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| Daniel Kaemon, Madeline Fair |
By Joe Straw
“She said she didn’t love him – five kids later.”
“Well, why did they have five kids if she didn’t love him? And, why
doesn’t she mend their own socks? She sends them here, to the farm, every
summer so she can have some time alone to find a husband.”
“Hush now. Not so loud – ‘kids
are in the living room watching TV.”
“They cain’t hear us, they got their ears and eyes glued to that damn
TV, sittin’ around, eatin' sugar butter biscuits, and not doin’ nothin’.” – Narrator – Overheard a conversation from my time in the south.
The Group Rep
presents Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, directed by L. Flint
Esquerra, and wonderfully produced by Kevin Dobson through November 14, 2015 at The Lonny
Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.
Like a soft summer breeze, this Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starts as a breath, a whisper, and a small zephyr
of spoken thoughts that enter the fractured crevices of a character’s moral
imperfections. It only takes one trifling
odious word said in haste to gather momentum, and unable to stop, these words
are like humid winds blown under unlocked doors and out through open windows
for all to hear.
In short, this Cat on
a Hot Tin Roof, once seen, is like a perceptual gift that keeps on giving,
days after you have seen it. L. Flint
Esquerra, director, leads a skilled ensemble that first elevates the imaginative spirit, first
in small increments, and then builds creating a tumultuous storm, lifting to create a truly visual, emotional, and pleasurable feast.
I don’t remember the sound of the bathroom shower running as
Margaret (Madeline Fair) enters upstage through the French doors. Her beautiful dress marked with a buttered biscuit
stain by one of them “no-neck monsters”. But, I do remember the image of Brick (Daniel
Kaemon) coming out, soaking wet, with a towel wrapped around his waist
shambling over to get a drink.
Margaret, or Maggie, acts as though this was not a pleasant sight;
possibly an accustomed sight, but still one imagines the indecent thoughts coming
from her of what she could do with this man, in any type of scenario she could
be thinking.
Margaret and Brick occupy a bedroom in Big Daddy Pollitt’s
house and, yes, it is his house. The
house sits in the Mississippi Delta, a cotton plantation of 28,000 acres of the
finest farmland “this side of the valley Nile”.
The Mississippi Delta slides along the Mississippi River in the north
and western section of the state of Mississippi. The river battles the banks, constantly pushing the reservoirs
forward on its way into the Gulf of Mexico.
Maggie and Brick share the bedroom once occupied by previous
owners, Jack Straw and Peter Ochello (not seen), two male lovers from a
forgotten time that secretly walked, hand in hand, hidden among the white
balustrades of the gallery and the Spanish moss.
But now, Brick, a former professional football player and
sportscaster, has few words for Maggie who has enough for both of them. And
Brick, listening to her despairing reflections, grabs a drink and waits for the
alcohol to “click” in his brain in an effort to ease his mental suffering.
But, there is no relaxing with Maggie on the prowl especially
when she takes off her stained buttered dress.
And with her sultry demeanor, in her rhythm of walking nylons, she
stalks around in her slip, opening her legs and inviting a wet Brick to enter
the gates of pleasure. She pushes, like
a purring cat at his ankles, wanting something. Her biological clock is running
and at this moment any moisture coming, permeating from either body, is an open
invitation for touch.
After all, this is the south and not the barren aridity of
the Sahara.
But like an old bubbling coffee pot, there’s more problems brewing. Big Daddy (Kent Butler) is dying from an
advance form of colon cancer. How everybody knows except Big Daddy, Big Mama (Diane
Frank), and Brick is a cause for concern, but Maggie is there to tell Brick and
she wants him to know that they should start working on an offspring.
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| L to R: Kyra Schwartz, Todd Andrew Ball, Lily Daugherty, Jacob Accardo, Diane Frank, Andrew C. Grigorian, Mia Banham |
Most importantly Maggie doesn’t want Gooper (Todd Andrew
Ball) also known as “Brother Man,” his wife Mae (Kyra Schwartz) also known as
“Sister Woman,” or their kids, three seen – Buster (Jacob Accardo), Sonny
(Andrew C. Grigorian), Trixie (Lily Daugherty), two others (not seen), and with
one more on the way, to inherit the 28,000 acres.
Brick’s been drinking too much especially after the death of
his friend Skipper, Maggie says that Brother Man and Sister Woman have come
down and are making references to Rainbow Hill.
“Place that’s famous for treatin’ alcoholics an’ dope fiends in the
movies!” – Margaret
But Maggie, a poor girl from Nashville with no money, does
not want Gooper to get the inheritance, and to that end she wants a child, now.
“Then Brother Man could get ahold of the purse strings and dole out
remittances to us, maybe get power of attorney and sign checks for us and cut
off our credit wherever, whenever he wanted!” – Margaret
“But, Brick? You still have one
big advantage.” – Margaret
Maggie is smart to recognize that Big Daddy dotes on Brick. She compares that to Big Daddy’s relationship
with Gooper and Mae, which Maggie, in catlike fashion, believes to be soiled.
And while they are discussing relationships, Maggie notes
they haven’t made love in a long while and that’s not going to work if they want
the farm.
You know, if I thought you would never, never, never make love to me
again-I would go downstairs to the kitchen and pick out the longest and
sharpest knife and stick it straight into my heart…” – Maggie
It is good that Maggie still believes there’s hope in the
relationship and is among the living. But, one is not sure what Brick is
thinking as he internalizes most of his dialogue.
Still it is Big Daddy’s birthday and Maggie bought a present
from Brick for Big Daddy, But Brick believes in his own truth and will not take
responsibility for the cashmere bathrobe or sign the card.
“Just write “Love Brick!” for God’s” – Margaret
“No.” – Brick
“You’ve got to.” – Margaret
“I don’t have to do anything. I
don’t want to do. You keep forgetting the
conditions on which I agreed to stay on living with you.” – Brick
Ouch, and very interesting comment that reveals much about
their relationship.
Meanwhile, outside on the porch, Mae has practically got her
ear glued to the door eavesdropping in on the conversation. She enters with a bow in her hands, concerned
about her children hurting themselves with, just the bow, no arrows.
Mae is up to more than the welfare of her children.
With Mae gone, Maggie appeals for better judgment in the
bedroom.
“…I served my term, can’t I apply for a – pardon?” – Margaret
No such luck. Brick doesn’t want to have anything to do with
her and he even goes so far as to tell Maggie to take a lover. But Maggie can’t see making love to anyone
except him. She quietly locks the door
and moves into Brick's direction and tries, mightily, until Big Mama starts banging
on the locked door.
Brick, glad for the interruption, makes his way into the
bathroom knowing Big Mama will find a way in. And she does, practically ignoring Maggie, as
she walks in through another door to find Brick in the bathroom. She tells him that Big Daddy has a spastic
colon and everything’s going to be okay.
Everyone knows that’s not the case Mae and Gooper, instead
of going on vacation, have managed to show up - with the will in tow. Reverend
Tooker (Scott Dewey) feeling God’s graces of bequeath is looking for a new
addition to the church. And Dr. Baugh (Bruce
Nehlson) is there. And they are all
there for the celebration of Big Daddy’s birthday? One thinks, not.
Madeline Fair is
tremendous as Margaret, Maggie the cat. Maggie floats in, like a soft breeze,
but manages to get all that she wants. Fair gives the character a tremendous
arc, demanding in the first act but manages to control the events of the final
act with such grace and natural abilities. Maggie has an intuitive knowledge of
all the characters in her life and Fair creates a grand distinction for each
relationship on stage. Fair is a
stunning creature and this is a performance you must run to see.
Daniel Kaemon is
Brick and gives another remarkable performance.
So much is needed for the silent dialogue in the first act when Brick,
drinks, and has little to say. Brick has a tremendous amount going on
underneath, a silent dialogue filled with humor and a truth that he cannot
release, trapped in a body wanting to get out, to come out, and not finding the
will or the way. Kaemon does an extraordinary job of confessing his physical
hunger for Skipper without coming right out and saying it. Oh! The mendacity! Kaemon's performance is
terrific!
I was caught up in the performance of Kyra Schwartz as Mae.
Schwartz manages to take that self-important Southern charm and uses it
to her advantage in appearance and in the deeds as the character. Mae wants the
farm and will stop at nothing to get it including dropping six kids like a
common house cat, to prove her love to the entire family. She eavesdrops to secure an advantage and
listens in on her sister-in-law's bedroom to find out what’s not going on in
there. Schwartz gives a brilliant performance and one that is truly recognizable
from my time in the south.
One would think that Todd
Andrew Ball would have the most difficult role as Gooper. He is in an invidious position coming in with
his nice fancy Memphis lawyer suit, dragging his wife and kids with him, and
with a will in tow knowing full well that Big Daddy is dying. We know what he wants; he’s got six kids and
a wife to support. But he’s got a problem,
Big Daddy doesn’t like him, and he’s almost regarded as an adopted child. So
Gooper has to overcome a lot of obstacles to get what he wants. Ball nicely handles the role and there may be
more to add to an already fine performance.
Diane Frank does
some good work as Big Mama and there are some wonderful funny moments in her
performance. At first glance this Big Mama is thin and unlike the character
portrayed in the play. But Frank manages
to pull off the performance in grand style.
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| Daniel Kaemon, Kent Butler |
Kent Butler
accomplishes a dramatic turn in Big Daddy in his search for the truth. He sees a lot of his son in himself, someone who is as honest as he can be. Still, Big Daddy is looking for the truth. And it doesn’t matter that his son had a
relationship with his best friend, after all, he's had friends similar in nature,
those that gave him the plantation.
Still, Big Daddy needs it, the truth, and no one is willing to offer it to him. Butler is tremendous in the role. The breakdown is something
unexpected but worked in this production, but to what end, I’m not quite sure.
Scott Dewey, with
a perpetual smile, does a grand job as Reverend Tooker and who could blame
him. He wants for the church and he is
standing like a vulture over a not quite dead carcass, waiting for the
inevitable. And it’s all about his
church, needing something, wanting something for the church and what better
place to be. Looking back, his
performance was extremely funny!
Sometimes one wonders about the objective of a performer and
what a character is doing in the show.
Case in point Bruce Nehlsen
as Dr. Baugh. And looking back, he is the
one with the definitive truth that must be shared, must be concise, and point
blank in a place where one can be comfortable to receive the information. Trying
to give comfort and structure to an end of day scenario in a house reeking of a
disorderly formality is a trying job that someone must do and why not him.
Felicia Taylor E.
does a fine job as Sookie but more could be made of her fine southern
sensibilities. Still, she has a very nice presence on stage.
Much can be said about the performances of the children in
this show. Mia Banham creates a fine character in Dixie, Jacob Accardo is also very credible as Buster, and Andrew C. Grigorian does some fine work as Sonny. In the south, the
children are mostly underfoot while adults want to have more than a polite
conversation and in this play the children give it just the right touch, being
in the moment, and providing excellent background voices and sounds.
I don’t remember seeing Lily
Daugherty perform as Trixie the night I was there, and some of the smaller members
of the cast were not present at curtain call.
Steve Shaw plays Tooker as well but did not
perform the night I was there.
Harold Clurman talks about a strong through line in his book
On Directing and in L. Flint Esquerra’s
version the strong theme of “want” justifies the entire look of the show. From the gossamer charms of Reverend Tooker
to the impertinent lawyer son with the will in hand, all of the characters are
greedy with want. Esquerra brings out the additional flavors of adultery, the
secrets of homosexuality, and the human vanities of not being wanted at the
peak of a characters sexual prime. The show needs wind to blow the Spanish moss
and more wind during the storm as is typical with southern storms.
Dialect Coach Glenda Morgan
Brown does a fine job with the actors but more could be made of the accents
from Mississippi, Nashville, and Memphis, which are all very different in tone
and manner.
The Set Design by Chris
Winfield is sublime and does not overpower the actors. In fact the set is an actor’s delight.
Angela M. Eads is
responsible for the Costume Design and each character was costumed marvelously
and perfectly suited for the time.
J. Kent Inasy,
Lighting Design, had a slight problem with the upstage light, specifically behind
the bed, where the actors were in partial shadow – a minor glitch that will be
fixed by the time you see this.
Other members of the crew are as follows:
Ceirra Burton and Pascale Gigon – Assistant Producers
Debi Tinsley – Assistant Director
Steve Shaw – Sound Design
Christian Ackerman – Videographer
Eddie Liu – Fight Choreographer
Nora Feldman – Public Relations
Dough Haverty - Art & Soul Design – Graphic Design
Drina Durazo – Program
Run! Run! Run! And take someone who lusts for you.
Through November 14, 2015
The Lonny Chapman Theatre
10900 Burbank Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA
91601
Reservations:
818-763-5990
