About
Pat Launer on San Diego Theater
By Pat Launer , SDNN
May 20, 2010
FOR THURSDAY, 5/20
Uncivil War
THE PLAY: “The Whipping Man ,” a drama by Matthew Lopez, at the Old Globe
Three men on a precipice. The world has changed, the life they’ve known is behind them, and their next step is momentous.
Yesterday, Simon and John were slaves. Now they’re free men. And the battered, badly wounded soldier who just staggered into the manor house they’re occupying was their master, his father the owner of the estate.
Caleb DeLeon was a captain in the Confederate Army. The War nearly killed him – in more ways than one. Now Simon, the older, more temperate ex-slave, determines that Caleb’s gangrenous leg has to come off.
The gut-wrenching amputation that ensues in Matthew Lopez’ 2006 drama, “The Whipping Man,” is both real and symbolic. Relationships and family ties have also been severed. Each of these hapless men has to make do without, has to go on in an irrevocably altered state.
The fascinating framing device Lopez has chosen for his Civil War story is making Caleb’s well-heeled Richmond family Jewish (there were 10,000 Jews in the Confederate army, and in the Southern big cities, 80% of Jewish families owned slaves). This family’s slaves, like those brought up in Christian homes, have adopted the faith of their owners. And Passover, a holiday all about the emergence from slavery to freedom, happens to have fallen just one day after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
Although the DeLeon manor house has been ransacked and nearly demolished, Simon is determined to hold a Seder, to observe the holiday as he has nearly every year of his life. In the midst of the plans, President Lincoln is assassinated. As Simon scrambles to accumulate the ceremonial needs of the Seder (hard tack stands in for matzo, whiskey for wine and collard greens as bitter herbs ), the solemnity of the ‘service’ compels John and Caleb to uncover the secrets they’re harboring.
John recalls his many visits to The Whipping Man – the ‘outsourced’ punisher of errant urban slaves. Caleb is forced to confront his own painful past. Only Simon, we come to see, has a genuine sense of morality; the other two are desiccated men. But none of them will be able to put his life back together.
Lopez has created a harrowing, moving, personal story of the toll of war, and how the residue of slavery, as we see so clearly today, cannot be easily wiped away.
“The Whipping Man” has been produced in New Jersey , Florida and Minnesota , but Lopez revised it for this West coast premiere. And during the rehearsal period, he was named Playwright–in-Residence at the Old Globe.
The issues raised in his drama are searing, painful and disarmingly relevant. The performances are uniformly potent and convincing. Charlie Robinson makes Simon wise and compassionate, the most sympathetic of the three. He remains even-tempered almost throughout, but he gets to show a flash of rage and resentment at the end. His is the most affecting dramatic arc. Avery Glymph’s John is restless, reckless and tormented. But it’s Mark Sullivan who faces the most daunting challenge; Caleb is the least deep and defined character. Sullivan’s performance is solid and believable, but we crave further insight into the man and how he’s changed by the night’s revelations.
Director Giovanna Sardelli (who directed “Taking Flight” at the San Diego Repertory Theatre in 2007) keeps the action intense and intimate. Designer Robert Mark Morgan (an SDSU MFA alumnus who won a Patté Award for “The Kentucky Cycle” in 1998) has created the remains of a manor house, with cracked, rain-soaked windows suspended from above. The lighting (Lap Chi Chu) is aptly dim, with candles and lanterns keeping the action in eerie shadow. The sound (Jill BC Du Boff ) features the endless drip of April rain and the periodic crack of thunder that sounds disturbingly like gunfire. The costumes ( Denitsa D. Bliznakova ) are suitably ragged.
This is a single story ripped from our collective past, inventively linking the slavery of blacks and Jews, and taking wonderful advantage of the coincidences of timing ( Appomattox , Passover and Lincoln ’s death) to give us a peek into one home on the days following a cataclysmic historical event. Lopez poses the question that forms in every mind after a major upheaval: How exactly do we pick up the pieces and go on?
THE LOCATION: the Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park . (619) 23-GLOBE; www.theoldglobe.org
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $29-$62. Tuesday-Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., Saturday and Sun day at 2 p.m., through June 13
Bottom Line: BEST BET
NEWS AND VIEWS :
… GLEEful : If you’re a fan of the Fox TV show, “Glee” (and who isn’t? – Gleeks unite!), you can catch the cast in the concert tour at the Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A. this week: May 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. Most of the cast members will appear, including Broadway star Lea Michele, who plays overzealous student performer Rachel Berry. But everyone’s favorite teachers – niceguy Will Schuester (Mathew Morrison) and meanie Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) are not scheduled to be in attendance. Tickets range from $35 to a whopping $390 for a VIP package that includes a pre-show party. Go for it! (866) 321-8499; www.gibsonamphitheatreticket.com
… Yes, he Cannes: Tijuana actor/film director Giancarlo Ruiz won a Patté Award for his stellar performance in “ Kiss of the Spider Woman” in 2004, and was the riveting center of The Theatre Inc.’s production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 2008. Now he’s indulging his filmmaking skills, with a 17-minute short, “St. Jacques,” which is being shown at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner this month. Ruiz’s 15th short film, in Spanish with English subtitles, is a love story on the theme of death. It’s a coup, of course, to be accepted at Cannes ; and even more triumphant since the film’s total production budget was $650.
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, The Whipping Man review, Matthew Lopez, Old Globe Theatre, Playwright-in-Residence, Fox TV, Glee, Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Will Schuester Sue Sylvester, Jane Lynch, Giancarlo Ruiz, Cannes Film Festival, Short Film, St. Jacques, Patté Award, Kiss of the Spider Woman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Gibson Amphitheatre, St. Jacques
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
• “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
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.
FOR THURSDAY, 5/20
THE PLAY: “King John ,” a rarely-seen Shakespeare history, presented by the fledgling Intrepid Shakespeare Company
You’ve probably never seen it. The last time “The Life and Death of King John” was produced in San Diego was more than 40 years ago, at the Old Globe (1968). In the Victorian era, “King John” was one of Shakespeare’s most frequently staged plays. But in the 20th century, it became one of the Bard’s least-known and least-produced works. It’s not exactly clear why.
The plot centers on the reign of King John of England (ruled 1199-1216,) son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine (immortalized in later, more popular plays: “The Lion in Winter” and “Becket”). The story concerns how political policy can be driven by family dynamics. The weak, power-mad, pathetically dependent King John relies too heavily on the opinions and advice of his mother and Richard Falconbridge, the bastard son of the prior king, John’s brother, Richard I (AKA Geoffrey Plantagenet or Richard the Lionheart ). The Bastard (as he’s referred to in the play) has a claim to the throne, as does Richard I’s younger son, Arthur. Arthur’s mother, Constance, has sought help and support from King Phillip of France . The Catholic Church also becomes involved in the battle for the crown. There’s a decidedly anti-papal tone to some of the speeches, which is interesting in light of the many current views of Shakespeare as a clandestine Catholic. Perhaps this play was written for political expedience. Well, that’s another historical treatise, for another day.
With “King John,” the third time’s a charm for the recently formed Intrepid Shakespeare Company. Preceded by “Macbeth” and “The Taming of the Shrew” this production is their strongest by far. The ensemble features several notable performances, particularly Tom Hall as the obsessive, paranoid King and Sean Cox as the more kingly Bastard, who in this telling, has both a nasty and a noble streak. He’s the play’s most likable character (not a vicious Bastard like Edmund in “King Lear”); he’s witty, saucy, cruel, blunt, crude and honest, perhaps to a fault. These are two stunning performances. Wendy Waddell is also excellent; she’s imperious and evil as the conniving Cardinal, and Eddie Yaroch is robust as the French King Phillip.
Co-directors Sean Cox and Christy Yael, co-founders of Intrepid, re-set the play in modern times, which underscores the power-mongering and back-room deal-making, the dysfunctional family dynamics and the importance of “commodity” in the political arena.
In Shakespeare’s fascinating, underrated play, it’s all about relationship. The audience’s loyalties, like those of the English subjects, are constantly shifting. The political becomes personal. Most memorable in the text are the searing duets — between John and Arthur, the Bastard and his brother, the two mothers, the Cardinal and the Dauphin, John and the Bastard; all heighten the intensity of the drama. Interestingly, Shakespeare never mentions King John’s true place in history: though he was demonized as the main villain in the Robin Hood tales, it was he who (coerced by his barons) granted and sealed the Magna Carta in 1215, which paved the way for the American Constitution.
It’s not only historical reality that makes this show worth seeing. There’s some wonderfully full-bodied language, and except for occasional excesses of speed and histrionics, it’s admirably handled by the large cast of 14, most of whom also appear in “The Taming of the Shrew” on alternate nights. The set design (Vince Sneedon ) is minimal but efficient, and the scene changes are handled with alacrity. The modern costumes (Beth Merriman) are effective. Most important, this is an exciting story, very well told.
THE LOCATION: Intrepid Theatre Company at The Theatre, Inc., 899 C St. , downtown San Diego . (760) 652-5011; www.intrepidshakespeare.com
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $10-$25. Runs in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday at 2 p.m. at 7 p.m., through June 6
Bottom Line: BEST BET
NOTE : Read review of Intrepid Theatre’s alternating play, “The Taming of the Shrew,” here: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-05-05/things-to-do/theater-things-to-do/goldas-balcony-plus-more-theater-reviews-news
NEWS AND VIEWS:
… Granted: Five local groups have been blessed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company snagged a $15,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant, which will support the fall production of David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face,” including Mo’olelo’s signature and impressive outreach and education activities. Lamb’s Players Theatre was awarded $10,000 for a joint program with Hispanic Arts Theatre, to address the dropout issue among Latino students. The Old Globe Theatre received $15,000 for its Student Access to the Arts program. Ten thousand dollars were given to UC San Diego to support the continued publication and distribution of the international academic journal, Theatre Forum. And the Playwrights Project earned an $18,000 Learning in Arts Award for an education program targeting under-served middle and high school students.
… Onstage Love: Lyric Opera San Diego is presenting the audience favorite, “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney, performed by two local acting treasures: Kandis Chappell (a highly respected stage veteran who most recently appeared in Cygnet Theatre’s production of “A Little Night Music”) and funnyman J. Sherwood Montgomery, Lyric Opera’s artistic director. The one-night-only performance of the heartrending epistolary play will be at 2:30 p.m. on June 6 at the Birch North Park Theatre. (619) 239-8836; birchnorthparktheatre.net
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, King John review, Shakespeare, Intrepid Shakespeare Company, Lyric Opera San Diego, Love Letters, A.R. Gurney, J. Sherwood Montgomery, Kandis Chappell, Lyric Opera Summer Academy, National Endowment for the Arts, Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, Old Globe, Lamb’s Players Theater, Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang, Hispanic Arts Theatre, Playwrights Project, UC San Diego, Theatre Forum, Learning in Arts Award
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “King John” – rarely seen Shakespeare history, very well done
Intrepid Theatre Company, in repertory with “The Taming of the Shrew,” through 6/6
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
Read review here: xxx
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.
FOR FRIDAY, 5/21
THE PLAY: “The Hot l Baltimore ,” a two-act slice of life, at Swedenborg Hall
The sign out front used to say ‘Hotel Baltimore,’ but like everything else in this seedy, rundown place, it needs fixing. Now it’s too late. The once-stately hotel, now pretty much a flophouse, is slated for demolition, and all its eccentric residents are being evicted. That’s about it for plot. Playwright Lanford Wilson, considered to be one of the founders of the Off Off Broadway theater movement, went on after this 1973 production to win a Pulitzer Prize (1980, “Talley’s Folly,” recently seen at North Coast Repertory Theatre). The premiere production of “The Hot l Baltimore” ran for more than 1600 performances, and garnered the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play of 1972–73, the John Gassner Playwriting Award, an Obie Award , and an Outer Critics Circle Award .
It’s just the kind of play long-time San Diego director/teacher DJ Sullivan adores: the large cast gives her the opportunity to mix veterans with newcomers (two of her 16 performers have never been onstage before). The results are spotty, which sort of works with the characters, who are a motley group, to be sure. The odd, idiosyncratic residents, widely disparate in age and ethnicity (though not so much here) include three hookers, an older woman who sees ghosts, a young man looking for his lost grandfather, a guy with anger management problems and a naïve, delusional lesbian, among others.
The performances are variable in quality, but the standouts are the three prostitutes: Jennie Olson as the wide-eyed, hyperverbal, train-obsessed young one; Devlin, very funny as the oldest, most jaded – and foul-mouthed; and Anne Sermon as the busiest prostitute, though she’s still naïve about the pimps who run her life. Her costumes (Sheila Rosen) are also the best; you gotta love that all-animal-print getup! Jo-Darlene Reardon is charming as the elderly, quietly resigned Millie; and Sandy Hotchkiss Gullans is a hoot as Mrs. Bellotti , who marches in and out repeatedly, talking to herself (since no one else will listen) about her poor alcoholic son, Horse, who’s been thrown out of the place and she’s left to move all his stuff with no assistance from her husband who just had a leg amputated due to diabetes, etc. etc. etc.
Everyone has a gripe and a story to tell, though most aren’t attended to. It’s sometimes hard to maintain audience attention, too. But the play is a paean to a time gone by, of elegant old hotels, of railroad travel, of a sense of community and family among the unwanted fringe-dwellers of society in a single room occupancy dwelling. It’s a slow-paced slice of life, a mix of human tragedy and comedy. The style itself is a tad outdated, but as a piece of history – both American and dramatic – you might find it amusing and/or enlightening.
THE LOCATION: The Sullivan Players, at Swedenborg Hall, 1531 Tyler Ave. , University Heights . (858) 274-1731; www.djsullivanplayers.com
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $xxx. Friday-Saturday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday 5/30 at 2 p.m., through June 30
NEWS AND VIEWS
… Adam Lambert Update: San Diegans won’t be a bit surprised. Our local darling, abfab performer Adam Lambert, last year’s runner up for the “American Idol” crown, has outsold the first-place Idol, Kris Allen in new album sales. Lambert’s has sold twice as well – 615,000 vs. Allen’s 296,000. Go, Adam!
… Cleaning House at the Rep: The San Diego Repertory Theatre is spiffing up for its 35th anniversary season – and the public is invited to help. Join staff and volunteers as they patch, paint and beautify the theater’s backstage areas for three days of Big Clean Up. Food will be provided, and if you work for at least four hours, you’ll get tickets to the REP’s new season. June 15-17, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., RSVP to secure a timeslot: 4artsandculture@gmail.com
… Remember Swifties ?: Do you remember the old word game derived from the intrepid young hero of juvenile literature? Here’s an example: “I know who turned off the lights,” Tom hinted darkly. Ohhhh , NOW you remember! Well, Tom Swift, the inventor and adventurer, is back, to celebrate his first appearance in 1910. The Tom Swift Centennial will be held at UC San Diego, with an exhibit of artwork, books and other Swift treasures in the Geisel Library. There will also be a few special events. At noon on June 14, there will be a live radio drama re-enactment of “Tom Swift and his Air Ship.” On July 16 at 4 p.m., it will be a live radio-drama re-enactment of “Tom Swift and the Visitor from Planet X.” Actors from the local oral reading company, Write Out Loud, will perform, along with Scott Paulson , musician/soundman extraordinaire, who’ll provide live music and old-school radio sound effects. Admission is free. Tom Swift scholar James Keeline will speak briefly at both events.
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, The Hot l Baltimore review, Lanford Wilson, Sullivan Players, Adam Lambert, American Idol, Kris Allen, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Tom Swift Centennial, UC San Diego, Scott Paulson , James Keeline , Write Out Loud
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
Read Review here: xxxx
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: xxxx
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.
FOR FRIDAY, 5/21
THE PLAY: “Inner Views: Asian American Voices”
What’s on the mind of Asian Americans? The San Diego Asian American Repertory wanted to know – in brief. So they held their first annual 10-minute new play showcase. Writers from all over the country submitted manuscripts, ranging in length from 5 to 15 minutes. Some were local, some not. A couple of submitters were high profile, nationally known: Velina Hasu Houston and Naomi Iizuka , head of the UCS D P laywriting MFA program. The ten selected plays were helmed by five local directors: Peter Cirino , George Yé , Andy Lowe, Gina Ma and Carolyn Henderson.
The concise evening is a mixed bag. All of the playlets present intriguing characters and situations, but not all are able to create a satisfying scenario in the short time allotted. Just as the drama (or comedy) picks up a little steam, it comes to an abrupt end.
The most captivating, stimulating and unpredictable play is the last of the evening; it’s Iizuka’s “This Girl I Used to Know,” ably directed by Andy Lowe. It’s filled with magic and mystery and myth. An upwardly mobile college freshman (Rosalie Celestial) wants the things her roommate ( Arohi Sharma) can magically provide, including a boyfriend (Brian Burke). Then she wants – and gets – the power to cast spells and grant wishes herself. But the sharing and taking get out of hand, and it doesn’t end well for the acquisitive Jai. A fascinating, quirky piece.
Also inventive is “Ballistic,” by local writer Thelma Virata de Castro. Centering on a carton of sports equipment, this play deals with “men and their balls,” in the literal and figurative sense. As directed by Peter James Cirino , Gina Ma is funny, sarcastic and thoroughly engaging in expounding her comical treatise. “I’m a Type A man,” she exclaims, “ trapped in a Filipino woman’s body.”
“ Urashima Taro,” Francesca Sanders’ absorbing piece about the Japanese internment during World War II, features engaging performances by Rosalie Celestial and the adorable, talented Shaun Tuazon .
Perhaps the most thematically provocative play, “Mister Los Angeles,” concerns the ‘Madame Butterfly’ syndrome of white men obsessed with Asian women, focusing on one creepy serial Asian dater (Clifford Wright) and his latest conquest (Judy Ho) who comes back to give him a giant piece of her mind.
The subjects range widely, from ruthless professional competition (“Ratings Magnet” by Kitty Felde ) to plagiarism (“Verbatim” by Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfar ), homosexuality (“The Visit” by Eric Loo and “The Bar Scene,” by Arian Chadwich Saund ), to the relationship of sex and food (“The Sensuous Gourmet and the Szechuan Peppercorn” by Lucy Wang).
It’s a stimulating kickoff to SD AART ’s Big Year: they’re the resident theater at the La Jolla Playhouse for 2010. Their next big production, staged at the Playhouse, will be Julia Cho’s “BFE,” coming at the end of the summer.
THE LOCATION: SD AART at the Apolliad Theatre, on the campus of Mesa College . (619) 388-2621; www.asianamericanrep.org
THE DETAILS: Tickets: $5-$10. Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., through 5/22
NEWS AND VIEWS
… Going Native: The La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego State University will once again host Native Voices at the Autry, the playwright’s retreat and Festival of New Plays. Native Voices at the Autry, celebrating its 10th anniversary season, is the only Equity theater company in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to producing new works by Native American playwrights performed by Native actors. The company, which spotlights the viewpoint of the more than 500 Native American nations in North America, was established as a resident company at the Autry National Center of the American West in L.A. Founder/producing artistic director Randy Reinholz (Choctaw) is the chair of the Theatre Department at SDSU. His wife and Native Voices co-founder is producing executive director Jean Bruce Scott . This year’s retreat at SDSU will culminate in public readings of three new works at the Playhouse, as well as a special evening performance of “Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light,” by Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The 2010 Festival of new Plays includes the contemporary L.A. tragedy, “Tombs of the Vanishing Indian,” by Marie Clements (Métis), directed by Mo’olele’s Seema Sueko; “On the Mangled Beam” by Dawn Jamieson (Cayuga), about the heroic efforts of Iroquois ironworkers in the aftermath of 9/11, directed by playwright Stephen Metcalfe; and “Time Immemorial,” by Jack Dalton ( Yup’ik ) and Allison Warden (Inupiaq), directed by Jere Hodgin . June 5-6 at the La Jolla Playhouse. Tickets and info at: (323) 667-2000; www.nativevoicesattheautry.org
… Taking Back the Tony: The overseers of the Tony Awards, a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, have just announced that they’re withdrawing the 2010 Tony nomination given to the costume design work for the Broadway revival of “Ragtime.” Apparently, the designs were considered to be predominantly the same as those used in the original 1998 production. Theater and film designer Santo Loquasto created the costumes for both productions; the determination was made after the May 4. Look for more on the 64th annual Tony Awards right here. The airdate is Sunday, June 13.
TAGS: Pat Launer, SDNN, San Diego theater, theater critic, ion theatre, Inner Views review, Asian American Repertory Theatre, Asian American Voices, Naomi Iizuka , Velina Hasu Houston, Native Voices at the Autry, Festival of New Plays, Seema Sueko, Stephen Metcalfe, Randy Reinholz , Autry National Center of the American West, Santo Loquasto , Tony Awards, Broadway League, American Theatre Wing
PAT’S PICKS: BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK
v “The Whipping Man” – searing Civil War drama, excellently performed
The Old Globe, through 6/13
Read Review here: xxxx
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: xxxx
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.