The Last Days—Post5 Theatre—NE Portland

The Great, Full Dead

This Halloween-type drama is written by Carlos Cisco and directed and designed by Rusty Tennant.  It is playing at their current space at 850 NE 81^st Ave. (Note:  they will be moving to their new space for the rest of the season at 1666 NE Lambert St.).  For more information on the show and their new space, go to their site at www.post5theatre.org

Okay, this show is about Zombies and is a perfect Halloween show.  There certainly have been plenty of movies about them.  The best early ones were Lewton’s atmospheric, I Walked With A Zombie and White Zombie, with Lugosi, both quite good.  A semi-factual one came out a number of years ago called The Serpent and the Rainbow, also not bad.  But Romero owns the genre with his Night of the Living Dead and his subsequent sequels Return of…, Dawn of…, and Day of….

There are some rules that go with this genre.  Originally they were created for cheap labor through some voodoo rituals but most of the later incarnations of these creatures, including this play, disregard that rule.  But the constants are that if you are bitten by one, you become one in a short period of time.  Also they eat flesh and a delicacy for them is the brains.  And the best way to kill them is to shoot them through the head.  In short, they are mindless, eating machines, who seem to be immortal.

This is about four survivors of a Zombie take-over that have holed up in a cabin in some mountainous woods somewhere.  Shep (Orion Bradshaw, co-founder of Post5) is a survivalist and self-appointed, Leader of the Pack, an anti-hero.  He carries The Regulator (a baseball bat with pointy nails, a type of Medieval Mace) with him wherever he goes, keeps himself in tip-top shape and has a mean pick-up.  His wife is Larina (Cassandra Boice, Associate Artistic Director).  She is also is tip-top shape (Ow!) and is dressed to kill.  She has her weaknesses, though, canned green beans, her brother and is haunted by memories of her family and the fact that she has never had any closure to their deaths.

Another member of this intrepid troop is Val (Ernie Lijoi), Larina’s brother, a bear of a man but with a soft heart, who has no taste for killing.  He loves his sister dearly, lumbers about the place in some confusion and has a deadly secret.  And lastly, there is Miguel, (Chip Sherman, a long-time member of the company), an intellectual and Val’s lover.  He is a tender, thoughtful soul but can be brutal if the occasion arises.  He is the calm center of this hurricane-like mass of individuals.

One would expect this to be a tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) take on a very familiar tale (to us horror buffs).  But, although there is some dark humor, it is a pretty straight-forward story of people trying to survive after a holocaust.  And part of that survival means getting along with each other and leaning to compromise, which is not the strong suit of any of these characters.  It also adds a twist by the second act in which they are allowed to reflect on their fears and hopes, so the audience can become aware of what they are thinking and feeling.  Quite effective.  This script by Cisco definitely has the makings of a film.

This four-person cast is a virtual powerhouse of talent, exploding on the stage with a force to be reckoned with.  Zombies are no match for the artistic quality of this production!  Grateful survivors we all be.  Bradshaw is always a stand-out in all he does.  His survivalist would match anything that a Schwarzenegger could dish out.  Sherman, also, is thrilling to watch in all his stage incarnations.  His character here gives hope to the artistic nature of mankind.  Boice is a knock-out and a triple threat in the Art world (actor, writer & director).  She has it all and, in this production, gives us a powerful example of what a woman can and should do in this so-called “man’s world.”  And Lijoi presents us with the dual nature of a man, sensitive yet macho.  A touching performance.

And Tennant is no slouch in wearing several hats in theatre (director, actor, designer/builder, and fight choreographer).  Of course he has a dynamite cast to work with but he also has managed to stage it, using most of the theatre space for this sprawling cabin.  It gives you a sense that you are in there with them.  And his cabin design is super with shingles and see-through slats that, with his unique lighting, give an eerie effect.  The man who can do everything, has done everything that could be done with this show.

I recommend this show and it’s probably fine for teens and up, but there is adult language and some stylized violence and suggested sex.  If you do go, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Exiles—Artists Rep—SW Portland

Race For Freedom

This drama, a NW Premiere, is written by Carlos Lacámara and directed by Dámaso Rodriguez (Artists Rep’s Artistic Director).  It is playing at their space at SW Alder St. & 16^th Ave. through October 26^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.artistsrep.org

The time is 1980.  The President is Carter and Castro rules Cuba.  The place is onboard a small boat, somewhere in the 90 miles of watery stretch between the Florida Keys and Cuba.  It was a brief period of time where Castro allowed whoever wanted to, to leave the island and Carter allowed this migration.  The problem was that Castro released many of the political dissidents and people that were mentally unstable.  This ark represents those dreamers and the damned.

First, I have to say, although the actors were all terrific, the lasting image I have of the show is the boat, moving in the water and the excellent video images on the backdrop.  Plaudits to the director and the designer, Megan Wilkerson.  This not only gave a cramped but realistic playing space for the actors but allowed the audience to partake in the journey, as well, with them.  It was also wise not to have an intermission, as that would have broken the spell.

The story is a microcosm of some of the varied individuals that would have been on the boats escaping toward a brave, new world.  The Lunatic (Bobby Bermea) was a political cartoonist with the regime until he dared ridicule the Leader himself.  But his true reality is in the oceans of his mind (not unlike the Chief in One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and his desire is to taste an apple one more time.  The boat also houses Pepito (John San Nicolas), a political prisoner, a revolutionary waiting for the opportunity to rule in his own reality.  A visionary with violence as his bedmate.

The Captain of the sputtering vessel is Rolando (Andrés Alcalá), a man haunted by his past and those he left behind.  His son, Roli (Rafael Miguel), is a naïve dreamer, who wishes his slice of the American ideal.  He may be unrealistic but he does have courage.  Also, along for the ride is Joaquin (Jason Glick), an avowed Communist at one time who has some terrible secrets he must hide.  His rocky relationship with the Captain goes back many years, in which many wounds are exposed during this trip.  And the last trepid traveler is his daughter, Saadia (Sekai Edwards), an intellectual who didn’t see Cuba as a prison but is just along for the ride because of her father’s desire to escape.

All these explorers, thrown together by circumstance and the elements, must learn to get along in order to survive.  They may rail at the storm, and each other, and commune with the stars but learning to adapt to their circumstances may be the biggest challenge of all…the evolution of one’s being.  My personal favorite scene was the one between Joaquin and Rolando, as they let their guards down and talked frankly about the old days.  A meeting of the minds that may not change things but, at least, they put things in perspective.

This will give you a flavor of the show, in which discoveries will be made as to the fates of all these individuals.  It is tense, provocative and enlightening.  One could compare it to border and immigration issues that we currently have with Mexico.  People simply wanting the best for themselves and their families.  That would probably be understandable to anyone.

Rodriguez and Wilkerson, as mentioned, have created an amazing atmosphere for this story.  And the author, Lacámara, does not seem to be making judgments on people but simply giving them a platform on which to expound on their lives as they see it.  And the actors are all excellent in revealing the colors of their rainbows.  A fine ensemble cast.

I recommend this show.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

The Piano Lesson—Portland Playhouse—NE Portland

Haunted Lives

This award-winning play by August Wilson is part of his 10-decade cycle of stories about Afro-Americans.  It is directed by Kevin Jones and is playing at their site at 602 NE Prescott St. through November 2^nd.  Artists Rep, and OSF in Ashland, have also done shows of the cycle by this author.  For more information, go to their site at www.portlandplayhouse.org

The Portland Playhouse is now, has been, and probably always will be one of the best interpreters of Wilson’s works.  There is unquestionably the talent here and they seem to have the passion for this brilliant writer that is unmatched.  The place is the Charles’s home in Pittsburg in the mid-1930’s.   Like in many of his stories, there is always the prodigal son or outsider that enters the picture and stirs things up.  And, as always, there are the ghosts from the past that will intrude upon the living.

Boy Willie (Bryant Bentley) comes home after a long time on the road.  He has arrived with his childhood friend, Lymon (Seth Rue), in a broken-down truck and a parcel of watermelons to sell.  The home is owned by his uncle, Doaker (Mujahid Abdul-Rashid) and the most prized possession in it is the old piano, moved up here from the South and a product of their heritage, as it is carved with the faces of their family, slaves in a disgraceful time in our country’s history.

His sister, Bernice (Chantal DeGroat), lives there, too, with her daughter, 12-year old, Maretha (Seraiah Hardy), the doorway into future generations.  Other visitors to this bridge between Past and Present are Wining Boy (“Ranney”), Doaker’s best friend, a man always out of money and looking for the next hustle.  There is the Preacher, Avery (Ronald Scott), Bernice’s beau, looking to build a church for all lost souls.  And Grace (Carmen Brantley-Payne), a gal just out for a good time.
And they all have their stories, either about them or some influential event in their life that molds and shapes them as to who they are today.  A common device in Wilson’s plays.

But the conflict of the tale is an age-old one.  The struggle of living and honoring one’s Past, one’s heritage, the Piano, built with blood, sweat and tears, or moving forward into the Present, by selling it to ensure future dreams, in this case, to buy land.  Family dynamics are never easy to deal with and can be explosive, as is the case with this brood.  It’s really not a question of who’s right or who’s wrong but how to do both.  When your memories tug at you from behind and your dreams entice you forward, what is the solution?

In this case, it is taken out of their hands, as the Ghosts from the Yellow Dogs come calling.  Like forlorn whistles in the night, warning of dire consequences if ignored or forgotten, the battle is brought to an explosive conclusion by the end of the story.  We are who we are because of our heritage, not in spite of it.  And, as has been said, if we cannot solve the mistakes from the Past, then we are bound to repeat them.  So blindly forging ahead is not the answer.  Instead we must hold out our hands to our ancestors and walk slowly forward with them to, hopefully, a better tomorrow.

Jones has done an excellent job of casting and presenting this story.  You feel as if you’re really there, shamefully spying into a neighbor’s yard, painfully aware that rhythm of their songs may march in cadence with your own.  He has woven a rich tapestry of human foibles and fears, never making judgments but allowing us to witness lives in constant motion.

And it is certainly one of the best ensemble casts I have seen.  It is as if you want to reach out your hand, help the little girl up the stairs and guard her from the dark at the top of them.  They are all so real and touchable that you feel that you might make a difference if you could just walk into their world.  And, just maybe, that is part of the point of the play.

I highly recommend this play.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them that Dennis sent you.

Sparkle Recognition 2014

As I See It . . Dennis Sparks Once again, I have accumulated what I believe are unique, artistic achievements for the Season (September 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2014) and awarded each of them a Sparkle Recognition mention in the list of about 100 plays I review in a Season.  But, as you will note, unlike other award lists, I do not pick a “winner,” nor is my list confined to necessarily “5 nominees” in each category.  My list contains as many, or as few, as I deem “special” in some way. I do not believe you can compare, for instance, one actor’s performance in a play against another actor’s role in a totally different part and play.  Nor do I understand why there has to be only 5 nominees in category.  For example, I pick a person for a uniqueness that they seem to have, both as a performer and in the role they are enacting.  That is not to say that there weren’t a wealth of fine artistic jobs done.  There were.  But these particular individuals moved me in special, unforgettable ways. Granted, this is my take alone on the shows this season and, I’m sure you will

note, doesn’t agree with most award lists of “nominees/winners.”  Also it doesn’t encompass all the fine theatres that exist in the Northwest.  All the theatres I do include have invited me to review their shows.  And, being only one person, I can only review so many in a Season. And I do not restrict in any way, the people/companies that I review or are included in my Sparkle list.  The list includes schools, professional theatres, semi-professional, community, et. al. and can be as far North as Longview, WA and as far South as OSF in Ashland, OR.  In my opinion a good performance/production is simply good, no matter its pedigree. I unashamedly admit that I am a supporter of the Arts, having over 40 years myself in all aspects of it.  I attend a production expecting it to be good and, if it falls short, in my opinion, I try to be constructive in my criticism.  Also, you will note in my reviews, that I tend not to spend a lot of time describing the plot but, instead, try to give a flavor of the piece.  And I try to make comparisons to similar venues or historical, philosophical or personal histories of the times to, hopefully, enlighten the audience to what they may be seeing.

My main objective is to encourage the viewer to attend Artistic events and support the Arts.  My blog is now approaching 60,000 hits, which is not too shabby in the two years I have had my blog in existence.  And when theatres/artists put links to my reviews on their sites, it only enhances the readership and, hopefully, your audiences.  In case you’d rather scan the list to find your own company, the theatres (right-hand column) are listed alphabetically.  So, without any further exposition, may we have the envelope please . . . Click link below to see complete list Sparkle Recognition 2014

Sherlock Holmes—NW Children’s Theatre—NW Portland

The Plot…Thins

This production was adapted by Jeff Sanders and is a World Premiere.  It is directed by Sarah Jane Hardy (NWCT’s Artistic Director) and is playing at their space at 1819 NW Everett St. through October 26^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.nwcts.org or call 503-222-4480.

The only story of a purported Young Sherlock Holmes was a film a number of years ago by that name and produced by Steven Spielberg.  It was not of the original writer’s conception (Doyle) but a fabricated, what if… story, tracing the possible connection between some of the major characters in Holmes’s adult life.  Sherlock is almost as popular as Christie’s sleuths and have had many incarnations over the years.  My own personal favorite for Holmes was Basil Rathbone (the actor, not his films of the character).  And, possibly the most elaborate invented tale, was his tracking of the infamous, Jack the Ripper in Murder By Decree, with Christopher Plummer as the sleuth.

This particular adaptation, although interesting in concept, is rather slight in story and character development.  To be fair, Holmes’s sagas do not translate well to the stage because there is something missing to the excitement of the chase when “the game’s afoot.”  And, in any complicated mystery, there is something static, too, in the introduction of all the characters and the various plot lines, which tends to drag things down a bit.  This is the case in about the first third of this show.

The story concerns two outcast students, Holmes (Andrew Fridae) and Watson (Mitchell Lenneville), who are forced to share a room together at the Criterian Academy.  The eccentric headmaster (Kevin Michael Moore) has a soft spot for Holmes’s…oddness (perhaps feeling a kinship to him) and fought in a war with Watson’s father, so feels an allegiance to his son.  But his, and the school’s, pride and joy is the expensive, original, first folio of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets.

The story gets even stranger as a mysterious benefactor is willing to fund a performance of the famous, Russian magician, The Great Grigori (Sam Burns), and the priceless book is to be a part of his cabinet of disappearances.  Reluctantly, the headmaster agrees and, just as you might suspect, the book, indeed, disappears on cue but does not re-appear.  And there is a wealth of suspects (including the ones already mentioned) in John (Norris Meigs), the Headmaster’s faithful gofer, Lestrade (Emilia Smart-Denson), the custard proctor and her friend, Gregson (Clara King), or could it be another professor, Rance (Rielly Alexander).

Obviously, I won’t be a spoiler and tell you how the crime was done or who committed it, but it is fairly clever.  But to rewrite the bard a bit, “The name’s the thing, wherein…” you may discover a clue.  After all, clues are fair, even red herrings, in all mysteries.  And the magic show was the heart of this production and quite delightful, as they offered tricks done live, onstage, that were performed during Doyle’s time.

The production lacked the energy (except for Moore) that is usual for their shows.  And one character seemed to be having trouble with some lines (perhaps just opening week jitters).  The audience also seemed rather laid back and offered only mild responses throughout the show (in fairness, though, the actors had done a show earlier that same morning).  Hardy has done a good job of staging this and the magic tricks (designed by John D. Ellingson) were fun to watch and quite good.  But the show needs a less talky script and more pep from the cast.

Moore is always good in all the shows he does here and is the highlight of this show.  Perhaps the cast needs to adopt some of the broadness of his character to their parts.  Burns, also good in other shows of theirs, is fun to watch.  Meigs was good in his later scenes and Lenneville gave us a credible Watson.  I look forward to their musical staging of some Disney classics in the future Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and The Little Mermaid, which is where this company should excel.

I recommend this production because of Moore’s acting and the magic tricks conceived by Ellingson and performed by Burns.  But the comprehension of very young children for Shakespeare and Doyle’s sleuth may be a bit above their heads.  If you do go to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Dreamgirls—Portland Center Stage—NW Portland

Impossible Dreams?

The dramatic musical is written by Tom Eyen and composed by Henry Krieger and directed by Chris Coleman (PCS’s Artistic Director).  Musical direction is by Rick Lewis and choreography by Kent Zimmerman.  It is playing at their space at 128 NW 11^th Ave. through November 2^nd.  For more information go to their site at www.pcs.org or call 503-445-3700.

This is from a Tony award-winning play, which was made into quite an excellent movie.  What performer hasn’t thought of making it to the top of their profession, with all the fame and fortune, glitter and glamour that seems to go along with it.  It is a dream, devoutly to be desired.  Or is it?  For all the glitz, there is the gutter, always evident in case you slip.  For all the gain, there is the pain.  It’s rarely ever easy and in the end, sacrifices must be made, which could include your friends, family, self-esteem, health and even, your soul.  So, you must ask yourself the hard question, is it worth it?!

In the case of the Dreamettes, Deena (Mary Patton), Lorrell (Lexi Rhoades) and Effie (Nattalyee Randall), they will take that journey down the “yellow-brick road” to find that great and powerful dream come true, or is it just a silly, old man behind a curtain.  And, perhaps, one should not forget the true treasures offered at the end of that rainbow:  Brains, Heart, Courage and no place like, Home.  But to discover their importance, it is necessary to journey beyond and behind the rainbow, as the Dreamgirls do.

These three, with their ever-faithful, but naïve companion, C. C. (Calvin Scott Roberts), Effie’s brother, a talented songwriter, ease on down that road from humble beginnings.  There lowly desire is to win a contest at the famed Apollo Theatre and be booked for a week there.  The end result is they get 10 weeks on the road as back-up singers with the huge star, Jimmy Early (David Jennings).  The emerald gates open a crack for them.

They are welcomed with open arms by Jimmy and his sensible manager, Marty (Tyrone Roberson).  But into the fray struts the wicked, Curtis (Rodney Hicks).  His smooth talk and oily ways convince the ladies that he can make them stars.  All they have to do is submit to his control of their lives.  In the beginning it is all the Garden of Eden but, with a snake loose, it will not last long.  Affairs, heartbreak, the replacement of one of the members by Michelle (Antoinette Comer) and betrayal eventually lead this trio of triumph into a spiral of sadness.  The end result will be for you to discover.

The musical road they journey down goes through R&B, Pop, Soul and Disco.  And some of the dialogue is sung, much like in an opera.  My favorite numbers were Cadillac Car, Steppin’ to the Bad Side, Dreamgirls and all of Effie’s solos, One Night Only, I Am Changing, and the show-stopping, I’m Not Going.  The staging is simple (designer, G. W. Mercier) and the lighting of the glowing orb (designer, Robert M. Wierzel) to create mood and changes in time and setting was particularly effective.

The music (Lewis) was intense, without overpowering the actors and the dance numbers (Zimmerman) were simply but effectively done.  And the costumes (designer, Sydney Roberts) were especially exciting, reflecting the change in color and styles through the years.  Coleman was smart in letting the actors and songs carry the story without a lot of elaborate sets.  Well done.  And the PR Manager, Claudie Jean Fisher, has a nicely written piece in the program, as to the real-life inspiration for the show, The Supremes.

The performers are all exceptional as singers and actors.  Hicks, as their manager, gives us no excuses as a man out only for himself.  A shark that has learned to survive in turbulent waters.  Well done.  And on the other end of the coin is C. C., perhaps the only real hero of the piece.  Your heart goes out to him, thanks to Roberts’s performance.  And Jennings, as a star starting to fall from grace, is insightful as showing us the mess after the party’s over.  Good job.

Both Patton and Rhoades are super as two of the members of the trio, wanting to branch out to better things but feeling they might have to leave their hearts behind.  Powerful ladies.  And Comer, as the addition to the group, is wonderfully effective.  She could have comes across as just an interfering bitch but she does a nice job of layering her performance so that you feel for her.  I expect good things from her in the future.

And one must give a lion’s share of the praise to Randall in the key role as Effie.  She is extraordinary!  Her singing in all her numbers was a standout and she’s a pretty damn good actress, too.  And she also does a nice job of layering her performance, so that one does feel sympathy for her but sees her tough side as well.  She deserved the roar of applause after her show-stopping number, And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.  She is the heart of this well-conceived production!I recommend this show, if you do go, please tell them Dennis sent you.