but he needs more variety in his moods.  Platt, as his friend, has the right look and intensity for Banquo and his “grave” appearance later on is quite chilling.

Jeffrey Arrington, as the eventual inheritor to the throne, Malcom, is also very effective and has the right look, voice, and bearing for the part.  And, to once again prove there are no small parts, Koerschgen as various characters, and the comic Porter, an all too brief encounter, definitely demands our attention when he’s onstage.  Young, Hank Sanders, more than holds his own as both Banquo and McDuff’s sons.  He has a fine stage presence and could go far if he continues in this field.

But the stellar performance of the evening is Van Voris as McDuff.  He is exceptional!  His delivery is very conversational and natural.  You watch him think onstage as he mulls over various questions, decisions and courses he must take throughout his journey.  He underplays this character beautifully and becomes very human for us.  He was seen on the stage quite frequently, often as a member of Artists Rep.’s acting company.  He has been absent for while from the “boards” but hope we will be seeing his countenance again and often.  A fine actor and performance!

And, a side note, Grant Turner, the founder and artistic director of the company, will be receiving a well-deserved, special achievement award at the Drammy Awards this month.  Congrats, Mr. Turner, may you live long and prosper!

I recommend this show but know that it is adult in nature.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.