8. October 2011 by admin.

F. J. Hartland

Alcoholism knows no boundaries.  It cuts across all lines: gender, race, age and social class.

Sadly, too, alcoholism takes a toll on the lives of more than just the individual doing the drinking.

Both these points are brilliantly addressed in Shaken and Stirred by Virginia Wall Gruenert, the current offering at Off The Wall in Washington PA.

Utilizing an ensemble cast of four women, the playwright has dove-tailed the stories of eight different characters—each struggling with a different facet of alcohol abuse.

It could easily be reduced to all gloom and doom, but the playwright has wisely infused humor into the script as well.

Erica Cuenca plays Happy, and Cuenca superbly transforms from a young girl on roller skates to a disillusioned college student.  Happy both adores and is ashamed of her father, who spends his time drinking in the basement—when he isn’t fighting with Happy’s mother.  Cuenca makes the gradual changes in Happy’s ages and mood flawlessly.

Karen Baum plays Harley a tough-talking bar maid from Kentucky.  She and her mother live in a trailer, and Harley picks up all her mother’s bad habits—men and booze.  Harley is raped by one of her mother’s boyfriends.  Regardless, she loves the baby the is the result of the assault. The baby is taken away from her—and all Harley wants is to get her child back.  Baum’s performance is beautifully layered.  We see the pain under the tough talking veneer.  She will move you to tears as Harley is begging to see her child—al while chugging a bottle of mouthwash.

Virginia Wall Gruenert plays a variety of roles; Happy’s mom, Harley’s sponsor in AA, a former activist now battling liver cancer.  Each character is distinctly drawn.  Her Iris, the AA sponsor, is very funny; her Roz is heart-breaking.

Shaken and Stirred is directed by Robyne Parrish, who also plays two roles in the play.  While the scenes play at wonderful pace, there are some scene transitions that stop the momentum of the play, forcing the actors to go back to square one and recapture the audience.

The set by Paul A Shaw is simple, but works well for the many settings and time changes in the play.  It is dominated by three large painted panels.  The image of two of the panels made sense, but I was confused by the symbolism of the center panel.

Shaken and Stirred is a powerful and emotional piece.  If you know anyone who is an alcoholic, the play will speak to you.  If you do not, it will give you insight to a disease that cripples millions of individuals—and the people who love them.

Shaken and Stirred runs through October 22.  Then it will move to Theatre 54 in midtown Manhattan for a week-long New York run. 

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7. October 2011 by admin.

YOU CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS, BUT YOU CAN’T…

F. J. Hartland

Electra is (justifiably) upset.  Her mother Clytemnestra (in cahoots with her lover Aegithus) has murdered Agamemnon (husband of Clytemnestra and father to Electra).  And Electra’s brother Orestes is far, far away and can’t help her.  And it looks like Aegithus has plans to bury Electra (without letting her die first). 

Talk about a dysfunctional family!

But it’s just another day in Greek tragedy

Electra is the current production at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. 

Under the direction of Artistic Director Ted Pappas, it is an uneven production at best.

From the set to the costumes to the acting styles, the overall look of the show is quite eclectic.  The set by James Noone is rather simple…two large walls held up by chains.  Gabriel Berry’s costumes look like a mish-mash of Greek and medieval and modern day.  And sometimes the performances have a “classic” feel to them with stylized movement; other moments look like modern Stanislavski.

So when exactly does director Pappas see Electra set?  I don’t know.

And there seemed to be powerful emotional moments that drew inappropriate laughter from the audience.

As Electra Catherine Eaton has a primal, almost animalistic quality.  It is a very physical performance.  But even at her best, Electra is not a likeable character—no matter how wronged she has been.

But she seems a charmer once you meet Lisa Harrow’s bitch queen Clytemnestra.  Electra wants her dead.  I’m thinking it’s not such a bad idea.

Chrysothmis (played by Catherine Gowl) is given more levels to play, and she plays them well.  It creates an excellent contrast to the other two female leads.

Michael Simpson plays brother Orestes as if Electra was a new NBC sitcom instead of a classic Greek tragedy.  His performance seems very out-of-place in this production.

Poor David Whalen! Not only does he have the last entrance of the play, he is given very little do.  And it looks like he is wearing one of Regina’s dressing gowns from The Little Foxes.

Electra is mercifully short, running only about 85 minutes and is played without an intermission.

One side note… the program credits McCorkle Casting, Ltd. in program for “Casting.”  With all the talent in Pittsburgh, does the Public Theatre really need a casting agency to fill its casts?

Electra continues through October 30.

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