theatremontgomery

Wetumpka Depot: "Lend Me a Tenor"

2012-02-11T16:21:00.007-06:00

Ken Ludwig: master farceur + Lend Me a Tenor: a hilarious farce + The Wetumpka Depot Players = a hit...a palpable hit!

Veteran actor/director Hazel Jones has put together another sure-fire success for the Depot Players. Along with an eight-member cast of actors (some are welcome newcomers to the Wetumpka stage), and a luxurious hotel-suite set sturdily designed to withstand the constant slamming of its six doors, she keeps the mood giddy for two hours of playing time.

It is 1934, and the 10th Anniversary of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company who have contracted [sight unseen] world renowned tenor Tito "Il Stupendo" Morelli to sing the lead role in their production of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello for their gala celebration. -- Morelli [William Harper] is reputed to be temperamental, a womanizer, and a drunk -- potentially a lethal combination.

Things are getting tense: rehearsal is underway and the guest artist is late arriving in town; star-struck Maggie [Erika Wilson] who met Morelli briefly in Italy tells Max [Phil Tankersley] that she wants an experience, a fling, before she marries him, and Max tells her that he could sing the role of Otello if Morelli doesn't show; Maggie's father, head man Saunders [Don Johnson], instructs timid Max to be Morelli's "keeper" and to keep him away from liquor and women...not an easy task when he arrives with his fiery wife Maria [Jan Hancock] in tow accusing him of infidelity.

Morelli suffers from indigestion and balks at rehearsing, bragging that he never misses a performance and always wears his own costume in the role. While Maggie hides in the bathroom, Tito helps Max become more confident in a very funny scene. Bullied by everyone to take his pills, Tito reluctantly agrees and takes a double dose; meanwhile, Max has spiked his wine with more pills. -- Maria has had enough of her husband's behavior, and walks out, leaving him a note. Ever the melodramatic actor, Tito threatens to kill himself when he reads Maria's letter, but Max puts him to bed.

Soon, Morelli's local co-star Diana [Laela Bunn] arrives to get Tito to "help her career", but Max puts her off, and then sees Maria's letter and the fast asleep tenor, thinking he is dead. Saunders and Max decide that Max will substitute in the role of Otello -- no one has ever seen "Il Stupendo", so a costume, wig, and blackface makeup would work. After all, Saunders' reputation is at stake, and Max needs a confidence builder. Even Julia [Charlotte Henderson], the head of the Opera Guild, and the hotel Bellhop [Matthew Walter] are eager to meet Morelli and will do almost anything to have some private time with him.

The trick is, of course, to keep everyone away from Morelli, and to hide his body while Max does a quick change into the Otello costume, wig, and blackface. -- Well, the disguise works, but that doesn't keep the women at bay, especially after Max's triumphant performance in the opera.

Meanwhile, Morelli has awakened and dressed for the performance...so there are two bewigged and costumed Otellos who can't appear on stage together for the play's joke to work, much to the audience's delight. And our "willing suspension of disbelief" is also tested since the two actors are so physically different...but that's part of the fun of it.

In true farcical tradition, with attempted seductions galore addressed to both Otellos, and lots of double-entendre dialogue [especially in a hilarious scene between Tito and Diana], and plenty of slamming doors done with split second timing and absolute committment by the acting company, the production of Lend Me a Tenor keeps the laughs coming.

Mr. Harper is a comic buffoon as Tito, and Ms. Hancock a harridan spitfire as Maria. Mr. Walter is a bundle of contradictory energy as the Bellhop, and Ms. Henderson's Julia is a flighty matron of the arts. Ms. Bunn comes into her own in the big seduction scene, while Mr. Hancock's over-the-top portrayal of Saunders makes us feel he is ready to burst at any second. Ms. Wilson shows both a comic sensibility and a truthfulness in her relationship with Max. But it is Mr. Tankersley who runs away with the role of Max: the underdog milquetoast who triumphs in the opera which we never see, but who also triumphs in gaining confidence and winning Maggie's hand.

Though the timing of some lines needs to be tightened to keep the pace moving at lightning speed, the Wetumpka Depot Players have created a happy romp with Lend Me a Tenor.

Faulkner: "Big River"

2012-02-09T23:31:00.012-06:00

Two years after a production in Wetumpka. Marilyn Swears [Music Director], Trey Holladay, Dave Hanlein, and Barbra Blommers are again the talented orchestra for Faulkner University's presentation of Roger Miller's (music & lyrics) & William Hauptman's (book) Big River based on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that opened on Thursday night to a welcoming crowd.

Played by an ensemble of actors from Faulkner and the Montgomery community, Big River is true to Twain's sensibilities concerning slavery and the fundamental conflict in young Huck between what he "believes" and what he "knows" is right. -- Central to the story is the relationship between the rustic white runaway schoolboy Huck [Chase McMichen] and a black runaway slave Jim [Tony Davison]. Jim naively sees things as they really are, while Huck wrestles with his conscience as he fibs in order to protect his companion from being caught while they float along the Mississippi River in pursuit of adventures and each one's version of freedom.

Mark Twain's classic is given a few new twists by director Angela Dickson and her talented company, while keeping the music as its centerpoint. [Faulkner is indeed fortunate in having such strong and confident singers in all the featured roles, and the Chorus numbers are powerful, filling the house with dynamic harmonies.] One such twist is using many of the secondary characters as supernumaries who provide many of the sound effects and who give hand props to other actors from the sidelines. This convention works to a degree, but occasionally it pulls focus away from the main action, important dialogue, or song lyrics that are meant to develop character relationships or move the action forward.

Huck's story is narrated first by Mark Twain himself [Roy Goldfinger], and then is taken up by Huck as it is in the novel. Mr. McMichen has a youthfully charming smile that befits Huck and which gets him out of numerous scrapes with his drunken ne'er-do-well Pap [Matt Dickson], the Widow Douglas [Tracy Stiff] and Miss Watson [Jesse Alston] who try to "civilize" him, "the law", and various others, including two con-men -- the King & the Duke [Roy Goldfinger & Matt Dickson again] -- as he is abetted by Tom Sawyer [Allen Young], whose ever-increasing sense of dramatic adventure frequently gets them in and out of trouble, and makes Jim the unfortunate victim.

There is a sense of "a boy's adventure story" in this production, a trait well known to ardent Twain readers; but that is not the thrust of either the novel or the musical adaptation of it. -- Yes, there are diverting songs like "Do Ya Wanna Go To Heaven" and "The Boys" that set up for young and old alike how many young people flaunt authority and rebel against their "better" natures in order to avoid responsibility. And "The Royal Nonesuch" is a clever take-off on "freak shows" that were popular in the 1800s. Some of the best moments in the play are when Messers. Dickson & Goldfinger take the stage; they are the consumate con-artists, and each actor lends a confidence & commanding voice to the proceedings; they are duplicitous, yet charming...everything a con-man should be.

But, some of the finest moments in both the source and the musical are the quieter reflective ones, especially between Huck and Jim: "The Crossing" tells of the plight of slaves escaping to the free States, "River in the Rain" (sung when the two are drifting on the raft) is a reflective and sensitive bonding between them, and "Worlds Apart" tells how Huck and Jim have the same experiences, but understand them differently because of their backgrounds and their races. It is in these quieter moments that the balance between singer and orchestra is best achieved; too often, the singers' voices were drowned out by over-amplification of the instruments.

When Huck saves Mary Jane [Bethany Telehany] from the wiles of the King & Duke, and is infatuated by her beauty, the beginnings of young love are in the air. Ms. Telehany's clear soprano is used to fine effect in both "You Oughta Be Here With Me" and "Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go".

In its time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a controversial book that dared to face race relations honestly and show bigotry and prejudice as the evils they are. Jim's stalwart belief in the possibilities of a new life free from the chains of prejudice, and Huck's eventual realization that true morality isn't exclusively found in religious orthodoxy, give both of them in Faulkner's version of Big River the freedom for which they have been searching.

ASF: "Travels With My Aunt"

2012-02-06T21:00:00.011-06:00

In its "English Season", director Geoffrey Sherman refers to the Octagon Theatre's Travels With My Aunt as a "companion piece" to The 39 Steps which is showing in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Carolyn Blount Theatre. -- The productions have several things in common: both are based on English novels; both are episodic narratives; both use the convention of four actors playing multiple roles; both have male actors impersonating female characters (a long and respected tradition in English theatre); both utilize on-stage props tables and moveable furniture to indicate changes of time and place; and both have central characters going on journeys of problem-solving and self-discovery.

While The 39 Steps is a fast-paced comic thriller, Giles Havergal's adaptation of Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt is a more leisurely exploration of an unconventional world wherein a meek recently retired bank manager whose sole outside interest is in growing dahlias in his garden meets his bohemian 70-something Aunt Augusta at his mother's funeral and, caught up in her mysterious lifestyle, travels with her to exotic and dangerous locales where he meets an assortment of her disreputable acquaintances & lovers past and present...and learns much about himself (and her) as well.

The popular culture references in The 39 Steps may be familiar to moviegoers; the allusions in Travels With My Aunt test the audience's knowledge of philosophy, art, and literature. -- This, and the fact that Mr. Sherman distributes the dialogue among all four actors who play the protagonist Henry Pulling, to demonstrate in each a specific facet of Henry's personality, making the audience experience both a diverting entertainment and an intellectual challenge.

The audience is challenged from the start when all four actors [Rodney Clark, Paul Hebron, James Bowen, and Timothy Carter] dressed in identical dark suits and bowler hats share Henry's first-person narrative of events leading up to the fateful meeting with Aunt Augusta. Soon, she expresses a need for a travel companion, and Henry is caught up in her sly implications that she has a lot to teach him and goes with her. All is not what it seems: his parentage is called into question, and Aunt Augusta's life-style choices demand explanation.

A true ensemble, these men shift from role to role with minimal change or adjustment of costume with apparent ease and fluidity -- and with distinct postures, gestures, and voices -- that make each character instantly clear. And, as they share the role of Henry with so many other personae, (only Mr. Clark plays Aunt Augusta) their talents come to the fore: regional, class, and national dialects are done convincingly; gender-switching is credible, with just a touch of "camp" at strategic moments; respectable and disreputable sorts are delineated with conviction -- the character list is so all encompassing. Not only that, but the actors also serve as "Foley artists", providing many of the sound effects (walking on a pebbled beach, pouring tea, etc. -- timed with the on-stage action) that are cleverly inserted into the production.

Greene's novel was written in the 1960s, and as he showed in other novels like The Quiet American, Brighton Rock, and The End of the Affair, he was much taken with the politics and morality of his time, taking an ambivalent attitude towards conventional ideologies while embracing new experiences with no sense of bigotry, and expressed most charmingly in the words of Aunt Augusta, to "never presume yours is the better morality".

So, while Aunt Augusta's forays into art smuggling, the occult, love affairs with various men, and her connections with Nazi sympathizers make Henry dubious about their relationship, her central credo is that love is what matters most -- it is her distinguishing feature, and we are inclined to forgive her other faults. This is her last opportunity to connect with her "nephew", and the love she bears him is more maternal than his "mother's" could have been. In Mr. Clark's capable hands, she is ever gracious, generous, optimistic, and trusting in mankind's better nature, and too polite to blurt out the truth...Henry must discover it for himself.

ASF newcomer Timothy Carter's resonant baritone and uncanny ability to embody characters as different as a gruff Det. Sgt. Sparrow and a coy teenage girl Yolanda, make him a welcome addition to the local theatre scene.

Returning actor James Bowen, playing several of Aunt Augusta's lovers and an assortment of male and female roles (especially the sensitive mourner Miss Patterson), transforms himself for each occasion.

And Paul Hebron's charismatic Henry as well as Henry's love interest Miss Keene, the flower-child Toolie & her CIA operative father O'Toole, and his ability to connect truthfully with Mr. Clark's effervescent Aunt Augusta, provide this chameleon-actor some of the production's finest moments. He does succumb to her influence, and seems to have found love by the end.

The so very many plot elements in this production belabor the point a bit and make it seem over-long, though never uninteresting. Henry is left at the end having to decide whether to stay with his Aunt or to go back home; though it is not completely resolved, much has been learned -- don't judge others, embrace life in the moment, be true to yourself...and love.

Cloverdale: "The Gin Game"

2012-02-02T22:31:00.009-06:00

The much anticipated inaugural season of Montgomery's Cloverdale Playhouse was realized on February 2, 2012 with a triumphant production of D. L. Coburn's two-character tragicomedy The Gin Game, winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize.

Under Artistic Director Greg Thornton's astute direction, Eleanor Kerr Davis and Bill Nowell -- two of Montgomery's most accomplished veteran actors -- received a rapturous standing ovation for their finely tuned performances in the "Elizabeth Crump Theatre."

Played on Mike Winkelman's detailed set -- a porch at a run-down retirement home -- and dressed in Danny Davidson's character-driven realistic costumes, Weller Martin [Mr. Nowell] and Fonsia Dorsey [Ms. Davis] engage in some 14 hands of "gin" while they recount their likes & dislikes, their past lives, and a number of secrets...frequently getting on one another's nerves in the process...all the while entertaining audiences with witty remarks and truthful assessments of their conditions.

The first Act is played largely for laughs, though underlying the humor of older people's outspokenness are some very real issues of growing older and surviving without the support of family. They meet on the porch to play cards [games of gin that Fonsia always wins, much to Weller's frustration], for example, to escape the lines of people in wheelchairs or their 10-foot-square rooms that contain all their worldly possessions. And, they are not at all interested in the continual "entertainments" that are put on for the residents or dance classes "when half of them can't get out of a chair". Each has found in the other a kindred spirit, and as we find out, a worthy sparring partner. Weller's curmudgeonly behavior while having always to be right, is matched by Fonsia's steadfastness and quiet determination.

For all their pretense of normality, it soon becomes clear that Fonsia's diabetes causes her a few spells, and Weller's bombast hides a growing dementia, and a climactic moment at the end of Act I signals more revelations to come. In Act II, the card games continue, but the stakes are higher as they reveal the truths of their pasts. "One more game" leads to a vindictiveness in a showdown that tests Weller's temper to the extreme.

Though each has been married & divorced, and each has had children, their families appear to have deserted them. Loneliness is becoming more real: they have little in common with anyone else at the retirement home, they have been deserted by their families [possibly due to their own stubbornness], and they resent having to go on welfare and lose their independence. So, they rely on each other.

Mr. Thornton interprets Coburn's well-crafted script with a quietly deliberate control that allows the plot details to be gradually introduced so the characters emerge in steps hardly noticeable and so truthfully that audiences identify with their problems and invest in their relationship.

And it helps to have at his disposal two veteran actors who, according to a program note "have appeared in over 100 productions around the River Region. [but] This is their first production together."

Mr. Nowell gives Weller a declamatory style that suits the character's self-absorption; he claims to know a lot, and insists on being right, so when Fonsia wins hand after hand of gin, his game strategy fails him. Is it "beginner's luck", or is she a shrewd player? And his constant interruption of her train of thought in dealing out the cards aloud -- "one, one - two, two - three, three" -- asserts his place of control.

Ms. Davis exercises consummate control over Fonsia's tolerance of Weller's demands, so when she retaliates in kind near the end of the play, we see her justification and feel with her the pain it causes. She communicates more with a gesture or a sly smile than mere words provide.

Throughout the play, Mr. Nowell & Ms. Davis portray their characters as duelists, he sometimes manic and she more often reserved; they are on opposite sides and play it as such. But the occasional moments of connection -- moments when truths are spoken without guile -- as they face each other across the card table are so honest and credible, that we engage in their lives willingly and address their issues as our own.

ASF: "The 39 Steps"

2012-01-31T17:45:00.012-06:00

Jen Nelson Lane has her hands (ears & eyes) full as Stage Manager for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's farcical rendering of The 39 Steps, Patrick Barlow's adaptation of John Buchan's 1915 novel and the now-classic 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock based on it. -- With upwards of 1000 sound and lighting cues coming at breakneck speed, Ms. Lane's spot-on timing and crisp delivery of them in tandem with director Nancy Rominger's expert actors makes the production an entertaining and sometimes silly [a la Monty Python] diversion.

Since its debut in England in 2005, the play has been delighting audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, winning Olivier-Drama Desk-and Tony Awards, having long-runs in both London's West End and New York's Broadway, and recently reaching the community, university, and even high school circuits.

Bookended in short narrative scenes by the play's protagonist Richard Hannay, the story s a familiar old-fashioned spy-thriller in which an unsuspecting innocent is on the run and must clear his name as a suspected murderer while simultaneously attempting to save the world by thwarting a sinister plot to smuggle military secrets out of the country and into the hands of the enemy.

Hannay gets into and out of numerous scrapes with a large catalogue of characters: music hall entertainers (especially a Mr. Memory), the law, the outlaws, assorted innkeepers, farmers, et al., as he travels to Scotland in search of a Professor Jordan, a man who could resolve his dilemma. -- [Though the novel did not provide one, Hitchcock provided a "blonde woman" (one of Hitch's favorite characters) to enhance the adventure, and this is retained in the stage production.]

The conceit here is that all the characters in The 39 Steps are played by a total of four actors: Hannay [Peter Simon Hilton: welcome back again from last season], three women Hannay meets [Vanessa Morosco in her debut with ASF], and two "Clowns" [Brik Berkes: also in a welcome return from last season, and newcomer to ASF Louis Butelli] who play all the other roles, male and female, and who must change character quickly/instantly, sometimes more than once in a given scene.

As played on Peter Hicks's "bare" music hall stage, with plenty of props, furniture, and door/window frames that are used in various & inventive ways throughout (doing double-duty at times), with Jacob Sullivan's authentic & creative sound effects, and with Brent Rominger's clever period sounding & recognizable spy-genre score, the director has a field day maneuvering her actors from place to place and from character to character, challenging them and the design & technical crew to keep the pace and the sophisticated humor of the story. And the text even has several references to other Hitchcock films -- Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest -- and even the British exclamation "Bob's your uncle" has its place.

Mr. Hilton plays Hannay as a debonair sort and a man "tired of life" who drags himself to the London Palladium to see Mr. Memory, a man with encyclopedic knowledge, and where he is confronted by Annabella Schmidt: Ms. Morosceo plays her as a a mysterious and sultry secret agent with a pronounced Teutonic accent. When she is stabbed in the back clasping a map of Scotland, sometime after telling him that military secrets are going to be smuggled out of the country, enigmatically referring to "the 39 steps", and to beware of a man with one joint missing from a finger, Hannay begins his adventure.

En route to Scotland on a train [inventively crafted out of steamer trunks] the newspapers report that Hannay is the chief suspect in Anabella's murder. To avoid capture by train inspectors, Hannay finds himself in a compartment with Pamela [Ms. Morosco again in a recurring role as a feisty foil to Hannay] whom he kisses as a distraction, but she gives him up...and he then escapes on the Firth of Forth Bridge, finding refuge temporarily with an old man and his young wife Margaret [here Ms. Morosco plays her as an unspoiled and generous woman who helps Hannay escape through the "Rear Window" of their cottage].

Eventually finding the professor, he sees one joint missing from a finger and is then a target himself, remarkably surviving, getting back to London with Pamela after an overnight stop in a hotel where she discovers Hannay is telling the truth, and winding up back at the Palladium where he figures out that Mr. Memory can solve the riddle of "the 39 steps"...a complex military formula.

While the plot gets more convoluted at every turn, the actors meet all its challenges head on. Mr. Hilton shows Hannay to be resourceful, clever, and sardonic as he meets each obstacle and confronts all antagonists with sophisticated elan, hardly ever getting ruffled, and allowing a sense of humor to grace his action. -- Ms. Morosco distinguishes each of her three roles so well that one hardly knows it is the same actress; and while Annabella and Margaret appear only briefly, they make an impression; but Pamela is Hannay's equal in spunk & wit, and winds up being a fine romantic match for the confirmed bachelor.

Arguably the best comic moments -- and there are many of them in this two act/two hour production -- are reserved for Messrs. Butelli and Berkes, as they change costume quickly off-stage or right before our eyes, becoming a wide assortment of eccentrics, policemen & thugs, music hall entertainers, silly old men & women, hotel keepers, etc. -- with over-the-top Scottish accents much of the time. And each one is clearly defined by a gesture, a posture, a mannerism, a vocal texture, or an attitude that makes them distinct...exceptional performances. -- And, let's face it, they move the plot better than any narrative could. They get quite a workout here, much to the audience's pleasure.

Though there are a few stage "bits" that are somewhat indulgent, and the Pythonesque humor is an aquired taste, The 39 Steps is just the right antidote for the winter blues.

Cloverdale Playhouse: History in the Making

2012-01-28T17:56:00.004-06:00

The Cloverdale Playhouse in Montgomery will open its inaugural season -- February 2-12 -- with D. L. Coburn's tragicomedy The Gin Game, the 1978 Pulitzer Prize winning play that then starred Jessica Tandy & Hume Cronyn, America's first-couple of theatre.

And Montgomery is fortunate in having its own "first couple" -- Eleanor Davis and Bill Nowell -- in the roles of Fonsea Dorsey and Weller Martin, two independent-minded seniors who match wits and wills over a series of card games played in a retirement home, revealing much about their lives and ours in frequently funny and always perceptive ways.

Under Artistic Director Greg Thornton's direction, this production is eagerly awaited by the Montgomery theatre going community. Of Ms. Davis & Mr. Nowell, Mr. Thornton says: "The history that Eleanor and Bill carry into this production is impressive...the fact that they are gracing the Playhouse stage with their performances in this inaugural production is a tremendous christening of the Cloverdale Playhouse."

Between them these two actors have performed on virtually every stage in the area. And they do it for the sheer "love" of it: "amateur" in the very best sense of the word.

Regardless of their off-stage careers, Ms. Davis & Mr. Nowell have rarely been off the stage, playing in comedies, musicals, and serious drama in featured roles and cameo appearances, always bringing a sense of professionalism & joy while sharing their expertise & experience with neophyte actors (often mentoring them as well), and always open to improving their craft. --- And audiences familiar with their stage careers respond to their mere presence on program cast lists knowing they are in for a treat, a few surprises, and a confidence in performing that make them feel they are in good hands.

Curiously, they have never been on stage together; and they are revelling in this opportunity. There are a lot of challenges to their complex roles. Mr. Nowell has wanted to do his role for a long time and he and Ms. Davis find it to be their "biggest challenge and most rewarding experience", largely due in their estimation to the organic direction of Mr. Thornton who "molds them with suggestions so naturally that actors make discoveries for themselves." They are quick to notice that as an actor himself, Mr. Thornton "knows the needs of the actors he directs."

And the mutual admiration extends to designers, stage management, and all the volunteers who collaborate in making the production a reality.

Yes, Bill & Eleanor go on "an emotional roller coaster ride" in the course of the play that makes the experience "almost overwhelming" when put in the light of its being the inaugural production at the Playhouse; but they are ready for it. They are consumate professionals.

With just a few days to go before opening night, final touches are being made to the set & costumes, and the performances are being fine-tuned to be ready for the first audience. -- And since Montgomery has been without its own community theatre since the Montgomery Little Theatre closed some decades ago, Ms. Davis aptly says that she is part of its "coming full circle" that she is "honored" to be a part of it and is "fulfilling a dream".

Tickets are going fast. For an opportunity of being a part of this historic moment in Montgomery theatre, go to http://www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org/ or e-mail boxoffice@cloverdaleplayhouse.org or phone (334) 262-1530.

Millbrook: "Fiddler on the Roof"

2012-01-26T17:06:00.010-06:00

Something right is going on in Millbrook! Extra chairs are being set up for virtually every performance of Karen Black's directorial debut of Fiddler on the Roof with the Millbrook Community Players, and enthusiastic standing ovations are common.

Based on Sholem Aleichem's Tevye & His Daughters stories, its simple choreography [Beth Crumbley] and minimalist musical accompaniment on piano [Katy Gerlach] and "fiddles" [Esther Hart & Benjamin Simon], Ms. Black's intelligently edited production comes in at about 2 1/2 hours for its 2 acts.

Since the multiple prize-winning musical hit Broadway decades ago, it has been an international favorite in both professional and amateur theatres, due in large part to its memorable score -- "Sunrise, Sunset", "Matchmaker", "If I Were a Rich Man", and "Tradition" among the featured songs -- and its beloved central character Tevye, whose conversations with God and his own conscience reveal the humanity of a Russian Jewish peasant who is faced with three of his daughters rebelling against the tradition of arranged marriages and the Tzar's pogroms that persecuted the Jews.

The play begins with the citizens of the small remote shtetl of Anatevka -- led by Tevye [a robust David Kensen] -- singing a rousing version of "Tradition", and establishing the long respected divisions of responsibility in the household -- the papa (the head, the decision maker), the mama, the children, et al -- and leading to the introduction of Golde [Judi Brown as Tevye's understated but strong-willed wife] and the local matchmaker Yente [Sharon Demuth embuing the role with several stereotypical and largely comical vocal & physical mannerisms] who comes with news that Lazar Wolf [Mark McGuire], a rich butcher, likes their eldest daughter Tzeitel [Rachel Russo]...a good "match" were it not for the fact that he is old and that Tzeitel likes the young tailor Motel [Jon Greenawalt]. The "match" is agreed however, so when Tevye realized that Tzeitel won't be swayed and that love ought to be the reason for marriage, he must save face by getting Lazar Wolf to agree to not marry his daughter.

Further along in the play, two more daughters flaunt tradition by arranging their own marriages; "unheard of" says Tevye...but he relents on Hodel [Jubilee Lofgren] marrying the young teacher Perchik [Matt Jordan] despite his revolutionary views of the world and his passion for educating even girls; however, when Chava [Shelby Tennimon] wants to marry Fyedka [Brooks Burnett] outside the Jewish faith, Tevye can not bear it and disowns her: she is "dead to him".

Times are changing -- it's 1905, and the modern world is upon them. Does one go along with the times, or does one cling to the traditions of thousands of years? The inevitability of change is a major concern in this play, and Tevye's soul-searching moments punctuate the journey all are going on. Is there a way to sustain tradition and simultaneously shift into the modern world? Tevye regularly tries to look at both sides; while interpreting the Bible with misquotes galore and home-spun wisdom, he posits one side and then says "on the other hand", giving credence to opposing views. -- Along the way, he is supported and controlled by the no-nonsense practical advice given in deadpan truthfulness by Ms. Brown's Golde, and when he relents, it is always on the side of doing what is best, regardless of tradition.

Though the peasants have lived in relative harmony with their Russian overlords, the constublary and its power lurk in plain sight, and ultimately evict the citizens who must find new places to live as the play ends.

It has been an entertaining journey, peopled by characters who get us to care about their very human conflicts of family and love, ones which reach into every home and that are often out of balance, but which can be brought together by tradition and joy symbolized by the fiddler.

ASF: "In the Book of..."

2012-01-11T15:24:00.010-06:00

Alabama Shakespeare Festival's playwright-in-residence John Walch's In the Book of... was conceived at least a year before Alabama's House Bill 56 -- a notorious immigration law touted as the strongest in the country -- made national & international headlines, pitting Xenophobic extremists against more tolerant Alabamians.

A World Premier showing now in the Octagon Theatre for only a few weeks, Walch based his play in part on the Old Testament's Book of Ruth, a model of compasionate understanding of strangers in a strange land that could well serve contemporary circumstances by offering peaceful ways to combat ignorance and come to terms with neighbors seeking a better life on America's shores.

Walch's story centers on Anisah [Sarah Corey] an Afghan translator for Lt. Naomi Watkins [Rachel Leslie]; when each woman loses a husband in the war, their bond is strengthened, and Naomi helps bring her friend to the fictitious town of Broxton, MS -- unfortunately as an illegal immigrant. Each becomes a source of the other's strength as they deal with the effects of war, their husbands' deaths, and the impact of the local community's intollerance of strangers spearheaded by Naomi's sister-in-law Gail [Blair Sams] who is campaigning for mayor of Broxton, broom in hand, on a platform of "sweeping out" all illegals.

The rhetoric builds, with mob mentality drowning out clear-headed discussion, and escalates to other altercations. -- It does not help that Gail's husband Bo Sr. [Christopher Gerson] is one of many today who has lost his job and is reduced to working in a fast food extablishment, while their son Bo Jr. [Matt Dickson] -- still damaged from guilt over his brother's accidental death and swearing never to enjoy life -- is a landscaper in difficult straits in hiring workers.

The common complaints of foreigners (legal or illegal) taking jobs away from native-born Americans fuels the fire, though it is clearly not a real issue since, as in real life, the natives won't do the manual labor that only immigrants seem to be willing to do. -- So Bo winds up hiring and quickly falling in love with Anisah, her willingness to learn American ways and assimilate into the culture in completely non-threatening ways is endearing both to Bo and to the audience.

Perhaps Walch's strongest script elements are the balance he achieves in both developing complex characters and the fairness with which he treats these sensitive issues; it is important to know, for example, that there is no clear-cut delineation between good and evil characters, that seemingly narrowminded ones like Gail are simultaneously lovingly passionate in the defense of family, and that the issues regarding illegal immigrants are complex -- that extremes of any sort will not achieve anything other than continued intimidation and harrassment, mistrust and violent repurcussions.

Though there are some eerie off-stage sound effects of sweeping brooms combined with choral chants against illegals, much of the on-stage action is told with an acknowledgement of humor mixed with the serious. -- As Anisah innocently attempts to record American colloquialisms and learns to spit watermelon seeds and catch fireflies, she is quick to let others know that she is "an imigrant, not an idiot".

The acting company are all new to ASF, with the exception of Ms. Corey who played Anisah in the Southern Writers' Project staged reading of In the Book of... on its first incarnation. -- And they are the strength of this production. Walch's episodic structure contains a deliberate exposition followed by numerous short scenes in this two-and-a-half-hour play and a fairly abrupt change of heart by Gail at the end.

A true ensemble company of actors, they interpret under Risa Brainin's crisp direction, the intentions of the playwright, the human implications of his themes, and the complexity of the individuals and their relationships. To their credit, audiences might switch allegiances several times during the presentation: each side makes sense, and even their inherent contradictions create far more interesting personalities than ones that could be easily categorized. The credibility of each role and the sensitivity with which they inhabit their characters also allow us to evaluate our own social & political beliefs & behavior, provoking discussion of the significant issues facing us today.

Faulkner: "The 1940s Radio Hour"

2011-12-04T12:38:00.008-06:00

Hands down, the star of Faulkner University Dinner Theatre's The 1940s Radio Hour is the on-stage orchestra -- members of Faulkner's Jazz Band. Directed by Andrew Cook as the play's "Zoot Doubleman Orchestra", the nine member ensemble's solid arrangements of Big Band Era standards, with brassy riffs on "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to laid-back sophisticated support to such vocals as "I Got It Bad", transport audiences to a past time with nods of recognition and remembrances.

This is not to diminish the 14-strong cast of triple threat actors-singers-dancers who enliven its 20 songs with clever interpretations, character back stories provided by the script's thin story line, and impressive vocal strength.

With a running time of two hours without an intermission, director Jason Clark South's company keep the story moving forward and the energy level high.

It's December 21, 1942 at WOV Radio Station in New York. World War II is at its height, and the nation needs its spirits lifted as Christmas approaches. A storm delays some of the entertainers, Pops Bailey [Jordan Berry] runs an of-track betting operation on the station's phones, over-eager delivery boy Wally Fergusson [Jason Morgan] wants a chance to perform, arrogant heartthrob Johnny Cantone [Chase McMichen] yearns for a Hollywood career as he drinks himself into a stupor, trumpet playing soldier Biff Baker [Jon Timbes] is leaving for the European front the next day, diva Geneva Lee Browne [Brooke Brown] is perennially late & demanding, and various others like Neal Tilden [David Brown] are looking for their big break, while the station's owner and on-air voice Clifton A. Feddington [Tony Davison] tries to hold it all together just minutes before a live broadcast.

When the lengthy expository set-up finally segues to the radio program itself (with us being the "live radio audience"), the rest is non-stop songs interspersed with commercials for such "new" products as Pepsi Cola, Cashmere Bouquet soap, Sal Hepatica laxative, Nash automobiles, and others.

As Faulkner continues to adjust to its new theatre, some of the production issues might get ironed out. The ambitiously detailed period set appears cramped as actors maneuver around one another. While some movement establishing character relationships is distracting when placed simultaneously behind a featured singer, the main focus remains on the songs, but the orchestra's volume too often drowns out human voices so lyrics and important dialogue are inaudible.

Nonetheless, both the ensemble and individuals get their times to shine. "Jingle Bells" and a patriotic anthem in "Strike Up The Band" feature the best aspects of the ensemble's blend of voices and peppy energy.

Brittney Johnston as Ginger gives an unexpectedly sultry shoulder-shaking interpretation of "Blues in the Night". Bret Morris as Neal Tilden shines as a substitute in "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and a sensitive "You Go to My Head". Mr. McMichen's "Love is Here to Stay" capitalizes on his rapport with the women in the audience. Novelty numbers like "Chiquita Banana" and songs featuring the insouciance of Abby Roberts as Connie in "Daddy" and "Five O'Clock Whistle" are hits.

Shared credit for show-stopping numbers go to Brooke Brown and Kristy Humphreys. Ms. Brown's spot-on interpretation of the band's arrangement of "I Got It Bad" is so fully committed that it dazzles, and her strong voice lends support to several ensemble and small group tunes. As Ann Collier, Ms. Humphreys is as solid as one can be. Whether in an ensemble or a sextet like "I'll Never Smile Again", or solos "Black Magic" and a heart rending "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Ms. Humphreys commands attention with intelligent and understated passion, clear diction, and vocal support that set the standard for all.

With The 1940s Radio Hour, Faulkner is ringing in the season with a delightfully nostalgic show that puts smiles on faces and lifts our spirits.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "Holiday Gifts of Words & Music"

2011-12-03T15:11:00.004-06:00

The Cloverdale Playhouse will present Holiday Gifts of Words & Music -- three benefit performances for the Playhouse and the Montgomery Chorale.
December 15 & 16 at 7:30 p.m.
December 18 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are available online at www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org or by phoning the Box Office at(334) 262-1530 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

Red Door: "The Christmas Letters"

2011-12-03T14:21:00.007-06:00

It does not matter what part of the country you live in, The Christmas Letters, now showing at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs, will touch your heart and make you realize the importance of family at all stages in life.

Adapted from Lee Smith's novel by Paul Ferguson, with music & lyrics by Tommy Goldsmith, Tom House, and Karren Pell, the story is told through a series of Christmas letters from 1944 to 1996, and is punctuated by numerous songs that carry the plot forward or comment on the action. What unfolds through the words of three generations of women is a poignant tale of family experiences we can all identify with -- births & deaths, financial need & prosperity, faithfulness & infidelity, war & peace.

In 1996, Melanie [Valerie Sandlin] picks up the tradition of writing the letters that her mother & grandmother had created, and she reads the first letter from 1944, taking us back to that time when her grandmother Birdie [Beth Egan -- strong and confident in the role, with a fine singing voice] started it all. Picked up later by her mother Mary [Anna Perry], the letters bring us back to 1996 by the end of the play.

We see the crochety great-grandmother Mrs. Pickett [Anne Brabham], Mary's devoted husband Bill [William Harper], their dutiful son Joe [Joseph Crawford], Mary's husband Sandy [Beau Shirley], and assorted family, friends, & neighbors...each of whom impacts the others and plays a role in developing their personalities and determining their behavior.

The songs -- played by the Lighthouse String Ensemble from Troy, AL [they also entertained with a pre-show concert of bluegrass music -- major talent here] -- are as engaging as the story. "Christmas Snow" sets an appropriate winter scene, "A Recipe for Living" gets us into the commitment of the family, "The Flood" evokes both the distress of flooding and the stalwartness of people under duress [as one character says: "Calamity can be a blessing in disguise."], "Mama's Death" helps bring the family together.......through all their trials over five decades, they still "try to get it right" -- and by the end, they do.

With a mixture of experienced and first-time actors, director Tom Salter has created a fine on-stage ensemble. Though the script could benefit from some attention to developing characters and smoothing out time-shifts, the story has been told clearly, and there are a couple of stand-out performances. -- Mr. Harper plays three roles [husband Bill, stuffy teacher Mr. Rutledge, and flambuoyant marriage therapist Peter Waterford], distinguishing each with voice and behavior differences. And Ms. Perry's development of Mary from a child to a middle-aged woman is so gradually developed that we hardly notice the changes; and her clear soprano carries many of the songs.

These are essentially good people who meet the family & social issues head on, and we leave the theatre feeling better for sharing with them.

ASF: "A Christmas Memory"

2011-11-28T19:48:00.012-06:00

Truman Capote's largely autobiographical A Christmas Memory (1956) has become a staple fare for the holidays, evoking a past & more gentle time and the simplicity of a heart willing to give for the pure joy of giving, asking nothing in return but friendship and love.

Its most recent version now on offer at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is a musical adaptation (2010) by Duane Poole, with music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Carol Hall. -- Although it adds characters to Capote's text, this version is otherwise true to the original's intentions, capitalizing on incorporating Capote's narrative that makes the simple profound and the ordinary poetic.

The heartwarming story of the close and loving relationship between a boy named Buddy Faulk [James Zitelli] and his elderly cousin Sook [Kay Walbye] is narrated and bookended by the adult Buddy [Jonathan Rayson], a successful author who questions his writing ability and purpose, and who returns in 1955 to sell his childhood home in Monroeville, Alabama, where he meets Anna Stabler [Terry Burrell] the long-time family housekeeper, triggering reminiscences of the 1930s events that shaped him and ending with the adult writing the story of his childhood.

In its two acts, sensitively directed by Karen Azenberg, Buddy's and Sook's 1930s adventures are interspersed with songs and 1950s commentary on them. -- A total of seven actors create an excellent ensemble of multi-dimensional, credible & familiar individuals, allowing the sentimental material to tap into the audience's awareness of the truths Capote has to tell about country life, love and loneliness with a kind of warm wisdom that only comes from the heart.

Unlike today's techno-savvy and techno-demanding children, Buddy is happy to tell stories, find a Christmas tree in the secret part of the woods, make home-made decorations out of paper & tinfoil, string popcorn & cranberries, and bake fruitcakes to deliver to neighbors and send to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- all in the company of his best friend and playmate, the guileless and ingenuous Sook [and their dog Queenie].

Buddy lives with Sook and two other middle-aged cousins -- Jennie [Carolyn Mignini] who runs the family business and is the realist of the group, and Seabon [Rodney Clark] a kindly but timid soul who has never acted on his dreams or desires. They are concerned that Sook is a hindrance to Buddy's maturity, and Jennie wants to send him to a military academy so he can grow up with traditional male influences. -- Thus, their idyllic life in flying home-made paper kites is threatened.

And there are outsiders too: tomboy Nell Harper [Lizzy Woodall at the opening performance], Buddy's "neighbor and worst enemy", constantly taunts the boy and "double-dog-dares" him to demonstrate courage; and Haha Jones [Rodney Clark in the second of three roles in all, the other one being Farley Wood, the nosy postman] is the beligerent supplier of whiskey needed for the fruitcakes, and whose gruff manner belies a hidden kindliness.

This gem of a play doesn't have big production numbers with a cast of thousands, nor does it have the glitz & glamor of fancy costumes and sets [all of which have their place in the likes of blockbuster musicals]; but it makes up for it by enthralling audiences in allowing them to connect with the hearts of its characters, and it entertains us with a rustic charm both visual and thematic.

Songs like the ragtime "Alabama Fruitcake" are irresistably engaging, and "Mighty Sweet Music" has the cast accompanying Tom Griffin's peppy pit orchestra on-stage playing spoons, lemonade glasses, washboards, and Jews-harp capture the essence of simple down-home energy. While Anna's "Detour" describes her past, and Seabon & Buddy connect touchingly with "Stars to Guide" them.

Whether it is possible to never grow up like Peter Pan, we might all prefer to remain young forever like Sook. And though time has a way of challenging us in many ways, and death is inevitable, we can all have an influence on one another. As Sook says: "Just because a person dies doesn't mean they're gone...just moved on to a better place."

Wetumpka Depot: "An Evening With Mark Twain"

2011-11-14T22:17:00.006-06:00

Brought in for just one short weekend, Kurt H. Sutton's impersonation of Samuel Clemens in An Evening With Mark Twain graced the Wetumpka Depot's stage with the wit and wisdon, and frequent spot-on criticisms of American culture, society, and politics.

Mark Twain is revered as America's greatest humorist, and was known later in his life for remarkable speaking engagements across the land where he entertained the crowds by reading excerpts from his books & stories, and reminiscing on his life.

So it is here: the setting is his "parlor" -- a carpet, a wing-back armchair, a lectern, a couple of instruments, and some other props -- from which he recites, sings songs, passes judgement on several sacred cows, and entertains us with his quick wit, sly grin, and frequent forays into folk and "spiritual" music.

Originally devised as Mark Twain Tonight by Hal Holbrook many decades ago, an entire cottage industry has emerged with actors portraying Twain. Mr. Sutton has been on the circuit for over six years, and clearly has a comfort in the role, a command of a wealth of material, selections of which vary from performance to performance, and a demeanor that gets an audience to respond as to a long-time friend [though it took a while for the audience to warm to him and respond appreciatively to an old-fashioned style of storytelling].

We have to listen carefully to sometimes get the joke -- a turn of phrase, a clever pun, or a sly off-hand remark delivered with a shrug of the shoulder or a double-take or a well-timed delayed comment.

If we listen carefully, there is no doubt why Mark Twain's works have continued to captivate readers in three centuries; not only are his subjects timeless or at least relevant today as when they were first penned, but Twain's prose descriptions of rivers & nature & human foibles are rendered to create vivid and lasting pictures.

And his humor always hits its target. For example, he once told someone that he came across "the ugliest woman I ever saw", but the next day when her sister was around, he "now withdraws the statement". Or that "I can cut out bad habits, but not moderate them", concluding that a person with no bad habits is a "moral pauper". Or calling Congress the "Grand old national asylum for the helpless", stating further that we have "the best Congress money can buy" -- sentiments which met with approving laughter from the audience. -- And his rambling story of "Grandfather and the Ram" told by the town drunk who falls asleep in a drunken stupor before finishing the tale, gets funnier with each section as the storyteller gets distracted by the details of the story.

In Act II, Sutton spends much of the time with selections from Huckleberry Finn, and plays all the roles, stating further that this book particularly has been banned by some group or another ever since its first printing, and wisely noting that "nothing sells as well as a banned book". -- Huck's moral dilemma is, of course, that he doesn't turn in the runaway slave, Jim, and thinks he will go to hell for it, but that he can't quite figure out why anyone could enslave another; the choice of going to "the good place" where he would be always in the presence of do-gooders & hypocrites is unbearable for Huck, so he prefers "the other place" for his eternity.

This Mark Twain gave us a lot to think about at a time when slogans and moralizing have little substance; we could well take notice from the master.

Millbrook: "A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody"

2011-11-05T22:28:00.007-05:00

The Millbrook Community Players' 2011 season is coming to a close with Ron Bernas' comedy/murder mystery, A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody. In its two hours, virtually every convention of the genre is parodied good-naturedly by a company who play it straight, with no attempts to signal or belabor the humorous intent.

Wealthy businessman Matthew Perry [John Chain] is seemingly very happy in his long marriage to Julia [Sharon Demuth], but longs for the "freedom" his friends appear to have -- to go on trips, play golf, etc. -- and on New Year's Eve, the couple reveal their New Year's Resolutions to each other: hers is to finish reading Doctor Zhivago, and his is to kill her before the year ends.

Since her death must look like an accident, and since this is a sophisticated couple who can exchange witticisms casually, she offers ideas for her demise, though they are all rejected for reasons apparent to anyone familiar with the murder-mystery genre, and she adds a resolution to urge him on his way that she will have a mad passionate affair with their butler Buttram [Michael Snead].

The couple's ditsy-blonde daughter Bunny [Katie Moore] shows up with her new boyfriend, up-and-coming lawyer Donald Baxter [Shelton Davis] and announces her engagement, so everything gets complicated for Matthew & Julia: a June date is too soon for Bunny, who has so many preparations to make, so Matthew suggests the next January 1.

Can their resolutions be changed? Matthew won't budge, so Julia resolves to stay alive. -- Let the games begin.

The play's several scenes take us through the year as numerous off-stage deaths occur, prompting the intervention of Detective Plotnik [Paul Foree], a gumshoe who thinks he is clever, but is easily distracted by "evidence" he finds. All the deaths seem to have happened after Donald arrived on the scene, so he is a suspect; the "butler did it" when Plotnik overhears a phone conversation; and so on -- circumstantial evidence at best. -- And the parties the Perry's throw throughout the year have fewer and fewer guests, as the invitees fear for their lives while the body count increases in ever-increasingly odd circumstances.

It is a credit to this ensemble that they play their roles honestly, with no hint of self-indulgence. So the humor comes through. In one hilarious scene at the couple's Halloween party, everyone is in costume appropriate to their character: Prince Valiant [Donald] & his lady in waiting [Bunny], Charlie Chan [Plotnik], Big-Bad Wolf [Matthew] and Little Red Riding Hood [Julia], and a Bunny [Buttram] with ears and cottton tail spoofing Playboy bunnies.

Of course, not everything is as it seems, and all will turn out for the best by the end. Without giving away essential plot reversals and revelations, let it suffice that there are a few appealing surprises here.

Highlight performances come from Mr. Chain and Ms. Demuth whose stage comfort and experience come to the fore; Ms. Moore portrays a dumb-blonde with credible naivete; and Mr. Baxter [in his acting debut with only a couple of weeks in rehearsal] shows a lot of promise.

Director Fred Neighbors has a quietly pleasant hit on his hands.

AUM: "Servant of Two Masters"

2011-11-04T14:12:00.014-05:00

Italian comic playwright Carlo Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters has been on stage almost continually since 1743, making the rounds of professional and educational theatres and finally landing again at Theatre AUM where, under Neil David Seibel's direction, it affords veteran and neophyte actors opportunities and challenges to build on.

Based on the improvizational commedia dell'arte traditions of the 16th Century, the play's stock characters and exaggerated comic style provide this ensemble company a wealth of occasions to hone their craft.

The scenario gets a bit confusing, and requires significant "suspension of disbelief" from the audience, but in a nutshell: Beatrice [Tina Neese] disguises herself as her deceased twin brother Federico in order to get back from Pantalone [Mark Dasinger, Jr.] a dowry so she can find and marry Florindo [Wes Milton]; only Brighella [Shane Tyus] knows Beatrice's true identity; Pantalone's daughter Clarice [Brittany Carden] loves Silvio [Geoffrey Morris], the son of the pompous Dr. Lombardi [Nicholas Warman], but has been promised im marriage to Federico; Beatrice entrusts money & goods to her sly servant Truffaldino [La'Brandon Tyre] who, in attempting to get even more for himself, agrees to also be Florindo's servant.

As the script requires that the two masters can not be on stage simultaneously until the end, our focus is on Truffaldino's ability to extricate himself from potential problems while pleasing both masters equally. With an assortment of keys, letters, and property given to him by various characters with the admonition of only "for your master", the illiterate servant can not tell which "master" is meant, and has to extricate himself from numerous difficulties which after much confusion bring all the lovers together, forgiveness for Truffaldino, and his own marriage to the crafty servant Smeraldina [Laura Bramblette].

In true commedia form, the characters are broadly drawn: crafty servants, romantic lovers, foolish fathers, pompous doctors -- all have certain conventional manners of walking and talking, and costumes [gorgeously rendered by Val Winkelman with an eye to commedia conventions & stylish characterizations] recognizable instantly in the theatre. The AUM company paint them in bold strokes that suggest their characters; some are more successful than others, but given that several actors here have little stage experience, their efforts succeed only to a degree. [In commedia, actors took years to perfect the expressions, postures, and lazzi (stage business) of a single character type, and spent whole careers playing just that one role.] What these young actors have accomplished in a few weeks is a good start...and most of the cast have achieved a fine sense of comic timing.

Although much of the enjoyment comes from the physical behavior on stage -- and the ensemble commits to its demands very well -- the complexities of the plot & character relationships are found in the brilliantly witty dialogue. Regretably, a lot of the words are muddled in their articulation, especially when delivered as rapidly & passionately as the style demands.

Cliff Merrit's forced perspective "street-scene" backdrop and a lot of open space provide plenty of room for the physical action; and the music choices that begin with the pre-show music and punctuate the goings-on throughout cleverly comment on the Italian setting as well as the particular events -- everything from Rosemary Clooney singing "Mambo Italiano" to the theme from "The Godfather" and Dean Martin's "That's Amore". -- And Mr. Seibel also adds a sweet [but too short] sequence where the lovers eat a plate of spaghetti right out of "Lady and the Tramp".

Theatre AUM is again presenting a challenging production that theatre students [and local audiences] experience only rarely...and this new crop of student actors is one to watch.

ASF: "Dracula"

2011-10-09T19:15:00.010-05:00

Vampire-mania is clearly with us [see Twilight, True Blood, et al.], so what better way to prepare for the upcoming Halloween season than with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's suitably dressed-out version of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula as adapted by William McNulty.

Played straightforwardly [along with some appropriately melodramatic comic renderings of dialogue] by a talented ensemble of veteran ASF actors and newcomers to the Montgomery stage on Peter Hicks's gloriously Gothic & period sets, director Geoffrey Sherman allows his actors to find nuances of character to suit McNulty's well-crafted and literate script. -- Yes, there are the familiar lines that draw audience responses [for example: "I never drink (pause)...wine" says Dracula; and, of course on hearing a wolf's howl: "Listen to them, the children of the night; what sweet music they make!"]; but these and others are spoken with conviction of character that fit the script without further comment.

Brett Rominger's eerily lush musical score, claps of thunder, and plenty of smoke introduce us to a Nosferatu monster [Craig Hanson] -- with long fingers & sharp mails, a hunch-back, and bulging bald head -- as he takes his first victim in a graveyard, a child [Ella Grace Johns]. A fluid scene change to Dr. Seward's large Victorian-Gothic consulting room: Abram Van Helsing [Paul Hebron] is ushered in by Irish housekeeper Margaret Sullivan [Jennifer Barnhart]; when she leaves him, Renfield [Greg Jackson] enters pretending to be a doctor/consultant, though he is one of the inmates in Seward's hospital.

It is clear from the outset that all is not well: Renfield's strangely erratic behavior and his regular attempts to escape, his eating of live animals beginning with flies, then rats, then..., and his references to "forces beyond his control" are a study in madness and he has to be kept under control by asylum attendant Briggs [Brik Berkes]; Seward [Keith Merrill] is "paralyzed with grief" over the mysterious death of Mina [Sandra Struthers Clerc] and the failing health of Lucy Westphal [Mairin Lee], caused, it seems, by certain wounds on her neck, and has summoned his mentor Van Helsing to solve the matter.

The mention of a new neighbor, Count Dracula [Juri Henley-Cohn], impacts Van Helsing immediately, and when Dracula insinuates himself into the house and seduces several of the people there, Van Helsing's diagnosis is that Lucy does not have a disease, but is in thrall of the un-dead...Nosferatu...the vampire. Soon, Dracula also controls the housekeeper.

When Lucy's fiance Jonathan Harker [John P. Keller] returns after having made his escape from Dracula's castle in Transylvania, the hunt is soon on to find and destroy the monster Dracula.

The story is so familiar, that there is no doubt about the ending; the delight is in the journey to it; and there are a few surprises. -- Yes, there will be blood [not too much]; yes, there will be special effects, some of which are startling, and all of which are accomplished so that audiences wonder "How did they do that?"

Mr. Berkes returns to ASF after successes last season to a strong showing here, and Mr. Hebron -- too long away from the ASF stage -- is exceptional as Van Helsing. Ms. Clerc and Ms. Lee alternate the roles of Mina and Lucy, providing each the opportunity of showing both the prim & proper vs. the possessed character. Ms. Barnhart's role affords no-nonsense practicality and devious passion. Mr. Keller's Harker is at once tortured and sympathetic. And Mr. Merrill's depth of feeling is impressive. -- In a role so well written as to almost steal the show, Mr. Jackson's Renfield is lively, intelligent, and no doubt a madman, but one who achieves audience sympathy...and very funny at times.

As we watch Dracula weave his influence and make others writhe in pain as they try to escape his physical control, Mr. Henley-Cohn's powerful presence bewitches us as much as it does the characters on-stage -- we can't help but be caught in his spell, by the irresistability of the forbidden.

Finally, his lair discovered and his end ensured with holy water, a crucifix, and a stake through the heart, with elaborate special effects Dracula's spell over the several initiated vampires appears to be over...but is it?

Faulkner: "The Phantom of the Opera"

2011-10-09T11:30:00.008-05:00

Montgomery's newest theatre is presenting the first local area production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster musical, The Phantom of the Opera, on the theatre's Grand Opening.

Faulkner University is showcasing its beautiful new state-of-the-art theatre space -- located across the Atlanta Highway from the main campus -- to sold out enthusiastic audiences, about 100 of whom have dinner before the show, and another 80+ are seated in comfortable auditorium seats.

Ever since it opened in London in 1986, Phantom has had a continuous run there, and generated award winning productions in most of the world's major cities as well as countless touring productions.

Vocally demanding of virtually all its principal characters, the story revolves around a physically disfigured Svengali-like musical genius -- the Phantom [Terry Brown] -- who terrorizes an opera company, claiming the opera house belongs to him and demanding that his protege Christine Daae [Alyssa Boyd] must displace the current prima donna Carlotta Giudicelli [Christina Burroughs], and that the leading tenor Ubaldo Piangi [Tony Davison] will also be relegated to minor roles.

Complicating matters is the presence of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny [Matt Roberson], in love with Christine and her sworn protector from the machinations of the Phantom.

Co-directors Jason Clark South and Angela Dickson, along with a fine pit orchestra conducted by Andrew Cook, have gathered a company of some 42 Faulkner students & faculty and area actors/singers into their 2-hour and 45-minute extravaganza, complimented by lavish period costumes & wigs, and numerous moveable set pieces, some of which are so large and clunky that they overwhelm the playing space and create cumbersome scene changes & crowded staging.

There are some outstanding singers in this company; tops among them is Ms. Burroughs, whose powerfully clear and precise soprano was showcased in several songs, never once faltering in quality and passionate dramatic intensity. She is matched by Mr. Davison's tenor that is rich in their duets, a voice impressive also in Smokey Joe's Cafe earlier this season.

Ms. Boyd -- appropriately for her role as Christine -- has a lighter and sweeter soprano voice that she uses for best effect in quieter reflective moments: "All I Ask of You" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again". Mr. Roberson's strong baritone compliments Ms. Boyd, but got lost in its lower registers [as did several voices] due in part to the orchestra's volume...some sound balance checks need to be accomodated as Faulkner investigates its new equipment.

Mr. Brown's Phantom sounded shaky for much of the performance; though he reached for and met most of the score's high notes, it was apparent that he struggled for much of the time.

While the voices carry a lot of this production, relationship developments are essential to audience engagement, and here very little chemistry between major characters was evident except between Carlotta and Ubaldo, and in secondary characters. -- One never felt the necessary conflicted attraction between Christine and the Phantom until almost the end of the play; and the romantic attachment between Christine and Raoul was so tentative that actions belied words. -- Perhaps these relationships will develop during the run of the show.

On the other hand, Braxton McDonald and Chase McMichen as M. Firmin and M. Andre, along with Bill Nowell as M. LeFevre, created an excellent comic trio who fed off one another's every gesture and nuanced dialogue. -- And Angela Dickson as Mme. Giry turns in a solid truthful performance; as she provides answers to the mysterious Phantom's background [placed awkwardly in Act II for some reason], it is good to know Ms. Dickson can deliver the goods.

The Faulkner company should soon get used to its new performance space and figure out the best uses of equipment. Several areas of the stage, for example, were either left in darkness or such deep shadow as to render actors almost invisible at important moments of the action. -- Since productions like The Phantom of the Opera require more sophisticated lighting than Faulkner's all-too-few lighting instruments allow, this company and the excellent new space would benefit from a substantial investment in lights.

Wetumpka Depot: "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel"

2011-10-07T09:02:00.012-05:00

Actress and first-time director Kim Mason has chosen a challenging debut production in Mitch Albom's curious Duck Hunter Shoots Angel now on-stage at the Wetumpka Depot. The author of Tuesdays With Morrie creates a strange, reflective, comedic, and occasional social commentary that seems at times to not know where to place its emphasis or what exactly it wants to be as it jumps from one to the other in mid-scene.

Is it a story about redemption, race relations, tabloid journalism, North vs. South -- or perhaps all of these? Filled with so many stereotypical characters [a crazed tabloid editor, two "redneck" simpleton duck hunters, a depressed reporter with his reluctant photographer, a naively innocent woman, a smarter than average teenage shopkeeper, a half-alligator/half-man (tabloid journalism's idea of a fine story)], Albom's script does manage a number of clever comic lines and biting and uncomfortably critical comments on today's culture, but remains a cipher even at the end.

That being the case, Ms. Mason demonstrates a clear understanding of the bizarre as she guides her ensemble to handle their characters truthfully, no matter how strange or disconnected the script seems to be.

Urged on by his obsessive boss Lester [M. Gabriel Santos], Sandy [Dave Haenlein], the depressed white journalist, spends much of the play in conversation with a "Voice" [Layne Holley] who interrogates him about his assignment to cover a story in Alabama that suggests that two local duck hunters had shot an angel -- a prime topic for The Weekly World and Globe, a paper he claims to be "ten notches below the National Enquirer". His black sidekick photographer Lenny [Steve Mitchell] is a sardonic realist ever ready with a sly comment that Mr. Mitchell delivers with casual assurance.

The inept hunters are brothers Duwell Early [William Harper] and Duane Early [Alan Patrick], two bumbling clowns whose antics are among the most comically diverting of the evening as these actors comprise a fine double-act as they try to first understand that they killed an angel and are facing "hellfire & damnation" and second as they attempt to hide the truth and/or bilk more money for their story.

In several conversations with the "Voice", Sandy experiences flashbacks to a relationship with a young unnamed Woman [Sonjha Cannon] he had a brief affair with years ago in Alabama, and the memory of leaving her without explanation serves to be the link to Sandy's depression. It turns out -- not surprisingly -- that she had his child unbeknownst to him, who now is the local shopkeeper named Kansas [Madeline Caver], a clever sort who seems out of place in this Alabama backwater swamp.

In a smart bit of writing, Albom frequently uses the last bit of dialogue from one scene as the first speech in the following scene, no matter whether they are connected in time, thus making some interesting segues both of words and themes.

Though there does seem to be some sentimentalized redemption for Sandy by the end, a "tabloid ending" involving Duwell's becoming an angel seems a bit too convenient.

Millbrook: "A Bad Year for Tomatoes"

2011-09-23T19:58:00.010-05:00

John Patrick's comedy A Bad Year for Tomatoes is the Millbrook Community Players' current offering this season, playing to almost full houses, and entertaining audiences with the antics of eccentric characters & silly siutations.

Director Stephanie McGuire sensibly changes the script's setting from New England to "somewhere in the South" to accomodate the actors' natural Southern accents, ones which fit so well in the mouths of the local sheriff, bumbling simpleton, and town gossips. And, she has changed some references to actual events and off-stage celebrities to suit the new location in both place and time.

Myra Marlowe [Shea Jackson] is a well-known television actress noted for playing a "granny" on a popular sitcom, who escapes from Hollywood to "search for something real" in her life, winding up in the rural village of Beaver Haven where she believes she can remain incognito to plant tomatoes and write her memoirs. The only person who knows of the pretense is her long-time friend (and potential love-interest), Tom Lamont [John Chain], who swears to keep her secret, as she introduces herself to everyone by her real name, Myrtle Durdle.

No sooner has she arrived, however, than the locals descend on her from all points nearby in the small neighborhood. The "Hospitality Committee" is comprised of Cora Gump [Rae Ann Collier] and Reba Harper [Nancy Power], who proceed to interrupt virtually any sense of privacy. Though Reba often claims "I don't like to gossip...", hardly a word from her mouth is anything else...and Cora backs her up in warning Myrtle/Myra about Willa Mae Wilcox [Ginger Collum], a strange flamboyant person they call a witch among other things.

While the women continually intrude on Myrtle's attempts to dictate her memoirs, a local handyman named Piney [John Collier in a role he perfectly underplays] provides some of the best comic moments in the play as he speaks in monosyllables and takes everything literally while bargaining the cost of his handyman services, much to Myrtle's frustration.

In a desperate move, Myrtle invents a crazy sister named "Sis Sadie" who, if she escapes from her locked room upstairs, will wreak havoc in the community...and winds up disguising herself as "Sis Sadie" on several occasions in her attempts to be left alone.

The cliche-filled plot contrives to insinuate a murder has been committed when "Sis Sadie" mysteriously disappears, and the truth will be revealed through the intervention of a well-meaning Sheriff [Mark McGuire] only after a lot of confusion, accusations, and silliness.

It is too bad that all the action of the play is performed upstage of the proscenium curtain, distancing the actors from the audience; segues between scenes need to be tightened up to avoid long gaps of time in the dark; and more assured delivery of lines and characters will hopefully come in time...but the show is otherwise easy on the eyes and ears.

WOBT: "The Complete Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)"

2011-09-16T23:07:00.012-05:00

Although any one of William Shakespeare's 37-or-so plays would take over three hours to perform in its entirety, in less than two hours, Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre is delighting their all-too-small audiences with a merry romp through all the plays [plus the 154 sonnets and other occasional poems by the Bard]: The Complete Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged).

Devised some years ago in England by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield -- who call themselves the R.S.C., the "Reduced Shakespeare Company", not to be confused with the Royal Shakespeare Company of Stratford-upon-Avon which they call the "other" Shakespeare Company -- this show has been entertaining audiences around the globe with its irreverent approach to Shakespeare's canon, and its topical references to whichever community where it is performed.

Though it helps to be familiar with Shakespeare's works, it is not a prerequisite to enjoyment of this piece...and if you ever get lost or feel out of place, one of the three energetic and self-effacing actors who play all the roles is there to guide you through.

First-time director Matthew Givens is fortunate in having three capable actors to bring this piece to life: veterans Joshua Diboll & Wes Milton have been performing in and around Montgomery for several years, and newcomer Kalonji Gilchrist demonstrates a good deal of talent to match (and spar) with them. -- Imagine, for example, the complete telling of Shakespeare's English History plays (about a dozen of them) as a football match in which the crown instead of a football is passed from one king to another while other characters are often "slaughtered" on the fields of battle.

Or witness Romeo & Juliet with Three Stooges and WWF references; or Shakespeare's most gruesome telling of Titus Andronicus [in which the bad-guys are killed and served to their mother in a pie] as a Southern Cooking TV Show; or Othello told as a very clever "rap"; or the Scottish play [never say the name Macbeth in a theatre because the play is "cursed"] in terrible Scottish accents...or: well, you get the picture.

Add to this some good-natured audience participation; plenty of cross-dressing [after all, someone has to play the women's roles, and in Shakespeare's theatre there were no actresses allowed on stage]; and Hamlet played three times in succession, each one briefer that the one before; several "ad-libs" and "takes" and "editorial asides" to the audience, and you have an enjoyable evening's entertainment, emerging with a knowledge of Shakespeare too.

These talented actors are to be commended. They have quite a physical workout in the two-hours' playing time, and they have entertained. Good show!

AUM: Unseen

2011-09-09T08:08:00.013-05:00

Hard on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Theatre AUM is producing the World Premier of Unseen by the university's Provost, Jeffery Scott Elwell. The play recounts the devastating effects of the death of one Roy Gibbons [Neil David Seibel] on his wife, sister, and young son...one of many a story that likely unfolded in thousands of households here and abroad.

Montgomery is hosting several tributes and observations memorializing the 9/11 victims, and this study of its impact on an ordinary family caught up in bureaucratic insensitivity and psychological therapy is effective in its treatment of events and issues that continue to haunt us.

At its opening, a powerful slide-show of the construction of the World Trade Center Towers culminating in photos of the September 11th attacks had the audience in rapt attention; at its end, Mike Winkelman's set was revealed: an arrangement of platforms depicting the play's various locations placed amidst the grey-ash rubble with iconic skeletal frames at the rear...and the audience response was a visceral intake of breath.

Director Val Winkelman handles Elwell's episodic structure by finessing the breaks between scenes with La'Brandon Tyre's effective sound scoring. -- With hardly a sustained scene in it, the cinematic storytelling relies on moments that connect us to the lives and conflicts of its individual characters.

Young Roy "Junior" Gibbons [AUM freshman Nik Smith] "sees" his father at a memorial service, despite the fact that Roy Senior's body has not yet been found after the collapse of the building where he worked. Convinced that his father is still alive [though no one else can see him] Junior's insistence concerns his mother Helen [Sarah Worley] and sister-in-law Susan [Alicia Fry], beginning a series of sessions with a psychiatrist [Michael Krek] for both the boy and later his mother.

Roy and Junior each need one another, and their lives are unsettled. Roy can not rest nor completely die while someone believes he lives, and his son relies so heavily on his father's presence that he can not accept his death.

Compounding the immediate issue of grieving is the bureaucratic handling of insurance claims by an Investigator [Daniel Brown], who, though not completely lacking in compassion when he hears of Junior's absolute conviction of his father being alive, delays the insurance process till Roy's death can be verified.

Elwell's script is a work in progress that evokes the time and various understandable human responses & reactions to the catastrophic events of 9/11. Lacking some concrete details of the lives and relationships among its characters, we are given a touching picture that could draw us in more with fleshing out these elements and extending scenes to develop them.

The AUM ensemble actors are credible in their portrayals under Ms. Winkelman's tutelage, and there are some especially effective moments when hardly a word is spoken or needed.

Newcomer Nik Smith is particularly convincing as Junior, capturing many of a budding-teenager's vocal & physical behaviors. Ms. Worley's depiction of the distressed wife & mother shifts gears from concern to grief believably, though she often speaks very quickly and softly, rendering her words almost inaudible. Mr. Krek's psychiatrist mixes the script's gentle humor with a professional demeanor meant to soothe or at least not disturb his patients. And Mr. Seibel lends a comfort to his role that is an admirable lesson for the student actors.

Fitting so well into this week's commemorations, AUM's Unseen might also have a life of its own afterwards.

Millbrook: "Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class"

2011-08-26T18:21:00.010-05:00

Showing for too-few nights, the Millbrook Community Players are showcasing the talents of Brooke Brown in a one-woman musical show, Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class, the latest in the cottage industry Nunsense productions. Accompanied on the piano by Katy Gerlach as Sister Mary Katherine, Ms. Brown's Sister Robert Anne takes us on a one-and-a-half hour ride that capitalizes on her strong singing voice and capable comic delivery.

Brooklyn born and street smart, Sister Robert Anne storms onto the stage, clicker and notecards in hand, to teach her students [us, the audience] how to put together a cabaret act, mixing this extended monologue with several songs and reminiscences of her past juvenile delinquent behavior & salvation from it at a strict Catholic school.

Dressed in a familiar black & white habit, though with colorful sneakers on her feet and a number of simple props to create moods or characters, Ms. Brown owns the stage and commands our attention -- this is done by direct address to us and frequent audience participation moments that audience members good-naturedly joined.

Though it might seem a strange vocation for this pugnacious Sister, her attitude is best expressed in Act II when Sister Robert Anne says: "If you love what you're doin' the payoff is great." -- And Ms. Brown clearly loves what she's doin'. She relishes in impersonating Bette Davis and Ethel Merman, admires Elvis, and knows that there are several ways to "become a star" -- the convent being somewhat unconventional, but with a payoff.

When she lets us in on some "confidential" [and possibly risque] editorializing or advice, Ms. Brown's quick aside comments are punctuated by knowing looks and an animated face, letting us in on secrets with a shrug or a wink & a smile. In short, we like her because she is just like us. And she can sure belt out a song, making the body microphone almost superfluous.

There are several "in" jokes from film and theatre that are delivered so quickly we hardly have time to register them, but just as in any class, we are meant to pay attention.

On a technical note: the lighting kept Ms. Brown in shadow for much of the performance; simple adjustments to the aim & focus of the instruments would let this talented actress be seen to best advantage.

There are only a few performances of this good-natured production, and the Millbrook Community Players are also dishing up a tasty buffet dinner with the show.

Faulkner: "Smokey Joe's Cafe"

2011-08-18T22:40:00.019-05:00

It's cool! It's hip! It's the Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller musical revue, Smokey Joe's Cafe...and, it's the best family entertainment in town that serves as a refreshing antidote to the sweltering weather in the dog-days of summer.

Directed by Angela Dickson, with musical direction by Marilyn Swears and her excellent 4-piece rock & roll band, and Kari Gatlin's creative choreography, Faulkner University dishes up an impressive musical entertainment that showcases the triple-threat cast's energetic talents in acting, singing, and dancing.

Taking us back to the 1950s -- the good old days celebrating romantic love in its various guises -- the play begins & ends with an invitation to the audience to "come back to the old neighborhood" and value the comraderie that allows us to honestly assess the present from the experiences of the past. -- Though there is no plot to speak of, the 40-or-so songs celebrate the inherent goodness in all of us.

It's non-stop entertainment all the way that keeps the audience engaged in familiar and not-so-familiar songs of the period [some like "Loving You" and "Hound Dog" made famous by Elvis Presley]. -- Too bad there were some unfortunate microphone glitches and some all-too-demure costume adjustments that drew attention to themselves and spoiled the otherwise authentic period look that costumer Emily Martin had established so well with her choices of evening gowns & tuxedos, and 1950s-era jackets & hats.

It took a couple of numbers to get the right rhythm to the evening, but when Kristi Rowan Humphreys took the stage with "Dance With Me" along with Michael Williams and the soon to be showcased male quartet [Tony Davidson, Matt Dickson, Eric McIntire, and Chase McMichen whose four-part harmony was spot-on], the show took off and never stopped. -- The quartet was featured several times in Act I -- "Keep On Rollin'", "Searchin'", "Poison Ivy", and "On Broadway", and as a quintet in Act II with Mr. Williams in "Little Egypt" (hugely funny), "There Goes My Baby", and "Love Potion #9 (Mr. McMichen at his comic best).

The women [Alyssa Boyd, Brittney Johnston, and Bethany Telehany joined Ms. Humphreys] too had ample talents to demonstrate in their quartet numbers: "Neighborhood", and especially their anthem to women's lib, "I'm A Woman", that brought the house down.

There are some high quality individual singing voices here that also blend well in duets, quartets, and ensemble singing. -- Whether in the effervescent "Trouble" performed with a lot of class by Ms. Telehany and Ms. Boyd, or a touching rendition of "Love Me/Don't" by Mr. McMichen and Ms. Johnston, or the sophisticated "You're the Boss" by Ms. Boyd and Mr. McIntire (whose comfortable bass voice complimented so many of the songs in the show), or Mr. Dickson's tender "Loving You" with a back-up chorus, the clever comic combining of Mr. Davidson's "Treat Me Nice" with Ms. Humphreys' response in "Hound Dog", and the comical ensemble "D. W. Washburn" that segued into a rousing evangelical rendering of "Saved" led by Ms. Humphreys, they gave constantly changing moods and interpretations to these numbers.

Solos allowed cast members to demonstrate a significant range too: Ms. Telehany's "Falling" featured her clear soprano; Ms. Johnston's passionate and deeply felt version of "Pearl's A Singer" was heartbreakingly good; Ms. Boyd's seductive temptress singing "Don Juan" was a delight; Mr. Davidson's amazingly strong falsetto rendering of unrequited love in "I (Who Have Nothing)"; and Ms. Humphrey's riveting version of "Fools Fall In Love" which was the simplest and single most compelling presentation of the night that allowed us into the inner life of the person.

An unexpected treat featured the band in "Some Cats Know", Ms. Swears' confident piano complimented in this bluesy number by Andrew Cook's smooth & enticing saxophone, percussion riffs by Trey Holladay, and laid-back bass provided by Mark Roberson.

Ms. Dickson and her entire company deserved the enthusiastic standing ovation they received. By the evening's end, we had all been affected by the production's good nature, its sensitive treatment of love & relationships, and the energy & enthusiasm of its talented cast. It's nice to exit the theatre feeling good. Would that there were more such high-quality guileless entertainments around.

Red Door: "The Exact Center of the Universe"

2011-08-07T13:01:00.009-05:00

Denise Gabriel has returned to the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs to direct her second Summer production. and brought two recent graduates from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro where she teaches to enhance a local production of Joan Vail Thorne's Southern-themed provocative comedy, The Exact Center of the Universe.

What at first glance is yet another in the popular genre of plays about strong Southern women [Steel Magnolias, et al.], Ms. Gabriel's firm hand and respect for Thorne's script prevent it from a dependance on predictable and stereotypical characters and situations. Only occasionally do her talented actors over-indulge and drop character -- perhaps to the delight of the local audience, but at the expense of otherwise truthful characterizations that would earn the laughs nonetheless. -- Performances are individually distinct and credible, each actor contributing to the ensemble with confidence and security in their roles.

In its two acts set in the 1950s and 1960s, Vada Love Powell [Betty Hubbard] is the self-appointed doyenne of the town, on first appearance a "powerful force" and stalwart defender of traditional values and good taste who takes the moral high-ground in her pronouncements, and whose authority has never been challenged -- especially by her son Appleton "Apple" [Stephen Spencer], who also serves as the narrator of the piece [with a nod to Tom Wingfield in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie].

She has smothered her son for all of his adult life, especially after the death of her husband, Mr. Powell, also played by Mr. Spencer, in dream-like sequences brought on by Veda's weak heart.

Living as she does in self-imposed isolation from the world's diversity [race, religion, etc.] that she chooses to ignore and presumes inferior, she seems impervious to change and ignorant of her own prejudices. As one character says, if "you live a lie long enough, you grow into it." -- Backing her up are Enid [Kim Graham] and Marybell [Janet Wilkerson] other members of her coven who gossip regularly in Enid's tree house while playing canasta, drinking tea and sherry, and consuming sweets, and whose down-home philosophy provides a clever commentary on the main action.

At the beginning of the play, Veda interrogates a young woman she presumes to be Apple's sweetheart Mary Ann [Kaleigh Malloy], only to find out she is Mary Lou, her identical twin, when Apple phones to tell his mother that he and Mary Ann are married. Coming as she does literally from the wrong side of the tracks [Mary Ann is also a Catholic from Italian extraction], Veda's control has been thwarted, bringing on a cycle of mistrust, fear, and regret. Veda is used to getting her own way, and everyone defers to her will, though she begrudgingly accepts her son's marriage.

Act II occurs ten years later, when Apple and Mary Ann have settled in town and produced children, with a kind of detente agreed with Veda. Mary Lou and Veda have become confidantes, perhaps because Mary Lou's excursions to exotic places intrigue Veda; but some of Mary Lou's explicit photographs of indigenous people are deemed "dirty" by Veda and therefore unfit for her grandchildren. -- Though she insists that she never "interferes", rather "intervenes", she oversteps the boundaries of parental authority, bringing outrage from Apple and Mary Ann's finally standing up to her mother-in-law.

Safely set in the not-too-distant past when [accurately or not] life was better and right & wrong absolutes were agreed, one can not help but notice the resonance of the play's themes on today -- when certain elements of our society take their opponents hostage and presume to impose their personal version of morality and right living on everyone regardless of the diversity that enhances understanding and tolerance.

Lessons can be learned from this production of The Exact Center of the Universe which unfortunately had only three performances. Perhaps the Red Door might re-think its one-weekend-only performance schedule so more people might experience productions of this caliber.

Wetumpka Depot: "All Shook Up"

2011-07-31T20:01:00.006-05:00

Fresh from representing the Southeastern United States at the "American Association of Community Theatres" National Festival in Rochester, NY with their highly praised production of Second Samuel, the Wetumpka Depot Players are currently showing All Shook Up, a lighthearted tribute to Elvis Presley, with nods to William Shakespeare [see: Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It], John Waters' Hairspray, Mel Brooks' The Producers, tv's Happy Days, Grease, and every 1950s Rock & Roll romance.

With a limited Broadway success a few years ago, Joe DiPietro's script weaves some 25 songs made famous by "the King" into a pleasantly diverting entertainment.

Director Kristy Meanor deftly guides her 10 principal characters and large ensemble cast through the play's 19 scenes over 2 acts, that tell the story of Chad [Bradley Moon], a motorcycle-riding roustabout lady-killer [who breaks into song at the drop of a comb], and his impact on a small town.

Though he captures the hearts of virtually every young woman in the town, the most smitten is Natalie [Sarah Eckermann], a grease-monkey in her father Jim's [Tom Salter] garage, who resorts to disguising herself as a man she calls "Ed" in order to become Chad's trusted sidekick.

Natalie has another suitor in Dennis [Jeff Langham's comic timing helps him turn in a heartbreakingly funny characterization of a loveable "innocent" whose eventual blossoming garners cheers from the audience].

And her disguise and essential goodness make 'her/him' attractive to Sandra [Sonjha Cannon], a seductive Amazon who owns a local museum, and provokes one of a number of gender-confused relationships -- another one when Chad reluctantly and awkwardly falls for "Ed".

Chad influences the men in town too. Dennis and Jim both emulate his biker swagger and black leather costume, helping make them attractive respectively to Sandra and Sylvia [Shelley Williams -- the no-nonsense African-American proprietor of a local honky-tonk].

When Sylvia's daughter Lorraine [newcomer Taylor Finch is one to watch] falls for Dean [Matthew Walter], the son of the mayor Matilda [Sally Blackwell], whose self-righteous bullying makes her a character we love to hate, the more serious overtones on interracial marriage come to the fore through these likeable teenagers' adolescent yearnings.

Key to all this is DiPietro's clever use of Elvis' songs [all performed without microphones] to develop character and further the plot, whether to establish Chad's rebellious nature with "Jailhouse Rock", or Dennis' true feelings with "It Hurts Me", or Sylvia's passionate rendering of "There's Always Me", or to encourage Natalie with "Follow That Dream", or for Dean and Lorraine to risk social censure with "It's Now Or Never", or just fine ensemble singing of "Can't Help Falling In Love".

And it is to everyone's credit that these recognizable archetypes take on a degree of truthfulness that allows us to connect with their frustrations, challenges, and honest emotions.

Central to it all is Chad, and here Mr. Moon has found his "inner Elvis", his dark good looks, self-assured manner, swivelling hips, and confidently strong singing make his performance a stand-out; yet, he is also very much an ensemble actor who shares the stage attention generously with the rest of this talented company.

Millbrook: "Child's Play"

2011-05-24T11:02:00.007-05:00

Continuing its challenging 2011 season, the Millbrook Community Players are staging Child's Play, a comedy by Jacqueline Lynch under the direction of Dean Kelly.

On its comfortable living/dining room set [located too far away from the audience, unfortunately] this short two-act piece combines love, jealousy, hypnotism, celebrity, petty arguing, and business-dealings in its sundry relationships among the characters.

Margaret [Kari Gatlin] and Janet [Hailey Beene] are roommates expecting a visit from Hollywood heartthrob Shane Velasco [Michael Williams] to sign a book deal. In comes Hank [Joaquin Guzman] -- Margaret's ex and rival agent -- who brings "famous" hypnotist Guadalupe Montevideo [Madyson Greenwood], an eccentric sort who hypnotizes Margaret out of spite, turning her into a 5-year-old, and then disappears. Psychologist Norman [Chris Kelly], intending to go out on a date with Janet, gets to practice his skills on the now childlike Margaret. -- A lot of confusion ensues over the next hour-and-a-half, with several attempts to locate Guadalupe and restore Margaret to her adult self.

This is pretty predictable stuff, but does engage the audience in its assortment of plot twists and engaging performances. -- Mr. Guzman brings down the house with his antic drunkenness, and Ms. Gatlin grows in her depiction of a 5-year-old by adding petulance and mischief to her bewilderment. Mr. Kelly has the ability to be both compassionate to the "child" and fully frustrated by the predicament.

Getting off to a rather slow start, and with vocal projection a problem, the play picks up energy with Mr. Guzman's and Mr. Kelly's arrivals, and then continues in style. -- Director Kelly often has characters staged behind furniture or upstage of other actors, making them hard to see and hear, but there are a lot of clever lines delivered confidently.

A couple of script references to childhood trauma and losing parents when children adds a serious note that gives breadth to characters. And the arrival of Margaret's grandparents [John Collier & Rae Ann Collier] in Act II enlivens the already confused ensemble to unravel the truth; and when the hypnotist is finally brought back to release her victim, all will end happily.

Wetumpka Depot: "Sugar Bean Sisters"

2011-05-13T20:21:00.016-05:00

Welcome to Sugar Bean, Florida and the "swamp house" of sisters Fay [Kim Mason] and Willie Mae [Kristy Meanor], two middle-aged women who have been nagging at one another for thirty years since their parents and youngest sister died under bizarre and tragic circumstances. In Nathan Sanders's Southern Gothic dark comedy The Sugar Bean Sisters [1995], directed with a sure hand at the Wetumpka Depot by Tom Salter, the ambivalent relationship between the sisters is at once strange and familiar.

They have just returned from a trip to Disney World to find Videlia Sparks [Jaymee Vowell] inside their house; a cross between a dance-hall floozie and a garish New Orleans Mardi Gras entertainer, Videlia insinuates herself into their lives while Fay awaits the return of a Martian space ship and Willie Mae yearns for deliverance into the "celestial kingdom" -- hopefully in company with the local & handsome Mormon Bishop [Brad Sinclair].

With family buried in the swamp just outside the front door, a convenient thunder storm to douse the lights, several gothic tales of deaths and doom & gloom philosophy, Willie Mae's "settlement" fortune buried in a secret place, assorted "curses" on the family, a murder plot that goes awry, the ghost of their mother occasionally rocking the rocking chair, and a voodoo Reptile Woman's incantations that claim "sometimes you can't tell the devil from an angel" [Anne Marie Mitchell stops the show with her intense characterization], the plot's many twists and turns continually surprise and entertain.

Performances here are top-notch, if a bit unsettling. None of the characters are virtuous,yet we are somehow drawn to them. Even Mr. Sinclair's Bishop is a study of contradictions -- he seems innocently compassionate at first, yet has some sinister traits revealed later on. They lie or dissemble, cheat, plot against or manipulate one another in devious ways; but the dialogue is replete with witicisims and, as we see their faults, we can't help but to approve of disaster to come for them. At the same time, the actors are so fully committed to playing these eccentric dysfunctional types so honestly, that no matter how repellent their actions and ideas might be, we can see them as human beings trying desperately to live out their unfulfilled dreams and escape the family legacies.

Ms. Meanor is stalwart in the role of Willie Mae, the seemingly better adjusted sister; Ms. Vowell's deceptive flightiness belies ulterior motives well; and Ms. Mason's comic timing and animation are exquisite as they hide a darker side. Yet it is their ensemble playing that raises this otherwise quirky dark comedy into a provocative production in which Mr. Salter balances humor and pathos that causes us to reflect on our own motives and relationships.

Red Door: "Driving Miss Daisy"

2011-04-30T09:39:00.008-05:00

Alfred Uhry's popular prize-winning Driving Miss Daisy is showing at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs under the sensitive direction of Fiona Macleod.

With countless stage presentations, and a film version to its credit, and several Broadway revivals [the current one stars Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones]Uhry's play provides plenty of opportunities for its three-member cast to demonstrate their skills and remind audiences of the importance of friendship.

In its numerous episodes, Uhry recounts the twenty-five year relationship between Daisy [Anne Brabham], a well-to-do elderly Atlanta Jewish matron, and her African American chauffeur Hoke [Stan Cooks] who was hired by Daisy's son Boolie [Danny Davidson] despite his mother's protestations of impinging on her independence. When Boolie instigates getting his mother a chauffeur, he is met first with refusal, then resistance, and finally capitulation. Throughout the 2+-hours' playing time, Mr. Davidson's patience pays off as he maneouvers her to thinking she is making decisions on her own and is in control.

In Ms. Macleod's gentle handling, the journey taken by Miss Daisy and Hoke builds in its numerous episodes from fractious resistance to growing comfort, outspokenness, trust, and friendship. -- Unlikely as it is from their first moments together [especially considering the racial & social chasms between them in 1948] by its end in 1973, these characters have changed along with the times.

As Daisy, Ms. Brabham is unflinching in her insistence that she is neither prejudiced nor putting on airs, yet she continually treats Hoke as an inferior in both subtle & direct ways, and it is to her credit that the steps in her journey to self-realization are almost imperceptible and that in her final days it is he alone she wants for company.

Whether in quiet domestic scenes, travelling in a sequence of more modern cars [suggested on-stage by chairs and a steering wheel], facing a bomb-attack on Daisy's Temple, attending a banquet for Martin Luther King, Jr., Daisy teaching Hoke to read, or criticizing Boolie's wife's cooking and celebrations of Christian holidays, this production makes the most of mixing humor and pathos to truthfully depict the humanity of its characters.

Mr. Davidson is utterly convincing as Boolie; his frustrations in satisfying his mother's whims conflicting with his love for her are done with humor and compassion as he attempts to ease most conflicts with the refrain: "You're a doodle, Mama."

Mr. Cooks's Hoke is an animated and clever representation of a man used to the prejudices against him and his race who nonetheless is his own man who gets what he wants through charm and wit. Though he slyly negotiates the terms of his chauffeur's contract with Boolie, he is unselfish in his care for a woman who resists him, making Daisy realize that ultimately he has become her only and truest friend.

This Driving Miss Daisy chalks up another in a long line of successful Red Door Theatre productions by Ms. Macleod.

Faulkner: "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

2011-04-23T22:41:00.009-05:00

Based on the 1903 play and novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, the musical version of The Scarlet Pimpernel [music by Frank Wildhorn; book & lyrics by Nan Knighton] has been entertaining audiences at the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre.

Set during the "Reign of Terror" at the time of the French Revolution, it is an adventurous romantic tale of passion and political loyalty that capitalizes on the strong singing and emotional strength of its principal characters, directed by Angela Dickson, with astute musical direction by Randy Foster.

Famous Parisian actress Marguerite St. Just [Austin Woddail] marries English dandy Percy Blakeney [Daneil Monplaisir] on the eve of the Revolution and moves with him to England while her former lover Chauvelin [Chase McMichen] and Robespierre [Bill Nowell] the leaders of the internal police -- the "Committee of Public Safety" -- continue bringing countless accused criminals to the guillotine, including ones Marguerite had unintentionally named as traitors.

Appalled by the cruelty of the police, Blakeney and several of his friends decide to mount a secret underground counter attack, announcing their intentions by letters signed mysteriously with a drawing of a red flower -- the scarlet pimpernel -- that becomes the nickname of the leader, Blakeney, whose identity is a secret to all but his closest allies.

When Marguerite's brother Armand [Jared Roberts] is arrested, Chauvelin threatens to reveal Marguerite's past romance unless she will help in finding "The Scarlet Pimpernel". -- The moment of reckoning will be at a masked ball thrown by the Prince of Wales [Allen Young], as Chauvelin hopes to unmask the "pimpernel" and win Marguerite back; but he is to be thwarted.

Along the way, tensions mount, deceptions abound, and audiences are treated to the strong choral and individual voices of the cast who render Wildhorn's extraordinary musical score with confidence. -- From the frightening moments at the guillotine to the silliness of the men's chorus of fops, the chorus fills the hall.

But it the individuals who hold the day: Ms. Woodail's clear soprano solos are tastefully rendered and emotionally truthful; Mr. Monplaisir's comic strength is also matched with a dramatic flair and a romantic intensity in the love duets with Marguerite.

Mr. McMichen, as Chauvelin, is given the most dramatic opportunities to shine in vocal interpretation...probably his strongest role at Faulkner to date. He demonstrates a fine capacity for investing emotional character-driven intensity to each moment.

The Scarlet Pimpernel has something in it to suit all tastes, and Ms. Dickson's company provides a fine interpretation.

ASF: "Julius Caesar"

2011-04-22T19:13:00.008-05:00

Knowledge of Roman history -- especially in reference to Julius Caesar -- relies for many people on Shakespeare's dramatization of his assassination and its aftermath. From school studies on, they can quote short passages from the play: Mark Antony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen..." for example.

But, while Shakespeare's version of history isn't completely accurate, he does tell a good story with a lot of rhetorical bombast meant to rile up his audiences against the threat of tyranny and the self-aggrandisement of individuals who drag down "government by the people" in the guise of restoring it to health. A play about loyalty, patriotism, and friendship, Julius Caesar is set in Ancient Rome, but sounds like today's headlines -- evidence of its universal appeal.

Hats off to ASF director Geoffrey Sherman who dresses his actors in togas, allowing the words to speak for themselves instead of imposing some modern dress concept as an attempt to make it relevant. -- It is Shakespeare's words produced by expert actors that carry the power of this production. Familiar as many of the speeches are, the words resonate freshly from the mouths of the cast.

Audiences are encouraged to participate in chanting dialogue as the crowd of Roman citizens, calling for "Caesar...Caesar" on his triumphant return to Rome, and "We will be satisfied..." when conditions change. -- This technique [evidence exists that Elizabethan audiences often called out during performances] did engage some of the audience, though at times it interfered with hearing important words or seeing important stage action.

Caesar [Rodney Clark] enters to overwhelming support from the crowd, but is immediatley warned by a Soothsayer [Greta Lambert makes the most of a small pivotal role and masterfully portrays the character and speaks the words brilliantly] to beware the Ides of March, and it is clear that some people -- Cassius [Thom Rivera] and Brutus [Stephen Paul Johnson] -- are not celebrating as much as the others, fearing that Caesar wants to be an absolute ruler, and causing a conflict between their fears and their admiration for Caesar. Meanwhile, Antony [Peter Simon Hilton] is ever faithful to his friend and his country.

As the conspirators plot Caesar's assassination, leaving Antony out, there are several incidents that test their mettle and their beliefs. Prophecies and dreams are, from the beginning, very significant elements in the plot and behavior, and it is the concerns of Caesar's and Brutus's wives that make up much of the human responses to the events. Brutus's wife Portia [Jenny Mercein] provides a telling insight, and Caesar's wife Calphurnia [Tara Herweg] gives warning with an honest sensibility.

The assassination at the end of Act I is sufficiently bloody for any modern taste, and though Caesar is absent from then on [except as he returns as a ghost in Act II], Mr. Clark's presence is so strong that one can believe he is there. -- So, it is Brutus who demands attention from then on, becoming the central character; and it is his dilemma, his questioning of his own patriotism, whether his participation in Caesar's death was justified, and what is to become of Rome now, is the focus of attention.

The famous debate between Antony and Brutus pits two rhetoriticians against one another, and it is to the credit of both Mr. Hilton and Mr. Johnson that each man's testimony seems completely honest. Shakespeare's speeches for each are in dynamic contrast and utilize tested persuasive techniques to sway their audiences. And how good it is for us to hear the words with such clarity and passion.

The "triumverate": Antony, Octavius [Corey Triplett] and Lepidus [Erik Gullberg] maneouver for power and eliminate most of the conspirators at the Battle of Philipi. And Brutus, by now resigned to his fate and anguished over his participation in killing Caesar, falls on his sword, becoming in Antony's words "the noblest Roman of them all".

ASF: "Much Ado About Nothing"

2011-04-19T20:32:00.007-05:00

What a pleasure to once again attend a Friday night opening at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. It is more of an occasion, and a pleasant way to end the day. Would there were more of these night-time openings, especially with high quality productions like Dianna Van Fossen's bright, funny, and intelligent rendering of Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. -- She invites her audiences into an exotic world: India in the 1930s, near the end of the British "Raj".

Costume designer Brenda Van der Weil's period British military uniforms and tailored frocks, along with Indian saris & turbans [and the clowns in an outrageous admixture of "guru", boy scout, organgrinder monkey, and an outrageously overdone red-jacketed guard uniform], and Peter Hicks's evocative and elegant set provide this world for Shakespeare's play.

In Much Ado, Shakespeare created some extraordinarily witty and comical lovers in Beatrice & Benedick -- constantly arguing with one another in games of one-upmanship, neither ready to admit love for the other, though everyone else knows it to be so -- and it could be the world today with wars and personal intrigues everywhere, concern for multiculturalism as the world is gradually changing, so many people quick to judge others on flimsy evidence or worse -- causing untold damage by constantly repeating lies with an authoritative voice, making these lies the only "truth" they know.

The Prince, Don Pedro [Thom Rivera] takes up residence in the home of Governor Leonato [Stephen Paul Johnson] on his return from a successful military campaign; in his retinue are the aforementioned Benedick [Peter Simon Hilton] and the younger Claudio [Erik Gullberg] who falls in love with Leonato's daughter Hero [Catlin McGee] and proposes marriage. Pedro's bastard brother Don John [Phillip Christian] schemes against both the marriage and his half-brother, enlisting Borachio [Brik Berkes] and Conrad [Seth D. Rabinowitz] to trick Claudio into believing that Hero is unfaithful.

Before their plot can be put into action, Beatrice [Jenny Mercein] and Benedick -- both adamant in their refusal to capitulate to love, and Benedick vowing to be an eternal bachelor -- engage in some of Shakespeare's wittiest repartee about the nature of love and marriage, which Ms. Mercein and Mr. Hilton produce with seeming ease and vitality of character that we instantly like them and want them to be together. Despite their denials, their friends determine to have each one "overhear" reports that each passionately loves the other; and what comic results there are of this trickery, with each now believing the other is in love.

When Claudio denounces Hero at the altar due to Don John's plotting, she swoons and is later reported as dead, and Leonato and his brother Antonio [Rodney Clark almost steals the show with his slow but certain comic descent into drunkenness] demand repentance of Claudio for defaming Hero. And Beatrice demands that Benedick get revenge.

In a most clever turn, Shakespeare creates a loveable clown in Dogberry [Eric Hoffman is brilliant in the role], the local constable who unintentionally misuses words so terribly and is a contrast to the glittering language used by Benedick & Beatrice. -- Additionally, it is he and his cohorts who by sheer accident capture the evildoers and bring them to justice.

All will end happily -- it is, after all, a comedy -- with music and dancing after the assorted lovers are convincingly reunited and Benedick renounces bachelorhood when Beatrice says she will have him. Ms. Van Fossen ends with a "Bollywood" dance that sends us all away feeling happy.

ASF: Moonlight and Magnolias

2011-04-11T20:42:00.010-05:00

"Tara's Theme" -- the evocative signal music of Gone With the Wind -- fills the darkened Carolyn Blount Theatre at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, conjuring memories of the film classic. Lights come up to reveal film mogul David O. Selznick's MGM studio office in Hollywood in 1939, as he cries out in disbelief: "You didn't read the book?!?!?", starting the merriment of the next two hours on stage.

Selznick was in a jam: he had shut down production of the long-awaited filming of Margaret Mitchell's novel, fired director George Cukor and pulled director Victor Fleming off the lot of The Wizard of Oz as a substitute, discarded innumerable scripts, and brought in prolific script writer Ben Hecht to re-write the screenplay in five days. It made no difference that Hecht had not read the book. Cost was no matter. Selznick was on a mission. He needed a hit...to save his marriage to partner Louis B. Mayer's daughter, to put the studio and himself in top place in Hollywood, and to emerge from under the shadow of Hollywood wunderkind Irving Thalberg.

All this is true. -- What happens in Ron Hutchinson's witty script of Moonlight and Magnolias, directed by Geoffrey Sherman, is a fictionalized account of what might have ensued behind those locked doors, with only bananas and peanuts for sustenance, communication with the outside world prohibited except for occasional food deliveries and intercom messages from a secretary, and personalities and ideologies clashing.

For a full appreciation of Moonlight and Magnolias, it is important to know GWTW; but Hutchinson's script provides more than adequate details of its plot, characters, and dialogue for most any attentive audience to understand the basics and to enjoy the farce before them.

The five days it took to accomplish Selznick's charge are described in three scenes that delineate the physical and mental degeneration of the project's participants -- their dishevelment and frustrations building -- along with the growing detritus of paper, banana peels, and peanut shells that litter the stage.

There is a lot of ego in the room. Each man argues his own importance to the project. Hecht [Brik Berkes] the writer claims words are the soul of any film and that his words are the best, while Fleming [Thom Rivera] insists that the director's vision brings those words to life and that he knows how to shoot it. Pragmatist Selznick [Eric Hoffman] says that "the little people who go to the movies" have the power to make or break a film, and that he knows what they want -- melodrama [not real life] -- and he knows how to deliver it.

Much of the delight to audiences is to watch these egos collide...and collide they do. What starts off somewhat innoculously with Selznick and Fleming acting out scenes as the book's characters while Hecht labors at a typewriter to get it all down becomes increasingly frustrating when Selznick insists that all the dialogue must come directly from Mitchell's novel, and Hecht insists that no Civil War movie ever made money and that certain parts of the book [Scarlett O'Hara's questionable moral stance, a white person slapping a black person, for example] risk censorship from the fearsome Hayes Office, and should not therefore be filmed.

In 1939, the onset of World War II around the corner and Hollywood prejudices against both Blacks and Jews add some seriousness to the proceedings of Moonlight and Magnolias.

Hecht, a real life civil rights activist and avowed Zionist, provides a kind of moral center to the play, and Mr. Berkes has some settling moments amidst the mayhem as he faces-down Selznick's stubborn refusal to admit his own Jewishness. And his physical embodiment of writer's cramp -- stiff gnarled fingers from days at the typewriter -- is matched by a clever cramp in the leg as well.

Fleming, whose directorial vision is marred by a burst blood vessel in his eye, is another clever script point that Mr. Rivera capitalizes on, and when after Hecht & Fleming attempt to leave, but have second thoughts and stay because they had promised to do so, there is genuine sincerity in the decision.

Secretary Miss Poppenghul is played by Nandita Shenoy as a stereotypical wide-eyed, almost robotic bimbo, complete with a mincing tip-toed bounce of a walk and high-pitched voice. Portrayed with complete conviction by Ms Shenoy, it is an odd choice and out of the established naturalism of the men's roles. Though there are many opportunities for developing the character's frustrations at deflecting the persistent entreaties of Mayer, actress Vivien Leigh, and others to get a phone-call connected to Selznick [frustrations we can only imagine since most of her time is spent off-stage], there is hardly a sign of it throughout her several all-too-brief on-stage appearances, so her exhaustion at the end of the play is surprising.

The actors in Moonlight and Magnolias are a fine ensemble who demonstrate a lot of comfort and generosity for one another, and whose energy is admirable, but it is Selznick's vision that drives the script. He knows what sells, and the MGM motto --"Ars Gratia Artis" ("Art for Art's Sake") means little to a man determined to sell GWTW as a melodrama. In the person of Mr. Hoffman, the powerful character of Selznick fits like a proverbial glove...whether cajoling Hecht and Fleming, outrageously impersonating characters while acting out the plot of the novel, evading the unpleasant reality of impending war in Europe, or being defensive about his Jewishness...he never loses sight of his objective; and after five grueling days of merciless dictatorship, he knows he has accomplished what he set out to do, probably saved his marriage, believes he has a potential hit on his hands, is confident that his reputation will be secure, and resumes the cool and polished countenance of a successful businessman. -- Image, after all, is also what sells.

Theatre AUM: "The Great Easter Egg Hunt"

2011-04-07T22:02:00.006-05:00

There's a lot of silliness going on at Theatre AUM. Thursday night's sold-out crowd was treated to a raucous two hours of Ken Jones's The Great Easter Egg Hunt, a lively and irreverent send-up of small town Southern culture, as the zany residents of Umatilla, Florida continuously sabotage one another in their quest for a golden egg and the promise of prizes and the right to reign as king or queen over the town for the next year.

Director Neil David Seibel is at the helm of the mayhem on stage. Told in episodic short scenes, much of the first act introduces various teams of provocateurs -- couples in love or lust, matronly gossips, rednecks, members of the local rifle club, and a local judge who imbibes too much home made cider -- and they could be our neighbors.

Hardly any of them are nice people, yet we are drawn into their lives by the very audacity of their characterizations. The gossip-mongers are so quick to judge others and spread only nasty rumors, considering themselves to be unassailable in their conviction of superiority. The local bad-girl who flaunts her reputation hides the fact that she is actually fairly nice so she won't be lonely [a good study of contradictions by Tina Neese].

The conflicted lovers Will [Mickey Lonsdale] and Perry [Andi Klimetz] are at the center of the plot. Constantly at odds with one another -- he is "smart" and has been accepted to Harvard, and they quibble about nuances of vocabulary that get misinterpreted at every turn with neither of them willing to budge. If either of them finds the golden egg, they might be doomed to remain in Umatilla (which both want to leave) and never realize their dreams.

Some of the roles are little more than caricatures -- and nasty ones at that. The redneck Dumpling brothers [Clem, Horseshoe, and You] are embarrassingly dumb, and the rifle-toting members of the gun-club just "have to shoot someone". When confronted with "You don't shoot someone without a reason", the retort is "Sure you do: this is America." It seems that "manhood" is defined in part by shooting a gun. Frightening, isn't it? And no wonder that Will & Perry are so intent upon leaving.

LaBrandon Tyre does an excellent job of portraying the judge as he becomes increasingly out of control from drink, even hallucinating that Will is Jesus and that he is experiencing "the rapture". Mr. Tyre's antics are hilarious.

Sarah K. Worley plays Perry's mother -- Lambie -- with a mix of flamboyance and a sense of rightness, and shows how appalled all of us should be at the behavior of the citizens of Umatilla.

While most of the characterizations are meant to be laughable, Wes Milton's depiction of Herring Pernell [one of the hunters in short-cropped hair] is downright frightening and dangerous, even when walking around in boxer shorts emblazoned with college football insignia. -- There are several moments in the comic action that provide a more serious cricicism of the goings-on in Umatilla.

E. John Williford, III's set design is detailed with a high degree of realism, taking the audience into the realm of a small town, and affording actors plenty of space for their grotesque behavior...and the actors are uniformly committed to their roles, taking us on a wild journey for about two hours.

Millbrook: "Anne of Green Gables"

2011-04-03T14:34:00.009-05:00

The Spring season is underway in Millbrook with the Millbrook Community Players' production of Anne of Green Gables, Joseph Robinette's affectionate adaptation of L. M. Montgomery's classic.

Directed by Chris Perry with a wealth of local talent -- some 38 in all, mostly area school children -- the staging capitalizes on these talents by providing on-stage opportunities for so many neophyte actors.

For those unfamiliar with the book or with several film and television adaptations of it, the story of orphan Anne Shirley's [Jubilee Lofgren] teen years begins as she is reluctantly adopted by kindly brother and sister Matthew [Joe Nolin, Jr.] and Marilla Cuthbert [Renae Perry] whose house -- "Green Gables" -- is the idyllic location on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Red-haired, green-eyed, freckle-faced, and skinny, Anne bemoans her plain looks and dreams of escape to both physical beauty and overly-romanticized places. In fact, she describes most everything she experiences with over-the-top melodramatic language and gestures sourced, no doubt, from exposure to the popular novels of the day.

Teased and ridiculed by children and adults alike, Anne is befriended by a neighbor girl Diana Barry [Elizabeth Knott], a local popular beauty, and they swear to be "bosom friends" for life.

Anne talks a mile a minute, sometimes imprudently, her imagination working overtime -- annoyances that nevertheless endear her to others. She is very intelligent, too, providing competition to Gilbert Byrne [Cory Jones], a local Lothario and the smartest boy in school. Their love-hate relationship adds a spark of youthful romance to the plot.

Most of the other characters are drawn with bold strokes -- nohing too subtle: Ms. Lofgren's broad gestures and declamatory speaking especially make her stand out from the crowd, while Mr. Nolin's and Ms. Perry's more naturalistic styles serve as contrast.

Angela Pietrzak turns in a simply conceived performance as local busybody Rachel Lynde who, it turns out, has a softer side. And Pamela Trammell's no-nonsense rendering of Aunt Josephine Barry is a model of controlled solid naturalistic acting.

Fitting several years into its two-hour & twenty-minute two acts, the production often feels choppy, as scene changes stop the action during long periods of stage darkness. Either adding music during these changes, or overlapping action from two scenes, might help.

Mr. Perry's actors have for the most part overcome the accoustical challenges of Millbrook's theatrical space, though some voices are hard to hear because he has staged the actors facing off-stage instead of angled towards the audience.

All in all, this Anne of Green Gables is a sweet tribute to the goodness in all of us, enabling us to settle our differences with generosity and compassion.

Wetumpka Depot Takes Top Honors

2011-03-08T17:45:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the Wetumpka Depot Players.

Their production of Second Samuel represented the State of Alabama at the Southeastern Theatre Conference's Annual Convention held last week -- March 1-6 -- in Atlanta, where twelve companies representing ten Southeastern States competed to earn a place in the National Festival Competition to be held in Rochester, NY this June.

At Saturday's Awards Banquet, Second Samuel took the following honors that garnered a place in the Nationals:
Best Production
Best Director: Tom Salter
Best Ensemble
Best Actor: Jonathan Conner
Excellence in Acting: Steve Mitchell
"Spirit of the Road Award"

See the Depot's website for further details.

ASF: "Blood Divided"

2011-02-23T16:24:00.008-06:00

Blood Divided by Jeffry L. Chastang is the second world premiere at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival this month marking the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War almost to the day of Jefferson Davis's inauguration on Goat Hill in Montgomery.

A companion-piece to Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's The Flag Maker of Market Street, and playing in rep with it, Chastang's powerfully moving drama that also emerged from the Southern Writers' Project was enthusiastically greeted with a spontaneous standing ovation at Sunday afternoon's opening performance.

Like its companion-play, Blood Divided explores relationships among people with close relationships -- either blood relatives or surrogate family -- whose political and social philosophies are at such odds that they bring about critical conflicts not easily settled.

On the eve of Alabama's secession from the Union, we are introduced to a quartet whose intertwining lives and changing relationships are central to showing Mr. Chastang's themes: patriotism and racism, family bonds and political conformity, reason and custom, youth and adulthood, Federal Union and Confederate States -- all of which speak directly to 21st Century concerns.

Dr. William Baldwin [Jack Koenig] and his son Willie [Sloan Grenz] in many ways have a typical father-son relationship -- the adolescent boy wants to declare his independence, and the father holds on to his authority. Where they differ most importantly is in their separate stands on slavery and secession. The boy's youthful assessment of slavery as "natural" goes against his father's having freed his slaves. It does not matter that Willie's prime surrogate father is a freed slave named Jim [Billy Eugene Jones], the overseer of Dr. Baldwin's plantation and with whom he has an easy comfort as equals; he does not comprehend the contradictions of this behavior with his proclaimed beliefs.

Baldwin's closest and most unlikely friend is William Yancey [Brian Wallace], whose adamant and passionate support of the Confederacy is in direct conflict with Baldwin's pro-Union sympathies. But Yancey's charisma infatuates Willie to such an extent that he too supplants Baldwin as a father-figure and influences the young man's independent yearnings.

Under Nancy Rominger's scrupulously egalitarian direction [unquestionably her best effort so far at ASF] -- no easy sides to take here, as each person and each conflict is given its due, and with completely credible performances that illustrate the complexities and ironies within each of them, the human stories underlying the socio-political conflicts rivet our attention from beginning to end.

The ensemble actors depict essentially good men, though each is flawed in some way, making them accessible to us today. Mr. Koenig's textured portrayal of Baldwin, his steadfastness in trying to understand others' beliefs & actions, and his drive to do what is right while knowing the cost, make him a father to emulate. Mr. Wallace's depiction of Yancey's arrogance and audacity to risk even his life for a cause he holds precious and his inability to compromise show laudable attributes, and his leadership ability is unquestioned. Mr. Jones shows the contradictions of a freed slave: his independence is essential, though he retains several signs of humility & subservience for his own survival; and his easy open relationship with Willie is perhaps the most comfortable relationship on the ASF stage. Willie as performed by Mr. Grenz is utterly convincing in his adolescent behavior and immature rantings, yet this is tempered in later scenes as life experiences both reaffirm some concepts and bring others into question.

The sensitive collaboration of playwright-director-actor effects audiences throughout the two-hour performance, making them reassess their own beliefs and understand how so many of the play's conflicts are still with us. -- How is it, for example, that "we all come into this world slippery and screaming" as equals, but that our cosmetic differences bring about so many conflicts? How is it that "common sense" reveals such disparate conclusions? How is it that conscientious debate between intelligent sparring-partners turns too often to violence and division? How is it that misinformation is taken as truth when it is repeated often enough? How is it that an entire race of people can be vilified in one breath, and that an individual in the group can be regarded only as "an exception" to the accepted norm without negating the general premise?

The tragic ending to Mr. Chastang's drama appears inevitable [Willie enlists in the Confederate Army & goes into battle never to return], yet it is touching. If some solace can be gained from the loss of a loved one, a person with such potential, it might be that we forsee a better future, a greater understanding of one another. -- It has been 150 years since the Civil War started, and though progress has been made, we're not there yet.

Theatre AUM: "Art"

2011-02-20T17:32:00.010-06:00

Yasmina Reza's one act play Art has become an industry in itself, grossing over $30-million worldwide since its 1994 debut in France, and in its receiving numerous awards for playwrighting, acting, and productions.

Its latest incarnation is currently showing at Theatre AUM under the cautious direction of Val Winkelman on Michael Krek's appropriately minimalist set.

Cautious it is, taking a scant hour to complete -- an hour that rushes through many moments that call out to be savored at some length, or that seems tentative in allowing silences so audiences can digest its glittering dialogue, its provocative ideas, and its complex relationship developments. -- Nonetheless, its ensemble cast of three talented actors debate the nature of art, but more importantly disect their relationships and try to comprehend the value of friendship.

Often referred to as a "play for actors", Ms. Reza's script affords each one plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their various skills. -- The plot is simple: Serge [La'Brandon Tyre] has just bought an all-white painting by a well-known artist named Antrios for 200,000 francs. His two long-time friends have quite different reactions both to the painting and to the price. Marc [Chris Howard] hates it and doesn't mind saying so, while Yvan [Wes Milton], who never wants to offend anyone, is ambivalent.

If this sounds familiar, AUM's recent production of Moliere's The Misanthrope also analyzes how speaking one's mind, or trying to be politically correct, or allowing others' opinions to dictate one's own self-worth, often create tensions and cause people to reassess what means the most to them. -- So it is here.

Though there is no explanation of how the 15-year friendship among them began, though the "all white painting" central to the debate is both textured and contains various shades of white & cream [choices that remain puzzling], and though the art critisicm is given slight attention, the play's tight structure, its combination of dramatic scenes interspersed with short "aside comments" or more lengthy monologues, its even balance of attention on all three characters, its witty dialogue, and its moment-to-moment plotting make it an actor's dream to play.

As the men meet by twos and then by threes, they discover not only that each one keeps secrets about their private lives, but about how they truly feel about one another. Marc is seen as a smug and insensitive sort, Serge as an art diletante, and Yvan as a henpecked wimp though it is two weeks before his wedding day.

As tensions build, the defenses come down, and gradually each man changes a bit. They have all realized that words can hurt, especially when they are trying to defend something they believe in that others attack. And sometimes words are inadequate.

Ms. Reza modulates her script so it starts relatively slowly, builds to an inevitable fight and has a slow denouement. Along the way, we see the silliness of being too attached to material things, the arch pretentiousness that begs to be quashed, and a milquetoast get a bit of backbone.

Ms. Winkelman stages her actors in several triangular positions, highlighting the interdependence of the relationships, and the actors -- to a man -- distinguish themselves in embodying their characters most credibly, displaying their acting talents with energetic enjoyment, and serving Ms. Reza's words.

Red Door: "Country Songs"

2011-02-20T11:39:00.004-06:00

The Red Door Theatre in Union Springs continues to bring insightful interpretations of minor plays on Southern themes, this time in a production of Country Songs by Judy Simpson Cook.

Set in 1986, Cook's play explores the familiar themes and situations besetting Southern women seeking independence from thier men. This time, Mildred [Johanna Hubbard] -- another in a long line of cosmetologists a la Steel Magnolias -- is a spirited middle-aged wannabe country songwriter who attempts to break out of a humdrum existence while doling out advice to anyone who will listen, particularly to high schooler Carly Ann [Charity Smith], whose adolescent dreams of proms and life-after-high-school are highly romanticized.

Mildred's best friend Earl [Beau Shirley] tells her that country star Laverne & the "Catawba River Music Makers" are coming to town and that Mildred's ex-husband Dwayne [Dustin Anderson] is the band's coordinator...he might just be able to get Laverne to play one of Mildred's songs and provide her the means to success.

Hovis [Robert Moorer] is Mildred's current beau who doesn't want to see her get hurt and is justifiably jealous of Dwayne; Mildred just can't seem to forget him even years after their marriage broke up.

Mildred's philosophy -- to "be whatever you want" and to "make independent decisions" and "not be guided by what other people might think of you" -- comes back at her with a vengeance as she must reassess her own fear of being alone, and her true motives for wanting so much for her song to be played: Is it for herself and what she really wants? or Is it at least in part to show up Dwayne and declare her independence from him?

As the men in her life express their love for her, Mildred is forced to make a decision: Dwayne's attempts to rekindle their past relationship is sabotaged by his interference in getting the song played; Hovis's earnest romance is half-heartedly returned; and Earl's persistent and often embarrassing intrusions that he intends as protection keep him in the "best friend" category.

There is some extraneous comic relief in the characters of Chester & Lester [Travin Wilkerson & Joseph Crawford], two bumbling grease-monkeys who can fix anything wrong with a car, but who are too embarrassed to set foot inside Mildred's female emporium.

First time director Anna Perry creates a fine ensemble out of the "all Bullock County" cast -- the first time at the Red Door. She affords each character its moments to shine, allowing audiences to identify with their problems, and achieving a good balance of humor and seriousness. Their truthful characterizations make them appear all the more human, not easily seen as either good or bad, but rather as flawed, just like all of us.

Ms. Perry directs at a steady pace that could be enhanced by quicker scene changes and by a variety of intensity that could drive pivotal scenes and get actors to walk more purposefully, thereby adding interest to an already solid production.

There are some standout performances here too. Mr. Shirley's sincerity as Earl, and his physical comfort, dead-pan delivery, and impeccable comic timing add dimension to his character. And in the central role, Ms. Hubbard carries every scene with conviction and flexibility that make her confusion and frustrations emerge as utterly believable with hardly a trace of stereotypical behavior.

We can all learn something from this play: the value of friendship, the necessity of compromise, the pursuit of dreams, and the homespun philosophy that "there's nothing better than sweet potato pie, but too much of it will make you sick."

Faulkner: "Steel Magnolias"

2011-02-13T11:44:00.004-06:00

The show must go on! --- Faulkner University's production of the popular comedy Steel Magnolias certainly followed this hallowed dictum on Friday night. With one cast member down with the flu after the opening performance, and her replacement called away on a family emergency less than 30-minutes before show time, veteran Faulkner actor Kari Gatlin took the stage book-in-hand, and with generous support from fellow actors and backstage crew, kept the show alive for its sold out audience.

Ms. Gatlin played Clairee, a wealthy and wise-cracking matron in a small Louisiana town who, along with several other women, meets regularly at Truvy's [Brooke Brown] beauty parlor to get their hair done, to gossip, and to find refuge from their men. The shop, on Jason Clark South's detailed naturalistic set, is a woman's domain where no self-respecting man would dare to enter, and where the women literally and figuratively let their hair down.

Playwright Robert Harling created this comic gem in 1987, and his insightful rendering of women's relationships and Southern attitudes have not lost their apeal.

Under Mr. South's able direction, Faulkner's six veteran actresses create a fine ensemble where no one character dominates; yet each one emerges as a distinct personality we all recognize from life around us.

Familiar from its many professional and amateur productions in and around Montgomery, as well as from its popular but flawed film version, Steel Magnolias lets us into the intimate lives of these women who meet regularly at Truvy's where a sign proclaiming "There is no such thing as natural beauty" signals Truvy's philosophy, though it is contradicted by the lives of the women.

Ms. Brown's vivaciously brash and compassionate Truvy hires a secretive wallflower named Annelle [a clever evolution into "membership" in the girls' club by Heather Baker] as her new born-again shop assistant on the day of a local beauty queen's wedding.

Everyone is curious about Annelle's background but get distracted by Shelby's [Sophia Priolo] wedding plans. Pretty in pink -- her signature color -- and with the soft-spoken charm of Southern gentility, Ms. Priolo shows Shelby as a woman of her own convictions that her well-intentioned mother M'Lynn [stalwart Rebekah Goldman] disapproves -- decisions ranging from hairstyles & color coordinated wedding flowers, to not taking her diabetes "medicines", to choosing a life-threatening pregnancy.

The group is complete in the entrance of Ouiser [LaVera Brown], a no-nonsense antagonistic sort who, as played with brutally comic honesty by Ms. Brown, adds pepper to the stew as a character we love to hate, and who heightens the on-stage energy of all her compatriots.

As witty and caustic repartee between Ouiser & Clairee, and mother-daughter disagreements between M'Lynn & Shelby reveal the closeness of their relationships over the play's two acts, and with Truvy moderating them and Annelle offering simple wisdom as advice, the women all gain strength from one another as they rely on the group's unity.

Though life can often be unfair, and as one character puts it "That which does not kill us makes us stronger", the women's natural beauty triumphs at the end.

Millbrook: "The Mousetrap"

2011-02-11T14:58:00.005-06:00

A dark and stormy night -- a snowstorm, that is; telephone lines are down; a set of eccentric and suspicious characters have arrived at a remote English guest house called "Monkswell Manor" a drafty building that hundreds of years earlier had been a monastery and whose new proprietors are an inexperienced young couple about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary...and the radio proclaims that the murderer of a woman in London might be in the area. -- So begins Agatha Christie's tale, The Mousetrap, which premiered in 1952 and has been continuously running ever since, making it the longest-running play in history, and which is now being produced by the Millbrook Community Players.

Long considered to have set the gold-standard of the murder mystery genre, the play continues to entertain audiences; half the fun of seeing a play of this sort is in trying to figure out "who done it", by peeling away the layers of plot and circumstance, the "red herrings" that distract us from the truth by leveling suspicion on several of the characters before a twist-ending that reveals all. Christie herself admonished her original audiences not to reveal the ending in order that fresh audiences would be startled by the result. -- That convention is still acknowledged today, so don't expect to read the answers here.

Let's just say that nothing is exactly as it appears; every character has both opportunity and motive for the crimes, so no one is above suspicion.

Mollie and Giles Ralston [Madyson Greenwood & Doug Greenwood] play the newlyweds with sincerity and conviction. One can sense their struggling with the grand opening of their inn and trying to make the best of it. Their inexperience in managing their assorted guests' demands and eccentric behavior is engaging.

As the paying guests arrive one by one, and the storm blocks them in, there is nothing to do but try to make things as comfortable as possible. -- Mrs. Boyle [Hidi Loop] is a cantankerous sort who is hyper-critical of virtually everything and intollerant of anyone else. Christopher Wren [Daniel Harms] is a strange unkempt young man who delights in nursery-rhymes and fantasy life. Major Metcalf [Roger Humber], a salty old coot, flows with the punches. And Miss Casewell [Kayle Georgiafandis] is a masculine looking loner. -- And then an unexpected guest arrives seeking shelter from the storm; Mr. Paravicini [John Chain] is a lively Italian who wears make-up and can't seem to explain much of his background.

Before the phone goes down, a call from the police tells them that an officer will soon be there, as he suspects the London murderer will be in the vicinity because he is mysteriously connected to another murder case that happened years ago at a farm near to the Manor.

When one of the guests is killed, the interrogations begin. After all, since they are isolated by the storm, the murderer must be one of them.

True to the murder mystery form, all will be revealed through various interrogations and re-enactments; though each time suspicion lands on one character, something else is revealed to shift attention to another. -- And this ensemble company make the investigation worthwhile for the audience, sustaining interest and allowing us to be convinced we have identified the culprit before the conclusion.

Director Susan Chain guides her experienced and neophyte actors through the plot's complexities, allowing each moment and each piece of the puzzle to get its fair share of attention, but she misses out too frequently on making each moment contribute to building tension so necessary in this genre by giving each one the same emphasis. A varied pace would help too in establishing a rhythm of highs and lows that is missing here.

Frequently, the actors' voices can't be heard -- partly due to the poor acoustics of the theatre, and partly due to the actors' weak projection -- but can be made clearer with focussed effort in the use of the voices.

Regardless, The Mousetrap can capitalize on its long reputation as a model of the form, and the Millbrook production makes it work.

ASF: "The Flag Maker of Market Street"

2011-02-07T14:57:00.018-06:00

To mark the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival commissioned through the Southern Writers' Project two companion-plays by writers with Alabama connections to be set in Montgomery in the 1860s. The first of these world premieres, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's masterfully provocative The Flag Maker of Market Street, opened on Sunday, challenging audiences to come to terms with the myths and dilemmas that revolve around the South both then and now.

In its two hours, audiences are transported back to just before the Civil War, when secession from the Federal Union caused friction within families and between friends who had divided sympathies, when the economy of the South was at risk, and when the institution of slavery was being threatened -- a whole culture was in tumult -- a time, like today, when entitled people instilled fear in the common man through intimidation and twisting facts, when fine manners disguised the brutality underneath, and when choosing convenience over what is right often ruled the day.

Ms. Wilder (the author of the prize-winning Gee's Bend that also premiered at ASF), has a gift for writing dialogue that drives her plots and distinguishes her characters & their conflicts so well that they come to life as authentic to time & place while telling compelling human stories.

Basing her characters on actual Montgomerians of the period, though admittedly not attempting to be historically accurate in all its details, the playwright sets her play in the Dry Goods Store of George Cowles [Jack Koenig], a Unionist who owned slaves and who had ordered 200 sewing machines whose sales he thought would make him rich. His friend William Bibb [Brian Wallace], a fiery big-talker Union sympathizer, believes that Cowles should refuse to make a Confederate flag when he is asked to do so by Jefferson Davis. But Cowles enlists his newly-purchased slave Mae [Nikki E. Walker] to sew it. Lydia Frost [Adria Vitlar], a prominent local socialite with impeccable manners & charm, buys a machine and agrees to take sewing lessons, but keeps putting it off as she gets caught up in the festivities surrounding Davis's innaugural, and is thoroughly unaware of her tunnel-vision in support of the Confederacy or of her own duplicity in her treatment of people, especially slaves.

From the start, it is clear where the playwright's sympathies lie. In two monologues -- the first from Cowles who bemoans the economic divide between the haves and have nots, and who sees the impending war as about both money and ideological patriotism; the second from Mae as she relives her painful 30-lashes whipping and the strength to endure that she gains from memory of her husband in his love and quest for freedom -- we see the struggles of the South to make sense of its contradictions, of its need to "make people feel good about themselves" regardless of the cost, and of the inevitability of change. -- Pretty heady stuff, that had the opening performance's audience quietly assessing the play's themes at the intermission and after the performance ended.

But these words receive their impact through the expert direction of Leah C. Gardiner and the sensitive ensemble acting. -- One might quibble at the use of exaggerated Southern accents that can be discomforting as they can create unintentional caricatures, though here (especially in Ms. Vitlar's depiction of Lydia Frost) they effectively depict the deceptive nature of her character, one who becomes ever-increasingly frightening and crude and ultimately pathetic in her intractable insistence on her rights. In one scene particularly, she claims to be humiliated, though she has just humiliated Mae, and the picture of the two women side by side -- the one proud & haughty, the other humble and bowed -- leaves a lasting image.

Mr. Wallace's portrayal of Bibb is filled with contradictions. On the one hand, he avows the Union cause, on the other he rarely acts on his words, preferring others to do what he can not bring himself to do. His political debate with Cowles is one we could be having today -- "our rights are being taken away", "the country is falling apart" sound painfully familiar in light of recent debates of our own. And his inability to comprehend Cowles's dilemma -- to make the Confederate flag vs. to risk his livelihood for not doing so -- shows him as a counterpoint to Lydia's intractability.

And Mr. Koenig's Cowles, a man fraught with conflict & dilemma on the general political arena, is not so conflicted in his relationship with Mae. He sees in her what others do not or can not because of their blinkered vision. For others, Mae is a non-person, an invisible, one who can be overlooked or trampled without a second thought; but for Cowles, she is a talented person who can read and write and "figure" even though it was against the law for slaves to get an education, and he recognizes her abilities and trustworthiness, taking her into his confidence and thereby risking the wrath of the powerful. Mr. Koenig's ability to depict these conflicts (including a contradictory behavior in owning slaves while being sympathetic to the Union) and manage an ironic tone in many an encounter with Bibb and Lydia, provides an insightful characterization.

As Mae, Ms. Walker's ability to inhabit the slave's subservient posture [head bowed and not looking a white person directly in the eye] while communicating her independence from these accepted social restraints, and her adapting to each moment to ensure survival, as well as her uncomprehending delight at being treated as a human being by her white master, create a multidimensional character whose small triumphs should be celebrated.

Together, this ensemble creates an absorbing drama that approaches Ms. Wilder's subjects straightforwardly, leaving us to ponder them long after the curtain falls. There are no easy answers to the issues -- after all, many of them are still with us -- and the play concludes on a moment of both moving forward and taking a stand.

Wetumpka Depot: "First Baptist at Ivy Gap"

2011-02-06T17:10:00.006-06:00

Now in its 31st season, the Wetumpka Depot Players are currently offering Ron Osborne's comedy, First Baptist at Ivy Gap, and playing to sold-out audiences.

Set in the church's fellowship hall (on a realistic reproduction of a period rural interior), at first in 1945 and in Act II in 1970, its talented ensemble of six women -- their strengths and their issues -- is familiar to us all: Wanda [Edith Ellington], the feisty preacher's wife and compassionate comfort-giver, Luby [Sherida Black], the anxious widow whose son is serving in World War II, Olene [Kami Scarborough], who flaunts her dreams of becoming a Hollywood star, Mae Ellen [Merelee Robinson], the church's renegade organist who also wants to escape small-town life, Sammy [Jen Tuck] the community's outsider, and Vera [Valari Lagrone Radford], the rich and influential snob.

Though they try to put aside their differences to serve the Lord while rolling surgical dressings for the Red Cross, it is clear from the start that these Christian women all like to gossip, and "love hearing things that shouldn't be said". Yet, some of their unspoken secrets and yearnings threaten this small group's unity.

In Act II, another war is going on, and their lives have changed in many ways: Sammy's oldest son is serving in Viet Nam, Luby has become a recluse since her son died in World War II, Olene in her return for the church's 100th anniversary almost scandalizes the women with her career "success", Edith, Mae Ellen, and Vera remain -- but all six of them have softened with age and experience, though their individual personalities remain intact.

Director Carol Heier guides her cast gently through the simple plot, and makes the most of its slight material. Osborne revisits many of his themes about the strengths that women give to one another [seen recently in a production of his play Wise Women at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs] -- and is reminiscent of the Depot's production of The Dixie Swim Club.

First Baptist of Ivy Gap is a familiar and predictable piece that nonetheless shows how forgiveness and simple values and friendship -- and time -- can heal even deep wounds and misunderstandings.

ASF "Encore": Bear Country

2011-01-17T08:32:00.006-06:00

While Broadway is showing a play about the legendary football icon Vince Lombardi, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is bringing back -- for a short revival on the Festival Stage -- its record-setting 2009 production of Michael Vigilant's Bear Country, a tribute to the University of Alabama's Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

The transfer from the Octagon Theatre, while it loses some of the intimacy of the smaller space, has kept the play intact and managed to explore Vigilant's text to reveal a wider range of relationships and characterizations both of its central character, the "older" Bryant masterfully played by Rodney Clark, and the "younger" version played by William Peden, who are supported by James Bowen and Christopher Burns who each play a number of roles with unflinching honesty.

Director Tim Rhoze and his capable cast bring us the now familiar story of Bryant's humble beginnings and his journey to iconic status as a football coach [with obstacles along the way], retaining always the simple humanity of the man who beleived in good sportsmanship on the field and good behavior off it...a class act.

Though the play is filled with historically accurate details and football statistics, this is not a play about football; rather, it is a play about a man -- one who has flaws and is often arrogant, but whose influence is felt even today. From what we see on stage, it is not surprising that Bryant's legendary impact on his players is treasured.

Playing to an almost full house on Katherine Ross's simple set, we are first introduced to "the Bear" as he is packing up his Tuscaloosa office on his retirement from the U of A, and reminisces about the important moments in his life that brought him to this point.

In his signature hat & blazer, Mr. Clark looks uncannily like the man himself, allowing us instant access to his story. But it is not just the physical similarity that is striking. As the two acts recount the ups and downs of Bryant's career with honesty and humor, Mr. Clark's stature, his commanding presence [especially as he addresses us from behind his desk], and his ability to engage the audience in ordinary human details creates a powerful presence: a man to admire.

Mr. Burns -- who plays nine roles -- easily segues from one to another, and imbues each with a distinct personality: Bryant's uncle who introduced him to football while listening to a game on the radio, no-nonsense coaches, television reporters, attorneys who try to trap him into confessing to fixing a game are all given full force by Mr. Burns's ability to instantly change demeanor and truthfully depict each one.

Mr. Bowen's impersonations of Bryant's boyhood friend as well as a small-town restaurant owner where Bryant once had a helping of chittlins, are presented with such natural charm, and are contrasted by his depiction of a hard-nosed student protestor demanding the inclusion of Blacks on Alabama's football team.

Mr. Peden's characterization of Young Bryant from teenage through early coaching jobs capitalizes on his ability to develop credibly in age and experience, from a gawky teenager to a settled adult. Along the way, we see him encounter the coaches who molded him by demanding his committment to the game and to sportsmanship.

Together, this ensemble is grounded in Mr. Vigilant's narrative and Mr. Clark's ability to get to the soul of the man...a man who loved his parents, wife & family; a man who drank Coca-Cola and ate Golden Flake potato chips; a man who kept his promises. As he says in the play: "Remember this if anything -- It doesn't cost anything to be nice...to be honest...to be a man of your word."

Millbrook: "Irving Berlin's White Christmas: the musical"

2010-12-06T21:09:00.006-06:00

The holiday spirit has come to Millbrook in a charming production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas: the musical. Taking its cue from the 1955 film, but with several additional songs by Berlin interspersed throughout its two-and-a-half hour length, director A. John Collier's production is delighting its sold out audiences.

In part a backstage musical, in part a traditional love story, in part a patriotic statement so necessary in times of war, and in part just plain old nostalgic sentiment for the hoildays -- this version warms the heart from beginning to end.

Despite the limitations of a small stage [though Millbrook's stage has been permanently enlarged for this production], Collier & Company have created a workable space to house several scenic locations and a large number of actors -- 31 to be precise. Quite an accomplishment.

In addition, Collier has mixed some of the area's most experienced actors with a number of newcomers to his stage, built some stunning costumes, and delivered a solid show that could transform any Grinch or Scrooge in the audience.

In 1954, veteran song & dance team Bob Wallace [David Brown] and Phil Davis [Jason Morgan] are about to rehearse a new nightclub act in Miami, and are impressed by a new act by sisters Betty [Brooke Brown] and Judy Haynes [Lauren Morgan].

Attempting a love-match between Bob & Betty, Phil switches their train tickets for ones to Vermont where the girls have been booked for the Christmas holidays at an inn owned coincidentally by retired General Waverly [Roger Humber], who the men had served under in World War II.

The inn is on the verge of bankruptcy, and balmy weather threatens its holiday bookings. To help the General, Wallace & Davis conscript their entire cast & crew to rehearse in Vermont and add the Haynes Sisters as headliners.

As is to be expected, this chestnut of a play has assorted romantic misfirings, but all will turn out for the best...the show must go on, the inn saved, and the pairs of sweethearts united.

Solid performances and strong vocals hold this White Christmas together. Mr. Morgan is an excellent comic foil to Mr. Brown's more serious character. Their romances are innocently depicted and aided by the ingenuous style of Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Morgan. All four are effervescent in their roles.

Mr. Humber delivers one of the most convincingly truthfull and understated characterizations of his long community theatre career as the General. -- The General's granddaughter Susan is played by Maddie Hughes; she performs the role credibly and is featured in a rousing version of "I'm Happy".

The role of the housekeeper has been enlarged in this stage version to an Ethel Merman type known as Martha "the megaphone" Watson [Eleanor Davis], who also wants to be in the Wallace & Davis show. And deliver she does. Ms. Davis gives a standout performance as a feisty realist with a motherly concern for Susan and a loving attitude for the General. She can belt out her songs with the best of them, and her bright smile literally lights up the stage.

Irving Berlin's songs create a holiday atmosphere. Those who recall the film are irresistably drawn to novelty numbers like "Sisters" and sentimental favorites like "Count Your Blessings", but it is the signature "White Christmas" that has everyone in the audience singing along and exiting the theatre with the holiday spirit.

Faulkner: "Guys and Dolls"

2010-12-05T17:06:00.010-06:00

Based on Damon Runyon's popular stories set in New York's world of gamblers and their women, the ever-popular 1950 Tony Award winning Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows musical Guys and Dolls is currrently captivating sold out audiences at the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre.

From its first appearance on Broadway, Guys and Dolls has rarely been absent from professional and amateur stages -- and with good reason. It contains some of musical theatre's most memorable songs ["Luck Be A Lady", "I've Never Been in Love Before", "Bushel and a Peck", "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat", and "Adelaide's Lament" among them]; and some of its most memorable characters in Sky Masterson & Sarah Brown, Nathan Detroit & Miss Adelaide, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and Big Jule. Put these together with two untraditional love stories, Runyon's masterful mixture of street slang with formal speech patterns, and a tremendously sophisticated wit, and what emerges is a challenging show that reaches through time to remain as topical as when it was first written.

The combined efforts of director Angela Dickson and musical director Marilyn Swears have challenged their large ensemble cast to tell the story clearly and sing & dance their way through its complex moments with seeming ease. -- Favored with strong singing voices and some significant stage experience, the featured roles come across convincingly, especially as they have to manage the intentionally stilted Runyonesque dialogue.

Nathan Detroit [Chris Kelly] has his hands full: he is the organizer of "the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York", but needs $1000 to keep it going; at the same time, he has promised the featured entertainer at the "Hot Box" nightclub, Miss Adelaide [Bethany Telehany], that he is giving up gambling and intends to marry her after a 14-year relationship. She has been more than patient, and he consistently finds excuses for staying away from the altar.

While Sarah Brown [Kari Gatlin], a soldier in the "Save a Soul Mission", tries valiantly to recruit & save the local sinners, Nathan sees in her a quick fix to his money problem: he gets the high-rolling Sky Masterson [Michael Morrow] to agree to a bet -- that Sky can get Sarah to accompany him to Cuba for a fling. Sky is such a slick operator, that he convinces some at the mission that he is a repentant sinner, and promises Sarah that he will fill her evening salvation session with at least a dozen sinners. Once in Cuba, Sarah falls for Sky, and he falls for her as well, having second thoughts about cheating her and the mission.

Runyon's characters, despite their shortcomings [drink, gambling, etc.], are really pretty decent sorts, and though he accordingly presents his men and women with different sets of priorities -- men want their freedom, and women want the security of marriage and a home -- they come across as likeable even with their faults, and especially when each realizes that no one side is perfect.

The action comes at a quick pace, though scene changes need to be managed more quickly & efficiently, and many of the characterizations are absolutely delightful. As we watch the romantic relationships develop, we get thoroughly engaged in their lives, and root for them to resolve their differences.

Mr. Morrow and Ms. Gatlin convince us of their affection in "I've Never Been in Love Before", appearing to have real feelings for each other. Mr. Kelly's bumbling efforts at avoiding marriage are quite funny. He is matched with Ms. Telehany's sensitive [and hilariously funny] "Adelaide's Lament"; and in "Marry the Man Today" with Ms. Gatlin, Ms. Telehany demonstrates a real talent for the comedic musical stage: a standout.

Tony Davidson's rousing rendition of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" nearly brings down the house; and Paul Blount's grandfatherly advice to Sarah in "More I Cannot Wish You" is the singular most touching moment in this production.

In a brilliant casting choice, Bill Nowell plays Big Jule -- the toughest, meanest, and biggest gangster of them all. Mr. Nowell's slight frame and diminutive stature are no hindrance to his depiction of Big Jule; he gets away with it brilliantly and dominates the stage as if he physically filled it up.

With the entire company of 34 actors performing together only a few times, the stage does get a bit crowded, but all in all the staging remains fluid, the action moves along, and we are swept away by the energy of the actors and the brilliance of the script and the music.

Red Door: "Wise Women"

2010-12-04T08:24:00.010-06:00

It is getting close to Christmas in 1944. World War II is raging in Europe. And in Knoxville, TN, over-protective single mom Florence [Susie Priori Turner] keeps a close eye on her teenaged daughter Rose [Haley Greathouse] who is a dreamy-eyed fan of Frank Sinatra and wants to go to a local concert featuring her idol.

To make ends meet, and as part of the War Effort (and unknown to Rose and much to her disdain), Florence agrees to have two boarders come to live with them temporarily: the outspokenly enthusiastic Jiggs [Anna Perry] and the shy Sarah Ruth [Eve Harmon] who is dominated by her preacher father, and who will share Rose's room.

The 2003 "Southern Playwrights Competition" winner that debuted at Virginia's Barter Theatre in 2004, Ron Osborne's Wise Women is now in the capable hands of Artistic Director Fiona Macleod at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs.

On a detailed "homey" set placed at an angle to provide interest and space on the Red Door's small stage, Ms. Macleod sensitively guides her ensemble cast through what could become mere sentimentality into a touchingly recognizable story of the various women's journeys as they accept one another and themselves, emerging more aware and trustful. Each has at least one secret; each somehow mistrusts either herself or others. And each one's story makes us think and care about them.

As each of these women opens up to others, telling stories of their backgrounds and experiences, we learn that talking through our problems helps. -- Florence has created an ideal picture of Rose's father, one that we learn is untrue but which remains a secret from Rose. Rose herself learns that an innocent relationship with a Marine named Howard [Travin Wilkerson] does not have to be hidden from her mother, and Florence understands that she must allow her daughter to experience things for herself.

Sarah Ruth, though embarrassed in competing for the "Miss Bombshell" title, understands that doing so enabled her to step out on her own and relax the control of her father. And Jiggs is relieved to know that the false bravado she exhibits, charming though it might be, is unnecessary, and even the callous Donnie [Joseph Crawford] can't provide the love she so wants.

The plot unfolds in a series of short scenes, some serious and some humorous, keeping us involved in the lives of the characters. -- So many recognizable traits are treated with conviction by the actors appearing in the roles that they emerge as credible individuals, even though the language & references to the time-period might render some of it nostalgic.

Chief among the characterizations is Anna Perry's portrayal of Jiggs. Exhibiting confidence and providing subtle understanding of the dialogue's shifts from pathos to humor, detailed movement and gesture, and full committment to character relationships, Ms. Perry is a model of a truthful portrayal of a person we come to care about.

Wise Women -- set as it is during the Christmas season -- encourages all of us to find the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts.

ASF: "Peter Pan"

2010-11-23T14:52:00.013-06:00

Just in time for the holiday season, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is bringing back a lively musical production of Peter Pan, the beloved story by James M. Barrie in the Jerome Robbins adaptation with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, and music by Mark Charlap & Jules Styne.

Played on John Iacovelli's evocative fairytale set with its bright colors and exaggerated comic-book inspired shapes & sizes, and aided by Patrick Holt's delightful costumes that distinguish between the real world and Neverland, the script and its familiar musical numbers ["I Won't Grow Up", "I Gotta Crow", "Tender Shepherd", and "I'm Flying" among them] moves along at a steady pace that sustains interest & engagement of the audience.

The 1904 story of the boy who lives in Neverland where he never has to grow up and take on adult responsibilities, and who spends his time in adventures with the Lost Boys fighting Pirates and Indians, appeals to children of all ages -- young ones who can actually play all day and older ones who would like to relive their carefree youth.

Peter Pan, played here with impish charm by Sarah Litzinger, visits the nursery of the Darling family where he has been enthralled by various bedtime stories he overhears Mrs. Darling [Lynna Schmidt] tell her children. The kids are soon in bed with Mr. Darling's [Rodney Clark] admonition to have "a little less noise". Peter soon arrives searching for his shadow that got left behind, and meets Wendy [Emily Kinney] and her younger brothers John & Michael [played alternately by Greyson Hammock/Tyler Lewin & Joseph Sims/Crispin South], who are so infatuated with his life that he teaches them to fly and they go with him to Neverland where Wendy will be "mother" to the boys and tell them stories. They are accompanied by the fairy Tinker Bell, who is jealous of the attention Peter gives to Wendy.

Once in Neverland, adventures come fast & furious. The Indians, led by Tiger Lily [Eleni Kanalos] and the Lost Boys await Peter's return and are interrupted by the arrival of the dastardly pirates. Rodney Clark, now transformed from Mr. Darling into the effete Captain Hook, is Peter's arch-enemy, his devious plans against Peter accompanied each time in the play by music -- a march, a tatantella, and a waltz -- that inspire him in assorted and increasingly comic ways as he poses and prances his way through them.

Wendy takes her new role as "mother" very seriously, and conscripts Peter into the role of "father" -- one which he reluctantly plays with the proviso that is is only in play, and not for real. After all, he "won't grow up".

When the pirates capture the Lost Boys and the Darling children, it is up to Peter to come to their rescue, abetted by Tinker Bell and the Indians...and though the pretense has been fun, John & Michael & Wendy all want to return to their home, to their loving parents, to the real world -- to grow up. Pretending has been enjoyable, but it is time to leave Neverland.

Peter promises to come back once a year to bring Wendy back for Spring cleaning, but "time" in Neverland passes ever so swiftly that when he does return, Wendy is grown up and has a child of her own who takes her place with the eternal child: Peter Pan.

For audiences, the journey too is fun. For a while, we revel in the pretense and adventure of childhood, vicariously duel with pirates, and transport ourselves to Neverland with the assistance of Tom Griffin's adept musical direction and Karen Azenberg's energetic choreography.

Director Geoffrey Sherman has put together a production that, while a bit tentative and rough around its technical demands at the opening performance, should settle into a solid show for the holidays.

AUM: "A Delicate Balance"

2010-11-16T10:08:00.009-06:00

Theatre AUM's challenging season continues with a student directed and designed production of Edward Albee's 1967 Pulitzer Prize winning "A Delicate Balance", once again bringing to the local stage a play that no other theatres in the area are willing to mount, and the large opening night audience welcomed it enthusiastically, leaving the theatre eagerly talking about its often puzzling themes and situations.

With an ensemble of faculty, staff, and student actors, director Sarah Worley deftly guides them through their paces, recognizing both the serious and comical elements Albee is noted for -- absurd situations and contradictory facets within individual characters, unexplained conflicts, and recognizable human emotions and behavior.

Welcome to a dysfunctional family: Agnes [Katie Pearson] and Tobias [Mike Winkelman] are a well-to-do couple who have become so accustomed to each other's foibles that they tolerate oddities at any time. Agnes fears she is going mad, and Tobias pays scant attention. Agnes's sister Claire [Laura Bramblette's superb comic timing and in-your-face interpretation of the role is a standout] an alcoholic harridan, upsets the equilibrium of the household, as does the return of their grown up and spoiled daughter Julia [Tina Neese], on the brink of her fourth divorce.

That not being enough for Albee, Tobias and Agnes's "best friends" Harry [David P. Wilson] and Edna [Janice Wood] show up on the doorstep seeking refuge; they are afraid of something unnamed, and depend on their friends for help. -- These interlopers set family issues on fire as they move in, apparently to stay, and begin to exercise their new "rights" by ordering people around and assuming theey have a new home.

Of course, avioding the real issues is a talent most of these characters have developed over time. What is not said is just as important as direct statements, and the presence of "outsiders" prompts the more direct discourse, with Agnes as the "fulcrum" that holds the family together, maintaining a delicate balance between reality and appearance, truth and fantasy, honesty and hypocrisy, inaction and determined action. -- Mix with this a lot of drinking, and defenses are down, making for both an entertaining and provocative production.

Ms. Pearson & Mr. Winkelman are a good match for one another; her determination is balanced by his tacit acceptance. Mr. Wilson's wimpish excuses are balanced by Ms. Wood's deadly persistence. Ms. Neese's screeching tirades and pouting are balanced by Ms. Bramblette's no nonsense unapologetic directness.

Maddie Bogacz and Sarah Fish have provided costumes that suit each character well; Mickey Lonsdale's lighting provides ample illumination but little variety; Frank Thomas's sound elements are integrated into the production to punctuate the action; and Jason Huffman's scenic design of an upper-class home has appropriate architectural elements but few decorative touches that would establish ownership by a person or family, and looks unfinished.

This is a challenging script that is managed pretty well by the student team who show promise of future endeavors. Theatre AUM has placed a lot of trust in these individuals; the payoff is a solid production.

Faulkner: "All My Sons"

2010-10-11T09:22:00.010-05:00

Arthur Miller's Tony Award winning 1947 play "All My Sons" is currently playing at the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre, reminding us that concerns of family and business in war time are as resonant today as they were when the play was written.

Directed by Jason Clark South, this production features some of Faulkner's veteran actors whose acting abilities are challenged by Miller's naturalistic treatment; and they are mostly up to the task.

Joe and Kate Keller [Chris Kelly and Kari Gatlin] have been keeping mum for some years about Joe's responsibility of manufacturing faulty airplane parts that were installed and caused the deaths of numerous pilots during World War II. Joe had also let his partner suffer the consequences of a long jail sentence, while he returned to work and made a very successful business for himself and his family. -- The townspeople have been suspicious of Joe ever since he got out of jail.

Their son Larry was "lost" on a flight mission, and Kate is resolute in believing that he is still alive, while others know that he is dead.

Younger son Chris [Chase McMichen] also served in the war, returning home safely, and idolizing his father; he invites former neighbor and Larry's sweetheart Ann Deever [Jaynie Casserly] to their home in hopes of igniting a romance between them, a sensitive issue, since Kate insists that she is "Larry's girl"...and it becomes difficult for the young people to break their news to Joe & Kate.

When Ann's brother George [Tony Davidson] arrives after visiting his father in jail, he knows that Joe had allowed his father to rot in jail, and will do most anything to announce it to the world and rescue Ann from the corruption of the Keller family.

Neighbors Dr. Jim & Sue Bayliss [Michael Morrow & Abby Roberts] have moved into the Deever's house next door to the Kellers, and neighbors Frank & Lydia Lubey [Daniel Fausz & Hailey Beene] who have known the Kellers all their lives, serve as reminders of the past, and Frank writes a horoscope for Larry, insisting that he is not dead and thereby giving hope to Kate, while Lydia -- pregnant with her fourth child -- is an ideal wife & mother.

Young Bert [Trish Wampol] is a protege of Joe's in serving as a policeman for the community -- upholding the strongest moral principles instilled in him by Joe...an ironic comment on Joe's secrecy.

As secrets are revealed, and the truth about Larry's demise becomes clear, Joe is left in a desperate condition: he has lost the love and trust of his remaining son; and Kate's belief that Larry is alive is shattered.

There are some fine moments of impassioned conflict between father and son, and of budding romance & trust between Ann and Chris, but much of the dialogue -- and therefore our understanding of the themes and conflicts -- is inaudible. There are two reasons for this which can be fixed: first, naturalistic dialogue still needs to be projected, and many of the actors in this production speak so softly that they can not be heard; second, the set has a wide expanse of white stones filling the back-yard of the Keller's house that make loud gravelling sounds with every step on them by an actor, and while the set-design looks good, when dialogue is covered, it must be changed...especially since much of the acting is good and ought to be heard.

Wetumpka Depot: "The Dixie Swim Club"

2010-10-03T15:12:00.007-05:00

Take five Southern women who were members of their college's swim team; meet them some 22 years after graduation at an annual reunion at a beach cottage in North Carolina; watch their relationships shift and grow over the next 33 years -- and you have "The Dixie Swim Club" on stage as part of the Wetumpka Depot Players' 30th Anniversary Season.

The script by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jasmine Hooten gives each character a distinct and familiar personality that matures with them over the years and gives each of the cast members plenty of opportunities to develop nuances that make them more than mere caricatures.

That's not to say that they lose these traits: Sheree [Terri Thompson], a fitness & health-food addict, is always the group's organizer; often-married Lexie [Kim Mason] never ceases to stay glamorous and flirt with men; Dinah [Ashley Moon] employs her career drive in the law to everyone's benefit; Jeri Neal [Bridgette Harper], a former nun, remains optimistic throughout; and Vernadette's [Jan Hancock] annual broken-bone and tales of a dysfunctional family life keep the others entertained. In fact, all of them provide entertaining diversions for the rest and for us.

Other than the yearly ritual reunion, there is little plot in this play; instead, these women's enduring friendship is what holds interest. In essence, they are all good people -- somewhat flawed -- who are instantly recognizable in their ordinariness, making it easy for us to identify with their individual quirks and off-stage lives. They divulge a lot about families and events that have happened during the year, though they swear that their weekend get-togethers are for them alone, away from other friends, family, social obligations, jobs...a time and place to enjoy one another's company.

Though their histories come alive, and they occasionally wax nostalgic in revisiting the past, these women live in the present. They argue a lot and vie for attention, but realize that the fights are not as important as the bonds of friendship.

As they face so many common issues -- marriages and divorces, health, age, alcoholism, career choices, the economy, birth & death, and hurricanes -- all with a sense of humor, we watch their friendships grow and solidify as they continually discuss and share new aspects of their lives and characters.

We learn that Lexie "may be vain and frivolous, but not shallow", and that Dinah did a lot more for all of them that no one ever knew, that Vernadette's life "is one big country song" and that Jeri Neal's grandmother's homespun advice settles many arguements, and that Sheree's hors d'oeuvres that taste like "regurgitated ferret-food" create bonds of affection.

"The Dixie Swim Club" gives a fine example of ensemble acting under Hazel Jones's intuitively sensitive direction. We enjoy their company and may learn much from them.

AUM: "The Misanthrope"

2010-10-02T16:36:00.010-05:00

Theatre AUM's current season-opening production under Mike Winkelman's direction locates 17th Century French playwright Moliere's darkly funny "The Misanthrope" in 19th Century New Orleans during Mardi Gras, a choice that somehow works through the antic behavior of its actors, while it de-emphasizes the serious side of the play.

Moliere's concern among others was to criticize the attitudes and behavior of his contemporaries -- when fashion and glamorous appearance passed for substance, when flattery trumped honesty, and when one's reputation could be elevated or ruined by gossip...Sound familiar?! Here we are in a narcissistic celebrity-obsessed culture where more people recognize Paris Hilton than Elena Kagan, where frivolous lawsuits are brought and achieve an ill-gotten 15-minutes of fame, and where vulgar self-absorbed behavior dominates much of prime time and cyber bullying has driven some people to suicide.

Val Winkelman again triumphs in creating inventive and elegant costumes that depict the period and enhance characterizations; turning her hand to scenic design for the first time, she creates a minimalist setting comprising marble trompe-l'oeil columns, gold drapes, and glittering chandeliers -- and a set of "dancing chairs" -- that define the space and support the fluidly choreographed movement of the actors.

Alceste [Michael Krek] loves the beautiful Celimene [Laura Selmon], yet is facing a dilemma: he demands forthright honesty in everything, and she is a coquette who evades decisions and flatters others with apparent sincerity while slandering them behind their backs. But Alceste can not help himself, he is so much in love.

Alceste's friend Philinte [Josh Diboll] recommends more prudent speech, but when the foppish Oronte [LaBrandon Tyre] demands an honest assessment of an awful sonnet he penned -- and Alceste reluctantly complies -- the absurd result is a lawsuit against the honest man.

Most of the characters spend a great deal of time and effort to disguise their true selves in the name of fashion and politeness, and Alceste's tolerance is tested at every turn, much to the delight of the audience.

Philinte says he agrees that honesty is admirable, but he flatters with the best of them to avoid conflict. Arsinoe's [Brittany Carden] expression of high moral standards belies her amorous duplicity and implied critical judgements. Oronte's excessive response to Alceste's honesty pits them as rivals for Celimene's affection. Acaste [Mickey Lonsdale] and Clitandre [Wes Milton] are such fawning fops that Alceste can barely stand to be in the same room with them. Celimene's every action is a disguise so habitual that it is impossible for her to break. Ms. Selmon's archness, posturing, and false frozen smile reminiscent of beauty pageant contestants, make her appear brittle and unattractive -- but Alceste can not deny his affection for her, as unreasonable as it is.

Only Eliante [Alicia Fry] is down-to-earth and, in a way, a deserving match for Alceste's honesty.

The director has his ensemble push the envelope in both action and speech, employing broad gestures and mincing gates, melodramatic poses, and frenetic pacing along with rapid speech, all of which prompt earned laughs and applause throughout.

Using Richard Wilbur's masterful rhymed couplet verse translation, recognized by many scholars as the best available in English, the AUM actors are challenged to speak the words intelligibly, articulately, and meaningfully -- and they do a good job, some more successfully than others. Mr. Krek is chief among them, with Mr. Diboll running a close second; however, the choice of high-pitched voices for most of the women and of the fops Acaste and Clitandre often render the words almost unintelligible when coupled with raucous laughs and physical hi-jinks -- all suitable to the characters, no doubt, and drawing responsive appreciation from the audience which also covers up many of the words. -- Perhaps some calming down after opening night will temper the performances so their energy and committment get the reactions they deserve.

By the end of the play, we are exhausted from laughter, and have been connected to the lives of these characters. Alceste's ultimatum to Celimene -- give up the fashionable life and go away with him to a distant, calmer, and honest place away from the noisy delights of the city -- is an impossible demand; and we are left to decide whether it is for the best.

ASF: "The Nacirema Society..."

2010-10-02T08:16:00.010-05:00

The world premier of Atlanta based playwright Pearl Cleage's "The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of your Presence at a Celebration of their First One Hundred Years" is taking the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's main stage by storm, garnering well-earned laughs and spontaneous standing ovations in a limited run before moving to its co-producing company, the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

And what a perfect way to begin ASF's "25th Anniversary Season" -- in Montgomery, that is, after its move from Anniston.

Set in Montgomery in 1964 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Ms. Cleage's insightful comedy surprises with its many complications of plot and character, and its sensitive depiction of family relationships & secrets, exposing a side of the African-American culture of the period that is generally ignored by the history books: a side that needs to be told. -- Not everyone, after all, was as obsessed with the Movement as some chronicles suggest; though Civil Rights could not be ignored and is not ignored in Ms. Cleage's play, people continued to go to school, worked, and socialized. Life went on.

Depicted in "Nacirema..." are the affluent African-American Montgomerians whose social stature is securely unquestioned within their own ranks, but whose assurance translates to perceived arrogance and exclusivity by less fortunate Blacks.

Preparing for the Nacirema Society's debutante cotillion, young & romantic Gracie Dunbar [Naima Carter Russell] is subjected to her implacable widowed grandmother's constant reminders of the propriety expected of her as a representative of the group. In the person of Trezana Beverley, grandmother Grace Dubose Dunbar is a force to be reckoned with, the doyenne of the Nacirema who reveres and upholds its traditions, and whose word is law. She has all the marks of worldly success: family money and social position, an opulent mansion, servants, fine clothing, impeccable manners & precise speech, and a social set who rarely if ever emerge from their insular world.

Gracie's life has been planned for her, from following family traditions by attending Fisk University to marrying Bobby Green [Kevin Alan Daniels], the son of Grace's best friend, Catherine Adams Green [Andrea Frye]. But Gracie is a talented and serious writer who has been accepted at Barnard College in New York, and though she has grown up with Bobby, for her he is merely a friend; and while her mother Marie Dunbar [Chinai J. Hardy] is sympathetic, she is caught in the middle.

And there are other complications, first in the person of Alpha Campbell Jackson [Tonia Jackson], the daughter of a former maid in the Dunbar household who invents a scheme to extort money from the Dunbars to pay for her own daughter Lillie's [Karan Kendrick] education by threatening to reveal a family secret, and whose presence in the Dunbar's house pits divergent social classes against one another.

Secondly, the arrival of New York Times journalist Janet Logan [Jasmine Guy] has been planned to promote a positive image of the Nacirema, and to "correct" a "false" image published about them in a previous article. Well-intentioned though she may be, and though everyone treats her with excessive politeness, Janet's search for concrete details she can report are thwarted by Grace's and Catherine's obsessive attention to the upcoming cotillion, and their protection of the family's reputation.

Played out on Peter Hicks's staggeringly lavish and spacious set, and complimented by Susan Mickey's fabulous period-detailed costumes that enhance every character, "Nacirema" engages audiences for its full two and a half hours. Director Susan Booth guides her ensemble cast through the assorted plot contrivances and complications with apparent ease, making each moment believable by respecting Ms. Cleage's brilliant dialogue and intricate plotting of events. So many details of each character's lives and personalities are contained in the script, that each emerges as a complete and recognizable individual. Even the maid Jessie Roberts [Neda Spears], a role of opening doors, taking and giving back coats, and carrying props, is a fully developed person who intuits every move of other characters, and whose devotion to the family's honor is slyly manouvered at the end.

The laughs come a mile a minute in "Nacirema", mostly due to Ms. Cleage's character driven lines and the ensemble actors' timing and credibility, though occasional over-the-top interpretations and melodramatic gestures threaten to de-rail the text.

These are people we know, and their concern for doing what is right and good in spite of obstacles is worth celebrating. The love of family and the ability to forgive the sins of the past are lessons from which we can all benefit...So, welcome back to writing for the stage, Pearl Cleage! You have made us laugh, you have made us think, you have made us feel.

ASF Interns: "the House at Pooh Corner"

2010-09-26T10:50:00.008-05:00

Nancy Rominger's production of The House at Pooh Corner is a sweet, gentle, and utterly charming showcase of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's new Acting Intern Company.

Adapted by Bettye Knapp from the A. A. Milne classic, scenic designer Brave Williams transforms the Octagon Theatre into a cut-out picture book reminiscent of the original's illustrations, and Aaron Turner's clever and colorful costumes make for instant character recognition.

Running at about an hour -- not too long for young children's attention, and long enough for the parents who accompany them -- the action only occasionally lags while the story unravels.

Christopher Robin has called an emergency meeting of all his favorite companions, the stuffed animals surrounding him in his childhood, each with its own personality that makes them more alive in his imagination than any real-life character.

But, what is the emergency? Is it to build a house for Eeyore to stay warm in, or to escape the "roaring yellow animal" that is rampaging through the woods? -- No...Christopher Robin's emergency is that he is about to be sent "away to education", something he resists with all his might in order to remain with his playmates and not grow up [stay tuned to on this theme for Peter Pan that opens at ASF in November].

En route to Christopher Robin's inevitable departure -- one which he ultimately accepts -- the characters demonstrate how teamwork succeeds when adjustments are made to others' contributions, that change is a necessary element of growing up, and that lasting friendships are based on unquestioning love and accepting others for what they are.

This group of young actor-interns show evidence of becoming an ensemble, much like the characters they portray with simplicity and directness. They become the characters.

Corey Triplett's Winnie-the-Pooh, the "bear of very little brain", is gentle and unassuming, while Brett Warnke's take-charge Rabbit serves as a strong counterpoint. Tara Herweg [outstanding as Kanga] is a no-nonsense motherly figure, the "adult" voice of reason in the group who firmly but lovingly controlls her enthusiastic son Roo [Kevin Callaghan]; and Caitlin McGee is genuinely innocent as Piglet.

From his first moment on-stage, Seth Rabinowitz's portrayal of Eeyore, slow of movement, downcast of eye, and philosophically resonant of voice, captures the audience's heart.

Erik Gullberg plays three roles -- Early and Late Rabbits nicely contrasted in behavior and costume, and the pogo-sticking energetically loud Tigger, this last that could steal the show were it not for Gullberg & Company's generosity to one another that allows each to take focus appropriately.

Christopher Robin and Owl are played by Tyler Jakes, a clever choice of doubling, as Christopher Robin is reluctantly facing adulthood and Owl represents wisdom. Jakes shows each character distinctly -- the youthful internal conflict of the real boy is sensitively drawn, while the birdlike mannerisms and authoritative demeanor of Owl are clear opposites.

Children respond to the animated actors and are drawn into the action so much that responses from them to an on-stage question are delivered without hesitation. -- Adults can enjoy this too, though the dialogue frequently appeals on a grown-up level [Question: "What does 'organize' mean?"; Answer: "Delay!"], and songs that mimic Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" elicit an older generation's recognition and approval.

Watch for these actors in the upcoming ASF season. If this production of The House on Pooh Corner is any indication, their contributions should be eagerly anticipated.

Cloverdale Playhouse: UPDATE

2010-09-21T21:56:00.013-05:00

On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, some 250-300 invited guests, Mayor Todd Strange, Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby, the theatre's Board of Directors, Board Chairman Dorman Walker, Morris Dees [the mastermind behind the project], and several dignitaries filled the soon-to-be-refitted Cloverdale Playhouse in Montgomery, and were treated to a concert by award-winning soloist, Bruce Hornsby.

Introduced by WSFA television newscaster Mark Bullock, the emcee for the evening, Hornsby's two-part concert received standing ovations for his versions of many hits in assorted musical styles, and he regaled the crowd with stories about his collaborations with the likes of Don Henley, Willie Nelson, and others.

The event served to celebrate the naming of the theatre: "In recognition of her lifetime dedication to community theatre, [largely over some 40 years at the helm of the Montgomery Little Theatre] the Board of Directors voted unanimously to name the Cloverdale Playhouse's stage the Elizabeth Crump Theatre."

Additionally, the lobby of the theatre is named the Sara Hardt Mencken Lobby, for native Montgomerian and wife of H. L. Menken, a celebrated writer herself, and an aunt of local artist Anton Hardt.

Both Elizabeth Crump and Anton Hardt were in attendance to receive deserved applause and recognition for their several contributions to theatre, the arts, and the Cloverdale Playhouse.

It was also announced that the Cloverdale Playhouse is consulting with creative director Peter Brosius of the award-winning Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis to help develop a children's theatre component of the Playhouse.

Designs for the planned renovation of the theatre by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. were on display at the reception following, designed by Bob Vardaman.

Thanks were extended to the many individuals who have contributed to the renovation fund, spearheaded by Mike Jenkins IV, which is anticipated to be complete within a short time so the renovations can begin.

-- Funding is still needed, as are volunteers.
Contact Emily Flowers at (334) 294-4390 or at emily.flowers@cloverdaleplayhouse.org for information.

Millbrook: "Play On!"

2010-09-19T13:24:00.006-05:00

The Millbrook Community Players, Inc. have announced an ambitious 7-play 2011 Season while producing this year's penultimate production of Rick Abbot's "Play On!".

Directed by Chris Perry, this three-act comedy rings a lot of familiar chords for anyone involved in amateur dramatics. Tracking a second-rate theatre company's doomed production of a cliche-ridden murder mystery penned with daily re-writes by the playwright, the plot goes from a rehearsal to a dress rehearsal to opening night as personalities clash and frustrations mount.

It doesn't paint a pretty picture of community theatre, though much of its content accurately depicts its foibles: actors who can not separate their stage roles from their off-stage lives, some who show up without learning their lines, unfinished props and sets, a mishmash of sound cues, a director more concerned with taking coffee breaks than directing, and tempers flaring at the slightest provocation...certainly the fuel for a lot of laughs, especially of the self-reflective type.

Here are local veteran and neophyte Millbrook actors playing actors who perform roles in a play, challenging them to distinguish one from the other, a task managed pretty well by the company in an ensemble performance. -- The trick here is to play each stereotype with conviction: for example, the ditzy teenaged actress concerned with late-night curfews and looming high school exams plays a maid whose role in Murder Most Foul serves to do little more than set the scene and introduce characters. In the role, Kristi Taylor shows those elements as high school gradually overtakes the other, resulting in ever-increasing volume and pace in the actual performance.

There are additional challenges in this production. First, the accoustics in the Millbrook theatre render speech almost unintelligible during rapid-fire and impassioned exchanges, of which there are a lot in "Play On!".

Second, Abbot has written clear characters and clever stereotypes, and though this company does show them individually, they are played with the same intensity throughout, with everyone at the same loud volume and same fast pace, that much of the play's humor is lost and characterizations get a bit muddled.

Millbrook newcomer Derrick Lovett [playing Saul Watson who plays Doctor Rex Forbes in the play-within-a-play] turns in the most distinct performance. Gifted with a clear voice, supple body, and animated face, Mr. Lovett's mannerisms in both roles are finely tuned to each, and his ability to switch personalities mid-sentence shows an admirably disciplined actor. He is engaged in every moment, and is therefore eminently watchable. Even his riotously funny "extended death sequence in rehearsal" transforms to a more simple one in the "performance".

The Millbrook Community Players keep finding new talent which should come in handy for their December production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and for next year's season.

WOBT: "The Letter Box"

2010-08-29T13:19:00.006-05:00

The Way Off Broadway Theatre in Prattville is currently showcasing a debut performance of The Letter Box, a "dramedy" by Tina G. Fonte and Lisa Martin. It is WOBT's 24th production since 2003.

Designed to refer to businesses and individuals in any community where it is performed, the script engages local audiences who recognize them; even J.T. and Leeann's voices are heard on the radio in this show.

Directed by Ms. Martin, who also has an on-stage role, and designed by Ms. Fonte, the plot of The Letter Box centers on Elmo Finkelstein [Matthew Givens], a Jewish holocaust survivor living in Prattville, Alabama, and known to everyone both as a hypochondriac and a "local character" whose eccentricities endear him to some and test the patience of others.

Elmo has been searching for his long-lost son, and makes contact by writing letters to the distant Knott family children; and he keeps a box of letters with him at all times, letters that are discovered later to contain links to his past.

When Elmo is hospitalized and in a coma after a hit-and-run incident, the locals come to his rescue by reading his letters and attempt to re-unite him with his family.

Act I provides a long exposition that introduces an assortment of characters who intersect Elmo's life: hospital Nurse Nellie [Teri Sweeney], business-like Dr. Kenton [Whitney Lehmann], Bus Driver Bill and Poppy Jenkins [both roles played by West Marcus], polite & stuffy Englishwoman Velma Dinsmoor [Misty Corrales], brash & outspoken Haddie Gipson [Michon Givens], and flirtatious socialite Widow Hildebrand [Ms. Martin]. -- The dysfunctional Knott family are played by David Felber, Dana Morrison as his upward-moving politician wife who sacrifices family for career, and Rachel Brackins & Hannah Germann as their two daughters.

The two families come together in Act II when Thea Knott travels to Prattville to confront the stranger who has been writing to her daughters, only to find him hospitalized, and where she learns to be more tolerant of others and to value her own family.

The script has a lot going for it -- some clever dialogue and important themes -- though some judicious editing and a firmer directorial hand could tighten the 2-hour and 20-minute performance. Played as it is on a small stage, some of the numerous locations require lengthy scene changes, thus slowing down the plot movement and disengaging audiences from its themes and situations. And the sets use a curious mixture of pictorial detail and clumsy unfinished renderings.

Most of the performances, saddled as they are with stereotypes and sentimentality, are convincingly credible. Chief among them is Teri Sweeney's completely natural sound and behavior that are committed to each moment, providing an excellent model for the rest of the company.

The believable adolescent whining and bluntness of the Knott sisters is fine; the well-defined gestures and comic vocal inflections of Ms. Givens make her character both truthful and funny; and Mr. Marcus' distinctions between the pathetic illness of Poppy and the in-your-face tauntings of Bus Driver Bill are insightful and convincing.

The range that Mr. Givens' interpretation of Elmo provides is character driven, making audiences laugh or cry as dictated by the script, and though his dialect could be more nuanced, he does make us care about his plight and the plot's resolution.

ASF: Scot Bruce -- "Elvis: The Early Years"

2010-08-16T22:14:00.007-05:00

Thirty-three years to the day of Elvis Presley's untimely death, Scot Bruce brought to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival a very special concert -- "Elvis: The Early Years". There will be another concert tomorrow night at 7:30.

Looking so much like "the King" in his prime, and dressed in a gold lame jacket for the first act and skin-tight black leather for the second, Mr. Bruce's efforts were not so much a slavish impersonation [though there were plenty of mannerisms, poses, and gyrations in his performance], but rather a sincere tribute to a man who still brings so much joy to millions of people around the world through his music.

Performing almost non-stop for two hours including a brief intermission, he and his able instrumental quartet gave us thirty songs out of the over-700 Elvis recorded; and the sold-out audience cheered, sang along, and danced in the aisles throughout. Every song was familiar, and every one received grateful and hearty applause.

Mr. Bruce's interpretations were spot-on conjurings of Elvis in his heyday; starting with "Blue Suede Shoes" and "All Shook Up", he had the audience on his side immediately, and kept the upbeat quality and the volume up for most of the evening, often drowning out the lyrics, and only slowing down occasionally with "Love Me Tender", "Peace in the Valley" and "Cryin' in the Chapel".

And he "played" the audience by moving down to the footlights to make eye contact with the many admirers [mostly female] in the first few rows, accepting Teddy Bears and "articles of clothing" from them with good grace, and calling out his thanks to Montgomery and to ASF.

So many audience favorites came in quick succession: "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Devil in Disguise", "Hunk of Burnin' Love", "Suspicious Minds", "King Creole", "Tutti Frutti", and "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" [from the film Blue Hawaii], and ending with "Hound Dog"...to cheers after cheers.

Mr. Bruce's energy is amazing. The musicianship of the entire group is first rate,and each was featured on a couple of numbers to showcase their significant talents.

Of course, the concert could not end without an encore, a medley of patriotic songs and "All My Trials", concluding with a resounding version of "Jailhouse Rock", with people on their feet by the end.

For an all-too-brief time, Elvis lived again.

Depot: "Big River"

2010-08-14T20:56:00.009-05:00

Here's what the best of community theatre is all about: a sold-out run of a classic story, an award-winning musical score, a simple well-made set & costumes, strong direction, and the near perfect casting of an able ensemble drawn from the surrounding community. The Wetumpka Depot Players hit every mark in their current production of "Big River" by Roger Miller and William Hauptman, based on Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".

The Depot's Artistic Director Kristy Meanor is at the helm of this endeavor, and captures the essence of Twain's themes and characters, inventively stages the numerous scenes, balances rollicking humor with moments of pathos, collaborates with Mary Katherine Moore's clever choreography, and establishes excellent rapport with Marilyn Swears' orchestra and the onstage guitar & harmonica.

In a little over two hours, we are transported "down the Mississippi" on a raft with Huck [Jonathan Conner] and runaway slave Jim [Depot newcomer Darryl Hall] and their adventures interspersed with considerations on the morality of slavery and the degrees of adulthood Huck is forced to confront and conquer in his meetings with some thirty other characters.

Chief among them are Pap Finn, played with inebriated gusto by Tom Salter; Miss Watson [Kim Mason] and the Widow Douglas [Cheryl Jones] whose haughty attempts to both civilize and Christianize Huck prompt him to run away; the good-hearted Mrs. Phelps [Layne Holley] and her husband Silas [Lee Windham] who can't resist making money in the slave-trade; and the con-artists The King [Sam Wallace] and The Duke [Jeff Langham] whose wonderfully comic escapades contribute to the complexity of the plot and whose schemes offer some highlights of entertainment. And Tom Sawyer [David Brown] complicates matters with his insistence on ever-expanding devices in romanticizing their adventures. Even Mark Twain himself takes the stage in Patrick Hale's fine impersonation.

And a lot of the story is told through song: "Do You Wanna Go To Heaven?" , "The Boys", and "Waitin for the Light to Shine" set the tone of adventure; while "Muddy Water" and "The Crossing" target the serious side of matters. Even Pap's drunken tirade "Guvment" connects with many people's critiques of government "interference" in their lives.

The theme of "freedom" is given at least two meanings: Huck wants freedom to go on adventures and not be tied down by the civilizing forces of polite society, a youthful innocent desire; yet when he meets up with the runaway slave Jim, whose freedom is determined by the many people hunting him down, Huck is forced to choose between what he has been schooled to believe -- that slavery is right and that he has an obligation to turn in a runaway -- and what he knows is right -- that every person, regardless of race, is entitled both to freedom and dignity.

All this is told through the individual portrayals. Mr. Conner has made an impression at the Depot in both "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Second Samuel" in which his detailed characterizations and vivacious demeanor connected with audiences; and he continues here as Huck with a character conflicted with important decisions and portrayed with subtle distinctions between self-aware humor and deeply felt morality. -- Mr. Hall's portrayal of Jim is so natural and heart-felt, that he is instantly and consistently believable in the role. -- And the connection between these two actors we watch grow from tentative to complete trust, deeply felt compassion, and an earnest desire to make the world a better place. -- Plus, they can both knock out a rousing song or rivet the audience with a touching version of "Worlds Apart".

Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" is an important piece of American literature; "Big River" provides a modern day interpretation of his masterpiece; the Wetumpka Depot Players are gifting the local community with this excellent production.

Faulkner: "The Fantasticks"

2010-08-14T19:57:00.009-05:00

What can you say about "The Fantasticks" -- in the 50th Anniversary of its initial production, now in an updated version by its originators, Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt? It has an assured place in the annals of American Musical Theatre history, having touched generations of theatre patrons with its signature opening song: "Try to Remember". Currently playing at the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre to sold out audiences, this deceptively gentle and innocent musical keeps its viewers engaged throughout its two-plus hour running time through its delightful characterizations and intelligent musical score.

The story of young love between the romantic Luisa [Anna Sailors] and the equaly naively heroic Matt [Chase McMichen] is put to the test by their Fathers -- Hucklebee [Chris Kelly] and Bellomy [Tony Davidson] who have feigned a neighbors feud in order to pair up the couple; after all, as one of the songs they sing states, children will do the opposite of what they're told by their parents.

To make this happen, they enlist the aid of El Gallo [Matthew Dickson] and his cohorts Henry [Sam Evans] and Mortimer [Braxton McDonald] to stage an "abduction" of Luisa which Matt will thwart, emerge the hero, and settle the family feud...all a farcical trick played out by moonlight.

Come the dawn, and the stark bright light of day, the romanticized relationship is put to the test as reality shows all the little flaws and foibles the night had disguised; result -- disappointment and disillusion. -- Yet, all will be resolved with a happy ending, with life experience as the teacher.

Under Angela Dickson's assured direction and Randy Foster's masterly piano accompaniment, the cast of Faulkner regulars and community actors provide a thoroughly entertaining and touching performance. -- Unlike most of the Faulkner musicals with large ensembles of actors, this one has a mere nine performers, two of whom are "Mutes" [Kari Gatlin & Michael Williams] who supply props, change drapes, and mirror the behavior of the young couple. -- The focus is therefore on the individual actors all the time.

And, they are up to it. The score is demanding, requiring mature voices, subtle dynamics and phrasing, and keen ears for melody lines and harmonics; and the range of song types goes from hauntingly romantic duets, to novelty numbers, to comic narratives, to complex quartets -- all fitting the characters and furthering the plot.

Ms. Sailors' clear voice and effervescent depiction are matched by Mr. McMichen's rich tones and youthful bravado, but it is in the chemistry they make that the love match is best communicated; their commitment ot each other -- though intimately portrayed on stage -- reaches out to the entire audience.

Mr. Davidson and Mr. Kelly are an excellent double-act as the fathers: a lot of good-hearted bluster and comfort with each other is grand. Each actor is developing a naturalness and stage comfort that makes them easy to watch.

Mr. Evans' "coarse-actor" who can't remember Shakespeare's lines but insists on continuing by improvising, is a hoot; and Mr. McDonald's cockney second-banana who stages "death-scenes" can steal the show.

Mr. Dickson's El Gallo has much to praise: he is narrator and participant, simultaneously suave and awkward, a masterful man in charge who can be thwarted in the cause of true love. He sets the tone of the play, plays the villain with elan, and disappears into the background when necessary -- a consumately generous actor.

Jason Peregoy's fight choreography fits the style of the play, and has numerous clever touches of combat mixed with romance. -- Yet it is the songs that dominate: "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Love, You Are Love", "It Depends On What You Pay", and "Plant A Radish" among them keep the plot moving and keep us involved in the lives of these delightful characters.

ASF Grads in New York

2010-08-12T12:54:00.005-05:00

If anyone from the Montgomery area plans to be in New York City in the next two weeks, they'll have opportunities to see some Alabama Shakespeare Festival graduates on stage:

Afton Williamson has taken over the lead-female role in David Mamet's Race, a role she had understudied...and she is more than up to the task. In June, I saw the production which is now in its last two weeks. The New York Times gave Afton a glowing review, claiming that she surpassed the original.

The BAMA Theatre Company will perform Shakespeare's As You Like It as part of this year's NY Fringe Festival, under the direction of Greg Thornton who graced the ASF stage for many years. Last year's production received strong reviews from the NY critics, and this year should do the same. -- I was privileged to attend a rehearsal last week, and was impressed by the energy, inventiveness, and sophistication of the acting...plus, it was a pleasure to have a bit of social time talking with this fine youthful company. --- The company comprises ASF grads: David Matthew Douglas, Greg Foro, Alison Frederick, Nathan T. Lange, Nick Lawson, Matt Renskers, Chris Roe, and Sarah Walker Thornton. -- Performances will be on August 15, 17, 19, 20, and 28. For further information, check out their website www.bamatheatrecompany.org.

Red Door: "The Widow's Best Friend"

2010-08-12T12:30:00.006-05:00

Guest Reviewer: Gregg Swem

Everything is topsy-turvy in Randy Hall's The Widow's Best Friend, a play about Southern small-town duplicity which played recently at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs. -- One of the town's leading citizens has died of a massive coronary, but before the body is cold, word of his demise has traveled so fast -- as is often the case in small towns -- that the widow's friends descend on her house like scavengers at a roadside kill.

Ostensibly, these five women are there to provide comfort with casseroles and a shoulder to cry on. They're old friends who've come to answer the phone, go to the door as more friends bring more food, and to be by the side of the grieving Cornelia Dupree. But this widow is so disconsolate, she's holed up under a sheet in her bed with a pet cat in her arms and doesn't want to see anyone.

While she's in the bedroom (the widow is never seen on stage), her inner circle of friends is in the living room and kitchen, where it soon becomes apparent that all is not copacetic in the fictional town of Persepolis, Alabama. One by one, the women arrive and find they can't get into the bedroom (at least, not for long) to be by their friend's side. Their conversations begin to reveal that not only was Cornelia's husband engaged in hanky-panky at the time of his passing, but that the lives of all these close friends are not what they appear to be. Indeed, this is no Mayberry. There are cheating spouses, children on drugs, alcoholism, and mental abberations.

What appears to be a gathering of a sympathetic support group turns into a true confessions confabulation. In the middle of the hullabaloo, a young reporter from the local paper arrives at the Dupree home to get information for an obituary. Serving as a sounding board, the wide-eyed cub reporter, believably played by Travin Wilkerson, finds himself becoming Father Confessor to the whole gaggle. The well-intentioned but worrisome friends are Leigh Moorer's meddlesome Inez Medders, Summer Pickett Rice's controlling Penny Smothers, Johanna Hubbard's quirky nonconformist Geneva Quimby, Janet Wilkerson's puckish Martha Dick Triplett, and Jamie Allen's self-absorbed Janet Price Savage. Playwright Hall has given each character a name mirroring the traits of that person, including the inexperienced journalist who's called Tommy Blankenship.

Although the characters are integral to the story, one stands out as pivotal. Geneva Quimby, who at first seems senile and not to be taken seriously, is a model of adjustment -- someone who's learned to cope with life in her own way, and she shares this philosophy with the others, including young Blankenship who by play's end has acquired a great deal of knowledge about the world, easliy aging in practical wisdom from 23 to 63.

Director Fiona Macleod has assembled a skilled, lively cast whose comic timing is on the mark. And except for an occasional misstep in the more serious parts of the play, this is a smooth production. On the tech side, Mark Parsley's set design is inviting and functional, reminiscent of home interiors of the 1980s, the time of the play.

A two-act play, Hall's script is sometimes hard to follow as the story moves on. After the first act, there are so many Peyton Place-like developments to keep track of that the turns and twists become confusing. Still, The Widow's Best Friend is a clever comedy with serious statements about life, love, and friendship.

Millbrook: "Belles on Their Toes" -- Guest Reviewer: Todd Jeffries

2010-07-14T04:16:00.011-05:00

For anyone needing a respite from the blazing summer heat and bleak headlines of the day, I strongly recommend a trip to see the Millbrook Community Players' production of "Belles on Their Toes".

Based on the 1950 follow-up to Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey's 1948 book "Cheaper by the Dozen", William Roos' dramatization is brought to delightful life by a wonderfully talented ensemble of young and veteran actors under the vibrantly paced direction of Joe Nolin, Jr.

The Golden Age of Radio provides pre-show musical fare, setting the time and tone of the play as the curtain rises on a well-appointed parlour set, reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell "Saturday Evening Post" cover. John Collier and John Chain, with an assist from the cast, have created a richly detailed and impressive set to be proud of.

At the top of Act I, Mrs. Gilbreth [Nichole Quinn] gives last-minute instructions and a warm farewell to her larger than average brood before departing for Europe on a lecture tour. It will be up to the three eldest daughters -- Anne [Katie Moore], Ernestine [Hannah Quates], and Martha [Ashley Joye] -- to hold down the fort and live up to their famous "efficiency expert" parents' reputations. Their father having passed away, the young women have a formidable challenge to keep things running smoothly while Mother is away. They have a bit of extra help in the person of Tom, a handy-man turned cook and home-remedy specialist with his castor oil and quinine concoctions, played with winsome verve by John Chain, current president of the Millbrook Community Players, Inc.

In addition to implementing austere budget policies that include wearing hilariously outdated swimsuits and a six-week moratorium on dating for Ann, Ernestine, and Martha, Martha decides to rent-out Mother's bedroom for extra cash. Mr. Hathaway [Michael Snead] is the kindly and quiet boarder who will play a pivotal role in the resolution of the plot.

Helping and hindering the sisters along the way are their younger siblings: Frank [Chase Adair], Bill [Austin Speigner], Lillian [Kristen Adair], Fred [Nolan Lamar], Dan [Brian Jones], Jack [Max Williams], and Bob [Noah Jones]. This is one talented and focussed group of young performers, running their paces and blocking so well that not once are we pulled away from the story. Well done and impressive work, with successful backstage coordination by Assistant Director, Gail Lombard.

Keeping the belles on their toes is a visit from their busybody Aunt Leora [Emily Barton] and an outbreak of chicken pox, prompting a house call by Dr. Bob [Jason Morgan]. Ernestine fudges a bit on her pledge to not date when she pays increasingly frustrated hostess to her beau, Corey Jackson's scene-stealing Al Lynch, an oily young braggart arriving decked out in a full-length fur coat and armed with ukulele-driven love songs and side-splitting Charleston dance moves.

While the second Act was sluggish at first, the pace quickly recovered with the arrival of David Loring [Daniel Harms], a potential student for the new school venture Mother has planned in order to solve the family's financial worries. Mistakenly believing the young man to be Martha's date, the younger siblings proceed to interrupt the interview with hilarious results.

With money going missing and Tom "ratcheting up" the stakes with a comically out-of-character swat that leads Aunt Leora to bring police officer Mr. Crawford [John Collier] to the house, we barely have time to stop laughing between humorous misunderstandings and gut-busting revelations.

Like homemade ice cream and pink lemonade, The Millbrook Players' production of "Belles on Their Toes" is a summertime treat that takes us to a simpler time, and refreshes us with the soul-soothing balm of laughter.

Theatre AUM: "The Daughters of Abraham" -- Guest Reviewer: Todd Jeffries

2010-07-13T04:09:00.016-05:00

In partnership with ALAT, etc. (A Laboratory for Actor Training, experimental theatre company), Theatre AUM's Neil David Seibel has created an enchanting and provocative evening of theatre. Although billed as playwright, director, and choreographer of "The Daughters of Abraham", Seibel points in his Director's Note to the collaborative efforts of an ensemble of men and women who successfully brought this story to life.

The story is at once timely and timeless, intimately exploring the relationships among a group of women from the three major religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. They are an ensemble of mothers, daughters, and sisters, all living in a shared household. As the women struggle to live with each other's differences while finding a common ground, it is this theme of sharing that runs like a golden thread through the narrative of three daughters preparing for their imminent nuptials.

The absence of any pre-show music allows focus on Mike Winkelman's minimalist scenic design. Created from three massive panels of muslin suspended against a black background, the effect is ethereal and makes a truly contemplative place. Chris Rich's warm and magical lighting design lends to the stage a dreamlike quality.

As the show opens, a fiercely talented ensemble of radiant women slowly enters singing a gentle round of "Hallelujah", ushering us into a rich world of reverence and ancient traditions. With their arrival, the stage comes to fiery life. Randal Blades' exquisite costume design provides bold and vivid strokes of color against the black and white canvas of the set design. The set comes alive as the muslin panels become integral to the action of the story we are about to see. Using a fluid choreography, the panels variously morph into wash cloths, laundry, wedding dresses, and walls.

Singing plays a vital role in the storytelling. Memorable instances when dialogue subtly shifts from the pedestrian concerns of daily life into lyrical observations that ultimately blossom into actual songs include "Flowers" and "Food".

Perhaps one of the most beautiful symbolic moments in the play occurs when the three daughters discover they have each received love letters from the same man, Shem. Their initial devastation is potentially compounded by the fact that their father has decided the three of them will marry Shem on the same day. (This is easy enough to go with given the context of an ancient setting.) Their father has given each daughter a gift: a ribbon, frankincense oil, and an empty book. The young women choose to take a situation that might further divide them and instead bring their individual gifts together to create a more perfect whole. They place each of their love letters into the empty book, bind it with the ribbon, and add to it the fragrance of the frankincense which reminds them of their common bridegroom. This act underscores an important lesson we might all benefit from summed up by the response to their common question of whether they can share a husband and a household: "It's not impossible. -- But, it's not easy."

We are prepared to witness the arrival of the wedding day and the daughters departing to meet their bridegroom; but first comes a moment in which a panel of muslin is stretched slab-like to form a dividing wall behind which the entire ensemble is backlit. They begin to speak about the modern day tensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While informative and poignant, the comments have the feel of CNN soundbites, pulling us abruptly out of the narrative that has been playing out for the better part of an hour and twenty minutes. Although this moment serves to tie the ancient, almost dreamilke story to contemporary events, it would have better served as an epilogue and bookend to the play, especially since the commentary culminates with a jubilant reprise of "Hallelujah", the cast backlit in golden light and dancing in a round with the celebratory exhuberance of whirling dervishes.

Of special note: proceeds from each performance of "The Daughters of Abraham" benefit non-profit service organizations in Montgomery, reinforcing a central idea of the play as a whole: Can we share and individually make a difference in our world? -- "It's not impossible. -- But, it's not easy".

ASF: "Cowgirls"

2010-06-11T18:41:00.022-05:00

Talent abounds in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's production of "Cowgirls", directed by Karen Azenberg, who also directed & choreographed ASF's production of "West Side Story", and choreographed "A Christmas Carol: the Musical" and "Beehive".

Not only do the six actresses act and sing their roles, they are also called on to play an assortment of musical instruments ranging from cello to mandolin and from piano to washtub in the two hour performance; and they demonstrate a variety of musical styles from classical to country. Impressive.

The plot is simple: Jo Carlson, the daughter of a celebrity country-singer mother, owns "Hiram Hall", a bar/entertainment venue that is about to be foreclosed on by the local bank unless she can come up with a substantial amount of money almost overnight. Her mother has been away for many years, and her father squandered the money and refused to hire women to play at the Hall for now 39 years.

To raise the necessary funds, Jo has contracted what she believes is the "Cowgirl Trio"; in fact, the three women who show up are called the "Coghill Trio", a classical group of graduates of Coghill College who are also down on their luck, near the end of an extended B-circuit tour. Lots of comic potential here.

None of the trio has any experience with country music, but Jo's two waitresses are eager to perform and want to help her out. What ensues is fairly predictable: the classical trio determine to assist Jo by learning how to play country music, and their journey -- and everyone's journey of compassion and humor and understanding and coming to terms with their individual hang-ups -- sustains the plot.

Most of the play is an extended exposition, and it isn't till the final moments that they actually perform as the "Cowgirl Trio". But when they do, the event is a foot-stompin' delight -- partly because they have transformed into a really good country act, and partly because we have become invested in their lives.

When Act I opens on Peter Hicks's two-level interior of Hiram Hall in Rexford, Kansas, one can almost smell the years of smoke and spilled beer, the brown wood aged just enough and the numerous photographs of country stars and old advertisements reach out to include the audience, so the external world that is never seen through its windows hardly matters. This is the world for the present.

Rita [Pearl Rhein], Lee [Tamra Hayden] and Mary Lou [Jessica Tyler Wright] rehearse Beethoven's "Sonata Pathetique" and audition with Gilbert & Sullivan's "Three Little Maids", much to the consternation of Jo [Angela C. Howell] and her two employees, Mo [Chelsea Costa] and Mickey [Carrie Cimma], but soon convince Jo to give them a chance at learning to "sing country".

Under Jo's tutelage, either as a group or individually, each learns from the other, and even the waitresses are given their chance at performing. The "Trio" learns in fits and starts, stumbling over interpretations of "feelings" rather than accurate notes, till they are all seduced by the music and the lyrics.

But other lessons are learned as well: "Don't Look Down" offers advice that fear can be conquered if we don't succumb to it and if we trust in help offered by those who are close to us, and a mother's love that sustains us throughout our lives is clearly told in "Songs My Mama Sang".

Individual personalities emerge as we watch the relationships grow, and by the end, most audience members will have chosen a favorite and will cheer the spunk and achievements of this excellent ensemble.

Faulkner: "The Light in the Piazza"

2010-06-05T22:25:00.014-05:00

The Faulkner University Dinner Theatre opened its 23rd season this week with Craig Lucas' and Adam Guettel's adaptation of Elizabeth Spencer's 1960 novella, "The Light in the Piazza", a musical that garnered numerous accolades on its 2005 Broadway run.

Set in Florence and Rome in the Summer of 1953, it tells the tale of a young couple in love -- Clara, an American tourist who falls in love with a young Florentine named Fabrizio -- a romance made innocently difficult at first by the language barrier and more seriously later by a well-kept secret from the past by Clara's mother Margaret.

Under Jason Clark South's capable direction, the ensemble of mostly veteran actors drawn from Faulkner's students & faculty and the local community are most impressive in their managing the challenges of the musical score that verges on the operatic -- a few songs and some dialogue are in Italian, and the score contains equivalencies of opera's arias, duets, a quintet, and ensemble pieces.

From the very start, however, Music Director Art Williams's excellent three-man orchestra's and the actors' body microphones were amped so high that vocal clarity was often impaired, the words disappearing into the resulting noise. Such unnecessary amplification has become so commonplace, even in professional theatres, that audiences can no longer anticipate hearing acoustical instruments or the natural singing voice -- a shame, really, and especially so in such a small venue as Faulkner's with its unquestionably gifted singer/actors.

Plot elements and characterizations are of increased importance in this take on an otherwise traditionally romantic boy-meets-girl scenario. The appeal of Italy's cultural history has drawn American tourists Margaret [Angela Dickson] and her daughter Clara [Beth Pirtle] to take it all in. Margaret, guidebook ever in hand, tries to deflect a budding love-at-first-sight romance between her daughter and a charming local necktie salesman, Fabrizio [Matt Roberson], characters who are destined to be together.

Margaret, who also serves as an occasional narrator, provides some suspense by divulging that Clara is "not what she seems"; she is slow and innocent as a result of a childhood accident, and Margaret's duty is to protect her. -- Ms. Dickson's performance is the standout in this production. She is engaged in every on-stage moment, and her journey becomes ours. Completely credible in her protective concern for her daughter's well-being, or when realizing that she needs to loosen her hold on Clara's life, and conscious always of maintaining propriety, the balance Ms. Dickson achieves between her private suffering and her public "face" is a lesson in acting, whether in scenic conversations, or long-distance phone calls to her increasingly estranged husband, or riveting our attention with her sincere and impassioned [and musically sophisticated] solo songs. The role is a challenging one, and Ms. Dickson hits every mark; a memorable performance.

As the young lovers, Ms. Pirtle and Mr. Roberson -- each also with gifted singing voices -- are engaging in their respective naivete. Their awkward first conversations, complicated by language barriers, are gently humorous and immediately put us on their side. Ms. Pirtle's ability to insert quirky mannersims into an inquisitive openness to experiencing everything, makes her genuinely attractive to Mr. Roberson's Fabrizio, while giving clear reason for her mother's concern.

The supporting principle and ensemble roles are given solid interpratations, and though the stage occasionally feels crowded, Mr. South's detailed and flexible street scene design creates an authentic Italianate feel.

Gina South's costumes evoke a 1950s style, with attention to such details as women tourists wearing dresses, hats, and gloves -- very different from today. So, what can possibly explain a disregard for the details of clerical robes for the priests and nuns, especially the fashion-conscious shoes of the nuns seen clearly below their above the ankle skirts?

"The Light in the Piazza" runs just over two hours, and the combined plot, characterizations, and strong singing make for a pleasant theatrical evening's entertainment.

ASF: "Southern Writers' Project"

2010-05-09T15:54:00.006-05:00

Coming up next weekend -- May 14-16, 2010 -- an opportunity of being among the first to hear four new plays and participate in post-reading discussions at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Southern Writers' Project:

"Look Away" by Robert Ford
"The Flagmaker of Market Street" by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder
"Blood Divided" by Jeffry L. Chastang
"In the Book Of" by John Walch

Other events are available:
--Backstage Tour of ASF
--Civil War Tour of Downtown Montgomery
--Music Jam
--Breakfast with the Playwrights
--Reception & Meals

Tickets are available -- call (334) 271-5334 or visit www.southernwritersproject.net:
weekend package, extreme weekend package [includes tickets to "All's Well That Ends Well", "Hamlet", and "Lettice & Lovage"], day packages, and single tickets to readings are available.

ASF: "Lettice and Lovage"

2010-05-02T17:49:00.016-05:00

When in 1984 Prince Charles referred to the plans for a new wing of the National Gallery in London as "a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", those blueprints were scrapped and a controversy arose about whether modern architecture's rectangular, sharp-edged, and utilitarian forms had a place amidst the elegant spires that had dominated the cityscape for so long.

A few years later, but with Prince Charles's words still ringing, Peter Shaffer penned "Lettice and Lovage" (1987), wherein two very stubborn "ladies of a certain age" and from separate social and political camps join forces against the concrete, steel, and glass monstrosities that litter the landscape. Even the three act structure of his play suggests an admiration for old-fashioned storytelling that is deftly directed by John Going.

Currently in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's repertory, Act I begins with a rather tedious and formulaic monologue by a tour guide at "the dullest house in England", a Tudor edifice aptly called Fustian House. Lettice Douffet [Diana VanFossen], a free-spirited Bohemian, embellishes the "official script" so well in successive renditions that the tourists are enthralled and the bowl containing their "tokens of admiration" overflows. Her mantra -- "enlarge, enlighten, enliven" -- makes her descriptions exciting and entertaining, though the veracity of her "details" ( or "gross departures from the truth") is challenged by one visitor and then by Lotte Schoen [Carole Monferdini], a stiffly officious representative of the "Preservation Trust" that manages historic properties.

Lettice has an encyclopedic knowledge of history and an understanding that "language frees one" from the ordinary -- what she calls the "mere". She bemoans what the country has come to -- that people have no spunk and settle for the "mere" in every aspect of their lives -- and her compulsion for storytelling, influenced by her mother's theatrical tutelage, "turns history into legend", captivates any listening audience, and is the key to her characterization. -- The actress playing the role must be an exceptional storyteller, and Ms. VanFossen, blessed with Shaffer's brilliant script, not only presents a larger-than-life portrait of Lettice with all the melodramatic justifications of her behavior, but rises to an inspired portrayal.

ASF intern Melanie Wilson plays Miss Schoen's secretary, Miss Farmer, as a bubbly yet somewhat dim-witted young woman totally out of place in her job, but eager to please. Her vivacious presence serves well to counterbalance Miss Schoen's propriety.

And, Lettice's on-stage audience is primarily Miss Schoen. In this role, Ms. Monferdini's severely cropped hair, plain grey suit, and sensible shoes are matched by a rigid insistence on following protocol; to watch her gradually falling under Lettice's irresistable spell is a delight. Her facial and posture changes in Act II are so subtle -- outrage changes to indignance and then to frustration and compassion to capitulation -- until, prompted by over-imbibing Lettice's "quaff" (an "adapted" ancient recipe of mead, vodka, sugar, and lovage [parsley]), she divulges a secret explosive past life with a revolutionary group called "E.N.D." (the "Eyesore Negation Detatchment"), and becomes an ally. The transformation is complete.

There is more to come, however, in Act III. The women have been re-enacting some major violent historical events in Lettice's flat, the deaths of Mary Queen of Scots and Charles I among them, with theatrical costumes and props and Lettice's enlarged vocabulary and passionate performances. An accident threatens a lawsuit for attempted murder. As Lettice's defense lawyer, Mr. Bardolph, Anthony Cochrane is also caught in her spell, and his transformation replicates Miss Schoen's in a wonderfully comic turn that is infectious.

Shaffer re-wrote the ending to his play that had the central characters embarking on a plot to blow up the offending buildings to a less incendiary though still malicious plan -- a prudent choice in light of world terrorism, and perhaps a wise choice in that the issue of modern architecture's intrusion against the grand designs of the past has little relevance here today.

But a happy ending is de rigueur: the lawsuit is dropped and as we have been transported by their performances, we join these two exceptional women in their triumph.

Millbrook: "Saving Grace"

2010-04-29T22:02:00.012-05:00

With a new sound system in place, the Millbrook Community Players are presenting Jack Sharkey's comedy, "Saving Grace", directed by Fred Neighbors, and with a small ensemble cast of veteran actors and a newcomer to the local theatre scene. The small, but appreciative, audience often punctuated the performance with loud laughs stemming from the clever script and the timing of the actors.

The comedy of this script stems from its witty dialogue and characterizations, as well as from conventional mistaken identities brought about by virtually everyone pretending to be what they are not.

Grace Larkin [Ashley Allman] invites her boss Walter Chepple [John Collier] back to her apartment for a late night drink...and she is a nervous wreck; it is her first attempt at romance, and she spouts many cliche-ridden quotations from B-films to which she is addicted. -- He, on the other hand, appears to be an experienced Lothario and invites her to accompany him to a business convention in Hawaii, complete with a special sexy outfit he bought her and which she models for him as a birthday present.

Awkward moments for each of them are interrupted by the arrival of a telephone repairman named Alex [Paul Travitsky] and Grace's sister Harriet [Rae Ann Collier] who is being pursued by her suitor Gregor [Dave Kelsen] a Russian evangelical preacher.

The script contrives to have characters leave the stage at critical moments, only to return to overhear partial conversations that cause them to draw the wrong conclusions, or to find other characters in an assortment of compromising positions...all standard conventions of farcical comedies.

There is a good deal of success in the performances. Most of the clever dialogue is presented by this ensemble with a naturalistic understanding -- a lot of double-entendre -- and spot-on timing, and in Ms. Allman's case, some wonderful facial mugging that clearly indicate her predicaments.

But, plays of this type also require a variety of pace -- some fast and furious, some slowed down in exhaustion -- to highlight the emotional and physical intensity of the script. Some attention to this would benefit the two-hour production.

And there appears to have been some reticence in both physical intimacy and in costuming. Every kiss is either a perfunctory peck or a chaste one when it should be smouldering and lingering, and everyone remains dressed in very demure clothing, especially when wearing underwear and caught in the aforesaid compromising positions. Though a red Union suit may draw a laugh in and of itself, it hardly compromises the characters in question of the assumed dalliance or being caught in the act.

Nonetheless, this production of Saving Grace is a funny entertainment that provides audiences with an old-fashioned laugh-out-loud night at the theatre.

ASF: "All's Well That Ends Well"

2010-04-25T21:30:00.014-05:00

Why aren't there more high caliber productions of one of Shakespeare's most modern-feeling "problem plays" like the one now playing at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival? The all-too-small audience at Sunday's opening performance of "All's Well That Ends Well" was treated to a funny and thoughtful examination of love, sex, and marriage set amidst the class consciousness and intrigues of Renaissance England that, after 400+ years, reflect many of today's social concerns.

Much of the "problem" [some might say a "strength" that makes it modern and intriguing] is that it is hard to pin it down. Is the play a comedy, a romance, a fantasy, a serious drama...?...Well, yes...and no. There are clowns and young lovers, a bit of mystery and seeming magic, generation gaps, a war, sexual frankness, some reprehensible behavior that beggars forgiveness, trickery, class & cultural snobbery, and an "end justifies the means" philosophy by both old and young that can be found on many prime-time & reality television shows, and which is reported on the daily news. In short, the play mirors life's contradictions.

Geoffrey Sherman's able ensemble deftly manipulates the audience's shifting allegiances because we understand and identify with their contradictory natures, their familiar behavior, and the intrigues that follow. The duplicity found in many characters, the notion that privilege makes for different rules, and a suggestion that youth should be readily forgiven for acting rashly are played out for us in the two and a half hour performance...and we take sides -- and change sides -- frequently.

Act I serves as an elaborate exposition, delineating plots and subplots to unravel later on. The Countess of Roussillion [Carole Monferdini] has taken the orphaned Helena [Kelley Curran] under her protection, and treats her with motherly affection. Helena secretly loves the Countess's son Bertram [Jordan Coughtry], though he is of superior rank and class. When Helena cures the King of France [Rodney Clark] from a life-threatening malady, he grants her the pick of the French lords as a husband. When she chooses Bertram and he vehemently and contemptuously objects to her social rank, the King demands an immediate wedding ceremony, after which Bertram sneaks away to the war with his cowardly and two-faced friend Parolles [Matt D'Amico] before consummating the marriage, and sets down impossible terms that must be met before he will accept Helena as his true wife: she must get him to willingly give up a precious family ring to her, and she must be pregnant by him -- two things he swears he will never do.

Into this mix come three characters familiar to generations of theatregoers. Lavatch [Anthony Cochrane] is the court fool in the retinue of the Countess. Complete with fools-cap and patchwork costume, he has the license to speak freely, even to his betters -- and his commentaries on other characters' behavior demonstrates his penetrating wit. Mr. Cochrane plays him with Scottish gusto -- sometimes impish, and always insightful. Through him, we learn a lot. -- A counterpart is Lafew [Paul Hopper], who is played as a more genteel and graceful version of the fool who delights in aggravating others to distraction.

And then there's Parolles. Mr. D'Amico's pretentious windbag miles gloriosus, a liar and a coward, is instantly someone we love to hate, and whose unmasking is gleefully anticipated both by other characters and the audience.

But these characters are no mere distraction; they are integral to the plot and to understanding the play's themes. Mr. D'Amico's debate with Ms. Curran's Helena on the subject of virginity & marriage helps to paint her as an intelligent and independent woman, and an equal match for any man regardless of social rank. The fact that Parolles and Bertram have been friends and companions for some time suggests that their parallel behavior -- especially when attempting to save face by inventing elaborate lies to avoid responsibility and explain away their bad behavior -- might be something each learned from the other.

Yet, we are made to puzzle out the implication that punishment is right for some but not for others, that rank and privilege allows the upper class to get away with most anything, while their social inferiors are abused for the same offenses...just like today.

What follows in Act II somehow resolves many of the problems, but leaves some unanswered. There is a conventional "happy ending with a marriage", but this is managed by a number of tricks, traps, and deceptions. Having spread a rumor that she is dead, Helena disguises herself as a holy pilgrim and enlists the Widow Capilet [Celia Howard] and her daughter Diana [Lauren Sowa] to help her fulfill Bertram's demands -- the ring and her pregnancy -- by deliberately having Diana seduce him and then switch places with her under cover of darkness. In this regard, her duplicity is similar to the men's...in her mind, the end does justify the means.

The seduction scene is played as a clever battle of the sexes, with the woman clearly in charge. Ms. Sowa teases and Mr. Coughtry complies, looking ever so adolescently foolish in his yearnings. When his demands are proclaimed in public, there is nothing for him but to capitulate in dismay and discomfort; and though his reclamation to the proper and the good is abrupt, one can not help but believe that his protestations of loving Helena and becoming a model husband are prompted more to save his life than to declare an honest affection for her.

Each character in this production speaks Shakespeare's words clearly -- a trademark of this season, and a distinct credit to the company. The words and actions in "All's Well That Ends Well" provoke us to consider our own attitudes, our moral assertions, and our ability to laugh at the uncertainties of our lives.

Red Door: "Conecuh People"

2010-04-25T06:47:00.008-05:00

Once more, the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs is presenting "Conecuh People" by Ty Adams and directed this year by Randy Thornton. Based on Wade Hall's book, the story looks back at the Hall family of the 1940s and 1950s, and evokes a past-time with pleasant nostalgic reminiscences.

The story is narrated by Tyson Hall in the role of Wade Hall, Jr. His naturalistic mannersims, pleasant singing voice, and comfort in the role immediately get audience interest and engagement as he introduces a host of family, neighbors, teachers, and assorted Bullock County citizens whose advice and example molded him from childhood and led him ultimately to "find my place in the world."

Thereafter, the play is little more than a series of monologues and brief scenes, interspersed with folk songs and church hymns, that trace his journey of self-discovery leading him to admit that like all of us he is influenced by people who might otherwise go unnoticed by society.

At two-hours and forty-five-minutes, this gentle story takes far too long to tell, partly due to all-too-frequent "dead" moments when nothing is happening on stage, and partly due to the deliberately slow pace that gives the same weight of importance to every character, no matter how minor an influence on Wade, Jr. Even the songs are slow and ponderous.

The language is often poetic, reflecting the original book's haunting descriptions, but much of this cries out for lively delivery and energetic movement which, when it does occur in this production, is a most welcome change.

Kim Graham as Wade's math teacher Estelle Cope Campbell, and Janet Wilkerson as the snuff-dipping Elma Lee Hall, bring such energy to their roles. Though Ms. Wilkerson's indulgently long monologue is in need of judicious editing, both these women enliven the action.

Anne Brabham plays Aunt Emma's generosity in caring for Wade with appropriate gentility; Betty Hubbard's depiction of "Mama" when she is forced to leave her grandson is one of the most touching moments in the play.

Peggy Windham as Wade's mother, "Babe", is thoroughly committed in her role, but the interpretation is so much at odds with the text's description of Babe's intelligence and passion, that to see her as a dazed and bewildered simpleton is jarring.

Hats off to Aleta Davis, a gifted singer and actor, for providing the most truthful character and the most credible characterization in this version of "Conecuh People". As Verse Lee Johnson Manley, the Black woman who raised Wade, giving her every right to call him "my baby", Ms. Davis plays every moment as if it was happening for the first time. -- She trusts in her baby's ability to help her "get a birthday and an age" without the benefit of a birth certificate; when they succeed and Verse Lee "becomes a person" at last, her joy electrifies.

"Conecuh People" has had a number of incarnations for some years, each one with a distinct interpretation. As a work-in-progress, it might be a good idea to take a few years off from performing it to incubate a new version.

ASF: "Hamlet"

2010-04-19T20:42:00.018-05:00

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is marketing this year's repertory as "A Season of Intrigue", and with the opening this weekend of "Hamlet", they are off to a good start. -- One of the staples of William Shakespeare's canon, the play abounds in intrigue both public and personal that, under Geoffrey Sherman's capable direction, makes this English Renaissance play accessible for contemporary audiences.

Chief among the ASF production's many qualities are its clarity and directness. Although some purists might complain of cutting it in principle, careful editing of the long script has honed the dense material into a two-hour and forty minute presentation that moves the action forward so that audiences are engaged in every moment -- a spare production that retains the essentials and focuses on the contradictions and complexities of human nature and of people's uncertain and unpredictable behavior.

As composer James Conely's military trumpets echo from around the house and soldiers are revealed on the parapet of Peter Hicks's grey framework castle, they are visited by the Ghost of the recently dead King, and it becomes increasingly clear that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark", setting up the intrigues that follow.

A revenge play similar to others of the Elizabethan & Jacobean periods sets the young Prince Hamlet [Nathan Hosner], along with his best friend and confidant Horatio [Matt D'Amico] the task of avenging his father's "most foul...murder" at the hands of his uncle Claudius [Anthony Cochrane], who has usurped both the throne and the widowed Queen Gertrude [Greta Lambert], whom he married right after the funeral of his brother, thus securing for himself the powers of state.

Obvious from his first appearance on stage that Hamlet despises his uncle, and coupled with the disturbing ghostly apparition's charge for revenge and Hamlet's resulting "antic disposition" [whether feigned or actual madness] and Polonius's [Rodney Clark] determined belief that Hamlet suffers from lovesickness for his daughter Ophelia [Kelley Curran], a number of intrigues are set in motion: secrecy, spying, eavesdropping, and prospects of iminent war between Denmark and Norway make complexity and confusion interfere with Hamlet's fulfilling his father's command while sustaining our interest.

Much attention has been paid to respecting Shakespeare's words in this "Hamlet". Without fail, the language is spoken by this company of actors with a clarity of diction that is rare, and with an comfort that makes the Bard's poetry credible in their mouths. When we hear the words clearly, the story and the characters [no matter how complex] deserve our attention and garner our respect. That being said, there are a couple of jarring notes in the sounds of voices: Mr. Cochrane's British accent is at odds with the American accents of the rest of the cast, and giving the Gravedigger [Paul Hopper] a Southern accent gets a couple of laughs but draws attention away from the content of the lines.

Performances in the featured roles are consistently first-rate, and Sherman grants to each his or her moment(s) to dominate the proceedings. As Rosencrantz and Guildenstern -- Hamlet's university friends, and Claudius's spies -- Jordan Coughtry and Michael Pesoli have a depth that isn't often seen; their nervousness and anxiety at being caught out by Hamlet in their deception are credibly humorous.

Mr. Clark's Polonius, a dignified and often bewildered chancellor, gives a solid display of advice to his son Laertes [Matthew Baldiga], and is continually caught off-guard by the intrigues of Hamlet and other members of the royal family. Mr. Cochrane and Ms. Lambert as the king and queen, in love at the beginning of the play, become more distant from each other as he is caught up in preserving his authority and she faces the truth of their relationship; his attempt at prayer and acceptance of his inability to repent of murdering his brother shows a humanly conflicted individual, and her account of Ophelia's death is a model of controlled passion and grief.

As the obedient daughter Ophelia, Ms. Curran displays her reluctance to be used as a pawn to entrap Hamlet & her real affection for him is crushed by his strange behavior; her later mad scenes are magical theatre moments in this show. Ricardo Vazquez delivers the First Player's speech in preparation of the play that will "catch the conscience of the king" in effectively naturalistic ways that reinforce Hamlet's advice to the players on acting styles.

When Laertes returns to avenge the death of Polonius, Mr. Baldiga burns with a fire that wants to burst out in contrast to Hamlet's indecisive behavior, and prepares us for their climactic fight. -- The action of the play builds so much to this fight, that one expects an extraordinary display of swordsmanship, a quickness full of risk and danger, one that makes us gasp in fear and admiration. Unfortunately, the fight in this production has none of those elements. Rather, it is slow, with moves that are all too clearly plotted out, so the tension just simply isn't there.

Nonetheless, most of our attention has been on Hamlet all the while, and Mr. Hosner gives a performance that is detailed and complex. As his Hamlet is effected by the cumulative events, and the opposition to his revenge [not the least is his own lack of action] builds from scene to scene, he fluctuates from anger to bewilderment to aggressiveness to irony to devious tactics to introspection, and takes us on this internal journey with him. Hosner's ability to speak the verse and communicate its various & simultaneous poetic meanings shows a master actor achieving a thoroughly believable character with all his contradictions. His delivery of the famous soliloquies -- "To be or not to be...", "Oh what a rogue and peasant slave am I...", among them -- are among the best renditions one can expect.

And his final scene with Horatio -- the ever-patient and supportive friend in the person of Mr. D'Amico here demonstrating the damage done by all the intrigues and his quiet acceptance of the death of a friend whose tale he has to tell the world -- is a painful reminder that greed and self-interest produce wounds that do not heal easily.

Auburn: "Scapin"

2010-04-17T08:22:00.010-05:00

Director Chris Qualls has brought the Telfair Peet Theatre at Auburn University a two-act laugh riot in Bill Irwin & Mark O'Donnell's "freely adapted" version of Moliere's "Scapin" -- and Qualls and his energetic ensemble have brought a lot of their own inventiveness to bear.

The script is true to Moliere's comic intentions, and utilizes assorted conventions and character-types of the commedia dell'arte: lots of slapstick, prattfalls, broad gestures, brightly colored costumes, a fast pace & heightened energy, vocal & physical gymnastics, instantly recognizable characters (blustering parents, rebellious children, wily servants among them) fill the stage from start to finish, and are given significant variety through the discipline of the actors and improvizational techniques that keep everything fresh. -- Mr. Qualls and his able cast successfully capitalize on all of them.

An often put-upon servant, Scapin [Payne Hopton-Jones, whose focus and energy improved after a tentative start], is conscripted by both his own master's son and a neighbor's son to convince the parents to approve of their sons' marriages -- and to pay for them. With the help of another servant, Sylvestre [Emily Stephens effortlessly follows Scapin's ever-changing plot scenarios], these machinations grow more complicated and require adjustments at every turn.

Huge demands are made of all the actors; they must be in good shape in order to sustain the frenetic pace and continuous tumbling they are called upon to do. These actors show no signs of either effort or exhaustion -- all seems to flow so very easily, whether a traditional leap-frog that later becomes a series of leaps while standing fully upright, or bouncing to wondrous heights, or bending their bodies into pretzel shapes or gravity-defying postures...all the while speaking animatedly and rapidly at full volume without gasping for breath.

The actors are individually consistent in their roles, yet there are frequent surprises that regularly hit their comic marks: Tyler Baxter as Octave is a bundle of bubbly energy reminiscent of Richard Simmons, with an effervescent face to match the silliness in the role; he is matched by Kristin Hopkins as Hyacinth, a vision in pink whose comic timing of switching energy is admirable. Leander, as played by Chase Cox, is a cowering sort who can twist his body into almost cartoon-like positions; his love interest is Zerbinette [Taylor Galvin], an archly defiant and outspoken woman whose deep laugh and aggressive manner make her one to contend with. The gifted Kat Grilli plays Octave's father Argante with such vocal power and ease as the standout actor of the spoken word. And Leander's father Geronte is played deftly by Eli Jolley, whose Monty Pythonesque "Ministry of Silly Walks" almost steals the show.

There are some hidden treasures in this production, not the least of which is an understated musician, Lloyd, played by Phillip Beard; his eccentric guitar playing and sound effects punctuate the scenes, often at unexpected times. -- And frequent anachronistic references to contemporary music, television shows, Sarah Palin, and popular films garner rapturous applause.

Replete with audience involvement, mistaken identities, revelations of true identities, confusion verging on chaos, and a wild chase scene near the finale, the comic happy ending comes at last. In just short of two hours, this laugh-out-loud romp leaves audiences aching with laughter. Wow!

Wetumpka Depot: "Rumbling Waters"

2010-04-15T21:22:00.013-05:00

The Wetumpka Depot Players continue their committment to serving the community with a charming production of "Rumbling Waters", a one-act history-drama designed to teach Alabama History -- more specifically, Elmore County & Wetumpka history -- to 4th graders.

Written and directed by Sherida Black, who gave a pre-show talk and introduced the woman who inspired her story, this 55-minute play contains a lot of concrete historical details [floods, fires, earthquakes, and other events are accurately referenced to actual families and individual historical figures, bridges, highways, and churches]. -- But this is more than a dry history lesson.

Set in flash-back to 1936, and narrated by Bertha [Teri Thompson] recounting her own family's history and the lessons she learned as a child about family, table manners, recognizing the good in people, folk stories, tolerance of differences among us, and recognition that the eccentricities we all have make indellible marks on us all.

In the opening classroom scene, what might be otherwise a dreary recitation of historical minutiae is made more palatable by inventive methods of teaching and learning: a competition between the boys and girls teams, and a simple song that teaches the Native American origin of the name Wetumpka [We-wa-tum-caw], target the 4th grade audience, and instruct adults as well.

Then come a series of scenes in which Bertha's childhood memories come to life. Bertha's Mama [Cheryl Jones] and Papa [Steve Phillips] have a brood of some 13 children, a snuff-dipping Black neighbor, Aunt Lula [Tunisia Thomas]. whose straightforward philosophy provides a solidity for the community, and a visiting Giant named Joe [Ryan Locklar] whose imposing presence frightens Young Bertha [Ellie Kate King], though his gentleness and compassion convert the little girl to his side.

Through Bertha's reminiscences, we are gently taught not only the details of history, but to be proud of our heritage. After all, quality is not determined by social status. -- These are all valuable lessons that ought to be shared. This production of "Rumbling Waters" -- if marketed well -- should receive the backing of Arts Councils and the community.

ASF: "The Fall of the House"

2010-04-11T23:09:00.022-05:00

Another Southern Writers' Project World Premiere opened this weekend in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Octagon Theatre. "The Fall of the House", a haunting two act dreamscape by Robert Ford, links the past and the present and analyzes the consequences of our choices.

An often puzzling script that nonetheless intrigues audiences, "The Fall of the House" is fortunate in its sheer literacy and its extraordinary performances, and anyone who is fascinated with figuring out a mystery is bound to get involved in its intricate plot.

Alternating between two time periods -- the 19th Century and the present day -- the action begins with the mysterious end of the life of celebrated and obsessive American poet, Edgar Allan Poe [Gerritt VanderMeer], when he is met a few days before his death by an enigmatic former slave woman named Maddy [Erika LaVonn] who has a message for him and wants some answers from him.

Before any answers are provided, the scene switches to a present day courtroom interrogation of Janice Berry [Angela K. Thomas] an up-and-coming Black architect whose strangely designed house was destroyed, with tragic results for its inhabitants.

How these two stories are interwtined, as scenes shift between time periods, is the crux of the matter -- and a device reminiscent of Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" that was performed at ASF some seasons back. But, rather than tracing the genetic history of the play's central characters [and spoiling much of the mystery], there are other things to consider in this tantalizing play.

Ford's themes are significant, ranging from a consideration of the nature of art, to racial stereotyping, to the power of memory, to the role of the writer, to the nature of love & beauty & dreams & madness, and to the value of endurance. So, audiences are made to think their way through the labyrinth as they are guided by the script and the performances.

Director Nancy Rominger balances Ford's script's two linguistic styles as she challenges her able ensemble cast to articulate the rhythms of both 19th Century polite speech and contemporary naturalistic diction. The sounds are distinct in every scene, and lend credibility to Elizabeth Novak's understated & authentic costumes and Bill DePaola's evocative screen projections that support the time-frames.

Other than the roles of Maddy and Janice, all the actors play mulitple roles and appear in each of the time periods in such rapid succession that one wonders how they managed the changes so quickly -- not as confusing as it sounds due to their precise and distinct impersonations. Mr. VanderMeer's dark and brooding Poe is balanced in the modern scenes by his officious Judge and understanding Social Worker. Margaret Loesser Robinson is a distracted Eliza Poe -- the cast-off wife of the poet's brother David -- and a solidly professional lawyer interrogating Janice. Jonathan C. Kaplan plays Eliza's cheating husband as well as the love-interest of Janice with a dexterity that enlivens each scene. And local student Ta'Myia Narcisse-Cousar as the young Janice and the little girl Linney draws our sympathy despite the fact that many of her lines were too soft spoken.

It is through Maddy and Janice, however, that the play's themes and intentions are most directly communicated. Ms. Thomas plays Janice's conflicts most credibly; whether she is confused by the interrogations and her adherence to the truth, or investigating a new romantic relationship with all its trepidations, or discovering both her true self and the ghosts of the past, she invests all with honest conviction.

Maddy's journey from the past to the present, with subtle transitions of time and behavior and appearance, is mesmerizing from start to finish in the person of Ms. LaVonn...her quiet intensity and enduring stance make for an admirable performance.

The phantoms of the past are always around us, says the playwright. Whether we acknowledge them is up to us.

Faulkner: "Camelot"

2010-04-08T23:21:00.011-05:00

Alan Jay Lerner's & Frederick Loewe's celebrated romantic musical "Camelot" has been around since 1960, and shows few signs of its age. Based as it is on one of several versions of the Arthurian legend -- T. H. White's "The Once and Future King" -- the story of the young Arthur's becoming king of England by pulling a sword out from a stone and later creating a fragile Utopian society that he rules from the famous round-table at Camelot is a familiar one...and food for thought today. Life at the top is not necessarily as great as it appears, and there are underlying flaws in such naivete.

The Kennedy administration of the 1960s was nicknamed "Camelot" as it described the young and attractive first family engaged in promoting peace and harmony in the world while managing several crises at home and abroad. Similarly, the Obama White House has a confident and virile young leader matched with a beautiful and socially engaged wife, and grapples with war, health care, education, recession, and party politics.

What a shame the Faulkner University's pretty and musically stunning production only rarely capitalizes on these metaphors, choosing rather to focus on the romantic love-triangle that jeopardizes the fabric of Arthur's kingdom.

This choice does have a number of pay-offs. Loewe's resplendent score is adeptly managed by Marilyn Swears' capable five-piece ensemble, and several memorable songs -- the title song "Camelot" and "How to Handle a Woman" among them -- are delivered by actors whose vocal strengths are aided by their abilities of dramatic interpretation.

As the proudly near-perfect Lancelot, Chase McMichen's lines are frequently hard to hear because of microphone difficulties and a too-fast delivery, but his version of "If Ever I Would Leave You", in which he professes his illicit love for Queen Guenevere [Sophia Priolo, whose unspoken responses speak volumes here, and whose brilliantly clear voice is a major component of the production] provides the most passionate and convincing moment in the play. -- And, Act II's "What Do the Simple Folk Do" sheds fine insight onto Arthur's [Thomas G. Habercorn] and Guenevere's relationship that has been tracked from their awkward and naive first meeting to a now comfortable domesticity.

Yet, "The Lusty Month of May" is reduced to a tepidly innocent evocation of romance, and Mordred's satirical "The Seven Deadly Virtues" seems rushed and keeps Michael Morrow from displaying his considerable talent for playing cleverly sinister roles.

There are greater thematic issues here that go almost unnoticed in an attempt to give equal weight to every major character and scene; this coupled with slow scene changes make for an almost three-hour production from director Jason Clark South.

Merlyn the magician's influence on the young Arthur shows a lot of promise through Chris Kelly's strong presence and fabulous make-up designed by Madison Faile. His charge to Arthur to both "think" and "act" is meant to impact Arthur for life, but when they do emerge later in the play, they are given brief attention and fail to resonate sufficiently for today's audiences.

The script makes frequent references to the meaning of "civilization", and concludes that building rather than destroying, humility rather than pride, and rightness rather than convenience ought to inform a new set of laws that allow justice without revenge; despite the threat of a return to uncivilized ways, there is hope for the future just as long as someone -- this time in the figure of a small boy -- can remember the qualities Arthur strove for and preserve a kind of immortality. -- But, they are glossed over so quickly in the performance that the inherent messages that could challenge the audience to take heed are hard to distinguish.

WOBT: "Messiah on the Frigidaire"

2010-03-21T11:47:00.010-05:00

Now in its eighth season, and with updated lighting equipment, Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre is currently showing Messiah on the Frigidaire, a comedy by John Culbertson co-directed by Stacey Little and Laura Morrison.

Set in a trailer park in a small South Carolina town, an image of what looks like Jesus [or is it Willie Nelson?] appears one night on the front-porch refrigerator of LouAnn and Dwayne Hightower [Dana Morrison and Wes Milton]. -- But, this shadow does not have the sensational appeal of other such apparitions with their bleeding or crying faces and associated "miracles": people who have been cured of disease or who have made life-changing decisions through associations with them.

So, what is this couple to do? Beset with failed dreams and disappointments in the ordinariness of their lives, Dwayne hatches a scheme to exploit their assumed good fortune by inventing a scenario that is published in the "National Investigator" newspaper, getting them into the national spotlight.

Conscripting neighbor Betsy Gridley [Hollie Pursifull] to pose as Regina Gomez, they soon have thousands of religious fanatic tourists responding to Regina's ever developing testimonials to the impact of the image of Jesus on the Frigidaire.

And a local preacher [Christopher Howard] and businessman [Zach McGough] support the enterprise in bilking the tourists as an economic stimulus for the town despite its obvious flim-flamming.

The comic potential is enhanced by recognizable character types and a good sense of Southern speech and mannerisms that the ensemble cast manage credibly. Numerous laugh-out-loud moments punctuate this two-hour production.

There are few surprises at the final outcome -- good will triumph over evil, after all -- yet along the way Culbertson's script shows us the humanity of the individual characters. They are not mere stereotypes, and there are more serious matters at hand, particularly for the threesome at the play's core.

Betsy's small-town reputation as the High School tramp follows her to adulthood, and Ms. Pursifull gives a feisty and outspoken portrayal; yet she is also shown to be the most stalwart of true friends and a person whose conscience will not allow her to continue the hoax when it injures others.

LouAnn's dilemma -- whether to stand by her man and his money-making scheme or to insist on doing the right thing even if it jeopardizes their marriage -- is given a sensitive conflicted characterization by Ms. Morrison...not an easy task to balance; yet her comfortable naturalistic voice and mannerisms keep her grounded in a truthful performance.

Dwayne's lackadaisical good-old-boy temperament is energized by the potential offered in a get-rich-quick scheme. Once a man who was "always thinking", he has become a victim of unfulfilled dreams and will grasp at anything to get himself out of this rut. Mr. Milton's frustrations in the role are almost tangible, and when LouAnn and Dwayne ultimately choose to do the right thing, their mutual relief and resolve shows them to be the classy people they dream of being, even thought they remain in the trailer-park.

So yes -- class is not determined by money or social level, everyone can enjoy life by just letting things happen, we all get distracted at one time or another, our potentials can be achieved by persistence, and love is a strong ally.

ASF World Premier: "Nobody"

2010-03-15T12:06:00.021-05:00

After two years in development through the Southern Writers' Project, Richard Aellen's provocative play "Nobody" is being given its World Premier in the Octagon Theatre at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. A nearly full house rose to its feet at the conclusion of Sunday's opening performance. Spilling out into the lobby for a reception, conversations were intense and candid as the audience grappled with the play's themes and challenges...just one of the things that makes live theatre exciting and important.

Set in the late 19th and early part of the 20th Century, "Nobody" traces the lives of two actual African-American vaudevillians, out of work and almost out of hope. Bert Williams [James Bowen] and George Walker [Sean Blake] meet in San Francisco and decide to team up and make their mark in the business. Williams is introspective and wants a career as a "serious" actor, playing Shakespearean roles; Walker is a ladies man and more brash, intending to make a lot of money by dazzling audiences with his quick wit. Neither is quite ready for the reality that faces them: they will only be considered for playing the stereotypical and degrading "Coon" roles; that is, until they decide to play in minstrel shows in burnt-cork Blackface, billing themselves as "Two Real Coons," a choice that leaves few alternatives from then on.

Aellen's script makes good use of historical facts, merging them into his dialogue to establish authenticity, while telling a poignant story of the sacrifices to personal dignity made in order to achieve professional success. -- It is true, for example, that their major success was a production of "In Dahomey", the first major musical on Broadway with an all African-American company, including Paul Laurence Dunbar as lyricist and Will Marian Cook as composer, establishing all of them as household names, with Bert lauded as "the funniest man [white or black] on Broadway". It is true also that Bert was the first and only African-American to perform in the famous "Zeigfeld Follies"...and not in Blackface.

Their lives off-stage where they can drop the facades necessary for performance success help us to comprehend the struggles they faced in a world that regarded them as second-class citizens. Bert's wife Lottie [Erika LaVonn] and George's wife Ada [Angela K. Thomas] provide the strength to pursue the men's goals, often by gentle proddings or occasionally by defiant in-your-face confrontations. It is through them that we see the men's choices, compromises, and achievements even more clearly.

On-stage, they are forever trapped in degrading caricatures; off-stage it is different. They can afford expensive homes and clothes, taking their place in the upwardly mobile African-American community, and George has his pick of women [including a white showgirl named Eva (Margaret Loesser Robinson)] to satisfy his sexual cravings, giving them a sense of success that is, however, not enough, and the source of the conflicts that threaten their professional partnership and their marriages.

As a kind of Greek Chorus, the roles of Tambo and Bones are played by Gerrit VanderMeer and Jonathan C. Kaplan [they play assorted other roles as well] -- white men in Blackface, and a standard minstrel show double-act that exaggerated the behavior of Blacks, showing them to be simple, shuffling dullards and the brunt of degrading jokes. -- What Aellen's script does, however, is to show them as reflections of Williams and Walker and of societal changes; as the two real men achieve success, Tambo's and Bones' Blackface disguise deteriorates and their own confidence in telling jokes dwindles to meaningless dribble.

Performed on a bare set comprised of platforms, and an upstage area that houses a piano [Joel C. Jones] and drumset [Brett Rominger] and a vaudeville stage area, the play allows audiences to focus on character and conflict.

Songs that made the Williams & Walker duo famous are intertwined with the plot to showcase their abilities and to comment on the prejudices against them. "Bon Bon Buddy (the chocolate drop)", the "cakewalk", and "Jonah Man" all contribute to the one dimensional perception of Blacks in America while simultaneously showing us the effect they have on those very people they caricature. Characterizations emerge under Tim Rhoze's capable direction as thoroughly credible human beings caught in situations over which they have little or no control. And the title song -- "Nobody" -- incongruously shows both the stereotype and the determination to not be defined by it.

Wetumpka Depot: Congratulations

2010-03-08T12:41:00.002-06:00

The Wetumpka Depot Players represented the State of Alabama at the Southeastern Theatre Conference's "Community Theatre Festival" last week. -- They returned with the "Mass Congeniality Award" for their efforts.
Congratulations to the Depot Players for excellence in performance and for so finely representing Alabama.

Faulkner: "Jane Eyre"

2010-02-25T15:29:00.007-06:00

One of the most popular novels of the nineteenth century, Jane Eyre has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times. The latest incarnation of Charlotte Bronte's masterpiece is being performed at the Faulkner University Dinner Theatre, this time as a musical by John Caird and Paul Gordon.

The story foillows Jane [Anna Sailors] from her youth as an orphan under the severe charge of her aunt, Mrs. Reed [Rebekah Goldman], to her time at the Lowood School where she fares no better as a charity case, to her eventual departure on her own to become a governess at Thornfield, owned by Mr. Edward Rochester [Chase McMichen], with whom Jane falls in love.

Bronte's novel contains a lot of criticism of the harsh Victorian practices of class discrimination and rigid governance at all levels; yet it also is a passionate work, with Gothic and Romantic overtones, that encourages the breaking of stereotypes, and favors people who are true to their principles. As an early feminist, Jane rejects traditional religion, proposes forgiveness as an important element in relationships, and shows that love between equals is attainable.

The Faulkner production under Angela Dickson's direction runs over two-and-a-half hours, partly because the script attempts to include so very much of the novel's narrative. We do get a rather complete picture on the stage, though some script editing would be in order.

Art Williams is the musical director who accompanies expertly throughout. The music, while pleasant enough, is dependent on a single motif for its numerous songs whose lyrics contain much of the narrative scope of the plot and characterizations. And much of it is played at a slow and deliberate pace which reinforces the atmosphere, though the plot plods along as a result.

The ensemble acting here is good, with some actors playing double roles. And the principal roles are effectively drawn through the actors' committment and the excellent singing voices. -- Sophia Priolo's operatic soprano is clear and light in keeping with her portrayal of the socialite Blanche Ingram. Abby Roberts plays Mrs. Fairfax whose deafness is the cause of much of the needed humor of the piece, and her rich voice blends well especially in duets.

Ms. Sailors and Mr. McMichen are well matched actors playing the fated lovers Jane and Rochester. It is clear from their first meeting that they are meant for each other, not so much in a superficial romantic way, but rather as intellectual and emotional equals. And their voices link them even more securely in the performance.

Faulkner continues to tap into their student resources, and the younger roles are played by talented local students; and some original artwork has been supplied by Madison Faile, whose portraits and sketches show promise of a successful future.

Millbrook: "Nunsense"

2010-02-23T23:02:00.008-06:00

Starting off their fourth season, the Millbrook Community Players have a sure-fire hit on their hands with the very popular and zany comic musical, Nunsense. The play has made the rounds of countless community and educational theatres for years, some in the local area, and each one has had its own particular take on it.

Under John Collier's direction, and with Chris Perry's musical direction and Katy Hoffmaster on the piano, the seven featured actresses exhibit individual talents and a fine sense of ensemble performance.

The "Little Sisters of Hoboken" are holding a fundraiser performance event showcasing the assorted talents of the convent: singing, dancing, stand-up comedy, and ventriloquism are all included in the selections. -- It seems that they must raise sufficient funds to bury the four remaining of the fifty-two sisters who died of food poisoning accidentally brought on by tainted vichyssoise prepared by one of the nuns, Sister Julia (Child of God) [Shari Taylor]; and this must be done before the local health authorities inspect their kitchen.

The assorted talents of the sisters are showcased in the variety show they produce under the stern guidance of Mother Superior [Angie Mitchell]. Their black and white habits disguise their internal yearnings for performing: Sister Robert Anne [Brooke Brown] wanted once to be a musical star and can belt out a song with the best of them; Sister Mary Leo, the novice, [Victoria Martin] dreamt of being a ballet diva, the novice mistress Sister Mary Hubert [Felicia Swanner] sings gospel music, and Sister Mary Amnesia [Daphine McCormick] is an amazing country-western singer as well as a very funny ventriloquist. Even Mother Superior finds her untapped talent when under the influence of a street drug called "rush".

There is a lot of silliness in the script -- corny jokes and cliche witicisms about Catholicism and convent life, with songs like "Nunsense is Habit Forming" a throwaway line about "penguins", a Carmen Miranda impersonation, a tap-dancing chorus line, and a disastrous video called "Nunsmoke".

Yet all of it is good-natured fun that requires precise comic delivery, various high quality vocal styles, and an ability to be slightly risque without offending anyone.

There are still a few unresolved technical issues in Millbrook's new theatre space. Lighting has been improved but not yet enough for much dynamic variety; this should be resolved as new instruments are added. And the acoustics are so lively that the piano often drowns out the singers' voices or causes both tempo and pitch problems by blurring its sound to the actors.

The actresses in this production unquestionably have the requisite talents, and they also work as a tight ensemble unit. Hats off to them in this adventure.

AUM: "The Cherry Orchard"

2010-02-23T22:39:00.006-06:00

Theatre AUM's season continues with a lively ensemble performance of American playwright David Mamet's spot-on adaptation of Anton Chekhov's masterpiece, The Cherry Orchard. Mamet's trademark concise language and attention to the comic nuances of serious situations is true to the spirit of the original Russian play, making its down-at-heels aristocrats and upwardly mobile bourgeoisie more credible than they have been in a long time. No more a dusty relic, this version of The Cherry Orchard is a truthful and provocative analysis of very pertinent modern dilemmas.

Mike Winkelman directs his cast with a keen understanding of various eccentricities of individual personalities -- the self-centeredness of some, the naivete of others, and the fact that many of us talk a lot without holding meaningful conversations; in fact, it is easier sometimes to avoid uncomfortable problems than to face them. We are nonetheless drawn into their lives through the flexibility of the individual voices and through Winkelman's wizzardly choreographic vocal and physical style.

In 1904, as the middle class is overtaking the aristocracy in her homeland, Mme. Ranevskaya [Rebecca Dennard is solidly making her mark as one of local theatre's strongest actors in the role] returns from France to her home in Russia on the brink of bankruptcy. Steeped in the class restrictions of her day, she is both unwilling and incapable of comprehending her situation, and does everything to avoid it until it is too late.

She is surrounded by her younger daughter Anya [Ariel Taunton plays her as a charming yet petulant adolescent], and various hangers-on in her retinue. At home, her older daughter Varya [Vivian Walker's prim behavior belies an undercurrent of passion] and her brother Leonid [Lee Bridges's erratic behavior & befuddled demeanor can speak volumes] have been keeping the house and estate in order during Ranevskaya's absence; yet neither of them has the ability to directly face the problem at hand.

Greeting them on their return is Lopakhin, a former serf on the estate who has come up through the ranks into the middle-class; he advises her to sell off the estate and cut down the celebrated cherry orchard on it to make room for holiday cottages and earn a steady income. In the role, David Wilson's practicality is ignored as incomprehensible, partly because he is their social inferior, and partly due to his stumbling behavior -- a mix of awe in his new-found social place, his admiration of Ranevskaya who had treated him kindly when he was a child, and his inability to break the social codes and declare his love for Varya.

The social boundaries keep everyone locked in place, even as the new order is being established; it is hard for all social ranks to adjust to the inevitable changes in their lives. When Lopakhin buys the estate at an auction, that is the last straw; the social order can never be the same, yet he is prevented from taking his place among the aristocrats.

Both serious and absurdly comical in subject matter, Winkelman has his actors speak more at each other than to each other -- each living in his or her own world for most of their stage time -- and much like today, most attempts at direct communication fail.

Val Winkelman's exquisite costumes are among the best ever produced for Theatre AUM. Her attention to period detail of shape and fabric, and her choice of colors and styles perfectly suited to the ages and personalities of each character completely support the director's vision and the playwright's intentions. Stunning.

Even the old servant Firs [Bill Nowell is masterful in this role], the last remnant of the devoted servant, lives so much in the past; he is left in a vacant house at the end of the play, ignored and forgotten while the cherry orchard is being chopped down.

Guest Review: ASU "A Soldier's Play"

2010-02-20T10:02:00.006-06:00

Guest Reviewer: Layne Holley--Critic & Actress

Eager audience members mingling in the lobby of Alabama State University were surprised to find themselves joined by a company of young soldiers at attention, setting the tone for what proved to be an admirable staging of Charles Fuller's "A Soldier's Play", which ASU is entering into the 2010 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Fuller's play, which also won the N.Y. Drama Critics' Circle Award for best American play when it debuted in 1981, is a classic "whodunnit". The mystery is used to deliver an exploration of racism [both interracial and intra-racial] and the power struggles it creates. It uses well the red herrings created by people's mischaracterizations of others through stereotyping.

Set in 1943 at the then segregated U.S. Army's Fort Neal, LA, the play opens with the murder of Sgt. Vernon C. Waters. A light-skinned black man, Waters has schemed to use his rise through the military NCO ranks to raise his station in life, hoping one day that, by his successfully emulating white people, his children will rub elbows with the children of well-to-do white people.

The chief obstacle in his trajectory is "lazy and shiftless Negroes", especially "Southern Negroes", whom Waters says make a mockery of their race and damage any hopes of respect from whites. -- Throughout his military career, he has targeted these "geechees" in an effort to clear them from his environment, going so far as to kill a black soldier who donned a tail and danced like a monkey for white soldiers' entertainment.

When Waters, wel played by Andrew Preston, targets a beloved member of his unit, Private C.J. Memphis, to teach him a lesson and to set an example for the other black soldiers at the base, he sets his own demise in motion.

Captain Richard Davenport, assigned to investigate the murder, is a rarity himself. A Howard University graduate and an officer, he sees possibly more racial discrimination from his equals and superiors than does any other black soldier in the play. In his initial encounter with the white Captain Charles Taylor, he is told that his color signifies that the Army does not take seriously the investigation of the murder of a black sergeant.

Sayyed Shabbaz cooly plays Davenport as an "all business" sort who expects respect, if not for himself as a black man at least for his rank. His foil, Taylor, is matter-of-fact about the Army's regard for black soldiers and oficers. You expect Taylor to be derogatory and condescencing, and he is -- "Being in charge just doesn't look good on a negro," he tells Davenport. Yet Taylor sincerely wants to find Waters' killer or killers, even if they are, as he suspects, white officers within his own command. As for the suspects in Waters' murder, they are the usual ones when the victim is a black man: Ku Klux Klan members, white coldiers. But Davenport's keen eye detects something deeper.

When the silly and jocular, but oh-so observant Memphis saya of Waters, "Any man not sure of where he belongs must be in a lot of pain," he heralds an outcome for the audience: When power, pain and hatred mix, the damage will be great. Nepierre Green plays the "fool" Memphis with a touching authenticity; it's believable that this character can have sympathy for a man who constantly belittles him and his fellow soldiers for simply being who they are: young men who delight in their women, music, baseball, and hopes of getting a chance to fight Hitler's army.

The history between Waters and Memphis is relayed to Davenport during his investigation by Private James Wilkie, whom Waters stripped of his corporal's stripes for being drunk on guard duty, and Private First Class Melvin Peterson, who is the only soldier to stand up to Waters' abuse. Mikell Sapp and Julius Thompson, in the roles of Wilkie and Peterson respectively, deliver good performances throughout, particularly in their contributions to the ensemble in scenes with fellow enlisted men in their segregated unit.

While there are key elements of the story that are relayed in dialogue between a handful of central characters, much understanding of the world within the play is communicated by the ensemble that comprises the company of enlisted men. This young cast, featuring many of ASU's freshman and sophomore actors, manages admirably to convey life in a segregated Army and in a segregated country. The characters' life experiences as black men and black soldiers is complimented by the actors' honest portrayal of frustrated and energetic young manhood.

All this plays out on Alton England's cleverly designed set. The soldiers' barracks is authentic looking, and a moving set piece doubles as an interior and exterior setting. An obstacle course element triples as a roadside murder scene and a stockade. England makes good use of the theater's versatile but small stage.

The production's authenticity is greatly enhanced by the efforts of costume designer Ramona Ward. Even the creases in the soldiers' uniforms appeared to be military regulation.

Often overlooked, but powerful in this production, is sound design. Brandon Hubrins and Alexandra Phillips use percussion to convey presision, tension, and danger. -- Wednesday night's production pas somewhat plagued by sound cue troubles that have likely been cured for future performances.

"A Soldier's Play" tells an engaging story that all fans of mysteries and stories on the human condition and war will surely enjoy. It is imperative that the audience hears every line. This is sometimes made difficult however, by the young cast's mistaking fast delivery of dialogue for pacing [common among young actors], but it is not insurmountable. It is obvious too that some scenes were worked harder in rehearsal than others, but nothing truly falls short, and nothing seems overwrought. If anything, a larger flaw is that the physical tension and action in the smaller scenes between Taylor and Davenport and Davenport and the soldiers, does not match the tension in the dialogue. A few cases of tentative line delivery slow the pace and interrupt the strong characterization, but this too is minimal.

Director Brian Martin and his cast have taken on a complex and hefty pplay, and despite some unevenness among the major characters, they have delivered a strong production that took the audience in and earned their appreciative applause.

City Equity Theatre/Birmingham at Huntingdon: "Bully"

2010-02-16T21:48:00.006-06:00

Theodore Roosevelt was an extraordinary and multifaceted man: statesman, historian, conservationist as well as a hunter, author of over 30 books, devotee of physical fitness, foreign affairs mediator, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Harvard educated family man, and the 26th President of the United States. He had an extraordinary network of friends & aquaintances from ordinary citizens to celebrities and heads of state, and a forceful personality that sometimes aggravated others.

Those of us who were privileged to be in his company at Huntingdon College on Tuesday night, in the person of Birmingham actor Alan Gardner, were given a lot more than a history lesson. We were in the presence of a man whose sensibilities to the world around him in the early 20th Century still resonate today.

The two act play, written by Jerome Alden and directed by Alan Litsey, is called "Bully! An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt" -- and what a "bully" adventure it is. -- For two hours, Mr. Gardner riveted the audience with an impressive catalogue of facts and historical detail delivered at an exhausting pace and with such verve and passion for his subject that simultaneously provoked analysis of the country and the world's condition 100 years later.

By the age of 42, Roosevelt had done more in his life than most can claim to have done by the time they reach old age. -- In 1912, having served two terms as President, he is urged by some to run for another term, and from his Summer White House at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, Long Island, he discloses to the audience the admiration he had for his father, his love of family, the devastation he experienced at the loss of his first wife and his mother on the same day, and the numerous experiences that shaped his long-term philosophy -- a joy of living, a sense of purpose, admiration for strength of mind-body-and-character, a patriotism that becomes infectious, and a suitable realistic understanding that practicality governs most business, and an insightful message that "any politician who doesn't like publicity is a dead politician".

In Act II, though he loses the Republican candidacy to Taft, he doesn't go down without a fight. Taft's political machine was too strong, despite Roosevelt's popularity in the polls. -- We can see via Mr. Gardner's uncanny personification of T. R. that it is still common that men and women of character, those with courage, honesty, and common sense and who are committed to service, are overcome by the ruthlessness and selfishness of the politically powerful...yet they are never defeated.

Gardner lavishes upon us a tour-de-force tribute performance that too few Montgomerians shared. It deserves a longer run. Regardless of our own political convictions, the man on stage on Tuesday was admirable in so many ways: both in the persona of Theodore Roosevelt, and the actor, Alan Gardner.

Red Door: "Catfish Moon" (and a local restaurant)

2010-02-13T19:29:00.011-06:00

Early in Act II of Catfish Moon, Laddy Sartin's gentle comedy now playing at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs, the title of the play is explained: a "catfish moon" foretold good fishing. As one character observes, "people knew how to read the signs", and keen observation of nature affords mankind the necessary information to survive...It also serves as a metaphor for the lives of the four characters in this excellent ensemble production.

Three boyhood friends, now middle-aged, meet at an old fishing pier where they shared many moments of their youth. Nostalgic reminiscences and various attempts to recapture the past make it clear from the start that their former innocence can not be revisited with any certainty. Life has changed them all, and they have not read the signs of ageing very clearly. Their personalities have not changed much over time, but their flaws and foibles, their awkward and stumbling attempts at reviving a youthful intimacy, now get in the way.

All this is done on a remarkable realistic set provided by the Troy University Theatre Program. The details of a decaying wooden pier and surrounding tree trunks and waterside greenery transform the Red Door Theatre and create an appropriate mood.

Curley [Randy Thornton] is the "big brother" of the threesome who brings his friends Gordon [Steve McCary] and Frog [Mark Moore] out to the pier with a scheme to buy the property and a boat and turn it into a refuge for them to escape the routine of business and re-live the past: "We used to enjoy life; now it's passing us by", he exclaims, but is warned that "sentiment and business don't mix".

Curley's sister Betty [Peggy Brown Thornton] is recently divorced from Frog, and now is dating Gordon, which threatens the friendships that Curley tries so hard to sustain.

Mr. McCary's portrayal of Gordon in his bashful attempts at intimacy and reliance on the Horoscope Hotline for romantic advice is depicted honestly in all its bumbling, and when he slips "off the wagon", his drunken behavior is both hugely comical and thoroughly credible. -- As Frog, Mr. Moore starts out as a one-note firebrand, but settles into the role honestly as his character realizes the truth of relationships. -- Mr. Thornton plays Curley's intense determination to recapture his life and his need to bring together and arbitrate arguements among everyone who has ever meant anything to him with a conviction that only late in the play is explained. -- Yet, it is only Ms. Brown Thornton's Betty who has read most of the signs clearly. Her every gesture and textured line readings are a model of comfort and consistency.

Under artistic director Fiona Macleod's astute direction, these ordinary people and the plainness of their dialogue become so comfortable for the audience that it is easy to engage with them. The restraint of the cast in depicting their characters so naturalistically is admirable. And while no epic action occurs [only occasional shouting and virtually nothing is fast-paced], the production's leisurely deliberateness establishes that these characters have grown accustomed to one another and accept who they are without question. And so do we.

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Dining in Union Springs
Whether you live nearby or travel a distance, the "Union Pizza Company" across the street from the theatre serves exceptional Italian food at reasonable prices, and has a "Pre-Theatre" menu featuring main courses as well as pizza & sandwiches. Portions are more than generous, and the atmosphere is rustic trattoria -- but it is the quality of the food that counts. Fresh ingredients and authentic recipes by chef-owner Gary Weiss make this a destination restaurant that surpasses anything within 150 miles.

ASF: "Harriet"s Return"

2010-02-07T17:39:00.010-06:00

Seven days into Black History Month, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is presenting "Harriet's Return", author and actress Karen Jones Meadows' stirring tribute to Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who went on to become a noted "conductor" for the Underground Railroad, a "General" under John Brown, another "Moses" and "Mother Harriet" to countless abused victims of slavery.

A tour-de-force two-and-a-half-hour performance by Ms. Jones Meadows tracks Tubman's life from childhood to old age, wherein she portrays some 30+ characters who intersect and often re-appear in Harriet's eventful life.

The play sets the themes of Tubman's life with her modern-day counterpart defiantly and aggressively indulging in a diatribe against stereotypes of African Americans' and their self-loathing for succumbing to white society's judgements. None too soon, she transforms into the young Araminta ["Minty" as she is known], her vivid red evening dress changed into a shapeless brown sack.

From then on to the end of Act I, we follow her treatment and shame at the hands of "masters" and other slaves, her connection to family, the injury that makes her "stupid" and creates the voices she hears for the rest of her life, her realization at age 14 that "I'm growed" and insists on calling herself Harriet, her marriage to the unfaithful love of her life John Tubman, the advice she receives from Mama and Papa Drake, and her eventual escape to freedom in Philadelphia.

Act II picks up the action as she helps free her family from slave conditions in the South. "God came through for me," she says, "and I'll come through for him." Scene after scene recounts the now familiar history of her exploits with abolitionists and the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, her work with Frederick Douglass and John Brown, the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act and the Emancipation Proclamation, her move to Auburn, NY where she faced the snobbery of former slaves now living a better life, and founding a home for old and indigent former slaves before going on a successful lecture circuit to educate anyone who would listen.

Quite a lot to fit into an evening; and though some scenes are drawn out beyond their dramatic interest, there is no doubt about Ms. Jones Meadows abilities as a performer and a writer. She has an ability to switch characters -- sometimes with a mere shift of posture -- and a vast arsenal of voices that distinguish each role with conviction.

But the play is more than this. The earnestness with which she admires her subject gives the story a vivid life of its own. And the longer we stay in her passionate presence, we can not help but be influenced by the messages she provides: problems are fixed from within, each life should have a purpose, every individual can make a difference, even bad experiences make us stronger, it is all people's responsibility to pass on their knowledge and wisdom.

Wetumpka Depot: "Second Samuel"

2010-02-05T07:30:00.006-06:00

A full house and a well-earned standing ovation greeted the Wetumpka Depot Players at the curtain call of "Second Samuel", the inaugural production of this, their 30th Anniversary Season.

Atlanta playwright Pamela Parker's well-crafted and Pulitzer nominated play is set in the fictitious small town of Second Samuel, Georgia in 1949, where everyone knows everyone else's business, or so it seems. -- The recent death of the town's matriarch, Miss Gertrude, impacts the lives of the citizens and reveals their assorted eccentricities, relationships, and secrets...often in the most outrageously comical ways.

The stage is divided into four acting areas: the Change Your Life Hair and Beauty Shop, reminiscent of "Steel Magnolias" where the town's women gossip, is balanced by the Bait & Brew "social club" as the men's counterpart; in the center is Miss Gertrude's porch, and in front of it is a tree stump where much of the narration takes place.

Parker's tightly-woven plot -- and director Tom Salter's attention to its details and rhythms -- bring an honesty of perspective to its themes of tolerance of race, gender, personalities, disabilities, or virtually anyone who is "different." The script's balance of humor and pathos, certainty and doubt, accusation and forgiveness keep our attention throughout. -- And the multi-talented ensemble of novice and experienced actors find nuances that elevate their characters from stereotypes to complex individuals.

Miss Gertrude had touched so many lives that virtually everyone wants to contribute to the party at her house after the funeral: the beauty shop owner, Omaha Nebraska [Kristy Meanor], volunteers to do Miss Gertrude's hair for her burial, and many others are willing to pitch in. But when she reveals a secret, their hidden prejudices emerge. What first seemed fairly benign, provokes arguements and conflicts stemming from the observation that everyone has peculiarities they don't want to be made public. -- And it is up to someone to calm things down.

That someone is the narrator & central character, a young man named B-Flat who, despite his mental disability and often strange behavior, has more sense than all the rest of the characters put together. He is one of the town's "outsiders"; the other is his best friend, a black man named "U. S." [Bobby Mays], who tends bar in the Bait & Brew.-- Miss Gertrude had looked after B-Flat from his childhood, and he is devoted to her as much after her death as during her life.

In an extraordinarily detailed portrayal by Jonathan Conner -- faltering speech, facial tics, palsied fingers, nervous gestures, perceptive commentary, honesty and clarity of thought, and an uncanny ability to switch attitude in mid-sentence -- B-Flat's strangeness appears so natural and the characterization so complete, that audiences relate to his predicament without any reluctance. Our sympathy for B-Flat's disability disappears, and is replaced by affectionate understanding and acceptance of one another's differences.

Director Salter allows his actors time to explore the subtleties of character, and allows the themes to emerge slowly and without fuss or heavy handed preaching. Whether by unison speech, comic timing, spurts of anger, sensitive conversations, solo or group harmony songs, or physical arrangement of characters, his production is a clear celebration of how best to find acceptance in the community and in ourselves.

New in 2010

2010-01-31T16:26:00.006-06:00

The theatre season is starting up again in 2010. -- Be sure to open the websites listed at the left to check schedules & ticket information.

OPENING SOON:
1) Wetumpka Depot -- Second Samuel -- Feb. 3
2) ASF -- Harriet's Return -- Feb. 7
3) Red Door -- Catfish Moon -- Feb. 11
4) Faulkner -- Jane Eyre [musical] -- Feb. 11
5) ASU -- A Soldier's Play -- Feb. 17
6) AUM -- The Cherry Orchard -- Feb. 18
7) Auburn -- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
8) Millbrook -- Nunsense -- Feb. 23

Millbrook "The Homecoming"

2009-12-11T09:46:00.009-06:00

The Millbrook Community Players, now in their second year and settling into their new home, are currently showing "The Homecoming", Earl Hamner's touching story adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel, and made familiar to television audiences as the basis for "The Waltons".

Joe Nolin, Jr. directs the production's large cast of veteran and novice actors from the local community. Although some of the staging appears static and cumbersome (moving some 28 actors around a small stage is no easy task), and there is some difficulty in characterization and vocal projection, the play's themes and messages for the Christmas season ring true.

Set on and around Spencer's Mountain in rural Virginia during the Great Depression, the story is a reminiscence of its narrator and central character Clay Boy [Daniel Harms], the eldest of the eight red-haired children of Olivia [Christine Lamar] and Clay [John Collier]. -- On Christmas Eve, with a blizzard paralyzing the community, Clay delayed on his return home from his job some 40 miles away, and only two-dollars remaining in their hands to celebrate Christmas, the family discover that they are rich in many ways despite their poverty.

Clay Boy's truthful accounts of his family -- flaws and all -- are his means to this discovery. Although he loves and admires his stern father, Clay Boy does not want to follow in his footsteps; rather, he wants to be a writer -- a profession his father bruskly dismisses -- and feels that his father does not understand him. His sister Becky [Katie Moore] throws tantrums at the slightest provocation (a sign of her frustrated adloescence); the younger sister Pattie Cake [Gracie Moore] wants desperately to believe in Santa Claus; and his mother is concerned for her husband's safety and her brood's happiness.

Resistant to accepting the charity of their neighbors, the family are nonetheless impacted by everyone around them: the simple friend Birdshot [Cory Jackson], the City Lady [Victoria Martin] who distributes hand-me-down gifts to the poor, the Rev. Dooly [D. C. Conyer] who guides his flock and Clay Boy with unaffected messages of the Christmas season, and most especially the Staples sisters [Kathleen McPherson and Ginger Collum] whose kindness belies their reputation for selling bootleg liquor.

Though Clay Boy's grandparents [Fred Neighbors and Gail Lombard] offer some practical advice, he must find out for himself that things aren't always what they seem, and it is the simple things that matter most: the homemade ornaments for their Christmas tree, the lovingly hand-made clothes from his mother, the gift of a turkey for their holiday dinner, the bonds of family that transcend poverty, and most of all his father's respect.

State of Alabama: ACT Awards

2009-12-07T12:32:00.004-06:00

The Alabama Conference of Theatre presented its top three awards at a ceremony at Troy University on Saturday, December 5, 2009, in conjunction with the "Trumbauer" Festival.

The Outstanding Secondary School Teacher of the Year Award: Connie Voight, The Randolph School

The Marian Gallaway Award for contributions to theatre in the State: Chris Rich, Troy University

The Hall of Fame Award for pioneer service & contributions to Alabama Theatre: Michael P. Howley, Alabama State University.

"Trumbauer" Results

2009-12-07T12:21:00.005-06:00

The results are in. -- The annual ACT "Trumabuer" Secondary School Festival was held this past weekend at Troy University. -- Individual awards were earned in numerous categories of acting, design, and other theatre areas.

In the "One-Act Play" competition, two schools earned the right to represent the State of Alabama next March at the Southeastern Theatre Conference's annual convention in Lexington, KY.

Kudos to:
(1) Huntsville High School -- "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
(2) Spain Park High School -- "Jedem das Seine"

ASF "A Christmas Story"

2009-12-07T12:18:00.010-06:00

-- "What do you want for Christmas?"
-- "..a legendary official Red Ryder 200-shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built into the stock."
-- "You'll shoot your eye out!"

These lines are repeated frequently in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's delightful production of Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian, and brought to life under Geoffrey Sherman's clever direction by a company of professional actors and local students recruited from many Montgomery schools.

Anyone who has seen the television movie version -- and there were plenty in the audience for its sold out opening performance -- anticipates this dialogue and many of the signal moments in the life of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker: his imaginative adventures as a cowboy, his school friends and the local bully, the friend who gets his tongue stuck to an icy lamppost, the delivery of a leg lamp, an outrageous pink bunny pajama set, the unchanging meat-loaf and red cabbage dinner, and numerous exploits and anticipation on the way to Christmas morning's opening of presents.

And we see all of this through the lens of the grown up Ralphie reminiscing on his childhood in Depression Era Indiana, as he vividly conjurs his family, friends, teachers, and local characters for us to see...but more on this later.

The young student ensemble is top notch: from Hailey Covington's unnerving depiction of Helen -- the science wiz who can also fight like a boy; to MaryKathryn Samelson as Ralphie's younger brother Randy who always "has to go wee-wee" and hides in the most unlikely places; to Jackson Massey's bully, Scut Farcas, who gets his comeuppance in right good fashion; to Riley Segars' portrayal of Flick -- the bully's victim; to Claudia Hubbard's always patient Esther Jane, and to Schwartz [Nathan Looney], Sarah [Helen Taylor], and Bob [Matthew Sailors] who participate fully in each scene.

But attention must be paid to Seth Meriwether as Ralphie. No stranger to the ASF stage [he has appeared in "A Christmas Carol: the Musical", and made a significant impression in both "Over the Tavern" and "Richard III"], this young actor is in the process of mastering a comic technique and complex characterizations and already exhibits a high degree of proficiency and maturity. -- In "A Christmas Story", he is so natural in the role, and such a likeable personality, that we are continually engaged in his dilemmas and cheer him on to success.

The adults in Ralphie's life -- his Mother [Sandy York], his Father, the "old man" [Bryant Mason], and his teacher, Miss Shields [Jennifer Lyon] -- are more than cut-out versions of adults that children often perceive. Yes, they do have their foibles and peculiarities, yet: Ms. York is so unassuming in the role of the Mother, that we are delighted when she can supply answers to the trivia her husband is attempting to discover, and admire her ability to be the real strength in the family; Ms. Lyon's magical portrayal of the ever-optimistic teacher is a scene-stealer; and Mr. Mason's pompous "old man" with his "catalogue of invective...and...lexicon of curses" belies his compassionate treatment of his wife and children.

In a tour de force performance as the narrator -- Ralphie's grown-up self who can "triple-dog-dare you" to not love this show --Rodney Clark pulls out all the stops as the lively and masterful storyteller, a man who realizes the impact his childhood experiences had on him, an understanding of the adults who molded him with their love, an ability to see both the serious and the comic in life's everyday occurrences, and an actor's flexibility in developing each of these parts so completely and believably.

Thanks to Shepherd's [and Grecian's] wonderfully descriptive and insightful and imaginative dialogue, to a design team that provide the illusion of a nostalgic past, and to Sherman's sense of the comic proportion of this story, the stellar performances usher in a delightful Christmas season in Montgomery.

Red Door "Holiday Memories"

2009-12-05T09:46:00.008-06:00

What a shame that there were only three performances of Truman Capote's "Holiday Memories" at the Red Door Theatre in Union Springs. Director Fiona Macleod is celebrating her first anniversary at the Red Door with this production -- a fine one that sensitively brings Capote's characters to life in a stage version by Russell Vandenbroucke.

Largely narrative, this stage version replicates Capote's stories pretty much as they first appeared in print, challenging the actors to bring the characters realistically to life. The stories set at Thanksgiving and Christmastime are reminiscences -- the "memories" of the title -- of Capote's devotion to his cousin Miss Sook Faulk in Depression Era rural Alabama when he was seven and she was sixty-something.

As the older Truman [the main narrator], veteran actor Stephen Dubberley shares much of the storytelling with the younger version of himself called Buddy and played by Thomas Dyer. Together, they control most of the action and demonstrate a fine rapport in connecting the older man with his younger self.

Miss Sook is personified by Eleanor Davis, one of Montgomery's most accomplished actresses, in an evanescent portrayal of the childlike woman who teaches Buddy his most important lessons: that simple things are often the best, that trust and friendship outweigh material possessions, that deliberate cruelty is the only unpardonable sin, and that life & truly living it are precious gifts available to everyone.

Into their lives come a succession of relatives, neighbors, school-mates, an Indian "moonshine" dealer, and assorted eccentrics that exist mostly as tangenital outsiders to their almost enchanted lives wherein they tell stories, invent games, and engage in numerous "projects" that are reminiscent of simpler, quieter times.

All these characters are played by Summer Pickett Rice and Mark Moore, and are defined so individually that one might think there were more than five actors in the production.

Capote's prose evokes a previous time and gets into the very souls of his characters so accurately, and with a sensitive touch that Ms. Macleod interprets in an elegaic style through mood-setting music, an almost mystical set consisting of platforms and hanging muslin drapes bedecked with Spanish moss, and period-looking costumes. The deliberately slow pace and gentle vocal qualities of the actors complete this tribute to Capote's text.

Faulkner "Man Day"

2009-12-04T07:27:00.008-06:00

"Man Day -- the Psuedo-Musical" opened at Faulkner University's Dinner Theatre this week. Written by students Chris Kelly, Daniel Monplaisir, and Michael Morrow -- three of Faulkner's manistay actors -- this "work in progress" shows a lot of potential, much of which is realized in the two-hour production directed by Jason Clark South.

The premise is simple: the three students [they play themselves] are challenged by Mr. South [a clever impersonation by Bibb Herrod] to write, direct, and produce a play as a requisite for passing a course. Their fictionalized personae have rarely attended class and are at a complete loss as to how to proceed. They have been too caught up in celebrating "Man Day" -- any day they set aside to luxuriate in "being men" by excluding women, watching mind-numbing television shows, weight-lifting, and sleeping. The tests of their manhood and the challenges awaiting them in being responsible for producing the play become the premises for the play itself.

With no clue as to how to begin, and allowing any idea full consideration, they ultimately determine to write a "sci-fi-western-mystery-horror-action-comedy-Christmas play" -- and they actually manage to do it. Of course, much of it makes little sense other than to showcase the 22-member cast's abilities as well as the authors' sometimes self-indulgent wit.

Kelly, Monplaisir, and Morrow do have considerable talent which negates their on-stage character depictions. And they have the maturity to allow self-mockery as they target their own "real" foibles for the audience to view. This is not just an exercise in narcissism, though there is a lot of that too: witness the weight lifting scene with one character an out-of-shape contrast to the other two.

They know their way around the theatrical experience. For example, an audition scene parades many eccentricities of inexperienced actors' audition behavior and material, and exposes an assortment of recognizable character types with a good-natured critical focus.

And they have surrounded themselves with student actors with their own abilities: Rebekah Goldman's deadpan Goth named Mary Rose is both a laugh and a threat; Chase McMichen's personification of the forgetful Derrick who must also prove his manhood is a continual puzzle; Josh Saylor and Jason Peregoy as the seemingly inept sword-fighters create very effective combat that is both entertaining and seemingly dangerous; Peregoy is credited as the fight choreographer -- excellent work here.

There is so much in this script -- character types, popular culture references, linguistic oddities, genre analysis -- as well as an attempt to comment on relationships and identity themes in largely comedic ways, that the action often moves very slowly and without much purpose other than to draw attention to itself. It would benefit from judicious editing and a faster pace; but, as this is a "work in progress" much can be forgiven.

Faulkner University's talent pool is large, and this show -- limitations and all -- gives proof to it.

Montevallo "On the Verge"

2009-11-20T23:42:00.008-06:00

Eric Overmeyer's 1985 "On the Verge, or: The Geography of Yearning" is currently playing in the University of Montevallo's Chichester Theatre. -- The "Chi Box" has fewer than 50 seats and is set up in arena style, providing a lot of intimacy for this witty journey of allusions and illusions...the story of three intrepid Victorian women explorers seeking independence from the world of men as they both literally and figuratively hack their way through "Terra Incognita": the unknown land.

Probably the biggest challenge to the trio of women is Overmeyer's dense script, one that is simultaneously witty and stuffy. Victorian sensibilities are expressed in the more formal language of 1888, while the women's attitudes and experiences are infused with apparent anachronistic references to more modern times. -- In fact, they are travelling both through the Antipodes, Africa and Tibet, and through time, winding up in 1955 in America. As they travel, their language adapts to these changes, and is especially rich in references to popular culture.

Fanny [Jerrica Cleckler] is the most conservative of the group and the only married one. Mary [Leslie Baird Hinson] seems to be the eldest and perhaps the least willing to change and the most intent on discovering new lands and her place in them. Alex [Marie Pope] is younger than the others, more forceful and flighty. -- Together, these actresses make a good ensemble who share stage time generously while developing the complexities of their individual characters as they yearn for self discovery.

And they have to manipulate an extensive number of "props" that signal the world ahead of them, much of which is managed with Overmeyer's humorous analysis of the contemporary world as they attempt to figure out the uses of such items as egg-beaters, Presidential campaign buttons, and cream cheese by use of osmosis.

Most of the dialogue is convincing, though a number of mispronunciations distract from its very precise intentions.

Appearances along the way by an assortment of characters -- real and imagined -- ranging from Fanny's husband Grover to a cannibal, a Yeti, a motorcycle-riding troll, and a gypsy [all played by David Wencil and Logan Reid], the women's journey takes a number of unexpected comedic twists, all the while keeping in mind the script's and director Tammy Killian's focus on the play's feminist themes.

These are intelligent women who have been subjected to men all their lives. Risking their lives and reputations by daring such a journey without any men along and completely without the usual male porters, the bravery inherent in all women is highlighted. They yearn for independence and for knowledge. As they encounter the future with every step, their knowledge of themselves increases also. Though Fanny says that time travel is a risky business, Alex advises them to embrace the future with all their hearts.

Content with the world of 1955, Fanny and Alex settle there, while Mary, ever restless, must continue as a solo sojourner, and fulfills the sub-title of the play -- the geography of yearning.

Auburn "Brighton Beach Memoirs"

2009-11-14T08:39:00.009-06:00

Neil Simon's 1982 semi-autobiographical "Brighton Beach Memoirs" may have closed recently in New York due to low ticket sales, but the production now showing at Auburn should have a successful run. Judging from the enthusiastic opening night response, director Scott Phillips has a hit on his hands.

Part one of Simon's so-called "Eugene Trilogy" [it was followed by "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound"], the play is set in the home of a Jewish-Polish immigrant family in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn in Depression Era 1937, and contains the playwright's trademark humor mixed with some serious issues and detailed character development.

Narrated by the 15-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome -- here played convincingly by Richard Davis -- the assorted family crises are played out for us through the prism of Eugene's clever and touching observations about both himself and the members of his family.

At 15, Eugene dreams of becoming either a famous professional baseball player or a "writer" -- he can't decide which -- and feels constrained by having to conform to all the adults' wishes [and being blamed for everything that goes wrong] and the sexual bewilderment of puberty.

Life is tough in Brighton Beach: the Depression makes jobs scarce and with low salaries for Eugene's father Jack and his older son Stanley, mother Kate struggles to make ends meet in the household where every penny counts, the Jerome's have been sharing their home with Kate's widowed sister Blanche and her two daughters, and World War II is about to erupt -- yet somehow the bonds of family and essential life values sustain them all.

Things come to a head when everyone, it seems, has a problem that must be solved immediately. Cousin Nora, the pretty one, thinks she has a chance of getting a role in a Broadway play, hoping to earn enough money to provide her mother's independence; yet, she has not finished high school and will need the diploma for her future. Stanley gets fired from his job on a matter of principle and does not want to sacrifice principle for anything. Blanche feels frustrated by her dependence on the kindness of her family. The long-suffering Kate seeks to protect everyone, especially the children, and maintain a peaceful home. And each must seek advice from Jack who has been working two jobs, one of which is ending.

There are a lot of contradictions in the characters' behaviors, ones that are made believable by Simon's script and the talents of the actors who say the lines with conviction. They emerge as very human characters. For example, Kate tries to find the good in all things, yet she hates the Irish neighbors she has never met, calling them "those people" and pigeonholing them as dirty drunks. Stanley and Eugene are constantly at odds with one another, yet their bond as siblings is strong enough to allow us to believe that they can either love or hate one another within a minute's time. Nora requests Jack's advice, though she resents the fact that he is not her father and therefore has no right to advise her.

Any number of these confrontational scenes are played truthfully by the individual actors. As Nora, Heather Rule's naive enthusiasm at her Broadway prospects and then her deflation and anger at being told there are more important things in life ring true. When Blanche [Laura Walter] and Kate [Bridget Knapik] finally have it out -- the sibling rivalry that has been festering for all their lives is out in the open --we believe them and accept Jack's [John Tourtellotte] hands-off attitude as he tells them it is about time they talked about it. We feel compassion for Ben Young as Stanley when he is made to stand up for his principles despite disappointing or angering his parents.

A quibble here: With so much at stake, it is unfortunate that so much of the heightened emotions were played at the same loud volume; it is tiring for an audience to listen to so much yelling when other choices are available to the actors, and variety would have made it more palatable.

Through it all is Eugene...commenting, criticizing, glibly poking fun, and coming to terms with his own place in the family and the human race. He is fixated on sex -- he is curious and eager to learn, and Stanley guides him through this journey as only an older brother can: honestly and openly, yet with a bit of derision that comes from his own flawed understanding. As Eugene darts from one subject to another, and lets us in on his thoughts with frequent aside comments directed at the audience, we become his co-conspirators, in a way...and that is the root of much of the humor of the piece. We like Richard Davis in the role, so we are inclined to share his roller-coaster ride with the same enthusiasm he brings to it.

Pip Gordon's scenic design replicates a detailed two-storey house of the period, giving more credence to the production. And the actors' attention to authentic Brooklyn dialect [thanks to vocal consultant Daydrie Hague] lends even more credibility to the performances.

What keeps us attuned to the Jerome family are the themes that transcend time and place: people of principle, the bond of family, sacrifices we make for one another, charity seeking no recompense, the dignity of the individual...and a sense of humor...that is essential.

Depot at ASF "The Wedding from Hell"

2009-11-08T17:29:00.007-06:00

U p d a t e :
After a brief successful run in Wetumpka, "The Wedding from Hell" transferred for two performances at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where it played to sold-out houses much to the delight of the audiences. -- Under Kristy Meanor's direction, the shift from procenium to three-quarter-round staging was successful in keeping characters audible and in view of the audience, though some of the movement got a bit distracting [the recitation from Shakespeare's "Richard III" worked better with less movement].

Written by Depot members Tom Salter, Kristy Meanor, and Mary Katherine Moore, this 90-minute comedy takes a Southern wedding to ridiculous heights and includes "every redneck stereotype in the book" going through their dysfunctional paces at the "Miller-Light wedding" [get it?].

All the bridesmaids are called Brittney [as is the "pregnant" bride], there's a Bible-thumping preacher named Wanker, an effeminate wedding planner named Dash LaRue, frustrated beauty queens, clog-dancers, assorted drunks, a shotgun-toting father of the bride and his over-sexed wife, a social climbing ex-wife, and an Elvis impersonator among the 24-member cast of characters.

Some tightening has been made to the production since its first appearance, and singular hilarious moments have been improved. Especially notable is Merilee Robinson's "signed" interpretation of "The Rose" done brilliantly in dead-pan. It brought down the house.

Without exception, the actors continued their remarkable sense of ensemble without ever breaking character and without any attempt to try to be funny. And it is clear that they were enjoying themselves.

There is a lot of clever dialogue, and the situations get more and more complicated as time passes. It is too bad that an intermission was included -- the whole running time was just 90 minutes; a sustained hilarity would have been preferable.

Outrageous costumes, wigs, and props completed the picture, making "The Wedding from Hell" a rambunctious romp and a total delight.

ASF "Ferdinand the Bull"

2009-11-08T17:10:00.009-06:00

This season's Alabama Shakespeare Festival "Intern Company" is taking the stage for the first time in the Octagon Theatre with a visually stunning production of Munro Leaf's children's classic "Ferdinand the Bull" under Nancy Rominger's direction. -- Adapted for the stage by Karen Zacarias, and with music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, the version expands the number of characters of Leaf's story, adding subplots that,while clever inventions, distract somewhat from the principal title character. We forget about him for much of the time.

Made famous first for its pacifist bias in 1936 -- Hitler & Franco hated it, while Gandhi admired it -- and later for the Disney film that garnered an Academy Award in 1938, "The Story of Ferdinand" introduced the world to Ferdinand, a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight in a bullring. Despite taunting from the other bulls, and an accident that brings him into the corrida, Ferdinand sticks to his principles and refuses to fight. That's it, plain and simple...and a good message for young and old alike: "be true to yourself" and "not all brave people fight" are lessons for everyone.

There are many clever and humorous aspects in this adapted script and in the performances of the likeable cast. Duque Dodo [Ricardo Vasquez] speaks in an exaggerated Castilian accent, Cochina the Pig [Lauren Sowa] spouts Shakespeare, and there are numerous cliches like "bring home the bacon", "take the bull by the horns", and "high on the hog" that punctuate the dialogue and shift the focus away from Ferdinand.

Ferdinand [Matthew Baldiga] is urged by Cochina to behave like all the other bulls and take his rightful place of honor in the bullring, though she does not know that the bull gets killed at the end of the fight. And she believes that the right humans will recognize Ferdinand as the best bull. When she finds out, she tries to save her friend. Peaceful & quiet through it all, Ferdinand sits on a bee whose sting sends him into wild behavior that the humans misinterpret as ferocity, so they take him to fight. This episode went by so quickly that there was little time to respond to Ferdinand's pain before he was taken away.

Duquito Danilo [Michael Pesoli] is a counterpart to Ferdinand; he wants to be a flamenco dancer, but is too meek to thwart his father Duque Dodo's demands of becoming a famous matador, and he does want to please his father. -- Once in the ring, the most important fight he has is to fight for himself by dancing...and the Duque relents and praises his son's talent as a dancer. Ferdinand too goes back to the country to smell the flowers.

Spectacular costumes by Jeffrey Todhunter are a visual delight: colorful, authentic, and suitable for each character. And the set by Peter Hicks provides a bright landscape and a red-orange-yellow color pallet evoking the Spanish terrain; and a simple device transforms it into a bullring.

The lyrics to the songs are witty and further the plot, and the score suggests the Spanish culture.

Performances are endearing, and engage the audience -- even the little ones -- to interract with the dialogue.

There are dark moments that might frighten the very young; this play seems suitable for children 5-years of age and up.

Millbrook "Cotton Patch Gospel"

2009-11-07T07:53:00.008-06:00

At their new home in the Robinson Springs School, the Millbrook Community Players are presenting "Cotton Patch Gospel" by Clarence Jordan, with music & lyrics by Harry Chapin.

Originally performed by one actor and a musical quartet, this version expands the cast to six actors, accompanied by a piano and four guitars. The Gospels of Matthew and John are turned into a down-home gentle retelling of the Bible re-set in contemporary rural Georgia.

Jordan's purpose was to tell the Bible stories in language that reaches out to ordinary people so they might better connect with its messages than through the standard versions. The expressions of "modern feelings, frustrations, hopes, and assurances" that come from this play have an immediate relevance to us all.

Over its two hour running time, we are shown the life of Jesus through the eyes and mouths of various disciples, primarily Matthew, played by Chris Perry who also directed this venture. In fact, the play is a virtual monologue for Perry; the other actors have few lines, though they do supply much of the singing.

As "Matthew & Co.", Perry both narrates the chronology of Jesus' time on earth and plays numerous persons throughout the narrative: Jesus, Mary, Joseph [Joe here], John the Baptizer, the Good Samaritan, Herod, Pilate, Judas, and many others. It is a tour de force that Perry is well-equipped to handle.

He can be a neutral narrator, a soft-spoken or angry Jesus, concerned parents, stern politicians, an evangelical preacher, and a troubled betrayer with equal ease and conviction. Quite the performance.

The familiar Bible passages are instantly recognizable in Jordan's version, allowing us to nod approvingly of the change in style. Songs often reinforce the messages of the episodes; for example, the admonition to "turn the other cheek" is sung as "Turn It Around"; other numbers like "Jubilation" or "Everybody's Lost Now" establish moods and commentary.

Musical accompaniment was top notch. Unfortunately, the sound system at the theatre made much of the lyrics impossible to hear. A combination of over-amplification of instruments with inadequate microphones for voices rendered so much of it incomprehensible. We got the messages because the Bible stories are so familiar, but could not hear a lot of the words.

"Cotton Patch Gospel" is both an earnest theological presentation and a comfortable entertainment that garners tears and laughter -- and compassion for one another.

Theatre AUM "Lysistrata"

2009-11-05T21:42:00.023-06:00

An enthusiastic standing room only opening night crowd witnessed Theatre AUM's lively production of "Lysistrata", a masterful Old Comedy by the Greek playwright Aristophanes known for its frank depiction of sexual relations, witty double entendre, and very direct and hugely comical obscenities.

First performed around 411 BC during the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta, today it is often played as an anti-war play [on March 3, 2003 it was produced around the world as "The Lysistrata Project" in an attampt to disuade the President from going to war with Iraq]; or with its title character the first female protagonist of its time, it is often seen as a feminist treatise.

Director Neil David Seibel chose to set his AUM production in the 1960s, and fills the scene with assorted flower-children clad in knee-high leather boots, mini-skirts, and mis-matched colorful patterned outfits on a set reminiscent of television's "Laugh-In", and firmly embraces the anti-war interpretation that only occasionally gets serious and which exercises a good deal of decorum in presenting the play's sexual subject matter -- ribaldry here, not lewdness.

Adding to the nostalgic setting -- one which pre-dates virtually all the cast members -- Seibel has chosen numerous popular songs of the 60s to further his points. Bookending the play with "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" as an anti-war anthem, other titles such as "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and "Hit the Road Jack" target the feminist theme.

The women of Greece are both tired of a seemingly interminable and senseless war and sexually frustrated while their menfolk are absent. They are lead by Lysistrata [Shaina Pierce] to end the war and bring their husbands home by going on a sex strike. She calls a meeting of women representatives of all the city-states and has them swear an oath to deny making love with their partners until peace is declared --not an easy task considering that the women become equally frustrated sexually, yet one which ultimately and preposterously succeeds.

Characterizations are broad and bawdy, but retain an innocence and naivete due in part to the reminiscences evoked by the 1960s. The AUM actors were energetic and seemed to enjoy romping through the play's silliness. It is one of the traps of such a time location -- we either overlook or de-emphasize the serious issues of the day in favor of a feel-good nostalgia. And there were real issues in the 60s as well as today that fade into the background as we concentrate on having fun.

Aristophanes satirized men and women fairly equally in this play, and most certainly proposed some intelligent solutions to war -- compromise through political diplomacy for example. After the men -- notably Cinesius [Wes Milton comically uncomfortable in extremis as he desperately tries to make love to his wife Myrrhine (Sarah Worley) as she taunts & finally denies his advances] -- give in to the women's demands, Lysistrata [Shaina Pierce] forcefully explains that former allies can yet again be friends, and that we all have a lot more in common than we remember during times of disagreement.

There are some moments of hilarity in this production, though there is some unevenness in the overall production: tentative movement and sustaining character for example. Laura Bramblette as the Leader of the Women's Chorus creates a fine impersonation of Ruth Buzzi's old woman on Laugh-In, and received applause & laughs on merely making an entrance. As the ditzy air-head Calonice, Laura Selmon, complete with blonde wig and high-pitched voice, deserves our admiration. And the Old Men's double act played by Chris Howard and Mark Dasinger keeps the disguise going with reminiscences of Tim Conway's old man from Laugh-In and the Carol Burnett Show.

Ms. Pierce's Lysistrata is matched by Phadra Foster's Spartan Lampito; together, they are a major force to contend with, whether through biting dialogue or sheer physical dominance.

The staging is "traverse" style, placing the audience on two sides of the acting area. While this aids the intimacy somewhat, there are some challenges built in: actors must not face one side more than the other, and when facing away, they must be heard clearly. -- There were a lot of lines that simply could not be understood because of this arrangement; and this was further complicated by a lot of physical movement, whole-company dances, and the deserved audience responses.

In all, this was an enjoyable production that clearly delighted the opening night crowd, yet somehow -- the pleasantness and naivete of the 1960s dominating the proceedings -- the bite of the satire didn't penetrate quite far enough.

Montgomery Ballet "An Evening of Romance"

2009-10-30T21:46:00.010-05:00

On Friday evening at the Davis Theatre, the Montgomery Ballet demonstrated once again its committment to performing both standard ballet fare and modern approaches to the art of dance, incorporating jazz, flamenco, and popular movement -- all in some stunning selections.

"An Evening of Romance" showcased the talents of this young professional resident company in two ballets choreographed by Artistic Director Elie Lazar ["Niche" and "Surrender 2 Love"] that began and ended the program, with three more traditional Pas de Deux in between. Combined with costumes and lighting that reinforce mood and character, the romantic musical accompaniment created atmospheres appropriate to each selection.

"Niche" begins with a solo dancer in a pool of light, soon joined by others in separate similar pools, gradually opening up the entire stage -- a conceit that Lazar used in a recent performance of his "Gloria". Mostly lighthearted, it investigates a number of relationships ranging from family to innocent flirtations to competitive love triangles, and introduces us to the company's assorted strengths of leaps, turns, and quick footwork.

The Pas de Deux selections showed three of the company's strongest pairings, each using traditional choreographed movements -- predictable in form [pair, male solo, female solo, pair] -- which both tell stories and highlight demanding footwork, extraordinary leaps & turns, and afford each dancer opportunities to dazzle us with their virtuosity.

The selection from "Diana and Acteon" depicts the goddess and the hunter in love. Paul Gilliam makes a dramatic entrance, startling the demure Laura Villalobos, after which each dancer exhibits impressive skill. Their pairing establishes a good rapport and trust necessary for the lifts and support each needs.

The "Pas de Slav from Le Corsaire" features Molly Wagner and Joey Villalobos, she as a veiled "slave" who is rescued by the hero. Their exotic costumes reinforced her clean lines and his elegant postures that kept us engaged in their relationship.

"Flames of Paris" was the last of the "pas de deux" that required incredible leaps from Dana Lanz-Ross and difficult bouncing en pointe by Nicole Padilla, all the while maintaining a romantic relationship. -- Impressive though he might be, Mr. Lanz-Ross needs to sustain his character at all times, in order to maintain the fictional role he plays.

"Surrender 2 Love" completes the evening. Set in a cabaret, and with music that evokes flamenco and jazz, Lazar tells a story of complex relationships and courtship rituals that might have been taken from today's headlines. Various pairings that explore partnerships -- acceptance & rejection -- are told with humor and passion by the entire corps. The dizzying effect is palpable to the audience, as the dancers twirl, leap, lift, and maneuver for dominance, keeping in character and showing their skills.

This is a company to watch. Their stamina and grace disguise the athleticism and strength required to dance with apparent ease; their skills are already impressive for such a young company, and make audiences anticipate their growth; their dramatic abilities are being honed and their confidence is growing. -- Look forward to greater things in the future.