28. March 2010 by admin.

A BEAUTIFUL LIGHT

F. J. Hartland

Italy, 1953.  A young American woman travels with her mother to Florence—and falls in love with a handsome young man.  But before the final curtain falls, relationships are shattered or repaired and secrets revealed.

It’s the musical A Light in the Piazza, the current offering from the Pittsburgh Playhouse Conservatory Theatre Company.

Director Scott Wise lends his deft hand to create a lush and breath-takingly beautiful production.  A Light in the Piazza is a delight to both the eye and the ear.

He works with an energetic and amazingly talents cast of Point Park University students.  Some are  much too young to play these roles, but still turn in polished and completely believable performances.

Katie Sexton is nothing short of spectacular in the role of the mother Margaret Johnson.  She carries herself with such poise and presence and maturity that I was shocked to see that she is only a junior.  Never for a moment did I see a girl in her twenties—but always a mature Southern matron.

Handsome Jaron Frand plays Fabrizio Naccarelli, who falls in love-at-first sight with Margaret’s daughter Clara.  Frand’s character speaks little English—but thanks to his performance, the audience always understands what he is communicating.  (Special kudos to Frand, Adam Soniak and Andrew Swankhammer who play a lengthy scene in the men’s shop entirely in Italian—and make themselves understood to someone whose knowledge of Italian doesn’t extend beyond “si” and “ciao.”)

In the role of Clara, Courtney Bassett captures the complexities and range of her character.  I don’t want to give any of the plot away—but let’s just say that Bassett creates a fully drawn portrait of Clara with all her charms and flaws.

Sexton, Frand and Bassett (along with the rest of the cast) have powerful, spectacular voices that soar with Adam Guetell’s music.The supporting cast is very strong—as has always were the case with Point Park’s Conservatory productions.  There is not a weak link in this chain.

Michael Thomas Essaud’s set (along with lighting by Andrew Ostrowski and Christopher Stabell and projections by Jessi Sedon) is sheer poetry.  Scenes glide seamlessly along and the final effect is unforgettable.  (My only complaint was the wire used to make Clara’s hat blow off her head.  It was so obviously there—and so distracting—that it was a nuisance.  But this is a minute point in the overall effect of the spectacular visuals).

Director Wise fills this gorgeous space with an unending parade of nuns, clergy, tourists, prostitutes, soccer players, street thugs.  They are all costumed beautifully by Michael Montgomery, who really brings the style of 1950’s Italy to life (although one wishes some of the men’s tailoring was better).

Everyone involved really deserved a better script.  Craig Lucas’s script is so full of contrived circumstances, unbelievable resolutions and conflicts that seem to exist only to add length to the show.  A Light in the Piazza darts between musical comedy and operetta, never really finding its niche.

Adam Guettel’s songs are lovely—but you don’t leave the theatre humming any of them.

But all that being said, this is a top-notch production, filled with memorable performances and beautiful voices.

A Light in the Piazza continues through April 3. 

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22. March 2010 by admin.

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

F. J. Hartland

Big box stores that offer everything from lettuce to tires to diamond rings have come under a great deal of criticism lately.  We’re all heard how they drive out smaller “mom-and-pop” stores, how they monopolize towns. 

But what about the crushing effect they have on the people who work there?

Valu-Mart, the current offering at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, explores that particular angle—and is a thought-provoking drama.

Written by Sean O’Leary, Valu-Mart is set in the employee break room of just such a store. 

Five employees are being held captive until one of them admits who stole the key to the jewelry display counter.

O’Leary’s cast of characters cuts across genders, races and generations.

Earl Plummer (Tommy LaFitte) is a former schoolteacher.  Lanie Welch (Kelly Marie McKenna) is a rich girl who is left with no self-esteem by a domineering mother.  Khalid Burroughs (Rico Parker) is a young man with a criminal past.  Genna Styles plays Brandi Sobers, a single mom trying to get ahead in the corporation.  Susan McGregor Laine is Dorothy Shay, a bored senior citizen, looking for something to fill her lonely hours.  Finally, Bill Dalzell plays security guard Chad Crowley.

Under the direction of Mark Clayton Southers, the cast does a tremendous job capturing the pathos of these human beings, who are not only trapped in the break room—but are trapped in their dead end jobs.  In a field of very strong performances, Parker (as Khalid) manages to stand-out—portraying a wide range of emotions.

Adding humor to the script are cheerful announcements over the company loudspeaker.  They make ironic comment on what is happening in the stark break room.

Southers’ set also captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of a company lunch room.  It is almost naturalism with its working microwave oven and soda machine.  Completing the look are harsh overhead fluorescent tube lights.  The stark realism ends at the door, however.  Each time it opens, the audience can see the back of unfinished flats; the ambiance is broken.

The configuration of the audience also adds problems.  Each row is set off by half walls—which is too tall.  From my vantage point on the side section, there were moments actors totally disappeared from view. (At one point, LaFitte was talking to another character—and I wasn’t sure to whom he was speaking because I couldn’t see the other performer.)

Valu-Mart has an excellent concept, a powerful theme and six interesting characters.  The play would be strengthen by editing it down to a ninety-minute, sans intermission show with stronger jokes.

Valu-Mart continues through March 28.

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12. March 2010 by admin.

THE PRICE IS (NOT) RIGHT

F. J. Hartland

In Act One of Arthur Miller’s The Price, the current offering at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, furniture appraiser Gregory Solomon points out that nothing brings out the worst in a family than dividing up an estate.

The Price pits two brothers against one another.  Victor (Joseph Adams) is a reluctant cop facing retirement and a mid-life crisis; the other Walter (Sherman Howard) is a successful—maybe too successful doctor.  Each has a different interpretation of past events with enough regret to go around.

The play begins with Victor roaming the room he used to share with his father—a room filled with (maybe) valuable furniture, household items and memories.  Director Tracy Brigden launches the show with a paralyzing pace that gets the show started in neutral gear as Walter removes his hat…his coat…plays with a fencing foil.

The arrival of Walter’s wife Esther (Chandler Vinton) at least brings some life (and dialogue) in to the attic. Unfortunately, Vinton plays Esther as a shrewish harpie with a voice more annoying than fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard.

Esther and Walter go ‘round and ‘round arguing the same issues.  Then furniture appraiser Solomon (Noble Shropshire) appears.

Shropshire is a delight as the colorful Solomon, an 89-year-old, married three (or is it four) times, still carrying his discharge papers from the British Navy.  It is a wonderful performance, full of humor and wisdom.  For me, he saves the show!

Sadly, the appraiser and the cop also go ‘round and ‘round and ‘round having the same discussion/arguments.  Walter, the estranged brother, arrives after Solomon and Victor have (at last!) agreed on a price for the attic full of furniture.

At this point I thought, “Finally, the exposition is over and the play can begin.”Instead, it was the end of Act One and intermission could begin.

Adams is saddled with playing the “good” brother; Howard never comes across as being sincere.  Neither one is likeable, so it’s difficult to have empathy for either one of them.

The Price is a very talky play and is not aided by Brigden’s repetitive blocking.  One could nearly set a watch by her “okay-it’s-time-for-everyone-to-move-to-your-next-position” staging.

The set by Luke Hegel-Cantarella is beautifully detailed with antiques, including an old harp and a gramophone.  However, like most of the Public’s sets, it overwhelms the tiny actors in front of it.  It’s difficult not to get absorbed in looking at it instead of the play.  “Oh, look.  My grandmother had a breakfront just like that!”

The curtain rang down after two-and-a-half hours; all I could think was, “I gave up Project Runway for this?

The Price continues through April 4.

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6. March 2010 by admin.

POWERFUL PERFORMANCES ELECTRIFY THE MERCY SEAT

F. J. Hartland

Currently at Off The Wall Theatre in Washington PA, Neil LaBute’s two-character drama The Mercy Seat examines the far-reaching effects of the tragedy of 9/11.  But LaBute does not focus his story on the victims or the heroes or even the villains of this shattering event. 

Instead he tells the story of two people who want to use it to their advantage.

It is 9/12.  Ben (Michael Moats), a married business executive, is holed up in the New York loft of his boss Abby (Adrienne Wehr) with whom he has been having an affair for the last three years.  His family doesn’t know that he has survived the terrorist attack.  In fact, his cell phone keeps ringing as his wife makes desperate attempts to locate him.

Ben does not answer.  Why?  Because he sees this as his chance to leave his family and his job to begin a new life with Abby.

Director Robyne Parrish has done an outstanding job creating the highs and lows of The Mercy Seat.  Sometimes it’s brutal, sometimes it’s funny and it’s always disturbing. Parrish has paced the play beautifully and had wrung two powerful performances from her cast.  I do question a few of her choices…like would Abby, who polishes silverware in the middle of a national tragedy happening just outside her window, really stand on her coffee table?  Or allow Ben’s shoes to sit in the middle of her living room floor?

Moats has been on the Pittsburgh acting scene since 1996.  While his roles have been many, he has never been better.  His portrayal of the confused, dominated, wishy-washy Ben is the finest of his career thus far.

Wehr gives a multi-layered performance.  At times she is a shrew of an inquisitor…but Wehr also allows us to have a peak at the damaged, vulnerable woman beneath her caustic surface.

In two years as scenic designer for Off The Wall, Paul A. Shaw has done brilliant work—but he has out done himself with a stunning recreation of a New York City apartment.  Shaw utilizes black-and-white with just a hint of color to create a space that is both realistic while also reflecting the themes of The Mercy Seat.  The detail is amazing from the tiles counter tops to the original art work on the wall.

Likewise, Debi Meny’s costumes compliment both the set and the play’s darker themes.

The only fault of the show lies with Neil LaBute’s script.  While he has given us a unique perspective on a national event, he has also created two characters that are hard to find likeable.  I would fake my death, too, just to escape Ben and Abby.

Judging from the enthusiastic response of the sold-out opening night crowd, one would be wise to make a reservation ahead of time to see these two electric performances.

The Mercy Seat continues through March 20 at Off The Wall Theatre in Washington PA. 

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