Tag: rep-east

“I’m living in a mental institution!” You may have heard someone say this when life around them is getting crazy, but have you wondered what it is really like? Tom Griffin‘s play, “The Boys Next Door”, which we saw last night at the Reperatory East Playhouse in Newhall, may help provide an answer to that question.

“The Boys Next Door” is a series of vignettes, with a slight through story, about the lives of four mentally-impaired men living together in a group apartment near a prison near Boston. Throught the story, we get to know these ment by observing there lives. It is not a comedy per se—for you don’t want to be laughing at these men—but it does have its funny movements, as life often does. Rather, this play attempts to treat these men with dignity, showing them doing the best that they could do, despite their impairments (which, to the men, are just part of who they are). These men are: (1) Arnold Wiggens, who has severe OCD, is hyperactive and talks constantly, but can function in the normal world; (2) Norman Bulansky, the moderately-impaired romantic, obsessed with his keys, who works in a doughnut store and is starting to find love with Sheila, a mentally-impaired young woman; (3) Barry Klemper, a schitzophrenic who professes to be a golf pro, but whose facade is broken when his abusive father visits; and (4) Lucien P. Smith, a large black man who has the most severe impairment, but despite that, is perhaps the most noble of the group, for he tries the hardest.

These four young men are working at the top of their abilities, and thus the play—intentionally—doesn’t show them growing much. At the end of the play, we see them exhibiting the same patterns they were behaving when we met them (in fact, some have regressed and gotten worse). However, as I noted previously, there is a through story of growth. This story concerns Jack, the social work assigned to these men. Through these asides, we see how Jack cares for these men, but gets increasingly frustrated with them as well. He tries and he tries to get them to improve, to help them function better. In the end, Jack makes the decision to leave social work, and we see how this decision affects the Arnold, Norman, Barry, and Lucien.

To work well, a play such as this needs to not fall into stereotypes about the mentally impaired. These can’t be the portrayals of “retarded” people that we often see on television: these must be realistic characters that permit the audience to see them as people, and as people with their own dignity and strength. Luckily, for this production, strong direction by Jeff Johnson (in his directing debut) and a wonderful cast pull it off. The performances in this show will touch your heart, and I’m not sure you’ll look at people the same afterwards.

Leading the very strong cast were the four boys. George D. Cummings, an on-air personality at KHTS, portrays Arnold Wiggins. George captures OCD well, from the begininng when he is obsessed about his purchase of 9 boxes of Wheaties, to the end where we see him at the train station, waiting for the train for Russia, because he cannot deal with Jack’s leaving. As Lucien P. Smith, Gregor Manns^æ is perhaps the strongest actor, portraying the severely impaired large man, so proud of his reading card (even though he can’t read), caring about others, wanting so to succeed. He is particularly moving during the one scene where he jumps out of character and turns to the audience with an inner monologue that begins “I stand before you, a middle-aged man in an uncomfortable suit, a man whose capacity for rational thought is somewhere between a five-year-old and an oyster. (Pause.) I am retarded. I am damaged. I am sick inside from so many hours and days and months and years of confusion, utter and profound confusion.” Gregor was just remarkable in this role—a remarkable demonstration of the capacity of this actor. As Norman Bulansky, Marc Segal^æ portrayed a romantic man, in love with his doughnuts and keys, starting to reach out to a young woman, but not fully understanding how to do so. Lastly, as Barry Klemper, Jeff Alan-Lee^æ gives the facade of the golf pro eager to teach students (even though his knowledge isn’t very deep); however, this is really a front for a very emotionally disturbed young man. We discover this when Barry’s father visits, and we see how the emotional and physical abuse has scarred the character for life. Jeff’s moving portrayal of Barry at this point was wonderful, and made me think about some situations I know where people are being scarred by abuse.

These four men were supported by Kevin Rehdin as Jack, one of the few “normal” people in the show. Kevin comes across as likable and caring about these men, but does a great job of showing how this care takes its toll on his emotions. We also see how hard it is for him to leave them.

Supporting these five wonderful actors, in smaller roles, are Jennifer Beth Lambertus as Sheila, with a portrayal that captured the mental impairment well; Michael Collins as Mr Klemper, the angry and abusive father of Barry; Barry Agin as Mr. Hedgets/Mr. Corbin/Senator Clarke, and Carole Catanzaro as Mrs. Fremus/Mrs. Warren/Clara.
[^æ denotes members of  Actors Equity ]

Technically, things were mostly good, with the staff of REP regulars (and a few new folk) doing wonderful jobs. Jeff Hyde’s set captured the boy’s apartment well, and provided the few ancillary locations required. Tim Christianson lighting was a bit more problematic: not in the design, but in the execution—specifically, there seemed to be some lighting problems for some of Jack’s asides to the audience, where he was lit poorly or not at all. The sound effects by Steven “Nanook” Burkholder were excellent, as was the choice of music (especially TMBG). Costumes were by Kristi Johnson. Michael Keane was the stage manager.

“The Boys Next Door” continues at REP East until August 28. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office and through outlets such as Goldstar Events. Next up at REP East will be Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”, running September 16 through October 22, 2011.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Our theatre calendar gets lighter for a while, although I do have some shows to book. Next week brings our last booked show for August, “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, and “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

The search for love is an interesting endeavor. It always seems we want what we shouldn’t have. The staid and stolid types want the risky girl. The risky types want that quiet girl. Jews often want non-Jewish girls, whereas non-Jews are often drawn to Jewish girls. The latter two cases were the topics of this afternoon’s play, Jewtopia, at Rep East Playhouse.

Jewtopia tells the story of Chris and Adam, two young single men in their 30s, looking for love. Chris, more formally Chris O’Connell, a non-Jew, wants to find a good Jewish girl to marry so he never has to make a decision again… but the Jewish girls are uninterested in him because he’s a goy. His best friend, Adam Lipschitz, has the opposite problem: he’s more interested in shiksas (non-Jewish girls), but has the family pressure to find a Jewish girl to marry, so he needs to find one he likes. So these two make a pact: Adam will teach Chris how to be Jewish so that he can get the Jewish girl he wants, while Chris will introduce Adam to Jewtopia, the land of Jewish girls, and teach him how to attract a Jewish girl who will finally say “yes, yes, oh yes”. The rest of the play is the story of that question: Chris and his journey to convince the family of Alison Cohen that he is Jewish-enought for their daughter… and Adam and his journey through 155 Jdate dates to find a Jewish girl that he likes. Along the way, every (and I mean every) stereotype of Jewish families is exposed, ripped asunder, and exaggerated for humor and amusement (as examples, Jews never own tools, and if we do, we don’t know where they are or how to use them; Jews always are complaining about one medical problem or another, etc.)

Essentially, Jewtopia is a series of comic sketches highlighting what it means to be culturally Jewish. The traits they highlight may be exaggerated, but they are there and are touched upon out of a sense of love, not mocking. They quest they describe is true. I remember it from my college days, as well as from talking to my friends. If you are Jewish, you’ll enjoy this play and see yourself. If you are not Jewish… well, bring a Jewish friend to explain things to you.

The cast for this production was very good. The standouts were the two leads: Aaron Wong as Chris O’Connell and Marc Ginsburg^æ as Adam Lipschitz. These two young men portray Chris and Adam in a very convincing manner, likable and earnest in their searches. Rounding out the cast in various supporting roles are Susan Huckle (various crazy girls, Jill), Michael Levine (Rabbi Schlomo / Grandpa Irving), Judy Greenberg (Marcy Cohen / Arlene Lipschitz), Bonnie He (Rachel Kahn / Nurse), and Darel Roberts (Dennis Lipschitz / Party Guy). The production was directed by Marlowe Weisman, assisted by Bill Quinn: a team that did a great job of bringing the inner Jew out of their actors, Jewish or not.

Technically, the production was relatively simple. Jeff Hyde’s set was primarily projections onto a pseudo-Torah. Costumes and additional set decor were by Lisa Melcombe, and captured the vibe well. Lighting and sound were by REP-regulars Tim Christianson and Steven “Nanook” Burkholder, respectively. Shawna Voragen was production stage manger.

Jewtopia was written by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson.

“Jewtopia” continues at REP East until July 30. I’d tell you how to get tickets, but the run is already sold out. It will be returning to the REP in early 2012.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend brings Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl) and “Shrek” (July 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed). July closes with “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “The Boys Next Door” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

This seems to be a Holocaust Spring in terms of theatre, for we’ve been seeing a number of productions related to Germany during WWII. The latest was REP East’s revival of the seminal Kander-Ebb musical “Caberet“, which we last saw in 2009 in a production done by the Aerospace Employee Association. The REP’s revival was very different, and—in typical REP fashion, which is never conventional—challenged the way you look at this musical and heightened what you got out of it.

Let’s start with what the musical is about. Here’s what I wrote back in 2009 as a synopsis of the musical:

Cabaret was Kander and Ebb’s second musical, and featured a book by Joe Masteroff based on John Van Druten’s play, “I Am A Camera”, which itself was adapted from the novel “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood. The musical tells two intertwined stories taking place in 1931, just as the Nazis are rising in power: the first is a revue centered on the decadence of the seedy Kit Kat Club, the second is a story set in the real world in which the club existed. The basic plot concerns American writer Clifford Bradshaw and his visit to Berlin. After making a few friends and finding housing, Clifford visits the sleazy Kit Kat Club and meets an English singer, Sally Bowles. The writer and singer soon fall in love. Meanwhile, Clifford’s elderly landlord, Fraulein Schneider, gets engaged to a Jewish greengrocer, Herr Schultz – not an easy decision given the increasing influence of the Nazis. Soon, Clifford discovers that he has been inadvertently helping the Nazis by delivering packages to Paris for a German friend of his, Ernst Ludwig. Clifford ends up deciding to return to the United States but Sally, after aborting their baby, decides to remain in Berlin.

This story is told by intertwining scenes taking place in the Caberet that often echo what is happening in the real world, but in a more decadent or exaggerated sense. Thus, the “The Money Song” song echoes Cliff and Sally’s need for money; the title song “Cabaret” echoes how Sally views life. No where is this better seen than in the controversial song “If You Could See Here Through My Eyes” in the second act, where the emcee dances with a gorilla that he purports to love, ending with the “If you could see her through my eyes/she wouldn’t look Jewish at all.”

A musical like Caberet is a challenge for a theatre like the REP, which has a single black-box space with no fly space. In adapting the production for this space, they made a number of interesting decisions that made this production really unique. These decisions make themselves apparent even before you enter the auditorium, for the show begins in the lobby where the cast mingles, in costume, with the playgoers, and then starts to sing Wilkommen (into which they integrate the normal announcements about cell phones) to usher people into the auditorium. They also adapted some of the traditional dialogue and jokes in this song for their casting approach and orchestra (for many in the cast often play intruments (in fact, all of the band except for the piano and the percussion players).

The staging was unique, making extensive use of hand-held LED flashlights to give ominious lighting and a non-traditional look. The set design was bare-bones set design, primarily consisting of a large welded rotating cage with doors and a few simple props to suggest locations (as contrasted with the traditional painted backdrops of the AEA production). This work surprisingly well, especially for the final scene.

The biggest change made by the REP was to divide the MC role into three pieces, as some times doubling the emcee with three of the Kit-Kit club positions (Victor, Herman). This had the effect of changing the emcee from a single androgynous or slightly-gay character (think Joel Grey or Alan Cumming) to a family, as there was a Male Emcee, a Female Emcee, and even stranger, a Boy Emcee. This doesn’t mean there wasn’t gender-confusion: Each emcee at times dressed as the opposite sex (in fact, when the boy emcee came out, I wasn’t even sure it was a boy, given the hairstyle). There was even one point where each emcee was both sexes—in the number Two Ladies, each was wearing a costume that was half male (dress shirt, slack, black shoes) and half female (short skirt, sexy top, heels and hose). Throughout most of this show I was unsure about how this three-emcee thing was working, but I was sold in the final scene, where both the male emcee and Herr Schultz ended up inside, in the cage, in concentration camp clothing (with the appropriate symbols for homosexual and Jew), with the female emcee and the boy emcee, now in Nazi uniform, standing in front of them in a motherly pose. Chilling.

All three emcees were strong. The female emcee (and also playing alto sax and clarinet) was Rachel Brown^æ (). She was particularly stunning (and chilling) in “I Don’t Care Much”, one of the few amplified songs I’ve ever seen the REP do. The male emcee (also playing Victor) was Malek Hannah () was also strong, particularly in Tomorrow Belongs To Me and the Entracte/Kick Lines. The boy emcee was JT Friedman, who perhaps was the most surprising of the three, given how adult his performance was (in fact, it was a little creepy to watch, knowing he was a teen, but then again, that was Berlin in the 1930s).

But Cabaret is not the story of the emcees, although it often seems that way. It is the story of the transformation of Germany from the decadant party atmosphere to the Nazi state, told through the eyes of the innocents—in particular, two couples: Clifford Bradshaw and Sally Bowles, and Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider. In this production, both were strong. Cliff, portrayed by Adam Joseph Reich^æ (), came across as very straightlaced, although there were implications of his being either homosexual or bisexual. He was a strong singer, especially in Perfectly Marvelous and Don’t Go. Sally was played by Kristen Heitman (). Kristen was strong in the role, and that perhaps was the problem: she came off as too cute, and was too good of a singer (as was demonstrated in her performance of Cabaret). I was hoping for a little seedier Sally (who is supposed to be a seedy cabaret performer in a second or third rate cabaret); but having a strong Sally is a common casting problem, for it often doesn’t hurt the performance. Note that I’m not saying Kristen’s performance was bad in any way; rather, it was too good. Such a problem!

The secondary couple were portrayed by Chera Holland^æ () as Fraulein Schneider and Robert W. Laur^æ () as Herr Schultz. Holland (who also played glockenspiel) was strong both in performance and voice (especially in What Would You Do?), although I wasn’t enamored of her makeup, which was required to make her appear the requisite age. Perhaps that was a first-row problem in a small theatre—you see the magic. Laur was an appropriately befuddled Schultz, which was the intent of the role.

The supporting cast was also strong I was particularly taken with April Audia^æ () Shannon Bouknight as Fraulein Kost: she had a look that was captivating, and was a very strong singer. Christopher Karl Johnson had the right look for Ernst Ludwig that lulled you into thinking he was good until you learned his real motives. Rounding out the supporting cast were the Kit-Kat boys and girls: Shannon Bouknight (Rosie / Kit Kat Girl), Richard Van Slyke^æ () (Max / Officer / Sailor / Guard / Nazi… and played cello), Mark Amacker () (Bobby / Sailor / Guard / Nazi… and played trombone and blow accordian), Laura Biery (Lulu / Kit Kat Girl), Dawnmarie Ferrara () (New York / Kit Kat Girl), and Jillann Tarara (Frenchie / Kit Kat Girl… and played violin). Rounding out the orchestra were Cassandra Nickols on piano and Johnny Schwinn on percussion.
[^æ denotes members of  Actors Equity ]

The production was directed by Mark Kaplan, who was responsible for the interesting changes in the production, and bringing out the most in the acting ensemble. The music was under the direction of Cassandra Nickols. The choreography was by Melissa White ()—it was good, but needed a little more oopmph at times… something that made it more seedy or risque. Vicki Lightner was Production Stage Manager, and Johnny Schwinn was stage manager.

Turning to the technical: The set was designed by REP regular Jeff Hyde, and was distinctly different than any other set I’ve seen Jeff design. You can see a picture of it in the review of the show from The Signal, which I’m lifting and shrinking. I have no idea how they are going to get it out of there when the show closes; evidently, they spent hours welding it together. Costumes were by Vicki Lightner and Christopher Chase and were perhaps my one slight disappointment. In particular, for the Kit-Kat girls and boys, they were good but could have been better. I expected something seedier and sexier. As you can see from the picture, the costumes covered from bust to butt, and I would think a seedy cabaret would be showing more skin, with the girls and boys always about to fall out of the costumes. Perhaps that didn’t work with Santa Clarita sensitivities, or perhaps it was my expectations. Other than that (i.e., for the other characters) they were excellent. Sound design was by REP regular Steven “Nanook” Burkholder and was strong; I was particularly impressed with the sound for Cabaret and I Don’t Care Much, which was the first use of amplified singing I’ve seen at the REP. Lighting design was by REP regular Tim Christianson, who did a number of innovative lighting approachs. The stage was mostly static leikos and lighting bars with heavy use of red and yellow to create menace; there was also heavy use of hand-held LED flashlights, which were very effective. Cabaret was produced by O Michael Owston and Mikee Schwinn.

“Cabaret” continues at REP East until June 18, 2011. It is well worth seeing for its unique interpretation. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box office, and often through Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance. You can also find out about ticket bargains by friending REP East on Facebook.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, but most of June is lost to the college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). July starts with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (ticketed); followed by Western Corps Connection on July 3 in Riverside. July should continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 23, Hollywood Bowl); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, ticketed); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed). August brings “Doubt” at REP East on August 13, and “On Golden Pond” at the Colony Theatre on August 20, and possibly the last Summer Evening at the Huntington with the Quarteto Neuvo on August 27. September currently only has one weekend booked: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at REP East on September 24; October shows “Shooting Star” at the Colony Theatre on October 1, “Annie” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 22, and (hopefully) Bernadette Peters at VPAC on October 16. October will also hopefully bring “The Robber Bridegroom” at ICT. Of course, I expect to fill some of the weekends in August, September, and October with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

“That’s the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered. It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”

Youthful optimism. A belief that people are ultimately good and the world will be right. It is this outlook that can keep a family together in the face of the worst adversity; it is our children’s optimism that can keep an adult struggling through. We saw an example of this on stage last night in the superbly constructed presentation of “The Diary of Anne Frank at Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall. Their mailers for this production indicate it was submitted for Ovation consideration, and it is truly worthy.

For those not familiar with the story (which is a true story): Otto Frank was a merchant who had moved from Germany to Amsterdam as Hitler rose to power. He brought with him his wife, Edith, and two daughter, Margot and Anne. When Margot received a call-up for a German labor camp, the family went into hiding in a secret annex of Otto’s former business location. Joining them were their friends, Hermann and Auguste Van Pels and their son Peter, and later a dentist, Fritz Pfeffer (those are their real names—the play changes their names to Van Daan and Dussel, respectively). Their only contact with the outside world are two former employee’s of Mr. Frank, Miep Gies and Viktor Kugler (name changed to Mr. Kraler). From 1942 to late 1944, the family hides in the secret annex until their discovery and arrest in August 1944. Only Otto Frank survives the holocaust, and goes on to publish his daughter’s diaries to share the story with the world. The secret annex is later preserved and turned into a museum

The play, which was written in the 1950s by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and readapted in 1997 by Wendy Kesselman, follows the Frank family from the time of their entry into the Annex until their capture, with a short scene after Otto Frank returns to the annex after his liberation. The REP (or the revised script—it isn’t clear) made some adaptations in the opening, deleting the opening scene where the post-liberation Otto is in the Annex starting to read the diary, beginning instead with Anne’s voiceover of the diary). We see Anne enter as a bouncy, annoying adolescent, with a playful attitude and grating personality. As the play continues, we see how Anne matures and begins to calm down and become insightful.. and begins to experience romance. As originally written, the play was not without controversy, both for its accuracy to Anne’s own words and its portrayal of the Jewish experience. Supposedly Kesselman’s updates addressed that; however, I did notice that the play presented a picture of a very assimilated family, with only the occasional Jewish prayer and a single Chanukah observance. Whether that was an accurate reflection of their level of observance, or simply the playwrite’s adaption of the story to make it connect better with American audiences is unknown to me.

I do know that the story, as presented, hit home. I was particularly moved by one line in the first act, where Mr. Dussel relates what was happening outside: men would come home from work to find their families gone; children would come home from school to an empty house. For anyone that cares about someone else, that’s just a chilling image. As we have fewer and fewer survivors to tell their stories, plays such as this grow in importance as a witness to what happened. Once can only hope that years down the road this play is not viewed as fiction, and the Holocaust as a fictional story (as, alas, some world leaders seem to believe today). We must remember that horrors such as happened in Germany in the 1930s can occur anytime and anyplace we move from seeing people as fellow humans to seeing people simply as labels with either accept or hate. I have a fear the intense partisanship and hatred in the US today is moving us to that label-based view, given the vitriol I see in online comments. We must ever be aware, and plays like this (and thought provoking musicals such as Jason Robert Brown’s Parade) deserve to be seen and seen again.

If you can tell that I was moved by the REP’s presentation of the story, I was. This is due to a number of directoral and production decisions made by the first-time director,  Jarod Scott, in addition to the excellent acting of the cast. These decisions include casting age-appropriate actors as the Frank girls (the actress portraying Anne is a 14 year old 9th grader at Canyon HS; Margot is an 11th grader at Saugus HS), how he used the black-box space of the REP (which actually enhanced the tight-quarters of the annex), and how he kept the actors onstage during the intermission, playing their roles, going on with their lives in a space they could not escape. We have seen Jarod act before, but his directoral debut was impressive.

The acting was also top-notch from the typical REP mix of Equity professionals and local talent. All were excellent, and it is difficult to single anyone out… but I must. Brooke Moore as Anne brought a youthful enthusiasm and realism to the character—you could see her as the budding girl she was because Brooke is that age and knows from where Anne is coming. Especially in the first act, she also made Anne’s personality come through—and not in a saccharine sweet goody performance you might expect, but as a truly annoying “I must be the center of attention” young teenager that is the real thing many parents know. She realistically hated her mother (who didn’t understand her) but loved her father, and was impulsive and impetuous and didn’t always have her brain in gear. This from a young girl who has been acting since age 6; quite remarkable and quite good casting. Also impressive was Skip Pipo as Otto Frank, who provided that element of calm reason that I’m sure kept everyone in the Annex sane. I was unsure about  Barry Agin and Libby West^æ as Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, but they shone in the second act in the scenes were Mrs. Van Daan’s fur coat had to be sold because the family was broke, and Mr. Van Daan broke down after stealing some bread. But it was just the little things that made this cast perfect, as could be seen during intermission: the playfullness between Anne and Christina Rideout^æ as her mother; the sisterly love between Anne and  Becky Allen as her sister Margot; the initial annoyance and later budding relationship between Anne and  Robert Altepeter at Peter Van Daan; and the annoyed tolerance between Paul Tigue^æ as Mr. Dussel and Anne—all of these worked together to turn the performance from actors on the stage to people who were these characters, which was wonderful to see. Rounding out the cast were  Bridget Pugliese as Miep Gies (who was delightful to watch in her few scenes) and Robert Henry^æ as Mr. Kraler.
[^æ denotes members of  Actors Equity ]

In terms of production quality, I’m always amazed at how an 81-seat theatre like the REP pulls off what they do. The resident set designer, Jeff Hyde, turned the REPs black box stage into a raised annex with four visibly separate rooms and an attic, with period worn beds and props. The costumes by Christopher Chase of Tribe Productions (who also served as Assistant Director) were appropriately period—I was particularly taken by their drabness, especially in contrast with the eye-popping red worn by Miep Gies who could actually go into the outside world. The sound design by resident sound designer  Steven “Nanook” Burkholder was excellent as always, although intially the Andrea Bocelli mood music seemed odd until one realized that people in that area listened to opera and classical. Of particular note was  Tim Christianson‘s lighting design: not only did it serve to highlight the rooms and the people, it emphasized the harshness and starkness of the life in the annex. It was particularly effective when it was the actor, as during the scene where the Franks and the other families are captured by the Nazi’s (which takes place in almost darkness), and the scene immediately thereafter, where you are just looking at the empty Annex, devoid of its people.  Johnny Schwinn was the resident stage manager. “The Diary of Anne Frank” was produced by Ovington Michael Owston and  Mikee Schwinn, co-artistic directors of REP East.

Uncredited, but certainly deserving of credit, is whomever decorated the REP lobby, which for this production was turned into a museum of the Holocaust, with information on the markings used by the Germans, maps, photographs, and other memorial displays. The REP lobby never gets the credit it should—this is a little theatre that takes the time to set the mood for their shows from the moment you walk into the door. It is this attention to detail that makes this place so special to us.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” continues at REP East until April 16, and is well worth seeing. It is particularly thought provoking; I know it promped an extended discussion in our car on the way home. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office and are nominally $20 for adults, and $17 for students and seniors. You can often learn about discounts and “sold out”s by friending  REP East on Facebook. Discount tickets are available on both Goldstar Events and LA Stage Alliance.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Next weekend is a busy one, with two shows on Saturday: Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica at 4pm, and “Glory Days” at the Lillian Theatre at 8pm. April 9 will bring the Renaissance Faire. April 16 sees us out in Thousand Oaks revisiting “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, with “Lust N Rust: The Trailer Park Musical” at the Lyric Theatre on April 17. April 23rd, which is during Pesach, brings the last show of the current Colony season, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre. April 24 was to bring “God of Carnage” at the Ahmanson Theatre, but the Hottix sold out in ½ hour… so we may try to get rush tickets (for they are not selling rear balcony in advance). The last weekend of April brings another concert: (this is a concert heavy year, it seems): Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center. May starts with our penultimate Pasadena Playhouse production, “George Gershwin Alone“, on May 7. The weekend of May 12-14 will bring the “Collabor8 Dance Festival” at Van Nuys High School, which is always excellent. The third weekend in May is currently open, but I expect that to change. The last weekend of May brings “Cabaret” at REP East on May 28 (note: “Dear World“, which was to have been at the Lyric Theatre, appears to have been cancelled). June begins with “Year Zero” at the Colony Theatre on June 5, with the rest of June being lost to Confirmation Services at Temple (now a maybe), and a college visit trip (but who knows — we might go see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville). Lastly, July should hopefully start with “Les Miserables” at the Ahmanson on July 2 (pending hottix), and continue with “Jerry Springer: The Opera“ (July 8, Chance Theatre, pending ticketing); “Twist: A New Musical” (July 16, Pasadena Playhouse, ticketed); “Jewtopia” (July 17, REP East, ticketed); Dolly Parton (July 22 or 23, Hollywood Bowl, pending ticketing); “Shrek” (July 23 or 24, Pantages Theatre, pending ticketing); and “The Sound of Music” (July 30, Cabrillo Music Theatre, ticketed).

Frankie and Johnnie were lovers
Lordy oh how they did love
They swore to be true to each other
Just as true as the stars above
He was her man but he’s doing her wrong

Thanks to this famous song, the duo of Frankie and Johnny are in the ranks of famous lovers. I’ve been thinking about this since last night, when we saw the first play in the REP East 2001 season, “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”. This play focuses on a waitress named Frankie and a short-order cook named Johnny—two lonely, middle-aged people whose first date ends with them tumbling into bed. Johnny is certain he has found his soul mate in Frankie. She, on the other hand, is far more cautious and disinclined to jump to conclusions. As the night unfolds, they slowly begin to reveal themselves to each other as they take tentative steps towards the possible start of a new relationship.

That’s actually the best description of the entire plot, which is part of the problem with this play. Terrence McNally has written a two-character study, permitting us to learn about the two characters in depth, but not really bringing them to any satisfying conclusion or demonstrating any significant growth in the two characters. The most growth is seen in Frankie, who initially wanted an overnight fling with a coworker who left before dawn, but who (seemingly) became open to the notion of the relationship. Johnny is harder to piece together: you don’t know if he was there for the sex, if he really was in love, or if he was just desparate to have a relationship again. I couldn’t see growth in his character in the play.

Ultimately, this piece left me unsatisfied. I never could fathom a reason to care about these people, and I never got to the point where I cared what happened next to them. I lay the fault on this upon the writer, which is more surprising given some of Terrance McNalley’s other creations, such as “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, “Ragtime”, “The Full Monty”, “The Rink”, or “Man of No Importance”. But that happens sometimes with theatre: what doesn’t touch one person may affect another deeply. So I do encourage you to see the story and share your experiences. Perhaps you have an insight on the story that I have missed. I did reread the review in the Santa Clarita paper: it noted the quality of the acting, and indicated that he did grow to care about the people, even through the “filibuster of dialogue and fits and starts and sex and cooking and burns and sex and ripping off of emotional scabs”. So this really may be a YMMV story.

The REP production of “Frankie and Johnny” was reasonably good, although I think Jeff Alan-Lee, who played Johnny, was off last night, for he had numerous seeming line-misstarts and hesitations. Of course, that could also have been how he was playing the character, for Alan-Lee’s Johnny came off as slightly Aspergers and ADHD, drifting from subject to “oh squirrel” and seemingly not understanding how to interact with people and how relationships work. I liked Sasha Carrera better: her Frankie came off as vulnerable, wanting a relationship but scared of one, and unsure if Johnny was sincere or a psycho… or both. She was fun to watch.
[All actors are members of  Actors Equity ]

The production was directed by David Colwell, who did a good job in working with his actors to portray the neuroses of these two people, and for skillfully moving them so as not to expose something not normally exposed in Santa Clarita (for the two actors start the play naked—yes, this is for mature audiences).

The production team was mostly REP regulars, who did their usual excellent job: Steven “Nanook” Burkholder on sound, Tim Christianson on lights, and Jeff Hyde on sets. Vicki Lightner was stage manager. “Frankie and Johnny” was produced by Ovington Michael Owston and Mikee Schwinn.

I’m not sure this was the best opening production for the season—it really belonged as part of the REP’s “81 Series” for more mature audiences. But I also understand it was a last minute replacement for “Moonlight and Magnolias”, which had to be pulled due to a conflicting production at the Colony Theatre that was licensed first. I am looking forward to the remainder of the REP season: “The Diary of Anne Frank”, “Cabaret”, “Jewtopia”, “Doubt”, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”, and “The Graduate”.

“Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” continues at REP East until February 19, 2011. Tickets are available via the REP Box Office; discount tickets may be available via Goldstar or LA Stage Tix.

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: Tonight brings the first 2011 production for The Pasadena Playhouse, “Dangerous Beauty”. It will be interesting to see what the Playhouse does with this new period musical. Next weekend also brings two shows: “The Marvelous Wonderettes at Cabrillo Music Theatre on February 12, and “Adding Machine: The Musical at The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble on February 13. The third weekend of February is another with two shows: “Rock of Ages at The Pantages Theatre on February 19, and “33 Variations at the Ahmanson Theatre for February 20. February closes with “Moonlight and Magnolias” at The Colony Theatre on February 26. March is also busy. It begins with a Noel Paul Stookey concert at McCabes on March 4. March 5 is the MRJ Regional Man of the Year dinner at TBH. The first two weekends of March are also the Spring Musical, “Evita”, at Van Nuys High School; we’re likely going on Saturday, March 12. Sunday, March 13 is “The Cradle Will Rock” at the Blank Theatre. The weekend of March 19 is currently open, but that probably won’t last for long. Lastly, March 26 brings “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Repertory East. April will bring the Renaissance Faire, “The Producers” at Cabrillo Music Theatre, “The All Night Strut” at the Colony Theatre, and (pending ticketing) Brian Stokes Mitchell at the new Valley Performing Arts Center.

A basic human drive is rivalry, and it is the center of many a dramatic or comedic play. We saw it last week in “Bell, Book, and Candle” in the rivalry between Gillian and the unseen Merle Kittridge. We saw it again in this week’s play, “Amadeus” (written by Peter Shaffer), currently running at the Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall CA until December 11, 2010.

“Amadeus” (you may have seen the motion picture) tells the story of the rivalry between Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart… or should I say imagined rivalry, for Mozart didn’t see Salieri as a rival, whereas Salieri saw Mozart as a rival in God’s eyes. The story is told in flashback, from Salieri’s point of view, as Salieri is dying. He is attempting to confess to killing Mozart by relating the story of how he did the deed. He begins by telling how he dedicated his life to praising God through music, but when he saw Mozart’s music, realized that God had forsaken him and chosen Mozart to be his voice. Further, Salieri saw that Mozart was a base and callow fellow, a pottymouthed, childish prodigy, further cementing the notion that the gift must be from God. At the moment of that realization, Salieri vows to make God abandon his chosen voice. Much of the play is Salieri relating how he believes his actions created the situations that drove Mozart deeper into poverty, dispair, and eventual destitution. At the end, Mozart is dead in his 30s, but Salieri lives on another 25 years being elevated in fame, only to know that everlasting fame and retribution will be Mozart’s, for it will be Mozart’s music that survives. Salieri eventually commits suicide so that his name will at least live in infamy, but fails in that as well.

The REP performance of “Amadeus” was outstanding, thanks to the firm directoral hand of O. Michael Owston (artistic director of REP East) and the talents of the actors. It is hard to separate the two of them, as I learned during the talkback, for the director would make a suggestion as to how to do a scene, and the actors would bring their talent to the realization of the scene.

At the lead of the talented acting ensemble was Daniel Lench^æ as Antonio Salieri. This is an exhausting role, for Salieri is the driving force behind the story, on stage 100% of the time. Lench pulled it off with perfection, capturing the intensity and passion behind the role. The performance was riveting to watch, and well deserving of the standing ovation it received. Also in this performance tier were Daniel Sykes as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Amber Van Schwinn as Constanze Weber Mozart. Sykes captured well the playful child that this play purports Mozart to be, while still providing glimmers of the talented prodigy. He also captured well the descent and how the child-man was unable to reconcile that with his youth. Van Schwinn was a delight to watch as Constanze, for her playfulness came through in her performance in her face, in her movement, and in a general glow. All three were just amazing and are not to be missed.

The second group of actors that were fun to watch were Bess Fanning^æ and Kyle Johnson as the Venticellis. These were the spies (for lack of a better term) for Salieri, bringing him information and rumors about Mozart. Again, their playfullness and their facial expressions and movements just made the characters come alive. Rounding out the cast, in supporting roles, were Harry Bennett^æ (Emperor Joseph II), Mikee Van Schwinn (Baron Gottried Van Swieten), Michael Levine (Court Orsini-Rosenberg), John Morris (Johann Kilian Von Strack), and Carole Catanzaro (Katherina Cavalieri).
[^æ denotes members of  Actors Equity ]

The technical side of the production was handled by a mix of REP regulars and some new folk. On the regular side, we were treated to the always excellent set design by Jeff Hyde, the sound design by Steven “Nanook” Burkholder, and the lighting design by Tim Christianson. The set was augmented by the scenic design by Katie Mitchell, and the two combined created a warm 18th century facility with a beautiful wooden pseudo-harpsichord (which alas, was non-functional, leading to recorded music which perhaps was the one weakness of the show… but then again, teaching actors to play Mozart flawlessly in limited time is difficult). The costumes were by Tonya Nelson of No Strings Attached Costumes and were wonderful to watch (although I imagine not wonderful to be in). Erik Klein served as Stage Manager.

“Amadeus” continues at REP East until December 11, 2010. Go see it, for it is excellent. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office or by calling (661) 288-0000. The REP has announced the 2011/7^th season: “Moonlight and Magnolias” “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” (January 21-February 19); “The Diary of Anne Frank (Mary 11-April 16); “Cabaret” (May 13-June 18); “Jewtopia” (July 15-July 30); “Doubt” (August 12-August 27); “Laughter on the 23^rd Floor (Sept. 16-October 22); and “The Graduate” (November 18-December 17). Member Circle season tickets (2 tickets to each show) are $230 adult/$200 student & senior; Patron Circle (1 ticket to each show) is $120 Adult/$110 student & senior. Call the REP for information on subscribing or information on additional packages.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. November closes with two shows: “The Wild Party” at Malibu Stage Company on Friday November 26, and “Randy Newman’s Harps and Angels” at the Mark Taper Forum (ticketed for Saturday November 27). December will bring “Uptown, Downtown” starring Leslie Uggams at the Pasadena Playhouse on December 11, “Next to Normal” at the Ahmanson on December 18, and for Karen and Ern, “West Side Story” at the Pantages Theatre on December 24 (I’m not interested in that particular production, especially at Pantages prices).

Looking briefly into 2011: January is mostly open with only Tom Paxton at McCabes ticketed for my birthday, January 21. February will bring the first show of the REP 2011 season, “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” (pending ticketing for February 5), followed by “The Marvellous Wonderettes” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on February 12; “Rock of Ages” at the Pantages on February 19. February closes with “Moonlight and Magnoliasat the Colony Theatre on February 26. March is also mostly open right now, although March 26 is being held for “The Diary of Anne Frank” at REP East. Of course, I learn of interesting shows all the time, so expect additions to this schedule.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review, and that I purchase my own tickets to the shows. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.

One of the classics of horror fiction is the novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. According to Wikipedia, stage adaptations began in Boston and London within a year of its publication and it has gone on to inspire dozens of stage and film adaptations of the novella, including over 123 film versions alone. This is all in way of introduction, for last night we went out to Santa Clarita to see one of those adaptations: “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at REP East, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher.

We’re likely all familiar with the basics of the Jekyll and Hyde story, having learned about it on Bugs Bunny: Mild mannered doctor turns into murderous beast after drinking a potion he concocted, yada yada. Although that’s the heart of the concept, the execution of the story differs. Most adaptations differ from the original novella (summarized well on Wikipedia). Certainly the musical (which we saw in March 2008) was a far departure from the original. Hatcher’s adaption is also a departure from the novella. Although it starts similarly, with Richard Enfield telling of an encounter with Mr. Hyde when he beat a little girl and paid off the family, it makes some notable changes in the story. These include turning Sir Danvers Carew into a fellow doctor espousing theories Dr. Jekyll disagrees with, changing the timing and placement of the significant attacks, and introducing a love interest for Mr. Hyde, Elizabeth Jelkes. The most significant change, however, is in portrayal. Most adaptations have the same actor playing both Jekyll and Hyde. This adaptation has one actor playing Jekyll, and four different actors (who also play different roles in the production) all playing Edward Hyde at various points. This sounds like it might be confusing, but it actually isn’t because the actor’s characterization of Hyde is so good, and so drastically different from their other characters.

In this adaptation, the story is presented as a series of vignettes summarizing the story of Hyde chronologically from the first encounter with Enfield to the ultimate reavealing of the true identity of Edward Hyde to the characters of the story. Each vignette is introduced briefly by one of the characters providing context. The changes in the story deemphasize the scientific and experimental aspects of the story (and, according to my daughter, blur Stevenson’s original point which she believes to be a commentary on the dangers of science and medicine). The changes focus instead on whether man can control their baser instincts, or whether once the genie is let out of the bottle, it is gone forever. Hyde is the genie, and once let out, he threatens to overpower Jekyll, and in fact, is responsible for Jekyll’s ultimate fate. This is the key point: for it is a slow descent where one doesn’t realize they are trapped until it is too late. Perhaps this is a lesson to take to heart as we rush after our latest pleasure and decadent experience. I also found the character of Elizabeth Jelkes interesting: here is a seemingly well-mannered woman who is attracted not to the successful doctor Jekyll, but only to the beastly Hyde. Again, this is something we see far too often: women attracted to men who will ultimately destroy them, drawn by the fun, the adventure, and the excitement. As the story showed, such relationships rarely end well. Lastly, I’ll note that this play got me ultimately thinking about psychpharmacology: it would be intresting to track the development of pharmacology in theatre from the early work of Dr. Jekyll to its use in “Next to Normal”.

One of the things that made this production so good were the talented actors, under the capable directoral hand of Joe Miele, assisted by Tim Christianson. Most of the actors portrayed multiple character roles in addition to Edward Hyde; Miele was able to draw out significantly different characterizations that made these different people clear. Heading the cast was Joseph Barone^æ as Dr. Henry Jekyll. His portrayal of Jekyll was sufficiently mild-mannered so as to provide great contrast with the various portrayals of Hyde. These portrayals were provided by Ally Iseman (Hyde, also Poole (Jekyll’s housekeeper), Surgical Student, Police Doctor, Maid); Todd Larsen^æ (Hyde, also Dr. H.K. Lanyon, Surgical Student); Skip Pipo^æ (Hyde, also Sir Danvers Carew, Richard Enfield, O. F. Sanderson, Inspector); and Jarod Scott (Hyde, also Gabriel Utterson). Each of these portrayals was slightly different, yet all were convincingly menacing that you wouldn’t want to meet these Hydes in a dark alley. The distinction between their normal characters and Hyde were heavily in voice and demeanor, as well as the presence of a skull-topped walking stick. Playing Hyde’s love interest was Laura Eichhorn^æ (Elizabeth Jelkes). She was sufficiently mild-mannered that you wondered what attracted her to Hyde, which (as I noted above) appeared to be one of the questions raised in this version.
[^æ denotes members of  Actors Equity ]

The technical aspects of this production were at the REPs usual excellent level, having been done by REP’s resident team. The set, by Jeff Hyde, was mostly black with a movable red door focal point; as such, it placed the focus on the actors in this story. Lighting was by Tim Christianson, and did a wonderful job of establishing the mood. The sound by Steven Burkholder was less amplification (you don’t need mics at the REP) but sound effects and timing—all of which were excellent. Credits were not provided for the costumes, but they were generally simple black cloaks and dress clothes of the era. Video backgrounds were by Mikee Schwinn. Johnny Schwinn served as Stage Manager.

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde” continues at REP East until October 16. Tickets are available through the REP Online Box Office, or by calling (661) 288-0000. You can often get ticket deals by friending REP East on Facebook.

The REP has announced their 2011 season (their 7^th), which consists of: “Moonlight and Magnolias”, “The Diary of Anne Frank”, “Caberet”, “Jewtopia”, “Doubt”, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”, and “The Graduate”. Although some of these have been (or are being done) locally recently (“Jewtopia” is currently at the Greenway Court Theatre in West Hollywood, and “Moonlight and Magnolias” is at The Colony Theatre from February 2 to March 6, 2011), it will be interesting to see the REP take on these shows. The specific dates for each production haven’t yet been released to the public. Subscriptions are available starting at $120.

Upcoming Theatre and Dance. Next up on the theatre calendar is “FDR” at the Pasadena Playhouse on October 24. Yes, I said The Pasadena Playhouse, and in what is quite a surprise to us (as we donated the remainder of our subscriptions during the bankruptcy period), we are getting tickets to the remaining 2010 productions! I want to commend the Playhouse for this gesture—for us, at least, it is doing a remarkable job of rebuilding good will.

Continuing with the upcoming theatre list: October concludes with “Happy Days: The Musical” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on October 30. I’ll also note that October 23 will be a Family Gaming Night at Temple Ahavat Shalom—if you’re a board gamer in the area, come one out… we start at 4:30pm). November will see “Bell, Book, and Candle” at The Colony Theatre on November 13; “Randy Newman’s Harps and Angels” at the Mark Taper Forum (November 10–December 22, Hottix on sale October 19, potential date November 21); and “Amadeus” at REP East (ticketed for November 27). December will bring “Uptown, Downtown” starring Leslie Uggams at the Pasadena Playhouse on December 11, and “Next to Normal” at the Ahmanson (November 23–January 2; Hottix on November 2; planned date December 18 or 19). It should also take Erin to “West Side Story” at the Pantages Theatre, which is pending ticketing (sigh).

Looking briefly into 2011: January will bring Tom Paxton at McCabes on my birthday, January 21 (pending ticketing), and perhaps the first REP show of the season. February will bring “The Marvellous Wonderettes” at Cabrillo Music Theatre on February 12; “Rock of Ages” at the Pantages on February 19 or 20 (pending ticketing), and “Moonlight and Magnolias at the Colony Theatre on February 26. Of course, I learn of interesting shows all the time, so expect additions to this schedule.

As always: live theatre is a gift and a unique experience, unlike a movie. It is vitally important in these times that you support your local arts institutions. If you can afford to go to the movies, you can afford to go to theatre. If you need help finding ways, just drop me a note and I’ll teach you some tricks. Lastly, I’ll note that nobody paid me anything to write this review, and that I purchase my own tickets to the shows. In fact, I receive no remuneration for any reviews I write.