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Pat Launer on San Diego Theater
Mini Reviews of: “ ReEntry ,” “Seven Against Thebes ”
… and local theater news
By Pat Launer , SDNN
May 27, 2010
FOR THURSDAY, 5/27
Caged
THE PLAY: “ Ben gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo ,” a tragic-comic drama by Rajiv Joseph, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles
It’s the most talked-about post-Iraq play of the decade. “ Ben gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” premiered last May, became a Pulitzer Prize finalist last month, and was the first production ever to be brought, intact, from Center Theatre Group’s small offsite Kirk Douglas Theatre to the prestigious Mark Taper Forum.
A non-partisan though highly political drama — often comic, frequently tragic — “ Ben gal Tiger” shows the insanity of war in general, and of this particular war. And the disorientation of displacement to a foreign land (the Tiger of the title laments being “10,000 miles from where you’re supposed to be”). Harsh reality meets a wildly imaginative surreal afterlife in a play that will stay with you, gnaw at you, forcing you to think, analyze, contemplate and ruminate. This is one profound and epic piece of work, from a gifted young playwright, Rajiv Joseph, who’s enormously talented and creatively inspired.
The ghosts keep piling up. The Tiger is the first to go. The opening scene was drawn from fact: In 2003, shortly after the fall of Baghdad , two Marines were guarding the Baghdad Zoo, which had been bombed and looted (“We blew the Zoo up !, ” one soldier admits in the play). Standing in front of the tiger’s cage, one of the Marines decides to offer the hungry-looking beast a piece of jerky. For his pains, he gets his hand lopped off and eaten, and his buddy, angry and panicked, shoots the tiger dead.
“You get hungry, you get stupid,” says the Tiger. Of course, if you want to make the whole play metaphorical (and you easily can), that comment has everything to do with what got us into the war to begin with.
What’s fascinating in Joseph’s remarkable conception is that people and animals become much smarter after death, downright existential and philosophical. The Tiger (magnificent Kevin Tighe ) haunts the Marine who kills him, and when this proves too much for young Kev and prompts his suicide, the dead soldier haunts his erstwhile, hand-less comrade. And then there’s Uday Hussein (creepily reptilian Hrach Titizian ), one of Saddam’s monstrous sons, who wanders the earth carrying the bloody head of his brother, Qusay . He comes back to seek revenge, appearing repeatedly, and rather terrifyingly, to Musa (excellent Arian Moayed ), an Iraqi interpreter who’s really an artist; he was Uday’s gardener, creating a beautiful topiary zoo. (That fading green wonderland is excellently re-created by the wondrous designer Derek McLane, who was at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2001 for “I Am My Own Wife,” and again in 2008 for “33 Variations”). Both “33 Variations” and “ Ben gal Tiger,” were directed by the brilliant Moisés Kaufman. Another San Diego connection: Kev , the immature, trigger-happy Marine who becomes intelligent and multi-lingual in his afterlife, is played by Brad Fleischer, an alumnus of the UCSD MFA program in Acting. Both Marines are understudied by another UCSD grad, Corey Brill (last seen at the Old Globe in “Opus,” 2009).
So, back in Iraq , Uday raped and killed Musa’s sister. And he was, in turn, killed by the now one-handed Marine, Tom (Glenn Davis), who also stole Uday’s gold gun and gold toilet seat (Midas-like, Uday gilded just about everything in his palace). Now he wants Musa to avenge him and all Iraqis, usimg the golden gun that has inadvertently come into his possession. Musa is torn between being an artist, a helpmate and a terrorist.
Metaphorically speaking, almost everyone here is getting raped, though most not in a sexual way. It’s all about a total lack of mutual understanding (Musa’s attempts to learn English colloquialisms provide one of the play’s funnier bits). There’s also a lot of blood. It’s not for nothing that Kaufman described the piece as “part Quentin Tarantino and part Gabriel García Márquez .” I think the gore and violence were enhanced for this revised production. Or maybe, when I saw the show last year, I was so blown away by its lyrical language and thematic enormity, the violent details didn’t hit me as hard. They’re pretty gory and intense. But the pace is so fast, and so much is going on, on so many levels, you just get swept up in it all.
Marvelous performances. Spectacular lighting. Dazzling writing. See this play now if you can. You’ll be hearing about it for years to come.
THE LOCATION: Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave. , downtown Los Angeles . (213) 628-2772 ; www.centertheatregroup.org
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $20-$65 ($20 Hot Tix can be purchased at the box office, when available). Tuesday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., through May 30
Bottom Line: BEST BET
MINI-REVIEW
“Seven Against Thebes ” at UC San Diego, in a wonderfully lucid translation by Marianne McDonald, was re-conceived by director Charlie Oates as a Civil War story. There must be something in the air this season; this is the third or fourth show set in that time period. I guess wartime makes people think about wartime. Oates saw the potential in the brother-against-brother battle. Fair enough. The Aeschylus play, as McDonald said in her program note, is “a warning against all wars, but most particularly those directed against neighbors.” She mentions Ireland and Israel . And I suppose the U.S. North and South would fit into that mold. But some of the railing at and praying to Zeus and the other gods just doesn’t work in rural, raggedy Kentucky , especially with photos of Lincoln, Lee and Grant looming overhead.
The stage pictures were gorgeous. The opening monologue, the Prologue lifted from McDonald’s translation of “The Phoenician Women” (inventively costumed by Jaymee Ngernwhichit ) , beautifully set the stage, telling the whole story of the doomed House of Atreus , including Oedipus and his two ill-begotten, ill-fated sons.
In this all-undergraduate effort, the set (Samantha Rojales ) was stunning, especially in its transition from ancient Greece to 19th century America . The ever-changing lighting ( Kristyn Kennedy) was magical. The diverse, evocative sound design (Joe Huppert) ranged from fiddles to wolves. The cast worked hard, with varying levels of success, and an excess of yelling and histrionics. As the Messenger, Christopher James Cortez, a second-year theater major, got to show off physical skills, from hip hop to high-flying martial arts. Some of it seemed out of place with the rest of the production conceit, but he was riveting to watch.
The production was dedicated to Dr. McDonald, a groundbreaker in the classics, who’s devoted herself to teaching for more than 40 years. After the performance I attended, there was a reception in her honor, which was wonderful and well-deserved. Hard to believe, though, that this was the first of her numerous translations or adaptations presented at UCSD.
Production closed.
NEWS AND VIEWS :
… Something Old, Something New at the Old Globe: The Old Globe has announced its 2010-2011 season, which includes some old familiar faces and a couple of new ones. Two American masters, Neil Simon and Arthur Miller, will be back. Well, not the men themselves, though both have been at the Globe in the past. Miller was here in 2004 to premiere “Resurrection Blues” (not his strongest play, but it sure was exciting sitting across the aisle from him!). The iconic playwright passed away a year later. In January 2011, the Globe will reprise his Pulitzer and Tony-winning masterwork, “Death of a Salesman,” which hasn’t been seen at the Balboa Park theater for six decades. As for Simon, he came to the Globe with “Rumors” in 1988 and “Jake’s Women” in 1990 (also not his best efforts). Presumably, he won’t be here this September for the repertory run of two parts of his extremely popular BB trilogy: “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound.” Both will be directed by Scott Schwartz, who helmed last season’s successful Globe production of Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers .”
Also coming up is a play by the man often called ‘The English Neil Simon,’ because of his humor and prolific output — though his worldview is a lot more caustic: Alan Ayckbourn, who’s about to receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. This new work, “Life of Riley,” Ackbourn’s 74th play, is an American premiere (April 2011). The hottest news of the new season is the regional premiere of Tracy Letts’ knockout, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning epic of family dysfunction, “August: Osage County ” (May 2011). And this year’s hip, youth-oriented show, part of the Globe’s Southeastern San Diego Residency Project that includes performances at Lincoln High School (“Kingdom” was the first such effort, in 2009), is the West coast premiere of “Welcome to Arroyo’s” by Kristoffer Diaz. In addition to the 13th incarnation of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the season will be rounded out with the regional premiere of Ian Bruce’s “Groundswell,” set in South Africa ; and “ Rafta , Rafta …” by Ayub Khan-Din, a comic look at sex and marriage in a London-based Indian family. The play won the 2008 Olivier Award ( London ’s Tony Award) for Best New Comedy. The through-line for the season, according to Globe executive producer Lou Spisto , is family. Still to be announced: a musical production, set to open in January.
… A Fond Farewell: The moving, touching final tribute to Old Globe founding artistic director Craig Noel drew a crowd of nearly 1000 earlier this week. When the memorial tribute to the beloved director, mentor and innovator was announced, the response was so large and enthusiastic, the venue had to be moved from the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre to the huge, outdoor Spreckels Organ Pavilion. It was a cold night, but the warm feeling of the presenters was palpable. There was a large contingent from New York , including Globe artistic director emeritus Jack O’Brien and long-time Globe performer Kathryn McGrath. The tributes to Craig, who died Easter weekend at the age of 94, ranged from songs to recitations of Prospero’s final, farewell speech (two presentations of the same monologue!). The slide show was delightful, but among all the photos, there was not one shot of Hamza Houidi , Craig’s partner of 37 years. Craig will have a perpetual presence in Balboa Park , his backyard since he was a boy. The Globe named the Craig Noel Garden for him, and the Park designated the Plaza de Panama, the circle on the Prado, the Craig Noel Circle. As was said several times over the course of the evening, paraphrasing “Hamlet,” “We shall not see his like again.”
… Memphis on a Roll: “Memphis,” the exuberant musical about the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, which was launched at the La Jolla Playhouse, is the big buzz this theater awards season. The show led the 55th annual Drama Desk Awards for excellence in New York theater with four wins (it had seven nominations). Directed by La Jolla Playhouse artistic director Christopher Ashley , “Memphis” took home trophies for: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music (Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan), Outstanding Orchestrations (Daryl Waters and David Bryan) and Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Montego Glover shared the title with Catherine Zeta Jones in “A Little Night Music.” Now, on to the Tonys! — coming up June 13. Watch for a Tony preview here.
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “ Ben gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” – brilliant, haunting, unforgettable
Mark Taper Forum, L.A. , through 5/30
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare history, very well done
Intrepid Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
Read review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-19/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/king-john-rules-well-at-intrepid-shakespeare-company
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
Read review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-19/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/whipping-man-a-searing-civil-war-drama-at-old-globe
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free; high energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s Balcony” – inspiring story, tour de force performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be reached at patlauner.sdnn@gmail.com
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her present and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the SDNN homepage.
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, Ben gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Rajiv Joseph, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Moisés Kaufman, Uday Hussein, Pulitzer Prize, Seven Against Thebes, Aeschylus, UC San Diego, Marianne McDonald, Charlie Oates , the Old Globe, Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, Death of a Salesman, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Alan Ayckbourn, Life of Riley, Welcome to Arroyo’s, Kristoffer Diaz, Tony Award, Groundswell, Ian Bruce, Rafta , Rafta …, Ayub Khan-Din, Craig Noel, Craig Noel Garden, Craig Noel Circle, Drama Desk Awards, Memphis, Montego Glover, David Bryan, Christopher Ashley
FOR FRIDAY, MAY 28
Tradition
THE PLAY: “Behind the Gates ,” a world premiere by Wendy Graf, at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre ( Hatikvah Productions, in association with the Lee Strasberg Creative Center ) in Los Angeles
Bethany is a 17 year-old angry, self-mutilating, sexually active, drug-loving Goth girl. Her distraught, adoptive L.A. parents, at their wits’ end, send her off to Israel for the summer. And then she disappears. Standing at the Wailing Wall, she was invited home by a black-clad Rabbi (Oren Rehany ), to share Shabbat with his large family. She’s smitten by the warmth and generosity of spirit, the blessing of each child, the wholehearted acceptance. This draws her into the Haredi sect, an ultra-orthodox group in the religious section of Jerusalem , Mea Shearim . Bethany, who changes her name to Bakol , embraces the definitive, Torah-based rules to live by, which focus especially on separation of the sexes, female ‘modesty’ and the clearly defined role of a woman in the family: to be a good wife and mother.
In a flash — though her parents still know nothing, having hired an Israeli private investigator (Steven Robert Wollenberg ) who can’t penetrate the tightly closed community — she’s shunted into an arranged marriage to a 48 year-old widower with nine children, who is anything but the loving, caring husband the Rabbi promised. Another Haredi woman, Shirona (Robyn Roth), takes the enormous risk of making contact with Bethany ’s parents, who are by now frantic in Israel . There are tortuous twists and turns in this harrowing tale; some elements could easily be omitted: Shirona’s request of Bethany ’s mother; the mother’s succumbing to ‘Jerusalem Fever,’ the parents’ dissolving marriage.
Award-winning playwright Wendy Graf has a great deal on her mind, perhaps a bit too much. She tries to capture the complexities and contradictions of Israel , as well as American disaffected youth and upper middle-class work-obsession. A lack of communication and understanding is at every level. And her central concern is profound and provocative. The Haredi could be any extremist fundamentalist group. These communities focus on family and community; they have many children, sometimes, as seems to be the case here, as a political act, to increase their numbers and power in their land. They think their way represents the true word of God. And they control and degrade women. They punish those who go against the grain in any way. But their tight-knit community is also highly seductive, especially to those who are lost or vulnerable. It’s easy to be sucked in; a lot more difficult to get out.
The play has didactic and melodramatic moments (in the latter category, the husband-wife confrontation and moments of the mother-child reunion). But it tells a gut-wrenching story, the kind that, in one way or another, is repeated — in the news, if not onstage – on a daily basis. It’s important viewing.
The excellent cast, under the taut and unfussy direction of David Gautreaux , makes every moment believable, even when the actions, at times, strain credulity. The tour de force opening, a 30-minute monologue magnificently delivered by Annika Marks, is the mesmerizing, memorable centerpiece of the show. Last year, that segment won a One-Act Play Festival in L.A. The stunning, explosive, expletive-laced tirade tracks Bethany’s journey, from punk to pious, from self-loathing parent-hater to beatific convert who finds love and acceptance for the first time in her life (the role seems to have been written for a far less trim and attractive young woman than Marks). It’s easy to see how Bethany was drawn into religious fervor; in a somewhat forced parallel, her mother gets sucked in by “Jerusalem Fever,” a temporary spiritual arousal that amounts to mental instability.
The performances are outstanding. As Bethany ’s parents, Keliher Walsh and James Eckhouse are heart-rending (both appeared at the Old Globe last year in “Six Degrees of Separation”). Wollenberg and Roth are terrific as Israelis from different sides of the ‘gate’ (Mea Shearim literally means ‘100 Gates’). Rehany is chilling as the Rabbi.
The ancient stones work well in the set (Stephanie Kerley Schwartz); the transparent curtains and low-rent plastic chairs, less so.
As a new play, the piece will undoubtedly undergo revision. But it’s a head-spinning, often heart-stopping ride now. One that’s definitely worth the trip to L.A.
THE LOCATION: The Marilyn Monroe Theatre at the Lee Strasberg Creative Center , 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hollywood . (323) 960-5772; www.plays411.com/Gates
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $25. Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., through July 3
Bottom Line: BEST BET
MINI-REVIEW
… “ ReEntry ” deserves a long and extended run in San Diego . The spellbinding piece of documentary theater, created by Emily Ackerman and KJ Sanchez, who also directed, is based on hundreds of hours of interviews with combat veterans and their families. The wonderfully interwoven stories focus on returning Marines, their trials and triumphs, pride and PTSD, difficulties re-entering the world and the hardships that imposes on their loved ones. These are voices that need to be heard, especially in our community; many of the interviews were conducted at Camp Pendleton . The central family in the piece is actually based on the experiences of co-writer Ackerman, her mother and her two brothers who have served multiple tours in Iraq . The entire text is composed of direct quotes .. And in a huge room, in the midst of the large, national Navy and Marine Corps Combat Operational Stress Control Conference, it was clear how accurate and credible every word and performance was. The talkback after the show was as gut-wrenching as the play itself. People from all over the country, veterans and those who worked with them, choked up, shared a bit of their own experience, acknowledged the importance of what was being said. Many invited the cast, which has been together for three years, as this show has evolved and played around the country and Off Broadway, to come to their city or base or facility. So here’s a call to action to the San Diego theater community; some company should either bring back Sanchez and Company or mount their own production of “Reentry.” There’s a huge audience out there – of those who are directly involved in the military and our ventures overseas, and those who need to hear from the men and women who risk their lives to participate, and exactly why they do it.
For more information on “ ReEntry ,” see Pat’s interview with KJ Sanchez here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-16/things-to-do/reentry-brings-combat-vets-experiences-to-san-diego#ixzz0oABaniqA
News and Views
… Just Kidding… “Kidding on the Square” is a new cabaret show from TV/Film/Broadway actor Emily Bergl , who was luminous at the Old Globe (2001, 2003) as Shakespeare’s Juliet and as Emily in “Our Town.” Now, with the accompaniment of San Francisco-based G. Scott Lacy , a wonderful pianist who has musical-directed many local productions, Bergl is bringing her act to San Diego, showcasing music from 1927-2010, from Fats Waller to Roy Orbison to the Scissor Sisters. Monday, June 21, at The Celebration Cabaret, 5820 Oberlin Drive , Sorrento Valley. Tickets at www. thecelebrationcenter.org (click on Events).
… Wonderful Tennessee : If you’re a fan of Tennessee Williams (as I am), you won’t want to miss a hilarious take on his work, brought to us, via North Coast Repertory Theatre, by Impro Theatre of Los Angeles . Their “Tennessee Williams Unscripted” is sure to be a laugh-fest. The wildly talented improvisation troupe has already been here with “Jane Austen Unscripted,” “Shakespeare Unscripted” and “Stephen Sondheim Unscripted.” This ‘ Unscript ’ is bound to be another side-splitter. Monday, June 7 at North Coast Rep in Solana Beach . (858) 481-1044; www.northcoastrep.org
… A romcom that rocks: The Coronado Playhouse, thanks to a grant from the City of San Diego , is hosting a brief run of a world premiere musical, “Actions Most Ridiculous.” Actor/composer/lyricist Sven Salumaa , in collaboration with Marianne Regan, created this rock musical comedy. Salumaa , who co-directs with Lizzie Mander, began working on the music ten years ago. The title comes from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”: “ How many actions most ridiculous hast thou been drawn to by thy fantasy?” As Saluuma puts it, “ Personally, I can name several, and I am sure you can also!” The presenters promise “pithy dialogue and toe-tapping tunes.” Musical backup will be provided by the rock band, Double Indemnity. June 11-13 at the Coronado Playhouse. (619) 435-4856; www.coronadoplayhouse.com
PAT’S PICKS: Best Bets of the Week
v “Behind the Gates” – a gut-wrenching play that should certainly be seen
Marilyn Monroe Theatre, L.A. , through 7/3
v “ Ben gal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” – brilliant, haunting, unforgettable
Mark Taper Forum, L.A. , through 5/30
Read Review here: xxx
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare history, very well done
Intrepid Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-19/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/king-john-rules-well-at-intrepid-shakespeare-company
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
Read review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-19/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/whipping-man-a-searing-civil-war-drama-at-old-globe
v “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” – poignant, funny and wonderfully acted
ion theatre, through 6/1
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Footloose” – footloose and fancy free; high energy, fine singing and dancing
Welk Resorts Theatre, through 6/27
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-12/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/frankie-and-johnny-moscow-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Golda’s Balcony” – inspiring story, tour de force performance
The Old Globe Theatre, through 5/30
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “All in the Timing” – smart and hilarious
ion theatre, through, 5/29
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
v “Gam3rs” – LOL funny
ion theatre, through 6/5
Read Review here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
Pat Launer is the SDNN theater critic. She can be reached at patlauner.sdnn@gmail.com
To read any of her prior reviews, type ‘Pat Launer,’ and the name of the play of interest, in the SDNN Search box. Or, access her present and past reviews from the Arts & Entertainment pull-down on the SDNN homepage.
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, Behind the Gates, Wendy Graf, Marilyn Monroe Theatre, Lee Strasberg Creative Center, ReEntry , Emily Ackerman, KJ Sanchez, Kidding on the Square, Emily Bergl , Tennessee Williams Unscripted, Impro Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Actions Most Ridiculous, Sven Saluuma , Double Indemnity
