Angus Bowmer Theater KDB August 23 & 24, 1997
At the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Ashland's Angus Bowmer Theater,
Shakespeare's
is a searing psychological drama that makes no attempt at realism. Director Libby Appel lays bare the souls of these tortureous characters with sets that are stark and barren and costumes that are adapted to the state of the characters. We open with Lear's court sitting in chairs in a single line across the entire stage. They're all in black tuxdoes with the three daughters in gowns. As Regan and Gonerill strip Lear of his remaining servants, we have five doors through which each of the characters passes. For the storm, the set turns into a simple box of black on the sides, white at the back and floor, and Lear's costume is the timeless white linen of a pauper. We have flashing white and red lighting, with howling wind and crashing thunder. James Edmondson is a riveting Lear who rages at Cordelia and Kent, then realizes, too late his mistakes. He slowly descends into madness, alternately raging, playful, philosophical, but steadily sliding as little by little, everything that has elevated him and all who are dear to him are taken from him. Derrick Lee Weeden is a powerful Edmond, who plots against his father, Gloucester and his half brother Edgar, his father's heir. Gloucester is all too quick to believe his flattery and lies and they all pay the price in the end. As his last act, Edmond points out that, although it is against his nature, he will attempt one final good act. By telling Edgar, after he has mortally wounded him, and Albany that he has ordered Cordelia to be hanged, and to hurry if you are to have any chance to same her. Todd Barton's original electronic music is the final gateway into these tortured souls. It's dramatic and strong at times, but soft and subtle, at others. When Gloucester jumps off what he thinks is the cliff, the sounds are barely audible, but add a very eerie, almost supernatural effect. The German philosopher Artur Schopenhauer calls music "the thing in itself because it imitates nothing and pierces straight to the soul." These sounds created by Barton in KING LEAR become the personification of this as he sweeps us along into the abyss.
is Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Ferenc Molnar's "Play at the
Castle," with music by Andre Previn, lyrics by Stoppard. It's
about a theater company on an ocean liner that needs to finish it's
play by the time it reaches New York. This is a hilarious farce with
non-stop action. We have the aging actors and former lovers Natasha
Navratilova and Ivor Fish. She is now in love with composer Adam
Adam. Ted Deasey is a tremendous Adam. He has a speech impediment
which causes him to pause before he speaks. His lips purse and he's
very serious as he warms up then speaks. He tries to time his
delivery, but it never quite works. He plays piano to Natasha and she
answers in words. We have a chorus line of brightly colored belles
with parasols and beach balls. The boat rocks against a swell, and
the furniture slides from side to side in The Pisa Room. Even the
picture of the Leaning Tower, that's painted on the wall, shifts. Dan
Donohue steals the show as the indomitable waiter Dvornichek. He
drinks everybody's cognac, sways from side to side and mirrors Adam
as he tries to speak. When a man goes overboard, he rescues him. He
plays piano, explains the play to the actors and sings, all the while
fetching cognac for the troupe, and drinking it for them when he
brings it back. Tom Stoppard's ROUGH CROSSING
is directed by James Edmondson, and is non-stop laughs from start to finish.
David Edgar's 
is a complex drama that explores several issues ranging from the
value of art, to the changing geo-political landscape of Eastern
Europe, to the desperate terrorist action of a group of refugees
making one last attempt to flee ethnic cleansing. A painting is
discovered in an old stone chapel in an unnamed Eastern European
country. It is tentatively dated to the early 13th
century, almost 100 years before Giotto's "Lamentation." If
the date is accurate, it is the first painting to use single-point
perspective to paint three-dimensional people in realistic
surroundings. Art historians converge from England and America. We
have horrendous arguments about the intent of art restoration. Do we
leave it as it is, with it's history of candle smoke and atmosphere
darkening it, or do we make it as bright as possible, remove it to
the national museum, as a first step toward making the painting a
Hollywood star on tour on it's way to an unnamed southern California
museum where it will be placed in perfectly controlled atmospheric
conditions. A letter is discovered that seems to confirm the accuracy
of the date, but it was only written in the 14th century
after 100 years of verbal transferal in which the language changed to
such a degree that in the late 13th century it was made a
capital crime to use the original language. During the debate the
chapel is taken over by a terrorist band of refugees escaping ethnic
cleansing and making one, final desperate attempt at survival. They
hold the historians and the painting hostage and demand that they be
granted asylum and work permits in the country of their choice. We
get an all too real look at the face of these
refugees/terrorists. The Sri Lankan woman Tunu tells us in her own
language, which she makes us understand, the beautiful story of Rama
and Sita. We hear the Bosnian cellist Amira, who leaves her orchestra
and home, to take refuge in Sarajevo. We hear from the
"Bosnian" gypsy Nico and his daughter Cleopatra who have no
country, no papers, and will try to sell Cleopatra's baby to a good
western family. Fatima, the Kurd, fought for autonomy for her people.
Her brother was conscripted into the Iraqui army, refused, was
jailed, and when she saw him next, he had been severely maimed and
driven mad. When she returned home to her mother and baby, they had
been killed in a manner which was too horrible to relate. We explore
the divisions of language, where, seemingly, each neighborhood has
it's own. The American art historian Leo Katz points out that as the
opera houses close, synagogues are desecrated, and gypsies are beaten
up by skinheads. You turned your churches into torture chambers, and
indeed, there are signs of it in this church. We are left with the
thought that the people of this country, are the sum of all who have
invaded us, we are all each other's guests. Tony Taccone directs this
riveting production of PENTECOST. It
continues in The Angus Bowmer Theater in Ashland through September 21.
Libby Appel's world premiere production of Lillian Garrett-Groag's 
is
a story of an opera loving family of immigrants fleeing WWII Europe.
They end up in Peron's Argentina, to a back-drop of labor strikes and
political repression in the winter of 1953. It's told through the
eyes of an adult Lise, the narrator, who looks back on this one
winter in her childhood. We open with a stark set as the family
arrives with next to nothing. This gives way to a well-to-do living
room, fire flickering in the background to sounds of "Das
Rheingold" as the set comes into focus. Outside are the sounds
of strikers being clubbed and rounded up by the police. The Berg and
Guarneri extended family are vehemently anti-Nazi and to them there
is no Evita, only "that woman." When the housekeeper Rosa's
Brother Santos, a striking plumber, who is being sought by the
government takes refuge in the kitchen, he is being told to leave by
Otto. But then the family debates and rallies to his defense. It's
too late, though and Otto wanders the streets looking for him for
several days thereafter. This is a family that revels in the arts,
and especially opera, to protect themselves from the outside world.
This can bring it's own humorous problems, though, as the precocious
young Lise at about seven years old, is immersed in a world of women
jumping into fire, off castles, and by the way, what is Violetta in
"La Traviata?" In the end we're asked, "What's left
but Bjorling and that Greek girl, what's her name?" That's what
real. The adult Lise is dressed in a red blouse and black pants, the
colors of the Flying Dutchman's sails, and like the Dutchman, She and
the family search for love and life's meaning. Lillian
Garrett-Groag's THE MAGIC FIRE is an odd play
in which you laugh all the way through, only to be left with a sense
of tragedy at the end. It's world premiere continues, along with KING
LEAR, ROUGH CROSSING, and DEATH
OF A SALESMAN which opens September 25 and runs through
November 2 at The Angus Bowner Theater at The
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland.
KDB August 17, 1997
Under the stars at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland's
Elizabethan Theater 
is a relatively traditional production directed by Penny Metropulos
with beautiful ancient costumes by Susan Mickey. Richard L. Hay's
opulent sets have marble columns, steps, and floor, with silver-white
curtains, and gold and silver carved tables as the merchant Timon
lays out a lavish feast for his followers and flatterers. Timon
clearly revels in the attention of his fawning friends. Only the Army
Captain Alcibiades takes in moderation, and only the philosopher
Apemantus is openly contemptuous of Timon, and in all of Athens, as
she says "There's not one honest Athenian." In
Shakespeare's play the only female characters are the old
"Athenian's daughter" and the two harlots Timandra and
Phrynia. Metropulos transposes Apemantus to a female role along with
one Senator, and the two strangers. Tamu Gray really makes Apemantus
work, and the two strangers, Miriam A. Laube and Jodi Somers create
an almost supernatural effect. They appear, usually to electronic
music composed by Sue Carney almost as apparitions dressed from head
to toe in gray. After Timon's fall they seem as witnesses as
Sempronius upbraids Timon's other false friends for not loaning him
money to prevent his ruin, then he himself finds a reason to refuse
when he is asked. The ingraditude of the Athenians doesn't stop with
Timon, however. When Alcibiades, who has defended Athens against it's
enemies, pleads with the Senators to spare the life of one of his
soldiers, he is banished. He swears revenge, while Timon throws one
last "feast." He toasts his "friends" and
declares "This is the world's soul" as the covered bowls
are revealed to contain only water. Timon rips down the curtains,
kicks over the tables, throws water in the faces of his guests, and
chases them off. Only Timon's steward Flavius remains loyal as he
says "Every man has his faults, and honesty is his." When
next we see Timon he is living in the forest dressed in torn, dirty
rags, and raving mad. While digging for roots to eat he finds a bag
of gold. Alcibiades enters as he leads his army back to destroy
Athens. He professes his friendship to Timon who gives him gold and
urges him on to his revenge. Alcibiades returns the gold and Timon's
invective seems to have cooled the Captain. Apemantus appears and she
and Timon hurl insults at each other and she says "The middle of
humanity thou never knewest, but (only) the extremity of both
ends." As the two apparitions appear on the balcony, Timon
passes through the light into death. Shakespeare's TIMON
OF ATHENS is a cynical look at the underside of the
world of wealth and favor and those who curry it. It's as relevant
now as it was in Shakespeare's time, or indeed in ancient Athens, and
portrays the basest motives of humanity. This is the first
performance of it since 1979 in Ashland, and only the third in the
Festival's 62 year history. Also, dramaturg Barry Kraft plays the
poet and in so doing has now acted in each of the 38 Shakespeare
plays and has never repeated a role.
into a 1950's rock'n'roll extravaganza with original '50's music
composed by Irwin Appel. Everything is updated except the dialogue,
which is Shakespeare's with a few exceptions. Julia and her friend
Lucetta are '50's teenagers. She receives Proteus' letter in a Mel's
Drive-in type setting. They squeal in delight and even talk on the
phone with their mothers yelling at them in the background. When we
meet Antonio in his study with his friend Panthino, we're left with
the impression of an intelligent Jackie Gleason and Art Carney.
Panthino even ]looks and sounds like Ed Norton. A "Verona"
sign hangs above the stage, and when Valentine moves on the sign
changes to a brightly lit "Milan." We have neon lights
around the stage floor, columns, and brightly lit green globes around
the front. Milan has a very Las Vegas feel to it, and Verona is
definitely a poor step-child. At the Duke's court, he is like the
Godfather as he accepts suitcases full of money from Thurio and his
mafioso underlings. U. Jonathan Toppo is a stupendous Thurio who
becomes the bass-man when he, Proteus, and friends do an acappella
"Doo-wop" serenade of Sylvia from one tower window to the
other. In the forest we have smoke, lights coming up from grates in
the floor, and the robbers encircling Valentine with mag flashlights
for a very intimidating effect. All works out in the end in this
thoroughly entertaining THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
which continues along with AS YOU LIKE IT,
and TIMON OF ATHENS outdoors on the
Elizabethan stage at The Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, Ashland through October 12.
Black Swan Theater
KDB August 16, 1997At The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland's
Black Swan Theater, 
is Ingmar Bergman's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll
House." Torvald has just gotten a promotion to Bank Manager to
secure his and Nora's future. It's Christmas and she bubbles over as
she's splurged on presents to put under the tree. Not all is light
and cheerful under the surface, however. In the room at the back of
the stage we have very dour looking characters. They come to the main
stage to speak and act, then return to sit, sullen and still. We
learn that shortly after they were married Torvald had quit his civil
service job to take another job to earn more money. He worked so hard
that he became ill and had to go to Italy to recover. Secretly Nora
had borrowed money to pay for the trip. At the time women weren't
allowed to borrow without their husband's or father's consent. Nora
had forged her dying father's signature. She has secretly made
payments for all these years, but now is being blackmailed by
Krogstad the holder of the note. Torvald is about to dismiss him and
the note is his leverage. When Torvald gets Krogstad's letter he
blows up and practically disowns her privately, because now he will
have to give in to all of the demands. In order to maintain his
station he will become subservient to Krogstad. Catherine Lynn Davis
makes us feel all of the joy and desperation of Nora, the happy
doting wife, but with the undercurrent of fear of discovery. She
comes to the realization that she "has never been happy, only
cheerful; she was a doll daughter, passed on to be a doll wife with
doll children in a doll house. Her wants and needs as a woman are
unimportant. She's merely a servant to her husband. We feel her
resolve as she must learn to be a human being and has to learn it by
herself. Ingmar Bergman's NORA is a heroic
tale of a woman in a man's world and her sacrifice and courage to
claim for herself the self-respect that has been denied her by a
society that has relegated her to her husband's property.
is Pearl Cleage's tale of Alabama country boy Leland Cunningham dropped into the end of the Harlem renaissance in 1930. The set shows two apartments belonging to Delia, and across the hall, Guy. The play opens with Angel being carried home to Guy's dead drunk by Guy and this mysterious Alabaman Leland who immediately leaves. Angel has just been fired from her job at The Cotton Club and there are no other jobs for singers in Harlem since the onset of the Depression. Delia is a social worker who is working with Margaret Sanger trying to start a birth control clinic in Harlem and faces stiff opposition from many different sides. Guy is a gay dress designer who dreams of going to Paris and dressing Josephone Baker. Her portrait is in his living room and she is a dominant influence in the play. Their friend Sam is a forty year old doctor who delivers all of the babies in Harlem. Into this hip socially liberal mix the ultra-conservative Leland is dropped. He wants to marry Angel because she looks like his childhood sweetheart wife, Anna, who recently died giving birth to their son, who also died. As Sam points out "Alabama isn't a state, it's a state of mind." Leland tells Delia that the cure for a woman who doesn't want babies is a man who does. He calls Guy an abomination, and some of his friends jump Guy one morning and try to beat him up because of what he is and how he looks. When Angel sees blood on Guy's new shirt, he assures her that it's somebody's else's blood. Delia finds a building for the clinic, but it's fire bombed, presumably by followers of Marcus Garvey who regards it as "white women telling colored women to stop having babies." BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY is a gripping story of hopes and dreams, some realized, some shattered. It's about a clash of cultures and values in a changing world. We see some characters roll with the punches, while others strike out in desperation and finally snap. BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY continues along with NORA at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland's Black Swan Theater through November 2.
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Oregon |
"Channel City" |
"Sleeping Beauty" |
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"Taking Sides" |
"Don Pasquale" |
"Mediterranea" |
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"Fedora" |
"Flying Dutchman" |
"Camelot" |
"Sweet Charity" |
"Cinderella" Ballet |
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"Florencia" |
"Death In Venice" |
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