The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham

By Joe Straw

A family circle being torn apart by outside forces, or inside forces for that matter, is devastating especially when there are children involved. My family circle is broken and it is not something I’ll get over in a matter of days, weeks, months or even what’s left of my life. For me the pain is all too real, enduring, and never eases, not for one minute, not one minute.    

I read somewhere the British get a kick out of watching their fellow countrymen in misery, family squabbles, and politicians in a pickle go to the front of the line.  All that stuff just sends them over the edge with delight.

The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham directed by Jules Aaron and Produced by David Hunt Stafford at Theatre 40 is a delightful comedy.  It has a magnificent set created by Jeff G. Rack.  And it is a marvelous place to showcase actors in all their environmental glory.

This play opens at Aston–Adey, Arnold Champion-Cheney’s (Scott Facher) house in Dorset, England in the early 1930’s.  Aston–Adley is not a house, but a place nurtured by Arnold, the present homeowner and caretaker, and a current Member of Parliament.

Arnold Champion-Cheney scampers about his home searching for his wife Elizabeth (Shelby Kocee) but runs into his footman George (Fernando Aldaz).  Arnold asks George to find his wife.  But, before the footman leaves Arnold scolds the household lot for the dust that has accumulated in his otherwise perfect home.

Moments later a sumptuous houseguest, Anna (Dionne Jones), runs into Arnold.  She tells him that Elizabeth is going to have a single (tennis) with the dreamy Teddie (Ross Alden) and she is now upstairs putting on her shoes. Arnold doesn’t understand why putting on her shoes is taking so long.  Anna suggests she has other things to do (like powdering her nose).

(Thinking about love takes up a lot of time.)

Elizabeth enters wearing a beautiful summer dress (possibly not suitable for tennis).

“Damn!” – Elizabeth

“I wish you wouldn’t say that, Elizabeth.” – Arnold

“If you’re not going to say ‘Damn’ when a thing’s damnable, when are you going to say ‘Damn’? – Elizabeth

“I should have thought you could say, “’Oh, bother!’ Or something like that.” – Arnold

This is a precursor of a troubled relationship where a husband and his wife are not ever going to get along, ever.

And then Teddie enters a short while later and it looks as though something is going on between him and Elizabeth. There is casualness about their relationship that is very noticeable.     

“I think Teddie and I had better make ourselves scarce.” – Anna

Anna, sensitive about relationships around the house, is a little anxious about being there when they are expecting family relations.  

“Nonsense!  You’re both in it.  If there’s going to be any unpleasantness we want your moral support.  That’s why we asked you to come.” – Elizabeth

Arnold, in a tither, enlightens the small gathering with the news that his father, Clive (Lloyd Pedersen), has unexpectedly arrived the previous night and is now in his cottage next door.  And to make matters worse Arnold is anxious that his mother Lady Kitty (Rhonda Lord) and her husband, Lord Porteus (David Hunt Stafford) are arriving by motorcar in a few short minutes.

For Arnold this is an unexpected and unfortunate turn of events.  

This is when we learn Arnold’s backstory.  At the tender age of five, Arnold’s mother deserted him and his father.  She left them with a note pinned to her pillowcase. (Critical decisions are always made in bed.)   Arnold is now 35 years old, has not seen his mother since, and doesn’t know if he will recognize her or visa versa.  The whole situation seems rather absurd, comical, and uncomfortable, in only a fashion that is typically British.  

When Clive gets there, Elizabeth has taken the responsibility of informing Clive that she has invited Arnold’s mother Lady Kitty, and her husband Lord Porteus.

And, speaking of the devil, Clive opens the windows and threatens to jump in, but strolls through the French doors instead.  

And while pleasantries are made, Anna, Teddie, and Arnold manage to slip out of the room.  Clive notices that all have scattered to the winds and they are left alone.

“You have evidently something very disagreeable to say to me.” – Clive

“You won’t be cross with me?” – Elizabeth

“How old are you?” – Clive

“Twenty-five.” – Elizabeth

“I’m never cross with a woman under thirty.” – Clive

“Oh, then I’ve got ten years.” – Elizabeth

“Mathematics?” – Clive

“No. Paint?” – Elizabeth

Pretty, she may be, and her low mathematical reasoning is now, confirmed.

Elizabeth breaks the news Lady Catherine (Kitty) is coming, that she is staying in town, that she has been invited for lunch, and that she has also invited her husband Lord Porteus.

Elizabeth wants Clive to fill her in on the juicy tidbits of Lady Kitty’s personal life.  Clive says that in his day she was very dainty, a pretty nose, and very light on her feet but that was long ago.

“I imagine her slight and frail.” – Elizabeth

“Frail, certainly.” – Clive

And to garner further information Elizabeth asks about Lord Porteus. Clive says that he liked him and he could have been Prime Minister if he had stayed in politics.  He is also Arnold’s godfather.

“I wonder if he ever regrets.” – Clive

Clive retreats to his cottage as Teddie, who has been skulking around, enters the room. Teddie tells Elizabeth about his life in the tropics, his beachfront home, and other enticing things of his life.  And as their intercourse continues, Teddie blurts out.

“Do you know that I’m awfully in love with you?” – Teddie

Okay, so now the cats out of the bag, but there is no time because Arnold excitedly scurries into the room and tells them Lady Kitty is coming up the driveway.

And as they wait with anticipation, Lady Kitty enters.  She is heavily painted with mounds of makeup to hide the unfortunate business of age. Her grand and heavily assuming entrance with arms out stretched, as though she was parting a great-crusted salt lake is non-inspiring.  Her dress is superiorly outlandish and suited for a younger woman one-third her age.

Right away she mistakenly reaches to embrace Teddie as her son Arnold.  But, Elizabeth turns her around to the son she has not seen since the age of five.  

“And what do you think of Arnold?” – Clive

“I adore him.” – Lady Kitty

“He’s grown, hasn’t he? But then you’d expect him to do that in thirty years.” – Clive

Ouch. Sometimes subtle verbal jabs are not so subtle in Jolly Old England.

Later, after an excruciating game of cards with Lord Porteus and bickering back and forth Elizabeth finds herself alone with Teddie.

Teddie finds it hard to express his love for Elizabeth.  His tardigrade passes miss their mark.  And when he finally discovers the courage to tell her how he really feels, it is a muddled expression of love.

Notwithstanding, Elizabeth expresses her love for Teddie, and wants to run away with him.  But, she can’t leave without an explanation.  She is resolved to go to Arnold and break the news.  

Moments later Arnold rings for a cup followed by Kitty in the living area.  

“Shall I pour it out for you?” – Lady Kitty

“Thank you very much.” – Arnold

“Do you take sugar.” – Lady Kitty

Mother and son get a quiet moment together.  Lady Kitty explains she was but a small girl when she left. Clive joins them making a nice small family reunion. And later they are joined by Porteus.

Arnold is infatuated with his house and in particular Sheraton chair and wants to prove to everyone there, especially Porteus, the chair is a Sheraton.  He runs off to find a drawing in a book while Porteus enters.

Porteus say he hates Clive.  He has always hated him, and will hate him in the future.  Clive says he loves Porteus, has always loved him, and will love him in the future.  Lady Kitty calls Porteus disagreeable.

Clive tells Lady Kitty that Porteus would have been Prime Minister if she hadn’t run off with him to Italy. Kitty says that she’s the one who made the sacrifice for that man, Porteus.  She didn’t even have a bathroom.

“I’ve had to wash in a tub.” – Lady Kitty

“My poor Kitty, how you’ve suffered!” - Clive

The three of them Clive, Kitty, and Porteus battle back and forth as Arnold is flipping through the pages of the book to find an illustration of a Sheraton chair.

Porteus tells Clive that if he were Prime Minister he would have given them Western Australia or Barbados.

“Barbadoes!  Barbadoes can go to Barbadoes,” – Lady Kitty

In the argument Porteus’ teeth fall out and he runs from the room.

Lady Kitty is so mad she wants to end her relationship with Porteus and move back in with Clive.  Clive tells her he was good as a young man but is very wicked as an older one.

All right, so there is a lot going on here in this three-hour play.  Elizabeth and Arnold’s relationship is going nowhere. Teddie is having a hard time explaining to Elizabeth why she should run off with him. Lady Kitty wants to leave Porteus and move back with Clive.  Proteus fights to get back into the good graces of his wife Lady Kitty.  And Clive wants to hang out with women 25 years and younger. All of these predicaments make for a fun filled evening.

And, as is my nature, I want to speak about performances, character, and motivation.  

Scott Facher as Arnold has interesting character choices.  He is upwardly mobile as a Member of Parliament but his character seems to be stuck in the same circle as his father.  Stuck in a marriage that is going nowhere. Arnold’s hamartia is that he cares only for his stuff, his home, and has very little regard for sex.  In fact, he regards sex as an unnecessary part of his married life. Facher firmly holds on to his character choices while letting his objective fall to the wayside. There is a lot of downstage center primping and postulating without moving the character in a focused direction. His relationship with his houseguest is almost non-existent and should be examined.  Otherwise what is the point?  If his wife leaves, who’s left? Also Arnold blew enough dust off the figurine as though he were living in a mausoleum and not his clean stately manor.  Some of these were minor mistakes of opening night and hopefully things will change as the performances run its course.

Shelby Kocee plays Elizabeth with a soft manner and charm, but I think she may be giving the store away from the silent moments at the table with the puzzle. There is a reason Elizabeth invited the houseguests and the in-laws.  She’s got something up her sleeve that has yet to be discovered. Still Kocee gives a lot of deep emotional work in her performance and she is wonderful to watch.

Ross Alden plays Teddie a man how works offshore but comes back to see his true love and only her. As the character Teddie is befuddled.  He knows what he wants but he cannot come out and say it. So he is stuck until the moment he finds that his love and can tell her that he cares for her. He is slow and methodical when approaching but tests her in many ways to find if she cares for him.  Alden has a nice look and does a fine job. Sometimes his actions are “out there” when a little could go a very long way.

Lloyd Pedersen plays Clive Champion-Cheney and does a very nice job. Pedersen seems to go from one show to the next and has a delightful charm about him. But, I believe there is a lot more bite to the character.  Clive is the reason things happen they way they do.   He purposefully comes back early to see his former wife and her husband.  And, then, for no other reason to get back at the woman who cause him great pain to not only him but his son as well.  He uses his wit to get back at his former wife and the man who took her away. Charming everyone in the process.  It’s what the British do so well.

Rhonda Lord is fantastic as Lady Kitty.  She carries a certain charm about her.  She has a deep emotional commitment to the role and is delightful in many ways. She knows how to love and fight and then make up again. She is very comedic and filled with delightful expressions. I believe she needs to find a way to say "I'm sorry" to her son.  Maybe it isn’t written but should be expressed someway, somehow.  It is a very minor point in probably one of the finest and honest performances I have seen this year.

David Hunt Stafford does an admirable job as Lord Porteus. He is very funny and has an extreme emotional commitment even during his quiet moments.  He absorbs the communication given to him and releases a very fine truth, mostly love, but a very fine truth.

Fernando Aldez plays George the footman.  Each time he enters the rooms he brings something different.  It may not always work but there is a lot to be said about exploring the character, finding what works, and toss the stuff that doesn’t work. Also Aldez has a very likeable quiet charm and should do very well in this industry, with luck.

Dionne Jones plays Anna.  First of all she is stunning and has a quiet dignity about her.  As the character her objective is not clear, could not even guess as to what she wanted.  One suspects she wants Arnold but hasn’t the wear with all to take him.  The script gives clues and they are slight, so one has to make the best of those cues.  She is the first to come in contact with the man of the house. Anna rats on her female equivalent.  She digs at her unkempt character (powering her nose). She suggests the tennis player is dreamy and suggest a possible intimacy. Also, Anna is single.  She knows how to flirt and must make that obvious. In the end, she manages to get her fiddle player so she must be heading in that direction. Her actions must support the end result and doing this creatively will only add to a very nice performance.

I keep running into plays directed by Jules Aaron.  I enjoyed The Paris Letter and I enjoyed The Circle. I only have a few minor quibbles.  The relationships, in the beginning were a bit bewildering. The opening needs work to find a better way to establish the physical relationships.  We get Arnold and the footman. (Man/Servant.) But, when we have other people running about Anna, Teddie, and Elizabeth we are waiting for the relationships to develop and that takes too long.  The front of the program of The Circle shows characters in masks.  It suggests all of these characters have a secret and something to hide before they are ready to express it. (All of the characters.) So each character must have that painful bite in order to get their point across.  The words are like daggers to change the relationship or make them better.  I’m not sure having Arnold in the room looking for the drawing of the Sheraton chair while other members in his family are fighting serves a purpose.  And I think Anna’s moments should be strengthened to solidify the relationship between her and everyone else. These are only small quibbles and they have probably been corrected by the time you get there.

Michele Young did a fabulous job with the Costume Design.  And Judi Lewin also did a great job with the Hair & Wig Design.

Others members of this crew were.

Brigid O’Brien – Assistant Director

Michael Frank – Stage Manager

Ric Zimmerman – Lighting Designer

Bill Froggatt – Sound Designer

David Reynolds – Property

Philip Sokoloff – Publicity

Run!  And take a family member you haven’t seen in a long time.

Through October 28, 2012

Reservations:  310-364-0535

www.theatre40.org

Collected Stories by Donald Margulies

Natalie Sutherland & April Lang

By Joe Straw

Pat Conroy is a great American novelist.  And his fictionalized novels have upset quite a few people, mostly members of his family, and others surrounding him. (Okay, everyone he knows.) 

After Conroy published The Great Santini, his grandmother cut ties. For her, the truth hit too close to home. She was offended by the portrayal of her son—Conroy’s father, even though it was toned down and fictionalized.

Nevertheless, the collected truth smarts like the sting from a yellow jacket.  

There is something about Collected Stories written by Donald Margulies, directed by Terri Hanauer, and presented by Langland Productions at the Odyssey Theatre,  that is richly satisfying.  Watching two intelligent people discussing the craft of writing, and observing these writers grow after each lesson, is something to behold and fascinating to watch.    

But, with all the love displayed about the room, I believe there is deeper level to this play.  Something very sinister emerges involving a devious character that has an underlying subconscious objective.  This objective is eventually realized resulting in a very tragic emotional ending.  

The play begins in September 1990 in Greenwich Village.   Ruth Steiner (April Lang), a noted novelist and professor, is quietly having a piece of mondel bread and sipping on a cup of tea.  She waits for a sound outside her apartment knowing that it will be a student arriving for a tutorial. Amid the sounds of the noisy street below, she hears that student yelling.  Lisa Morrison, (Natalie Sutherland), is three floors below looking for a way into Ruth's apartment building.

Ruth opens the window, tells her the buzzer doesn’t work, and throws down her key so that Lisa can let herself in.

Unfortunately there is a problem now. Ruth cannot close the window and the cold September air breezes into the room.

In the meantime, Lisa runs up the three flights of stairs, lets herself in, and takes over the job of closing the window.  And like a makeshift surgeon, Lisa asks for a screwdriver but is handed a spatula to get the job done.   

“You’re Lisa? – Ruth

“Yes…? – Lisa

“Lisa Morrison?” – Ruth

“Uh-huh?” – Lisa

“You wrote “Eating Between Meals”?” – Ruth

Ruth stares at her believing this can’t be the person. She expects someone different: a mousy brunet with bad hair. She says Lisa doesn’t look like her story and she is hardly ever wrong.  

In any case, Ruth offers her something to drink.  Lisa says she would love a cup of coffee.  The trouble is there is only tea and only one choice, English Breakfast.

As the tea is being made Lisa looks at Ruth’s library and finds a story collection by Delmore Schwartz “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities”.  In the book, she discovers an envelope from Delmore Schwartz.

“Oh my God!  Is this letter really from Delmore Schwartz himself?” – Lisa

“Put that back, please.” – Ruth

Suddenly, the phone starts to ring and Ruth doesn’t bother to pick it up which drives Lisa bonkers as they sit down for tea and mondel bread, (“Jewish biscotti”).  Lisa is sheepish and cowers under the scrutiny of Ruth Steiner’s stare, in her home, having tea, and carrying on an adult conversation.  She heaps on the praise of her work, her apartment and even remembers the vistas the characters observed in her books.

“Being here?, studying with you?  It’s like a religious experience.” – Lisa

Also, Lisa tells her she couldn’t get enough of her literature.  She even went so far as to look up her “uncollected stories” at the library.

With all the praise Ruth can take (and wanting more), she asks Lisa a few questions.

“Where’d you do your undergraduate work?” – Ruth

“In New Jersey?” – Lisa

“Uh, huh.  Where in New Jersey?” – Ruth  

“Princeton?” – Lisa

“Yes, I think I’ve heard of it.” – Ruth

Ruth tells Lisa that it is getting late and they need to work on her story, “Eating Between Meals”.  But Lisa interrupts and asks if she needs a new assistant. Ruth responds that if she’s really interested, she can apply.  But, she warns Lisa that she is a very despotic employer.

Ruth starts the lesson and as a test she asks Lisa to tell her about the character, Jessica in the supermarket. After Lisa’s expressive thoughts, Ruth believes that Lisa has the makings of a promising writer.  She just needs to find her voice.  And speaking of voice Ruth has a problem in the way Lisa communicates. 

“Why do you talk like that?” – Ruth

“Excuse me?” – Lisa

“You have a tendency to add question marks to the ends of declarative sentences. Do you know that?” – Ruth

“Oh, God.” – Lisa   

Eight months later, Lisa is in Ruth’s apartment late one night sorting papers when Ruth comes back from testifying before a house committee for the National Endowment of the Arts. Lisa watched the testimony on C-Span.

Lisa says she heard Ruth tell the story about nearly giving up writing to work for a plumbing company. Ruth confesses to exaggerating for a cause and that startles Lisa. Then, looking around her apartment, Ruth notices that everything has been moved. Ruth is furious that Lisa has moved her stuff and answered her phone calls. Lisa says she is sorry and threatens to leave and actually walks out the door. But Ruth convinces her to come back and have dinner with her.

The play continues over the span of six years as the two exchange stories about their work and the intimate details of their lives. One giving away far too much of her life.

There are marvelous moments in this production of Collected Stories.  The actors did some very fine work and overall the director did a fine job of capturing specific moments in this play. But I have some notes.

Natalie Sutherland & April Lang

April Lang plays Ruth Steiner and does a marvelous job.  She is a beautiful woman with exquisite charm that brings her life experiences to fill the role.  She moves about the stage with great ease and fluidity living in the place that is her home.  (But there was a problem with the first ten minutes of the play as she had her back to me, and others, while speaking to her counterpart. I believe the actor should make an effort to be seen if only to establish the character.  And the actor in rehearsals should emphasize this point.) As the character, Ruth Steiner makes a terrible mistake.  She is so absorbed in her own self-importance that she doesn’t realize that she is giving away the store, that is her life’s experiences. The sharing of ideas is critical in academia and when mentoring someone.  But one should not be giving away a glorious life experienced, especially if that life is to be published. As part of the subconscious life of the character, she should be suspicious of things going on around her. Still, all in all, Lang did a wonderful job in bringing Ruth Steiner to life.

Natalie Sutherland plays Lisa Morrison and brings a nice schoolgirl charm to the role.  As the character she should jump for joy when she finds Delmore Schwartz’s envelope written to her counterpart. Lisa is very ambitious but keeps that ambition mostly under wraps, at least away from the eyes of her mentor. She is also not very forthright in her answers.  She is evasive when she speaks about going to school in New Jersey.  She is cautious and cagey when talking about the piece she published without informing her mentor. Lisa is there under false pretenses grabbing all she can get until she is found out. She is overly ambitious, ruthless, and driven and nothing will stop her from reaching her goal.  Still all this sinister stuff is subject to interpretation (and exaggeration) and one can add extra elements to reach her objective.  Overall Sutherland’s performance was very good and she did some very nice things including a cartwheel. But this performance needed a closeness that was not here on this particular night, a love so close, unbreakable, physically and emotionally.  The final conclusion will be that much more heartbreaking.   

Terri Hanauer directs this fine cast of actors. There was a bit of a problem with the opening and the actor’s back to me.  This is something I don’t quite understand especially considering the professional backgrounds of all involved.  I’m not sure all the bases were covered in this production.  I believe there is another level of deception even if the conflict is somewhat imperceptible. Also, there were moments where intentions and objective did not propel the actors forward toward their goals. This may have been an anomaly on this particular night. Also, a grand opportunity was missed when Lisa did not move the props from one place to the next looking for certain documents or papers.  Instead there are staff that move props between scenes (papers and files) back and forth. (She’s already discovered the book and the letter.) Maybe she is looking for more things.  She certainly seems to be very ambitious and showing us one extra time would not have hurt. Still, despite a few problems, there are a lot of marvelous moments in this production. I could sit and absorb the moments of this play over and over again. 

I loved Donald Margulies’ play.  It is very good read and very clever.  The two characters are in a constant battle, but for what? Superiority?  Supremacy?  The characters battle all night long and the conflict never lets up.  It is not a love fest.  One writer has the youth and ambition to write the great American novel, while the other is possibly running out of steam. Still, both have dreams to build and worlds to conquer.

The show was wonderfully produced by Executive Producer Diane Ladd and Thalia Buitron. Also, Lean Kram served as Executive Producer as well.

Josh Shaw did a tremendous job as Set Designer giving the set a look of a writers enclave. Frida Kahlo half hidden on the bookshelf, Low Dose Bayer aspirin bottle on the desk, the book holding open the window to hear the intruder, and the two chain locks on the door. There are too many details to describe but wonderful items that make up a writers studio. 

Other members of this fantastic crew are as follows:

Carey Dunn – Sound & Lighting Design

Carlos Moreno, Jr. – Production Stage Manager

Jennifer Palumbo – Sound & Lighting Operator

Tom Connolly, Roberto Montesinos, and Will Bowers – Props

Numa Perrier – Publicity & Press Photography

Brian Ali Harding, and Daniel Marin – Graphic Design

Run!  And while you are at it take your professor.

Through October 14^th, 2012

Reservations:  310-477-2055

www.odysseytheatre.com/collectedstories/

The Bellflower Sessions by Andy Bloch

Stephanie Erb and Rob Nagle - Photo:  JD Murray

By Joe Straw

In the novel “The Stranger” or “The Outsider (l’Etranger)” by Albert Camus, the protagonist Meursault is mentally perceptive of the inner and outer moments of his own lackluster life.  His mother dies (it’s not his fault), he wishes he could love his girlfriend but he doesn’t.  And in the dramatic moment of his life, spot lit under the bright light of a scorching sun, he, indifferently, shoots and kills an Arab man and then, without emotion, fires four more bullet into his lifeless body.

And even in the outrageous act, Meursault is rather indifferent to the life he has just taken.  No, that is not a fair statement.  He is not reacting in the way others want him to react. And, to observers of life, that is just, unethical.

In The Bellflower Sessions we have a man, with idle hands, who is living in the devils' playground.  (Severe unemployment will do that to a man.) And with that idle time he recognizes he needs help.  Unfortunately, because of a chain of events, his life ends behind the bars of an insane asylum after a dramatic crime of passion.  (This is the beginning of the play so I’m not giving this away.)

The world premier of The Bellflower Sessions by Andy Bloch and directed by Bryan Rasmussen at the Whitefire Theatre, in repertory, is a comedy, which left me feeling very disturbed. It is tough to watch the male species in all of his inglorious imperfections, surviving in an insecure environment, and making his way through the precarious unchartered territories of life.  But, it is also a lot of fun and very funny. 

As the play begins, in the bright light of a scorching spotlight, we meet Jack Calvin (Rob Nagle) decked out in a white prison jumpsuit trying to explain how he got there.  He is mild mannered, has control of his wits, and is such a pacifist that it is hard to believe he is in there because he, mistakenly, connected some dots and killed an acquaintance. But, oddly enough, he seems to be the only sane character in this play, the only one with a modicum of decency, of trying to understand the difference between right and wrong. And yet, there is an edge to this being, not quite mollified with prescription drugs.  

“I don’t know about you but I’m tired of standing in lines fifty deep at he bank with three tellers on the job.”

Jack is frustrated.  He is frustrated with the bank, frustrated with his life, and even frustrated with parking signs in Los Angeles that no one can decipher. He is going off the deep end; and is an emotional waking volcano, rumbling, and ready to explode.

His wife, Molly (Marshelle Fair), interrupts his complaining letters time at the computer and tells him they are going to dinner with Derrick (Kevin Benton) and his wife.  She tells Jack to get ready even though his spirits are just not into this event and he doesn’t see the point. That doesn’t stop her from telling him what to wear, and when to be ready, down the minute detail.

“That in addition to checking the classifieds you were going to make an effort to not be such an overwhelming prick.” – Molly  

These things haunt Jack as he commiserates with his drinking buddy and friend, Grant Lerner (Michael Monks).  Jack tells Grant that he is thinking of being single again.  His marriage with Molly is not working.  She is blaming him for all of their financial troubles. But it is a desperate call for help.  He needs help.  His life is falling apart. And this dinner with Derek and his wife did not go well.  

“Have to hear all about Derek and his promotion.  I wanted to stick my shrimp fork in his larynx.” - Jack

Meanwhile at home Molly tells Jack that she is not getting many catering jobs and he has to get out and support the household rather than sitting around writing angry letters to companies that annoy him.  She tells him that he has the smarts and ability to get a good job despite his age. (While she waits for someone to call her to do some catering. The hypocrisy!) Molly tells him her college friend Derrick will help and she is going to call him.  Jack does not like the idea or charity for that matter and he has suspicions about Molly’s friend.

Later Jack and Grant are at the bar again.  Jack recalls a conversation of a therapist Grant used.  Jack has decided to see a shrink. Grant says it will cost him one hundred dollars.  Jack, boiling, is ready to explode and screams for the name.   

Seeing that Jack is desperate, Grant gives him the name with one condition.

“Bellflower.  Don’t mention my name.” – Grant

Jack discards “the name” thing and mentions Grant twice for the record. And right away Dr. Wendy Bellflower (Stephanie Erb) jumps into Jack’s problems in a rather acute fashion, that is, straight to the point.

“They say seventy percent of marriages go south when the sex bites the dust.  So, wink wink, what’s your contributions?” – Wendy

Jack is caught off guard.

“I don’t sugarcoat it, friend, not here you want a ‘lolly and a pat on the back join the Special Olympics.” – Wendy

Jack tells Bellflower how he met Molly, at a ski lodge.  Both of them hated skiing so Jack caught Molly putting on makeup under the mounted moose head on the wall.  And scaling the glittering heights of the lodge to meet Molly he sealed the relationship.

Bellflower suddenly ends their meet and greet, when she asks how he wants to pay for the sessions.  Jack doesn’t want the bills to be sent to his home.

“Counseling under the cover of dark, eh?” - Wendy

Later, at the bar, Grant is pissed because Jack tells him that he has mentioned his name.

Now Grant feels it’s imperative to explain why he had to see Bellflower.  It was because he got into trouble with someone who was underage.  And somehow he thinks his actions were justified because of what his wife told him about herself: how many men she slept with during the course of their engagement, acting in porn films, and doing the mailman all while the wedding cake was still moist. Grant says that Bellflower may have saved his marriage.    

“An affair is the easy answer. What’s hard is doing nothing.” - Grant

This information sends Jack straight to the couch.

“Forgive me for saying this, but it doesn’t appear you’ve made a lot of swell decisions in your life.” – Dr. Wendy Bellflower

“I have my moments.” – Jack

“Debatable.” – Dr. Wendy Bellflower

Dr. Bellflower pours Jack and herself a drink.  Jack tells Wendy his wife’s friend, Derek, is coming over that night to offer him a job.

And, at home, Molly thinks the assistant V.P. job, selling drugs to clinics and hospitals, is a great opportunity.  But Jack is not having any part of it.  Still this doesn’t stop Jack for asking for a starting time, and company car with a satellite radio all of which Derek has agreed to. But in the end Jack says he will think about it and leaves.

“He doesn’t want to work for me.  It’s not the end of the world.” – Derek

“It’s ludicrous, isn’t it, the things we allow ourselves to put up with?” – Molly

Molly and Derek are a couple that seem to be comfortable talking about very private issues including divorce. Derek convinces Molly to step around the corner to the local bar while Jack is away.   

Jack tells Dr. Bellflower that Derek is married to Beth who is a drug addict.  Gin and OxyContin are her drugs of choice.  Jack does not completely understand Derek and Molly’s relationship and he is suspicious.

Suddenly Wendy asks if she can smoke and while she is rummaging through her purse, she pulls out tons of prescription drugs and a gun.

“Want to hold it?” – Wendy

“Is it loaded?’ – Jack

“What good’s an empty gun?  Go on, Jack.  Give me your hand.  Touch my pistol.” – Wendy

The moment sounds so magisterial, rigid, and sexual.

Later Jack meets with Grant, which culminates with Jack accusing Grant of messing around with his wife.  But, who can blame Jack?  Grant sleeps with everyone, or at least he says he does.

Things are getting a little trickier, Jack calls Wendy, who is alone and drunk lying on her desk, and tells her that he doesn’t want to see her anymore.  Wendy thinks it the “gun” thing and as they are speaking Molly calls and tells Jack that their relationship is over.

And so, Jack walks meditatively, a lonely rage burning within, looking for an outlet to release his frustrations whether it is with his hands or some other weapon.   

The Bellflower Sessions is thoroughly enjoyable with a very fine cast.  Andy Bloch’s play is so offbeat the moments are like a wakeup from a glass of cold water.

Rob Nagle as Jack Calvin does a fine job. Nagle has a very nice voice and captures Jake’s sardonic way of life.  Depression and unemployment make nasty work of his emotional life.  The foundation of happiness is crumbling around him and eats at him like a cancer.  Jack knows he needs help. He finds it. But the kind of help he finds is not what he needs.  In fact he should run away. But he finds something he needs in those relationships, some bond, or bondage that keeps him coming back for more. There is more depth to this character especially as the out-of-control events accumulate in his life. And his attempts, to keep from losing what he has, doesn’t go far enough, is not menacing enough, and does not give us clues as to the final outcome. Nagle could add this connection.  And I would not fault him if he brought more humor into the role. Also, as his life spirals out of control, I believe we need to see the element of danger in his being.  And it needs to build.  One can only take - hands to the face in disbelief – so many times.  Still, there were a lot of nice things in this performance.

Stephanie Erb as Dr. Wendy Bellflower does a fantastic job. Her moments are specific and her objective is clear. As the character she believes in a non-traditional approach to therapy.  But it is so out there one would have to understand (in the first meet and greet) that she is certifiably insane.  Not only is her therapy unorthodox, with dramatic expressions, she would like her patients to respond in kind, sexually, and violently. It’s no wonder she carries a gun. Bellflower has a softer and gentler side and Erb gives it to us in a very dramatic fashion.  Her performance is whacky, humorous, and a lot of fun to watch.

Marshelle Fair as Molly Calvin is a stunning creature that does an equally nice job.  As the character, Molly, her objective is to convince her husband to find or take a job given to him so they can be enormously happy.  But there a problem, she doesn’t have a job, or children for that matter.  She runs a catering business out of her home but because of the economy is bad no one is calling and she expects her husband to carry the load.  She enlists her college “friend” to give her husband a job that he doesn’t want and that is exasperating.  Her relationship with Derek could go farther if only to give us one more element. Fair did a very good job but needs a little work in strengthening her stage voice.

Michael Monks plays Grant Lerner.  Monks does a fine job of bringing truth to a character that is despicable and does an amazing job justifying his existence.  Monks is fascinating to watch because you simply do not know what outlandish thing is going to come out of his mouth. As the character Grant finds it fascinating to live a kind of existence where sleeping with everyone is exciting and fixing those problems even more satisfying.  It is very interesting to watch but very uncomfortable. Monks does an outstanding job with the characterization and breaths life into a very demanding role.

Kevin Benton is the college friend, Derek Coles, and is very expressive in the role. As the character Derek manages his life with the confidence befitting his role in life.  But there is this oddity.  He is not the confident man he appears. His wife is a drug addict and he is looking for other amorous avenues.  He has kids to support but he manages to find time to find someone on the side including his relationship with his college “friend”.  In the end, I’m not sure why he confesses.   He wants “things” to be clear and he makes those things clear to send Jack on his way. Maybe because he feels threatened? Benton gives a very enjoyable performance.

Overall, I like Andy Bloch’s play. And I believe I would go insane if I met up with any of these characters. The characters manipulate just for the sake of watching the others react. Jake never says to Molly: Why don’t you get a job?  And while scoffing at Dr. Bellflower’s ideas he keeps coming back.  But with no job, how in the world is he able to afford therapy?  And, with so much time on his hands, he accuses all male acquaintances of sleeping with his wife until he cannot take it anymore.  And why does Derek confess all of his deep dark secrets when there is little conflict to make him do so?  Also, there are a lot of off stage characters we don’t see and sometimes that gets to be confusing when wrapping this all up.

Bryan Rasmussen, the director, does a nice job in finding the material for part of his 2012 repertory season at The Whitefire.  And like Firehouse by Pedro Antonio Garcia, The Bellflower Sessions is very satisfying.  From the opening moments of the play we know one thing: Jack is incarcerated for murder and it is up to us to discover whom Jack has killed during the progression of the play.  So the play is made up of moments that lead us in that direction.  There is not an accumulated moment; a frenzy that takes Jack to do the unspeakable, in fact there is the opposite.  The frenzy is somewhat dissipated when Jack gets information that leads him into another direction. It confuses at times by leading us in other directions until moments are explained.  Still, some moments, need further exploration.  All in all Rasmussen did a incredible job.

The Whitefire Theatre has a fantastic production crew that has given a life to this creation.  They are as follows:

Set Design: John Burton (A very fine job of three separate settings.)

Light Design: Derrick McDaniel  (Effective, although I believe lighting could play and important role in this play when going from scenes that bring him out of a celadon fog into a reality where life is just not that wacky.)

Sound Design: Ryan Vig

Costume Design: Paige Russell

Casting:  Ricki G. Maslar CSA

Fight Choreographer:  Brian Danner (The choking and fight scene were fantastic!)

Stage Manager: Carole Ursetti

House Manager:  Neda Gajeh-Tabe

Graphic Designer: Lexilu

Run!  And take a great friend you know who is only taking mild sedatives and is not dangerous to you or the community.  

EXTENDED THROUGH OCTOBER 27, 2012!

Buy Tix:  www.brownpapertickets.com

Info: 818-990-2324

Whitefire Theatre

13500 Ventura Blvd

Sherman Oaks, CA  91423

Annie Junior – Based on “Little Orphan Annie” – Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Charles Strouse and Lyrics by Martin Charnin

By Joe Straw

I have not heard of Annie Junior but I was given tickets to see this production at the Grace Lutheran Church on Overland in Culver City.  It is a part of the Broadway Junior Collection that camps, like this, are allowed to do with the permission of The Tribune Media Services, Inc., and directed by Marina Tidwell.

As it turns out this was a two-week camp for kids and their sole objective was to get this up on the boards at the end of the two weeks.  And why not give them a helping hand and put this write-up to print, for the camp, for the kids, and for this type of production.

Okay, so it was not Annie the musical in its three hour entirely.  Annie Junior was a little over one hour long but there is a lot to be said the heart these actors put into this production and giving it their all in 11 musicals numbers.  

My girls and I loved it for various reasons.  And as I looked around the performers were playing to packed houses for two performances. (about two hundred people)

The leads were miked.  (Boy, everyone needs a mic these days.) But, they were all very capable of using their voices and projecting to the end of the sanctuary.

In this version of the musical Annie (Bailey Clark) is a little tough orphan who believes her mother and father are alive. She tries to run away but is stopped by Miss Hannigan (Sarah Moss) before she is able to make her escape.  But that doesn’t stop Annie from trying again, this time through a trashcan.

Oliver Warbucks (Gabe Danko), a very rich bachelor, wants to have an orphan over for the Thanksgiving holidays and sends his secretary Grace Ferrell (Claire Skelley) to find one.

Grace Ferrell approaches Miss Hannigan and suggests she want Annie to come and stay with them. Miss Hannigan, who has just chewed out Annie on her return, tries to talk Miss Farrell out of it but relents and hands over Annie to stay with Oliver Warbucks, his secretary, and his maids (Sara Paris, Lulu Trevino, Serafina Trevino, Katie Garner, Gabby Schwartz, and Gabby Fuentes-Daley.)

Warbucks is shocked.  He says he wanted a boy.  Grace tells him that he requested "an orphan"and that's what she has done.  But Warbucks falls in love with Annie nevertheless.  And at the end of the two week period he wants to adopt her.  Annie tells him that she has parents, she just can’t find them.

Warbucks, slightly heartbroken, tells Annie he will use his wealth to find them and puts out an announcement on the radio for a fifty thousand dollar reward to the parents that can rightfully claim her.

That’s where the sinister Rooster Hannigan (Simon Johnson), Miss Hannigan’s brother, and his wife Lily (Lara Gabrich/Gabriella Cornejo) make up a scheme to get Annie and the fifty thousand dollars.  The three are very sinister.

Can anyone think of anything worse than a child without parents?  It is such a heartbreaking thing to try to understand.  And when the child believes his or hers parents are still alive,  and then desperately searches for them,  it adds an sad element to an already tortured soul.

Bailey Clark held her own as Annie.  Gabe Danko as Oliver Warbucks has a very nice voice and did a nice job.  Sarah Moss had a very fine character as Miss Hannigan, wonderfully over the top and funny. Claire Skelley as Grace Ferrell was very graceful and funny.  Simon Johnson as Rooster Hannigan was a total ham and very comical. Also, I did notice one orphan, Molly played by Grace Basom who seemed to have a fine handle on her craft and had a very nice manner in her character.  She certainly seemed well above her years in spirit and in the details of her craft.  It was a very nice job!

Tiny Luke Basom was wheeled in and played Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The audience got a kick out of this. Bridget Padilla did a nice job as Sandy the whimpering dog.  

Also, other member of the supporting cast contributed to this very fine production they are: Hannah Beighey, Violet Comer, Annie Jewel Foxworth, Hannah Gamble, Natalie Glassman, Shavit Melamed, Evalie Rehor, Kayla Walden, Merrick Padilla, Isabel Cortes, Bram & Paul Skelley, Luke Basom, Lara Gabritch, Gabriella Cornejo, Allie Sisk, John Maines, Georgia Wehbi.  

There were a lot of fine touches in Marina Tidwell direction of this musical.  I can’t help but have a lot of admiration for someone who can wrangle so many kids and do a very nice job in so little time. 

Choreography was by Kelsey Harrold that presented N.Y.C was cleverly done.  The additional crew was Madeleine Krueger, Skylar Lima, Mariko Rooks, Thomas and Robert Tidwell, Grace Elliott, Ken Smith, Lisa Skelley and Joanie Maines.  

This is the seventh year of the Musical Theatre Camps at Grace Lutheran Church and the purpose of the Ministry is to offer a healthy venue in support of performers, nurture young talent, and outreach to the community with wholesome entertainment. 

Love Struck by Odalys Nanin and co-written by Marie Barrientos

By Joe Straw

“She had to extract a kind of personal advantage from things, and she rejected as useless everything that promised no immediate gratification – for her temperament was more sentimental than artistic, and what she was looking for was emotions, not scenery.” – Gustave Flaubert – Madame Bovary

The Macha Theatre is centrally located in West Hollywood on Kings Road just north of Santa Monica Boulevard.  Parking is always available across the street for $5.00 if you arrive after six.  

Arriving early, we hop on over to Hugo’s for a rich chocolate desert and an herbal tea. (This is West Hollywood.)  I could have done without the aftertaste from the herbal tea. Hugo’s and Macha Theatre have a symbiotic relationship, as there is a “Love Struck” poster above the urinal.  

Macha Theatre/Films presents Love Struck, written and directed by Odalys Nanin, a story about two women who fall in love.  No, they are love struck, embraced by overpowering feelings of love and fantasies.  These are the thoughts that linger long after the person leaves your sight, which evolves in a certain part of the brain, and causes one to lose focus of the simple day-to-day tasks of living.    

As the play opens, Laura (Odalys Nanin) and Rachel (Tricia Cruz) have had a relationship that has lasted a while.  In fact, this is their third anniversary.  They are going to celebrate!  

But, there is a caveat; gunshots and police sirens are heard just outside their door. If they can gather enough courage and unhinged themselves, they will be able to leave.  (Typical Los Angeles scene.)

Locked in a fearful embrace, they question whether they should go out or not.  Venturing out may cause them to see disturbing images and wouldn’t that put a damper on their anniversary. But they do go because, one, they have rehearsed a dance number. Two, the party is being thrown for them.  And three, they can’t miss a party.

“This is a toast to my ex who said we’d last three months.” - Rachel  

They dance a lovely spin to a Latin beat and thank Juliana for throwing the party and providing the “chuchas (vaginas) and lemonada”.

Be that as it may, no party can be complete without backstory and our couple are asked to explain how they met, who was attracted to whom, and so on.

And so we travel back in time to explore their relationship of their first sighting, when they were with other people, their second sighting, and a power lunch.  Both are actresses, going up for the same Latina roles, and both are trying to make their way through the segregated maze that is Hollywood.

Neither Rachel nor Laura wants to fall in love and, when they first meet, they try to keep their relationship platonic.  Meanwhile, both are burning with desire. So hot, they can hardly be in the same room together, their eyes accepting lusting thoughts, but not doing anything about it.  

Rachel, in burning confusion, calls later to suggest that they rehearse a scene and, as the scene progresses, Rachel slaps Laura.

“What are you, a Method actress?” – Laura

They kiss a long lugubrious kiss which brings them back to present day and immediately we see signs of a breakup, an unexpected moment that sets in motion a change in their relationship.

“It’s been a while.” – Laura

“You’re getting heavy.” - Rachel

As struggling actresses, their relationship moves to the stale column. Laura wants to renovate the garage in the back allowing them to live there and rent the house so they don’t have to work.  It seems like an ideal plan for Laura but Rachel doesn’t like the idea.

Odalys Nanin plays Laura and is the writer, director and producer of this fine production.  Her sumptuous plate is filled with many jobs. Nanin does a fine job as Laura and, at the end of the night, sweat is pouring from her pores from singing, dancing, and playing the bongos.  In any case, she is a very natural, precise, and physical actor.

I’ve noticed in a couple of plays, Nanin wears a particular vest—that must be her lucky vest.  (Lucky charms are a necessity in theatre.)

“¿Qué pasó?  ¿Qué pasó?” (What happened?) I can’t let this go.  This is a term I hear everyday.  It is just so natural when Laura says it. However, on stage, this term must mean more.  It is in response to someone who wants to change the relationship. It is a moment where all things change, particularly this relationship.  Possibly it is not as dramatic as one may think but I believe it is a response that can give more meaning to the moment. Rachel is turning the relationship inside out, so “¿Qué pasó?” on stage must mean more. To be tender, to be loving, to want to know of what’s on her mind, are choices I want to see. “¿Qué pasó?” is a call to creative action.  

Also, I’m going to pick on a moment: the phone call to her mother.  We got to have a lot more going on than what was presented. Rachel’s mother is conservative Cuban.  (Is there another kind?) And she hasn’t come to grips with her daughter being a lesbian.  Well, we have two loving lesbians in the room and a chance to see a lot more action if only to solidify the relationship or move the relationship in another direction.

I’m nit picking here.  Odalys Nanin gave a wonderful performance and her direction is marvelous.  Also, this is a show for everyone, adults especially. The play says something about connection, compassion and passion. Oddly enough, listening to the words, I can visualize straight and gay couples playing the roles as well.  

Tricia Cruz is equally talented and was very engaging as Rachel. She brings a grand physical Latina life to the role.  On top of that she adds heat to this exceptional exploration of her character. Her comedic timing is right on and she does a grand impersonation of Lucille Ball complete with red wig and does a fine impersonation of Desi Arnaz for that matter.  Adding Desi’s laugh would be a plus.    

I enjoyed and had a lot of fun viewing Odalys Nanin’s play, which was also co-written by Marie Barrientos.  But, on this particular night, it was difficult to determine how everything ended.  Did they split up?  Did they reconcile? Were they able to overcome the obstacles of their own independent spirits?

No one lives in a state of ataraxia but I believe both characters want to keep their emotional lives as simple as possible while having as much fun as possible before they decide to move on.  

I liked the quote from Madame Bovary.  It says a lot about both characters.  But I’ve read it over and over again and am not able to determine which character it applies to the most.  Perhaps it was both.  Both need immediate gratification but time placed a damper on their lust or love for each other that toys could not cure.

The Stage Manager is Carey Dunn.  He also served as the Lighting Technician.

The show ran for one hour including intermission.  I’m told that there were some video problems so perhaps it is a little longer.

Run! And take someone whose eyes take you away into unchartered territories.  You’ll have a great time.

Reservations:  323-960-7724 – Through September 23, 2012

www.machatheatre.org or www.plays411.com/lovestruck

All Your Hard Work by Miles Brandman

Michael Grant Terry and Amy K. Harmon

By Joe Straw

  

After parking near Gold’s Gym I walked over to the place that is the Lillian Theatre.  I noticed the sign up above a garage door or loading dock-looking thing. It was closed and there was no entryway.

Am I in the right place?  Well I must be, there’s somebody sitting on a stoop, who is, by appearance, waiting for something to happen, or open, or do.  There is a latch on the door so the darn thing must flip up like a garage door. It must. It must. But, is this the theatre?

Coming early to theatre one sees the most unusual things.

And when the door rolled open, The Lillian Theatre was showcased in all of its glory and was quite charming.  Reminds me of Grandma’s home – in a way – nice and cozy with a porch like setting.  

Time to get to work – twitter – Facebook, etc., but there’s no AT&T access there.

I’m told if I move my phone doing figure eights I get something. I end up looking foolish. All this hard work and nothing’s working.

And now the porch is slightly uncomfortable.  I’m constantly moving my six foot six frame so that others can walk around me.  Taping on the keys, moving and sending without success is driving me up the wall.

And it seems those who love the theatre smoke cigarettes, and they love to smoke outside, near the porch, and that smokes waifs into the lobby. My eyes start watering and I can’t see to type.  So, I’m hot from the heat, coughing from the smoke and water is pouring out of my eyes.  I’m working really hard to stay calm. (And why do smokers all wear black?)

Brimmer St. Theatre Company presents All Your Hard Work by Miles Brandman and directed by Michael Matthews.  It is a World Premiere Play running through August 25, 2012 at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood.

The play is a smooth extended ninety minute one act, polished and glossy, with just enough sex and tight fitted clothing to keep a person extremely interested and stimulated.   

Mary Ellen (Amy K. Harmon) is a stunning creature with feathered earrings, tan high heel shoes and a salmon see through skintight dress, which stops mid-calf on her smooth legs.  She has decided to meet a man she had known in college nine years ago, Jim (Michael Grant Terry).  (That makes them in their late twenties or early thirties.)

Before Mary Ellen lets Jim into her studio apartment, she tells him to wait outside.  Jim anticipates in the darkness, while Mary Ellen scurries around her apartment neatening things, not just a few things but lots of things, clothes, food, books, magazines, takeout, everything.

One suspects that she did not anticipate him coming back to her apartment at all.

When things are tidied up she allows him to come into her studio.

Right off the bat they are extremely nervous.  Jim purposefully has a ring on his finger.  And Mary Ellen purrs about the apartment offering Jim a drink and taking mental notes of his casual body language.

Their conversation drifts back to the days when they worked for the school newspaper.  He was the editor and she a staff writer. Each had dreams of becoming famous reporter. Their journey, in that direction, was not satisfied.   

Jim is working a job in a place he likes a lot.  He has an American Express Sky Blue card (with an $85.00 annual fee).  And Jim has a modest home that required a $50,000 down payment, a wife, and a small son.

Mary Ellen is working 12 hours a day for Urban Outfitters.  And she is a little jealous that he has a home, and a ring on his finger, and a wife.  Still they remember a wonderful moment in the stairwell, at school, without a condom.

“So the wife is in house, and you’re here.” – Mary Ellen

Jim tells her he travels to 15 cities and he was in this town (not Atlanta) and decided to call her and get reacquainted.

“Fifteen cities. Girls in 15 cities? You could get into trouble for this.” – Mary Ellen

“I want to be married.” – Jim (emphasis on the want as in I like the commitment of being married)

“Am I the kind of girl men don’t want to marry? – Mary Ellen

Still he is there, he takes off his shoes and doesn’t appear to be leaving.  And she has something on him, something painful, something that will cause much distress in his life and his marriage. He is not aware of the information she is about to divulge, but appears to be slightly curious.

By that same token Jim has some information he would like to share with Mary Ellen.

By the end of the night their conflict takes the life out of this emotionally exhausted couple until they are a mass of quivering flesh and mixed up human passions.  And yet he leaves hoping she will take the final step. Hoping the spark of this night lights a flame of action.  Love and desperation play funny games.

Michael Grant Terry and Amy K. Harmon

Amy K. Harmon does some very nice things on stage. She is an exquisite creature that has this slight quirkiness about her. She listens and is reactive to the ongoing conversation that turns into a battle at times. As the character, Mary Ellen, she is forgiving and she wants him but only on her passionate terms. As a former school newspaper reporter, she still hasn’t forgiven him for censuring her piece on the school cafeteria scandal.  She will never forgive him but she will have him in the worst possible way. Or best depending on your perspective. Harmon has a lot of magnificent moments on stage and it is hard to take your eyes off of her.  There was a glimpse of something extra in her character that was unique, totally unexpected, and fascinating to watch during her performance. And she never gives up being a reporter, never. All in all, it was a terrific job.   

Michael Grant Terry as Jim did an exceptional job. He has an all American look that works for him. But, there was something more in his character, an uneasiness, a slight trepidation, and an objective that wouldn’t be known until the final moments of the play.  It is all so fascinating. His character is also not truthful or forthcoming for that matter. He holds onto things (his inner life) until food or liquor pulls it out of him. Terry has this casualness about him and a spirit of unpredictability.  His scene in the kitchen, finding the food, and cutting the vegetables with extreme precision while being menacing was quite spectacular. And there were some very humorous moments coming out of the bathroom as well. All in all, a very nice intrepretation of a complicated character.

Michael Matthews, as director, did an exceptional job in this production. The early going was very predictable.  But, as the one act moves, the cat and mouse game reached a serious fever pitch.  And as this was theatre in the round, square or octagon, the director had the actors almost in your laps listening to their very private conversation. Matthews made use of the stage and gave the audience an intimate extreme close up of their concatenate lives. 

Emilia Richerson and Dan Gordon are understudies playing Mary Ellen and Jim respectively.

I enjoyed Miles Brandman’s play.  The simplicity and the complexity of the play were delightful.  The players each have a motive that is both mysterious and exciting.  Mary Ellen wants Jim, plain and simple. But she is jealous of his wife, and house, and son.  After all, on closer inspection, her life hasn’t turn out so great living in the studio apartment working twelve hours a day and conflicted about not having those things and worse yet having a married man in her apartment.  And yet Jim is there because he wants, what? Her? Well, maybe he does want her. Or maybe he doesn’t.   Maybe he wants to leave his wife.  I think she thinks so. But, he just wants her for the night. That’s it.  He wants her one night, in the bed on the couch, or on the floor, and then he’s out the door. Love is so cruel. But, he doesn’t want. He wants one thing and one thing only.  This play has a lot of fun to getting to that point.

Stephen Gifford has created a beautiful set.  It is one that actors die for when they work hard to create a beautiful moment.  The set is a beautiful accessory to the moment.

Tim Swiss also does a wonderful job with the lighting.  It is very moody and creative.

Christian Svenson was responsible for the Costume Design.

Cricket S. Meyers did a fine job with the Sound Design. His website is www.cricketsmyers.com.

Other members of this successful crew are Tyler Jenich (Assistant Director), and Rebecca Eisenberg (Stage Manager).

Ken Werther was the Producer of this very fine detailed production. His website is www.kenwerther.com.  And Michael Bulger was the Co-Producer.

Run to see this production and take a long lost friend.

It ends tomorrow night but this is a kind of play that actors love.  Go out and buy it (when it becomes available) and have fun performing it in your acting classes.