About
By Pat Launer
11/03/06
The great and near-great are steppin’ out;
It’s a Crucible for them, no Doubt,
That Hedda Gabler and M. Chopin,
Are each a Rocky Horror fan.
THE SHOW: Doubt, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning best play of 2004, by John Patrick Shanley , has settled into the Civic Theatre for a very short time, as part of a national tour, with its two Tony-winning actresses intact: Cherry Jones and Adriane Lenox. This play, and these performances, are NOT to be missed by anyone who loves theater, ideas, acting or moral conundrums
THE STORY: The (ultimately unsolved) mystery focuses on uncertainty and conviction, faith and suspicion, gossip and doubt, the Old and New orders in the Catholic Church. Set in a strict parochial school, a year after the JFK assassination, in the midst of the liberalizing 2nd Ecumenical Council (Vatican II) and the Civil Rights movement, the play asks the philosophical question: Can/should everything be seen in black and white? A nun, Sister Aloysius (Jones), upright, uptight principal of St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx (almost identical to the school of the playwright’s youth), is as rigid in her convictions as she is in her religious beliefs. Father Flynn (Chris McGarry ) is all about modernization: closeness and camaraderie between teachers and students, coaches the kids in basketball and life. Young Sister James (Lisa Joyce), who has a passion for teaching, is trapped between them. Sister Aloysius has grave doubts about Father Flynn and his flagrant ways, and she’s determined to bring him down, even if the school’s only African American student gets caught in the crossfire. The boy’s mother (Lenox) has some of the most shocking lines, defending her son and his right to an education, no matter what. But Sister defends her suspicions no matter what. Does the nun overstep her bounds? Does the priest pull rank and gender politics? Are the young nun and the young boy ruined for life? Who, in the end, is the most guilty party? And what has this done to their abiding faith?
THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: The touring production is outstanding, impressively replicating the original, both visually and dramatically. The set (John Lee Beatty) beautifully establishes the gray, somber tone, with arches, stained glass windows and contemplative courtyard that give way to Sister’s compact office. The lighting (Pat Collins) is wonderfully evocative, as is the sound design (David van Tieghem ), punctuated by the eerie cawing of a crow, mythic harbinger of doom. The performances are spectacular. As with the Broadway production, the power of the priest and the intransigence of the nun provide a level playing field (when I saw the play in L.A. , the deck was unequivocally stacked against the nun). Here, if anything, there’s a slight edge in the nun’s favor. Jones is a force of nature, unyielding in her hunches, assertions and principles, but dryly amusing when she wants to be, though she brooks no humor in others. McGarry is very forceful; he shows a wide range of emotion and a great deal of anger as he looms over the nun, screaming, “You answer to us!” ( meaning the priests, the men). Joyce is a little less mousy, a smidgeon more bold than some other Sister James portrayals; she stands up for her beliefs, though she’s cowed by her superior. And Lenox is excellent as the no-nonsense mother who realizes what tradeoffs are, and what compromises she’s willing to make. It’s a lovely, 5-minute performance; not quite clear that it’s Tony-worthy, but good nonetheless.
The play presents a disturbing situation and poses provocative questions? In these days of paranoia and pedophilia, how far should suspicions go? Is there room for doubt? And where is the line drawn between faith and conviction, righteous (or self-serving) indignation and justice? Guaranteed, this play will have you talking and thinking long into the night.
THE LOCATION: Broadway San Diego at the Civic Theatre, through November 5
THE BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
NOTE: Cherry Jones reportedly loves this role so much that, instead of leaving the tour after the next stop in San Francisco , she’s decided to stay with it for another 6 months. Friday, Nov. 3 will mark her 500th performance of the role.
LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN
THE SHOW: The Rocky Horror Show, the crazy, cult musical sendup of sci-fi films, with Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien
THE STORY: When you see the movie (which I’ve done about 10 times), and get totally caught up in it, you don’t realize what a convoluted mishmash the plot really is. Onstage, the narrative flaws become more obvious. But whathehell … this isn’t about reality and verisimilitude; you go to this show for pure unadulterated fun. And the Southwestern College production certainly delivers.
In tortuous story, nerdy Brad and virginal Janet get a blowout on a dark road late one night, shortly after their engagement. They stumble out in the rain, where “There’s a Light” (cue the glo -sticks). They come upon the castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter , the “sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania” and his wild and weird array of ‘servants.’ Frank is about to unveil his latest, greatest creation, a perfect man. Meanwhile, he’s got the juvenile delinquent Eddie on ice in the freezer. Eddie is soon dispatched (“Meatloaf again??”), everyone gets oversexed and/or cross-dressed, and wallows in an orgy of “Don’t Dream It, Be It,” which may be taken as the show’s ‘message.’ Meanwhile, the Germanic Dr. Scott, Brad and Janet’s high school teacher and a scientific rival to Frank, arrives to investigate the disappearance of his “no-good” nephew, Eddie. Shortly thereafter, the jig is up. Riff-Raff and his sister Magenta beam the castle back to Transsexual Transylvania, but not before they blitz a teary Frank and his Rocky creation. Brad and Janet will never be the same. And neither will we . The Narrator concludes by telling us that “the insects called the human race” are “lost in time, lost in space and meaning.”
THE PLAYERS/THE PRODUCTION: Outside the Mayan Hall theater on the campus of Southwestern College , there was a costume competition on Halloween eve (the perfect night for the show; many folks came in costume, Rocky Horror and otherwise). But even more enjoyable was the fact that Virgin Bags were for sale ($3): a paper bag filled with the props regulars used to bring to the midnight showings of the cult 1975 film. That includes a water pistol for the rain scene, a newspaper to put over your head when Janet does; a glo -stick, a rubber glove to snap along with Frank, a playing card (“cards for sorrow, cards for pain”), etc. The original wacky spirit of the movie was completely preserved. The fun, the raucous raunchiness, the dark, overly made-up eyes, the skimpy tattered costumes, the fishnet stockings, it’s all there. And except for the miking problems which were relentless the night I attended, the production was a total hoot and a bottomless barrel of fun.
At the center of the action, towering over everyone in his red sparkly platform heels (not to mention the corset, garters and fishnets), Ruff Yeager is terrific. He’s funny, sexy/ ambisexual , teasing, leering, making amusing asides to the audience. He’s totally in control. His son Geoffrey Yeager is quite good as the Igor-like Riff Raff, and his falsetto is amazing. Whitney Thomas plays Magenta with panache, and Diana Rendon is superb as Columbia , a combo-character that combines the Magenta-sidekick with the tap-dancing, Eddie-loving Little Nell. It works fine; Rendon’s use of tap and her piercing, high-pitched voice are perfect. She deserves to be seen on other stages. As Janet, Leti Carranza has a winning way and powerful vocal chops. As Brad, Marcus Cortez is less vocally strong, but his geekiness is supreme, and his transition to a hypersexed fishnet-wearer is outstanding. As the gorgeous creature, Rocky, Kalif Price has a body that seems chiseled for the occasion; flawless washboard abs, astonishing muscle definition, and athletic moves. He isn’t much in the singing department, but who’s listening when he flexes? Oscar G. Limón is fine and funny as the wheelchair-bound, Dr. Strangelove-like Dr. Scott, Shelly Courchaine is fine as a cross-dressed Eddie, and Nathan Plummer does an amusing turn as the Narrator, though he suffered significantly from fluctuating amplification.
Director Susan Stratton makes everything spring to delirious life, and the big, full-cast numbers (choreography by Kristin Greenway) make the audience want to jump up and do the ‘Time Warp.’ The six musicians (in the open trap below the stage, conducted by Tony Atienza ) are a hot, rockin’ ensemble, with onstage highlights from tenor saxman Gabriel Sundy . The set (Gary Larson) is a fun mix of erector set platforms and light-up sci-fi screens. During the “Science Fiction Double Feature” opening number, clips from great B&W films of the past (“Frankenstein,” “King Kong”) are shown as projections. The lighting (Larson) and special effects (sound and media design by Tammy Ray) are great. Overall, a delightfully entertaining, singalong night at the theater (but, we’re warned at the outset, ‘No calling out of lines or alternate lines. Let the virgins hear the text”). And so we did, though I heard more than one audience member mumble those shout-outs at all the appropriate times.
THE LOCATION: Maya Hall, on the campus of Southwestern College , through November 5
THE BOTTOM LINE: Best Bet
PIANO/BIO, PART II
THE SHOW: M. Chopin, second part of actor/composer/pianist/playwright/Harvard University lecturer Hershey Felder’s trilogy, The Composer Sonata; a sonata typically contains three movements: in Felder’s view, Beethoven is the first, Monsieur Chopin the second and George Gershwin Alone is the third, though they’ve been written in the opposite order (Beethoven premieres in Chicago in February 2007). Thus far, Felder has performed the Gershwin play worldwide, more than 2500 times since 2000; Chopin is also making the rounds.
THE STORY/THE BACKSTORY: After the Gershwin piece was such a smashing success at the Old Globe, the decision was made to offer the West coast premiere of M. Chopin, for one week only at the end of the run. Tickets reportedly flew out the door. In his preliminary workshops of this piece, Felder included three characters: Fryderyk (later, Frédéric ) Chopin; his lover, the most famous female in France at the time: the novelist George Sand (née Aurore Dudevant ); and Chopin’s friend, the French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix. But all involved agreed that it wasn’t working, so Felder went back to the solo concept that worked so well for Gershwin. And that seems to have been the right decision. The 19th century composer ( 1810 – 1849 ) led a much more tortured and interesting life than Gershwin, and exhibited a much wider range of emotions (in current parlance, he was bipolar). But both men died way too young: Gershwin at 38, Chopin at 39.
With his strong background in classical music, Felder was introduced to the music of Chopin early; to research this piece, he associated with every Chopin society, traveled to Poland and Paris , retracing Chopin’s steps, and induced Jeffrey Kallberg , chairman of the Dept. of Music at the University of Pennsylvania and this country’s pre-eminent Chopin scholar, to serve as production consultant.
Chopin was a loner, a reclusive, shy and guarded person who expressed his feelings through music. In the play, all his emotions – like grief over the death of his beloved younger sister at age 15, when he was 17; the rapture of his first love; the dissolution of his long-term, stormy relationship with Sand – are conveyed in the music. While there’s no documentation that these direct life/music relationships actually existed, Kallberg has said that the piano pieces are used in the context of the periods of Chopin’s life in which they were written and they could very plausibly have inspired the work. So young Emilia’s burial gave us the “Funeral March,” the end of the Sand romance led to the Prelude in C-Minor No. 28 (which Barry Manilow borrowed for “Could It Be Magic”), and Chopin’s deep patriotic feelings for his Polish homeland gave rise to the Polonaise in A-Flat Major (which Perry Como sang as “’ Til the End of Time”). Other modern interpretations include “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” based on the Fantasy Impromptu in C#, which might actually serve as a pop reflection on the master’s life. The Polonaise, he says, is “the complete expression of your tortured soul.”
Chopin was always haunted by demons and visions. He reportedly had considerable difficulty in social situations and trouble maintaining friendships and relationships. In the play, framed as a piano lesson that actually took place on March 4, 1848, a year before the composer’s death, he talks about his loves and losses, and offers us his metaphysical musings on music and a love song to the piano.
THE PLAYER/THE PRODUCTION: To see both of Felder’s plays is to appreciate the true skill of the actor and pianist. As Gershwin, he banged out the notes; his “Rhapsody in Blue” was filled with brio and passion. But as Chopin, sometimes called “the poet of the piano,” he does as he says in his tutorial: “Never pound upon the keys. Dust the keys as if you were dusting them with your breath.” His light, soulful touch, coupled with the aching beauty of the music, is heartwrenching . This Chopin speaks of the Polish z’al , “a very deep sadness that never seems to go away.’ And we can see how that informs all his work. Felder’s accent (Polish tinged with French) works excellently, the flowing blonde locks (which, according to those who saw the last performances of Gershwin, is his real hair; he removed his wig during curtain calls to reveal the blondness beneath), the formal drawing room attire – it all works so well, with a simple set (Yael Pardess) and occasional, illustrative projections (John Boesche ). A lovely, heartfelt, touching production, as much about the soul and poetry of the piano as the story of one brilliant, tortured life.
WITCHHUNT
For the past several years, my husband John has been saying, ‘Why doesn’t anyone do The Crucible? This would be the perfect time. Finally, someone did. The University of San Diego . But the production, alas, ran for only five days and couldn’t be reviewed. So, acceding to the wishes of David Hay, director of undergraduate theater arts, who made the request since this was an undergraduate effort, I won’t say anything about the performances. But I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to talk about the relevance of the play. And to exhort professional companies, large or small, to assay this play now, when it is most timely, large-cast requirements notwithstanding.
On the surface, the searing drama is about the witch trials of Salem , Mass. , 1692. The story is a chilling cautionary tale about mass frenzy and whipping up mass hysteria, using false testimony and ignoring reason and logic to punish the so-called offenders. But from the outset, everyone knew the play was an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare/Red-Baiting of America in the 1950s. In 1956, Miller himself was brought before HUAC, the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Fifteen years after he created the seminal drama in 1952, the playwright admitted that he wrote the piece “to dig a skeleton out of the closet of America .” Well, it’s time to bring out the bones again.
Hay helmed a stark and beautifully realized production, which boasted a professional design team (all teachers at USD): the set was by Robin Sanford Roberts, sound by George Yé, movement by Bonnie Johnston (and Liz Shipman), all familiar names around town. In the thrust-stage theater, the bare-bones design consisted of plank floors, benches and movable trees ( Birnam Wood?). The lighting (Jason Bieber ) was subdued, the costumes (Randal Sumabat ) simple. But onstage there was passion and fury. And words that struck deep, resonant chords: “You’re either with us or against us”; “There’s a softness in your record,” “Reprieve or pardon casts doubt on those who have been hanged already;’ “This is a Christian country,” “These are new times; we cannot flinch.” And in defense of sanity, the words of John Proctor: “The little crazy children are dangling the keys to the kingdom”; “Is the accuser always holy now?” There are bone-chilling whispers. Rumors. Kangaroo courts.
Substitute ‘enemy combatant’ for witch. Or ‘traitor.’ Anything can happen now, as then. The law of the land has been subverted, habeus corpus rescinded. Perhaps people will wake up for the election.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE
Caught the last night of Hedda Gabler, the Poor Players production staged at the Westminster Church Theatre in Point Loma. It was a prodigious undertaking. The set (by Westminster ’s John Murphy) was more detailed and elaborate than a typical PP offering. The lighting (also by Murphy) was subtle and attractive. The costumes (assembled by the female cast members) were period-perfect. An original piece of music, “ Hedda’s Theme,” was composed for the event by Pamela Monroe. And the performances were well executed. So, what was wrong? The production played the text, but it seems to have missed the subtext which, tonally speaking, is the essence of the play. All the characters’ cards were put on the table from the outset, so there was nowhere for them to go.
Under the direction of Tom Haine , Hedda (Amy Mayer) was beautiful but bitchy. She seemed positively evil. There was little evidence of the grace and charm that had made men swoon and women envious. So you wouldn’t have been too upset if she offed herself in the first act instead of the second. Judge Bracken ( Haine ) was somewhat sinister from the get-go, so when he turns truly menacing later, threatening Hedda with blackmail, you’re not at all surprised. The lovely, pleasant surroundings don’t have the stifling, claustrophobic feel that constrains Hedda, and she gives little evidence of the free spirit she apparently once was and longs to be. Her husband, George Tesman (inconsistently, some actors pronounced it Tess-man, some Tez -man), is not as boring and dreadful and pedantic as she views him. Max Macke, in fact, makes him pleasant and caring, though definitely clueless and oblivious. Not really intolerable, though I’ve seen productions where you wanted to jump on the stage and strangle him, especially with his annoying repetitions of “Think of that!” ( at least that’s how it was conveyed in this – uncredited – translation). A good deal of the plot hinges on Ejlert Lovborg , the love /lust object of both Hedda and the simple-minded, married Thea (which should probably be pronounced “ Tay -uh”). This Lovborg (Brennan Taylor) was handsome, but he didn’t have that Bad Boy sense of danger that is irresistible to women; he never seemed sufficiently dissolute before, during or after his Fall . Hilary White’s Thea is more grounded, less airy, though no less love-struck than many who have come before. Sandy Hotchkiss Gullans and Jen Meyers offer sturdy portrayals of Tesman’s Aunt Julia and Berte , the maid.
Ibsen’s play is far more deep and difficult than it seems. It can be seen as drama, tragedy or melodrama. Hedda, a larger-than-life character considered by some to be the “female Hamlet ,” one of the most complex and challenging female roles in the theater canon, has been portrayed as an idealistic heroine fighting against the constraints of her society , a victim of circumstance, a proto- feminist . Those choices allow an actor more depth and breadth than playing her as a manipulative villain . Given a fine cast and the best of intentions, this production had the potential for excellence; more textual and textural study might have pushed it over the edge.
NEWS AND VIEWS
…Gear up for Election Day — in the theater! Check out Gross National Product, a Washington, D.C.-based comedy troupe presenting Son of a Bush at the Theatre in Old Town , 11/2-12, and Todd Blakesley’s interactive Patriot Act: The Trial of George W. Bush, produced by Sledgehammer Theatre, at the 10th Avenue Theatre ,11 /3-26.
…”You’re fired!” Donald Trump made the phrase famous, but writer Annabelle Gurwitch made it funny. Her comedy, Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized and Dismissed, was inspired by her discharge from the employ of Woody Allen. She’s already turned her misfortune into a book, a play and a feature-length documentary. The touring show features a rotating cast, telling their comical horror stories about getting the axe. At the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, the performers are mostly TV folks — writers, actors and producers who’ve been involved with “Curb your Enthusiasm,” “The Ben Stiller Show” and “Blind Date.” November 10 & 11, 8pm. 800-988-4253; www.artcenter.org
…Attention, “American Idol” lovers and Musical Teens! The *J* Company, part of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, is producing Project CenterStage : A Teen Musical Theatre Competition. The contest is free, and open to anyone age 13-18. After the county-wide auditions, 15 finalists will be chosen to perform with a live band, while audience members and guest judges vote to see who’ll take home the top prizes, which include educational scholarships ranging from $250-1000. So get your (2-minute) song ready. Open call First Round Auditions will be held at three locations: the California Center for the Arts, Escondido (Dec. 4), the Salvation Army Kroc Center (Dec.5) and the La Jolla JCC (Dec. 6). All auditions are from 5-8pm. The Final Concert Round is Feb. 3 at the La Jolla JCC. Complete rules and info are at www.lfjcc.org/jcompany or 858-362-1155 .
.. How ‘bout a little arts-as-therapy training? The Expressive Arts Institute, “ Southern California ’s Premiere Expressive Arts Training Program,” is presenting a workshop entitled “Unmasking the Theater of Life: Intermodal Psychodrama and Therapeutic Theater with Yaacov Naor .” The interactive workshop will focus on “imagination-based theater for expressive arts therapy.” Naor , of the ISIS Israel Psychodrama Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy Center , is an actor/director/therapist and trainer who uses “the magic of theater as a therapeutic event, to … help people find images, form and staging for the inner theater of their lives.” Registration is limited. 619-239-1713; Judith@arts4change.com .
… a little closer to earth, and the State of the Union , the Expressive Arts Institute is collaborating with Young Audiences of San Diego to present a Panel Discussion entitled: What is the role of theatre in peacemaking and social change? Panelists include: Doug Jacobs, actor/director and co-founder of the San Diego Repertory Theatre , Seema Sueko , founder/artistic director of Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company , Todd Blakesley, interactive theater maven and author of A Patriot Act: The Trial of George W. Bush, opening this week; and theater director and psychodramatist Yaacov Naor , director of the Expressive Arts Institute in Israel. The discussion, moderated by Judith Greer Essex, director of the San Diego Institute of Expressive Arts Therapy, will consider such issues as the connection between theater and social change, and whether or not theater – in all its forms — can be an adequate response to the times we live in. Nov. 15, 10 am- 12noon, 4007 Camino del Rio South, Ste 209 , SD 92104. Info at www.arts4change.com . RSVP to: judith@arts4change.com
..Matthew’s not coming, Matthew’s not coming… Bad News for all you M. Broderick fans: the much-anticipated world premiere of The Starry Messenger, by and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, will not be happening this winter at the Globe; it’s indefinitely postponed due to film schedule conflicts. The substitute is the West coast premiere of a musical called Ace, with book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and composer Richard Oberacker , directed by Stafford Arima . It pays tribute to the aviation heroes of WWI and WWII, following three generations of fathers and sons, husbands and wives. The show runs January 13 – February 18.
…and more news from the Globe: beloved and much-missed director Kirsten Brandt, former artistic director of Sledgehammer Theatre, will be back, in a very felicitous collaboration, working on a comedy by another former San Diegan, playwright Annie Weisman. Weisman’s world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse, Be Aggressive, concerned California cheerleaders. Hold Please, a funny sendup of the American workplace, follows two generations of executive secretaries, battling corporate structure, technology and each other. March 31-May 6.
… The SDSU Opera Theatre sent out engraved invitations to The Marriage of Figaro, which will be celebrated (thanks to Mozart), Nov. 17-19 in Smith Recital Hall on the campus of SDSU. 619-594-1696; www.musicdance.sdsu.edu/opera/index.html
… An Honest Arrangement, by local playwright David Wiener, will be presented Nov. 3 & 4 by Golden/Bushnell Productions at the North Park Vaudeville & Candy Shoppe. This one-act won Best Play at the 2006 15-minute Play Festival in New York , and was produced in an Off Broadway showcase last weekend. It will be published in an anthology in 2007. 619-368-9426; www.northparkvaudeville.com.
… Mystery Café always comes up with the best titles for its interactive musical mystery comedies. Their latest (reprise) offering is Win, Place or Die… My Jockeys are Killing Me, set at the Thoroughbred Club at Upson Down in Hollywood , c. 1946. Everyone who’s anyone is there, including ‘40s movie stars, politicians, gossip columnists and a debt-ridden track owner and his jockey. Killer fare for the Halloween/Day of the Dead season. Friday and Saturday nights at the Imperial House Restaurant, 505 Kalmia St. www.mysterycafe.net
…and for the younger set, Classics for Kids inaugurates its 13th season with Musical Menagerie, featuring Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Bruce Adophe’s Marita and Her Heart’s Desire, in a beastly concert that focuses on animals and their musical counterparts. Classics for Kids is dedicated to musical education programming for elementary school students. The 2006-2007 theme is The ABCs of Musical Literacy. All in-school concerts are sold out, but there is a public performance on Nov. 19 at 2pm at the Kroc Theatre. 619=435-9111; www.classics4kids.org
… Whoo -boy! Here’s the first sentence from the review of Betontanc Dance in last week’s LA Times: ” Slamming sex, bold backbends and casual cruelty are but some of the things on view in Wrestling Dostoevsky , a thrill-a-minute dance theater piece performed by the Slovenian ensemble Betontanc .” Part of Sushi’s International Takeout , the group performs here this weekend only (Nov. 2-4 at 8pm) in the Wagner Dance Building on the campus of UCSD.
… There’s still time to get tix for: The Far Side of Fifty, words of wisdom and humor from 14 women, age 58-88. Nov. 12 (2pm) at the La Jolla JCC. lfjcc.org . And a special performance by Brian Stokes Mitchell. The blockbuster Broadway baritone is doing a benefit performance for his alma mater, San Diego Junior Theatre. At Casa del Prado in Balboa Park, Nov. 18. 619-239-8355; www.juniortheatre.com .
‘NOT TO BE MISSED!’ (Critic’s Picks)
(For full text of all past reviews, use the Search engine at www.patteproductions.com)
Doubt – outstanding touring production of the provocative, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, with its two Tony Award-winning actors intact
At the Civic Theatre, through Nov. 5
The Rocky Horror Show – hilarious, outrageous and terrific fun. Buy the props and do The Time Warp!
At Southwestern College, through Nov. 5
Tuesdays with Morrie – a touching tear-jerker, featuring a thrilling performance by Robert Grossman
At North Coast Repertory Theatre, through November 19
The Flight of the Lawnchair Man – sweet, light new musical, buoyantly presented
SDSU’s Don Powell Theatre, through November 5
Middle-Aged White Guys – fanciful and fantastical, but biting and satirical, too; very well acted and directed
Weekends at 6th @ Penn Theatre, through November 8
Don’t forget to vote! Then celebrate — or drown your sorrows – at the theater.
Pat
© 2006 PATTÉ PRODUCTIONS, INC.