Hoboken to Hollywood A Journey Through the Great American Songbook – Book by Luca Ellis, Paul Litteral & Jeremy Aldridge.

By Joe Straw

Harry James invited us into his dressing room to watch the Kentucky derby during his run of Big Broadcast of 1944 at the Pantages.  The television had a screen that was about as wide as my hand.  The coat hanger stuck into the broken antenna hole was providing an excellent snowy reception.

Gordon MacRae was there along with Fran Warren and Hildegard and other members of the cast.  All had extremely powerful voices and probably none had ever heard a pin drop in a quiet room in their entire lives.  

Harry was having a drink from a shot glass.  Gordon MacRae couldn’t keep quiet and the rest of the cast could have cared less about the horses running.

Squinting, because of the snow on the screen, and really having to concentrate because of the noise, the words from the Kentucky Derby announcer was lost that year to Harry James.

Harry sat quietly and stewed like a pot of minestrone.

One likes it when things go one’s way.

There is a place in Hoboken to Hollywood where Luca Ellis as the Crooner hits all the right moments as a singer and an actor.  It is an enlightened moment where one wants to stand and applaud and give him his just due.  And there, on stage, in that passionate moment, one can forever remember and be forever better for having seen it. More on that moment later.  

Hoboken to Hollywood takes one back to the beautiful days of black and white kinescope television complete with sixties style cameras, applause signs, and projected monitors on each side of the stage.  One can visit those days on YouTube and watch the washed out images of Frank Sinatra or go to The Edgemar Center Of The Arts and get a lively recreation of those early days of television, circa 1960’s.   The show has been extended to February 27, 2010.

The play, or the book, is about a taping of a television show featuring a superstar called The Crooner.  Hoboken to Hollywood is a historical visit to those days of the television variety show where, at that time, all moms across the nation were serving apple pie, every night, and life seemed to go according to schedule and without conflict.

  

But Hoboken To Hollywood lets one drop that fantasy and gives us a dose of reality.  Everything isn’t quite as rosy as it appeared on television.    

As the studio audience members, we are treated as cast members; we are shuffled to our seats.  One notices the cast and the musicians are improvising on stage.  (One likes it when actors are getting into the moment!) When all are seated the show starts with little fanfare.  We find out that Dwight (Al Bernstein) has been notified the directors’ wife is having a baby and it’s up to Andy (Pat Towne) to take the helm and direct this show along with his other duties.

Andy does this very reluctantly, because he’s only been assisting for about 14 years and doesn’t feel confident about this particular situation with this particular superstar.  High blood pressure aside, a superior fear of his authority scares the bejesus out of him.  Still he takes the job with the fear that if anything goes wrong, it may be the end of his career. And it’s just this kind of pressure, and angst, that fuels the fire in this production.  

And then everything goes wrong.

First, Andy does not know how to turn on the mike.  The Shimex Commercial Announcer (Chandler Hill) and the spokesgirl (Franci Montgomery) tries their hand at the commercial and that goes wrong.   The furniture is moved to the wrong position.  The 40 lbs bag falls and ruins a shot but fortunately misses the Crooner and Conductor.    The lights unexpectedly go off.

And ultimately it’s up to The Crooner to make things right because it’s his name on this project and everything has to be perfect!

This is a fine cast and crew.  An enormous amount of time and talent went into this production to pull it all together.

Bernstein as Dwight seems slightly out of place with hair and costumes for the time period but nevertheless puts his heart into the production.

Towne as Andy is a gifted physical actor.  He is everywhere doing what needs to be done, has a fine voice, and takes the stage with authority when the time comes.   What might be seen as forced reaction to The Crooners demands might work if his objective was inline with a stronger choice about his livelihood.

Montgomery as Darlene does a fine job.  There is a moment when she drops her ditzy blond routine to pull an outboard motor that was just marvelous. There is a slight confusion as to the relationship between her and The Crooner and is open to any interpretation one might have.  One believes it may serve the program to clear up any misconceptions of this relationship.

Hill as the announcer has a beautiful voice and works this job to perfection. 

Markgraf, as Nelson, is the master of the deadpan.  One would think he needs a little more action as he serves as conductor and friend.

Ellis, as The Crooner, is a wonderful actor/singer.  He is just powerful and able to command the stage and control a song with a strong passionate purpose.  He has his own style so one cannot call it an imitation. The fascinating thing about Ellis performance is his attention to detail. In the song, One For My Baby, he literally had the audience cradled in his arms.  It was this mixture of his voice, body movement, and the television visuals that one notices the details of his art.   It is stunning and a beautiful moment.    

And the shows historical visuals pay attention to the details of television.   One can get a glimpse of the evolution of television and notice when something may not work live, looks beautiful on television.  It is a glimpse of how even slightest moments and emotion are magnified and absorbed by the audience members and that is a very fine thing.

Paul Litteral, who plays trumpet, heads this 12-piece orchestra. The Saxes included Jim Jedeikin, Josh C. Harris, Colin Kupka, and Damon Zick. Craig Kupka and Robbie Hioki played the trombones.   Also on trumpet were Ron Sewer and Kendall Wallace.  On piano, Paul McDonald, bass, Nicholas Klingenberg, and drums, Steve Pemberton.

On top of a story one is getting fabulous songs with a top notched orchestra

Route 66, Bye, Bye, Blackbird, I Got The World on A String, Almost Like Being in Love, I’ve got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Call Me Irresponsible, Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me, The Curse of an Aching Heart, Old Black Magic, That’s Life, You’re Nobody Until Somebody Love You, Shiny Stockings, Stardust, Blue Moon, Ciribirbin, There Are Such Things, Fly Me To The Moon, Green Onions, One For My Baby, I’m Gonna Live ‘Till I Die, Young at Heart, All of Me.

Heads were swaying and toes were tapping.  There’s even a sing-a-long that everyone joins in on.   All together, this was a lot of fun.

Luca Ellis, Paul Litteral and Jeremy Aldrige have written a wonderful book, it’s just that all the moments that don’t quite fit.  The show is still in its early stages but one hopes they find that excitement that propels it to the next level. This show could not secure the rights to a number of songs and may be reason the book may not lend itself to the songs.  Be that as it may, there is still a lot of material here to match to the appropriate song.

Jeremy Aldridge, the director, does a fine job but needs to throw out the stuff that doesn’t work and bring in the “love”.

There is still a maturation process needed before the show is taken back east and shown.  And while it is evolving, one needs to throw his two cents worth so here goes.  The Crooner needs (gasp) a wife.  He needs this as a foil, to show us that he is human, and to give us a reason for these fits of rage and depression on stage.   We could empathize with him all the more and could follow his reasons for his actions on stage. 

Also, The Crooner needs to be a man so in love with his wife that, on top of performing for the studio audience; he’s trying to save his marriage.  Love is a great equalizer.  It can raise a man to his highest heights and bring him down to his lowest low. 

A phone call or two from his wife would provide a reason for his actions and with the cast reaction we would know that she is a very demanding woman.   This would show us his human foibles and the reason for his anger. (Everyone can relate to a disgruntled spouse.)  The song to the beautiful young blond, Darlene, would have more meaning.  His anger about perfection would have more humph. And his man-to-man talk with Andy would provide more humor. 

Come Back to Me would be a great song to end the show.

I'm coming in late in the run of this musical play to witness and write about my observations.  And the crowds are still coming! The joint is still hopping!  And it’s still playing after how many months?  Wow!  This is a true testament to Peach Reasoner, the producer, and the power of equity waiver theatre.  And this is the right kind of fit for the Edgemar Center for the Arts. 

Run to this production and see the light.  It’s a light that alters a perception of a life and that is always a good thing. 

www.hobokentohollywood.com

Daddy by Dan Via

By Joe Straw

A man I knew as my father shot and killed a man.  Moonlighting from the army, he shot this man in the head, late one night, while working as a security guard.  He took this job to support two families.  One was our family consisting of my mother and my four siblings and another family that was a secret and completely unknown to us. 

And this is something we lived with growing up in a small community in the south.  My mother regarded this as one more “family secret”.

Most seek the truth for one’s emotional wellbeing no matter the cost.

Love is a bastard.

Daddy written by Dan Via, directed by Rick Sparks, and presented by Theatre Planners is now playing to full capacity at the beautiful Hudson Theatre in Hollywood through February 13^th, 2011.

The Hudson Theatre is an intimate space and the set, designed by Adam Flemming, is agreeably used for this personal drama.  But as intimate as the set may be the drama on stage leaves one unsatisfied and wanting for a better resolution.

Although there are three main characters, the focus of this play is of a young man trying to find the truth about his life.  And though finding the truth can be the emotional strength of the play it seems almost secondary in nature. 

The setting is Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in the present day.  Stewart Wisniewski (Dan Via) and Colin McCormack (Gerald McCullouch) are old college friends catching up in a bar.  We discover that after college Stewart went off to study law in Washington, D.C., and Colin returned to Pittsburg to work at The Pittsburg Post Gazette.   Each has, over the years, modest success and today they are both working in Pittsburg.

Stewart is out but seems to be a little shy about being in a gay bar whereas Colin seems to enjoy the atmosphere of having a beer, being recognized, and being around like minded people.  Stewart (Stu) tells him that he is going to California to interview for a job at Stanford.

But, during this casual bar time, Colin is confronted by an admirer, a pulchritudinous African American, Thaddeus “Tee” Bloom (Ian Verdun). Bloom is also a young writer and tells Colin that he admires his work and is going to intern at the paper.  Colin recognizes his name, says he read his work, and thinks he has a lot of promise. 

When Colin and Stewart leave, Tee examines an old Polaroid for reasons that become clear later in the play. 

Later, Colin and Stu are on the phone.  Colin tells Stu the Pittsburg Pirates game is about to begin and Stu tell him he’ll be there as quick as he can.  Ten seconds later Stu walks into the apartment.  

They are casual and comfortable with each other. They talk about fatherhood and how things might have been different had they pursue parenthood.  Stu mentions that Colin has put a lot of his sperm in a cup so maybe… 

In fact, there are a number of hints about the direction the play is taking.  So, unsurprisingly the audience is not shocked at the final outcome.  

There are a lot of good things to say about this play.  That will come later.  For now one can say there are a number of problems that need to be fixed. 

Love is a driving force that is not recognized in the play. A pat on the ass and a passionate kiss once does not make a relationship.   Showing love would add a dimension and so many layers one can hardly imagine.  But without this we are left searching for more answers than is delivered on stage.

For example, Stewart loves Colin so much he lives next door.  It must be tortuous to live next door to a man you love so much for that you cannot keep away for one second, much less a minute.  Passionate love creates an added element, makes the choices stronger, and the action more spirited.   And Stewart is so much in love with this man he can’t stand the fact that a younger man is taking his place. Without a strong emotional attachment the relationship is uninspired.    

Turning the tables to give Colin’s perspective, here’s another example: Colin is so in love with Stewart but despises him.  How dare Stewart leave him when they’ve had a passionate relationship in college?  Out of the blue, gone, and now Stewart comes back, hangs out, and wants to be with him again? And now Stewart says he’s considering a job at Stanford?  Well, just go. There’s plenty of men, in this, gay bar! 

And so, Colin finds the intern Tee.  He knows this is wrong (work and all) but urges get the better of him and so they have a passionate relationship. Tee, young, unsure and with a mystery he needs to solve, is hesitant at first but decides to go at this full force.

Now it is up to Stewart to destroy this relationship, which he systematically does without hurting either Colin or Tee.   A huge task, to be sure.

Sex is left on the “cutting room floor” in this production and this play lacks the exploration of anything new involving the relationship between three men.  However, the play does find its strength through the dialogue and the characters determination to find a resolution.

But, without lustful love, these relationships seem casual at best. The world doesn’t turn without love and the imagination to pursue love.  Love can cause people to do ridiculous things and finding the right mix in a theatrical production is worth its weight in whatever one considers valuable.

Via as Colin serves as the playwright as well. This is a difficult task, as the writer has to step back and critique his own acting.  Not impossible, but maybe not practical.   Lost is the world of the subtext of a passionate being.  His moments, meant to move the action along lie flat, the words are thrown to the winds, and the little hints that forecast the ending fly by with little forthrightness.

Verdun as Thaddeus “Tee” Bloom comes off as very flagitious for reason unknown.  In his choices to find information, he comes off as a gold digger, a sinister liar, and one who wants to get the goods on Colin no matter the cost.  Insidious and traitorous seem to be his trademarks.  He cares not for the collateral damages of emotional trauma he causes in his search for the truth. Still, his was the bright spot in this production as he manipulates his way in and tries to take over. (Also, having a character that grows up in North Carolina having an accent that is much deeper south was disconcerting.)

All this leads me to McCullouch as Colin.  Very likeable, productive, and so blinded by love he doesn’t see all that is going around him.  But the conflict cannot be as great unless he is aware of his relationship with Stewart and that is something that needs defining and worked out in rehearsal.  

Jeffrey Patrick Olson and Rene Ruiz were also part of the ensemble but seemed to have little to do with the performers on stage.

Rick Sparks, the director, shows us some clever moments but there are some moments that have little depth and are very superficial. There’s a lot more here that needs exploration.  There is more work to be done.   While there are some marvelous actions on stage, there is a significant through line missing. For now love does not move this play along.  It is a dry bed waiting for the rains to come, but one thinks one hears thunder in the background.

Daddy, performed in New York earlier and given constructive criticism in various reviews seems to have been ignored.   Keep the good, throw out the bad, and push for perfection. Very simply, theater breaks down into a mathematical equation:  Great Theatre = real life – (the boring parts).

 

The Last Straw Awards 2010

By Joe Straw 

Acting is such a thankless task.

Everyone knows the obstacles when entering the theatre.  Visuals of the darkened alleyways, littered with trash, includes one more element to a sense of being as one enters the performing space.  And in the dressing room a three-legged chair becomes an impediment as one struggles to put on makeup in front a broken mirror with a nasty flickering light.  Usually this event is shared with other actors, some with bad personal hygiene, who have no sense of modesty and gossip about you even when you are in the room. 

Putting those events aside, one realizes this is a short termed project and one needs to make the very best of the situation.  After all, this is a small theatre where the work is mostly without pay.  And that work is done all for the sake of turning a small roll into magic and spinning the small notice into a career.

It is during the curtain call, one’s heart grows stronger when a culmination of events makes one realize the concentration was spot on and the dream could not have gone any better.  

It is a dream they all have. To work hard, day in and day out, and pray for the paying opportunities so that they may provide for themselves and their families. 

I have thought long and hard about this list. The Last Straw Awards 2010 are given to those actors who were outstanding in their field.  Some of the actors listed below have huge careers, others are just starting out, and all deserve to be working regularly in this industry.

The actors are listed in order of the review, which may be found in this blog, January through December 2010.

There is no plaque or sheepskin to place on the mantle. Ultimately, when the day is done, you can’t take it with you and besides it only takes up space.  Know this; that people are watching and taking notice of your outstanding contributions to theatre in Los Angeles.

Congratulations!

Mitchell Edmonds (Pozzo) - Waiting for Godot - A Noise Within

Greg Watanabe (Kenji) - No No Boy - Miles Memorial Theatre

JD Cullum (Benedick) - Much Ado About Nothing - A Noise Within

Mark Bramhall (Dogberry) - Much Ado About Nothing - A Noise Within

Ensemble - Starmites - Ensemble Theatre Company - Miles Memorial Theatre

            Natalie Storrs               Michael Joyce             Matthew McFarland

            Jen Reiter                     Thomas Krottinger    Jonah Priour

            Donald Webber, Jr.     Marisa Esposito         Riana Nelson

            Jessica Perlman            Raquel Sandler

William Dennis Hunt (Philly Cullen) - The Playboy of The Western World - A Noise Within

Gina Garrison (Fran) - Supernova - Elephant Theatre Company

Tony Gatto (John Davies) - Supernova - Elephant Theater Company

Sal Lopez (Moe) - Dementia - Latino Theater Company (LATC)

Geoffrey Rivas (Eddie) - Dementia - Latino Theater Company (LATC)

Tony Perzow (Barry) - Angelos - Theatre of Possibilities

Frank Salinas (David) - Angelos - Theatre of Possibilities

Jerome St. Jerome (Kelly the Scalp) - Angelos - Theatre of Possibilities

Sheila Korsi (Anita) - Ojala! - Casa 101 Theatre

Jillann Gabrielle (Mrs. Kenderson) - Ojala! - Casa 101 Theatre

Gina Hecht - Circle of Will - Macha Theatre

Laurence Fishburne - (Thurgood) - Thurgood - The Geffen Theatre

Lin Manuel Miranda (Usnavi) - In The Heights - Pantages

Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (Benny) - In The Heights - Pantages

Arielle Jacobs (Nina) - In The Heights - Pantages

Earnestine Phillips (Harriet Tubman) - Carry It On - Theatricum Botanicum

Gerald C. Rivers (Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.) - Carry It On - Theatricum Botanicum

Leith Burke (Zip) - Neighbors - Matrix

Zachary Shields (Pete) - The Quarry - The Moth Theatre

Dulce Maria Solis (Chela) - Chela - Santa Monica Playhouse

Alex Morris (LJ. Robillard) - The Reckoning – The Robey Theater Company (LATC)

Jacob Sidney (Nicholas Burnside) - The Reckoning - The Robey Theater Company (LATC)

Michael Faulkner (Elbow) - Measure for Measure - A Noise Within

Peter Larney (Abhorson) - Measure for Measure - A Noise Within

Stephen Rockwell (Herbet Pockets) - Great Expectations - A Noise Within

Deborah Strang (Miss Havisham) - Great Expectations - A Noise Within

Alice Fulks (The Actress) - The Blue Room - The Moth Theatre

Patrick Scott Lewis (The Cab Driver) - The Blue Room - The Moth Theatre

Nicholas Brendon (David Sedaris) - The Santaland Diaries - The Stella Adler Theatre

Suzanna Guzman (La Virgin de Guadalupe) - La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin - Latino Theater Company

The Last Straw Awards

By Joe Straw

By my count I saw over 40 theatrical productions last year and soon it will  be time to present  "The Last Straw Awards" part Deux (2nd Annual) given  to actors for outstanding achievement in theatrical productions in Los Angeles for the year ending December 31, 2010.

This list does not limit itself to leads so if you were a supporting player in a production, please check back in January 2011.

Also, if you were part of an ensemble, you may be eligible.

Thank you for a wonderful year!

I'll see you 2011.

LA VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE, DIOS INANTZIN By Evelina Fernandez

By Joe Straw


One has to be impressed by walking into Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. The Cathedral seems to embrace all who seek spiritual enlightenment. It is beautiful and layered with majestically stoned panels rising to the ceiling.

I gathered there to view the spectacle LA VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE, DIOS INANTZIN with four thousand of my other friends. And it is a spectacular play! Put on by the Latino Theatre Group in Spanish with English subtitles, directed by Jose Louis Valenzuela and written by Evelina Fernandez.

This manifestation has a cast of 150 dancers, singers and musicians in glorious feathered costumes of the Aztec Indians and tilmas of those who were converted and colonialized.

Slowly, the audience marches quietly into the Cathedral, men women and children waiting for the moment that takes them away from the distractions of life and places them into the center of the event. They then rejoice in song, Buenos Dias Paloma Blanca, to re-live the moment of December 9th, 1531 on a hill at Tepeyac, near Mexico City, when the peasant Indian Juan Diego sees the vision of The Virgin Mary.

Miracles come in all sizes. The visions that came upon Juan Diego may have been a moment imperceptible to others, but with eyes wide open he is receptive to the vision of a celestial being. And this being the Virgin Mary one knows there is work to be done, a message to be delivered and Juan Diego was instructed to physically carry out that mission. It was a vision to include all into Christianity, whites as well as Indians, Spaniards as well as Aztecs, rich and poor.

I go to see the genius that is Jose Luis Valenzuela and Evelina Fernandez and to watch these two take a production, that is virtually impossible to stage, and against all odds, perform a minor miracle every year.

Also it is a chance to view the remarkable talents of Sal Lopez and a wonderful Mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzman.

First one has to be supremely inspired by the voice of Mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzman. It is here in the cathedral that her voice is smooth, melodious, and fills every inch of listening space. The walls cry from the sound taking it and giving it back to the listener. So remarkable the sound one would think it was not live, but a recording, and yet this beautiful voice fills the chambers and one can only think the voice was heavenly inspired.

Sal Lopez does a fantastic job as Juan Diego. He is funny, charming, and serious when the need arises. A regular with the Latino Theatre Group his strength lies in his tenacity.

Also amusing is Fraile Jose, Luis Lopez Aldana, a wonderful friar who happens to get himself into a lot of trouble but manages to find his way out.

The wonderful hardworking cast also includes the characters Juan Bernardino, (Miguel Najera), Arzobispo, (Castulo Guerra), Fraile Martin, (Geoffrey Rivas), Fraile Joaquin (Gabriel Gonzalez), La Criada, (Esperanza Ibarra), Citlali (Lucy Rodriguez), Danza del Aguila Blanca, (Lazaro Arvizu & Jesus Espiricueta), and La Muerte, (Urbanie Lucero).

The fine musicians were Los Hermanos Herrera, Martin Espino, and Christopher Garcia all under the direction of Alfredo Lopez Mondragon.

The angels giving us light, life, and hope were Andrea Zuniga, Olivia Delgado, and Alegria Garcia.

Holding on to their culture were The Aztecs who were Marcus Castain, Carlos Leon, Carlos Barajas and Ray Porras.

Don Garza and Oliver Rayon played the Spaniards.

There were a number of people necessary to create this production, hundreds, and it all seemed to come together on this very successful night.

The Blue Room By David Hare

By Joe Straw

The play “Der Reigen” from which David Hare adapted into The Blue Room was so provocative it could not be performed on any stage for many years.  It was done in living rooms, away from the prying eyes of the general theatre going public and the police.  Nevertheless, as progressive as some cities may have been, arrests were made.  People were sent to jail.  Adolph Hitler called it “Jewish filth”.

The play was written in the name of science.  Well, sort of.  Written by Dr. Arthur Schnitzler as an exploration of the profligate sex lives of the Austrian society of that time.  He also wrote this for his own voyeuristic amusement.

Roger Vadim eventually made the play into a film, La Ronde.

And now it is here at the Moth Theatre in Los Angeles directed by John Markland, and Produced by Efrain Schunior, in an intimate space, off an alleyway, away from prying eyes of the police, and in the progressive bohemian section of town. (To date, no arrests have been made.)

It is not so much, the nudity, but the message this play conveys.  It’s not so much the roundness of nude female form, or the flaccid male body parts, but the message it communicates, subtly, and without fault.

The Blue Room pays attention to the connectivity of sexual beings from ordinary people to the aristocrats.  The players communicate in a fashion ultimately to reach a goal.  Their engaging intercourse is wonderfully played out as the audience watches them plow ahead into the unforgiving vortex of infection. 

An earlier time would have suggested syphilis today it is H.I.V.

Breathless is the word to describe that moment when all things change between two sexual beings. The dramatic affect on one’s spirit, that instant connection that draws two people together. And through rough mature dialogue they communicate their instinctual animalistic proclivities. Although each case is different, one finds a similarity in all scenes. It’s as though a moth were being drawn into the flame.    

And like the moth that flutters around a light in all alleyways, two people meet each other in the night: The Cab Driver, Patrick Scott Lewis, and The Girl, Addison Timlin. In this meeting there is an attraction and revulsion all in the same moment and in a heated back and forth they make it in the passageway.  And the outcome is a demand for money.

“Next time, get the money first.” – The Cab Driver.

Unbeknownst to both parties, The Girl gives The Cab Driver a little “special” gift to take with him and he takes that gift to his next encounter with The Au Pair, Lili Bordan.  She is invited to come to his office after being seen dancing in a nightclub.  She is a stunning French woman trying to find a suitable partner but as her luck would have it this night she ends up with The Cab Driver.  She desires a meaningful relationship. His curiosity with her is limited to sex and it takes him only a few moments to slide the dress from her shoulders and move her to the floor.  Still she has hesitations.

Because of the risk.  That’s why.  Why should I risk?  That’s the reason.  It’s not safe nowadays.  I’ll only risk if… - The Au Pair

Later, The Au Pair, at the home where she is employed, has a chance encounter with The Student, Scott Dunn, whom she lives with.  The Student has a lot more than books on his mind when he entices her to come sit next to him on the bed.  The Au Pair is complicit in their relationship.  And with his parents away in the country, it doesn’t take long before these two are having an unmeaningful relationship on the table.

The experienced Student now looks for other conquests and he finds one minutes later in The Married Woman, Pamela Guest.  She, reluctant at first, cannot turn down the opportunity of a young man.  And he, filled with brandy, is experiencing a slight case of erectile dysfunction, which is quickly resolved when The Married Woman takes matters into her own hand.

I didn’t think it happened with young men, that’s all.  I thought it happened with clapped-out older men. – The Married Woman

Later, The satisfied Married Woman, enjoying a moment of contemplation, and reading a good book in bed waits for her husband The Politician, James Mendoza, to come to her.  He speaks of hygiene one moment and in the next moment he is in a hotel lying in wait for The Model, Katharine Towne. 

You taste of pudding. - The Politician

I just have sweet lips. – The Model

Really?  Have men told you that before? – The Politician

The Model, living a life of drug addiction, hands The Politician two pills as a philter for the night, but doesn’t expect to be engulfed by his uncontrollable desires.  He, in turn, rapes her, and picks at her body like a crow plucks at an appealing bag of food.  It is an exceptionally dramatic scene caught by the use of light flashes giving us a glimpse of a life destroyed.

Later, The Model meets up with a self absorbed exuberant The Playwright, Justin Huen. She is entranced by his words and his intelligence even though she doesn’t understand a thing he says and wants something that all models want.  (Note on what models want:  To date no one on the planet has figured that out.) The Playwright wants a subject for future material but most of all he wants her to have an adventure with her. 

But, The Playwright, wanting bigger prey, moves on to The Actress, Alice Fulks, a petulant prima donna, who is a giver and a taker.  She is a woman who can build a man up and then send him crashing to the mat.  She is an enticer, a deceiver, a player and a raconteur and later she uses these devices on The Aristocrat, Jan Milewicz, a man experienced with the finer things in life without having a relationship with a world renown actress.

Whatever the case may be The Aristocrat ends up in bed with The Girl completing the full circle of decadence.

The Moth Theatre has the knack of bringing a lot of very fine talent to their stage.  The actors were fantastic (some more suitable to film than the stage).  At times the dialogue is so quiet one has to strain at times to hear the discourse.

Fulks as The Actress was quite astonishing in this role, so many layers, and very physical in this demanding role.  She has the voice, trained, clear, and able to hit the mark, making her moments both precious and pernicious.

Bordan as The au Pair had a quiet intensity and put up quite a struggle in her quest to enrich her life.  She has an underlying strength in her objective. 

Timlin as The Girl was last seen in The Quarry.  She has a rough exterior but is capable of showing us her heart.

Guest, The Married Woman, was delightful, courageous, funny, ambitious, secretive and selective.  Hers was a enjoyable and courageous performance.

Towne as The Model was perplexing.  It was a role that was characterized by a woman who had a serious drug problem and is possibly raped.  One was not sure why she wanted to be with the politician or why the drug use was crucial to her objective. Whatever the case may be she continues on with life not seriously concerned with what went on in the prior scene.   Aside from that this was a very physical and demanding role.

Lewis, as The Cab Driver, was kind of creepy in a cab driver sort of way but one finds him quite engaging and a wonderful actor.  He is in the moment when he toys with the infection of his desires. A man in his prime and beautiful women to satisfy his sexual tastes.  His enthusiasm at the curtain call was contagious.

Huen, as The Playwright, while engaging needs a stronger and imaginative objective.  Not always clear and precise as this role was meant to be. The reasons why The Model and he are together are not made entirely clear.  The choice of being inebriated leads him nowhere when there are a number of better choices available. Secondly, his forced laughter must have an underlying truth associated with this action, and his objective otherwise it’s just pure folly.  Also, not being clear on his objective had caused this actor to lean into a candle he has just lit, unaware that his shirt could burn in the process. One notices the flame, his shirt, and wishes for his safety, but by that time the dialogue was lost.

Mendoza, as The Politician, created a character that was morose.  Away from the spotlight, maybe this is how politician are, but on stage, probably not a good choice.  He was idealistic with his wife, but not cautious with The Model. (Even Kennedy knew to turn away from the flashing camera when he was spotted with Marilyn Monroe.)

Dunn as The Student tries a little too hard to be controlling.  The moments don’t work perfectly, the conflict not specific, and the objective not clear.  Lost is the idea that he is expecting a lover but has another in his room, now. But he is young and will grow out of this, still there was some very nice work going on.

Milewicz, as The Aristocrat, had a very interesting perspective to his character, worldly and so profoundly intimidated by an actress who is madly in love with him and despises him all in the same breath. His performance rang true but needed more to hold his own. Nevertheless, his was a very good performance.

John Markland, the director of The Blue Room, gambles with the play using video inserts that play on the closed Venetian blinds in the background while the two onstage are having sex. The problem with the video is two fold, it repeats what we in fact have just seen: the maneuvering steps to copulation, and two, all the lights go out and one can barely see what happening on stage or how much time has elapse.  First and foremost the social intercourse was much more engaging, but the gamble of using video was a choice, one may recognize as good or bad, and the director has that right.

Also, there seems to be revisions in the play that affect the relationships on stage, particularly the one between The Student and The Au Pair.  The scene in this version of the play is violent and says nothing about the class distinction, that between master and servant, which would greatly improve the scene.

David Hare has written a wonderful script.  It is exceptional and astonishing.  The dialogue is taut, explicit, and heightens the adult sense of pleasure.  It is every fantasy one could hope to imagine or to play out.  One can gasp at unexpected dialogue or the events unfolding on stage.

Jenna Pletcher, the lighting designer, lights the show, but not being very clever with this limited budget. Both shows seen at the Moth Theatre were very dark. One really needs to see the actors’ faces through adroit lighting. Also, relationships change after sex and the fact the audience can only view glimpses of the act (via a little light) hurts the connection the audience has with the actors.

The Scenic Designer, Benoit Guerin, seems to have had a limited budget needed to build the set he wanted.  Probably a lot of money went in to produce the videos presented on stage.

In any case The Blue Room at the Moth Theatre is a production you should run to see.  Sadly only 12 performances through December 19, 2010.

www.moththeatre.com

The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris

By Joe Straw

Nicholas Brendon has a face you know.   It’s easy to compare him to… nope, not going to do that.  And forget that I’ve seen him in Why Torture Is Wrong and the People Who Love Them by Christopher Durang this goes back farther than that.  It's a face with which one can relate. It is easy for him to communicate without dialogue. Just sit back and watch, he'll do the work. (And he does.)  

And it is this face that takes us through the imprisoned thoughts of a writer, doing time at Macy’s, in the cold dead winter of New York City. 

The Blank Theatre Company, Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director and Noah Wyle Artistic Producer presents Nicholas Brendon in The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello, and directed by Michael Matthews at the Stella Adler Theatre, “darling.”

Just in time, when we just couldn’t get enough of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and tofurkey.  If one is having a bout of depression this holiday season this might be the trick to pump oneself up for the coming holiday festivities!  And one can’t think of a better thing to do than to see Nicholas Brendon running around all night long in an elf costume:  complete with curled toed shoes in Satanland, opps, Santaland through December 19, 2010.

First of all one has to get this out of the way, Brendon is a tall man, about 6 feet, in his stocking feet.  David Sedaris is 5 feet two inches, with lifts.  (Okay, so maybe it’s a slight exaggeration.) One could look at Sedaris and think “elf”.  One looks at Brendon and the thought process might be as follows:   “against type, non elf like beard growth, it could work, a little bigger Crumpet than expected, I have no problem with this. Let’s run with this!  Let's get on this sleigh, look funny, and enjoy the ride.”

This a story about a writer, Sedaris, fresh off the boat, in New York City trying to write for the soap opera One Life to The Guiding Light in A General Hospital as The World vomits,  (No comments, please.) when he comes across an ad for a job as an elf in Macy’s at Herald Square.

“Would you be interested in full-time elf or evening and weekend elf?”

Not to be cut off with a polite “thank you”, Sedaris opts for the full-time elf and is spirited away to lollygag with the Macy’s family of Santas and elves.  He adopts the name Crumpet.

But there a problem, Sedaris has a hard time getting himself into a happy elf mode (as well as his costume). In any case, it’s a great opportunity to put those misunderstandings in a diary from pen to paper.  After all, one doesn’t get a job like this and not pay attention to the finer details of one’s co-workers characterizations. Sedaris takes a look at the specifics of human frailties and faults and maximizes them on paper to the “nth” degree. 

“You poor, pathetic son of a bitch. I don’t know what you have but I hope I never catch it.”

The story goes something like this.  Man is hungry eating soup in a restaurant and looking for work in the want ads.  Man finds job as elf.  Elf, not good at math and finding the work overwhelming, tries to ease into the job.  Elf finds out his co-workers of Santas and elves are the emotional have-nots in society. Elf falls in love with another elf, Snowball, only to have his heart broken.

“Snowball just leads elves on, elves and Santas. He is playing a dangerous game." 

And then Crumpet has to deal with the “evil customers”. It is amazing what parent will say to an Elf to make their child behave, Crumpet gladly obliges. Being pushed by customers can lead an elf to a life of crime.  And, in hindsight, it’s amazing how the wrong things said to a child can ruin their life forever. 

Brendon is really working the room as Sedaris and for the most part has everyone in stitches. He has the ability to change into multiple personalities, from a master sergeant veteran elf leading in a moral boosting chant, to a costumer with a gravely voice that smokes from a hole in her throat, to the various Santas, and the various elves.  There is an extreme focus in Brendon’s work, a concentration so intimate and so playful the audience breathes with him.  The sweat pours off him as the result of the thick polyester itchy and scratchy elf costume, the tights, and the curled uncomfortable shoes all making this a heated spectacle to behold.

“Crystal has third-degree burns covering… 90% of her body.”

Michael Matthews, the director, is very imaginative and there are a lot of clever things in this production. But there are a few minor problems that need solving. There is a point where Sedaris is sad but this sadness does not take us anywhere.  Sadness is a breathless exhaustive state of being without an action to guide the character to another point in the story.   And in particular when one is on stage, alone, being sad, well, it doesn’t work. Still they’re a lot of good things to be said of Mr. Matthews’s direction. 


Missing was the innocuous music that plays in all department stores. 

Nevertheless, there were some very nice moments under the red light that gives the audience a time frame of the coming disaster, Christmas. But, look, its called The Santaland Diaries and without this idea of diary running through the show, this becomes a show of visual vignettes rather than the idea of listening to the morbid thoughts of a man during his most ridiculous self.

A note in Wikipedia suggests this is downtown standup and not a play.  Maybe so.  The adaptation by Joe Mantello has a hard time working as a play but works in vignettes and for that reason all may enjoy the ride.  


But, look, if the adaptation means turning this into a play, why not go all the way with this?  You’ve got the nice set by Kurt Boetcher, nice costume design by Michael Mullen.  It’s a play!  A play!

"My co-workers are caught in the same predicament as me.  Some are actually quite bright including the Santa's."

With all the biting and clawing and maneuvering for position in these vignettes there is a sincerity here that I've been missing (for a few holiday seasons) that touches the heart and that’s what I like to see in a Christmas story.   It’s an incomprehensible loving truth.  It is welcomed. And it is heartfelt. 

The Blank Theatre Company is a tremendous organization, a wonderful space, and opening itself to become a regional theatre.  There’s two dollar parking.  Go have yourself a great time at The Santaland Diaries in Hollywood.

www.theblank.com