Cleveland Public Theatre: Akarui [Bright]

Cleveland Public Theatre, presenting world premiere of playwright Jen Silverman's Akarui now through June 9th, always manages to pack in surprises.

Photo: Steve Wagner/Courtesy CPT

Akarui is no exception -- a mix of stories and fables, pounding music and drama -- with settings ranging from an American bedroom to Baba Yaga's chicken hut and a rave cave "at the end of the world" is a compelling story of acceptance and the power and right to change.

Aside from phenomenal acting -- which I'll get to in a moment -- the set, lighting, and sound design were all among the best of those productions in recent (and not so recent memory) effectively and creatively supporting the story without being intrusive and a completely believable portal to another dimension through the theatre's proscenium.

I don't do blood, guts, or surgery well -- I'm known to pass out with detailed descriptions -- but typically with plays I'm able to put it aside as fiction without problem. At one point near the end of Act I, Akarui's story combined with persuasive acting had me feeling a little lightheaded (and Rachel asking "are you alright...?")

Photo: Steve Wagner/Courtesy CPT

Beth Wood's demented portrayal of Baba Yaga [yes, the same Baba Yaga as also appears in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition] as mad scientist kicked the action off to an amusing start and her appearances throughout rarely left without a worried chuckle ("Why do you insist on torturing yourself when I'm already torturing you?" perhaps being my favorite line from the show) -- but compelling didn't end there.

A DJ (Chris Siebert) watches over and occasionally guides the happenings. Each of the interlocking stories is a character undergoing change -- female to male, alive to dead, manta ray to man -- and struggling with acceptance, of their own status and as well as their status as seen by others -- before arriving at a rave "at the end of the world". And that rave is full of energy that spills out into the audience.

About two hours including an intermission, the show's pacing and overlapping stories held even my attention and it felt only about half as long.

Lincoln

(Directed by Raynond Bobgan, Cast: Chris Siebert as DJ Akarui, Beth Wood as Baba Yaga, James Alexander Rankin as Joshua, Molly Andrews-Hinders as DC, Davis Agulla as Fish/Manta Ray, Richard Brandon Hall as Mateu, Lew Wallace as Stack, Dionne D. Atchison, Roxana Bell, Carly Garinger, Fay Hargate, Jeremy Paul, Amy Schwabauer, Adam Seeholzer, Rose Sengenberger as Chorus; Todd Kripinsky, set design; Alison Garrigan, costume design; Benjamin Gantose, lighting design; Chris Siebert, pervussion coach; Michael Roesch and Raymond Bobagn, sound design; Richard Brandon Hall, choreographer; Danielle Case, production stage manager; Jennifer Caster, assistant producer)

Cleveland Public Theatre: At-TEN-tion Span

Cleveland Public Theatre is quick to point out that that At-TEN-tion span isn't merely a festival of unfinished short plays but is, instead, a single show of twelve short plays loosely linked together.

This year all twelve works are works created by Cleveland artists and cultivated at CPT, and all are in effect world premieres. Some are funny, some are weird, some are introspective, some are most of the above. Though I was completely sober going into the show there are a few where, to be completely honest, I think a bit of a buzz could have helped make a bit more sense out of a few of them: And if you care to take my advice there, you're in luck: The bar in the lobby is open a bit early.

Throughout the evening performances move on and off stage and around the theater-- sometimes the audience is instructed to take a seat -- literally -- while moving from piece to piece; others you are moved to seating mysteriously prepared while you're otherwise occupied.

At-TEN-tion Span runs at CPT through February 4th.

The works are
Act I
The Refrain, conceived and directed by Jeremy Paul; featuring Ray Caspio, Jenni Messner, Adam Seeholzer
Openings, conceived and directed by Raymond Bobgan; featuring members of the ensemble
Crash Project conceived and directed by Pandora Robertson; featuring Ray Caspio, Lauren Joy Fraley, Caitlin Lewins, Adam Seeholzer
Fail, conceived and directed by Simone Barros; featuring Faye Hargate, Darius Stubbs
How... conceived and directed by Raymond Bobgan; featuring the ensemble
Act II
How 2, conceived and directed by Raymond Bobgan; featruring the ensemble
El Beth-el, conceived and directed by Dairus Stubbs; featuring Dionne D. Atchison, Stevem Schureger, Darius Stubbs
The Three Musketeers conceived and directed by Douglas H. Snyder; featuring Lauren Joy Fraley, Caitlin Lewins, Lauren B. Smith
To Fasten Your Seatbelts... conceived and directed by Renee Schilling; featuring Ray Caspio, Jere,y Paul, Amy Schwabuer, Lauren B. Smith
If I Lie, conceived  and directed by Chris Seibert; featuring Molly Andrews-Hinders, Amy Schwabuer, Adam Seeholzer
Sealed, conceived and directed by Raymond Bobgan, featuring the ensemble.

While the program was generally linked, as far as subject matter it was like channel surfing a hotel's cable TV lineup -- or Cleveland weather: If you didn't like what you were watching (or if it was making you think too hard) just wait a few minutes and something completely different would be along.

So for me I didn't really get The Refrain or Sealed -- and after the performance Rachel warned that if I tried thinking too hard my head might explode. How and How 2, both products of CPT Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan bookended Intermission and the way in which the actors are utilized reminded me of atoms in a molecule bouncing off each other exchanging electrons and ideas.

I'm not sure how much I can say about Openings without giving away this delightfully surprising mirror on real-life-theater but be prepared to do quite a bit of looking around -- and perhaps choose a seat near the back for the best view

Fail takes a nervous tick and amplifies it before transferring it as one heretofore unsuccessful writer discovers that the successful writer doesn't have all the control that he thinks where a pregnancy is involved and was one of Rachel's favorites.

While all were well acted, The Three Musketeers was at the top of its game with what I think was a commentary on relationships -- again Rachel warned me that my head may go boom if I thought too hard on it -- and was just generally funny.

My hands down favorite, though, was To Fasten Your Seatbelts: It didn't require critical though but had me laughing out of my seat (I was within about a half inch of winding up on the floor) and is a subject near to my heart: Air travel. While the cast of zany flight attendants make it funny, I think the stress of an interview or an on-the-job test makes this relatable to just about anyone who's set foot in the real world: This alone was worth the trip to the West Side; combined with all of the others it was an evening well spent.

Synopses, summaries, or even the intended meaning of the plays was not included in the program so please feel free to share your take or interpretation in the comments

Lincoln

I [heart] NYC Day 0: The Mountaintop with Samuel L. Jackson

The work part of this trip ended when I returned the rental car for the "business" portion out in the 'burbs, dropped my coworker off at Newark Terminal C, and boarded NJTransit bound for New York Penn Station (not to be confused with Newark Penn Station, the first stop after the airport).

It took a bit longer than I expected but the trip was utterly uneventful and about $12.50. Leaving Penn Station on foot I walked uptown to 41st street and checked in to my favorite hotel in New York City, the Hilton Times Square -- where this time, my room on the 43rd floor has a fantastic panorama of Manhattan including the New York Times and Empire State Buildings. The very city texture which I love of Manhattan.

After dropping my luggage in the room at about 7:30 I continue walking up town -- I love how easy Manhattan is to navigate (uptown = street numbers get bigger / downtown = street numbers get smaller) and find the Theatre Development Fund's TKTS booth. I was in the mood for a musical, but all of the musicals on the board -- and it now being about 7:45 I had either (a) seen before (b) was planning on seeing the touring version at PlayhouseSquare [so why waste a night on Broadway?] or (c) had heard enough about to have no interest in seeing.

So in Lincoln fashion and with less than 15 minutes to published curtain I did what I normally do: Picked one that I haven't even heard of from the board, bought a ticket for a play called The Mountaintop and walked (this time downtown) to the Jacobs Theatre on 45th between Broadway and 8th for The Mountaintop, staring Samuel L. Jackson (as Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Angela Bassett (as Camae) in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968.

If that date doesn't click for you (for some reason when read the setting line in the program the room number was what triggered my recollections): Mr. King was assassinated outside that room on April 4th. . The beginning is a bit mundane: He relieves himself, then begins working on a speech. Calling for room service -- discontinued the previous week -- a housekeeper, Camae (Angela Bassett) delivers the coffee and a relationship between the two of them grows as they share cigarettes and she slips a bit of whisky ("Irish Cough Surup") into his coffee. But then it takes a surreal turn and it turns out Camae is an angel -- sent to bring Mr. King to heaven.

We see an even more human side of Martin Luther King--he's not prepared to be a martyr. There's too much left undone and he has to see it through to completion. It's difficult for me to summarize and like Next To Normal the total profundity is just starting to hit me -- and work on my emotions -- now, two plus hours after I left the theater. It seems like something worth seeing and both Ms. Bassett and Mr. Jackson turn in compelling performances where, combined with a realistic grungy 1960s hotel room set, you leave the decade for a good ninety minutes.

Returning to 2011 and leaving the theatre I bought my Unlimited Ride Metro Card. At $29 for 7 days of unlimited MTA rides, I'm still convinced that it is one of the best bargains in New York and made it Carnegie Hall's neighborhood of 57th and 7th for a quick and light dinner at Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridian. The psychological break and total incongruity that one passes while crossing from the hotel lobby (a high-end New York hotel that isn't cutting edge design trend-wise, but isn't by any stretch dull) to Burger Joint (a place that serves Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Grilled Cheese, Fries, and nothing else in an environment whose decor (and the ancient TV hanging on the wall) is most reminiscent of 1964, including paneled walls.

Subway back to the hotel... and I am ready to sleep.

More tomorrow.

Lincoln

Cleveland Public Theatre: Springboard - Again And Against

I don't make it West to Cleveland Public Theatre as often as I'd like, but a friend suggested that I check out the Springboard Festival -- and with my Saturday night open (and feeling a bit guilty for missing Pandemonium) I figured it would be a great opportunity to bring Rachel across the river.

Springboard is a festival of staged readings -- each play is a new work, still being honed to perfection. Actors are on script, only a (single) handful of rehearsals are allowed, creative staff are allowed and encouraged to make revisions. I've only attended a handful of readings -- staged or unstaged -- but it appeals to my quest to get "behind the scenes" and it's also a unique opportunity for the audience, in most cases, to contribute to the development of a work -- suggestions and concerns are frequently taken into account as the piece is massaged before it becomes fixed and finally staged.

Tonight's offering was playwright Betty Shamish's Again and Against, with Raymond Bobgan (as an Iraqi-American FBI agent) interrogating Ms. Chris Seibert (as a Palestinian-American accused of terrorism but claiming to agitate only for understanding) with Beth Wood providing the rare bit of context via voice over. In the program, all three are given directing credit; online Ms. Wood has that credit. All three gave commendable performances, with Mr. Bobgan and Ms. Seibert being particularly gripping; especially considering that they were on script*. Based on the casting and context clues it took a relatively long time for me to figure out that both characters shared an ethnic heritage -- which is fairly important to the plot of the play.

The action unfolds entirely within a sparsely-furnished interrogation room. A college student is accused of plotting terrorist acts -- she insists that it's merely a not-so-peaceful protest and she doesn't (and didn't) intend to harm anyone. Over the course of the interrogation stories are told as truth, truth is served as a as a story, and the only thing clear is the lack of clarity: Where do stories end and the truth begin? Does she know more than she's telling; who is actually interrogating her? Where is the line between protest and terrorism? What is truth, anyway? Is it what is written (and therefore the woman's need for her side of the story to be written down during the interrogation?)

Sympathies change with every newly revealed truth -- or is it a lie? While I initially found the female sympathetic... half-witting participant in something she didn't fully understand and without malevolent intentions...the revelation near the end of the play that twenty dogs were involved made me doubt the one thing that heretofore had been without question. Are you assimilated? What culture do you identify with? What do other people see you as?

While the play was gripping and compelling -- billed at a 140-minute, intermisisonless, run time it didn't feel nearly that long -- but so much information was being thrown out, and so much of it then revealed to be lies -- that it was difficult to keep track of what information was actually important, and I feel I occasionally lost track of the message amongst the mental filing, refiling, and shredding.

Following the performance, there was a brief talk back and it was interesting to hear how other audience members reacted: A condemnation of politics and society, from one member. Men generally sympathized with the interrogate (and her sarcastic humor hooked me), while women generally found her abrasive and irritating--and without sympathy. (I wish more productions would include this feature--certainly helps to round out the theatre going experience)

Information about the rest of Springboard can be found on Cleveland Public Theatre's Website at http://www.cptonline.org/theater-show.php?id=160.

Lincoln

* i.e. reading from the script.

Cleveland Play House: The Life of Galileo

(through October 9, the Allen Theater at PlayhouseSquare)

It's interesting that the Cleveland Play House is opening a new act in its vast history -- moving from the long time home at 8500 Euclid to PlayhouseSquare -- to waters more or less unknown, with a dramatization of the Life of Galileo Galilei, persecuted for challenging the church and common wisdom about the planets. Galileo is credited with improvements to the compass -- and it seems an improved compass is exactly what the Play House is gaining with their new facilities.

The evening started at a commercial photographer friend's studio for their Fine Art Show (gallery hours continue Saturday -- and 20% of the proceeds go to Kick-IT, a national charity... Some really awesome work) before we migrated further downtown. Parking was easy, though the walk to the theaters has changed; popping into the Allen lobby we quickly located the ticket desk, though it didn't seem to be operating at peak efficiency.

Walking into the theater as the first audience for the first show in the new Allen I had a good idea of the physical space but wasn't really sure what to expect from the experience. To say that the experience is a vast improvement from 8500 is an understatement of astronomical proportions. Even from the audience, each of 8500's spaces felt worn and rickety; it wasn't abnormal to hear odd bumps, clacks and bangs throughout a performance. These were nowhere to be heard in the Allen. The seats are actually padded.

Acoustically, the house is just live enough to avoid that disturbing anechoic chamber feeling of a completely dead space. Changes in scenery on, above, and under the stage were virtually silent (in the second half the orchestra pit cover is slightly lowered during the act. It took me a while before (a) I noticed it was moving and (b) I convinced myself it was actually lower and not an optical illusion). The only complaint I have is that lighting in the house during the show, namely aisle and step lighting, seems much brighter than necessary, and the glare is a bit distracting... I hope it will be dimmed in the future.

We were seated in the two seats in Box L on house left side -- as far left as one can get in the new Allen house. I was a bit concerned about sight lines, but was curious about how it would work out... and even these seats offered a good view of the vast majority of the stage [and I rather like the elevation of these seats, mid way between the orchestra floor and the balcony]

The play itself was an interesting look at Galileo's life and a handful of his closest followers and the challenges and persecution from the church...but the narrative leaves a few holes (I didn't get, for example, that Galileo's telescope improved on those commercially available previously, rather than copied, or that he spent the remainder of his life on house arrest). Digital projection is used -- with admirable restraint -- throughout to paint a variety of backdrops, time and place markers. Some of Galileo's theories and drawings are likewise illustrated, providing a captivating and flowing line of information that would be otherwise difficult, if not impossible to convey. At one point flaming caricatures of politicians make an appearance but otherwise it's very restrained.

Though this was the first preview performance (official opening comes Wednesday), the show was well and convincingly acted by a talented company that supported a suspension of disbelief, with just a few stumbled and quickly recovered lines. Though furnishings seemed to be of the general period, clothing and props were distinctly modern--leading to a discussion with Rachel during intermission about the history of "iron"ing clothes, and my total preoccupation during a scene with a walker-toting Cardinal trying to figure out when Rubber and welding came in to common use.

A handful of times, though, we leave the comfort of Galileo's life to brief song and dance numbers that are entertaining but still a little rough around the edges (I had trouble the speech intelligibility during these, however I had no issues understading dialogue during the balance of the show).

It seems that a bright star will be over the Play House's new home.

Lincoln

PlayhouseSquare 2011-12 KeyBank Broadway Series Launch

Today was the day that PlayhouseSquare announces their next KeyBank Broadway season. Tonight was a party with a recap of those selections for group sales, and I was glad to be invited back. Before we get to the new, let's not forget that there are still a few shows left in this season not the least of which are Next To Normal which I've been eagerly anticipating since seeing it on Broadway (and I made a minor fool of myself by singing along with I'm Alive while the theater filled up this evening) and Jersey Boys, although I think I'm going to pass on it this time, it holds a special place in my musical heart having seen it twice pre-Broadway, and pre-Lincoln in Cleveland while I was living in California at the La Jolla Playhouse (including once with director Des McAnuff and Frankie Valli just a couple rows in front of me). The warmup for tonight's announcement was a buffet and open bar -- the food was pretty good, and the conversation amongst fellow theater-goers was likewise enjoyable. It was great to hear what other people love about Cleveland, and for the life-long Clevelanders what they've seen change -- including when the theaters that are now PlayhouseSquare were movie palaces in the 50s. For the new season, I remembered several of the shows from the trip that I won to last year's Tony Awards courtesy of Playhouse Square... and they were all numbers that I enjoyed to some extent* so I'm really looking forward to this season: Million Dollar Quartet (October 11-23, 2011, Palace Theatre) - Based on the true story of a Sun Records jam session on December 4, 1956, Million Dollar Quartet is a gritty look inside the recording studio when Elvis Presley, Johnny Carson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins were together for the first and only time. While I was interested from the beginning, the surprise appearance of the Original Chicago cast (who will be reprising their roles and kicking off the national tour in Cleveland) certainly amped up my level of excitement for the show. Of course, it's worth mentioning that the performance by members of the Million Dollar Quartet cast this evening took place in the same building that Alan Freed's WJW-AM radio broadcasts, credited for popularizing Rock and Roll -- both the term and the music -- originated from. La Cage Aux Folles (November 8-20, 2011, Palace Theatre) - Of the shows this season, I'm least sold on La Cage because I'm still a bit foggy on what it's about, though the "we are what we are and what we are is an illusion" line quoted by Ms. Vernaci is intriguing (as are the conservative parents from Ohio coming for dinner; this seems to be a Broadway musical theme). Hair (January 17-29, 2012, Palace Theatre) - A legendary musical, and one of the shows I most regret not seeing during my last trip to New York [nude scene and my discomfort with nudity notwithstanding]. I know it for the songs Age of Aquarius and Let the Sun Shine In, the promo material is dripping with the catchy Hair. A musical about Americans searching for peace and love amongst turbulence, it looks like this should be an interesting and entertaining look at a time past with themes that are ever relevant. Hair generated violent reactions in its era and has two notable connections to Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare: When the first national tour opened in the Hanna Theatre, someone attempted to bomb the theater (breaking several windows and causing no injuries) and several family members of the touring company died in a Cleveland hotel fire. Memphis (February 28-March 11, 2012, Palace Theatre) - 1950s Memphis, the story of a white DJ who wants to change the world with music, a black singer waiting for her big break, forbidden love and expolosive danging. An original score with music by a founding member of Bon Jovi (David Bryan), I couldn't resist toe-tapping in Radio City during the Tony Awards show, and I had a hard time restraining myself this evening. The Addams Family (April 10-22, 2012, Palace Theatre) - The "conservative parents from Ohio come for dinner" theme from La Cage Aux Folles" resurfaces here when Wednesday Addams falls for a "sweet, smart, young man from a respectable family". Billed as a "family portrat that's completely off the wall" this musical has looked beyond the films and the television series to Addams' original cartoons that ran in the New Yorker for inspiration. Come Fly Away (May 8-20, 2012, Palace Theatre) - Music of Frank Sinatra and the choreography and direction of Twyla Tharp... I'm not the biggest Sinatra fan, but the excerpts staged during the Tony Awards were captivatingly energetic, combined with unexpected enjoyment from Michael Fieinstein's Sinatra Project with The Cleveland Orchestra's makes this a definite possibility on my list. Last but most certainly not least, Sondheim on Sondheim (May 30-July 22, 2012, Hanna Theatre) -- co produced by PlayhouseSquare and Great Lakes Theatre Festival to celebrate GLTF's 50th anniversary season and is "revue of a lifetime" and takes you inside the head of the Broadway's "greatest living composer" featuring videotaped interviews with Mr. Sondheim interspersed with live action, I'm quite looking forward to it. I'm reminded of the Invocation and Instructions to the Audience from The Frogs and recapitulated in Side by Side by Sondheim which is how I came to know it...I'd hum it for you but you're better off iTunes or Googling it -- or just watch from about 2:40 in this YouTube video -- though the version I'm most familiar includes a variation on the standard curtain speech that makes me crack a smile every time). I'm a firm beleiver that this should be used before any performance, not just Sondheim. Ok, so now I'm just rambling... Lincoln *- One show very thankfully not in this season was Fela! which ranks among the worst theater I've seen, and is the only time I've disputed a credit card transaction for a purchase I actually made (and I won that dispute). A several friends who saw the performance during the Tony Awards described it as "suck[ing] all of the energy from the room" so I'm obviously not alone there.

Cleveland Play House: My Name is Asher Lev [With Happy Hour]

The Cleveland Play House hosts periodic happy hours which I try not to miss because they're a great low-key way to bump into new artsularly inclined people as well as check in with old friends and acquaintances. While the typically held at greater Cleveland bars, tonight's was in the Play House's back yard at MoCA Cleveland.

Arriving at the Happy Hour I knew I wanted to do something after but I wasn't sure what -- CPH had two plays up (My Name is Asher Lev and Present Laughter) and CIM had a orchestra concert, which sounded interesting but some of the details were a bit strange, so it got ruled out pretty early. Present Laughter, was a contender (and something I want to see anyway) but was sold out this evening. Last play standing: Asher Lev.

(Deep exhale). I was really on the fence about Asher, if for no other reason than I accidentally read the review of the show by a critic who is one of few people I can't stand*. He loved it. Our paths and tastes rarely cross.

All of this is really stalling while I try to figure out how I feel about the play. Intimately set on thrust stage, from beginning to end everything was convincingly three dimensional; Asher's early childhood at three stops, his teenage years, and adulthood are all visited (though there were explicit breaks between the first several vignettes, I the break between "13" and "adult").

Growing up in a Hasidic Jewish family, Asher discovers artistic ability at an early age; the art isn't encouraged by his parents (who view the art as something between a waste of time and sacrilegious), he pursues art in spite of their objections, staging conflict between Asher and his parents, but the Rebbe (for whom his father works) forges a connection to an artist behind his parents back [I'm making an assumption here]. The artist challenges and encourages Asher's development. Asher grows, culminating in an exhibition that is at least initially critically acclaimed but further alienates his parents.

While I have no qualms with the way the story was told, I just couldn't connect or relate to much of the story...I can't say if it's because I've never been particularly religious, or just never had conflicts of that magnitude with my parents ("Just remember", my mother said growing up and says to this day, "do whatever you want, but I will not bail you out of jail.") but it didn't resonate with me.

The character of Jacob Kahn, like all of the secondary male characters played by Tom Alan Robbins, was the person who most interested me individually and with his relationship to Asher Lev (Noel Joseph Allain) with some particularly interesting comments on art ("An artist either reflects his life or comments upon it..."), making decisions based on conviction as opposed to because it's the hip/trendy/easy path.

Though I am a straight, red-blooded American male, I am also a bit prudish and generally uncomfortable with nudity. This production includes a scene with female nudity that felt nearly eternal as I tried to avert my eyes without directly staring down the audience member next to me (based on my front row house left seat, she was literally standing in front of me, though for the majority of the audience I believe her back would be to them). Late in the play, Asher -- at lest I think it was Asher -- makes a comment on the difference between a painting of a naked woman and a nude: A naked woman is a woman who's not wearing any clothes, while a nude is a vision of an unclothed woman filtered through the eyes of an artist. I have to say I've never considered that difference.

In keeping all of the canvases, sketch books, and scraps of paper used to showcase Asher's art blank, the audience is interestingly forced to project their own illusions of what "great art" is into that space. The amazing sounds of a mostly-solo cello weave together the scenes and set the emotional tone in a way that only a stringed instrument can. I'm a little disappointed that that musician and/or composer do not seem to be credited in the program.

So... I'm still not sure how I felt about it. Maybe after I sleep on it I'll have stronger feelings.

Lincoln
*- Though I've never met in person.

Cleveland Play House: This Wonderful Life

(Through December 19th at the Cleveland Play House, 8500 Euclid Ave)

Complimenting the beautiful display of Christmas Trees in the lobbies, the Cleveland Play House is presenting a fresh take on a seasonal classic with This Wonderful Life (an adaptation of Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life).

I wasn't really sure what I had purchased a ticket for (a ticket acquired on pure impulse--"One for the next show, please" during the Light Up The Night festivities earlier this week) and had some fear when I learned it was a one-man show. The theatrical Christmas show is just about as hackneyed as a department store's Black Friday sale. The one-man show is a risky venture for both theatres and audience: Inexpensive to produce, if the audience hates that one-man they hate the entire cast.

This Wonderful Life, though, is a risk that pays dividends. The one man, James Leaming inhabits his characters. Arriving a bit early I caught the tail end of a talkback he was hosting; as talkback gave way to the audience invocation gave way to the action the transition was seamless; Mr. Leaming greeted arriving audience members, gave the cellphones-and-exits speech (though he didn't mention if seat cushions could be used for floatation) and then the real entertainment began. Though not roll-on-the-floor funny there are plenty of asides, tongue-in-cheek references, restrained sight gags, and double entendres sprinkled throughout to keep things amusing.

One challenge I often have with one-man/one-woman shows is filtering through the noise of over-the-top costume changes or accents and to keep track of who is whom. There are no costume changes, though the occasional accent is sparingly used to add depth.

Though the general plot is unlikely to surprise anyone even vaguely familiar with the film, looking at it in a wholly new context brings fresh clarity and relevance to the classic, and that ultimately selflessness reaps bountiful harvests and true friends are of immeasurable value.

This holiday season value your loved ones and friends...and seek always to make new friends.

Lincoln

Great Lakes Theater Festival: An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde)

At some point--roughly the same time as Great Lakes Theater moved into their new Hanna Theatre home at PlayhouseSquare--I fell off of Great Lakes Theater's mailing list. Postcards are still, believe it or not, the primary vehicle through which events make it to my conscious--also known as my calendar*. And thus the reason GLTF is just now appearing on this blog.

This was my third time in the Hanna: Wicked Rocks being the most recent venture, the one before that, too long to remember. The theater is gorgeous, intimate, and as I learned on a walking tour over the summer, rich in history theatrical history.

On tap for tonight -- and speaking of on tap, the bar in the back of the house is open 90 minutes before and after every performance -- Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband. Though The Importance of Being Earnest is virtually inseparable from Mr. Wilde's name in my mind this is the first of his works I've seen performed.

I was impressed. Though the first few minutes seemed a little stiff, like an engine coming up to speed the four acts (one intermission) purr along quite enjoyably. The set is elegantly simple and restrained: The predominant feature besides the actors are a series of chairs that are arranged to set each scene.

Though originally premiered in 1895 the themes are no less relevant 115 years later, and quite apropos given the current, particularly vicious mud-slinging campaign season. Revolving around a dishonorable secret, political blackmail and counter-blackmail, the dangers of elevating loved ones to pedestals and unyielding moral judgements it isn't difficult to imaging the same set of events occurring as I type.

Likewise, given my long-standing status as "single", the various quips about men regrading women, women regarding men, and both on their spouses: Again 115 years later as relevant now as then. I found myself chucking more often than not as Mr. Wilde and the GLTF production team accurately captured both themes in a reflective social commentary.

Witty dialogue well timed made this a performance well-worth attending.

Lincoln

Anyone Claiming "There's Nothing to Do In Cleveland"

As a non-native -- someone who doesn't instinctively respond "I!O!" when prompted by a stranger screaming "O!H!" -- people often ask why I say I love Cleveland, not infrequently adding "There's nothing to do here".

This reaction has tempted me, on more than one occassion, to kidnap a person to show them Cleveland through an outsider's eyes. That probably wouldn't end well. But the thought has crossed my mind.

I bring your attention to the past 9 days, wherein I personally...
Attended one visual arts event. Cruised the museum of art solo, twice. Saw two plays: One hysterically funny, one left me feeling as if I was a hostage to boredome. Attended two faculty recitals of chamber music. Heard the concert that opened the Orchestra's 2010-11 season. Saw a comedy show. Saw and heard an opera. Mingled during two happy hours. Met a new friend for wine. Had a violin lesson. Attended a rehersal that was amazing. Got a couple 10 mile walks in.

That's right...15 events in 9 days...and there are at least two that I was interested in that I didn't make it to for one reason or another. And yet, "Why would you move here? There's nothing to do in Cleveland!".

Disappointing, of course, that I didn't meet any singles "my age" during any of those events, but there are certainly things to do in Cleveland. And I'm just an "artsy guy" -- if you add sporting events to that list, you get well...a nearly endless variety.

Particularly worth noting is that more than half of those events were free; all but two under $50...(And I think there are options for both of those that would get them at or under $50 in the right circumstances).

Why I love living in Cleveland...

Lincoln
(Presently in Columbus for work.)

Dobama Theatre: The Walworth Farce

(Written by Edna Walsh; Directed by Mark Moritz; at Dobama's Lee Road Theatre in Cleveland Heights through October 3rd)

The character of Haley, well played by Carly Germany, spends most of the second half of The Walworth Farce as an unwitting hostage trying to escape from a demented family's flat. The longer the play the progressed, the more closely I related to Haley with one major exception: She was able to leave.

While calling The Walworth Farce the least compelling legitimate play I've ever seen is undoubtedly an overstatement, it is certainly the least compelling in recent memory. Perhaps it was because I was expecting something funny and entertaining -- Wikipedia defines farce as "a comedy which aims to entertain the audience..." -- and perhaps I should have taken the The Simpson's episode I watched last night as a harbinger* in this respect -- but aside from some very quiet chuckles at the beginning [i.e. before a line of dialog was spoken] it struck me as neither funny nor entertaining.

I can't really fault the actors -- who seemed to be doing the best they could with the material given, but I also hate to lay 100% of the blame on the script. Perhaps most telling, during intermission--where a portion of the audience explicably disappeared--I overheard the following exchange between a group of older women in front of me:

"It's a play about...?"
"Well, that's a good question. I can't say."
"It's dark"
"Yeah, it's dark"

That seemed to be general consensus: I certainly couldn't tell you what the play was about with any level of specificity beyond a deranged family. I can't tell you what the moral was -- if there was one -- nor do I feel any different about a particular issue or the world in general. I felt no call to action, no desire to do anything but get the hell out. I left the theater as I entered with one major exception: My wallet is $25 lighter.

Well, it wasn't all bad: The actors all pulled off 'deranged' well and Ms. Germany's Hayley was convincingly terrified. Ron Newell's set was both superbly detailed and one of the more visually interesting of recent memory which at least made the 2-hour show slightly less painful to sit through.

Lincoln
*- Any Given Sundance, to be specific, but I can't the exact quote from Marge. The gist: Don't trust titles.

Cleveland Public Theatre: Pandemonium

"I don't need your umbrella, that's OK, I like the rain" - No More Kings, Umbrella

"Well, I'm a horrible dancer, I ain't going to lie, but I'll be damned if that means I ain't going to try / Yeah, I'm a sh---y romancer, baby I ain't gonna lie, but I'll be damned if I ain't going to try" - The Limousines, Internet Killed the Video Star

"No time for cameras, we'll use our eyes instead, I see flashes of gold" - Matt and Kim, Cameras

So... I'm confronted with a conundrum: I had planned on attending Cleveland Public Theatre's Pandemonium with someone who I would have been meeting for the first time and who had a rather pressing personal matter come up. Despite the best efforts of myself, friends, and even a few random strangers I couldn't come up with someone to use the ticket. Thus, if I'm evaluating value at $125 per person Pandemonium was a fantastic hit; if I'm evaluating value at $250 per person, effectively what I paid, eh...it's a bit steep.

The event, covering nearly the entire CPT campus, including parts that I had never before realized were parts of the CPT campus defies easy description: With performances ranging from stand up comedy to interpretive dance on 20-odd stages throughout the complex, mingled with food from an equally diverse selection of providers, all without being nickle-and-dimmed-- admission is truly all-inclusive.

Early in the evening I decided not to ask questions, but before we get there... I helped to build a bridge. Literally. And it may have been the single most memorable part of the night for me. As the event began it was raining, and a small river formed between the main entrance and half of the stages. Several CPT volunteers and staffers looking quite nice in their evening wear were shuttling bricks in to form a dry walkway and it seemed like it would have been most ungentlemanly of myself to not lend a hand while they were wading through the water...so that's exactly what I did. Eventually a 8' table also appeared, and between the table and bricks we solved a problem. Boom.

Then we get to the not asking questions part: Those who know me know I'm probably one of the pickiest non-itarian eaters you'll encounter in the wild. Tonight I made a conscious effort not to ask what I was eating, or to examine it too closely: I took a small portion, tasted, and moved on. While all of the food was reasonably good, I have to say that Bourbon Bakeshop's plate was delicious: A wild mushroom risotto with dates, thyme, and toasted almonds, basil gougers, and summer vegetable compote with goat cheese was fantastic. I don't generally like mushrooms, and I've had mixed luck with vegetables and almonds but the combination was tasty, and I probably could have eaten the basil gougers (I'm still not entirely sure what a gouger actually is) all night.

Entertainment wise, I took a similar approach wandering from stage to stage without paying particular attention to the schedule. I didn't make it to all of the stages -- and the evening's entertainment was over before I could really blink -- but I saw some funny stuff (stage 20), some disturbing stuff (stage I-can't-remember), some thought provoking stuff (stage 18, The Petition Box -- a project that when I first walked in I didn't get, but reading submissions I felt compelled to add my own note to the wall).

Approaching random strangers is not something that comes easily to me but I did initiate a few conversations on my own; unfortunately none really went anywhere (One: "If I ever get married for a third time, I'm keeping it simple. I gotta pee. Nice talking to you.") and it was exceptionally difficult to tell who was with whom, but, anyway.

Once the entertainment was finished, dessert came out in the form of tables with people in the middle roving through stage 1. I've never had to chase dessert before.

Following that, I caught up with a friend from CPT who made some easy introductions and several hours of good conversation flowed. I'm glad. Taking to other humans has a distinct stress-relieving component to it.

Ok, and now I'm going to fall asleep.

Lincoln

Cleveland Play House/Cleveland Orchestra/GroundWorks DanceTheater: A Soldier's Tale (Fusion Fest 2010)

With such a veritable wealth of cultural institutions and raw talent in the Northeast Ohio area, covering nearly (if not) every possible aspect of the arts I'm surprised that collaborations don't happen more frequently. (It may be worth noting that while this performance was a sell out, I spotted several members of the Orchestra and at least one Cleveland Museum of Art staffer in the audience: This cross pollination is always a sign I take as good)

As the three institutions (The Cleveland Orchestra, The Cleveland Play House, and GroundWorks Dance Theater) proved with the performances of Catch and Release (By Esa-Pekka Salonen) A Soldier's Tale (Libretto by Kurt Vonnegut), both with music by Igor Stravinsky such collaborations can be fantastic, drawing on the strengths of the parts to produce an fascinating whole.

The venue, the blackbox-ish/3/4-round Brooks Theater was more intimate than any dance or music show I've attended (excepting house concerts, of course), and among the more intimate I've seen straight drama presented in hightened the connection between dancer, actor, musician, and audience.
The players in the pieces were also interesting: The members of the Cleveland Orchestra performing in this piece are not musicians I've heard perform in small ensemble before; with the exception of one actor, the actors were all new to me; and I've somehow never managed the pleasure of seeing GroundWorks perform.

Catch and Release was a more traditional dance number with video projected from above, and it moved with such dispatch as to make attempts to focus on any one aspect (dance, music, video) for any substantial period of time fruitless: You quickly learn to sit back and enjoy the whole. As one audience member behind me commented, "There sure was a lot of catching and releasing".

I've enjoyed reading Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, still one of the best books I've read; Slaughterhouse Five, I may need to reread now that it's not at academic gunpoint.

A Soldier's Tale was quite well done, involving actors, dance, musicians, and video (this time on the rear wall) and sometimes blurring the line between actor and dancer. The dialogue was witty and well delivered, the music beautifully played, the dance well woven into the story. I didn't realize prior to the ending that the libretto for A Soldier's Tale was based loosely on the true story of Eddie Slovik, a World War II draftee who was executed -- the only soldier since the Civil War -- for desertion.

The only shame was that this production only saw four performances, the last of which was the one occurring this afternoon.

Musicians: Tito Munoz, conductor; Jung-Min Amy Lee, violin; Charles Carleton, bass; Robert Woolfrey, clarinet; Barrick Stees, bassoon; Jack Sutte, trumpet; Sachar Israel, trombone; Marc Damoulakis, percussion. (All members of The Cleveland Orchestra)
Cast: Robert Ellis, general; Justin Tatum, soldier; Zac Hoogendyk, MP, Lindsay Iuen, Red Cross Girl.
Dancers: Amy Miller, Felise Bagley, Kelly Brunk, Damien Highfield, Sarah Perrett (All members of GroundWorks DanceTheater)
at The Brooks Theater, Cleveland Play House.

Lincoln

Cleveland Play House: Bill W. & Dr. Bob (FusionFest 2010)

The soundbite version of this would likely be something along the lines of "Cleveland Play House presents a profoundly moving drama," that combined with, "Go see an amazing bit of theater" is probably all that needs to be said--and all that can be said without utterly failing to do justice to CPH's production, under Seth Gordon's superb direction and featuring Sean Patrick Reilly, Denise Cormier, Timothy Crowe, Margaret Daly, Charles Kartali and Heather Anderson Boll.

I hadn't originally planned on seeing Bill W. & Dr. Bob -- then I bought the Cleveland Play House's FusionFest "Festival Pass" on an impulse and figured I might as well check it out.

The story, largely set in Akron, leads up to and through the the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous by Bill W., a New York stockbroker and Dr. Bob, and Akron surgeon. The start is slow, rather predictably showing the damage done and about to be done in the lives of the two alcoholics, but once the train gets rolling it's not stopping.

During a trip to Akron for a business deal that has fallen apart, Bill W., recently sober and finding himself slipping towards drinking, calls a church looking for an off-the-wagon alcoholic to help resist the urge.

"Why are you calling? Are you an Episcopalian?" "No, Alcoholic."

Perhaps at this point I should say that I have chronically dry eyes--to the extent that every visit to my optometrist results in leaving with cases of eye drops and the admonition to 'use them'.

A few moments later the words "Stan Hywet Hall" were uttered and along with an audible gasp from the audience I felt my composure...for no obvious reason...beginning to slip. Shortly thereafter, I realized that my immersion was so deep, and my suspension of disbelief so complete that my typical stance as the objective outsider with all due respect to the fourth wall was no longer viable.

While I put myself back together during intermission, the second half of the performance -- largely the efforts of the two to find other alcoholics to help -- shattered my normally unrockable composure (I would typically say, "It is just a play, after all").

During the ensuing ovation I found myself contemplating what these two people, 30 or so miles down the road and 80 years ago had done -- not only for themeselves, and for the millions of people helped by AA, but for opening communication across society about issues that may have previously been swept under the rug in the privacy of one's own living room.

The talkback following the performance was similarly enlightening with several AA members in the audience sharing their experiences.

It took a substantial amount of my drive home, as well as the time writing this entry to shake the profundity of the performance. Needless to say, the eye drops shall not need to be used this evening.

As is to be expected from the Cleveland Play House the scenic design was fantastic, featuring some 2,000 empty bottles, intriguing lighting, and sliding set pieces. (One wonders what wonders CPH's creative staff could work on my living room if given adequate resources)

Lincoln

Dobama Theatre: Speech & Debate

To shamelessly steal a line near the end of Speech & Debate, at Dobama Theatre through April 4th, "I encourage you to show up with an open mind. If you go to listen, you will leave talking"

Attempting to summarize Stephen Karam's Speech and Debate without giving away the plot is impossible to do while rendering proper justice to the tremendously witty play featuring the trio of Nick Pankuch's Howie, Nicholas Varricchio's Solomon, and Shelby Bartelstein's Diwata along with Elizabeth Ann Townsend filling the adult roles of Teacher and Reporter.

Beginning with Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Speech and Debate catches that audience's attention and then holds it through the 2-hour intermission-less performance that feels much shorter. Essentially you expect that the often-referenced but never seen drama teacher's secrets will be revealed, but along the way each of the teens own secrets are revealed culminating in a three-way blackmail triangle that the wonderfully frumpy Diwata leverages to forward her agenda of a speech and debate club, while touching social taboo, prejudice, teenage angst and any number of other items (Arthur Miller's The Crucible as a musical! Schools that will alter plays to suit conservative taste while ignoring the author's intent and creative control!*).

It's funny, it's musical, it's thought provoking. It's entertaining. I felt as though I was watching through a hallway window outside the classroom: Without immersion it was quite easy to remain emotionally detached from all of the characters, yet it is one of the better, more entertaining dramas I've seen in several years. It's not too bad as a camp musical either.

Directed by Scott Plate; Now through April 4th / $22 adults / $10 students. Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.

Lincoln
* - Personal connection: My senior year of high school we produced The Who's Tommy, a rock opera based on the concept album (Pinball Wizard, etc.) -- for political reassons the character of the Gypsy was cut entirely (along with the song Acid Queen: "I'm a Gypsy, an acid queen, pay me before we start"), leaving a bit of a hole. Yours truly did "lighting design", intelligent lighting programming, conventional lighting programming, and bench repair for that show. It was fun.