17. August 2009 by admin.

HELL HATH NO FURY: CUP-A-JO’s MEDEA

F. J. Hartland 

           Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  English playwright William Congreve gets credit for the quote, but Greek playwright Euripides captured the idea in his tragedy Medea.

            Now Cup-A-Jo Productions brings the classic to life in the Studio Theatre at Pitt.

            Medea, wife and mother of two, finds herself abandoned when her husband Jason leaves her for a princess.  But Medea devises the ultimate plan of revenge.

            While this is classical drama, don’t let that fact keep you away.  This translation and interpretation are very clear and easy to follow.

            While the production is low-budget, director Everett Lowe has spared no expense in getting top-quality performances from his cast.  Medea is also peppered with music and dance which add to the theatricality.

            Joanna Lowe has a powerful presence in the title role.  She captures the strength and the anger of a wife jilted by her husband.  Sometimes I wish we saw more of her softer side—the qualities that made Jason fall in love with her.  Lowe is matched step-for-step by Jody O’Donnell as Jason.  The scenes between the two of them are highlights of the production and bring the show to a fever pitch. 

           The talented Diana Ifft is cast as the Nurse.  It would be great to see her have more stage time.  Ditto for Vince Ventura in the dual role of Tutor/Messenger.

            Gordon Palagi is also double-cast as Creon and Aegeus.  Unfortunately, there is not enough distinction (other than a costume change) between the characters. 

           The set by Everett Lowe and Adrienne Fischer is simple—but contains some surprises.  Lighting by Lori Howsare is effective.  Leah Clocko’s costumes introduce bursts of color into the show beautifully.

            Medea is performed without an intermission.  With a running time of 110 minutes, it is too long a stretch for me to go without—well, a stretch.

              Medea continues through August 23.

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9. August 2009 by admin.

LIFE LESSONS: PICT’s THE HISTORY BOYS

F. J. Hartland

            When Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys came to New York City, it was the toast of Broadway—winning six Tony Awards.  The current production at Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre with fine direction by Andrew S. Paul and a dynamic cast is sure to delight local theatre-goers.

            A priggish headmaster of a second rate British school (Martin Giles) hires a young teacher (Sam Redford) to prepare the students for entrance examinations for places like Oxford and Cambridge—much to the chagrin of their aged instructor (Bernard Cuffling).

            The History Boys raises interesting questions about how to educate as well as the value of education.  In a age of no-child-left-behind thinking and standardized testing, the play is a timely choice.

            Cuffling gives a memorable performance as the quirky older teacher.  Redford does the best he can with a character who goes from unlikeable—to despicable.  Martin Giles gives us the same character from PICT’s What the Butler Saw….and every other PICT production.

            At the heart of The History Boys are, of course, the boys.  Paul has assembled a very strong group and each actor is so personalized into his role that there is no mistaking one for another.  They also serve double duty moving set pieces.

            Cory O’Conner is a stand out as Timms, who provides much of the play’s comic relief.  Also quite good is Andy Lutz as the religious Scripps.  Lutz also provides much of the show’s narration. 

           Jarid Faubel shines in the smaller role of Rudge—a slow-witted athlete who winds up surprising everyone.  And David Droxler gives a powerful performance as Dakin, the oversexed and arrogant teen who is the object of everyone’s desires. 

           Hats off to the cast for performing an entire scene in French (a subject I failed miserably in college).  But don’t worry if you also did poorly in French as a translation is printed in the program. Thanks to the actors (who perform the scene so physically and with such energy) it’s fun to watch even if you don’t understand a word of it.

            The set by Gianna Downs is elegant and makes the scene changes (of which there are many) move quickly.  The stage at the Charity Randall there is stripped bare to the back wall; then doors and chalkboards and desks are maneuvered about rapidly by the cast.  These changes also made entertaining by the addition of projections and short film clips, designed by Jessi Sedon.  Lighting by Jim French is subtle and effective.

            Despite the flowing scene changes and Paul’s well-paced direction, the show still clocks in at nearly three hours.

            Much of the cast (the boys) wear standard school uniforms, but costumer Pei-Chi Su did minimal changes for the faculty costumes.  It was bad enough to see the students in the same clothes over the months that pass during The History Boys, but do we have to see their teachers in the same drab outfits all the time? 

           Overall, it’s a three hours well spent.

            The History Boys continues through August 22.

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5. August 2009 by admin.

LUSH AND LOVELY FINALE FOR CLO

F. J. Hartland 

           Summer draws to a close, and CLO ends its season with a lush and lovely production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods.

            Combining a variety of famous fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, Sondheim not only re-tells the “once-upon-a-time” stories, but then gives us a glimpse into what happens in “happily-ever-after.”  Make no mistake—this is NOT children’s theatre.  Sondheim gives us a very “adult” take on these childhood favorites.

            As has been the case all summer at CLO, the voices are amazing.  Adding to Into The Woods is a detailed set, special effects and outstanding lighting.  The stage is filled in a way not seen all summer.

            Into The Woods is unusual is that there are more principals than chorus—but there is not a weak link in this marvelous cast.

            A few manage to stand out. 

           Pittsburgh’s Tim Hartman is delightful in the dual role of Narrator/Mysterious Man.  Elfin Jen Cody is hilarious as a tough-as-nails Little Red Riding Hood.  She may be diminutive, but don’t underestimate this Little Red!

            I always enjoy the two princes as they share some of the funniest numbers in the show.  Kevin Early is a stand-out as Cinderella’s Prince.  And speaking of Cinderella, Sara Jean Ford is engaging as the rags-to-riches girl.

            Hunter Foster and Brynn O’Malley share great chemistry as the Baker and his wife.            Special mention to Kathryn Lin Terza and Tracy Groth for spending the show in a cow costume!

            Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel creates a Witch that seems to call upon the style of Chita Rivera.

            Act One is long—but there are so many stories to tell and the action moves so quickly (thanks to direction by James Brennan) that the time seems to fly by.  Sondheim has not only written beautiful music, but the lyrics are so very witty and clever.  However, the pace of Act Two slows and seems to get repetitious.  The show ran a full three hours on opening night.

          Paul Wosnek’s set is massive and so beautifully detailed; it is complimented completely by John McLain’s lighting.

            The evening was not without flaws. 

           There was difficulty with the microphones…sometimes not turned on in time for the performers to be heard.  Scenery malfunctioned.  But I am sure these were just some opening night “bugs” that will be worked out.

            Into The Woods is a spectacular finale to the 2009 season.  It runs through August 9.

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2. August 2009 by admin.

Asian art at center of 36 Views

F. J. Hartland 

           Asian art.  Forgery. Theft.  Intrigue.  Double crossing.  Investigative reporters.  Deception.  All of these elements make up 36 Views by Naomi Iizuka, the current offering by Quantum Theatre.  You would also think it is the recipe for an exciting evening of theatre. 

           Unfortunately, it is not.

            Directed by Karla Boos, the show is slow paced and the majority of the characters are unlikeable.  I knew we were in trouble when the play began with a l-o-n-g narrative told by the central character Darius Wheeler, played by Matthew Grey.  Wheeler is a black market art dealer, womanizer and scoundrel.  Grey gives a flat, one-dimensional dull-as-dishwater performance.  Rebecca Hirota as Setsuko Hearn is lovely, but not much more interesting as Wheeler’s object of desire.  There is no chemistry or spark between them, so the romance seems hollow and wooden.

            Robert Haley gives a believable performance as the bumbling professor.  As Elizabeth Newman-Orr, Tressa Glover is almost too perky.

            Attempting to breathe some life into this snooze-fest are Jason Martin as Wheeler’s assistant John Bell and Shammen McCune as art restorer Claire Tsong.  Martin gives a multi-layered performance, creating a quirky genius caught up in events and unsure whom to trust.   Likewise, McCune gives depth to her role and is always visually interesting to watch on stage and always keeps us guessing just what she is up to.

              But even their Herculean efforts can’t save this production.

            There are some twists and turns along the way in 36 Views.  Sadly, most of them happen late in the second act.  Too late to keep this script alive.

            Quantum Theatre has made its reputation by working in “found” spaces.  And they have found a beautiful space with the amphitheatre at Washington’s Landing.  Many theatre-goers came early to enjoy a picnic or a glass of wine on the shore of the Allegheny River.  Very picturesque.  Very romantic.

            But this is a park in a bustling city.  Why Quantum chose NOT to put microphones on their actors, I don’t know.  It is a mistake.  The performers end up shouting to be heard over the boats, trains, cars, helicopters and airplanes that continually pass by.  It’s difficult to create any kind of intimate scenes when the cast has to SHOUT TO BE HEARD.

            Boos has also filled the production with elements of Asian theatre—Noh and kabuki, for example.  If you know Noh and kabuki, I’m sure these add to the viewing experience.  I’m guessing most of the audience (myself included) do not—so it was lost on us.

            The set by Tony Ferrieri is simple and quite functional.  It is aided beautifully by Carolina Loyola-Garcia’s video design.  The projections are handled in a most creative way and gave the audience something to look at while the play dragged on.  Lighting designer C. Todd Brown is saddled with the difficulty of lighting an outdoor production.  Sometimes the lighting works; sometimes, it doesn’t.

            Other than a gorgeous kimono, the costumes by Marissa Miskanin are bland and flat.  Perhaps the palate of grey, black and white of the costumes was intentional, not to draw away from the colorful Asian art.  But aren’t these characters colorless enough?

            All the pieces of an interesting play are here.  Unfortunately, they are scattered on the table and never fit together. 

           36 Views continues through August 30.

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