Our Town by Thornton Wilder

By Joe Straw

Walking into The Broad Theatre, one notices all the seats are gone.  Scenic Designer Stephen Dobay has placed them underneath a huge thrust stage.

At first glance, the setting looks like a gymnasium, a small basketball court of a small town and what a perfect way to showcase this production in a venue that is almost familiar to everyone.  This setting exemplifies the place of our first recital; our first basketball game, the sock hop, our Christmas pageant, and the place our parents got teary eyed watching us perform. And, for some odd reason, I felt right at home.  And then…

 “The name of the town is Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire-just across the Massachusetts line:  latitude 42 degrees 40 minutes; longitude 70 degrees 37 minutes…The day is May 7, 1901.  This time is just before dawn. The sky is beginning to show some streaks of light over in the East there, behind our mount’in. The morning star always gets wonderful bright the minute before it has to go, - doesn’t it?” – Thornton Wilder

Helen Hunt takes the stage with extraordinary confidence one cannot imagine.  Her words as the Stage Manager leave you breathless, the imagery is specific, and her movements are concise without a misstep.  She takes little time in taking us back to images of a long forgotten past.  

And those images are a bleb that encapsulates a small part of the world we know as Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire.

One feels a sense of pride watching this play, and with my head held erect, my chin lowered, my eyes looking forward, I take a deep breath, and I absorb all that this play is willing to give. It is a magnificent play where one yearns for the words. And slowly the words of that forgotten place become blurred images that become crystal clear as the play progresses.  

Our Town, a play by Thornton Wilder, starring Helen Hunt and directed by David Cromer at The Broad Stage, is a miraculous achievement.  So much so that it is, literally, difficult to leave.  You sit after taking in every moment, and at the end of it wondering if it possible to leave this warm place for the cool chill of the Santa Monica air.

Cromer, the director, hits all the right notes, taking the precise path, never wasting a minute of our time, and keeping a tight focus on what needs to be said.  The ending is quite marvelous and the olfactory stimulations send you home in a state of enlightenment and with a light heart. This production is beautiful beyond comprehension.

As the morning begins, Mrs. Gibbs (Lori Myers) and Mrs. Webb (Kati Brazda) work to keep their households running.  Never in competition, they work their families with the approach of a loud monarchy.

A tired Doc Gibbs (Jeff Still) comes home after working through the wee small hours in “Polish Town,” delivering a set of twins. But he is never too busy to speak with the paperboy, Joe Crowell Jr. (Coby Getzug), and the milkman, Howie Newsome (Maximilian Asinski). 

“I do wish I could get you to go away someplace and take a rest. I think it would do you good.” – Mrs. Gibbs

Not satisfied with her present situation, Mrs. Gibbs wants her life to be better but most of all she wants those darn kids, George Gibbs (James McMenamin) and Rebecca Gibbs (Ronete Levenson), to get up and eat the breakfast that she has lovingly prepared!  

But fifteen-year-old George Gibbs has got only one thing on his mind, baseball. Okay, so, maybe two things.

Mrs. Webb has similar struggles with her children, Emily Webb (Jennifer Grace) and Wally Webb (Daniel David Stewart). She scolds Wally because he’s reading a book at the breakfast table.

“You know the rule’s well as I do – no books at table.  As for me, I’d rather have my children healthy than bright.” – Mrs. Webb.

After sending the kids off to school, Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Gibb get together to prepare string beans for the winter and discuss how they can make their lives better. There is a trick to string beans of that era.  You break off one end and pull the string down.  Then you break the other end and pull the string down the other side.  Throwing the ends for use in compost.

“Y’know, Myrtle, it’s been the dream of my life to see Paris, France.” – Mrs. Gibbs  

But Doc Gibbs doesn’t want to go traipsing off to France.  He is right at home in Gettysburg.  He is, in fact, a dissatisfied doctor who is also a living, breathing, historian of the Civil War. He takes a two-week trip each year to visit the battlefields but Mrs. Gibbs doesn’t think this is much of a vacation.

And just as we are to get into the most intimate details of their worried lives, the Stage Manager interrupts to introduce Professor Willard (David LM McIntyre) to provide a history lesson about Grover’s Corners. In fact, it’s too much information.  But he’s more than happy to impart his knowledge and not stop talking until the Stage Manager introduces Mr. Webb, the editor, who is stuck back stage for a moment that seems to last forever.

“All males vote at the age of twenty-one.  Women vote indirect.” - Mr. Webb

If those words don’t knock you back to 1901, nothing will. Just one more layer to set you smack dab in the middle of Grover’s Corner.

“My, isn’t the moonlight terrible?” - Emily

And, as life continues, George and Emily find they have something in common and their relationship continues to grow.

“This is the way we were:  in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.” – The Stage Manager

Later Simon Stimson (Jonathan Mastro), the inebriated disgruntled choir director, directs the overly loud choir as George and Emily find a way to get closer through the window of their second story homes.

Love finds a way.  It always does.   

And as Mrs. Soames (Donna Jay Fulks) and Mrs. Gibbs gossip about Simon Stimson, their husbands are pacing the floors at home wondering what they are up to.

“You think we’d been to a dance the way the menfolk carry on.” – Mrs. Soames

Neither likes the idea of their wives doing God-knows-what on a night like this.

And as the day comes to a close, Mr. Webb, closing shop, runs into Constable Warren, and tries to pry information, more grist for the mill, his newspaper.  He is very curious and also wants to know if his son Wally is smoking cigarettes. 

And when Mr. Webb gets home…

“Why aren’t you in bed?” – Mr. Webb

“I don’t know.  I just can sleep yet, Papa.  The moonlight’s so won-derful. – Emily

Makes you wonder if she talking about the moon or George.

I haven’t stop thinking about this production.  It is marvelous in so many ways.

Helen Hunt is a true professional of stage and screen.  As the Stage Manager, she is marvelous to watch and her technique is flawless.  Her concentration is spot on and her commitment to the truth is evident. She captures each moment with an emotional dedication that has her running from one end of the stage to the other. This is a magnificent performance that should not be missed.  

Lori Myers as Mrs. Gibbs is marvelous in that she wants more from her marital relationship. She is a very strong woman who wants the best for her family but in the end, her desires are not met even though she certainly tries.

Kati Brazda as Mrs. Webb does her best to keep the kids on the right path.  The ending is just marvelous, as she, performing in shadow, loves her children in the best way she knows how. She does not emotionally indulge her kids and it is a marvelous characterization.

Jeff Still as Doc Gibbs is a very soothing character.  He is stern when he wants to be but is an ideal nurturing father one could only want.  He scolds George one moment and gives him a raise all in the same breath. This is a marvelous performance.

James McMenamin as George Gibbs has many nice moments.  One is at the breakfast table when his father is giving him a strong lecture about chopping wood.  The other is having his sister sit on his lap and not knowing where to put his hands.

Jennifer Grace as Emily Webb also has remarkable moments.  She allows George to carry her books and, as her ponytail bobs back and forth, she stops to tell him how “stuck up” he is.  She is slightly confused about love and forthright in her approach to such matters. Her characterizations are delightful.   

Daniel David Stewart as Wally Webb has quite a presence.  His entrance in the last act is shocking because it is unexpected.  And as he sits silently, stoic in manner, in his Boy Scout uniform, he seems proud that this is the last image you will see.  This was a marvelous performance.

David LM McIntyre as the befuddled Professor Willard had an interesting characterization.  He was pleasant but his voice was not booming as college professors are supposed to be.  Maybe it was just the sound problem this particular night.

Tim Curtis as Editor Webb had some marvelous moments especially at the breakfast table giving George advice on the morning of George’s wedding to his daughter. Just that long lasting moment before he speaks to George is worth the price of admission.

Ronete Levenson as Rebecca Gibbs was quite delightful.  Her character is never at a loss for words and very imaginative.  She is the rumble in the room, the constant noise, which feeds in intensity as she goes off to school.  She is the quiet you hear when she leaves the room and she is the smile on one’s face moments after that has happened.  

Jonathan Mastro as Simon Stimson—the choir director is marvelous.  He is focused and makes his point. There is a moment where he stands not saying a word waiting for someone to take care of him.  It is a marvelous moment.  Also, he does a fine job as the musical director of this production and does some really fine work with the choir.

Donna Jay Fulks as Mrs. Soames is very funny as the gossipy neighbor and equally funny in the marriage scene.

Maximillian Osinski as Howie Newsome does a fine job as the milkman though there seems to be something missing from his character since his wife doesn’t want to be seen with him. Also, it seems his relationship with his customers Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Gibbs could have added an additional element.  Still his work was fine.

Coby Cetzug as Joe Crowell, Jr. and Nicholas R. Grava as Si Crowell are the paperboy who are always happy to give anyone information they desire.  They are watched over as the village of Grover’s Corner watches over their children.

Matthew Kimbrough as Constable Warren seems to fit the profile of a modern day constable. It was a nice performance in need of another characterization to fill out the role.

Jeffrey Hutchinson as Joe Stoddard the undertaker and Nathan Dame as Sam Craig fill in some of the small details in the graveyard scene in Act Three.  In it, the living talk about the dying as though it would never happen to them. 

Dana Jacks, Elizabeth Audley, Lesley Fera, and Lisa Goodman are part of the choir that sings beautifully. 

Jonathan Edwards plays Mr. Carter and Gordon Wells plays Farmer McCarty.

And the other cast members who fill in as citizens in this wonderful cast are: Dan Alemshah, Wayne Baldwin, Timothy Howard Davis, George Ketsios, Jonathan Palmer, Vincent Selhorst-Jones, Kathy Forsman, Vallean Mann, Margaret Miller, Pamela Munro, Sheila Raznick and Audrey Wishnick.  In a grand moment, the dead citizens bring their chairs and sit on stage and among us.  Some of the dead we recognize and it shocks us to see that they’ve passed. They are part of us, stationery, and want us to remember them. They are you and I, we. It is grand to see these actors supporting this production.   

David Cromer does a brilliant job of putting this all together.  He does this by making us wait for the moments and providing them with a full head of steam. It is profound work, moving and gripping in its finest of details. Children enter and exit with so much noise that we appreciate the quiet. (Anyone with kids will understand the preciousness of quiet time.)  Cromer lets moments come to you before he moves on—some of these stunning moments are the introduction of Editor Webb, the conversation with Simon Stimson, and the Webbs having breakfast the morning of the wedding. 

Cromer hits all the right notes in Thornton Wilder’s play as Emily observes in the last scene that it is time to re-reassess life.  Take a moment to examine the small things because in the end these are the things that matter most.

Run to see this production and take a friend who loves going home for the holidays.

Through Feb 13, 2012

www.thebroadstage.com/ourtown

God’s Ear by Jenny Schwartz

By Joe Straw

My first wife died 17 years ago this month.  At that time, my life became a series of emotional ups and downs, mostly downs.  Grieving alone was necessary but I also needed help. It was too much for me to handle.  The Wellness Foundation in Santa Monica recommended a grieving group and it was from this group that I recovered enough to move on.

  

The Echo Theater Company presents God’s Ear written by Jenny Schwartz.  It is directed by Rory Kozoll and is playing through February 19, 2012 at the Zephyr Theatre.

Schwartz’s work is a wonderful word fest.  The main character speaks a subconscious stream of thought in the process of getting over her grief.  And although grieving differs for everyone, the words in this play examine the subconscious complexities of grieving.  

I’m not sure who coined the phrase “From your lips to God’s ear”.  But I suspect the title has something to do with that phrase. Jenny Schwartz’s play is remarkable in that the grieving takes over the lives of the tormented characters.  They speak without communicating; their words are a call to action not given.  Each character is looking for a way to get out of the emotional mess they are in, but they don’t know how or who to ask for help.   

In the opening of the play, Mel (Amanda Saunders) has the phone to her ear.  She is in a hospital room and behind her is the curtain to her sons’ room.   Her husband is on the other end of the line and he is traveling somewhere in America. Mel tells him that their young son got pulled under the water while swimming in the ocean and now he is behind the curtain hooked up to life support systems and not expected to survive.  The “nice doctors” have already suggested the removal of his organs.

Ted (Paul Caramagno) listens, casually, with little emotion or feeling.  The small phone is nestled against his ear, but oddly enough he is not reaching for information.  He takes what Mel offers in the way of doctor speak expressed in short staccato sounds bites, burst of information that would normally send anyone into a panic.  Still, Ted listens.  He shouts at her on one occasion.  The shout seems non-specific.  Their son’s situation is hopeless.

It is their time, their moment, to start the emotional nightmare of grieving. It will be a journey that will test the limits of their marriage.    

In a nice bit of action, Mel pulls the hospital room curtain and we are suddenly transformed to their bedroom at home.  The bed occupies the middle of the stage and as Mel slips into her bedroom attire, her lonely process of grieving begins.

Grieving is difficult and unique for each individual so it is not unusual to see these two struggle as they pursue their different paths of grief.  But their lives are now in chaotic mode. And Mel speaks to Ted in a strange cliché ridden assault of excessive verbiage that probably was cute when they first met.  But after their son’s death, this seems like an exercise in triteness.  Still, Ted plays along.  

But, all Ted can do to comfort her is offer her a pair of pink fuzzy bedroom slippers from one of his trips.  

And to make matters worse they have another child. Lainie, (Alana Dietze).  She is small child and repeatedly asks kid questions like “Why? Why? Why?”  Lainie does not understand the death of her brother or what her parents are going through.

It is difficult to see Rory Kozoll’s (the director) through line, point of view, or perspective. Characters appear without purpose or meaning.  The first scene propels the actors into the rest of the play.  Instead, the opening has two characters having a “casual conversation” when in fact it is a very traumatic situation.  This scene establishes a strong relationship and creates a conflict that remains with the character through the conclusion. If the opening isn’t spot on, the play has a hard time working.  

The staging is awkward at times and the relationships are not justified. For example Mel buries the toy soldiers in the back yard because they are a reminder.  So when G.I. Joe (Jeremy Shranko) unburies himself and appears as human flesh, Mel has little or no reaction. More should have been made of this scene and the relationships.  

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this play.  While there is a resolution to the grieving, the problem is in the getting to the resolution and in a manner that speaks the truth about grieving. All actions on stage must lead to this point.

I speak of moments as if they are obscure intangible things but they are events that, when worked to perfection, can be a beautiful thing.

Also, the relationship the parents have with their son must be visible and concrete. Even though he does not appear in the play he must always be in their thoughts.  This gives the characters a richer physical life if only one can imagine carrying a son who who has passed.

Maybe this was opening night jitters and moments didn’t quite carry us the way it should have.  And possibly these moments have been fixed.  If so, go out and have a good time.

Amanda Saunders give a poignant performance.  She is very stoic, strong, but has been left stranded, grieving, without seeking help.  She is hurting and hateful, her jagged words on the phone sting like serrated knives that are buried deep into the intended victim.  And her husband is the recipient of those thrusts.  Is she looking for help? Or is it her thoughts that carry her away on a journey she takes willingly without seeking the help she needs?

Paul Caramango as Ted has a slow start but manages to grow on you.  He wanders through airports and his life is stunned by the events of the death of his only son. He communicates with his wife mostly by phone. He also meets with people who are both real and imagined.  He interacts with these people only to take his mind off of his son and his grieving wife. His relationship with his daughter needs strengthening.

Tara Karsian, as the tooth fairy, is so subdued and as skeptical as a tooth fairy can be.  She even goes so far as to take out her tweezers and examine the tooth under a lupe to make sure it is authentic. She is left without a clear objective and a reason for being in this play. Still, with little wings, her appearance is delightful.

Alano Dietze as Lainie is cute.  One did not get a hint of an objective and did not understand what this character wanted.  She should, in effect, be some kind of catalyst to help her parents overcome this hardship by loving, supporting, and just being a kid who makes this family whole.  

Jeremy Shranko as a skirt wearing flight attendant appears out of nowhere brandishing a gun and ordering Ted to do things.  He is obviously a figment of Ted’s imagination but it’s unclear as to what he actually wanted or what Ted wanted from him.  And as G.I. Joe he also seems lost in his relationship with Mel and Lainie but seemed to have a stronger relationship with the tooth fairy. Go figure.

Andrea Grano, as Lenora, was very good as someone who gives Mel a little tender loving care albeit under the influence.  Natheless, she sees Ted as a man who needs help and she’s going to give it to him despite the fact he’s married, grieving, and stalking a guy wandering the airport.

Troy Blendell as Guy gives comic relief to this very somber play.  When the two meet in a bar he understands Ted may be having emotional problems and he wants to help the only way he knows how: “wife swapping” is his answer.  But that’s just the beer talking.  Or is it?   Blendell’s wonderful performance seems to say that he got it, he understands the character, and was perfect for the role.  

Jarrett Worley is the understudy for the flight attendant.

Nicely produced by Lauren Bass & Chris Fields.  The set design was by Melissa Ficociello.  The Costume Design by Jordan Bass and the Lighting Design was by Kristie Roldan.

Bananas! A Day In The Life of Josephine Baker – written and performed by Sloan Robinson

By Joe Straw

There is a lot to be said about Josephine Baker, her life, her style, her lovers, but sadly there is only a limited amount of information one can give in a show that is under two hours long.  But Sloan Robinson, in her marvelous sequin gowns, takes a stab at celebrating her life, singing wonderful songs, giving us the pertinent information, and letting us sally forth to learn more about this fabulous star.

I'll say it just this once, this is a wonderful performance by Sloan Robinson, a wonderful tribute, and has moments that will tug on your “tomatoes”. (See the show for this reference.)  

J.E.T. Productions West in association with Do It Yourself Productions presents, Bananas! A Day in the Life of Josephine Baker written by Sloan Robinson and directed by Joyce Maddox through February 26, 2012 in North Hollywood.

Maybe because this was opening night but somehow the start of the show didn’t seem quite right.  The flow, the connection, the disconnect, got me a little worried.  This is an award winning show that has been playing for years. I just didn’t get it.

But then something wonderful happens during the course of the performance and the show soared into the stratosphere and worked beautifully!  Wherever I go from here, I'll always carry this show with me. 

So what happened in the beginning?

The joy of theatre is finding the truth, the connection.  These are the moments that strike a cord that puts us into the lap of the character.  And this is especially true in a one-person show. I am not familiar with Sloan Robinson’s work as well as a lot of actors I see in small theatre.  That’s fine.  But the truth in the opening must be captured the moment an actor walks on stage. Opening with a song and retiring to her hotel suite may have cured that problem.

So what happened in the beginning?

The play opens in a hotel suite in Paris, France. Josephine is 55 years old and reminiscing about days gone by as she speaks to a photograph of her deceased mother.  And even though Josephine Baker is 55, she lets you know that she has much more to accomplish.  

And in those few moments we learn a lot about her life, the highlights, her husbands, her adopted children (12 of them), and her mother.

We also learn that she is having financial troubles and she needs to work because her family is depending on her. And so she tells us about the latter part of her life from the hotel suite in Paris, The Strand in New York City, and Casablanca in Morocco.

But what about the beginning?    

I could hear it in the audience, the waiting for the connect, the nasty unwrapping of a candy mint.  The first song was not quite right for this audience.  

It was under the spotlight down stage left behind the microphone where Josephine playfully demanded the audience to participate.  It was a moment that figuratively got us out of our seat and into the lap of Josephine Baker.  And from then on, it was smooth sailing.

Sloan Robinson captures the essence of Josephine Baker, from the bottom of her feet to the feathers on her head. She is physically gifted and emotionally connected to the woman known as Josephine Baker. Also, she is as funny as any comedian could be.  The second act depicts Josephine's early years and Robinson is wonderful imitating Bessie Smith and other characters. 

One can’t help but get emotional about a song Josephine sang about her children.  It was a beautiful and a loving tribute to her “rainbow tribe”.  This alone is worth the price of admission. 

Judith E. was the Executive Producer and also did a marvelous job.

Joyce Maddox, the Director, had Josephine performing some marvelous moments on stage particularly the letter that was never sent. There was also a splendid film sequence that highlights the life of Joseph Baker moments before Josephine comes out to do the last number.

Aeros Pierce was the Music Director, so very unobtrusive, and yet so very important to this show.

It’s not hard to see from the YouTube clips that Josephine Baker was instrumental in leading the way for a lot of performers.

One hopes that you will take the time to see Sloan Robinson at J.E.T. Theatre in this marvelous show.

http://josephinebaker.eventbrite.com

Americano by John Markland

By Joe Straw

I’ve always been fascinated - walking into a theatre - the entrance.  It’s the whole experience – the unexpected sensory sensation – the suspense.   My first movie – Deutschland – 1960.  My first chair – red.  Walking to the seat was almost like walking into a pew - a religious experience. 

Movie theatres had red curtains back then.  The curtains were closed when the trailer started – when opened the image became clear - closed again – vaporous draperies. But when the curtains finally opened to reveal the movie on this afternoon they opened to a terrifying black and white clarity of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

Everyone remembers the moment – in the bathroom.  For me it was the shadowy figure standing – indefinitely - beside the open door. The murky figure seemed suspended in a deferred moment of indecision.  It was a moment that terrified this 5 year-old.*

In Americano John Markland has created a frightening coffee shop monster.  He is a beastly character that seductively preys on the mentally frail and subjects them to the most horrific scenes imaginable. Only when they are at their weakest moment.

And we, as audience members and coffee shop patrons, are left as godlike uninvolved omnipotent observers who stand by helplessly while this is going on, plugged into our iPod nanos, having our cup of non-decaf soy mocha cappuccino extra whip unaware of the beastly things going on in the bathroom.  

But then again, he thinks he’s a saint. 

Americano by John Markland at The Moth Theatre literally grabs you by the throat and squeezes the reality back into your being.  This play has you on the edge of your seats, wincing in fear and caring about the characters.  It sets fire to emotions so deep one is exhilarated by the seduction, terrified by the suspense, and horrified by the action.   

The characters in Americano fall together like a freak coffee shop accident. One cannot help but to examine the circumstances of the accident and explore the outcome.  

But, when the events in the bathroom run out of control there is no time to re-act, cringing was the first order of business, hands in front of my neck and covering my mouth.  The restricted images behind the partial wall on stage are so brutal and so vicious one forgets this is a play. 

Americano is set in a coffee shop in Los Angeles. Kate (Amanda Brooks) is a bonny transplant from England.  She is an unemployed graphic artist and is not having a good day.  Tuned in with earphones and thinking about her recent past she sits alone waiting to end a five-year relationship.  

Nate (Patrick Scott Lewis) enters, hair disheveled, pink shirt, black tie, carrying a bag, and kisses her as though nothing is wrong but their lips never quite seem to connect. He is unaware this is the end of a rocky road.  His physical aggressive over-the-top pawing gives new meaning to the term “white on rice”.  Be that as it may, their relationship is strangling Kate and she needs to discover a way out.

But this can’t be, Nate has done much to make the relationship work.  His carefree days are over now and he has done the manly thing and gotten a job.  He is driven to support both of them and wants Kate to marry him. By first glance he is the better half of this couple.  He is the one who commands respect and admiration.

But there’s something wrong.  Kate says he’s lost his focus.  He is not the carefree thinker Kate once knew. 

Nate has worked two months to buy her a ring and she, in turn, threw it off the pier and into the ocean.  

Has she gone mad?

“What’s wrong?” – Nate

“I am and so are you!” – Kate

Nate believes they can work it out through their therapist but Kate is not having any of this.

“I need you!” – Nate

“I need me!” – Kate

Kate tells Nate that he is moving in a good direction for him but not for her.  She wants to end it here, and now, in the coffee shop, in front of her maker, and anyone else within earshot. And of course she gets her wish when Nate leaves and the poet/strangler Stephen (John Markland) steps into her realm. 

Stephen, with a northeastern accent, is an indefinable character hidden behind a thick beard. He has a strong back and massages his thick fingers continuously. His unisexual licentiousness makes no distinction between man and woman when it comes to finding a prey and getting the job done.      

It is in his softness that Kate succumbs to Stephen’s charm and, like it or not, Stephen is not leaving her table.

“I’m a poet strangler.” – Stephen

It is in the details that Stephen slowly seduces her, tells her all about the strangling, how it will happen, and asks her to follow him into the bathroom. 

He waits in the bathroom, stretching his fingers, using them to comb back the thick hair on his head.  He waits and plans for the exact moment when she walks through the door.  

Most women would have run from the coffee shop. Instead, after hesitating, Kate knocks.  She enters and gingerly steps into the bathroom.

Without emotion Stephen lifts his cold hands, places them softly around her neck, and squeezes the life from her body.  A fight ensues but she is no match and with a mighty struggle for life, her life force is retired, and she is left for dead, on the floor, in a dirty, dingy, bathroom.

(Okay, do not read on if this has, in any way, peaked your interest and you must grab a ticket or two.)

Moments later she coughs air into her oxygen deprived body.  Stephen is gone, and she walks out of the bathroom and into the streets leaving her bag in Americano.

Okay, so, Stephen doesn’t kill his victims.  He strangles them to near death. Still, the deed was vicious and brutal.

The following morning Kate comes back for her bag and sits down to have a cup of tea.  She is completely changed in manner and radiant.  She is slightly caught off guard when her therapist, Dr. Leif (Wendy Haines), comes in to speak with her about her “life” and breakup with Nate.

But Dr. Leif has noticed a dramatic difference in Kate’s demeanor. She has changed for the better and wonders if she’s missing out on something.  Her life is monotonous, so much so that she flips the small paper tag at the end of a teabag string over and over again, for fun. 

“Life is mostly predictable until, it’s not.” – Dr. Leif  

Kate tells her of a new friend who is a masseur, of sorts, and right away Dr. Leif wants his card. 

Dr. Leif, with the nice jangly purse and latest gadgets, has everything a mundane life could ask for but also has dreams of putting some unpredictability back into her life.  It is a dangerous game she pursues when she meets up with Stephen.

Americano is something very different and worth every minute of your time. This is just a fantastic cast who will go to extremes to play the right moment. Despite the terrifying parts, there are extremely funny moments as well.

John Markland as Stephen (the strangler) broods with the best of them.  As the character he finds his prey, calms them, and takes them where they might not want to go.  In his own minds he thinks he’s doing the victims a service.  There is a fee involved yet he never takes the money.  He tows the line between saint and sinner without believing there is a distinction.  In the bathroom, his manic eyes convey exhilaration so intense that one can only imagine what is going on.  This was a brutally fine performance.

Amanda Brooks as Kate is as charming as a lover could be.  She gently throws Nate out of her life because she knows this kind of man, too well.  She lives a life of unique experiences, the grander the better before she moves on to other dangerous grounds.  She loves and lives the moment and is ready to accept anything or anyone that comes her way.  This is a terrific performance by a wonderful actor.

Wendy Haines as Dr. Lief is a remarkable actress.  It just the perfect little things she does that makes her life on stage so genuine, so alive. Although she is only one character, she has many roles, doctor, friend, and needy victim.  She is willing to go beyond her extreme fear to experience - putting her neck into the hands of someone who can end her life, role.  She is extremely funny and incredibly talented.

Patrick Scott Lewis as Nate gives us a lot of information about his character only in bit and pieces until he is ready to explode. It is a character study of someone who at first glance is a decent human being but at second glance a character you would not want to be in the same room. It is an extremely nuanced and troubling performance of an individual who is still trying to figure what he is all about.  In the end the fear takes control and he gets in way over his head.  Lewis is terrific in this role. 

Americano does have a barista working behind the counter.   This night, it was Pamela Guest and she was a delightful observer of the things going around her in her coffee shop and at times feels obligated to jump into the fray.

John Markland, the writer, has cleverly written a play that throws together all the elements of what fantastic theatre should be. He is an important playwright that encourages the audience to be emotionally involved.  This is a solid piece of work by an amazing cast that demands to be seen.  Markland gives us just one more reason to go down, grab a cup, and interact.

I’ve always been fascinated by acting by the Moth Theatre company.  It is genuine and organic and it says a lot about the director, John Markland, who guides the actors in remarkable moments that flow and crest.  Markland takes us on a journey through some really uncomfortable moments and squeezes the life force back into your being.  The ending is very ambiguous and could be spruced up to give us a definitive resolution but you leave believing what you want to believe and move on.

Justin Huen did an incredible job on the set.

An interesting little tidbit about Americano by John Markland at the quaint 21-seat Moth Theatre is that audience members can sit in the working coffee shop along side the actors and view the performance.  My partner and I thought the first row worked well enough for us so we did not partake in this Tamara like experience.

Run to see this production, take a deep breath, hold on, and feel the excitement.  

And take someone who is lonely and doesn't get out much. 

www.moththeatre.com

*(Yes, my mother me to see Psycho when I was 5 years old!) 

The Last Straw Awards 2011

By Joe Straw

This year has been a remarkable year for theatre in Los Angeles.  Scores of theatregoers are leaving their commercialized TV programs at home and rushing to see a living breathing body creating a moment, just a few feet away, right here, live in Los Angeles.

This year I’ve witnessed some amazing productions with wonderful actors filling the roles. And as the year progressed the productions just got better and better.  I’ve observed over 40 productions and have seen hundreds of actors and it is important to say their commitment to the craft alone has been remarkable.    

Also, new theater venues are opening all over town. The new A Noise Within Theatre in East Pasadena is absolutely magnificent.  And Casa 101’s new home is exquisite!  The Latino Theatre Company on Spring Street is playing to capacity crowds and it has become quite the place to see and be seen.  Also, The Blank Theatre and The Elephant Theatre are producing wonderful new plays along theatre row in Hollywood.   

This year the presentation for The Last Straw Awards 2011 will be given not only to actors, but to writers and directors as well.  This award puts out the energy or notice of those who have given 110 percent of themselves and their craft.  It is important to recognize the hard work that went into these productions and in doing so here they are.

Actors

Luca Ellis – Hoboken to Hollywood – The Edgemar Centers of The Arts

John Southwell – Breaker – Firehouse – The Whitefire Theatre

Kamar de los Reyes – Robert Miranda – Firehouse – The Whitefire Theatre

P.J. Ochlan – Angelo – The Comedy of Errors – A Noise Within Theatre

Michael Stone Forrest – Egeon - The Comedy of Errors – A Noise Within Theatre

Peggy Dunne – Margaret Hyman – Broken Glass – Pico Playhouse

Michael Bofshever – Phillip Gellburg _ Broken Blass – Pico Playhouse

Jack Laufer – Harry the druggist – The Cradle Will Rock – The Blank Theatre Company at the Stellar Adler Theatre.

Amad Jackson – Joseph Asagai – A Raisin In The Sun – Ebony Repertory Theatre – Nate Holden Performing Art Center.

Kenya Alexander - Beneatha – A Raisin In The Sun – Ebony Repertory Theatre – Nate Holden Performing Art Center.

Michelle Clunie – Abby – The Mercy Seat – Inside the Ford Theatre

Tanya Frederick – Sylvia – The Edgemar Center for The Arts

Tom Ayers – Tom and Phyllis – Sylvia – The Edgemar Center for The Arts

Stephanie Ann Saunders – Natasha Rambova – Lavender Love – Macha Theatre

Michelle Bernard – Evie Raven – Lavender Love – Macha Theatre

Dennis Christopher – Harry Hay – The Temperamentals – The Blank Theatre

John Tartaglia – Bob Hull – The Temperamentals – The Blank Theatre

F. Murray Abraham – Shylock – The Merchant of Venice – The Broad Stage

Melissa Miller – Jessica – The Merchant of Venice – The Broad Stage

Christopher Randolph – Prince of Arragon – The Merchant of Venice – The Broad Stage

Aaron Hendry – Tartuffe – Theatricum Botanicum

Ted Barton – Tartuffe – Theatricum Botanicum

Tara Karsian – Gertie - The Interlopers – Bootleg Theater

Darryl Stephens – Victoria – The Interlopers – Bootleg Theater

Andrew Friedman – Charlie – Stones in His Pockets – Zephyr Theatre

Jerry Richardson – Jake – Stones in His Pockets – Zephyr Theatre

Miriam Peniche – Estela – Real Women Have Curves – Casa 101

Thea Gill – Dusk Rings a Bell – The Blank Stage

Josh Randall – Dusk Rings a Bell – The Blank Stage

Peter Van Norden – Various Roles – The God of Isaac – Pico Playhouse

Corryn Cummins – Shelly – The God of Isaac - Pico Playhouse

Kenny Suarez – Chris – Love Sick – The Elephant Theatre Company

Salvator Xuereb – Jeff – Love Sick – The Elephant Theatre Company

Lina Hall – Greta Garbo – Garbo’s Cuban Lover – Macha Theatre

Lisa Merkin – Salka Viertel – Garbo’s Cuban Lover – Macha Theatre

Geoff Elliott – Malvolio – Twelfth Night – A Noise Within

Salome Jens – Henrietta Szold – Daughter of My People – The Met Theatre

Fergal McElherron – Dromio – The Comedy of Errors – The Broad Stage

Cornelius Booth – Egeon – The Comedy of Errors – The Broad Stage

Jon Jon Briones – The Romance of Magno Rubio – Inside The Ford

Elizabeth Rainey – Clarabelle – The Romance of Magno Rubio – Inside The Ford

Esperanza America Ibarra – Gina – Hope:  Part II of a Mexican Trilogy – Latino Theatre Company

Sam Gozari – Rudy – Hope:  Part II of a Mexican Trilogy – Latino Theatre Company

Dru Davis – Bobby – Hope:  Part II of a Mexican Trilogy – Latino Theatre Company

Carl Crudup – Ice – Short Eyes – Urban Theatre Movement – Latino Theatre Company

Donte Wince – El Raheem – Urban Theatre Movement – Latino Theatre Company

Ensemble:

The Romance of Magno Rubio - Written by Lonnie Carter

Jon Jon Briones                      Eymard Cabling                      Giovanni Ortega

Muni Zano                              Ed Ramolete                            Erik Esteban

Elizabeth Rainey                     Vincent Reyes

Short Eyes – Written by Miguel Piñero

Miguel Amenyinu                   Carl Crudup                            Cris D’Annunzio

Darby Hinton                         Matthew Jaeger                      Jason Manuel Olazabal

Daryl Anthony Harper           Matias Ponce                          Mark Rolston

David Santana                         Donte Wince                           Alex Alfaro

Jon Lance Dura                       Daniel Zornes

Hope:  Part II of a Mexican Triolgy – by Evelina Fernandez

Geoffrey Rivas                       Dyana Ortelli                          Sal Lopez

Esperanza America Ibarra       Sam Golzari                            Dru Davis

Olivia Cristina Delgado           Keith McDonald                    

                                   

Writers:

Pedro Antonio Garcia – Firehouse – Whitefire Theatre

Evelina Fernandez – Hope Part II of a Mexican Trilogy – The Latino Theatre Company

Lonnie Carter – The Romance of Mango Rubio – Inside The Ford

Donald Freed – Devil’s Advocate – The Latino Theatre Company

Neil Labute – The Mercy Seat – Inside The Ford

Stephen Belber – Dusk Rings A Bell – The Blank Theatre

Directors:

Daniel Henning – Director – Dusk Rings a Bell – The Blank Theatre

Phylicia Rashad – Director – A Raisin In The Sun – Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

Bernardo Bernardo – Director – The Romance of Magno Rubio – Inside The Ford Theatre.

Julian Acosta – Director – Short Eyes – Urban Theatre Movement – Latino Theatre Company

Michael Michetti – Director – The Comedy of Errors – A Noise Within

Zeljko Djukic – Director – Stones In His Pockets -Zephyr Theatre

Jose Luis Valenzuela – Director – Hope:  Part II of a Mexican Trilogy - Latino Theatre Company 

The Color of Rose by Kathrine Bates

By Joe Straw

Sometimes I wonder how all this came about.  Why I’m sitting here, in a lonely room, pecking away at the computer. Well, let’s see, the journey into theatre started in college, then to legitimate theatre with the Nederlander Organization, starring in plays, producing and directing plays, movies, television, back again into movies, then directing and producing independent theatrical features.  Piecing it all together would take time and energy and my imaginary staff of writers would go ape trying to make sense of it all.    

Theatre 40 presents the world premier of The Color of Rose written and directed by Kathrine Bates.  I saw this in a reading over a year ago and was pleasantly surprised by this full-scale production.

The Color of Rose is a fictionalized story of Rose Kennedy (Gloria Stroock) as she waits in a suite of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to give an interview with, one suspects, a noted writer.   

However there’s a problem.  The writer on the phone does not want to limit his questions. Rose politely tells the writer that questions of a personal nature are forbidden and suggests they do the interview another time.  The writer aquiest to her demands and Rose has won one more battle in a life filled with tumultuous campaigns.

But the phone call is disturbing.  It is yet another invasion into her private life of painful remembrances.  And at this point in her life, her memory is not what it used to be and the medication (she used in real life) to calm her nerves is not enough. She needs help.

Finding solace at the vanity table and looking into the mirror at her reflection, Rose contemplates her life, and reproduces herself as the younger Rose (Shelby Locee) who strolls into the room like an uninvited ghost.  Moments later, at the same mirror, a mature Rose  (Lia Sargent) walks into the suite of remembrances and together they fill in the missing pieces.

Upstage, on the back of the wall, is a huge vase filled with roses that spark twinkling memories in a life of long forgotten moments.  The various colored roses in the vase hit home a memory or an emotion of a forgotten noun.   A blue rose is “unattainable” and is represented by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., the white is Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the yellow rose represents friendship, in Victorian times meant jealousy, and the pink rose is purity. Each rose captures and/or represents a significant moment in Rose’s life.

The vase stands silently behind the photographs of Joe Kennedy, Jr., Jack, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Edward.  Rose carries her photographs everywhere she travels to gaze at the moment when they looked their best and to speak fondly of those times.  

Not everyone has been keeping track of the Kennedys and their movements from the early 1900’s to present day but the Color of Rose by Katherine Bates will give you a linear narrative of what went on in her life during those years, complete with photographs projected against a nice screen.

Which presents a question:  Is this a play or a linear narrative? That may be something one has to decide when viewing this enjoyable production.  

And that is that!

Still, one can easily dismiss this production as a writer’s folly but upon closer inspection one realizes there is a lot here.  There is an overriding need to talk about this production. I want to make some production suggestions and bounce some ideas around, in keeping with a tradition of giving this holiday season and with the hope this show will be taken to other places and shown to a wider audience.

First, in the credits and in keeping with politically correct nomenclature, “Young Rose” is fine, “Middle Rose” should be Mature Rose, and “Older Rose” should be Senior Rose.  (Maybe it’s just me.)

The writer should be a stronger force, a strong name with a national publication behind him. Rose thinks of her conversation with the writer as a victory of sorts, but in reality the conflict is greater when she realizes she may have made a mistake.  This idea creates a greater conflict and moves the story along.  

So now Senior Rose, alone in her room at the Waldorf Astoria, goes to the mirror, sees herself as Young Rose and brings her into the room.  Why? Because she needs Young Rose to recreate her younger years and fill her in information she has forgotten.  (Could this be a character trait of losing her memory?) She is basically getting a refresher course of her life, which Senior Rose appreciates.  Also she needs Young Rose to convince her that giving the interview, with the gory details, will be all right.

But conflicted memories suggest Young Rose is not going to be enough, so she needs Mature Rose to fill in the details of her life in the middle. Mature Rose is somewhat bitter about the way Joseph Kennedy conducted himself.  She is a little savvier about life’s goings on.

Senior Rose needs to (for lack of another word) demand the memories.  While in character, she must receive the information, record it, and use it for the interview.

In the end Senior Rose must wait for the writer to come in for the interview, with the two younger Rose(s) behind her ready to back her up.  Symbolism goes a long way with this ending.

Beautiful photo by Ed Krieger

Gloria Stoock as “Older Rose” does a fine job. She has her moments but one can’t get over the fact that she has a purpose and that purpose is to prepare for the interview.  Those are the reasons she is in the room waiting for interview.  She needs to control the flow of information, physically and emotionally from the younger Roses and decide what information she is going press forward.   

Lia Sargent as “Middle Rose” is slightly frustrated by the events surrounding her.  One gets the sense she is a little worldlier and sees Young Rose as naive and “Older Rose” as slightly senile but still she is there to set the record straight. Her entrance, though the looking glass, should command more respect in the way she walks in and presents herself. Still, the conflict between yourself, young and old, can present unimaginable problems for the actor and one gets the sense this difficult problem has not been resolved.  Still Sargent is a fine actress and did an admirable job.

Shelby Kocee as “Young Rose” has all the enthusiasm of wild-eyed youth.  She also needs an entrance worthy of a young women woman in her position. She deeply regrets not going to Wellesley College. Instead she marries and has nine children.  Kocee has problems as she tries to negotiate the acting challenges in this play.  One problem is that the character can only take us up to a certain point but no further.   (It’s this strange theory of time travel floating around in my head.)  There is nothing wrong with the performance; in fact it is quite good.  But I believe there is something more to be had here.

Also, there is something wrong when a person from the past delights in the happenings of her own future.  For example Young Rose taking delight in her son becoming the President of the United States.  While rules in theatre were meant to be broken, this just seems an exercise in silliness. Perhaps there is a better way of capturing the spirit.

Transition is not a good word when dealing with a passage of time.  Still the characters need to move from Young Rose to Mature Rose seamlessly.  Young Rose should rely on the possibilities of future endeavors and once Young Rose is finished with her story, we should see a dramatic shift to Mature Rose. 

The Color of Rose presents some interesting ideas about conflict within oneself.  Kathrine Bates may have stumbled upon an idea of fighting an inner battle to reach a significant kind of truth. Maybe it’s not as stylized as it should be and maybe it needs to move in a direction that requires more focus and a stronger though line. Still it says a lot about the battles we have with our memories memories each and everyday.  

Bates as the writer and director wonderfully creates this extraordinary life. And yet this is a show that needs to think more outside the box. Take the acting to another level and style that delights and stuns at the same time. One cannot take a play like this and expect to run it like a normal play or treat it like a normal play.

And one couldn’t help thinking that adding a song or songs the characters sing would help as well.

Produced by David Hunt Stafford.  Set Design by Jeff G. Rach and Lighting Design by Ellen Monocroussos.  The Sound Design was by Bill Froggatt.

Through December 21, 2011

www.theatre40.org

Short Eyes by Miguel Piñero

By Joe Straw

I’ll be shot down by a police, who will say it’s a mistake, I accept it, as part of my destino… Sí, es mi destino morir en la calle como un perro… - Paco

During the course of the play, I heard some distracting noise at the end of my row, cup of water falling, something dripping or leaking, candy wrappers opening.  These were just annoying sounds one would hear in a prison detention center somewhere so I didn’t think much of it.  Leaving the theatre, I came to the seats at the end of my row to discover multiple Milky Way candy wrappers, plastics cups, and papers lying everywhere on the floor. (Wasn’t this where the producer, Paul Tully and director, Julian Acosta were sitting? One supposes nerves got the better of both of them on this opening night.)

Opening night played host to a very eclectic audience—I noted multiple body tattoos, even on women.  The playgoers were young, old, bald, thick, thin, tall, wide, short and slick, and there was an abundant amount of cleavage in lace.  Some patrons had lost teeth, others hair.  Some were wearing pristine graphic tees, ratty vintage shoes, and nice hats. This is the kind of audience you would expect to see at the play, Short Eyes by Miguel Piñero. 

Short Eyes, by Miguel Piñero and directed by Julian Acosta produced by the Urban Theatre Movement and the Latino Theater Company, is a play that never lets up.  From the very beginning, events tear the viewing soul into pieces. It is a play about criminals finding order in chaos. This is an inspired eclectic cast that moves past the mundane and creates a physical world beyond comprehension.  It is, in short, a wonderful production.  

Short Eyes is the story of thieves, adulterers, drug addicts, homosexuals, and lost men who can’t find ways of making things better – and those are the guards.  Lost further down and in the depths of hell are the criminals who are in detention (incarcerated), all with no idea as to the date of their release and with sharp divisions among their ranks.

As the play opens, there is a loud and disturbing gate buzz after the words “On the gate.” are spoken. It is a harsh buzz that grabs everyone within earshot and wakes him or her up into the harsh reality of life in jail.  The buzz is a primal jarring note that speaks to the perverted soul looking for order.  This buzz swathes us into the ambiance of absolute despair.  And in jail, despondency is the first order of being.

The play takes place in the day room of a nice enough floor of a county jail with a broken television set hanging above them.    Omar (Miguel Amenyinu), Longshoe (Mark Rolston), El Raheem (Donte Wince), Paco (Jason Manuel Olazabal), and Ice (Carl Crudup) watch Cupcakes (Matias Ponce) as he comes down the stairs with hoots and hollers much to the dismay of Juan (David Santana).

Cupcakes has a name.  It is Julio.  But the other men in the cell regard him as feminine and want a piece of him. (In the most appreciable jailhouse way.)  But Cupcakes tells them he is not “that way.” And yet, they stare hoping to have that special moment alone with him, especially Paco.

The men are divided into three groups sitting in three different tables.  The first group, starting from stage right through stage left, are the Puerto Ricans: Paco, Juan, and Cupcakes.  The second group is made up of one lone white man Longshoe, a tough drug addicted Irishman.   The third group is African American: El Raheem, Ice and Omar. There is a reason why they all have their separate but equal tables and that is explained in the play.

El Raheem, a Muslim, thinks this lone white man is the curse of what’s wrong with life in general.

“Yacoub…maker and creator of the devil…swine merchant. Your time is at hand… Soon all devils’ head will roll and now rivers shall flow through the city-created by the blood of Whitey…Devil…beast”. – El Raheem

Pretty heavy stuff and tensions run high, it’s easy to see why these inmates have frequent conflicts.  There are divisions by race, religion, and sexual desire. And these divisions are accentuated when one enters another’s domain.  

The inmates are watched over by Mr. Nett (Cris D’Annunzio) who is strong but supportive of their needs including attempting to get the broken television set fixed.

Omar asks Mr. Nett the reasons why he can get “on the help.”

“Is there something about me that you don’t like?” – Omar

“Why no.  I don’t have anything against you.  But since you ask me I’ll tell you.  One is that when you first came in here you had the clap.” – Mr. Nett   

Also, because he’s gotten into a lot of fights.  Ten fights as a matter of fact, but Mr. Nett tells Omar he will think it over.

Meanwhile Paco comes back from a meeting with his defense attorney who wants him to plead to a felony.  Paco says he can wait for a misdemeanor because he “ain’t got money for bail.”

Cupcakes wants Paco to play cards for pushups but Paco wants none of it. Paco wants to play for coochie coochie. A dance for lonely cell inmates. El Raheem accuses of Paco of thinking like the “white Devil”.

Something Longshoe takes offense to so much so that he and El Raheem get into bobbery.  Mr. Nett breaks them up and then organizes a legitimate jailhouse fight to which a muscular and cut El Raheem wins.

“Wake up black man, melt these walls?  You ask me, a tangible god, to do an intangible feat?... There is nothing mysterious about me.  Tangible gods to tangible deeds.” – El Raheem

Meanwhile, in keeping with character and in a prison toast, Cupcakes gets everyone to sing “Mambo tu le pop”.

And then Clark Davis (Matthew Jaeger) meekly slithers into the detention area.  Clark is Caucasian.

“First time in the joint.” – Clark Davis

Loneshoe takes him in as a brethren (another white guy), introduces himself, and tells him all about the floor.  It is Longshoe’s litany of who’s who, and where one should sit, etc.

Mr. Nett storms into the room, beats Clark senseless, and throws him to the floor. Nett accuses Clark of being a child molester and Paco gives him the name of “Short Eyes” (Child molester; according to prisoners, the lowest, most despicable kind of criminal.) Longshoe spits into Clark’s face.  Clark’s life goes into a downhill spiral.   

The production seemed to have been cast mostly against type but so much the better as the actors each had exceptional moments on stage.

Miguel Amenyinu as Omar is listed in the play as a boxer who has gotten into multiple fights.  This character background is not well represented.   He was fine, he filled the slots, but the character requires more definition and a reason for being.  In short, Amenyinu needs to justify the final assault.   

Carl Crudup as Ice was fantastic. Crudup succeeds marvelously in a role that appears made for him.  This was a performance that gave a complete truth.  It was filled with humor and sympathy. This was just a fantastic job and a performance not to miss.

Cris D’ Annunzio as Mr. Nett does a nice job as the detention center attendant. As the character he gets a little too close to the prisoners, organizing fights, and making sure things run smoothly on his floor. He lets his emotions get the better of him so much so he is on the verge of losing his job.  But without realizing he may have caused the death of an inmate.  He tries to blame others when, the fault lies mostly, within him.  This is a marvelous look at a type of character we love to hate simply because he is not honest and tries to protect his job at all costs.  Annunzio gives a grand performance.  

Darby Hinton as Captain Allard is a hard nose, stick to your guns, straight shooter.  While he wants to get to find the truth, in reality he knows he will get nowhere.  Still, he has a piece of evidence that will silence all if he chooses to use it.  In the end, he doesn’t.  He is not willing to listen to anyone panegyrize Clark except for Clark’s relatives to which he seems to be on the hook. And I’m not convinced he is conflicted about what he has just done. Still this was a wonderful performance.

Matthew Jaeger as Clark didn’t have a chance.  His character is the worst of the lot. He’s a cornered mouse, frightened of all inmates around him.  But when he says, “First time in the joint” one gets the feeling that it’s probably not. The character is a pedophile, probably insane, and can’t remember some of what he’s done. Jaeger is convincing as a man who’s gotten himself into trouble, and just keeps getting himself into more trouble.  This was a very nice performance.  

Jason Manuel Olazabal was very seductive as Paco, a man who is not gay but likes having sex with men.  (I believe this is in keeping with the Latino tradition.)  His character rides the horse of destiny of which he is not able to disembark to live a civilized life. That aside, there seems to be something missing in the role, his addiction to drugs, withdrawal, or his place in this world.  Sure, he wants out, on his own terms, but he wants others things or persons as well. When he doesn’t get what he wants (Cupcakes), he resorts to a kind of violence and involves the others. This is an excellent performance in need of a stronger and focused objective.   

Daryl Anthony Harper as Mr. Brown did his job effectively as the character, still nothing got under his collar.  Missing were character choices that solidly defines this role and they are choices that must be made to drive the character and give a concrete base to his objective. That being said, there were a lot of nice moments from this actor.

Matias Ponce gave a nice little touch to Cupcakes.  The role says he is slightly feminine but one does not really see this characterization.  He keeps telling us “he’s not that way” and yet he bounces around from table to table in his cutoff jeans.  Perhaps he is not in touch with his feminine side.   Still, his incarceration seems to be a slight error, he shouldn’t be there and yet he is caught up in a terrible nightmare that only gets worse as the play continues.  In the end, he is part of the group whether he likes it or not.  The question is: how does he respond to the fact that he is involved in another crime that will haunt him the rest of his life? When he is released on bail he is connected to the other criminals and will be looking over his shoulder for good.  (Note:  Got to do something about the hair in the eyes.  If the eyes are the windows to the soul, the hair eliminates a great deal of the performance.)

Mark Rolston as Longshoe has dipsomania. As the character, it is something he has not beat and it is probably part of his fighting Irish heritage.   His racist words against his fellow inmates are blades that cut viciously.  He is prone to defending his heritage and armed robbery, which is the reason he is in jail now.  He administers his own brand of justice as he takes the law into his own hands.  It is a disgusting display of justice administered in a chaotic situation.  Rolston lives in the moment and physically moves about the stage with ease giving orders and demanding respect while giving nothing in return.  This is a very nice performance by a very fine actor.

David Santana plays Juan the conscious of the inmates.  He is a standup man who wants to play by the rules.  The problem is, in jail, there are no rules. As the character, he is forceful, not taking anything from anyone and seems to stand for the weak and intimidated. His relationship presents problems and most of the problems stems with his relationship with Clark even at one point threating to kill him, which he does not.  It is a performance that is at times confusing, not specific, and without a clear objective.  For example, Clark must find protection while Santana, as Juan, cares more about cleaning up.  The relationship must be strengthened during the revelation scene to give both men a way out.   

Donte Wince as El Raheem was outstanding!  His moments on stage were captivating.  His objective was clear and his conflict crystal clear.   He is a self-declared “God” and this God, I suppose, is the vengeful God from the Old Testament.  In the moment when the blade is given to him, he still cannot come to grips.  His intellect gets in the way of “the white man is the devil”, no matter what crime the white man has committed.

Also support in this fine cast were Alex Alfaro as Gypsy, and Jon Lance Dura as Blanca playing two transsexuals giving a very brief show. Daniel Zornes played Sergeant Morrison.

Other members of the ensemble and understudies were J. Antonio Baguez, Sean Escalante, Adam Jaso, Christian Levatino, Jason Nieblas, Charles Sanchez, Paul Tully, and Yonathan Zeray.

Julian Acosta has done a fantastic job directing Short Eyes.  It is a wonderful production with a lot of terrific moments.  It’s very obvious he has a distinctive eye and a terrific handle on the craft of acting.  That being said the show plays as though it were over many days and not one day.  But this is very minor in a very strong play.

One can only hope for the success of The Urban Theatre Movement and more shows of this caliber at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

Run to see this production through December 18, 2011.  Extended!

www.thelatc.org