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It’s not as if the 1932 comedy sensation Biography didn’t have some hot buttons just waiting to be pushed in 2014. You’ve got embezzlement, bribery, intimidation by threat of lawsuit, sexual hypocrisy, political chicanery and mental maladies ranging from narcissism and anal obsession to infatuation addiction and paranoid schizophrenia. The paranoid schizophrenic is perhaps the hottest button, he’s what could be called a “walking time bomb just waiting to go off.”

All these opportunities for dramatic energy are pretty much glossed over by director Steven Scott Mazzola’s current American Century Theater production of Biography. What could be a comedy drama rife with shocking revelations and fraught reactions comes across as a protracted exhibition of mildly interesting characters. The play’s author, S.N. Behrman (1893-1973) was not a shock therapist on a par with Henrik Ibsen. But, in its day, Biography was hugely popular because of Behrman’s particular knack for upsetting seemingly sedate situations. 

Behrman specialized in what used to be called “drawing room comedies” — the forebears of TV sitcoms. People would gather in a parlor and say funny things. The 19th Century literary and theatrical phenomenon Oscar Wilde was the absolute master of the genre (consider, for example, the perfections of The Importance of Being Earnest.) Behrman is much more wordy and much less witty that Wilde. But he knew how to engineer the mechanics of the drawing room genre: shuffle and deal and then reshuffle and redeal the funny maid, the young man of questionable breeding, the fascinating female lead, assorted secondary protagonists and funny older persons.

American Century Theater’s mandate is to rediscover major plays of the 20th Century. Biography was certainly major in its day — despite its 1932 Broadway première, it made lots of money — a burgeoning depression not withstanding.

The ACT revival of Biography is certainly of interest in terms of theater history. And its theme of freedom of the press vs. political expediency is undeniably timely.

The story’s particulars have to ring familiar bells for contemporary audiences. Readers of “People” and “Us” and supermarket tabloids know all about celebrity and scandal and sad but showy attempts to overcome adversity. In Biography, an editor sees that he could make a lot of money by publishing the life story of Marion Froude, a well-known female portrait artist. She consorts with (and sleeps with) an international array of the rich and famous. She has done portraits of dukes, presidents and dictators. The editor eventually overcomes Froude’s unwillingness to become a tell-all author. Once she gets started, however, Froude enjoys detailing her memories. 

The Froude character may have been patterned on Isadora Duncan, an early 20th Century American modern dance pioneer who had affairs with all sorts of foreign notables. Before mass women’s liberation, women in the arts were the main suppliers of successful exemplars of unfettered female self-realization and self-expression.

As a young woman in Tennessee, Marion had enjoyed a sexual/romantic relationship with a man she had grown up with. The man, Leander (AKA Bunny), went on to become a rich lawyer. Then he decided to become a US senator. Then he discovered that his ex-lover Marion was about to publish her memoirs. Leander tries to persuade Marion to abandon her literary project. Not only is his political future involved but also in peril is his imminent marriage to Slade Kennicott — daughter of the immensely rich and politically powerful Orrin Kennicott.

Complications multiply. The tangle is never sorted out neatly. But we are left with a detailed picture (or biography) of the free-loving and free-living Marion Froude.

In that role, Jennifer J. Hopkins is flighty and eccentric. She easily fits into the stereotype of the early 20th Century arty Bohemian woman. She flaps her hands a lot. She rarely pauses to acknowledge and exploit the dramatic incidents that mine her role. Her speedy, excited, breathy diction is sometimes unintelligible. When the moments are ripe for subtle bits of acting that would give emotional oomph to Marion’s supposedly deep love for both Leander and the ambitious editor, Hopkins portrayal is sketchy. Her character comes across as essentially superficial despite a few moments urgent sincerity. Grave threats and serious misfortunes hardly seem to faze her.

As the editor, Daniel Corey faces the show’s hardest acting chores. A 1930s audience would be familiar with a stereotypical leftist/anarchist/marxist true believer. Corey can’t fall back on that long gone popular conception. His ranting cantankerousness just seems… well… odd. He might give audiences an account of a full-blown and sensational paranoid schizophrenic, but that never happens. Playwright Behrman throws in a few unhappy details from the editor’s childhood to add a bit of depth to the character. But Corey’s brief memory monologue about murderous anti-union strife comes as a playwright’s slapdash effort to plug up a hole in his story’s plausibility.

The one performer who seems at home in his role, with no desperate grasping for effects, is Craig Miller as a Viennese musician — an old friend of Marion’s from her days of European adventuring. Miller’s account of an incident of embezzlement could use some vigorous grasping for effects, however — desperate or otherwise. Illegal misappropriation of an inheritance is not best served up as a bland comment. 

Cam Magee as Marion’s maid, Jon Townson as Leander, Frank Britton as a Hollywood heart throb, Joe Cronin as the manipulative millionaire Orrin Kennicott and Caitlyn Conley as Kennicott’s sassy daughter all make do with punchy one-dimensional representations. 

As entertainment, the ACT presentation of Biography is a little on the snoozy side. 

I’ll admit however that I did get a few laughs from the show. Some of the lines are snappy, as when Marion asks Leander, “Do you want to be a senator or is it just that you can’t help yourself?” And Joe Cronin, as Orrin Kennicott, offers a droll satire of the 19th Century dietary fanatics Charles Post and Harvey Kellogg. Like that pair of Battle Creek health prophets, Kennicott preaches that the cure for licentiousness is “roughage” (fiber). For irony, Kennicott uses this precept as an element in a seduction strategy. 

There’s a question that Biography raises but never answers straight out: Why is this play called Biography? It’s all about whether or not a woman will write her autobiography.

Eventually, as the hours slowly go by, we realize that playwright S.N. Behrman has written a biography of an allegedly fascinating woman who has had erotic affairs with all kinds of celebrities. The woman dithers over whether or not she will accept much-needed money to write her memoirs for publication. Whatever she decides — to write or not to write, that is the question — Behrman creates a detailed dramatic portrait. In other words, leave the autobiography or no autobiography to the ditsy and distraught protagonist. As for Behrman, he painstakingly proceeds with his fictional biography of the fictional Marion Froude. 

Photo Gallery

Jon Townson as Leander Nolan, Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude	Cam Magee as Minnie, Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude
Frank Britton as Warwick Wilson, Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude, Cam Magee as Minnie	Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude, Caitlyn Conley as Slade Kinnicott, Joe Cronin as Orrin Kinnicott, Daniel Corey as Richard Kurt, Jon Townson as Leander Nolan
Joe Cronin as Orrin Kinnicott, Caitlyn Conley as Slade Kinnicott, Jon Townson as Leander Nolan	Craig Miller as Melchior Feydak, Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude
Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude, Joe Cronin as Orrin Kinnicott	Jennifer J. Hopkins as Marion Froude, Jon Townson as Leander Nolan

Photos by Johannes Markus

Disclaimer: American Century Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Encore Stage & Studio has created a remarkable production of Sleeping Beauty by Vera Morris and directed by Meghan Smith. It is the classic telling of the long-awaited birth of Princess Briar Rose who is cursed by the evil Witch Evilina, who feels especially betrayed by not receiving an invitation to attend the celebration of the birth of the child. After crashing the party, she announces that on Briar Rose’s 16th birthday she will prick her finger and die. The king and queen then get rid of every spindle in the land in hopes of keeping the witch’s curse from happening. The wise fairies manage to change the curse so that Princess Briar Rose will merely fall asleep until a kiss of true love by a handsome prince occurs. And as with all fairy tales, everyone lives happily ever after.

Such was the case of the opening night performance of Sleeping Beauty. All the kids really seemed to enjoy performing for a fairly packed house. The audience was great and caught on to the audience participation requests quickly.

Brandi Moore as Evilina gave a remarkable performance. Her emotions were real and her lines delivered with ease and great timing. On the comedic side was the Chef played by Alex Weinstein. He was over emotional, but with great humor so that you felt his pain during his gold plate quandary while at the same time laughing at him over said plate mishap. He was meticulous and high-strung, but lovable at the same time. Maggie Keane as Briar Rose, the sleeping beauty, played the part with just a touch of ditziness or whimsy, such as when she was mystified about the odd little room appearing in the garden. Thomas Schindler was excellent as Spider, a cunning little henchman. (Is Thomas getting typecast as a “bad guy?” He recently played Gollum in The Hobbit, now Spider!)

Kristin Jepperson’s set was well done. The crew changed the scenes quickly, although a bit less noise would be nice, especially the stairs to Evilina’s room. Perhaps pads on the bottom of the stair box may help deaden the noise, or hand holds so the stairs don’t have to be dropped into place? The set brought on for Evilina was creative, with flashing lights, giant spiders and bubbling potions. Debra Leonard’s costumes were pretty and matched each character. The Queen’s dress may have needed an iron touch-up, but was still lovely. So were the six colorful fairy princesses who arrived at Briar Rose’ s christening and her 16th birthday party. Evilina was true to her character in basic black.

All in all, Encore’s Sleeping Beauty was an enjoyable performance with laughter and love. And, of course, the happy ending.

Photo Gallery

Evilina (Brandi Moore) tricks Princess Briar Rose (Maggie Keane) with the curse of the spinning wheel	Cursed under Evilina’s spell, Princess Briar Rose (Maggie Keane) falls into deep sleep as she waits for true love’s kiss to wake her
Prince Alexander (Topher Wagner) arrives to save Princess Briar Rose (Maggie Keane)

Photos by Larry McClemons

Disclaimer: Encore Stage & Studio provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

John Logan’s script for Red, now being produced by the Elden Street Players, includes the prominent use of “list” sequences, notably a lengthy, fast-paced exchange between 20th century artist Mark Rothko (Michael Kharfen) and his fictional assistant Ken (Brandon Herlig) mining the possibilities of the word and color “red.” In that spirit, let us list some of the many adjectives that can describe Kharfen’s characterization: loud, opinionated, passionate, intellectually and philosophically engaged, brutal, hectoring, self-important, angry, reflective, energetic, depressed, bombastic, and pulsating (to use a word Logan often puts in Rothko’s mouth).

A brilliant teacher and mentor, even against his own inclinations and wishes, Kharfen’s Rothko gives his assistant some powerful lessons in artistic integrity and the relationship between an artist and his work. Kharfen communicates with feeling Rothko’s paternal interest in his paintings, which he treats as beings with lives of their own.

Kharfen’s physicality is constantly active; he bends at the waist, twists and turns, thrusts his head forward, almost frenetically waves his arms and punches the air with his gestures. Herlig’s body is quieter and mostly held vertical, providing a strong visual contrast between the two characters. Ken has a longer character arc than Rothko. The latter is a fully formed middle-aged man; the former is much younger, and gets to transform from a callow, deferential fellow to a man with his own ideas and own strength who is able to take on Rothko on pretty even terms in their debates as the play proceeds. Herlig handles the transition persuasively.

The two play seamlessly together verbally and physically, in a production that is superbly acted from start to finish. They share a stunning visual moment when they jointly prime a large white canvas with brownish paint, stretching high, stretching low, and frequently changing positions in what can fairly be described as choreographed movement. Each character delivers successfully a number of monologues, some of which are nearly operatic in their fluidity and range of emotion.

Apart from the acting itself, the glory of his production is its set (designed by Ian Mark Brown and dressed by Susan Garvey). Every detail of Rothko’s studio — ranks of paint cans, a work bench loaded with pigments and brushes, the old broken-down chairs, the canvasses in various stages of work, the paint drips everywhere, the wooden floor, the vestibule with its coat hooks — is lovingly realized. Mary Speed contributed several large and impressive Rothko-esque paintings of the kind that might well have been hanging in the studio in the late 1950s time frame of the play.

In a play focusing on the visual arts, the sound design (by Stan Harris) turns out to be significant. Most of the scenes feature prolonged underscoring by music of the classical era (the historical Rothko was, in fact, reportedly fond of Mozart) or opera, which serve to emphasize the artist’s commitment to form and order in his own work. In one scene, by amusing contrast, Ken puts jazz on the turntable, suggestive of the change in the arts that Ken represents, to a highly scornful reaction from Rothko. A nice feature of Ann Marie Castrigno’s lighting design is the close coordination of lighting changes with the actors’ use of light switches that are part of the set.

Red is not a plot-heavy play. The situation involves a large commission that Rothko has received to decorate a posh restaurant in a new Manhattan building. (Director Gloria DuGan makes creative use of the “fourth wall” as the space on which Rothko’s mural panels — visible to the characters but of course not to the audience — are hung.) Use of his work as decoration of a space to be used by wealthy Philistines disgusts Rothko at the same time as the attention and fee please him. But the play’s focus is on the interaction between the two characters, their debates, and their opinions about and insights into the purpose and meaning of art and the lives of artists. Without turning into an art history lecture, Logan’s script illuminates the currents and controversies of the mid-20th century New York art world.

For people interested in the art of the period, the content of the discussions between the characters is good grist for discussion. In the large rectangular shapes of Rothko’s paintings, for example, does one see simply an exploration of color and form, or, as Rothko believes, is deep passion and almost mystical meaning visible? As Rothko says at the beginning and near the end of the play, “What do you see?” To anyone interested in cracking good theater, Elden Street’s production is art worth seeing.

Director’s Note

This stunning play is a slice of life of the great American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, as imagined by John Logan. It won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2010. Rothko has received $35,000 to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant in the new Seagram Building in New York; in today’s money that would be two million dollars. Rothko is brilliant, intense, angry. He dares us to view art as the purest expression of the soul; and, in particular, to view his work as his “children.” As Rothko takes on a new assistant, he is challenged to explain what art is, what the role of the artist is, and the dynamic relationship of the artist to his art. You will be surprised, as was I, by the play’s intense depiction of the art of painting and mesmerized by this exciting and convincing portrait.

Cast

• Mark Rothko: Michael Kharfen
• Ken: Brandon Herlig

Production Team

• Director: Gloria DuGan
• Asst. Director: Rebecca Lenehan
• Producer: Lorraine Magee
• Stage Manager: Leslie Peterson
• Asst. Stage Managers: Michael Sherman, Christopher Smith, Revathi Murthy
• Set Design: Ian Mark Brown
• Set Construction/Master Carpenter: Ian Mark Brown
• Assisted by: Franklin C. Coleman, Kimberly Crago, Richard Durkin, Tom Epps
• Set Painting Design: Mary Speed
• Assisted by: Brian Garrison, Katie Speed
• Lighting Design: Ann Marie Castrigno
• Assisted by: Franklin C. Coleman, Kimberly Crago, Richard Durkin, Tom Epps
• Light Board Operator: Lucy Todd
• Sound Design: Stan Harris
• Sound Board Operators: Stan Harris, Brian Christensen, Hilary Huse
• Set Dressing and Properties: Susan d. Garvey
• Costume Design: Judy Whelihan
• Box Office Management: Sandra Sullivan, Richard Durkin
• Photography: Matthew Randall
• Playbill: Ginger Kohles

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Opening

• Anything Goes, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
• Romeo & Juliet, Brave Spirits Theatre, Washington, DC
• Frankenstein, Landless Theatre, Washington, DC
• Mashup Festival, Landless Theatre, Washington, DC
• Snow White & Rose Red, Elden Street Players/Theatre for Young Audiences, Herndon, VA

Closing

• Sleeping Beauty, Encore Stage, Arlington, VA
• Legally Blonde, The Musical, Riverside Dinner Theater, Fredericksburg, VA
• Is He Dead?, Providence Players, Falls Church, VA
• Blithe Spirit, 1st Stage, McLean, VA
• A Moon for the Misbegotten, Greenbelt Arts Center, Greenbelt, MD
• Les Miserables, The Theatre Lab, Washington, DC
• Ghost-Writer, Metro Stage, Alexandria, VA
• The Red Mill , Victorian Lyric Opera Company, Rockville, MD

Auditions

• The Nerd, Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville, MD
  • Monday, Jun 10th@7:00PM
  • Wednesday, Jun 12th@7:00PM – Callbacks
• Silver Spring One Act Festival, Silver Spring Stage
  • Monday, Jun 10th@7:00PM – Callbacks (If Necessary)
• As You Like It, Castaways Repertory Theater, Woodbridge, VA
  • Tuesday, Jun 11th@7:30PM
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Zemfira Stage, Falls Church, VA
  • Wednesday, Jun 12th@7:00PM
  • Saturday, Jun 15th@11:00AM

You too can support independent media’s support of the arts by purchasing advertising on the ShowBizRadio web site.

ShowBizRadio was thrilled to be a part of the Cappies this year (our seventh season supporting and publishing Cappies’ reviews), and are looking forward to next season. The full nominations list is also available.

Rising Critic

• Emma Paquette, McLean High School

Returning Critic

• Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf, Langley High School

Graduating Critic

• Madelyn Paquette, McLean High School

Critic Team

• McLean High School

Marketing and Publicity

• Sarah Irving, Sean Cooper, Brennan Laskas, Hairspray, Robinson Secondary School

Sound

• Megan Seibel, Rashomon, Lake Braddock Secondary School

Lighting

• Andie Powers, Rashomon, Lake Braddock Secondary School

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Sets

• Josh Lutz, Drew Pardo, Mia Rickenbach, Chloe Vasquez, You Can’t Take It With You, Chantilly High School

Costumes

• Shannon Finney,Kate McHale, Samira Pakmehr, Lend Me a Tenor, James Madison High School

Make-up

• Alie Campbell, Urinetown, Loudoun Valley High School

Props

• Abby Gieseppe & the BI Prop Team, Something’s Afoot, Bishop Ireton High School

Special Effects and or Technology

• BI Sound Effects Crew, Something’s Afoot, Bishop Ireton High School

Stage Crew

• Laura Brick, Luke O’Brien, Maeven Luedke, Roxanne Schoen, Urinetown, Loudoun Valley High School

Orchestra

• Yonkers Honkers, Hello, Dolly!, Fairfax High School

Choreography

• Giselle Tirado & Bella Tenaglia, West Side Story, Heritage High School

Creativity

• Alex Mann, Joe Drzemiecki (Composing), Flowers For Algernon, Westfield High School

Ensemble in a Play

• The Crummles Theatrical Troupe, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Langley High School

Ensemble in a Musical

• The Poor, Urinetown, Loudoun Valley High School

Featured Actress

• Kayli Modell, Ragtime, Thomas S. Wootton High School

Featured Actor

• Vijay Menon, Xanadu, George Mason High School

Female Dancer

• Gabrielle Bullard, The Wizard of Oz, The Madeira School

Male Dancer

• Daniel Kingsley, Singin’ in the Rain, Hayfield Secondary School

Female Vocalist

• Alexandra Nicopoulos, Hello, Dolly!, Fairfax High School

Male Vocalist

• Michael Lamar, Hairspray, Robinson Secondary School

Comic Actress in a Play

• Yena Seo, Don’t Count on Forever, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Comic Actor in a Play

• Sean Pedersen, Lend Me a Tenor, James Madison High School

Comic Actress in a Musical

• Alie Campbell, Urinetown, Loudoun Valley High School

Comic Actor in a Musical

• Jackson Lessler, Urinetown, Loudoun Valley High School

Supporting Actress in a Play

• Brooke Johnson, You Can’t Take It With You, Chantilly High School

Supporting Actor in a Play

• Billy Yendell, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Northwood High School Academy of Musical Theatre

Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Katie Rogers, Hairspray, Robinson Secondary School

Supporting Actor in a Musical

• David Jarzen, Young Frankenstein the Musical, West Potomac High School

Lead Actress in a Play

• Catherine Ariale, The Diary of Anne Frank, West Springfield High School

Lead Actor in a Play

• Mitchell Buckley, Flowers For Algernon, Westfield High School

Lead Actress in a Musical

• Erin Craig, Anything Goes, Walt Whitman High School

Lead Actor in a Musical

• Ben Roberts, Young Frankenstein the Musical, West Potomac High School

Song

• I Know Where I’ve Been, Hairspray, Robinson Secondary School

Play

• Lend Me a Tenor, James Madison High School

Musical

• Hairspray, Robinson Secondary School

The Hampton Years, a Theatre J world première production, rests on a fascinating premise. Jacqueline E. Lawton’s script incorporates parallel and intertwined narratives: the true experiences of a Jewish artist and teacher (Vicktor Lowenfeld), who fled Austria at the beginning of World War II, and two young African-American students (John Biggers and Samella Sanders), who are striving to become artists during the same time period, a time when racism and bigotry counseled that art education for African-American students in the segregated South was a frivolous waste of time and energy. Lawton shines a light on this captivating and challenging struggle for self-expression and truthful reflection of experience.

The Hampton Years touches on many, many intriguing concepts and questions. Scattered throughout the play are visual and aural meditations on artistic inspiration, a thought-provoking conversation on the role of art critics, a compelling disagreement on the protection of art students from real-world critiques, an absorbing subplot about jealousy and competition in creative pursuits, and a virtual history lesson on topics ranging from Harvard’s Nazi ties to the development of the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). Unfortunately, Lawton is not quite able to weave all these elements into a dramatically satisfying whole.

The characters are, for the most part, not fully realized. For example, although the play opens with a conversation between Viktor and his wife Margaret (admirably played with both strength and vulnerability by Sarah Douglas) and often returns to the couple in their home, the audience is never really drawn into their relationship; there are very few details of their life together, their personal struggles, their hopes as a family. They are not given a dramatic arc, and they seem to end the play in much the same place they began.

That is not to say that nothing happens in The Hampton Years. In fact, perhaps too much happens. Nearly every scene presents a new challenge: an obstinate Board of Trustees, an unappreciative employer, a racist encounter on a bus, and on and on. Yet, these struggles are either overcome immediately, resolved off-stage, or never mentioned again. Rather than an emotionally satisfying exploration of historical figures, the play feels more like a history lesson. The Hampton Years was overlong, with too many scenes and too much repetition of dialogue and intention. In addition, the expressionistic visual aspects (such as when the artists’ heart and thoughts were given physical manifestation) and the visceral creation moments (such as where Viktor blindfolds Samella while she sculpts) which were among the most unique and creative aspects of the production were given short shrift in favor of more academic scenes.

The stand-out element of Theatre J’s production is the stunning set by Robbie Hayes. Hayes creates a gorgeous room of windows and dark wood under the shadow of the twisted branches of unseen trees. The set functions as various places on the Institute’s campus, as well as the Lowenfeld’s home and other locations, but it succeeds in never feeling like a unit set through creative use of rotating panels and movable set pieces. Beyond its utilitariansim, the set is a true piece of art ably evoking the mood and themes of the play. Harold F. Burgess’s lights nicely complimented the set and structured the playing areas.

Aside from a few clunky moments, director Shirley Serotsky uses the stage well, and she handles the many scene changes creatively. She is less successful, however, with her cast, many of whom seem to be performing in different plays. Colin Smith and Edward Christian, who each portray two characters, have chosen to differentiate their roles by creating broad characters who, while entertaining, do not come from the same world as the rest of the more realistic cast. Sasha Olinick, who plays Lowenfeld, constructs an enjoyable paternal chemistry with his students but fails to build a consistent or specific dialect or character. It is unclear whether Lowenfeld is an absent-minded genius, someone who simply lucked into building a successful (or somewhat successful) department, someone intent on his own advancement, or a combination of the above. Crashonda Edwards, as Samella, appears with outsized energy and volume, although she relaxed as the show continued and had some lovely moments of character growth late in the show. Julian Elijah Martinez, as John, was the most successful at creating a character arc, and his John grew more refined and mature as the play progressed.

The Hampton Years is smart and ambitious, a script full of promise. However, in its current format and production, The Hampton Years felt more like a class about art than a piece of art about academia.

Photo Gallery

Julian Elijah Martinez, Sasha Olinick	Crashonda Edwards, Lolita-Marie (background)
Julian Elijah Martinez, Crashonda Edwards, Sasha Olinick	Crashonda Edwards, Julian Elijah Martinez
Sasha Olinick, Edward Christian	Julian Elijah Martinez
Crashonda Edwards, Julian Elijah Martinez	Crashonda Edwards, Sasha Olinick, Julian Elijah Martinez

Photos by C. Stanley Photography

Cast

• Viktor Lowenfeld: Sasha Olinick
• Margaret Lowenfeld: Sarah Douglas
• John Biggers Julian: Elijah Martinez
• President Malcolm Shaw MacLean/Navy Admiral:Colin Smith
• Samella Lewis: Crashonda Edwards
• Elizabeth Catlett: Lolita-Marie
• Charles White David: Lamont Wilson
• President Ralph P. Bridgman/Art Critic: Edward Christian

Artistic & Production Team

• Scenic Designer: Robbie Hayes
• Lighting Designer: Harold F. Burgess II
• Costume Designer: Debra Kim Sivigny
• Sound Designer: Matthew M. Nielson
• Properties Designer: Timothy Jerome Jones
• Production Stage Manager: Karen Currie
• Dramaturg: Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zöe
• Dialects: Gary Logan
• Scenic Artist: Amy Kellett
• Assistant Director: Elena Velasco
• Assistant Scenic Designer: Lauren Cucarola, Veronica J. Lancaster
• Assistant Dramaturgs: Kia Griffith, Emily Kelly
• Dialects Assistant: Eva Wilhelm
• Master Electrician: Garth Dolan
• Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Soriano
• Production Assistants: Max Talisman, Brendan McMahon
• Light Board Operator: Kevin Laughon
• Sound Board Operator: Jay Chiang
• Lighting Programmer: Aaron Waxman

Disclaimer: Theater J provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Is He Dead?, a comedy by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives, takes a comical look at what happens to an artist who is worth more dead than alive. It is true that the sales of Millet’s paintings go through the roof, but so does the comedy and mayhem when his “widow” has to continue the charade in order to keep the sales up and his creditors away. Though a little uneven and dragging in some spots with some technical problems, this look into a 19th century farce was at times, quite comical.

Patrick David gave a strong performance as both Jean Francois-Millet and the Widow Daisy Tillou. David’s timing and energy are always on the mark. His sidekick crew: Craig Geoffrion as Agamemnon ‘Chicago’ Buckner, Thane Tuttle as Hans ‘Dutchy’ Von Bismarck and Christopher Schwartz as Phelim O’Shaughnessy all showed powerful emotions that were quite over the top, but carried the comedic performance so that it was enjoyed by everyone. The three created slapstick timing bringing much laughter from the audience. Larry Craven as dastardly villain Bastien was excellent. He was entirely believable, and could be imagined tying a damsel to a set of train tracks. The cast successfully created an air of overacting and over-reacting to their contrived situations.

The lighting was a bit slow, but as the second weekend approaches and the first weekend jitters (and exhaustion?) melt away, the timing should much improve. Set Designer Raedun de Alba created a beautiful set. In Act 1 she used a rather drab, yet detailed studio apartment to create an air of poverty. All that changed in Act 2, with bright colors and attention to detail making a much cheerier setting. The many doors allowed for the farcical antics to be used to the fullest. Costume designer Robbie Snow made great use of color in her costumes, which were period appropriate.

Though at times confusing with characters hurrying through a scene, the Providence Players of Fairfax made positive use of a detailed set and situations to take a funny look at farce in the mid 19th century.

Director’s Note

So Mark Twain wrote a play. Who knew? It seems that the Providence Players are among the very first (at least, in this region) to discover Is He Dead?, but I guarantee we won’t be the last.

It was never performed in Twain’s own time, which saddened him. Perhaps because it was based on a wild version of the great Barbizon painter, Jean Francis-Millet-almost contemporary of Twain’s and it was too soon to monkey with a genius’ reputation. Or perhaps it wasn’t what was expected of Mark Twain, so it was overlooked as a play, since his ardent followers had come to expect satiric prose. The show was rediscovered by a Twain scholar, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, who found the manuscript in the archives at the University of California at Berkeley in 2003. Soon thereafter, the witty playwright David Ives adapted the play; then it was off to Broadway!

In Mr. Ives’ words, “In a larger sense you might say that Twain provided plot, I provided the subplots, he the set-ups and I the pay-offs.” He went on…”In everything I did as an adapter, I took my job not to replace Twain but to complete his work, to do the original what he himself would have done had he had 97 more years to think about it a few more plays under his belt. He turned out to be a superb collaborator. Except for the cigars, we got along just fine.”

It has been an honor to embellish the words of these two great writers with a magnificent cast of comedians, a set decorated with minute attention to verisimilitude in terms of the times and the paintings of Jean Francois-Millet, and (hopefully) the sounds of your laughter. Please sit back and enjoy! Oh – and tell your friends. Cheers!

Beth Hughes-Brown, Director

Cast

• Agamemnon Buckner “Chicago”: Craig Geoffrion
• Hans Von Bismarck “Dutchy”: Thane Tuttle
• Papa Leroux: John Barclay Burns
• Marie Leroux: Liz Mykietyn
• Cecile Leroux: Danine Welsh
• Jean-Francois Millet: Patrick David
• Widow Daisy Tillou: Patrick David
• Bastien Andre: Larry Craven
• Madame Bathilde: Barbara Gertzog
• Madame Caron: Susan Kaplan
• Phelim O’Shaughnessy: Christopher Schwartz
• M. Thorpe: Donna Naybor
• C. Riviere: Betsy Hansen
• Charlie: Cheryl Sinsabaugh
• The King of France: Robbie Snow
• The Sultan of Turkey: Amanda Snow
• The Emperor of Russia: Nick Snow

Production Team

• Director: Beth Hughes-Brown
• Assistant Director: Elizabeth Stone
• Producer: Smitty Connolly
• Stage Manager: Beth Harrison
• Stage Crew: Charlotte Gertzog, Paul hennesy, Mike Mattheisen, Lauren Sullivan, Janet Shadel
• Technical Director: Chip Gertzog
• Lighting Design: Chip Gertzog
• Sound Design: Jimmy Gertzog
• Technical Crew: Mario Font, Charlotte Gertzog, Michael Sinsabaugh, Bobby Welsh, Elise Welsh
• Set Design: Raedun de Alba
• Set Construction: Chip Gertzog, Mike Mattheisen, David Schwartz
• Set Construction Crew: John Barclay Burns, Sara Bennett, Chris Bonner, John Coscia, Jason Damaso, Raedun de Alba, Patrick David, Melissa Dunlap, Chip Gertzog, Jimmy Gertzog, Beth Harrison, Paul Hennesy, Beth Hughes-Brown, Douglas Huttar, Mike Mattheisen, Will McLeod, Michael Sinsabaugh, Carl Schwartz, David Schwartz, Lauren Sullivan, Danine Welsh, Elise Welsh, Beth Whitehead, David Whitehead
• Set Decoration: Paul Hennesy, Mike Mattheisen
• Original Paintings: Paul Hennesy
• Set Painting Design: Paul Hennesy, Mike Mattheisen
• Set Painting Crew: Sara Bennett, Raedun de Alba, Melissa Dunlap, Chip Gertzog, Paul Hennesy, Beth Hughes-Brown, Mike Mattheisen, Lauren Sullivan, Danine Welsh, Elise Welsh, Beth Whitehead
• Costume Design: Robbie Snow
• Makeup Design: Katie Brown
• Makeup and Hair Assistants: Alma Amaya, Beth Hughes-Brown, Beth Harrison, Amanda Snow, Robbie Snow
• Properties: Andra Whitt
• Prompter: Lauren Sullivan
• House Management: Mike Daze
• Playbill: Ellen Burns
• Playbill Advertising: Jayne Victor, John Coscia, David Whitehead
• Photography: Chop Gertzog
• Publicity: Chip Gertzog

Disclaimer: Providence Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

A three act farce by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, You Can’t Take it With You, made its début in 1936 at the Booth Theatre in New York City. It ran for 837 spectacular performances, winning it a Pulitzer Prize for drama. Made popular by Frank Capra’s film adaptation, the plot is that of a twisted love story. The character of Alice (Stephanie Feeback) is innocently caught between her extremely quirky yet lovable family and Tony (Matt Calvert), the boy who’s stolen her heart. Tony’s posh upbringing acclimates him more toward money and fashion than real happiness, until he meets the Sycamores.

The spark at the root of this talented cast was clearly Feeback and her leading man Calvert’s spot-on chemistry. Their personal moments with each other, either face to face or across a room of chaos, were always heartfelt and honestly conveyed the relationship to the audience. Calvert had a striking stage presence and in-depth understanding of his character that rapidly separated him as a standout in the production. It was apparent he had motivation for his every move, and used comedic timing and inflection without need for unnecessary overreactions or inauthenticity.

Matt Manalel set off fireworks with his character of Mr. De Pinna, literally. He made use of his every moment of stage time, with lively and hilarious reactions that always incited laughter. His choices were energizing and kept the attention of the audience in a show that at times seemed to lag in pacing.

The set for this production was astounding to say the least. The intricate detailing of each facet looked professional. The set designers (Josh Lutz, Chloe Vasquez, Drew Pardo, and Mia Rickenbach) went above and beyond, creating a two-level tangible home. The details were so distinct that you could see wall hangings on opposite walls in another room, when an actor would swing open the door upstairs. The intricate hallways enhanced the set, even though they were never even used by the actors in the show. Other technical aspects were simple but appropriate. The lighting was clean and well executed, as well as the sound.

Whether it was through side-splitting comedic antics, heart wrenching realizations, or just the marvelous set, this production of You Can’t Take it With You left the audience standing in ovation.

by Sophy Meudt of Heritage High School

Photo Gallery

Standing is Matt Manalel; seated on couch is Natalie Spitzel, Matt Calvert and Katie McVicar	Josh Lutz, Natalie Spitzel, John Downey, Ryan Rickard, Abby Gwin, Chris Knarr and Katie McVicar
Stephanie Feeback and Matt Calvert	Brooke Johnson and John Downey
lying on couch is Chloe Vasquez, standing on chair Matt Manalel, and standing by easel is Katie McVicar	Stephanie Feeback, Chris Knarr (in background) and Katie McVicar

Photos by Kelly Johnson