Forever Plaid is a loving, nostalgia-laden homage to four-part-harmony “boy bands” from the 50’s and early 60’s. In the prologue, we are quickly told that The Plaids, four friends who met in the audio-visual club at school and loved to sing, were killed instantly while driving to a gig that might have been their big break. Their car was hit by a bus filled with Catholic schoolgirls on their way to the Ed Sullivan show, where the Beatles were about to make their United States début. It’s a not-too-subtle metaphor from playwright Stuart Ross about rock changing the landscape of music and ending the popularity of harmony groups. It also sets up the entire, uncomplicated plot of Forever Plaid: the group must perform the concert they missed in order to rest in peace.

In Riverside Center’s production, The Plaids are played by Austin Colby (who will be replaced in later performances by Matthew Hirsh) (Frankie), Brandon Duncan (Smudge), David Landstrom (Sparky), and Chris Rudy (Jinx). This quartet, as well as director Bobby Smith, have worked together, playing these parts, before. They all seem to have a history with this show, and Smith was a member of the original off-Broadway cast.

This familiarity is both a blessing and a curse. On the upside, this quartet look and sound amazing. Their harmonies are tight, lush, romantic, and swoon-worthy. Songs like “No Not Much,” “Cry,” and “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” are, in a word, gorgeous. They blend beautifully and work wonderfully as an ensemble, and while each member of the cast has his solos and moments to shine, they never seem to upstage each other and are never better than when they harmonize in four parts. Smith has recreated the original staging, and his actors execute it flawlessly. A particular highlight was a tribute to the Ed Sullivan show featuring a multitude of familiar characters, impressive circus tricks, comic pratfalls, and an enjoyable rendition of “Lady of Spain,” all presented in about three minutes of tightly choreographed energy.

The transporting vocals, which are accompanied by the hardworking and charming music director Joel DeCandio on piano and an uncredited bass player, are 85% of the play, if not more, and they are certainly enough on their own to make for an entertaining evening. Those who remember the songs and recognize the references might inch that percentage up to 90% on the nostalgia factor alone. Taken just as a concert by The Plaids, the show is stellar.

However, Forever Plaid is also a play. Granted, the plot is thin, and the characters not terribly well-developed, but there is a story to be told. And this is where Forever Plaid stumbles a bit, perhaps because the actors and the director are so familiar with the show that they seem to have grown a bit complacent. It is actually difficult to differentiate between the four Plaids. While they are each a bit nerdy, Ross has imbued them with some individuality, and even where the script falls short, the actors and director could have fleshed out the characters more. And while there are some comic bits with each of the quartet’s anxiety-induced maladies, these could have been highlighted more and woven more intricately into the whole show. This type of specificity would have deepened the show into more than just a musical trip down memory lane.

In addition, the show lacks any urgency. For a group that has been in limbo for fifty years and has one chance to “make things right,” the Plaids exhibit very little drive. There is no feeling that this concert is any more important than other concerts they have performed, and this lack of push leads a rather short play to drag a bit, especially when the actors approach the more “dramatic” moments. The script seems to support a change in The Plaids from awkward teenagers to music stars, but there is little in this production to support that arc, as The Plaids seem generally competent from beginning to end. A little more attention to the story and the unique objectives and stumbling blocks of each of the characters would have made The Plaids both more endearing and more compelling.

But in the end, the show is about singing, and here The Plaids soar. Ably supported by the production team (scenic coordination by Matthew P. Westcott, lighting design by Joseph Wallen, costume coordination by Gaye Law, and technical direction by Phil Carlucci), The Plaids evoke a more innocent, earnest time. In their matching dinner jackets, underneath a huge projected moon and bathed in sumptuous evening light, it’s easy to forgive any flaws and just let the ears enjoy the aural buffet.

Director’s Notes

When most of us look back to the 1950s, we think of rock ‘n’ roll, greasers, hot rods, Elvis, Annette, Fabian, D.A. Haircuts, and teenage rebellion. But there was a flipside to this era that was lost in surge of progress, one characterized by family harmony, innocence, and the sincerity of dreams. It was a time when most parents and kids listened and danced to the same music, when families ritually gathered in front of the TV to watch their favorite variety show (like the Ed Sullivan Show or the Perry Como Show), and when everyone worked to fulfill the American Dream.

It was a period when four-part guy groups harmonized their way across America, popularized on the airwaves and spinning records on jukeboxes and hi-fis throughout the land. Standing behind a quartet of microphones, they crooned a multitude of chaperoned prom-goers into dreamy romance with vocal arrangements that soared to stratospheric heights of harmony. They wore dinner jackets and bow ties (or perhaps cardigans and white bucks). And their every move was drilled to precision, carefully synchronized with the words and the beat of the music. This was “the sound” that crested right before rock ‘n’ roll stole the heartbeat of music across the globe.

During this time, guys across the country banded together in basements or garages to sing and play for fun. If things worked out, their group might actually be hired to sing at weddings, conventions, proms, and country club socials. Inspired by the success of recording stars, they made plans to zoom into careers of fame and fortune. But sadly, the musical taste of young America was rapidly changing, and the country would not (or could not) stop to listen to their dreams. This is the story of one such group: Forever Plaid.

Bobby Smith

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Riverside Dinner Theater

Cast

• Frankie: Austin Colby/Matthew Hirsh
• Smudge: Brandon Duncan
• Sparky: David Landstrom
• Jinx: Chris Rudy
• Piano: Joel DeCandio/Anthony Smith
• Bass: Joanna Smith

Crew

• Producer: Patrick A’Hearn
• Original Staging Re-created by: Bobby Smith
• Musical Direction: Joe DeCandio
• Lighting Design: Joseph Wallen
• Costume Coordination: Gaye Law
• Scenic Coordination: Matthew Westcott
• Production Manager: Carole Shrader
• Technical Director: Phil Carlucci
• Stage Manager: Ben Feindt
• Producing Artistic Director: Patrick A’Hearn

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

David Michael Felty IS Jean Valjean, the escaped parolee at the center of Les Miserables. His breathtaking vocals and his powerful, emotional acting make Riverside Center Dinner Theater’s production an absolutely riveting experience. Even rabid fans of Les Miserables will see unexpected heartbreaking and exciting moments in Felty’s performance, and just hearing that beautiful voice sing the beloved and dynamic score is an experience not to be missed. In fact, Felty is so stunning in this role, that the stretches in the play when he is not on stage pale in comparison.

Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Shonberg’s Les Miserables ran for sixteen years on Broadway and is currently the fourth-longest-running musical in Broadway history. The show has spawned numerous revivals (including an upcoming one in March 2014), tours, and a movie. It is easy to see why the musical is so revered. Based on the sprawling novel by Victor Hugo, the show has a fast-moving plot that swiftly covers decades in less than three hours and involves a broad range of the human experience. Loss, redemption, faith, love, courage, longing, and hope are set against a backdrop of the revolutionary ferment of early 19th century France. Valjean strives to become an honest man, while Javert, a police inspector, refuses to ignore the parole violation and seeks to bring Valjean to justice, even as they are both swept into a student uprising. The beautiful and epic score and lyrics by Shonberg and Herbert Kretzmer manage to propel the story forward without sacrificing any of the vigorous emotion.

Watching Les Miserables is often a cathartic experience. And Patrick A’Hearn’s production is no different. While it is not perfect, the characters’ emotional dilemmas hit the gut, and by the end, the tears will flow.

While Felty leads the emotional charge, he is not alone in his ability to bring this powerful story to life. David Pope plays Marius, a revolutionary who falls in love with Valjean’s adopted daughter Cosette, with a thoroughly believable heart on his sleeve. Pope’s voice is spectacular, and his “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” is an emotional and aural highlight. In addition, Pope creates a believable chemistry with Cosette (Whitney Hollis), and their duets are lovely and heartfelt. Thomas Adrian Simpson as Javert brings a glorious voice and intensity to his performance, although his awkward physicality tends to undermine his authority at times. Joshua Otten is an appealing and brash Gavroche, and the male ensemble (under the musical direction of Jason J. Michael) shines in the students’ numbers, sounding sensational and embodying the epic emotions without overacting.

Other performers were less successful, giving the show a slightly uneven feel. Both Erin Miele Huss (Fantine) and Caitlin Shea (Eponine) possess admirable voices, but their modern diction and movement seem out-of-place, and neither is able to navigate the full range of their character’s emotions. Both were also hampered by ill-considered costume choices, with Fantine in a distracting wig and Eponine in modern boots and a flowing coat that did not fit her purported male disguise. Thenardier and Madame Thenardier, the innkeeper and his wife, were approached by Bill Upshaw and Carol Hagy as the comic relief of the play, and they did indeed evoke giggles; however, these characters can also be disturbing and menacing, and these colors were missing.

Like his cast, A’Hearn’s staging and his design team (Brian C. Barker (set), Gaye Law (costumes), and Phil Carlucci and Nicky Mahon (lighting)) were inconsistent. For every stunning visual like the end of “One Day More,” where the ensemble moves in slow motion bathed in a sunset-colored light, while the principals are arranged downstage in varying tableaus, there is a misstep, like the opening prisoner sequence, where mimed tools, linear blocking, and ill-timed and distracting spot lights cheapened the effect. Throughout the show, the stage combat in particular is weak, looking stagey and lacking the emotional punches that should have been present. Luckily, A’Hearn and his designers did their strongest work in the second act, and the ending is incredibly powerful. Of note, the staging, lighting and effects of Javert’s final scene is quite moving; the Thenardier’s wedding costumes are silly fun; and the barricade is a stunning set piece, especially when paired with the turntable, enabling A’Hearn to incorporate levels and interest which are lacking at times in the first act.

While Les Miserables was not a flawless production, it was a truly satisfying one. Felty’s performance alone, one that spans the full arc of the story and brings together the play’s multiple themes, is enough to make even the stoniest heart tremble, and the vocal prowess of the entire cast will make you want to hear the people sing again and again.

Director’s Notes

This is my 10th production as a director at Riverside Center, and it is fitting that it be a show I am most closely associated with. Having had the honor to have been part of the original Broadway cast led by the masterful direction of Trevor Nunn and John Caird, I am delighted to direct the show for the first time here at Riverside Center. I feel privileged and lucky to have been a part of theater history and a show honored with so many awards – seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. I learned quite a bit in my three plus years with Les Miz, and it is rewarding to be able to share those experiences with so many up and coming talents who were not even born when the show first surfaced.

Les Misérables has been referred to as grand, epic, glorious and a phenomenon – a musical theater extravaganza that brought Broadway back into the good graces of American popular culture and remains a unique masterwork almost thirty years after its opening. But perhaps its greatest achievement is in its simplicity and how it conveys the themes of love and redemption which are universal. The rich, multi-layered musical score by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg has an amazing ability to capture Victor Hugo’s sprawling portrait of France at a tumultuous turning point in that nation’s history, and audiences respond emphatically to the incredible story which it tells. That story is still relevant today, portraying a society desperate for renewal and change, and depicting a journey of human beings struggling for acceptance, coping with longing and loss, and making choices that define them as individuals. The lyrics speak to the world: It is time for us all to decide who we are.

And now my own journey through the Les Misérables experience comes full circle and feels complete as I approach this production as an Artistic Director as well, with the responsibility of not only striving for artistic excellence but bringing forth a production that the Riverside family and the community can be proud of. I ask our audiences to “join in our crusade” and “relive the dream.”

Many thanks to this incredible production team, cast and crew. You have all committed and done yeoman’s work. Thank you for allowing me to relive so many wonderful memories as I have observed the process and been moved by your dedication and compassion.

To love another person is to see the face of God.

-Patrick A’Hearn

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Riverside Dinner Theater

Cast

• Jean Valjean: David Michael Felty
• Javert, A Policeman: Thomas Adrian Simpson
• The Bishop Of Digne: John Hollinger
• Fantine: Erin Miele Huss
• The Foreman: Thomas Cleary
• Bamatbois: Tommy Mcneal
• Fauchelevant: John Hollinger
• Little Cosette, Fantine’s Daughter: Alexa Norbeck
• Thenardier, An Innkeeper: Bill Upshaw
• Madame Thenardier, The Innkeeper’s Wife: Carol Hagy
• Young Eponine (Silent), The Thenardiers’ Daughter: Rhianna Degeorge
• Gavroche, An Urchin: Joshua Otten
• Eponine, Grown Up: Caitlin Shea
• Cosette, Grown Up: Whitney Hollis
• Thenardier’s Gang
  • Montparnasse: Ryan Lynch
  • Babet: Cody Heuer
  • Brujon: Ian Lane
  • Claquesous: John Hollinger
• Students
  • Enjolras: Anthony Nuccio
  • Marius: David Pope
  • Combeferre: Thomas Cleary
  • Feuilly: James Bock
  • Courfeyrac: Cody Heuer
  • Joly: Gannon Sims
  • Grantaire: Tommy Mcneal
  • Lesgles: Kevin Cleary
  • Jean Prouvaire: Anthony Logan Cole
• Women’s Ensemble Of Factory Workers, Whores, Drinkers, The Poor, And Wedding Guests: Julie Baird, Melynda Burdette, Elizabeth Butler, Jessie Croke, Andrea Detar, Mary Anne Furey, Maxine Gillespie, Valerie Roche
• Understudies (Understudies Never Substitute For Listed Players Unless Announced At Performance Time)
  • Jean Valjean: Ian Lane
  • Javert: Anthony Logan Cole, Thomas Cleary
  • Fantine: Julie Baird, Valerie Roche
  • Cosette: Mary Anne Furey
  • Eponine: Michaela Kelley, Mary Anne Furey
  • Marius: Tommy Mcneal, Cody Heuer
  • Thenardier: Robert Beard, Anthony Logan Cole
  • Madame Thenardier: Melynda Burdette, Maxine Gillespie
  • Enjolras: James Bock, Thomas Cleary
  • Grantaire: Ryan Lynch, Kevin Cleary
  • Gavroche: Dante Durso
  • Young Cosette/Young Eponine: Julianna Robinson
• Men’s Ensemble Swing: Colby Leroy
• Women’s Ensemble Swings: Keri Durrett, Amber French

Designers

• Produced by Rollin E. Wehman
• Directed by Patrick A’Hearn
• Musical Direction by Jason J. Michael
• Costume Design/Coordination: Gaye Law
• Production Manager: Carole Shrader
• Associate Director and Musical Staging by Penny Ayn Maas
• Lighting Design: Nicky Mahon
• Technical Director: Phil Carlucci
• Scenic Design by Brian C. Barker
• Scenic Artist: Matthew P. Westcott
• Stage Manager: Ben Feindt

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

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.

Donald Margulies has a gift for writing realistic dialogue. His Dinner with Friends feels like one is eavesdropping on two actual couples – Tom and Beth, whose relationship is falling apart, and Gabe and Karen, who take this surprising news hard and personally. Providence Players of Fairfax has produced an enjoyable version of Dinner with Friends, although it doesn’t quite match the naturalism of Margulies’ script. Nonetheless, the design team and actors have brought enough care and energy to the task at hand to ensure that audiences will enjoy the meal.

The strengths of director Tina Thronson’s production are many. Raedun de Alba’s set design is deceptively complicated. Although each setting is simple on its own, there at least six different locations, and de Alba has managed to make each one detailed and realistic. The kitchens and bedrooms especially are perfectly decorated by Susan Kaplan & Sue Winfield, who also provided the many food-related props. Thronson makes excellent use of the environment, moving her actors around the stage in a wholly authentic way. Jimmy Gertzog’s lighting design further transports the audience with careful, individualized choices for each setting.

Thronson has assembled a quartet of appealing actors who bring animation and intensity to their roles and are especially adept at portraying the chemistry and history of each of their relationships. Each of the actors have definite moments where they shine: David P. Whitehead and Melissa Dunlap as Gabe and Karen have a sweetly teasing rapport with one another, finishing each other’s sentences and communicating by touch and glances. Their fixation on analyzing every meal is a true highlight of the evening. Michael Donahue as Tom is excellent in his first scene with his estranged wife, Beth, as he navigates the familiar terrain of Beth’s emotions with care and strategy. Jayne L. Victor, who plays Beth, is perhaps the strongest of the four in constructing a believable, heartbreaking, and yet still funny, character.

Because these four actors must carry the whole show, they and Thronson have the hefty challenge of maintaining pace, creating character arcs, and avoiding the feeling of repetition. Here is where the show runs into a bit of difficulty. While the first act gallops along, the second act gets a bit bogged down, especially in two static scenes on a patio and in a bar, which could have used more imagination in the staging and atmosphere. Additionally, the actors tend to push a bit too hard throughout the evening, going overboard on the comedy and exaggerating their reactions. For example, Whitehead and Dunlap had repeated and large reactions to the supposed perfect state of their union, intimating secrets or a disaster in the making, that proved unfounded and unsupported by the play’s end. Thronson would have better served the play by guiding the actors to subtlety and nuance, which would have enabled them to present more fully formed and less caricatured roles. Conversely, Thronson and costume designer Robbie Snow (whose work in the rest of the play is admirable) also missed an opportunity where broader humor would have actually have been welcome by choosing not to provide radically different looks for the flashback scene.

Margulies’ play requires quiet, real-life exchanges, with the humor coming from the familiar and from the details of the characters. Thronson’s production relies too much on broad, presentational acting and, therefore, lacks the feeling that the audience has quietly removed the fourth wall and is spying on the life within. Rather than an intimate Dinner With Friends, this production, while entertaining and possessing many successful aspects, feels more like a convention banquet, although with better food.

Director’s Note

According to the great Leo Tolstoy “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Good Victorian that he was, Tolstoy required hundreds of pages to tell his stories of love, marriage, and the end of love. Contemporary playwright David Margulies, the author of Dinner with Friends, tells this story in seventy-two pages. I admit-I was first drawn to this play for the seventy two pages. However, at closer reading, I realized that this play is a little gem.

To quote one of its characters: “The thing is, you never know what couples are like when they’re alone; you never do.”

In this insightful piece, Margulies introduces us to two couples. Over the span of the play we observe their bond with each other and with their dearest friends. With an extraordinary “ear,” he writes dialogue that will resonate with any modern audience. In the end, the beauty of this play is that it really makes us think. It reveals some profound truths about the nature of courtship, marriage, alienation, and the sometimes overwhelming challenge of maintaining the most important relationships in one’s life.

I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed directing it.

Tina Thronson, Director

Cast

• Gabe: David Whitehead
• Karen: Melissa Dunlap
• Beth: Jayne L. Victor
• Tom: Michael Donahue

Production Team

• Director: Tina Thronson
• Producer: Chip Gertzog
• Stage Manager: Mike Mattheisen
• Stage Crew: Chip Gertzog, Nick Harrison, Robbie Snow, Andra Whitt, Lauren SullivanTechnical Technical Director: Jimmy Gertoz
• Technical Crew: Sarah Mournighan, Michael Sinsabaugh, Audrey Suarez
• Set Design: Raedun de Alba
• Set Construction: John Coscia
• Set Construction Crew: John Coscia, Tom Coscia, Gerardo de Alba, Raedun de Alba, Michael Donahue, Joe Garguilo, Chip Gertzog, Jimmy Gertzog, Kevin Harnisch, Beth Harrison, Nick Harrison, Susan Kaplan, Mike Mattheisen, Elizabeth Pfeifer, Gordon Pfeifer, Michael Sinsabaugh, Robbie Snow, Tina Thronson, David Whitehead, Sue Winfield
• Set Decoration: Susan Kaplan & Sue Winfield
• Set Painting: Sue Winfield
• Costume Design: Robbie Snow
• Hair and Makeup Design: Beth Harrison
• Properties: Susan Kaplan & Sue Winfield
• House Management: Mike Daze
• Playbill: Ellen Burns
• Playbill Advertising: Jayne Victor, John Coscia, David Whitehead
• Photography: Chip Gertzog
• Publicity: Chip Gertzog

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

Two men on the brink of ruin have redemption at their fingertips, but only if they can best the other. Frost/Nixon, now playing at Silver Spring Stage, dramatizes (and fictionalizes) the story behind the 1977 televised interviews that former President Richard M. Nixon gave to British talk show host, David Frost. Frost sought to force Nixon to accept responsibility for his part in Watergate and to apologize to the American people. In his script, Peter Morgan intersperses dialogue from the actual interviews with imagined conversations between aides and between Frost and Nixon themselves, and Morgan postulates that Frost eventually succeeded, not through trickery, luck, or strategy, but rather by connecting with Nixon on a personal level and understanding his need to unburden.

The script itself is fascinating in its depiction of the two flawed men but less fascinating in its structure and supporting characters. Under Kevin O’Connell’s direction, Silver Spring Stage’s production retains the script’s strengths, as well as its weaknesses. As such, scenes of sublime dramatic tension are separated by wordy, uninvolving monologues and mini-subplots that are of little importance or interest.

Brendan Murray is especially engrossing as the playboy celebrity Frost. Murray ably constructs a complex character, for whom the stakes are very high in every scene even as he attempts to appear carefree. While he handles Frost’s British accent well, Murray is at his best in his silences; he is one of those gifted actors who can convey an entire inner monologue in a brief moment with only his eyes and his face. You learn more about Frost by watching Murray than you do by listening to him.

Michael Kharfen is almost as successful as Nixon. While not a spot-on impressionist, Kharfen ably evokes Nixon’s voice and physicality. In their scenes together, Kharfen and Murray work well sparring with each other, and it is great fun to watch the momentum move from one to the other. However, Kharfen’s Nixon is presented as a buffoon who got what he deserved; it might have provided more layered and nuanced drama to construct a multi-dimensional Nixon, one with enough leadership and charisma to entice voters and with enough humanity to make his fall more tragic.

O’Connell has fashioned a uniformly strong and focused ensemble. Of particular note were the elegant and understated Diana Partridge as Frost’s love interest and the intelligent and motivated David Dieudonne as one of Frost’s researchers. O’Connell also smartly moves the location of the interviews around the stage, providing differing views of the verbal boxing match.

Where O’Connell stumbles, however, is in not realizing that the slower, weaker portions of the script cannot sustain interest on their own, especially in a two-hour-intermissionless production. O’Connell and his designers and performers might have used any number of strategies to provide further dimension to the words — increased use of the ensemble in choreographed scene changes or as background extras, music or sound effects to underscore important moments and add interest, amped up investment and energy from the supporting players, or projections to set time or place, to name a few.

Instead, the color palette is black and brown, and the design elements are minimal. O’Connell himself designed the set, which consists of black walls, black curtains, and a few pieces of furniture that are carried in and out by the actors. Peter Caress’s lights are simple and seemed to serve only to isolate portions of the stage, rather than enhance the action or deepen the visual impact. While Crystal Simone Fergusson’s costumes and hair design were period appropriate, attractive, and varied (especially on the women), given the simplicity of the set and lights, the eye might have appreciated more pops of color.

O’Connell and company have presented Morgan’s script with intelligence and humor, but without adornment. However, a little adornment never hurt anybody. With a few bells and whistles, this interesting play might have grown into a riveting and consuming experience.

Cast

• Richard Nixon: Michael Kharfen
• Ollie, Mike Wallace, Technician, Partygoer: Gary Sullivan
• Studio Manager, Manolo Sanchez: Peter Orvetti
• Evonne Goolagong, Flight Attendent, Waitress, Studio Manager, Partygoer: Erica Smith
• Jim Reston: David Dieudonne
• David Frost: Brendan Murray
• Jack Brennan: Kevin Dykstra
• John Birt: Chris Tully
• Swifty Lazar: Mike Goll
• Caroline Cushing: Diana Partridge
• Bob Zelnick: Jack Scheer

Production Staff

• Producer: Devon Seybert
• Director: Kevin O’Connell
• Stage Manager: Pam Burks
• Set Designer & Set Decoration: Kevin O’Connell
• Painting: Pam Burks, Jamie Coupar & Devon Seybert
• Lighting Designer: Peter Caress
• Sound Designer: Jamie Coupar
• Crew: Kathleen Burke. Peter Caress, Jamie Coupar
• Costumer: Crystal Simone Ferguson
• Properties: Caroline Duffy
• Makeup and Hair Design: Crystal Simone Ferguson
• Dialect Coach: Gary Sullivan
• Artistic Liaison: Craig Allen Mummey
• Playbill: Leta Hall
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Disclaimer: Silver Spring Stage provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of the most adored love stories in English literature. Both pride and prejudice color Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s first impressions of one another and cause them to fail to realize what the reader/audience knows at once — how perfect they are for one another. But Austen’s novel is more than just a romance; it is also a sparkling witty comedy of manners. In Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s production, Sally Boyett-D’Angelo directs Jon Jory’s adaptation and, while the romance blossoms, the comedy has difficulty taking root.

Boyett-D’Angelo beautifully features the romantic elements of the show. She has directed her actors to savor the eye contact and quickened heartbeats of first attraction and to fan the flames of passion with longing looks and rising blushes. All the actors who were supposed to be attracted to one another were entirely successful, and Elizabeth and Darcy’s “love scene” was moving, heart-melting, and passionate.

Caitlin McWethy as Elizabeth is flat-out marvelous. Her emotional range is impressive, her presence is charming, and she beautifully captures Elizabeth’s intelligence and brashness. Everyone else in the show does their best work when they are alone on the stage with McWethy. These two person scenes were believable and engrossing and the highlights of the evening.

Michael Ryan Neely’s Darcy, as counterpoint to a dynamic Elizabeth, was stoic to the point of being still as a statue. Yet, it is a testament to Neely’s charisma and talent that he holds his own in his scenes with McWethy. While barely moving a muscle, he was able to convey his attraction, his interest, his discomfort, and his joy, all through his eyes and the force of his personality.

While the key romantic pairings of McWethy and Neely and Alyssa Bouma (Jane) and Grayson Owen (Bingley) created exciting sparks, the humor was less successful, as it was played, for the most part, broadly and without the finesse consistent with the tone of the piece. Characters like Elizabeth’s youngest sisters, Kitty and Lydia (Liz Kinder and Solveig Moe), Elizabeth’s mother (Carol Randolf), and Darcy’s aunt (Esther Schwarzbauer) are so over-the-top that they don’t seem to come from the same town or even the same play as Elizabeth and Darcy. They would seem more at home in an episode of “The Carol Burnett Show” than this period comedy. Jory’s script contains much of Austen’s actual dialogue, which is hilarious and biting on its own, but the choice to layer outsized energy and gestures on top of these caustic, witty words squelched a lot of the laughs.

Also distracting was the decision to have certain actors play more than one role, a device suggested by the script but especially odd in this production that utilized an ensemble of background actors with very little to do. While some actors were more successful than others at differentiating their characters, at times the actors playing two roles looked and behaved essentially the same in both parts, leading to moments of confusion before it became clear that they were actually a new character.

Boyett-D’Angelo’s staging varied from appealing to confusing. Part of the problem is Jory’s script, which bounces quickly from place to place and utilizes awkward narration to streamline the story. These devices are challenging and can lead to jerky pacing and lack of focus. At times, Boyett-D’Angelo rose to the challenge by utilizing choreography and Peter Ekstrom’s music to create seamless, smooth, and graceful transitions. At other times, the staging became unnecessarily complicated, such as during the first ball scene where the focus was muddled and the background action overpowered the dialogue.

The uncredited set design consisted of three tall sets of patio doors that were used not only as a means for entrances and exits, but also as a framing device to place characters in different settings or to illustrate the narration. The doors were attractive and versatile and, with the use of chairs, chandeliers, and a few other set pieces, served to create a myriad of locations. However, the minimal nature of the set caused the stage to look static at times, and the lighting design by Garrett Hyde, while adequately shifting focus between scenes, was not enough to sustain visual interest throughout. The period costumes by Maggie Cason were also inconsistent. Some of the dresses were lovely, and the military uniforms were crisp, but many of the costumes looked rumpled, and the use of shapeless bathrobes over the original costumes to differentiate the double-cast actors was unfortunate.

While Pride and Prejudice was not entirely consistent, this young company has created an enjoyable production full of burgeoning romance. While the evening is not entirely smooth, the road to true love never is.

Photo Gallery

Caitlin McWethy (Elizabeth Bennet), Michael Ryan Neely (Mr. Darcy)	Caitlin McWethy (Elizabeth Bennet), Michael Ryan Neely (Mr. Darcy)
Grayson Owen (Mr. Bingley), Alyssa Bouma (Jane Bennet)	Caitlin McWethy (Elizabeth Bennet), Solveig Moe (Lydia Bennet), Jim Reiter (Mr. Bennet)
Grayson Owen (Mr. Bingley), Alyssa Bouma (Jane Bennet), Robert C. Mobley, Jim Cason, Caitlin McWethy (Elizabeth Bennet)

Photos by Corey Sentz

Cast

• Mr. Bennet: Jim Reiter
• Mrs. Bennet: Carol Randolf
• Elizabeth Bennet: Caitlin McWethy
• Jane Bennet: Alyssa Bouma
• Mary Bennet/Charlotte Lucas: Stephanie Ramsey
• Kitty Bennet/Georgiana Darcy: Liz Kinder
• Lydia Bennet: Solveig Moe
• Mr. Darcy: Michael Ryan Neely
• Mr. Bingley/Colonel Fitzwilliam: Grayson Owen
• Sir William Lucas/Mr. Gardiner: Joshua Boulden
• George Wickham: Bob Mobley
• Lady Catherine De Bourgh/Housekeeper: Esther Schwarzbauer
• The Officer: Michael Pimpo
• Ensemble: Jim Cason, Helen Gorman, Rebecca Jonas, Caleb Pimpo, Miranda Savage

Crew

• Production stage Manager: Liza Hackman
• Assistant Stage Manager: Elena Hein
• Stage Manager Trainee: Corey Sentz
• Light Board Operator: Noah Diekemper
• Dance Captain: Alyssa Bouma
• Wardrobe Mistress Maggie Cason

Artistic Staff

• Director/Choreographer: Sally Boyett-D’Angelo
• Composer: Peter Ekstrom
• Dialect Coach: Nancy Krebs
• Costume Design: Maggie Cason
• Lighting Design: Garrett Hyde
• Producer: Terry Bouma

Production Staff

• Technical Director: Garrett Hyde
• Master Electrician: Peter Dursin
• Sound Technician: Wally Kleinfelder
• Technician: Al Chopey
• Assistant Technical Director: Joshua Boulden
• Lead Carpenter: Jim Cason
• Scenic Painting: Caitlin McWethy

Disclaimer: Annapolis Shakespeare Company provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.