8-4-06
Unchanging Love Lacks Focus
Gary Houston and Tera Dunlap in Unchanging Love (Photo: Christopher Ash) Shows I’ve seen in the past at The Artistic Home have generally featured the same strength and weakness. At the center of each production, there are one or two Equity performers who, given the size of the space and the budget in evidence, are probably donating at least a portion of their paycheck back to the theatre. These individuals usually give strong central performances that even approach riveting at times. The ensemble supporting these performances generally consists of significantly less experienced actors, and the difference shows.
Unchanging Love, then, departs somewhat from that pattern. Yes there’s an Equity contract in evidence—the growling Gary Houston as family patriarch Benjamin Pitman—but Romulus Linney’s adaptation of Chekhov’s In the Hollow requires a strong ensemble to portray the extended Pitman clan, as well as their less fortunate neighbors, the Musgroves. In this, director Gillian Kelly has managed an ensemble better than any I’ve seen at the theatre before.
Linney’s script tells the story of the Pitmans, who dominate the small town of Manard, North Carolina. Of Benjamin’s two sons, one, Avery (Peter Fitzsimmons walking the edge of caricature, but finding some nice moments late) seems a bit simple, and has married Leena (Tera Dunlap, an effective villain) who has a head for business, but is barren. The other, Shelby (George Dickson, who seems to play Shelby as always slightly drunk) has gone away to take a government job. When Shelby returns home, his father prevails on him to take a wife and have some children to continue the Pitman name. Shelby chooses, somewhat arbitrarily, Judy Musgrove (Betsy Elizabeth Ann McKnight, all sweetness and big eyes), the somewhat simple daughter of a poor pair of tenant farmers. The marriage goes through, a baby is born, but the Pitman family has rotten ethics, and they boil over to ruin everything.
Despite generally strong performances all the way around, Linney’s story seems to depend on the audience seeing the fatal flaw in the Pitman family—their willingness to cheat their neighbors. Somehow, in Kelly’s production, this doesn’t really become apparent until fairly late, so we’re left with a sort of meandering family story that doesn’t have much of a focus. There’s some well sung music from McKnight as well as Justine Serino and Victor Doylida, who play her parents. There’s some solid acting, but there’s no suspense because we don’t really know what’s important. This could be due to Kelly’s storytelling and it’s certainly at least partly the fault of Linney’s script, but Unchanging Love wastes some good performances in a meandering confusion of a production.
Unchanging Love – The Artistic Home
Nina Metz, Tribune—“Things could have easily slipped into hick caricature, but what director Gillian Kelly has accomplished is a feat of significant proportions. While the cast does indulge in some rip-roaring shouts during the emotional climax, overall they give performances of meaningful range, revealing moments of sly humor that offset the incredible failings of these characters. The a cappella folk songs, as well, become integrated as the play progresses, adding a lilt to the proceedings that feels right. All the more impressive is the set by Kurt Boetcher, which squeezes onto the Artistic Home’s limited space a front porch, a general store and a kitchen that all appear layered in soot and ash. The grime is both literal and metaphoric.”
Tony Adler, Reader—“Somewhere Eugene O’Neill is smiling... grimly. Though based on a Chekhov story, Romulus Linney’s 1991 script follows O’Neill by casting an American family’s disintegration in classically tragic terms... In this Artistic Home production the incredibly juicy roles of Shelby and the villainous Leena are disappointingly played, but under Gillian Kelly’s direction, the ensemble’s strong enough to make the tragedy tragic. And what a pleasure to see Gary Houston as the aging lion Benjamin.”
Jenn Q. Goddu, Free Press—“Evelyn Kelly’s Barbara finally speaking up for what she feels is right and Betsy Elizabeth Ann McKnight’s forceful strength as Judy in the play’s final scene have the intensity we expect of The Artistic Home at its best. Also, the songs sung by Judy and her caring parents (Justine Serino and Victor Doylida) add a rich texture to the show. However this Gillian Kelly-directed production is uneven overall. Problematic performances and awkward staging detract from the impression made by the show’s strongest scenes and sweetest singing.”
Emily Lee, Gay Chicago—“In essence, the work never really manages to climb its way out of those first uncomfortable moments. Although McKnight turns in a nice performance as Judy Musgrove, an innocent girl destined to be destroyed in familiar Chekovian style, and Gary Houston is nearly atomic as her greed-ridden father-in-law, Linney’s heavy pen coupled with Kelly’s well-intentioned but deeply ignorant guidance has stripped Chekov’s story of any cohesive statement and, worse, all of his trademark dark humor.”
Once Upon a Time in New Jersey – Marriott Theatre
Chris Jones, Tribune—“This is especially frustrating because new musicals are rare at the Marriott. Such projects, of course, are both risky and painfully difficult to gestate. And because this theater long has proven its ability to create top-drawer local versions of recent Broadway hits, there’s little incentive to roll the dice on premieres. Especially if critics then are going to come along and savage them. But when things play out at this depressing level, you also have to think of Marriott’s auspicious history of new shows, not to mention all the other superior new musicals out there not getting a premiere production in front of some 40,000 loyal and discriminating subscribers. This one just didn’t deserve the slot. No two ways about it.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“[T]his lighthearted if wholly familiar 1950s fairy tale—complete with a trading-places plot, a slew of retro Sopranos characters and accents that could be sliced with a cheese knife—clearly has huge audience appeal. With director-choreographer Marc Robin’s playful, high-energy staging, it is easy to see how the show (especially if it gets a good second-act trim) might enjoy a happy future on the regional circuit. It may be far from groundbreaking, but Once Upon a Time is expertly spun cotton candy and full of easy laughs.”
Kim Wilson, Reader—“Susan DeLallo and Stephen Weiner’s new musical breaks no ground and strains credulity, but director Marc Robin’s cast spins the Italian stereotypes in amusing ways... Marriott gives this world-premiere production star treatment, with a leading cast of Broadway veterans (although Jim Weitzer’s Vinnie is about as Jersey Italian as Pat Boone) and strong supporting players. Robin’s staging is less luminous than normal (with a surprising number of obstructed views) but conveys the era’s rosy-cheeked pep.”
The Unmentionables – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Chris Jones, Tribune—“There’s no question that [playwright Bruce] Norris is exceptionally good at taking American values and oft-contradictory international declarations, only slightly heightening them, and laying them bare as the stuff of farce. Anna Shapiro, his directorial collaborator, is skillful at making this style physical, as are shrewd actors such as [Kenn E.] Head and [Shannon] Cochran... But it’s hard to believe any of these people really exist—and I’d argue the African continent demands more specificity. Despite [Amy] Morton’s best efforts, Nancy is just a stick figure. It’s tough to believe Don speaks nary a word of French, despite living in French Africa.”
Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times—“But what is Norris really telling us that we don’t already know? That people are invariably selfish rather than selfless? That the powerful in the Third World can be every bit as corrupt as those from the First? That people say they are opposed to torture yet easily can find ways of condoning it or blotting it out? That innocents are sometimes horribly abused? Of course, you also have to ask: Are the accused never guilty? And also, if Norris is so outraged, why does he let the audience off the hook in the end with a bit of comic relief?”
Kerry Reid, Reader—“In this new drama from playwright Bruce Norris and director Anna D. Shapiro, the team behind Steppenwolf’s controversial The Pain and the Itch last year, the principles of two American couples living comfortably in Africa are tested when they must deal with a brutal situation. Norris is aware of his self-absorbed characters’ pain and foibles, but allows them a few fumbling attempts at doing actual good. Shapiro’s staging is subtle and intelligent, and the cast is stellar. Fluid, disturbing, and engaging, this marks a significant step forward for a challenging playwright.”
John Beer, New City—“Anna Shapiro directs Norris’ undeniably witty and polished script with panache. The fine cast, including Rick Snyder and Amy Morton, perform the sharply constructed and entertaining first act with verve and nuance. But, as the title itself suggests, The Unmentionables ultimately founders on the conviction of its own courage.”
Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City—“Norris occasionally is obvious as a writer, but none can deny the cleverness with which he uses the tools of drama. The Unmentionables is an extraordinary inversion of the elements of classic farce, taken to a dark side bordering on horror. Those farcical elements—and you’ll find them all in 19th-century boulevard comedies—include unexpected guests; an oversexed and inebriated hostess; a bumbling comical doctor; an officious government officer; misplaced panties; mistaken assumptions; a celebrity; and a gag prop.”
Quote of the Fortnight:
“Few things draw an audience into the world of a play quicker than lights coming up on loud, frantic sex.”—Venus Zarris reviewing Hubris Productions’ production of Jeffrey in Gay Chicago.