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| Foreground Christopher Dietrick, Background L - R Alexander Daly and Thomas McNamara - Photos by Genevieve Marie Photography |
By Joe Straw
EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
Those that go to see this
play will see similarities to the brief life of River Phoenix – a Hollywood
icon perceived to have had a squeaky clean image. - Narrator
When first entering The 11:11 Theatre, formally the Macha
Theatre, and before that The Globe Theatre, one notices a lot of changes to the
theatre, in the theatre, and around the theatre. The infusion of capital is
apparent.
The seats have been carefully readjusted so there is plenty
of legroom now. And what was almost a
three quarter seating arrangement are now seats out in front of the stage and
that is good.
The high ceiling is covered with a reflective foil, and possibly
with material to diffuse the sound. And
the lighting is up to date with the latest gadgets. This is a nice touch as
well.
This is an intimate house so when the actors first appeared
on stage they were all mic’d. Oh, this
must be a musical I thought - 19 songs on Side A, and 12 songs on Side B –
music by Conner Youngblood. But no,
they were all mic’d to be heard above the party music and baby the party never
stopped.
And as the music roared from the above speakers, my backside
was vibrating by the heavy doses of base that rattled the theatre seats and the
base to which they were attached, sometimes rolling as though heavy tanks were
moving in.
Can this be the intimate theatre of the future?
An 11:11 Experience
presents Famous A New Play by Michael Leoni featuring Music By Conner
Youngblood, produced by Michelle Kaufer, Erica Katzkin, Rebecca Black and Max
Feldman and directed by Michael Leoni though August 19, 2018.
Upon entrance, the set is bathed in a purple light, Lighting
Design by Martha Carter; a bed sits center stage, with a sliding glass windowed
outlook onto a balcony in the Hollywood Hills. Upstairs is another bedroom and in an
elevated mezzanine there is yet another bedroom upstage left. Entryways to the small bedrooms and bathroom are
by sliding glass doors. Everything is painted white, a very clean evangelical white
– to match the main character’s angelic
public persona.
By 99-seat theatre standards, David Offner Scenic Designer
is beautiful and a wonderful menagerie for the actors to play.
Set in 1994 (Phoenix died in 1993) the entrances and the
exits are as fast and furious as they are famous and everyone attending the
party wants to be famous, in their own little way.
There are two Jasons, a young Jason (Derick Breezee) and a
slightly older Jason (Christopher Dietrick) who actually have similar looks.
The older Jason, living in the moment, is reflective of how
this all came to be. He does this two
ways imagining his younger self, and two by observing his friends on cameras
set up throughout the house.
Today, the older Jason has found out that he has been nominated
for an Academy Award, thereby sealing his “famous” moniker. Unfortunately, it will
be not be a good day for him.
For the moment, everyone wants a piece of him. Friends,
family, tv and fans bang loudly on his door trying to get into his Hollywood
Hills home. The phone is continually
ringing, his mother (Rachael Meyers) mostly - a person that Jason hangs up on
every given moment – the reasons why are revealed during the course of the
play.
And Jason is scared to death of what is coming but it’s
nothing a little drink couldn’t fix, a little pill to take the edge off, or a
shot of heroin to take away the biting edge and one that produces an inimical
gaze.
Michael Leoni, director,
gives us some amazing moments and strong visuals, but he takes on too much as
the writer and director of the play. And
while there are fascinating things happening on stage, the play loses its
focus, the through line - Harold Clurman fondly speaks to – and the nuanced story
line loses its focus.
Lost in the confabulation and the music are the critical
moments that define the play. What purpose are the rewind scenes? Why does
Jason Mast (Christopher Dietrick) need to see those events played out again? Can those moments be clarified?
The play is called Famous
and we get that through the opening moments of the show so, how does the
show progress? The main character has already reached his pinnacle. So, what is
the conflict?
Well, it’s easy to see that others want to be famous as well.
Why would they be at his home? No one there seems to be celebrating his
Academy Award nomination.
But, seeing the action of “I want to be famous” in action
and dialogue is another matter.
The famous guy needs to hold onto his fame, however that manifests
itself, and the conflict is the interactions with others at the party including
the producer that congers bad memories.
Everyone wants to be famous.
Few reach that goal, but they all try. One will focus the comments of
the actions of the actors to enlighten.
Christopher Dietrick
(Jason Mast) has a very good look and is very believable in the role. The character is shy and gives off a warm glow
to the strangers he meets. Underneath he
is terrified to open the door. He has an
overactive imagination, highlighted by the chaos of shadows, which is why he
sees his younger self and mother during the waking hours of his constant nightmare. He moves in the direction of observation to
find out who he is and why he got to be famous. He must set aside his contemptuous feelings
for the night and move toward his next big goal. While Dietrick has a very good
look, the character’s objective needs to hold on to fame no matter the cost. As
the actor, he can’t play the ending, because it’s a downer. But by observation,
he gathers the information to stay on top, until he makes a fatal mistake.
It is through Derick
Breezzee we see Young Jason. How he was manipulated and belittled by his
mother, how she encouraged him to stay with male friend who were going to show
him the “business”. He takes the mental
hits after these encounters but moves on with his life to reach the ultimate
goal, that of becoming famous. Breezzee
(that’s got to be a stage name) does well and is very likeable in the role.
 |
| Markus Silbiger |
Markus Silbiger
is Dylan Mast, Jason’s younger brother. He is the no so good looking, not so
talented, and the not so famous younger brother. Dylan lives, or stays with his
famous brother away from their mother who didn’t’ have the same effect on his
career or life. Dylan is a ne’r-do-well who really doesn’t know how anything
works or how it works to become famous.
He takes a gun to his throat thinking it will be the route to immortality
and famous but has seconds thoughts.
Alexander Daly is
Ryan Logan a man with limited success and the best friend to Jason Mast through
their ventures together growing up and in films. Ryan is bisexual with conscientious
aspirations. He has an anything goes
mindset but by that same token he is very grounded in his life and what he hopes
to accomplish. Does he push hard enough to get what he wants? That is questionable. Still, Daly does some
very fine work in this production.
Rosanna De Candia
is Celeste Whitley a manager who loves to control all things around her, not
letting her client go overboard, and she keeps the press at arms length. Her role is to keep everything above board,
legal, nice and tidy - to help her client keep his fame at all cost. But, she
slips, wanting to hold on to her client, even if it means sleeping with his
brother. De Candia, need a backstory, as
a way to fill in the missing gaps, things to add to a character that makes
mistakes. It is a good performance but
one that she can add to.
You’re only as good as your last film and Gregory DePetro as Jack Rossi fills the
bill as a sleazy producer who will take advantage of those he deems worthy of
his attention. The name Jack Rossi is
loathed by the famous one and possibly hasn’t had a decent hit in some time,
which is a reason, he is coming back to the well. In the party tonight he is
making his comeback and destroying many lives in the process. DePetro does well
in the role as he defines the sleazy part of Hollywood.
Megan Davis is
Alyssa Rossi, Jack’s daughter and one who lives a cloistered existence in all
that is Hollywood. Alyssa is the
icebreaker, the one who lowers everyone’s defenses by plying them with drugs
and alcohol. Her scruples are limited to
the lowest rung of the moral ladder. Davis is very watchable.
Decker Sadowski
plays Heather Hayes someone who wants to move from TV to motion pictures. She is at the party tonight to see if there
is some kind of compatibility with the famous one. Heather appears to have
scruples not letting the 16-year-old girl have drugs but gives in from social
pressure. At this moment, she has
fallen, leaving her moral code as a footnote in her unwritten biography. Heather
seems strong willed at times but falls into an unnecessary trap. Sadowski has
to work harder keeping the character good, honest and in line to what is right
in Hollywood. One must also see, in the
end, that all is lost from her, at least on this night. Sadowski has room to grow but shows
incredible potential.
Thomas McNamara
is Brody James, a boyfriend to Heather and uninvited guest to the party. He is a writer, like everyone in Hollywood,
and manages to get a private meeting with the famous one while looking for his
girlfriend. He is unsure of his
capabilities but will manage to hang in on the party until he gets his
girlfriend back or a screenplay deal.
McNamara has a very good look and should do well in this
industry providing the breaks come his way.
Jacqi Vene is
Caley Miller a 16-year-old girl who also wants to be famous but is in way over
her head. Finding a physical partner
this night has been a troublesome adventure until she meets a man with no
scruples at all. Vene has her moments.
Kenny Johnston
has multiple roles as Paulie Sinclair, a man who preys on young boys promising
them the world. Also, Johnston plays
Lawrence Michaels, a director who will not have any of his actors inebriated on
the set. He defines what is right in Hollywood and Johnston is terrific as that
character and in this role. It is actually one of the bright spots from a host
of characters with less than ideal traits.
Johnston also plays the TV Host.
Rachael Meyers plays
Jason’s mom and does some really fine work with the character. She works on his behalf but takes his career
to extremes by plying him with pills to keep him thin, calling him fat, and
giving him to suspicious men to further his career. Ultimately, she wants some of the money he is
making now, she wants to be part of his life, and she lets nothing get in her
way. If only Jason would pick up the phone, or let her into his home she could
make things right again. Meyers is also terrific in the role though hardly sympathetic.
Other members of the crew are as follow:
Larae Wilson –
Costume Design
Matt Rumer – Prop
Master
Scott Casillas –
Sound Design
Nick Hurtado –
Sound Engineer
Linda Michaels –
Hair & Make-up Design
Kristin Bolinski
– Stage Manager
Avery Reagan –
Assistant Lighting Design
Joseph Cervantes
– Audio Technician
Run! And take someone who loves the Hollywood glitz and
glamour to show them another side of the business.
Reservations:
323*378*6969
The 11:11
1107 N. Kings Road
West Hollywood, CA
90069
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