Short Cut: By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

I've been intrigued by the play By The Way, Meet Vera Stark since it was performed at Second Stage Theater in NYC in 2011 (featuring Sanaa Lathan as Vera), so I was looking forward to seeing the production at Penumbra Theatre this season, especially with some wonderful performers cast in it.

The first act takes us to Hollywood in 1933 and Vera Stark (Crystal Fox), a black actress who divides her time between working as a maid for white actress Gloria Mitchell (Norah Long) and working on her own career--mostly playing maids. Greta Oglesby plays Lottie, Vera's good friend and a former vaudeville star who has been eating her way into the right size to play the "Mammy" roles that are available to her.

Norah Long and Crystal Fox as Gloria Mitchell and Vera Stark

I could watch Crystal Fox, Greta Oglesby, and Jamila Anderson give each other side eye for HOURS. Particularly in the gorgeous costumes by Mathew LeFebvre--and some super-cute shoes. The period wigs by Andrea Moriarity are just perfect as well. The machinations of these actresses vying for roles in a high-profile studio film are fun and funny, even as they expose the indignities of their profession.

The second act feels a bit less effective, unfortunately. Set in 2003 at at academic conference about the legacy of Vera Stark, it also includes scenes from a 1973 television interview that Stark did just before disappearing from public view. Playwright Lynn Nottage mocks academic pretensions, but brings up more questions than answers about the meaning of Stark's career. Fortunately, a closing scene takes us back to 1933 with Vera and Gloria on the set of the film, and reminds us of the characters and presents a bit of intrigue about their relationship in their heyday.

Above all else, this play left me wanting to know more about the African-American experience in early Hollywood.  Particularly in a year like this, in which nonwhite actors were shut out completely at the Oscars, it's interesting to take a look back at what things were like in the early days.  I think I'll start with Donald Bogle's Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood and then perhaps Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood by Jill Watts.  Any play that makes me want to learn more about the subject is a huge success for me.

Death and the Maiden

I will admit to being a teensy bit apprehensive about spending Valentine's Day evening at an intense play about dictatorship and torture and revenge. But despite the tough subject matter, the Torch Theater/Gremlin Theatre production of Death and the Maiden at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage is a highly entertaining evening.

Honestly, I didn't know much about the play going in. I would see just about anything that featured these three performers. Peter Christian Hansen and Stacia Rice have done impressive work with their respective theaters (Gremlin and Torch) as well as on other stages around the Twin Cities. And Craig Johnson has played on many of the area's smaller stages, always impressively. As directed by David Mann, these performers make the most of this tension-filled play.

The story takes place in an unnamed country emerging from years of dictatorship. Gerardo, a lawyer, has car trouble and gets a lift from a friendly stranger. But when Dr. Miranda comes back, Gerardo's wife, Paulina, is sure she recognizes the voice of the man who tortured her 15 years earlier. The scenes that follow are a power struggle between the three. It's intense stuff, but riveting. At an hour and 45 minutes, the two acts seem to go by much faster. Michael Hoover's set design, beautifully lit by Paul Epton, grounds the play in reality, aided by C. Andrew Mayer's sound design and costumes by Andrea Gross. This is just a wonderful production of a really interesting play, and a great chance to see three terrific actors doing great work. See it if you can!

Better Late Than Never - The Color Purple and Calvin Berger

Sometimes scheduling gets the best of us, and we don't make it to a show until it's almost too late! This week, we saw two that were definitely worth catching.

The Color Purple at Park Square Theatre is a wonderful showcase for some of the Twin Cities' most talented performers of color. Particularly notable are Aimee K. Bryant as Celie, T. Mychael Rambo as Mister, Regina Marie Williams as Shug, and Darius Dotch as Harpo. They are surrounded by a wonderful cast of singing actors, including Thomasina Petrus, Dennis Spears, Jamecia Bennett and Ginger Commodore. The stage is quite bare except for one hard-working set piece, but the gorgeous costumes (by Trevor D. Bowen) work overtime to set the time, place, situation, and even age of the characters. The whole charismatic cast does the rest, with support from a small orchestra hidden at the back of the stage. I didn't think the script or music rose above workmanlike, but I couldn't help getting emotional about the characters and their journeys. Seeing so many wonderful performers I've loved in previous shows made this show a joy to behold. Unfortunately, I just checked Park Square's website, and it says they're sold out for the run, which ends Sunday (February 15). Bummer for those who didn't see it, but good for Park Square for branching out with a big musical!

* * * * *

Tickets are still available for Calvin Berger, put on by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at the New Century Theatre in Minneapolis. You've probably never heard of this show, which is kind of the point of what MMT does. They present smaller-scale musicals that don't otherwise get performed on Twin Cities stages. Calvin Berger follow's last fall's Eating Raoul as a quirky, fun musical performed with verve and lots of humor by a small cast.

The story is familiar; It's inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac, but set in a contemporary high school. Here, Cyrano becomes Calvin Berger, a high school dork with a reputation for being smart, but a major complex about his (slightly) outsized nose. He adores "cool girl" Rosanna from afar, but doesn't think he stands a chance until he joins forces a new student, the hunky but rather dim Matt. Meanwhile, Calvin's best friend Bret is hoping he'll finally notice her.

Gregory Adam as Calvin, considering the merits of a removable nose.

The cast is only four people, but the show never feels underpopulated and the four performers all bring their A-games. Gregory Adam, who was wonderful in Eating Raoul, plays Calvin as a sensitive and endearingly awkward guy who has a way with words. As his bestie, Bret, Kecia Rehkamp gives us a snarky girl with her own body-image issues and a quirky sense of style. Logan Greene is perfectly cast as the hunk, and Emily Madigan's Rosanna is the picture of a girl known more for her looks than her brains. The play moves along briskly, with clever songs showing each character's insecurities and strengths, and clearly defining their roles and relationships. The actors are uniformly great at singing and acting the piece, while finding all of the humor in the slightly cheeky script.

The simple set sets the band behind a set of windows, which makes the music seem less distant than it can be from a totally hidden band. Of special note are the costumes, which perfectly place each character in his or her place in the school, and were created by Lori Maxwell, who does double duty as music director.

Overall, this is a truly enjoyable evening of theater and deserves to be seen by a larger audience, though our audience Friday night was very appreciative. There are two more chances to see the show: Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 (a great date-night show!) and Sunday, February 15 at 2:30 pm.

You Must See This Play: These Old Shoes by Transatlantic Love Affair

What can I say about a show that makes even a jaded theatergoer (like myself) cry?

I've been really struggling with how to write about These Old Shoes by Transatlantic Love Affair, currently running at Illusion Theater (now thru Valentine's Day).

I mean, clearly, you should see it.  But how do I talk about it without ruining the mystery and charm of Transatlantic Love Affair's work?  As for me, I went into this show totally blind.  I'd heard how amazing their past productions were, especially last year's Ash Land, and resolved not to miss another of their productions.

So, here's the plot summary:

Surrounded by moving boxes and a grandfather clock, an old man is learning to say goodbye as the time approaches to leave his life-long home for a "retirement community." Brimming with humor and heart, this story of second chances follows the bread crumb trail of memory in hopes of finding something that was once lost.

And a little bit about TLA: (both quotes from their website)

Transatlantic Love Affair is a physical theatre ensemble specializing in collaboratively created original work and theatrical storytelling.

So, in short, this is a play about Jim, who is leaving his home and moving into a retirement home after the death of his wife, with the help of his granddaughter.  The play goes back and forth through time from Jim's youth to the present day, and also explores the lives (present and past) of his soon-to-be neighbors in the home. It's performed through spare, ingenious, movement-based storytelling, accompanied by also spare, but nearly perfect music by Dustin Tessier.

I hate to say more except that I have hardly ever been so emotionally touched by a show.  This show spoke to me so personally, and yet, with its themes of aging, it's amazingly universal.  It's a warm, respectful, and heartfelt look at aging, and a marvelously romantic exploration of love lost and found. This is a show that spoke directly to my heart and I know that it's a show that I will never forget.  Just to be sure, though?  I'm seeing it again.

I wish I could say more, to describe the grace notes in the performances, the transitions, the beauty in their work, but I hate to spoil anyone's first viewing. All I can say is that now that I have found this theater company, I will not make the mistake of missing any of their productions again.  Join me!  Go see this show!

Here's the scoop on the remaining shows. If you can catch a talkback, I highly recommend it. Their process is really fascinating!
Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 8:00 PM - Talkback with members of ArtSage MN
Friday, February 6, 2015 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 7:00 PM - Talkback
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 8:00 PM - Talkback
Friday, February 13, 2015 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 8:00 PM

And a few credits:

Conceived & Directed by Diogo Lopes
Created by the Ensemble
Written in Collaboration with Gemma Irish
Music Composed and Performed by Dustin Tessier

Opening Night at F.O.B. - Synergy and Samosas!

Mu Performing Arts just opened their production of F.O.B. last night, January 30. The show, which is playing at Mixed Blood Theatre, runs through February 15.

I wasn't familiar with the play going in, other than knowing that F.O.B. meant "Fresh Off the Boat" and referred to recent immigrants. David Henry Hwang's play debuted in 1979, and the immigrants here are recent and not-so-recent arrivals to Los Angeles from China.

In the course of the three-character play, set in a Chinese restaurant, we hear about the experiences of immigration in different eras and the levels of distinction from the F.O.B.s to those who have been in the country for years to A.B.C.s - American-Born Chinese. The play also involves Chinese gods and heroes, who have their own struggles.

Although I didn't necessarily get all the connections in this play, particularly between the realistic and mythic realms, it was beautifully performed by Michael Sung-Ho, Meghan Kreidler, and Randy Reyes, who also directed. The sound and lighting, along with the acting, made the larger-than-life characters come to life, which was a lot to accomplish in a brief, 70-minute play.

Mu toured this production to Chinese restaurants around the state last summer, and now that they're playing in a theater space, they've brought the restaurant with them. For an additional $6, you can add to your ticket an individual takeout box of noodles to eat at your seat! It looked like a good number of people took up that offer on opening night.

The theater is partnering with three Chinese restaurants to bring in food for the shows. January 30-February 1, the catering is by the ChinDian Cafe. February 5-8 is Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe, and February 12-15 will feature food from the Tea House. Each Saturday night, the restaurateurs will also participate in a post-play discussion.

One of my favorite things about seeing this show is the amount of collaboration and cooperation happening. Mu is performing in Mixed Blood's theater, they are partnering with all of these local eateries, and there's a display in the theater on Chinese immigrants in Minnesota that was put together by the Minnesota Historical Society. And on opening night, they had more food from ChinDian, wine (which I didn't catch the provenance of), and beer from Town Hall Brewing. It's just great to see the synergy, and I hope it catches on with other theaters.

I think I'd better read up on the show and what it's all about, but that's something I appreciate in theater--a show that makes me want to learn more.

Review: Still Standing You performed by CAMPO

Two men, bare stage, no music except their own vocalizations.

(Photo taken from Walker Art Center promotional material. Photographer: Phile Deprez)

Yep - it is week two of the Out There series at the Walker Art Center. As stated previously, a lot of publicity about the shows don't really tell you much. And that is the joy of exploring this series. So, what was last nights performance about? what did it entail?

It was 50 minutes of near non-stop movement by two men - Guilherme Garrido and Pieter Ampe. As the audience walked in Pieter was on his back towards the front of the space, legs up in the air, and Gui was sitting on his feet. The audience got settled and Gui started telling stories about traveling, jet lag, introducing Pieter - all the while it was becoming clear that Pieter was having problems holding him up. Then it began.

The Hothouse at Dark & Stormy Productions

A cold January night, so cold. What better way to spend part of it other than seeing an early Harold Pinter comedy. Yes, you read that correctly - a Pinter comedy. The Hothouse was early in his career - the second play that he wrote in 1958, after his first three all written in 1957. If you are aware of Pinter's style, you can rest knowing that yes - his famous pauses, and silences are part of this piece. And yet it was funny.  So unlike the Pinter's scripts that I know.

Pinter is known for plays that are dark, edgy, and disconcerting. They typically take place in a location that is unknown with a power struggle of some sort between characters that may or may not have names. The Hothouse has characters with names, and yes - there are power struggles, and an unknown location, and yet there is humor. The production was by Dark & Story Productions in partnership with Artspace. It was performed at the Artspace Grain Belt Bottling House in NE Mpls. What a great location. A large open atrium with a single staircase, and a balcony around the sides. It has a great echo and so the audience was given headphones that were tuned directly into the microphones that the actors were using. It allowed for perfect understanding of the play, and yet you could still hear the echo a bit which gave it an eery quality...perfect for a play like this.

And what is the play about? well, I'm sure it is a play where each member of the audience will have a different answer. For me? I feel that it took place in a hospital, or a prison. It starts with the news of one patient/prisoner (only known by a number) passing away, and another giving birth. The very basic plot was trying to find out who is the father of the child. However, there is so much more going on in this work. There is a link towards the bottom that has more of a full review. Suffice it to say that it was a really enjoyable evening, yet through provoking. Exactly what I want when I go to the theatre.

And I was introduced to a new producing company - one which I will go see again. The cast of Robert Dorfman, Mark Benninghofen, John Catron, Sara Marsh, Bill McCallum, and Bruce Bohne was...I'm going to say it...perfect. Funny, intense, sexy and thrilling.

Links:

Review