Dr Faustus

From the C-T. I'm posting the two comments from the C-Twebsite, too, because they are interesting...
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‘Dr. Faustus’ is stunning stuff from Montford Park Players

Jim Cavener • Take5 correspondent • published September 12, 2008 12:15 am

ASHEVILLE — Drawing near the close of its 36th and longest season of plays, now in the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre behind the Montford Community Center, Montford Park Players is doing one of its occasional non-Shakespeare productions, “Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe.

It’s set in Wittenberg, Germany, and is the story of a worldly and successful scholar who sells his soul to the devil for 24 years of unlimited wealth and knowledge.

As is often the case with Elizabethan-era drama, the stilted but eloquent language creates obstacles for a full grasp of the significance of the story. Fortunately, the playbill includes a useful synopsis of scenes. It is wise to arrive early and spend some time sorting it out.

The term “cast of thousands” is overused, but in “Dr. Faustus,” there are more than half-a-hundred characters listed, and soldiers, tree demons, the Devil army, spirits and the seven deadly sins often arrive in multiples at a time. In addition, the delightful sins of sloth, lechery, pride and covetousness all are triply cast.

With so many players, it is impossible to mention most of the stellar roles. But in a very unusual bit of casting, the role of Mephistopheles is played by two quite differing local actors. One is the noted playwright, director and actor David Hopes. But on some nights, the role is portrayed by a 12-year-old girl, Amy Daugherty. Say what?

Saturday night of opening weekend Daugherty was Satan’s own agent, Mephistopheles, and the child is awesome. Hopes has some (actually very small) figuratively very large shoes to fill. A lucky viewer might see them both on successive nights. It is hard to imagine a more impressive performance than given by this sweet blond child in a white gown, ably holding forth in a role historically often cast with a tall, black-clothed man.

Faustus, himself is given by Warren Wilson College professor David Mycoff, while the Pope is Nathan Adams. Mike Vaniman is a good Emperor while Charles McKnight an impressive Wagner. The feisty Lucifer is interpreted by Nathaniel Deardoff, with Stephanie Hickling being the entire Chorus, a regular element in Elizabethan drama, part narrator, part troubadour.

Director Jason Williams has taken many risks with this production, but even the massive Cecil B. DeMille penultimate climax scene comes off with aplomb. Powerful metaphysical metaphors give this often playful romp both frivolity and sobriety. Good show.

A Midnight's Summer Dream...

Those not quite getting the humor of the following review are invited to follow the link above
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

North Carolina Stage Company’s recent production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a real head-scratcher. First of all, the curtain time of midnight was an extremely questionable choice. Also, not a single actor was off-book; in fact, they shamelessly carried their scripts on stage with them! Costumes ranged from poor to poorest, with little thought or continuity apparent either in aesthetic, time period, or general condition and cleanliness. The set was nothing short of appalling: arbitrarily placed music stands in the foreground, and actors awaiting their cues on beanbag chairs ON STAGE. I am all for minimalism, but this seemed much too far.

Even with lines in hand, actors still managed to flub words, lose their place, mispronounce text, and obliterate proper scansion. Were they drunk?? It was as though they’d had no rehearsal time at all! Casting choices were bizarre as well, the oddest perhaps being the diminutive Jamie Shell in a cross-gender role as Lysander, made no less strange by a moment wherein she must insult the same-height actress Charlotte Lawrence by calling her a “dwarf.” Direction seemed haphazard at best; in fact, it often appeared that people were making up blocking on the spot. Disorganization the likes of which I’ve never seen. An enormous departure from NC Stage’s general standards.

~Shamie Jell

Chesapeake

CT (again), of course. Click on the title above for an unprecedented opportunity to compare the styles of two CT reporters reviewing (arguably) the same play.
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At first glance it would appear that "Chesapeake," is a one-man show featuring North Carolina company co-founder and artistic director Charlie Flynn-McIver in the demanding role of Kerr, the only character seen on stage.

But, a second thought reveals that this riveting production — in its third incarnation by NCSC — is a collaborative effort by more than half-dozen competent theater professionals.

The term “ensemble” usually refers to a group of actors. In the case of "Chesapeake," the term applies to the technical staff. Company co-founder and producing director Angie Flynn-McIver has assembled an ensemble of technical theater artists who are truly up to the challenge. And a challenge it is.

Charlie McIver is awesome in a complex and multi-layered role, an intense exploration of the life of a Southern, bisexual performance artist who starts this telling of his journey with a trip to a major art gallery with his distant father. And from there it is all up hill.

With the help of NCSC's team of theater technicians, we get a trip that is memorable and rewarding, with no small amount of effort demanded from the attentive audience.

The stage is a stark, uncluttered, basic black performing area adorned only with two large, light-colored blocks that accentuate the starkness and blackness of the story. On the back wall hangs a massive, gilt-framed expanse that later provides stunning projected visuals provided by the skilled technology of Craig Hobbs, a local video artist who was trained by the Disney-founded California Institute of the Arts.

These intermittent and provocative projections enhance the storyline and embellish a strange journey through art and politics and the improbable importance of a dog — a large, black Chesapeake Bay Lab called both Lucky and Rats. The dazzling images would, alone, be impressive, but combined with the sound design and original bass compositions of Mike Ponder, the technical feats equal that of the lone actor on stage.

Not only are the sounds impressive, but the cues for both sound and visuals are impeccable. Barbara Taggart is credited with the soundboard operation. Casey Morris cues the visuals, and both deserve kudos for their technical timing and virtuosity. Lighting by Leigh Spencer Brown is less noticeable, but hardly insignificant. Only Kerr/McIver's ratty rags were no-brainer decisions by Shelley Porter, whose chores as costumer were hardly demanding.

The play is a romp through the woods and into Chesapeake Bay, with senatorial elements of Strom Thurman and Jesse Helms mixed in. It's a portrait of a disturbed and unstable performance artist who does a stunning second-act reincarnation.

by Jim Cavener

And Then There Were None

From BlueRidgeNow.com (the Hendersonville Times-News)

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Agatha Christie mystery at Flat Rock Playhouse is a workout for the mind

By Kitty Turner
Special to the Times-News

Eight guests arrive at a lonely house on an island off the coast of Devon, England, only to be told that their host and hostess will not arrive until the following day.

The butler and housekeeper show the disparate group to their rooms and before dinner they gather for drinks in the lounge. Just as everyone is beginning to relax, a voice rings out and Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Was None” is off and running.

The Flat Rock Playhouse production features Damian Duke Domingue and Neela Munoz as the butler and housekeeper, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. Lisa K. Bryant as the mysterious Mrs. Owen’s secretary Vera Claythorne, Willie V.R. Repoley as Philip Lombard, Ben Hope as Anthony Marston, Brian Robinson as William Blore, Stewart Gregory as General MacKenzie, Paige Posey as Emily Brent, Ralph Redpath as Sir Lawrence Wargrove and Peter Thomasson as Dr. Armstrong.

Christie, one of the most prolific mystery writers of the 20th century, wrote 66 detective stories in 56 years. Well known for her Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple detectives, she also wrote a number of books that didn’t feature one of her signature sleuths. “And Then There Were None,” also known as “10 Little Indians,” was one of the public’s favorites. It was reworked as a play and as a film, being produced at least three different times.

The set for the Flat Rock production is beautiful, like a room borrowed from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Head-high paneled walls line two sides of the room, while stained glass windows and doors make up the back wall. Stenciled at ceiling height are nursery rhymes, while in pride of place over the fireplace mantel is the poem “10 Little Indians:”

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;
One choked himself and his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

Back to that voice that suddenly was heard. It makes certain accusations against all those present, including the butler and housekeeper, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. The participants discover that the voice is on a record that Rogers was instructed to play by the absent Mr. Owen.

Sir Lawrence Wargrave calls for calm and asks each person how they know their hosts. As the mystery deepens each character is exposed and explored, with the acting becoming more intense. All the actors did an outstanding job, but the slow disintegration of Thomasson’s Dr. Armstrong, and Redpath’s dominance as Judge Wargrave were outstanding.

Audiences should pay particular attention to all the clues, since during intermission a vote will be taken on who-dun-it and a winner drawn from the correct answer for two tickets to “Dear Santa,” the playhouse’s holiday show.

“And Then There Were None” is an enjoyable evening of theater and a workout for the mind.

On the Verge & Below the Belt

from the C-T...
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immediate theatre project shines twice

by Tony Kiss

On a pretty summer day, a passionate baseball fan might exclaim “Let’s play two!” Asheville’s immediate theatre project is now doing just that, performing a pair of shows, one after another, at the cozy N.C. Stage Company space downtown.

And these aren’t quick, connected one-acts. “On the Verge or the Geography of Yearning” and “Below the Belt” are not linked in any particular way, except sharing the same director (Hans Meyer) and some offstage crew. The cast, playwrights and stories are different. Audiences can watch one, or both, or come to see the plays on different nights.

It’s a lot of work for this little acting company, which has established itself as one of the city’s best. And it’s a lot of theater to absorb in one evening (or matinee, as the case may be). On opening night, “Verge” began at 7:30 p.m. and “Belt” ended around 12:30 a.m., which included intermissions in both programs, and a break between the two.

But again, it’s not necessary to catch them both in one sitting, though it makes for an interesting and entertaining experience.

“Verge” centers on three women explorers in the late 19th century, making a bizarre jungle journey. “Belt” follows three guys toiling in a prisonlike manufacturing plant, two of them constantly snapping at the third.

‘On the Verge’

“On the Verge or The Geography of Yearning” by Eric Overmyer has three Victorian-era women in some thick jungle to explore a land they call Terra Ingognita. Fanny (Katie Langwell) is the conservative housewife, Mary (Vivian Smith) the no-nonsense traveler who usually goes solo, and Alexandra (Trinity Smith) the youngest and the dreamer in this bunch.

Quickly, it’s obvious they’ve slipped into a time warp, and the further they go, the more they travel to the future, and the stranger the tale becomes. Erik Moellering plays a handful of supporting male characters. By the year 1955, they have come so far from their own time that some personal decisions need to be made.

‘Below the Belt’

“Below the Belt” is plenty quirky as well. In an industrial plant, eager new arrival Dobbitt (Chris Allison) finds himself in workplace hell, toiling alongside the fidgety, hair-triggered Hanrahan (Darren Marshall in the strongest performance in either show) and their nasty boss, Merkin (Strother Stingley). While Dobbitt only wants to please, the others torment and turn against him at every turn. Here, too, a choice must be made, with Merkin pulling Dobbitt into a plot that’s totally against his nature.

This one is a bit like The Three Stooges meet “Seinfeld” – and it’s a howler that leaves you buzzing at the end. With the shows running through Aug. 17, make a point to catch this engaging “experiment in theater.”

Ruthie

from the C-T
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Review: SART’s ‘Ruthie’ is rewarding theater

Jim Cavener • take5 Correspondent

A biblical tale gets a Western North Carolina twist in “Ruthie,” a world premiere production at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre in Mars Hill.

Written by David Anthony Wright, now managing director of the Paramount Theater in Burlington, “Ruthie,” is a worthy effort and a rewarding theater experience.

It takes place in the Asheville area, just after World War II. Local residents and those familiar with the region are going to find the show most appealing. But, anyone seeing this well-crafted work will enjoy a feel-good evening with moments of high drama. Mostly, this is a warm and fuzzy story with a crew of well-written, classic Southern characters.

Ruthie McInnes (Ashley Manning) and her mother-in-law, Naomi (Kay Galvin), return from Charleston to Naomi’s modest home in the mountains of WNC after the wartime death of Ruthie’s young husband (and Naomi’s son), Martin. They are welcomed by a range of regional denizens from Naomi’s past, all new and unfamiliar to Ruthie, who comes from a more urbane and sophisticated past. The plays on Baptist vs. Episcopal and Presbyterian values and practices afford a knowing and entertaining portrayal.

Among the classic characters entwined in Ruthie’s saga are two town matrons who open the show with a farcelike display of rapid entrances and exits through the six doors on the set, designed by Richard Seagle. These two, Thelma Whitesell (Dianne Chapman) and Alma Clayton (Elaine Blanton), provide ongoing comic foil and are well worth the trip. They keep the guffaws authentic and frequent.

Julius Kingsford (Michael Mattison) runs the town’s dry cleaners and laundry with his sleazy son, Junior (Anthony Giordano), with help from the wholesome boy-next-door, Beau Stroud (Bradshaw Call). Julius hires Ruthie, who is the object of attraction of both Junior and Beau. Therein lies the romantic, as well as dramatic, story line. Tony Medlin as Coot Cameron provides further light moments with a twist of Jubilation T. Cornpone. Robert McDaniel offers two lesser roles.

There are a few rough edges in this new script. The last scene needs to be more clearly identified as occurring a considerable time later. A lot has happened since the previous scene, and the audience is left guessing. Yet, the easy, linear story line lets us enjoy this unfolding tale of virtue winning out and everyone getting where they need to be with a totally sweet denouement. “Ruthie” is to theater what comfort food is to dinner. A nice time is virtually guaranteed.

Director John Moon gives us additional post-WWII touches in musical themes and period references, as well as the right balance between frenzied flourishes of comedy and subdued interpretations. Galvin, Mattison, Chapman, Blanton and Manning all shine. Giordano’s evil and Call’s virtue are both well wrought. Medlin is a hoot.

Elvis and Other Men

As I’ve said before, because I am a working producer and actor in town, I have given up writing reviews of local shows. However, no one else is contributing very much just now, and I feel I would be remiss if I did not at least mention the superb work being done by Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance.

I saw “Elvis and Other Men” earlier this summer, and was once again delighted that one of the (thankfully) few $30 tickets in town was absolutely, completely worth it.

Just the opening image got me all giddy about live performance all over again. The stage was dimly lit, and completely bare, save a gentle, vibrant, deep red scrim behind the vast expanse of the DW. Then, a single male dancer –in leggings and not much more—walked across, in a straight line, from one side to the other. And then another followed. And more and more, at different speeds, each just moving from one side of the stage to the other, back and forth, but always exiting completely before turning around and changing speeds. They were not lit from the front, so it was just these very masculine profiles darting about, and it seem eventually like there must be dozens of them. I was reminded, actually, of watching birds. I have said before that I don’t know much about dance, and tend to look for a literal story where there none, at least not a literal or maybe chronological one, but I didn’t mind in the slightest not knowing what the “story: of these dancers was. Like birds, each had their own random individual beauty, and all together they were clearly part of something larger that was not a story so much as the experience of being alive and experiencing something of great natural beauty, that I was somehow a part of as well. Like if you really notice birds engaged in a simple task, say eating, you start to notice how, yeah sure, they are all the same sort of creature, but simultaneously they are also individual animals, and something about that duality and simplicity fascinates and inspires, and you could just sit there watching them for a surprisingly long time.

At any rate the entire, long first piece was amazing—even once all the lights were turned on.

There were several shorter pieces, also for men, mostly choreographed by Heather Malloy, which for me ranged from satisfyingly amusing to very cool, if not quite as perspective-changing as that first piece. I especially liked the solo piece for dancer and train.

The finale was another great Malloy dance featuring Holiday Childress and Ménage upon a hastily constructed platform up right, from which they switched on their electric guitars and played music by the Violent Femmes, while the dancers turned the DW into a giant club, stormed the stage, and danced the night away in a series of solo and group dances that effectively told multiple stories, established multiple distinct characters, and used a very traditional art form to tap into very modern struggles, triumphs, and rhythms. It’s hard to know if the performers of the audience were having a better time, and that is a great thing.

Staging an entire evening of all male ballet must surly have sounded like an unusual and possibly even absurd idea, but Terpsicorps pulled it off with that same sense of play, of wonder, of absolute joy that they bring to everything they do. It was hugely refreshing to experience as a human being, and as an artist. I don’t think I’ve been that excited to be a part of Asheville’s performing arts community since maybe NCSC’s “Chesapeake.”

Now that’s what I call a reason to go see theatre.

--Willie Repoley

Noises Off

Anothe C-T review
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‘Noises Off’ funny stuff at Parkway Playhouse

Jim Cavener • take5 Correspondent • published July 25, 2008 12:15 am

BURNSVILLE – The field of farce is loaded with land mines, a dangerous one for any theater company. Yet with Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off,” Parkway Playhouse has a 2 3/4-hour, three-act hit on its hands. This midseason silliness is top-notch material, supported by able talent and directed to near-perfection.

Using the classic “play-within-a-play” context, “Noises Off” is exposure to an English troupe mounting a contrived bedroom or sex farce called “Nothing On.” All the requisite elements of farce are present in spades. There are naughty ladies in skimpy undergarments, randy men whose trousers are often down about their ankles and lots of slamming doors.

An awesome stage set is impressive even in the first act. Between acts this behemoth of backdrops is turned on a Lazy-Susan-like platform, so that in the second act of “Noises Off” the audience is backstage during a performance of “Nothing On.” Designers/builders of this masterpiece of stage structure are John David Stallings and Bruce Chuvala, assisted by William Ritter.

The Brit-speak is ever so well-done. Director Peter Carver is likely to be praised for the convincing speech, as well as the fully fascinating cast gleaned from old-timers at Parkway, with several new players.

Remember the play-within-a-play- everyone is an English actor playing a role in “Nothing On.”

Jennifer Short does the dumb-blonde “Brooke Ashton,” playing Vicki (on a secret mission), in the best of air-head Judy Holliday form. This is a stellar turn for a talented young woman. Her foil in this bit of whimsey is the suave and seductive Jordan Danz being “Gary Lejune” doing Roger Tramplemain. Danz’s charm radiates throughout the house.

Veteran area actor/director Jeff Messer is Phillip Brent, the owner of the country estate where all the lunacy is transpiring. One part slapstick, one part stuffy landed gentry, this is a juicy role, and Messer has it under control. His stately wife, Flavia, is being interpreted by “Belinda Blair,” really Kelly Leah Christianson who is regularly seen at ACT, SART and other regional theaters.

Andrew Gall, for five years at the helm of Parkway Playhouse, gets his chance on stage as Lloyd Dallas, the erstwhile director of this batty troupe of thespians.

Costuming by Asheville’s Deborah Austin is great fun: Note the double-breasted blazers, fancy frocks and dark gray dress shirts with gray neckties, for a veddy, veddy British sense of style.

Jim Cavener reviews theater for take5.

I Hate Hamlet

C-T...
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Asheville Community Theatre serves up a lighthearted spoof of artistic temperament excesses in Paul Rudnick’s “I Hate Hamlet.”

Young television actor Andrew (Cody Magouirk) has just finished a hit series “L.A. Medical” and agrees to a dramatic change of pace — the title role in a Central Park production of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

In an ironic twist of fate, Andrew rents the Gothic-style apartment once occupied by John Barrymore, the legendary actor who also played Hamlet.

Andrew initially resists such antiquated quarters but is persuaded when his stage-struck girlfriend Deirdre (Anna Booraem) gushes on about its connection with the famed actor.

Leslie Clement Bonner is hilarious as real estate agent Felicia, who obviously doesn’t know anything about theater but shamelessly uses Barrymore as a marketing tool, even holding a séance to dredge up the dead actor’s ghost.

Felicia is more successful than she realizes as the long-deceased actor does appear, played delightfully by Waylon Wood, who artfully conveys Barrymore’s legendary self-indulgence with women and drink.

Andrew’s agent Lillian (RoseLynn Katz) urges him to do “Hamlet” to add to his stature as an actor, but cynical TV producer Gary (Jeff Corpening) tries to lure him away with a lucrative deal in California, dismissing Shakespeare as “algebra on stage.”

Andrew has just one problem in taking on what is for many the most hallowed role in theater — he hates “Hamlet” and is terrified at the prospect of failing in such a high-profile venture.

Andrew sorely needs the late great Barrymore’s reckless courage and talent, but in the end he must turn to himself to find out what kind of actor — and person — he really is.

Director Michael Lilly and a talented cast have taken a silly, one-dimensional story and nevertheless made it interesting. They are having a good time on stage, and it shows.

E-mail Reid at timreid4@charter.net.

plays from the li'l nashville

‘plays from the li’l nashville’ shines

Jim Cavener

Local playwright Waylon Wood has a splendid script in his “plays from the li’l nashville,” now in performance by Run Amok Productions at N.C. Stage Company. It’s an incisive and well-crafted bit of writing, and the production excels in most every way.

This is not theater for wimps. But folks who want their theater challenging should see it.

But leave the children at home. And only very worldly grandmas will likely appreciate the earthy and often sexual nature in this trip to Florida’s underbelly.

Dope, drinking, drugs, debauchery and dirty-talk are the nature of the beast.

“plays from the li’l nashville” was written as a set of five short one-acts, all taking place in a backwoods roadhouse bar (the Li’l Nashville), patronized by the rural culture of far northwest Florida.

Playwright Wood later created a patchwork, full-length script by merging these various tales of pathos and poignancy to the tunes of Patsy Cline.

This is truly a motley crew, with a couple of singles and random clusters of pairs and threesomes from the local scene, all hooking up in strange configurations.

There’s lots of carnality, cussin’ and drinkin’ and searching for “good times.” Wood knows the language and the issues that permeate this culture. And a sad lot of circumstances they are.

Director Betsy Puckett creates an ensemble tribe of 13 able actors.

To name and describe all the colorful characters is impossible.

But there are stellar roles by Carla Pridgen, Zach Blew, Delina Hensley, Peter Brezny, Sarah Carpenter and David Ely. Anthony Abraira and Cory Boughton have lesser, but effective roles.

Scott Bunn has compiled a fine musical score of country classics, which belt from the jukebox in this honky-tonk setting.

Jim Cavener reviews theater for take5.

Should criticism include an assessment of whether a piece of theatre is actually any good?

If you have a chance, please check out this pieces from our friends at the Guardian. It's pretty fascinating stuff, if one is interested in the role of a reviewer in a community.
I'll post the article by Andrew Haydon below, but follow the link above for the complete dialog.
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In Britain, we all know that a theatre review will tell you if something is worth seeing. There will usually be a star rating - marks out of five for at-a-glance dismissal or praise. In mainland Europe, however, the situation can be very different. Last week, I attended a series of seminars on criticism in Helsinki alongside the Baltic Circle festival. In our group there quickly emerged a real schism between critics who felt that an actual judgment of a play's success or failure was not the aim of theatre criticism, and those - including myself - who couldn't quite sign up for such a radical departure.

It seemed perverse to me for a critic to have an opinion on whether something was good or not and to withhold that information. Furthermore, I couldn't quite see what could replace such information. Then I had one of those moments where you suddenly completely understand the other side's point of view. The seminar group was discussing a piece we had seen at the festival with which none of us had been especially impressed. Once we had moved past registering our myriad grumbles, we started discussing what it might have meant.

Our tutor, the Slovenian critic, editor and all-round great guy Rok Vevar launched into a startlingly intelligent, eloquent explanation of the piece, interpreting the meanings of various movements and sequences, deftly invoking Lacan and Zizek, the history of dance notation, and ideas of the self-narrating subject whose present and future are defined by their past. In short, Rok made the piece fascinating. Even though he hadn't liked it at all, he offered an analysis of the piece that was far more interesting than watching it had been.

This raised a question: if we had read Rok's analysis before we had watched the piece, would we have enjoyed it more? I would still argue not. Certainly there would have been more to think about, but Rok hadn't particularly liked the piece as he watched it either. My concern remained that if one simply presents a beautiful interpretation of the piece without any mention of the fact that it isn't much fun to watch, one isn't doing one's readership any favours.

At the same time I was aware that perhaps British criticism had been way too co-opted into the PR industry. Have British theatre critics, along with pretty much every other branch of journalism, been tricked into moving away from serious analysis into giving things the thumbs up (where possible) in order to sell tickets? As far as theatre PRs go, aren't the occasional raft of poor reviews worth taking on the chin so that the raves can be harnessed? While some shows might take a pasting, there are plenty of others that can be bolstered by quotations plastered over every available bit of space in front of house. This would be harder if the reviews in question were lengthy interpretations invoking Zizek and Lacan.

Similarly, when compared with a rigorous, extensive and articulate interpretation of a play, the way that some British critics simply shut down and refuse to engage with writing or direction starts to look like the height of ignorance; they don't understand, moreover they don't care that they don't understand - parading their ignorance as if it were a gold standard in taste and judgment.

On the other hand, this interpretative school of criticism can fall prey to finding meaning where there is none - dignifying work of little or no intellectual merit with critiques so intelligent and eloquent that the work seems praised when it would benefit more from someone pointing out that it wasn't any good.

I am interested to see if there is a synthesis possible. Is it possible to involve more intelligent, creative interpretation in reviews while at the same time still letting readers know whether the damn thing is actually worth seeing or not?

Smoke...

Nice that the C-T was able to review three shows all opening at once (this one's from Tony Kiss). May this trend continue.
But where have all of our "citizen reviewers" gone...?
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MARS HILL — The Sanders family of Siler City is back for more good old gospel music in the warm musical comedy “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming,” now playing at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre at Owen Theatre.

This third chapter in the Sanders series closely follows the path of the first two shows. The clan heads to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church to perform, but of course, things don’t go exactly right. Still, there’s plenty of good singing, some heart-touching moments and lots of laughs. It’s a perfect fit for historic Owen Theatre, once a church itself.

This production, directed by Paul Schierhorn, benefits greatly from the strong musical contributions of Brad Curtioff, and local music legends Bucky Hanks and Bruce Lang (who also portrays ne’er-do-well brother Stanley Sanders). Give them major props for making this homecoming a joyous occasion.

It’s just after World War II, and the Sanderses are reunited in Mountain Pleasant to bid farewell to bubbly Rev. Oglethorpe (Bradshaw Call). The pastor has married June Sanders (Katie Keiley), who is now expecting, and they’re all headed to a new ministry in Texas.

The play’s premise is that each member of the Sanders clan “witnesses” their love of the Lord, often with daffy but heartfelt results.

Company veteran Tony Medlin settles nicely into the role of daddy Burl, with Mandy Sayles as his Bible verse-spouting wife, Vera. Ashley Manning is daughter Denise (forever trying to settle down her unseen youngsters outside the church) and Daniel Hensley as her brother Dennis, just back from the war, and ready to take over the Mount Pleasant church. June stands to the side, “signing” each song with crazy movements. Halfway through, there’s a crisis, but things always work out with the Sanders family.

It seems that in every production of “Smoke on the Mountain” or its sequels, one member of the ensemble breaks out to shine, and in this cast, it’s Hensley as the forever-smiling Dennis. He’s got a fine singing voice, some sharp acting skills, and with other members of this crew, makes this an entertaining evening.

Sound of Music

C-T again..
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BURNSVILLE — While not among the greatest shows of American musical theater, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” ranks among the most popular, and Parkway Playhouse’s current mounting of this workhorse will please the aficionados of the venerable property. And they are many.

OK, “The Sound of Music” is hokey, saccharine, cloying and based on a whitewashed, self-aggrandizing rewriting of history by a stepmother of seven children of a widowed Austrian sea captain. Guilty as charged. But, its adaptation to the stage by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with all the wonderful, if formulaic, music/lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, makes for terrific theater.

Those who’ve known Parkway Playhouse for many of its 62 seasons will rejoice at the comfort of updated theater seating, effective air conditioning and more adequate technical equipment, none of which compromises the charm of the old barn with bead-board walls and rustic demeanor. Further, the quality of theater performance has vastly improved over earlier years, as well.

Producing artistic director Andrew Gall has tightened up the company, raised the standards of both show selection and production quality, while building a loyal audience core that supports the new-and-improved components of one of the oldest theater companies in North Carolina.

“The Sound of Music” is a large show, with somewhat more than 30 roles in the cast. Coordinating that many actors, with most of the children double-cast, is a daunting task, alone. The show’s director, Christopher Dwyer, has melded this crowd into a cohesive whole, with minimal opening night faux pas.

There was one “costume malfunction,” a missing mirror in a valise, and a hard-to-tame Act II overture, which reminded the opening night audience that theater is hard work, and the perfection of edited work is hard to achieve in live theater. It’s nothing a few more performances won’t cure.

The cast is competent, with several fine voices.

The role of the renegade postulant in a religious order, Maria Rainer, is appealingly played by Lindsay Day Henry, with a strong, sweet voice and winsome charm. Her romantic lead, Herr Captain Georg von Trapp is strongly played by Rob Storrs. Her competition for his hand is Elsa Shrader, interpreted by Jennifer Short.

A dozen talented children take the roles of the seven motherless kids, and the young telegraph delivery boy, who is smitten by the eldest von Trapp daughter. There are too many names to list.

Nine nuns range from compassionate and human to rigid and authoritarian. Jordan Danz gives us the comic foil of Franz the butler. Austrian aristocracy, nasty Nazis and charming children fill the stage, and the cute, competent kids carry a lot of the load. A seven-person pit orchestra conducted by musical director Michael Kiedrowski is spunky. The use of a tuba gives much of the music an oom-pah feel that is highly appropriate to the locale of the story.

The versatile set-design of mottled granite serves to host scenes in the abbey, the von Trapp living room and garden, a mountain top and a concert hall in Salzburg. It was designed by Christopher Dwyer and Bruce Chuvala. Deborah Austin’s costumes are effectively evocative and atmospheric.

Jim Cavener reviews theater for take5. E-mail him at JimCavener@aya.Yale.edu.

Alone Together Again

Courtesy the Avle C-T, of course...
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FLAT ROCK — Flat Rock Playhouse’s “Alone Together Again” features several of the theater’s most popular older actors in a sweet story that has the ring of truth.

The comedy starts off almost like a Viagra commercial with Helena (Kate Konigisor) and her husband, George (Stewart Gregory), relishing their newfound status as “empty nesters.” The couple’s grown sons have finally left home, so Helena and George are intent on enjoying their time together free from constant attention to child rearing.

This burgeoning midlife bliss is punctured suddenly by the unexpected arrival of Helena’s curmudgeonly father, “Pop” (Ralph Redpath), who announces he is taking a “trial separation” from his wife of more than 50 years. Then comes Helena’s mother, Ruth (Barbara Bradshaw), with a big bag of his medications and instructions on how to administer them.

Finally, George’s mother, Grace (Jane Bushway), announces she’s going to stay a few days while her house is being fumigated.

George and Helena suddenly feel they are indeed the “sandwich generation” squeezed between the needs of their children and their parents.

Lawrence Roman’s script starts off slowly, but the second half resolves everything in a way that is quite satisfying and strikes a chord with almost anyone who has dealt with family responsibilities.

Any production that has veteran actors like Redpath, Bradshaw and Bushway is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, and Konigisor and Gregory are charming as the middle-age couple wanting to cut loose and enjoy life at last.

“Alone Together” is a change of pace from the big musicals that preceded and follow it at Flat Rock, but this little gem is worth a look.

Tim Reid review theater for the Citizen-Times. He can be contacted at timreid4@charter.net.

Ivory

Ivory, written by local playwright John Crutchfield and produced by Corpus Theatre Collective, recently debuted at the BeBe Theatre. In his director’s notes, Crutchfield states, “Though the characters are not based on real people, they are meant to seem realistic. In other words, it is important to believe that such people and situations could exist, and somewhere in some permutation they certainly do.” I believe Crutchfield achieves this goal in the creation of his characters, but I question the uniqueness of this goal. Isn’t virtually all realistic fiction intended to seem... realistic? That aside, there are a lot of very good things happening in this work, and a few things that didn’t quite hit for me.

Crutchfield has a tremendous ear and talent for crafting dialogue and giving life to three-dimensional characters. I also find that he can write extraordinary scenes, though I’m not sure the scenes are sewn together into a progression of events quite perfectly. I almost wanted this to be a television series rather than a play, as some occurrences felt a little rushed, and the passage of time wasn’t always terribly clear. I understand that this sort of thing can just be the nature of the beast of theatre in general; it wasn't really a staggering issue in this case, but it was something I noticed a few times. (One thing I did like very much about the pacing, though, was the seamless transition from scene to scene, as actors literally walk out of one scene immediately into the next with a brief lighting shift at most to indicate the new place and time.) The second act in particular was very short and felt truncated, and I desperately wanted to rework the structure of the last couple of scenes to give the ending the oomph I think it needed/wanted. I also didn’t quite get the feel for the high stakes that Crutchfield seems to be aiming for according to the Mountain Xpress article about the play by Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt (http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2008/060408the_high_cost_of_morality). I think the microcosm of graduate school maybe doesn’t have quite enough universality to translate to crises the general audience will be able to find as important as do the characters of this play. That could well be intentional in the effort to affect verisimilitude in the characters and their concerns, and on that level it does work.

The performances are excellent across the board. Vivian Smith stood out to me the most, in an exceptional, somewhat Bancroft-ian performance of the “predatory and unscrupulous” (to quote the aforementioned MX article) professor, Barbara. To this end, I started to have a little difficulty with some of the casting, not because of quality of acting, but purely because of appearance. The first small trouble I had was casting Jonathan Frappier as her protégé. Again, please don’t mistake me: I thought he, too, gave a great performance. However, with this sort of The Graduate dynamic present, it was a little odd for him to clearly be around the same age as her. I don’t mean to suggest that the same age difference as the film would be necessary here, but with lines such as, “I was just remembering how young you are,” (I am paraphrasing), the balance was thrown a little. The other strange casting, age-wise, was Anne-Marie Welty as nervous new grad student Ellen. The fact that she seemed a little too old in the role is, in large part, a testament to both Crutchfield’s writing and, perhaps ironically, her strong acting ability. Her character, to me, had a very clear voice based on her cadence of speech, emotional life, word choices, and general demeanor, and that voice hit me at around age 25. Of course anyone could be that nervous and insecure about school and somewhat awkward in relationships at any age, but then that to me becomes another issue that would need to be addressed as part of the story, and it seems to me more natural for her to be a little more freshly out of undergrad. To compound the (perceived) issue, there seemed to be a choice to dress her “younger” as well, as though the director (James Ostholthoff) perhaps agreed with a lot of what I’ve just said and cast against type anyway. Yet again, absolutely no complaints from me about the performances, and if I have to suspend my disbelief a hair to have this caliber of acting, I’ll take it.

--Jamie Shell

Driving Miss Daisy

more from the C-T
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"Driving Miss Daisy" a warm, sweet trip at North Carolina Stage Company

Tony Kiss • TKiss@CITIZEN-TIMES.com • published June 12, 2008 11:24 am

ASHEVILLE – “Driving Miss Daisy” is a tricky show to maneuver. Most everyone knows the 1989 Oscar-winning movie, with those memorable performances by Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman and Dan Aykroyd.

N.C. Stage Co. is closing its 2007-08 main stage season with the original theater masterpiece (which itself won a Pulitzer Prize). Because the show and movie performances are so familiar, any stage production really requires tremendous acting and directing to make its own mark.

But N.C. Stage delivers, with a touching, sweet, funny performance that connects on many levels.

Almost anyone with an aging relative can relate to this tale of feisty Daisy Worthan and her unusual, long friendship with faithful driver Hoke. Rounding out the trio is Daisy’s caring, concerned son, Boolie. The setting is Atlanta, from the late 1940s through the early 1970s.

Playwright Alfred Uhry crafted these multi-dimensional characters, and N.C. Stage director Angie Flynn-McIver brings them to life through a tremendous cast: Jane Bushway as Daisy, Paul Garrett as Hoke, and Joe Sturgeon as Boolie. All three evoke much humanity.

Bushway, well known for her many performances at Flat Rock Playhouse, shows major acting chops as Daisy, reluctant to give up an ounce of independence, but forced by the passing years to accept a driver. Bushway’s final scene is a tearjerker.

Garrett, making his N.C. Stage debut as Hoke, plays that role with true heart and skill. His best moment could be where he tells Daisy of a synagogue bombing – and his own long-ago tragedy.

Providing proper balance is Sturgeon, in the role of Daisy’s son, Boolie, nervous to rock the boat too much. It, too, is a nice bit of acting.

Uhry’s story conjures up an old, lost Atlanta, swept away by big-money development. It hits home in Asheville, where precious downtown landmarks are always endangered in the same manner.

Meet Me in St. Louis

From the C-T, another by Tim Reid
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FLAT ROCK - Fans of the old-fashioned musical are in for a treat with Flat Rock Playhouse’s sentimental extravaganza “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

Lavish costumes, exquisite sets and a large cast recreate the excitement of a St. Louis family leading up to the 1904 World’s Fair. Based on the 1944 movie that starred Judy Garland, the stage version by Hugh Wheeler includes some of the best-loved songs of the American theater.

The story centers on the exuberant Smith family as they joyfully anticipate the St. Louis World’s Fair while the two oldest daughters are caught up in their own drama of finding a beau.

Rose Smith (Lesley Marie Collins) has been corresponding with wealthy suitor Warren Sheffield (Christopher Staskel) for months but is frustrated that he has not asked her to marry him.

Rose’s sister Esther (Kelly Rypkema) is in love with next-door neighbor John Truitt (Mike Frankey), but he doesn’t seem to know she’s alive.

When Warren writes that he will call Rose that evening, housekeeper Katie (Barbara Bradshaw) tries to move up the dinner hour so Rose can be ready for his call – and hopefully a proposal.

But their father Alonso (Brendan Powers) comes home stressed out from work and determined that nothing shall change their routine.

The Smith household seems to stay in a state of happy upheaval with the antics of younger daughters Tootie (Casey Walz) and Agnes (Heather L. Pynne) and their brother Lon (Teddy Eck) preparing to go to college.

The family is thrown into turmoil when Mr. Smith announces they will move to New York after Christmas. Mrs. Smith (Marcy McGuigan) tries to reassure the children, who hate leaving their happy life in St. Louis.

Ralph Redpath is delightful as Grandpa Prophater, who understands the hearts of his grandchildren and strives to soften life’s disappointments.

The play is worth seeing just to enjoy warm-hearted songs like “The Boy Next Door,” “The Trolley Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Musicians Paul Babelay, Charles Holland and George Wilkins Jr. produce a big sound to recreate the excitement of this fabled era at the start of the 20th century.

Director Paige Posey and a talented cast sing and dance their way into your heart with this sentimental tribute to the innocence and wholesomeness of a bygone era – gone but thankfully not forgotten.

Tim Reid reviews theater for the Citizen-Times. He can be contacted at timreid4@charter.net.

The Philadelphia Story

ACT's "PHILADELPHIA STORY " is not to be missed! Bernie's direction is spot on, the set by Jack Lindsay and Adam Cohen is elegance itself and the performance is simply superb. Nothing is out of place in this late 1930's silly saga on the manners and mores of the inhabitants of the "Philadelphia Main Line". Kelly Christianson's "Tracy Lord" exemplifies the "golden goddess girl" to a "T". The trio of Wilde, Clancy and Wood as "C. K. Dexter Haven", "Mike Connor" and "George Kittridge" respectively, are as goofy a bunch of hormone driven rich guys as can be found anywhere. Their nutty machinations are aptly supported by a cast of lovely characters. Linda Underwood's costumes are a gorgeous revival of early 20th Century elegance. God, we really used to dress in a grand but casual manner..ahh, the flow of pleated, expensive fabrics on beautiful women... but I digress. Jason Williams' lights are right on the money. Really, as well as being a piece of great entertainment, this production is a nostalgic voyage through a long gone (with no little regret) era.

Thankyou ACT. By the way, some of the younger generation may have confused "THE PHILADELPHIA STORY" with "PHILADELPHIA", a somewhat dark and dismal cinema epic starring Tom Hanks as a lawyer dying of AIDs. Believe me, ACT's offering is nothing like it!!

With kindest regards,

Mike Vaniman

The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me...

from the C-T...
http://www.take5online.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880501100
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‘The Only Thing Worse’ is powerful look at gay life
by Jim Cavener, Take5 correspondent
published May 2, 2008 12:15 am

It’s rare that a show can mix comedy and serious drama with equal effectiveness. But the one-man piece “The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me ...” by the Immediate Theatre Project does both with smashing success.

Dan Butler’s skits about being gay in an often-hostile society resonate with authenticity and reality. Some are simply wise and insightful. Others are painful and poignant. Some are filled with laughter, others provoke tears. There is much to learn from this well-crafted script, and almost anyone will be touched with this insider’s view of being gay in late 20th century America.

Director Hans Meyer found the right actor to star in this multi-faceted journey. The bouncy, boyish Francis Kelly is endearing and a moving actor. His ability to communicate varied emotions is impressive. Anyone with a strong aversion to profanity may wish to tune out on the first episode, or wear earplugs. Kelly calms down and delivers some heavy material in a few of the later skits. His dialect work is commendable.

Meyer not only cast and directed the show, he did the sound design. Stage manager Jamie Nicholson runs the board and doubles as the DJ who spins and mixes the tunes with a professional’s skill. The music selections and cues are masterful.

The varied roles portrayed by Kelly are aided by the use of minimal costume changes. Company co-founder Lauren Fortuna is the costume designer who gets much mileage out of a few rags.

Dames at Sea

From the C-T...
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‘Dames at Sea’ features super singing and dancing at Flat Rock
by Tim Reid, Take5 correspondent
published May 2, 2008 12:15 am

A small cast produces a large sound in Flat Rock Playhouse’s charming musical “Dames at Sea” about the proverbial small-town girl making it big in the Big Apple.

Director Amy Elizabeth Jones has assembled a powerhouse cast of talented actors who sing and dance their way through high-energy tunes that stir the emotions as well as adrenaline.

Lisa K. Bryant is marvelous as Ruby, a naive ingénue from a small town in Utah who arrives in New York in the 1930s with dreams of becoming a Broadway star.

When Ruby turns up at a rehearsal for a new musical, a tender-hearted cast member Joan (Wendy Hayes) wrangles her a spot in the chorus line while coaching her new friend on how hard life is in the big city.

Ruby gets a taste of that when the show’s star, temperamental diva Mona Kent (Marcy McGuigan), takes an instant dislike to her.

But Ruby also makes a new friend in a young sailor Dick (Freddie Kimmel), an aspiring songwriter who coincidentally is from the small town in Utah where Ruby grew up.

When the new musical’s opening is suddenly disrupted by news that the theater is to be torn down, Dick and his fellow sailor Lucky (Matthew Schneider) propose that the musical open on the deck of their nearby battleship.

The only obstacle is convincing the captain (Carl J. Danielsen) to let the ship be used for such a purpose.

It turns out that’s not a problem as the captain is a former boyfriend of Mona Kent. The diva only has to remind him of their past passions and he is willing and eager.

In true storybook fashion the temperamental diva gets her comeuppance and Ruby gets her chance at stardom. And, of course, love triumphs.

George Wilkins Jr., Paul Babelay and Charles Holland perform Jim Wise’s unforgettable music that propels this simple story into a perennial favorite.

“Dames” made Bernadette Peters a star when it debuted Off-Broadway in 1966 and has been delighting audiences ever since. Flat Rock’s production will please those who like a sweet story coupled with endearing tunes.

Tim Reid reviews theater for the Citizen-Times.