9-12-08
Weekend Shows How Past is Present
Theatre changes slowly, reacting to the times more than leading it. In many ways, we're all still dealing with the advent of realism, which came about in the late 19th century. But despite that, there's a distinct feeling to plays from the middle of the last century.
Gore Vidal's Weekend, now in a revival at TimeLine Theatre, feels very much like a part of an earlier time. It's definitely a "well made play," and clearly descends from the comedies of Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward. There's a predictability to the affair, as the son of a presidential candidate comes home with a black girlfriend (scandal!) and possibly upsets his father's bid. But somehow, you never really think Senator MacGruder (played with joyous energy by Terry Hamilton) is going to let a little thing like a mixed race marriage upset his plans. And so, when he turns everything on its ear, it's hardly a surprise.
That doesn't make the journey a bore, however. There's a pleasure in watching a craftsman at work. And, like Wilde, Vidal's characters are nothing if they're not witty. So you get very funny bon mots about the relationship between Washington, race, and the nation, that seem particularly resonant, given the present political situation. And Damon Kiely has assembled a cast that knows how to find the timing in this kind of humor. Penny Slusher, as the accommodating wife to the Senator, is particularly good at letting the funny come to her. But the real drive to this production comes from Hamilton, who brings energy to the stage every time he appears, and things sag a little when he vanishes.
The problem here is that Vidal is no Wilde. There's not a lot of depth to any of these people. So you've got the conservative Senator and his wife, the overly stiff servant, the smug, but contentious son, the ambitious secretary and so on. So while you enjoy the little jokes, the slams on politicians (made primarily by politicians), and so on, nothing really sticks with you after seeing the show.
Still, this is a pretty canny piece of programming by TimeLine. If anything, it reminds us that distrust of politicians--who in Vidal's eyes clearly care less about personal feelings than they do about whatever the most recent polls say--has been around for a long time in America. MacGruder states, at the beginning of the play, that he's gotten to be the leading candidate for president by doing nothing. So long as he takes no stands, he remains extremely popular. The audience chuckled, clearly having the present political contest in mind.
In the end though, the elevating force in Weekend is Hamilton's jubilant energy in the central role. You may not learn anything new, but there's something to be said for seeing an actor, and by extension a politician, have a blast doing his thing.
Weekend, TimeLine Theatre Company
Chris Jones, Tribune--"Kiely's straight-up production is a tad underpaced in places and not always on the same stylistic page. But then neither is the script. And aided by the terrific production values that now seem a consistent feature of the upgraded TimeLine experience, a lively and mostly effective cast keeps things bubbling along. Penny Slusher is especially good as a political wife with a blind-but-shrewd eye, and Janet Ulrich Brooks effectively pushes the comedy as the play's insufferable elitist."
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times--"Vidal, a master caricaturist, has nailed both the politicians and their women (including Andrews' pricelessly bigoted wife, played with comic brilliance by Janet Ulrich Brooks), as well as Louise's archconservative parents (the picture-perfect Andre Teamer and Joslyn Jones) and the MacGruders' devoted black butler Roger (a subtle, spot-on Sean Nix), who has God on his mind. Damon Kiely's fleet, bristling direction and his pitch-perfect TimeLine cast take full advantage of every wicked note in Vidal's masterfully written satire."
Albert Williams, Reader--"Neither a disaster nor a neglected gem, Weekend begins by attacking easy targets with a parodist's bludgeon rather than a satirist's scalpel, and the disconnect between the play's charged subject matter and droll, aloof style is off-putting. But some sharp twists make the second act worth waiting for. Even with its flaws, the play justifies TimeLine Theatre's decision to mount its Chicago premiere. Though it's largely a time capsule of American politics four decades past, it's interesting for its handling of some surprisingly timely themes in this election year and offers a vehicle for strong comic performances under the direction of Damon Kiely."
Monica Westin, New City--"The play does manage to capture both the climate of 1968 and seem very timely today--with eerily familiar southern conservative voices talking about unpopular wars and America's duty to spread democracy--and it's often extremely witty, especially when shooting barbs at academia and Nixon, who ends up being an easy mark. The acting is superb, with Janet Ulrich Brooks stealing the show as a hilariously small-minded political wife. Ultimately, Weekend is entertaining but light, only as good as it is fast-paced, and could have benefited from heavy cutting."
Christopher Piatt, Time Out--"Director Kiely's sporting, briskly paced revival--amusingly resurrected in the town that actually helped Jack Kennedy--is not a case that the play is either an unearthed masterwork or (curiously, given its race-based plot) in synch with the current election. But it's what political theater, and theater in general, so often fails to be: a really, really good time. As the senator, flamboyant talent Hamilton dials himself down and buttons himself up to fine effect as he leads a roundly winning ensemble."
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press--"Weekend doesn't know if it's a political satire, a soap opera or a sitcom. Worse, with its inconsistent characters and clumsy tone changes, it yearns to be serious and silly. It ends up a botched effort, far less vital or textured than Vidal's superb Washington novels and, oddly, with only one brief allusion to homosexuality...Damon Kiely's staging certainly dazzles, but, given this script, it can't hope to prevail. It's sad to watch a cast this excellent mug overtime for a play that rewards them so begrudgingly. By abandoning its deserved obscurity Weekend has done its author no favors."
Venus Zarris, Gay Chicago--"Director Damon Kiely assembles a solid cast and exceptional design team to deliver a strong, attractive and entertaining production of this Chicago premiere. It is hard to imagine that it took four decades for this play to be rediscovered, but the timing of its surfacing is as clever as the script itself. The focus of the busy drama becomes a bit muddied at times, and the chemistry between characters is often as unconvincing as a speech given by a floundering politician. Still, the witty material is delivered with enough competence and enthusiasm to relay the critical observations and leave you laughing hard."
Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City--"In some ways, Weekend is a model of its type; a tightly written light drama with plenty of comedy, lots of political wisecracks (mainly at Richard Nixon's expense) and enough plot surprises to keep things lively (as does Kiely's excellent pacing). But such a potboiler was old-hat even in 1968. Today it's very much a period piece, not for its political bitchery--which remains trenchant--but for its dramatic form and style. Still, if Weekend is well-produced, one can kick back and have a good time, and this show is well-produced."
The Boys of Syracuse, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook
Chris Jones, Tribune--"There are arresting new arrangements from Keith Dworkin, zesty choreography from Bell and, overall, tremendously energetic staging. Overall, the execution is a notch below the concept, and it never feels as if the performers fully inhabit the roles or completely deliver the show to the audience. It looked on Saturday like the show had taken a toll on the mostly young, 27-strong cast... Still, the always-enjoyable show also had sublime moments, including Susan Moniz's pitch-perfect 'Falling in Love ...' and a simply stunning duet between Moniz and the terrific Rod Thomas on 'Who Are You?,' which left you hoping they'd never find the answer and stop singing."
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times--"Director-choreographer David H. Bell, has worked every one of his considerable tricks in this production. He also has created a show that probably is the next best thing to an instant weight loss regime for its two dozen actors, nearly all of whom are in a state of perpetual animation from first moment to last. And that galvanic energy--which reaches its hilarious climax in the second act's Keytone Cops routine for a police sergeant and his brilliantly goofy force of ten officers (all decked out in enormous mustaches and fez-like hats)--is almost enough to keep you fully enthralled."
Kerry Reid, Reader--"Rodgers and Hart's 1938 musical version of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors gets a new book from director David H. Bell, but the attitude is old school. Bell's lavish anything-for-a-laugh staging celebrates the inherent idiocy of the story--especially in a glorious Keystone Kops homage in the second act--while mostly allowing the score to swing and soar. Susan Moniz's Adrianna brings coloratura fire to 'Falling In Love With Love,' and the company tears into the party-hearty 'Bottoms Up' (added by Bell from R & H's By Jupiter) with dipsomaniacal glee. Some of the quieter moments feel swallowed up in the show's eager-to-please hijinks, but the large and dexterous ensemble plays dumb with a ton of smarts."
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press--"The slippery setting notwithstanding, this hepcat revival delivers fun by the minute, its sterling, young cast unstoppable in their comic timing, period perfection, inspired reactions and deft physical comedy. As the identical twins who keep missing each other until the happy ending, Ryan Reilly and Rod Thomas play every crazy moment with scary conviction. Likewise, their adorable and easily switched servants, Devin DeSantis and Andrew Keltz, are bewildered brothers always one step away from a crucial reunion."
Jonathan Lewis, Gay Chicago--"The show is a true ensemble effort, with the entire cast turning in solid performances, powerful singing, terrific dancing and great comedic timing. The real stars, however, are the fantastic Rodgers and Hart songs, re-orchestrated in jazz and swing idioms of the era, and David H. Bell. Long a champion of forgotten musical treasures, Bell is a terrific choreographer, whose showmanship rivals some of Broadway's best, with the high-spirited energy of a Danny Daniels tap routine or the storytelling fluidity of a Gower Champion showstopper. Filled to bursting with physical humor, great songs, and wall-to-wall dance, The Boys From Syracuse is grand fun."
Scenes from the Big Picture, Seanachai Theatre Company
Chris Jones, Tribune--"The play is unable to justify its demanding running time. Like billiard balls scattered on a pool table, the stories collide and coexist within the confines of a Belfast neighborhood over the course of a single contemporary day. You keep waiting for a cumulative power to take hold, and, stubbornly, it does not...The terrific 21-member cast--which includes such Seanachai ensemble members as Anne Sunseri, Thomas Vincent Kelly, Sarah Wellington, Jeff Christian, John Dunleavy and Barbara Figgins--provides real heft where the script is lacking, and their collective performances almost convince you that there is more here than really is the case."
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times--"Seanachai, the company that for 15 seasons has made its mark celebrating the grand tradition of Irish storytelling, produces only about one show per year. But it rarely thinks small and usually does a bang-up job of things. McCafferty's three-act play, expertly orchestrated by director Scott Cummins, runs about three hours and features a superbly unified, highly individualistic, generation-spanning ensemble of 21 actors. Enhancing the storytelling is set designer Joey Wade's deft rotation of the usual Storefront Theatre layout to create a broad, multilevel playing space. Its bare brick walls become a haunting slaughterhouse backdrop, hung with sides of beef."
Kerry Reid, Reader--"If gritty English auteur Mike Leigh and Crash writer/director Paul Haggis collaborated, the result might be very close to Owen McCafferty's slice-of-marginal-Belfast-life drama, now getting an ambitious but underdeveloped local premiere from Seanachai Theatre Company. The big picture here consists of 40 scenes in which familiar hard-luck Celtic types have ironic encounters just like those in Crash. Scott Cummins's 21-member ensemble finds some gripping moments. But awkward transitions between scenes dilute the action, which takes far too long to go nowhere all that compelling."
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press--"The focus is also on traffic control as director Scott Cummins handles a huge cast who bustle about, change props and furniture, flawlessly deliver their brogues or sit in the front row when not performing. Happily, when they open their mouths they open our hearts with salt-of-the-earth performances rooted, like Altman's fragmented folks, in a story that's, frustratingly enough, almost bigger than they are. No names will be mentioned: This is ensemble acting at its most selfless and consensual."
Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City--"The Seanachaí Theatre Company has built its reputation on its prowess at hefting Victorian-weight epics, and under the briskly-paced direction of returning expat Scott Cummins, the actors' portrayals of generic archetypes engage us, however briefly, over the course of the production's three hours (two intermissions). The visual and acoustical isolation exacerbated by Joey Wade's stark scenic configuration may disappoint audiences expecting the backside-to-belly action showcased in Seanachaí's 2007 staging of Roddy Doyle's War, but the industry and enthusiasm of the ensemble cannot be denied."
Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City--"When he's on target there's no one better, as the show's Turkish Keystone Kops (Ephesus is in Turkey) , deft physical business and strong casting choices prove. But, ultimately, Bell doesn't trust the material; he doesn't believe the words and music will play as written, without his high-concept overlay. Such mistrust has been a frequent feature of Bell's 30-year career. Admittedly, even when he's wrong (and sometimes he's right) his productions are energetic and exuberant. But that doesn't make his high-concepts either necessary or appropriate."
Tell Me On A Sunday, Bailiwick Repertory
Chris Jones, Tribune--"The young singer-actress Harmony France (a former Marine, incidentally) is making a good case for reviving Tell Me on a Sunday all by itself. She's at the heart of a genuine, honest and moving little production at Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Theatre...Elisa Woodruff's staging couldn't be simpler, and there's only a two-piece band. But I certainly went on the journey with France--and those infamously catchy tunes have since been bouncing around in my head."
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times--"At certain moments, France's lovely face can recall the young Julie Christie--the essence of the English girl who fared well on these shores even years after "the British invasion." The actress also displays a voice that, at its best, has impressive range and power. And you have to admire France for taking on this huge challenge; after all, she is treading in the footsteps of the likes of Bernadette Peters. But France's voice also can be uneven, and she is somewhat ill at ease with her body, continually tugging at costumes that might have been better chosen."
Justin Hayford, Reader--"Webber spends more time modulating tangentially related musical phrases than writing complete melodies, and the lyrics by Don Black and Richard Maltby Jr. range from serviceable to banal. But Joshua Stephen Kartes's tight musical direction gives the evening punch and drive. Director Elisa Woodruff sends singer Harmony France marching up and down stairs too often, but what France lacks in acting chops she makes up for in vocal technique, even if her head tones occasionally escape her."
Zac Thompson, Time Out--"The relationship that occasions the title song is just one in a string of romances involving the young woman at the center of the story, an expat from London living in New York and flitting from man to man before finally finding success in the exciting world of hat design. In Bailiwick's production, these millinery creations (designed by Agnes Miles) appear to have been purchased from a Blossom yard sale. Far more problematic, though, is the fact that star France lacks the presence to carry a show on her own. Timid and reedy-voiced, she endures more than captivates."
Lawrence Bommer, Free Press--"As directed by Elisa Woodruff, France brings spontaneity and spirit to Emma's sexual odyssey, her strong solos as much acted as sung. She richly registers Emma's expectations, anguish, disillusionment and resilience. Her one problem isn't hers at all. The overwhelming accompaniment by music director Joshua Stephen Kartes almost reduces the show's hit song "Unremembered Song" to an unremarkable shout. Too much of the occasionally lively lyrics by Don Black and Richard Maltby, Jr. are lost to an over-loud backup, a problem that has plagued earlier Bailiwick shows."
Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City--"The studio at the Bailiwick Arts Center would seem the perfect setting for intimate confessions, especially as confided by Harmony France, her Portobello Road-gypsy wardrobe rendering her as lovable as her no-frills renditions of Webber's ingenuous pop melodies concealing operatic vocal ranges. And if, on opening night, this included reaching a bit for the high notes--well, who wouldn't be unnerved at the acoustical imbalance generated by accompanists wailing at full power beneath a flimsy platform at center stage?"
Quote of the Fortnight:
"Why send tourists to look at pictures of theater when we could be sending them to actual theater? Better to invest in our theater's future than build a monument to its past."--Kris Vire commenting on the proposed Chicago Theatre Museum in Time Out.