Tennessee Williams 1982

Tennessee Williams 1982

Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

Walkerspace

February 14, 2016

Photo courtesy of Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

Tennessee Williams 1982 is Playhouse Creature Theatre Company’s production of two lesser known and obscure pieces by Tennessee Williams.  A Recluse and His Guest is a world premiere and The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde is a New York premier.  Both pieces were completed a year before the playwright’s death (hence the title).  The works are very dark and pessimistic in nature.  They contain graphic sexual abuse scenes.  The main characters in both works are seeking a safe refuge, one by continually moving forward, the other by reverting to a place of optimistic memory.

A Recluse and His Guest takes place in “a far northern town in a remote time.”  Nevrika, a wanderer (played by Kate Skinner) takes shelter with a recluse, Ott (played by Ford Austin).  In a short time she manages to build a home for herself and help him emerge from his fearful hiding.  His deep seeded trepidations eventually push her away.  She comes to a realization, “I think it is life to go on even when it is death to.”

Declan Eells & Kate Skinner in
The Remarkable Rooming House of Mme. LeMonde
Photo courtesy of
Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company

In The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde we meet Mint (played by Jade Ziane), a paraplegic living in an attic room of Mme. LeMonde (played by Kate Skinner).  He is sexually abused by LeMonde’s son (played by Declan Eells) on a daily basis.  Mint invites his old school chum, Hall (played by Darwin Patrick Williams), to tea.  Hall rudely neglects Mint and verbally abuses him by recanting his sexual encounters.  Bedlam erupts and is brought to an end by Mme. LeMonde who utters, “The loss of one fool makes room for another.”

Director Cosmin Chivu and the entire cast do an exceptional job creating reality out of these very obscure pieces.  The location of A Recluse and His Guest rings true, and the bizarre activities of The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. LeMonde are motivated by primitive and genuine need.  Strong performances by Kate Skinner, Ford Austin, and Jade Ziane make this a production worth seeing.  Scenic design by Justin West and lighting design by John Eckert are exceptional.  Their use of the space is unique and ingenious.  Director Cosmin Chivu and choreographer Quentin Madia creatively utilize the layout gaining maximum effectiveness and interest in the events that move both plays forward.

Tennessee Williams

It is difficult to gain an accurate perspective of a play when the playwright does not participate in the developmental process that comes with rehearsing its world premiere.  Being that as it may, if you are a Tennessee Williams scholar, aficionado, or fan, this production is for you.  Presently in previews, Tennessee Williams 1982 opens on February 21 and runs through March 13 at Walkerspace on 48 Walker St. in SoHo.

Domenick Danza

Smart People

Smart People

Second Stage Theatre

Tony Kiser Theatre

February 7, 2016

Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theatre

I immediately bought a ticket to see Second Stage Theatre’s production of  Smart People because it is written by playwright Lydia Diamond.  I studied playwriting with her at Chicago Dramatists a number of years ago.  She focused on teaching how to write realistic and riveting dialogue.  Her script overflows with this specialty.  Her dialogue connects the characters on a visceral level, creates compelling relationships which leads to strong conflict, and draws your attention deeply into what drives the play forward.  The production has a few flaws, but Lydia’s writing is sharp and detailed.

The title speaks for itself.  The play is about

Joshua Jackson & Tessa Thompson
Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theatre

four smart people.  Brian (played by Joshua Jackson) is a Harvard professor conducting a study on racism, particularly how a person’s brain reacts when seeing images of people of different races.  Jackson (played by Mahershala Ali) is a surgeon immersed in his residency while simultaneously running a clinic for people at risk.  Ginny (played by Anne Son), also a Harvard professor, is a psychologist who specializes in working with Asian women adapt to American society.  Valerie (played by Tessa Thompson) is an actress who cleans houses to pay off the extreme debt from graduate school.  The lives of these four very smart people intertwine as they emotionally relate and respond to one another based on their racial upbringing, self-image, and stereotypical expectations.  The deeper level of conflict surfaces when they choose to directly share their points of view on race relations.

Tessa Thompson & Mahershala Ali
Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theatre

The four powerhouse actors skillfully deliver these multi-dimensional characters with energy and vitality.  Their relationships are true and their emotional portrayals honest.  Unfortunately, there are times when they move in and out of the light.  Jason Lyons made some very bold choices in his lighting design, yet it does not always illuminate the playing areas completely.  The projections, designed by Zachary G. Borovay, create a strong atmosphere, yet spread over the set in a way that distorts the images.  Scenic design, by Riccardo Hernandez, utilizes the vast stage at the Tony Kiser Theatre, yet take away from the impact of the more intimate scenes.

Smart People runs at Second Stage Theatre through March 6.

Domenick Danza

An Afterthought:

When I got to the box office to pick up my ticket, the matinee had just let out.  There was a group of women heavily into a conversation about the social stereotypes and racial bias the show presented.  Since I just read a very poor blog review about the show, I listened into the discussion to get a different mindset before viewing the performance.  The women were committed to their points of view and impassioned by how the show broadened their frame of understanding. 

When I left the theatre that evening, I found myself agreeing with a few comments I heard earlier, yet I did not think the play made a strong statement about race in America.  The play did resonate with me, and after a few days of thinking about it, I realized that the depth of the characters and juxtaposition of the situations made a stronger statement than I had originally realized.

The two male character, one white and on black, are both frustrated with a specific work situation.  When each character voices their frustration, they face similar repercussions, yet are viewed very differently.  There is a strong commonality to their frustration, yet these two very intelligent, well-educated, hard working men cannot see beyond their own self-image and racial bias in order to bond over their situations. 

Playwright Lydia Diamond

This is one example of the subtle and powerful style in which Lydia Diamond chose to write this play.  There is a lot there, under the surface.  It is the purpose of theatre to make us think.  A catharsis occurs when we are able to view ourselves and the world differently after a shared experience.  Smart People is that kind of play.  See it if you want to understand yourself differently, but don’t expect it to be handed to you with ease.  You’re going to have to think, and that’s what makes good theatre.

Misery

Misery

Broadhurst Theatre

February 7, 2016

Photo courtesy of Misery 

Misery has been one of my “must sees” this season.  With its limited run quickly coming to an end, I resigned myself to the fact that I was probably not going to get to see it.  A little push to the TKTS booth in Time Square for a Sunday matinee was all I needed.  It was well worth the wait.  The production was as funny and suspenseful as I hoped.

Laurie Metcalf did not disappoint as Annie Wilkes, the role that won Kathy Bates an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1990.  She truly made the role her own.  She was likeable and caring at first, then gradually revealed her darker and more gruesome sides in smooth, justifiable transitions.  Making his Broadway debut, Bruce Willis maintained a strong presence as Paul Sheldon.  His character remained calm and rational in the face of life threatening danger.  There were a few jarring and terrifying moments that, even though expected, were highly effective.

Bruce Willis & Laurie Metcalf
Photo courtesy of Misery

Playwright William Goldman, who also adapted the movie version from the Stephen King novel, created a concise ninety-minute, three character version of this gripping tale that was entertaining and frightening.  David Korins’ turn table set design created a sense of entrapment while also allowing for location changes.  The lighting (by David Weiner), sound design (by Darron L, West), and original music (by Michael Friedman) established a clear time line and further developed the mystery and suspense that enhanced Mr. Goldman’s compact script.

Photo courtesy of Misery

The most humorous and effective moment was in the final scene when Paul Sheldon crosses to a microphone on stage to speak about the release for his new book.  The audience applauded and cheered for Bruce Willis, which was the perfect response his character would have received from an audience attending his speech.  The only weak spot was the climactic fight scene where Paul Sheldon overtakes Annie Wilkes.  Its lack of intensity could have been due to its brevity, the actors being off their timing, or a little of both. 

If you have not yet seen Misery, there’s still time.  It closes on February 14.  You have a good chance of getting a discount ticket on TKTS in Times Square.  What are you waiting for?

Domenick Danza

The Humans

The Humans

Roundabout Theatre Company

The Helen Hayes Theatre

January 31, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Humans has moved to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre.  The script, written by Stephen Karam, is brilliantly crafted with strong dramatic action that keeps the audience riveted.  Director Joe Mantello directed a seamless ninety minutes of action that enthralls, entertains, and excites.  The cast of five naturalistically delve into the underlying issues that bubble beneath the surface of continuous holiday conversation.  They then boomerang back with understanding that tenderly defines the family network that the play so aptly and realistically portrays. 

Brigid (played by Sarah Steele) invites her family for Thanksgiving dinner.  She has just moved into a new apartment in lower Manhattan that she shares with her boyfriend, Richard (played by Arian Moayed).  Her mother, Deirdre (played by Jayne Houdyshell), is constantly dropping remarks about Brigid and Richard not being married.  Her father, Erik (played by Reed Birney), has been having trouble sleeping and shares one of his disturbing nightmares.  Her sister, Aimee (played by Cassie Beck), is suffering from gastric colitis, has recently broken up with her longtime partner, and is being let go from her law firm.  Momo, her grandmother (played by Lauren Klein), is suffering from dementia and violent outbursts.  The “normal” family holiday stress drives the dinner conversation, revealing a few serious emotional scars.  The evening culminates in an announcement that shakes the foundation and security of this close family unit.

Sarah Steele, Arian Moayed, & Jayne Houdyshell
Photo courtesy of The Humans

This is a true ensemble piece with five strongly developed characters.  Each one carries a storyline of their own.  It is their careful and deliberate intertwining that makes the play engaging.  All the actors are fully committed and create a web of complex relationships that are realistic, truthful, and endearing.  The set, by David Zinn, is an ingenious split level design that effectively allows action to be viewed simultaneously.  The lighting, by Justin Townsend, and sound, by Fitz Patton, create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that builds as the play reaches its climax.  

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Humans is performed without an intermission.  There is no late seating and the notice in the program says, “If you leave your seat for any reason during the performance, you will not be permitted to return.”  Rightly so.  The action of this play should not be interrupted once it begins… and should not be missed.  Get a ticket today!

Domenick Danza

The Glory of the World

The Glory of the World

Actors Theatre of Louisville

BAM Harvey Theatre

January 16, 2016

Photo courtesy of
Brooklyn Academy of Music

Sentiment leads to celebration, which leads to deep emotion, which leads to hurt feelings, which leads to anarchy… and it all stops for pizza.  That is the main action of Charles Mee’s The Glory of the World now playing at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Harvey Theatre.  Direct from Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays, this unique and original work directed by Les Waters is a celebration of the mysteries and complexities of our existence.

Photo courtesy of Actors Theatre of Louisville

The show begins when a solitary man silently enters, barefoot, and sits with his back to the audience in contemplation.  His thoughts are projected on the upstage walls of the set, which appears to be an empty warehouse.  As the man gets up to leave, the garage door upstage center opens and seventeen men walk downstage singing happy birthday to Thomas Merton (his 100^th).  He is toasted as a Buddhist, a Catholic, a Communist, a Bohemian, a monk… the list goes on and on throughout the play.  These men party with a sense of love, devotion, admiration, fierceness, and aggression that builds to an all-out brawl.  The action of one moment viscerally leads to another with a physicality that is humorous, musical, brutal, and metaphorical.  The amazing cast boldly commits with such a high level of vitality that you can’t help abandoning all thoughts and simply experience the journey of the moment.  Hence, the theme and purpose of the production, which is intuitively conceived, spiritedly constructed, and brilliantly delivered.  

Photo courtesy of Actors Theatre of Louisville

To have an original piece from the Human Festival presented in Brooklyn is a rare opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of.  The Glory of the World is an appropriate title for this production.  It runs at BAM Harvey Theatre through February 6th.  You have to experience it! 

Domenick Danza

Our Mother’s Brief Affair

Our Mother’s Brief Affair

Manhattan Theatre Club

At the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

January 10, 2016

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

Our Mother’s Brief Affair is Richard Greenberg’s new play presently in previews at the Manhattan Theatre Club.  It stars Linda Lavin who delivers a strong performance as a woman in the final chapter of her life who shares her secrets with her adult children.  The script gradually builds momentum in Act I, then throws a curve right before intermission that begs for more detail.  Mr. Greenberg successfully follows through in Act II, however, the final scene, could use some edits and tightening in order to deliver the impact the script deserves.

Seth (played by Greg Keller) is speechless when his mother Anna (played by Linda Lavin) reveals, during a hospital stay, that she had a brief affair when he was a teen.  He immediately calls his twin sister, Abby (played by Kate Arrington), who flies to New York from California to assist him.  Even though the hospital stay proves to be another one of their mother’s overly dramatic incidents, the secrets she shares with them open up a side of her that neither of them knew before.  Seth questions how much is truth and how much is delusion, but Abby gives her the benefit of the doubt.  Either way, Anna has her moment and the healing has begun.

Gregg Keller & Linda Lavin
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Company

Mr. Greenberg crafts a script full of poetic detail that engages the emotions.  The opening scene is a respectful and humorous remembrance of a mother by her son.  Seth’s job as a writer of obituaries and someone who “frames” the lives of the dead serves as a metaphor for the themes of the play.  Mr. Greenberg shows this hand early on in the script, and skillfully builds on it throughout the play.  Some of the humor in the beginning of Act II is dark.  Perhaps if the pace of this section is heightened and the timing tightened, the laughs would come more readily.  Mr. Greenberg writes a tremendously poignant and personal monologue for Anna part way through Act II, which Ms. Lavin portrays flawlessly.  This is the strength and beauty of the play.  It is followed, unfortunately, by a clumsy final scene where everything is wrapped up too succinctly.  With some tweaking and editing of this scene before opening night, this play can deliver an impact on all three characters that will resonate with all audience members.

Each of the actors creates a realistic character that is multidimensional and likeable, which makes this production worth seeing.  Our Mother’s Brief Affair opens at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 20 and runs through March 6.  If you see it after the opening date, please post your comments here and let me know what you think about the final scene.

Domenick Danza

Dada Woof Papa Hot

Dada Woof Papa Hot

Lincoln Center Theater

At the Mitzi E. Newhouse

January 2, 2016

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Peter Parnell’s new play, Dada Woof Papa Hot, explores the change that takes place in the relationship of a married couple after they have children.  Is there enough time for everyone to get the right amount of love and attention they need?  What if the child bonds with one parent more than another?  What happens when one parent adapts more readily to parenthood and its challenges?  More importantly, are these concerns different for a gay couple as a straight couple?  Mr. Parnell successfully examines the fears, worries, joys, and letting-go that come with commitment to this life-long change.  There are laughter, tears, and strong understanding of what it means to settle in for the long haul. 

John Benjamin Hickey & Alex Hurt
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

When Alan and Rob (played by John Benjamin Hickey and Patrick Breen) befriend another couple, Scott and Jason (played by Stephen Plunkett and Alex Hurt), they expect to bond over stories of their children, who just entered the same pre-K class.  The attraction between Rob and Jason heats up at the same time that Alan’s best friend Michael (played by John Pankow) admits to seeing another woman behind his wife’s back.  Each of these six characters honestly opens up about their relationships and how they have been different since the children came along.  It is through these six varied points of view (gay, straight, male, female, older, younger) that Mr. Parnell examines the pitfalls and benefits of raising a family.  Each character approaches their challenges differently, showing that when it comes to creating and building a family, there is no such thing as traditional.

John Benjamin Hickey & Patrick Breen
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

The second to last scene of the play is the most honest and well-written.  It is between Rob and Allen, where they actually voice their fears and face their emotional blocks.  Surprisingly, Alan, who has been pretty steadfast and sure of himself throughout the play, is the one who gets emotional.  This admission allows Rob to express his disappointments.  It is through this confrontation that the underlying conflict of their relationship, which drives the action of the play, is able to resolve.

This play refreshingly discusses the change of values our society faces at this time in its evolution.  It does it with humor and heartfelt moments.  The dramatic twists and turns, however, are very much foreshadowed.  This does not make them any less climactic, just a little too predictable.

Domenick Danza