The Dutchman and the Owl Answers - Penumbra Theatre

Let me just say this: Penumbra Theatre's study guide for The Dutchman and the Owl Answers: An Evening Of Obie Award-Winning One Acts is seventy-eight pages long. 

78 pages.

My point is this: This ain't no Harvey. These works are challenging and formidable, and performed together, they create an evening of theater which you will not soon forget (runs through March 27, btw).

I went in knowing very little about either play. I left wanting to know much more about the plays, the authors, their work and impact upon American theater. I will give you this, from the co-artistic directors: "While one playwright reveals the absurdity of structural racism by evoking a nautical ghost story, the other uses absurdism to explore internalized racism."

(If you prefer to know more going in, Marianne Combs on MPR recently had a short piece on the plays that gave a nice introduction to the work, which I'd recommend.) 

The first of the two one-acts is The Dutchman, which was written in 1963 by controversial poet and writer Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoi Jones) and directed by Lou Bellamy. Set on a subway car, this is essentially a two-hander where Lula, an overtly sexual white woman (Katie Guentzel), alternately seduces and insults Clay, a buttoned-up, suit-wearing young black man (Nathan Barlow).

Nathan Barlow and Katie Guentzel in
The Dutchman (Allen Weeks)

Complicating the already complicated relationship between these two characters is that fact that Lula is beyond unbalanced, which makes the play difficult to watch. By the time Clay finds his tongue, the play has lost me. Also, subway poles are filthy; I would not recommend swinging about on them like a stripper pole.

This play made me wonder when exactly the concept of Manic Pixie Dream Girl began. (According to a very fascinating Wikipedia entry, a lot longer ago than I thought.) Defined by film critic Nathan Rabin, the MPDG is "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures."

The other pop culture reference that came to mind while watching this was Spike Lee's 1991 film Jungle Fever. From Roger Ebert's review: "Jungle Fever is Spike Lee's term for unhealthy sexual attraction between the races - for relationships based on stereotypes. Too often, he believes, when blacks and whites go to bed with one another, they are motivated, not by love or affection, but by media-based myths about the sexual allure of the other race."

Let's just say: There's a lot to unpack in this short one-act. (Resources for assistance with that are below!)

After the starkness and realism of The Dutchman, The Owl Answers is like a fever dream of a play. Written by Adrienne Kennedy in 1960, this play shared the 1964 Obie with The Dutchman. Directed by Talvin Wilks, The Owl Answers takes the subway car from The Dutchman and metaphorically (and literally) turns it on its side. To give you a sense of the departure from the first play, here's the setting (from the Study Guide mentioned below): "The scene is a New York subway is the Tower of London is a Harlem hotel room is St. Peter's. The scene is shaped like a subway car." Follow that?

Austene Van in The Owl Answers (Allen Weeks)

Austene Van gives a mesmerizing, faultless performance as a mixed race woman who has lost herself to delusions featuring Shakespeare, Chaucer, William the Conqueror, her father's dead body, her mother, Anne Boleyn, and yes, an owl. Beautifully performed and conceived, The Owl Answers is like a sweet, surreal dream, and features strange and wondrous performances by Jamecia Bennett, H. Adam Harris, and Neil Hazard. No less challenging than The Dutchman, both plays offer much food for thought and discussion.

Talvin Wilks's interview in the Study Guide is a must-read. A taste: "I said to the actors the first day, it’s very important to say 'Do not make this a period piece. We may be setting it in a particular time, but it is about the now, it is about Black Lives Matter, it is about an all-white Oscars, it is about who can play what role and why, it is about all of those seemingly inane popular culture things that reflect a truth about the way we still deal with race and culture and identity in this society.'"

This is one of those nights of theater where a post-show discussion is practically required. You can catch post play discussions on March 10, 17, & 24, 2016 and discuss issues of black art and connections to community.  

Another interesting event that Penumbra is doing is called Bookends, where you can learn more about the play by reading the script, then seeing the play and discussing the issues. (March 7 & 21, 2016, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm).

Want to do a little research on your own? Start with the aforementioned comprehensive and fascinating Study Guide, available on Penumbra's website. I love their disclaimer: "The Study Guides are meant to stimulate discussion, not to present a definitive voice or the 'right answer.' Theatre is fluid, active, interactive and reactive; we must engage it intellectually that way too." 

The study guide includes information on Penumbra's season, artistic process, and a short history of African-American theater. For both of the one-acts, the guide includes information about the plays, the authors, and contextual essays on their work, as well as interviews with the directors and background on the set and costume designs. Did I mention the 78 pages? Whew!

And finally, my customary push for Penumbra Theatre. From the intro to the study guide:

At Penumbra, transformative art illuminates ways to move humanity forward with
compassion – join us as we move from empathy to action, from emotion to solution. Ours is a brave, honest, intelligent, responsible, and hopeful community and there is a place for you here. Welcome.

In these tenuous, volatile times, the work that Penumbra does is vastly important to our theater community and to our community as a whole. Go see their shows, donate, and support this necessary work. 

Aging Magician - Walker Art Center - World Premiere/Walker Commission

Yes, here is another post about a theatrical experience that is not an opera, nor is it really a musical, nor a play with music. It is its own thing and it is wonderful. Aging Magician (playing a short two-performance run at the Walker Art Center) is a work co-created by Paola Prestini, Rinde Eckert, and Julian Crouch. I know, those names meant nothing to me either, however the name Julian Crouch sounded familiar. Reading the link, you'll see that he has done a few designs for Broadway, and the Metropolitan Opera! After seeing this work though, these are names that I will remember and look for.

This work is the story of Harold, an older clockmaker who is also writing a book called The Aging Magician. Through out the piece he speaks of his own life, yet also tells the story of the aging magician who has found a boy to share all his stage magic/secrets with. Rinde Eckert plays Harold and has a great character in that role. Somewhat stuttering, a bit shy, focused on the story and wanting to tell it so badly and to finish writing the story - and at the same time breaking into these beautiful songs that get to the core of both characters - Harold and the magician. Rinde has a fantastic voice that is burnished and warm, yet also with an amazing falsetto and range. Harold talks about clocks and how we in the digital age are so far removed from the classic clocks with their gears moving, rotating, reminding us of the cycles of life and the orbits in the sky. He speaks of different magic tricks and uses some to show us the skills of the aging magician, as well as using them to illustrate the story, to make a point, to get us to think.

One story he uses is of William Robinson, a magician who performed under the name Chung Ling Soo. According to Harold, he performed under this name so that he didn't have to speak to the audience. He could be silent and just do his magic. Williams/Chung's greatest trick was to catch a bullet in his teeth. At his last performance something goes awry and he is shot on stage, and dies. Harold shows this by falling to the ground, reaching into his inside jacket pocket, getting a deck of cards and then letting them fall out of his hand. A simple action which was so beautiful to watch.

The set is simple. A set of risers on which the Brooklyn Youth Chorus sits and stands, a string quartet in front, and a desk with a chair at the center stage. There is a bike off to the side, and the back of the risers have a curtain covered with pieces of paper. When we come into the space, Harold is sitting and writing at his desk. Consistently though out the show paper is used in so many different ways - from being held up by the chorus so that video of the Coney Island Cyclone can be shown, to becoming birds in various forms. The top of the desk is also a chalkboard and gets utilized at one point. There are so many things that happen through out the show that were gorgeous and interesting and moving - but it is one of those works that you need to experience. You need to hear the music of Paola Prestini performed by the chorus and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble. The music was beautiful and not in a jagged way that some think of contemporary music, nor in a minimalist way. It was perfect for this work. You need to hear the voices of the chorus mixing with Rinde's voice. You need to see the visuals, especially the ending visual so fantastically created by Mark Stewart. Like so much that I have seen at the Walker, it is a theatrical work that I will be thinking about a lot.


Aging Magician Trailer from VisionIntoArt Presents on Vimeo.

Everyman - Open Window Theatre

Matt Berdahl Photography

I first went to Open Window Theatre back in November and really enjoyed the show. Today I went back to see Everyman. I need to make a confession. I graduated from college with a degree in Theater. Part of my schooling was Theater History in which we were required to read this play. I was lax and am quite certain I never read it, classic that it is.

Everyman is a morality play from the Middle Ages. The authorship is unknown, and the script is in Old English. It makes for some difficult reading, and in dialogue with the cast after the show - it makes for difficult memorization as well. As difficult as the script may be, the production was not. It was moving, colorful, educational, fun to watch, and at 90 min with no intermission - a great way to spend time. The space, this time, was set up in the round. There was a multi-level square set with various poles leading up to the ceiling. On the floor below one of the platforms was a white skull painted on the set. There were a few other designs in white along the tops of some sections. The set was all in shades of grey except for these few accents. Around the edge of the highest platform was written Psalm 27:1 in Hebrew, and in a dingy yellow paint. Being a morality play, I knew that there would be a faith-based tone to the show, and it didn't disappoint.

Matt Berdahl Photography

The story of Everyman is similar to Pilgrims Progress, or the Divine Comedy by Dante. It is the story of a man on a journey. In this piece the journey is taken by Everyman and it starts with Death coming to him and telling him that he must go to his final reckoning with God. Everyman reaches out to his friends Fellowship, Kindred & Cousin, and Goods. He asks all four of them to journey with him. They turn him away and so he is left to fend for himself. He searches for his Good-Deeds and finds them lacking but she tells him to seek out Knowledge. Knowledge persuades him to seek Confession, and to do some good deeds to help build up Good-Deeds. In doing this he finds the strength to move ahead in his journey...his journey toward death and possibly redemption.

It may seem odd that some of those words are capitalized, but they are character names. The cast of eight was fantastic through out. Everyman is played by Corey Mills, Nicole Goeden, Kiara Jackson, Elohim Pena, and Joann Oudekerk (these actors also played other roles). The character of Everyman is shown to truly be every man, and every woman. Everyman wears a scarf or shroud that is exchanged between actors in a very nice ritual. There are subtle props that get added and taken away as the journey moves on. Sharayah Bunce plays Death (and has the most incredible costume), as well as Good-Deeds. Siddeeqah Shabazz plays Knowledge, while Nathan Gebhard plays Goods and Discretion. As each actor was part of the chorus, or playing Everyman, the costumes (all designed by Josette Elstad) were simple and black. Each character though had specific costumes that fit so well to the history of the show, as well as being current.

Matt Berdahl Photography

While the language of the play may be difficult, this production (directed by Jeremy Stanbary) made every motivation, every bit of the journey clear and easy to understand. One part that made it easy was the constant movement through out. The movement and choreography was by Corey and Betsy Mills (from SPARK Theater + Dance), along with live music by Kurt Larson. There is a lot of underscoring to this show, at times making it more difficult to understand what was being spoken or sung. However the show is really worth seeing.

Open Window has a redemptive vision to their work. The work they do is good, interesting and gets you thinking. They have a good space (which has had some work done to it) and I intend to continue to see what they put on. I hope you take a chance and see this classic, yet rarely done, theater piece.

edited 3/3/16 to make small updates, and give credit to the photographer

Threepenny Opera at the University of Minnesota

Threepenny Opera opened last weekend at the University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. It's an ambitious and interesting production, but not one that totally worked for me.

I'm no student of world drama, but I understand that the musical by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, an adaptation of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, is meant to touch your brain, not your heart. Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt, sometimes translated as the alienation effect, intentionally creates a distance that prevents the audience from sympathizing with the characters. And the characters in Threepenny are definitely hard to like, from murderers and thieves to crooked cops and mercenary women.

This production uses the English translation of the dialogue by Robert Macdonald with English translation of the lyrics by Jeremy Sams, a version first produced at London's Donmar Warehouse in 1994. (This isn't the version that played in New York in 2006 starring Alan Cumming or the 1989 Broadway production that starred Sting.) Rather than the original setting of Victorian London, this script sets the story in the not-too-distant future. At the Donmar Warehouse, the setting was the time of Prince William's coronation as king. The University production refers to King Donald Trump and includes a mishmash of British and American references.

Photo: Dan Norman Photography.

The set includes arrays of television screens and projections showing news stories and advertisements that ranged from the 1950s through the 1960s. Mary C. Woll's costumes intentionally blur the time period references from the early 1900s to the unspecified future. There are some very intriguing individual costumes, but the total effect was discordant. Some of Kym Longhi's direction was interesting, but the stylized movements used by many of the characters didn't seem to have a purpose.

Is it possible for a Brecht production to be too alienating? I think it is. This version of the script is loaded with profanity that felt gratuitous. Before the show, actors in costume wander the aisles interacting with audience members, and carry the swearing into their banter. I don't think I'm prudish, but it felt overdone and a little "Look at us, we're edgy!"

KRL getting artsy with the program.

All of these factors combined to put me off to the point that it was nearly 45 minutes into the show that I realized that the actors were actually doing a great job! The singing was lovely and the characters quite charismatic, but it was a little hard to see it at first through the layers of artifice. By the end of the show, I was trying to separate the actors' performances from the direction they were given, and found that I admired them all the more for shining through everything else.

In the end, the multiple levels of alienation resulted in me sympathizing with the people on stage - not the characters, but the actors who rose above their surroundings. Even though I didn't care for many of the choices the production makes, I'm sure a student of Brecht and Weill would find much to interest them in this less-familiar version of the show.

Side note: I have to say that one thing I admire in a play is when I'm still thinking about it when it's over. I had a lot to think about after the show, and read quite a bit about the play and its various versions in preparing to write this. It made me really consider the material and what it was I liked and didn't like and why. For a college production, that seems like a success.

Gypsy - Theater Latté Da, Hennepin Theatre Trust

© 2016 George Byron Griffiths

Up until this point in my life I had never seen a live production of Gypsy. I had heard a few cast recordings - of which there are at least five from Broadway and one from London - Merman, Lansbury (London cast but also played Broadway), Daly, Peter, LuPone and Imelda Stauton. I had watched both film versions - the Rosalind Russell and the Bette Midler - but never a live production. I had read the comments - "the best American musical", "the greatest musical", etc and honestly - not convinced. Everything that I knew told me there was no need. The show is so ingrained in many theater-kids worlds (especially of a certain age) that not only do I not feel the need to explain the story and characters, but I didn't really feel a need to see a show about a bossy stage mom who can't let go.

© 2016 George Byron Griffiths

However...this production has totally changed my view about this show!! The Theater Latté Da production of Gypsy (part of the Broadway Re-Imagined series by the Hennepin Theatre Trust) is now playing at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. Starting with the stage covered with piles of furniture, props, etc and a single ghost-light on stage, I was intrigued. The fantastic overture (usually over five minutes long) was turned into just the opening fanfare - and even then the trumpets sounded ghostly and far away. It was clear that we were starting at the end of something, and as the show progressed we realize it was the end of vaudeville. A false proscenium descended onto the stage and the show started. Historically Mama Rose barrels down the aisle of the theater, through the audience yelling "Sing out, Louise!" Michelle Barber chose a different path and it made all the difference in the world. Her tone was chiding and a bit weary - like she has consistently had to tell her daughter this over and over and over. She was a strong woman and loving mother who has her children's best interests at heart. She wants them to succeed, and is willing to do almost anything to make sure they do. Through the trials of Act One - the children growing up, starting to make their own decisions in life - Barber's Rose is growing with them. She is getting strong and more determined to the point that at the end of Act One, when Baby June has left the show and Mama Rose turns to Louise to tell her that she will be the new star - there was an audible murmur of disbelief through the house. Barber is amazing in showing the audience the journey this character is on, and the audience is right with her.

© 2016 George Byron Griffiths

While the show Gypsy is about Rose, there are some fantastic actors and characters on stage. Peter Rothstein has done wonders with this cast. There is quite a bit of double and triple casting which works every time. Baby June played by Victoria Wyffels grows up to be Dainty June played by Shinah Brashears. Shinah consistently played with her age on stage - providing a soft "r" so that "Caroline" sounded like "Cawoline". Yet the minute she was playing June (instead of her on-stage Dainty June) that "r" turned right back into a hard "r." It was a fantastic choice. And the fact that I just now realized that Shinah plays two other characters (after being so great as June), I find that amazing. The incredible Tyler Michaels also plays three roles - Georgie (at the top of the show), then the grown-up Newsboy Tulsa (doing a great "All I Need is the Girl"), then totally changing gears and playing the stripper Electra! Who doesn't want to have that sort of versatility in their skillset!! And speaking of versatility, I have to mention Eriq Nelson - playing the gross Uncle Jocko at the start, then following it up with nine other characters!! Bravo! Each character through out the whole show was so individual that you never think of who is playing it, nor do you realize who is playing it at times.

© 2016 George Byron Griffiths

One of the many great things about this production is that Mama Rose is played by Michelle Barber, while Louise (later Gypsy Rose Lee) is played by her daughter Cat Brindisi. Seeing these two on stage, the similarities physically and vocally was perfection. And if you thought that you saw Mama Rose get stronger and have a slow build during Act One, just wait till you see what Cat does in Act Two! From the sad, lonely girl (especially in the adorable "Little Lamb" number) who just wants some attention, to the very strong, capable and brilliant burlesque icon that Louise becomes - Cat brings you along her journey the whole way. You get an amazing sense of who this character could be in the number "If Mama Was Married." It is a great duet between the sisters and personally, I can't think of a better version. Her entry into burlesque and watching her become the star that Gypsy Rose is at the end of the show was also brilliant. So many great curtains and gowns. I'm not sure how she accomplished this without an amazing dresser! This production, and this cast was worthy of the standing ovation it received at the end. Here in Minnesota, you can't always say that.

Quick note to the Pantages, and other theaters. Please rethink the policy of allowing drinks and food into the theater. I was continually being distracted by the sound of candy wrappers, ice clinking, etc all the way through Act Two. Beyond that (and the very limited restrooms you have), I love your space! It was the perfect space for this production - especially considering that Gypsy Rose actually played the Pantages.

Tales from Rashomon - Green T Productions

Ivey Award winning Green T Productions states that their mission is "To produce visually stunning, mind-stirring, movement-oriented, multi-disciplinary physical theater that artistically challenges performers and audiences." They are led by Dr. Kathy Welch who studied Japanese theater for over ten years in Hawaii and Japan. She spend 2 1/2 years living in Japan doing research for her dissertation on kabuki theater. She also studied kabuki acting, and kabuki dance. From her biography in the program, she has extensive experience with various Asian theater forms with a focus on Japanese theater. Her current show "Tales from Rashomon" is playing at the Historic Mounds Theater. Rashomon is a story from a collection of stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

Rashomon is probably best known from the film by Akira Kurosawa. The film tells the story of a murder from the various viewpoints of witnesses, primarily a Bandit, a Wife, and the murdered Samurai. However through all the stories you never really find out what happened as everyone has their own version of the truth. The set had four cave-like spaces, a wide and deep staircase that let to a playing space on top of the caves and a bridge across to the top of two more caves and an alcove. While the set took up most of the stage, there was a space on the right for the musicians, as well as an alcove above the musicians. The band consisted of taiko drums, koto, and shakuhachi. Also sitting behind the musicians was a ladder with a few shinto shide hanging on it. Each of the alcoves had a figure in it - it looked to be made of plaster.

The show starts with a chorus of disaster refugees from different time periods coming on, carrying a body. They had some stylized make-up, worn out costumes and eventually they helped tell the various stories. After they set the body down at the top of the stairs, they each spoke sentences or two that they repeated occasionally through the opening. These made very little sense but I took note thinking they would circle back and make sense at some point in the show. Out of the alcove above the caves, the plaster figure breaks apart and a woman appears. She coughs, hacks, gags (which was understandable at first but was very disconcerting when she continued these sounds through out the whole show), and had a very "Gollum" feel about her. She was dressed mainly in white with a white covering over her head, and stylized white make-up on her face. Her mannerisms were very low to the ground, hunched over like the beggar woman she was. She went to the body, pulled off some clothes for her own use, found the briefcase the corpse had with him, then proceeded to pull out a hair from his head. A servant comes down through the audience wearing a shirt and tie, gets on stage and starts to look for shelter. The beggar woman convinces him to read the contents of the briefcase and the stories of the murder begin. Only later did I realize that these two characters are based on the actual story called "Rashomon." The stories of the murder are actually from a Akutagawa story called "In the Grove."

Each of the stories relating to the murder were told in a specific Japanese theater style. The first was told in Kabuki, the second in Noh, and the third in Bunraku. Having grown up in Japan, I am quite familiar with Kabuki, and am a big fan. I am aware of the other two styles and have seen portions of them on TV but never live. That being said I probably walked into the theater with higher expectations than the rest of the audience. The Bandit's story is told in a Kabuki style. It contained stylized movement and vocal patterns which could have been seen as parody if you didn't know the background to it. Personally, hearing English spoken as if it were Japanese in a Kabuki-style was disconcerting - especially when the Japanese names were not pronounced correctly.

The Wife's story was told in a Noh style. The chorus sat in front of the musicians and sang while the Wife told her story mainly through movement and dance. At the same time, the servant is also reading parts of the story. It was lovely to watch though at times difficult to understand.

Finally the Samurai's story is told via Bunraku.  Considering the Samurai is the one who was murdered, the beggar woman helps bring his spirit back through an extended movement/dance section - including some breakdancing. His spirit comes into the puppets and the full cast tells his story. This section was also very lovely to watch. The way the puppets were manipulated and used was very skillful. Traditionally two of the three people manipulating the puppets are dressed all in black with their faces covered so that you can focus better on the puppet. While this was not the case here, the story was still very well told.

The three lead characters - Bandit, Wife, and Samurai were all played by actors of Asian descent. The costumes for each were wonderful, though I did miss the stylized Kabuki make-up. They were the only three (beyond the servant) who did not have some sort of stylized make-up on. The music through out the work was very nice, though some of the melodies may have been over-utilized.

If you have never been to the Mounds Theater, it is a renovated movie house so the stage is raised and the seating is slightly raked. It is a bit cavernous but, with the exception of no backstage, it seems to work well for theater. They have lovely art deco decorations on the walls and it has a good feel to it. If you have never been to a Green T Production show, I would recommend going to one with a talk-back after the show. If you are new to Japanese or Asian theater styles, the talk-back should give you an opportunity to ask questions about them. While I may have been disappointed with this specific work, I will be back to see more. I am intrigued by the work they do, and to see how Dr. Welch uses her training and knowledge. For extra resources, follow the links above. I would also recommend doing a youtube search on the various styles. I have created a small primer below.

Kabuki
Noh
Bunraku

NYC Review Round-Up: Nice Fish at St. Ann's Warehouse

Nice Fish, a play written by Mark Rylance and created primarily from the gentle, quirky prose poetry of Louis Jenkins, was commissioned by and premiered at the Guthrie Theater in 2013. Tony Award-watchers will remember Rylance recited poems by Jenkins as his acceptance speeches in 2008 and 2011. 

The American Repertory Theater produced this play, and after a brief run in Cambridge, MA, it is having its New York premiere at St. Ann's Warehouse. Although there are some changes from the Guthrie version, it still stars Rylance and local treasures Jim Lichtscheidl, Bob Davis and Raye Birk.

Being a huge fan of all things Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins's poetry, I saw it several times here at the Guthrie. But I couldn't help but wonder ... can a quirky, midwestern-feeling play about ice fishing succeed on the mean streets of New York?

Jim Lichtscheidl, Bob Davis and Mark Rylance in Nice Fish.
Photo by Teddy Wolff

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Broadway World did a beautiful Review Roundup, saving me and you the time of hunting these reviews down. I think I'll use that time to go read a few Louis Jenkins's poems.