Therese Raquin

Therese Raquin

Roundabout Theatre Company

Studio 54

December 26, 2015

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

My colleague and fellow blogger, Dierdre Deloatch, texted me last week to say she saw Therese Raquin.  She highly recommended it.  Since I trust her more than the reviews, I immediately went on line to TDF to see if it was available.  I got a ticket for December 26 at 2:00, and prayed that Keira Knightly and Judith Light would both be in for the matinee.  They were, and I have to concur with Ms. Deloatch.  The show is dark and intense.  It is wonderfully conceived and directed.  All the performers are engaging and mesmerizing.

Matt Ryan, Judith Light, Keira Knightly, & Gabriel Ebert
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Adapted from the Emile Zola novel by Helen Edmundson, this tale of repression and servitude takes place in France in the year 1868.  Therese Raquin (played by Keira Knightly, making her Broadway debut) has been raised by Madame Raquin, her aunt (played by Judith Light).  Now that she is of age, Madame Raquin arranges for Therese to marry her son, Camille (played by Gabriel Ebert).  It is a loveless marriage based on the servitude that Therese has become accustomed to through her upbringing.  When Camille announces that he wishes to move the family to Paris for better opportunity, Therese sees the glimmer of a better life.  She quickly realizes that hope is futile, until her husband brings home an old friend, Laurent (played by Matt Ryan).

Keira Knightly & Matt Ryan
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

The chemistry between Ms. Knightly and Mr. Ryan is electric.  When Laurent first enters the Raquin’s Paris residence, you can feel the magnetism between the two characters.  The action of two-thirds of the play hinges upon this attraction, and these two actors skillfully deliver with exuberance.  Therese speaks sporadically during Act I, yet Ms. Knightly has the ability to clearly and effortlessly communicate her thoughts through subtle body language, carefully gestures, and intimate glances.  Both Laurent and Therese undergo huge transformations in the second act.  Ms. Knightly and Mr. Ryan seamlessly take these leaps by captivating the audience until the climax of the play.  They motivate every change and communicate every thought.

Keira Knightly & Judith Light
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Judith Light is amazing as Madame Raquin, a role out of her physical type and age range, yet clearly not out of reach of her incredible talent and expertise.  The aging and infirmity of her character is impeccable and emotionally driven.  Gabriel Ebert is riveting as Camille.  He skillfully portrays his constrained upbringing through his narrow mindedness, condescending comments, and physical disability.

Gabriel Ebert, Matt Ryan, & Keira Knightly
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

The production is magnificently directed by Evan Cabnet.  The pace is steady and even.  There are small moments throughout the play that entice the senses into a deep level of engagement and keep you riveted.  The set is breathtaking.  A river flows across the stage creating tranquility, disturbance, and fear – each of which reflects Therese’s emotion at different times in the play.  The expanse of space and light of the Raquin home by the river is sharply descended upon by the heavy, low-ceilinged Paris apartment.  Lamont’s attic, sky lit apartment literally hangs amid the stars.  This unbelievable design by Beowulf Boritt makes possible a visceral understanding of the underlying fire in the characters and keeps the plot of Ms. Edmundson’s commissioned and concise adaptation moving forward.

If you listened to the reviews of Therese Raquin, chances are you missed seeing this moving and enthralling Roundabout Theatre production.  If it makes you feel better, you are not alone.  The theatre, during Broadway’s busiest season, had a large number of empty seats.  Not to worry, there’s still time.  Therese Raquin plays as Studio 54 until January 3.  Run… now! 

  

Domenick Danza

Marjorie Prime

Marjorie Prime

Playwrights Horizons

December 19, 2015

Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Is virtual reality a mere reflection of projected thoughts, or does it have a life separate and individual from those programming it?  This is a question that arises from experiencing Jordan Harrison’s Marjorie Prime at Playwrights Horizons.  The play is skillfully crafted and seamlessly directed to blur the lines between these realms.  The cast draws you deeply into their world and intimately connects you to their hopes and fears.

Tess (played by Lisa Emery) and Jon (played by Stephen Root) set up their aging mother, Marjorie (played by Lois Smith), with a prime of her deceased husband (played by Noah Bean).  The purpose for this is two-fold: first, to keep her company and second, to keep her memories alive.  A prime is a computer generated image in the likeness of a specific person.  This prime can interact as this individual when programmed with information about your relationship and details of your shared experiences.  Since perception frames most involvements, the truth of these interactions becomes questionable.  This is why Tess is skeptical of the effect these conversations have on her mother.  Jon is certain of the benefit they offer, since he sees improvement in Marjorie’s outlook.  He later understands Tess’s concerns when he has a need to develop a personal relationship with a prime.

Lisa Emery, Lois Smith, & Noah Bean
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

This play is all about relationship, and director Anne Kauffman has brought these four actors to a place where their interactions are truthful and sincere.  Lois Smith is superb as Marjorie.  She portrays the numerous layers of this aging character with strength, conviction, and detail.  Lisa Emery elicits great emotion and compassion as a woman who yearns for connection with her mother in order to resolve her deepest struggles.  Stephen Root’s character is continually warm, caring, and empathetic.  The chemistry between him and Ms. Emery is natural and dynamic.  Noah Bean emits a grounded calm that makes you understand why every character in the play willingly opens up and graciously reveals themselves to him. 

Stephen Root, Lois Smith, & Lisa Emery
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Jordan Harrison's writing proves that a skilled playwright can lead you on a journey almost anywhere.  His dialogue is full of dramatic action that keeps you riveted.  The final scene of the play takes a stunning turn.  Can life’s most complex challenges be virtually resolved by merely combining streams of logic to given facts?  Marjorie Prime is extended at Playwrights Horizons until January 24.  See it and understand the depth and value of Marjorie’s simple statement, “How nice that we could love somebody.”

Domenick Danza

Hir

Hir

Playwrights Horizons

December 12, 2015

Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

I read Taylor Mac’s play Hir last winter in American Theatre Magazine.  Hir refers to the pronoun used in place of him or her for a transgender person.  I remember it being bold and powerful, yet I knew that my first read only comprehended the surface level of meaning.  When I read that Kristin Nielsen was going to play the role of the mother, Paige, in the PlaywrightsHorizon production, I knew it was going to be great and that I had to see it.  I even paid full price for my ticket (usually I get tickets discounted on line from TDF).  The performance was worth three times what I paid for it.  Director Niegel Smith delves deeply into every detail of Mr. Mac’s amazing script and inspires the phenomenal cast of four to deliver truthful and visceral performances.

Kristine Nielsen and Tom Phelan
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Isaac (boldly played by Cameron Scoggins) returns home from three years in the Marines to find his family in crisis.  His father, Arnold (skillfully played by Daniel Oreskes), suffered a stroke, his sister, Max (brashly played by Tom Phelan) is in gender transition, and his mother, Paige (brilliantly played by Kristine Nielsen) has abandoned all of life’s structures and disciplines, disregarded the household chores, and allowed her home to fall into total chaos.  It is revealed that Isaac was dishonorably discharged due to drug abuse, and his father physically abused the family for years.  Isaac begins to organize and clean the house, against his mother’s wishes.  It is this action that sets off a frenzy of emotion and truth telling from which there is no turning back.

  

Cameron Scoggins, Kristine Nielsen, and Daniel Oreskes
Photo courtesy of Playwrights Horizons

Gender roles are in constant flux, and frustration over the disillusionment that comes along with this flares up without warning.  It is a constant roller coaster of emotion, and the actors make it authentic and plausible.  Between Isaac’s service in Mortuary Affairs, where he cleaned up body parts of dead soldier after battle, Arnold’s holding and talking about his penis due to his diminished capacity, Max’s transition, and Paige’s enthusiasm for discussing Max’s transition and her “paradigm shift” in viewing the world, there is plenty of talk about body parts.  Mr. Mac brilliantly weaves these images into his dialogue making bold statements about honoring the dead and parts of the past into practically every scene. 

Kristine Nielsen
Photo courtesy of
 Playwrights Horizons

The set is a realistic “starter home” designed by David Zinn.  It is in total disarray at the opening of the first act.  Even the house curtain has a pattern that evokes chaos.  The set has a solid and low ceiling, yet lighting designer Mike Inwood brilliantly enhances every playing area.  His combination of actual ceiling fixtures and stage lighting is remarkable and effective.

This play is significant and truly incredible.  Mr. Mac’s voice is strong, his characters are real, and his writing style is unique.  The timing of all four actors is impeccable, their chemistry is fierce, and their physicality is sharp.  If you don’t get to see this production before it closes at Playwrights Horizons on January 3, pick up a copy of the script, read it, and have a “paradigm shift” of your own.  As Paige says, “Sometimes you spend your entire life preparing for something to be one way and right from the starts it’s another.”

Domenick Danza

Nora

Nora

Cherry Lane Theatre

December 7, 2015

Photo courtesyj of Cherry Lane Theatre

The Cherry Lane Studio Theatre is the ideal location for the dark and intimate production of Nora, a stage version of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, by Ingmar Bergman.  With audience on three sides in that small venue, everyone is able to obtain an up close and personal connection to the characters and their challenges.  The play is set in the time period of Ibsen’s original script, yet the location is not specified.  The subordinate role women play, although spoken about, is not portrayed through action.  We also do not see Nora interacting with her children.  Therefore, Nora’s decision to leave her husband and children at the end of the play is not as risky, shocking, or impactful as intended by Ibsen.

Jean Lichty and Todd Gearhart
Photo courtesy of Cherry Lane Theatre

Jean Lichty and Todd Gearhart are focused and thoughtful as Nora and Torvald.  Their relationship is strong, yet this adaptation lacks the playful “doll” aspect that is the basis for their attraction and marriage.  When Nora’s act of forgery is revealed, Torvald’s self-preserving reaction is clear and in the moment.  We do not, however, see Nora come to any realization in that scene.  Bergman holds off on Nora’s confrontation with her husband until later that night.  While he lies naked in bed, she awakens him, fully dressed, ready to leave.  Torvald is confused by her decision to walk out on him and the children.  He claims he is willing to change, yet she is unrelenting.  Torvald is victimized by her decision.  This feeling is heightened by director Austin Pendleton’s staging.  At the end of the play, Torvald is seated on the bedroom floor, naked and wrapped in a blanket from the bed. 

  

Jean Lichty and Larry Bull
Photo courtesy of Cherry Lane Theatre

The portrayals of Christine Linde and Nils Krogstad, by Andrea Cirie and Larry Bull, are dark and formal.  The sadness they carry due to their life experiences weighs heavy on them both.  The combination of this with their strong, palpable chemistry creates an intriguing storyline.

The hardship and despair in the lives of all the characters is evident and skillfully portrayed.  By the end of the play they are all cleansed of the guilt of their secrets and shame.  If this is Bergman’s intention, it is well directed and performed.  A journey to awakening, such as Nora’s, needs to have some sense of hope, awakening, and continuity.  Unfortunately, Bergman’s adaptation has stripped Ibsen’s play of those moments, leaving behind nothing more than a dark journey of loss and despair.

Domenick Danza

Incident at Vichy

Incident at Vichy

Signature Theatre

The Pershing Square Signature Center

November 27, 2015

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

SignatureTheater’s production of Incident at Vichy is relevant, timely, and jaw-dropping.  It is as if the script was recently written by Arthur Miller as an allegory to our present political/social climate.  Racial profiling, acting above the law, prejudice, scapegoating, events that evoke fear, denial of governmental motivations… history continues to repeat itself.  Director Michael Wilson delves into every emotional moment and political/social innuendo that allows this phenomenal ensemble to create a truthful and powerful performance.

Darren Pettie, Jonny Orsini, & Evan Zes
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

The year is 1942 in Vichy, France.  Hitler and the Nazi Party have gained a substantial amount of power.  Ten men have been rounded up from the streets and taken to a holding area.  They are expecting a routine check of papers.  As fear and paranoia mounts, they share the rumors of trains packed with Jews brutally shipped off to concentration camps.  Since the Nazi atrocities have yet to be made public, their disbeliefs become a heated debate.  Everyone has the required paperwork, yet once they find out what the officers are looking for, they realize there is no escape.

Darren Pettie & Richard Thomas
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Richard Thomas plays Von Berg, an Austrian Prince, who was evidently profiled for a different reason than the others.  As it becomes clear that he is the only man with any chance of being released, he is challenged by Darren Pettie, who plays Leduc, to look deeply into his conscience.  Is he guilty of the same prejudice and bigotry as the Nazi’s because he views himself separate from the others?  Is the lack of action from a man of his position and wealth a choice that enables the Nazi rise to power?  Mr. Pettie depicts the duality of his character by emotionally retaining his sense of reason while physically portraying his mounting desperation.  The outcome of this confrontation is stunningly powerful and Mr. Thomas delivers it with poignant strength and commitment. 

Richard Thomas, Derek Smith, & Jonathan Gordon
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Derek Smith delivers a captivating performance as Monceau.  The self-confidence and “panache” of his character fires up the debate and makes denial a palpable element that empowers the opposition.  Every actor in this company develops individual and realistic characters and are equally responsible for creating an experience that is eye-opening and awe-inspiring.

The set, by Jeff Cowie, is realistic and dirty (as it should be).  The soundscape, designed by John Gromada, is highly effective.  It is subtle in the opening of the show, then grows and builds as you realize the reality of the situation and the fate of the characters.  Projection design by Rocco Disanti packs a powerful image for the ending of the play.

James Carpinello
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

“What the play really probes and asks is no matter your class, no matter your political affiliation, what is one’s own personal responsibility to these kinds of situations?  I think that becomes a compelling, harrowing question to face for not only the characters in the play but also for us as an audience,” states Director Michael Wilson in a Signature Theatre publication.  The production is extended through December 20 at the Pershing Square Signature Center.  Experience the play for yourself and see how you fare with that essential question.

Domenick Danza

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Lorna Luft Celebrates her Mother Judy Garland

On Stage at Kingsborough

Kingsborough Community College

November 21, 2015

Photo courtesy of On Stage at Kinsgsborough

Lorna Luft wowed the sold out Brooklyn crowd at Kingsborough Community College with her one woman show, Songs My Mother Taught Me, a celebration of her mother, Judy Garland.  The show was one classic tune after another with video of Judy Garland, and images of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.).  Ms. Luft is a powerful and talented vocalist with a unique connection to old Hollywood.  She skillfully belts out the old standards with vim and vigor, and tells stories of her life and challenges.

Photo courtesy of Songs My Mother Taught Me

Under the direction of her husband, Colin R. Freeman, Ms. Luft was supported by an ensemble of eleven musicians.  The ensemble was strong and vivacious, and filled the auditorium with enhanced rhythm.  Highlights of the show were when she sang Jerry Herman’s “Time Heals Everything” in the first act and “The Man That Got Away” in the second act.  The two songs she sang harmonizing with a video of Judy Garland were a bit too much, but the tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. was exciting.  The evening culminated with her telling the story of how Judy Garland got to Carnegie Hall in song and narrative.

If you have the opportunity to catch Lorna Luft’s cabaret, whether it be Songs My Mother Taught Me or another title, I highly recommend it.  Vocalists with this kind of power, skill, and style are a rarity.

Domenick Danza

Shadowland

Shadowland

Pilobolus Dance Theatre

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

November 22, 2015

Photo courtesy of NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

After an extensive European tour, Shadowland, Pilobolus’ latest creation, is making its North American premier at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.  This astonishing seventy minute full-length piece is conceived and developed in the unique and successful collaborative style that Pilobolus is famous for.  The nine dancers are strong, skillful artists who defy gravity and lift the spirits of every member of the audience.

Photo courtesy of Pilobolus

Shadowland tells the coming of age story of a girl who longs to be a grown up.  The main part of the piece is a dreamscape where she faces the shadows of her fears and realizes the truth of her individual self.  Shadow screens are flipped over, rolled around the stage, carried by hand, and flown in, allowing the story to be told in both shadow and fully-viewed sections.  This variety gives insight into how the main character views herself.  You are therefore able to emotionally connect to her psychological journey.  

Photo courtesy of Pilobolus

I took my two nieces to the performance.  Brianna, a high school freshman, who experienced Pilobolus for the first time said, “I feel the piece portrayed how you should always be yourself and not change for other people.”  Madeline, a twenty-three years old accountant, saw Pilobolus two summers ago at the Joyce Theatre and is now a confirmed Pilobolus groupie.  She said, "The level of emotion was heightened through the shadow play.  I didn’t need to see their faces since the illusion of the shadow effects were so expressive and riveting.”

If you have never experienced Pilobolus, run to the Skirball Center and get a ticket.  Shadowland is playing through December 6.

Domenick Danza