Category: Comedy

BROADWAY BOUND: Brighton Beach Revisited

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Virginia Repertory Theatre at Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Road, Hanover, VA 23069

Performances: March 15 – April 28, 2019

Ticket Prices: $44

Info: (804) 282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org

Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound, the third in his semi-autobiographical trilogy about Eugene Jerome and his family, is a heartwarming story that tackles real-life issues. In the hands of director Steve Perigard, who also directed the first part of this trilogy on this same stage in 2016, along with this talented cast – many of whom also appeared in Brighton Beach Memoirs, it is a masterful piece of storytelling. It is some years later, and the brothers are trying to break into comedy writing. They finally get their big break, and just as things begin to work out for them, things begin to fall apart for their parents.

Running about two hours and fifteen minutes, with one intermission, the story unfolds in a leisurely manner that allows the dialogue – and there is a lot of dialogue – to unfold in a natural manner; it almost feels as if we are reminiscing about family matters or listening in on our elders – which young Eugene and his grandfather, Ben, do frequently – who pretend they do not know we can hear them.

Tyler Stevens, who first caught my attention as an actor in Brighton Beach Memoirs, has returned in the role of Eugene, the younger son of the Jerome family of Brighton Beach*. He also narrates the story. If anything, he has grown stronger and brings even more to this character than before. Eugene’s thoughts on intimacy are mature beyond his years and strike a contrast with many of the indecisive comments he often makes when talking to his brother. CJ Bergin makes his Virginia Rep debut as older brother Stanley, and he ably captured Stanley’s enthusiasm as well as his moments of doubt, but he did not seem to wear his role as comfortably as Stevens. Perhaps because I held such fond memories of Stevens in the role of Eugene, this contrast was more palpable.

Jill Bari Steinberg stepped back into her role as the mother, Kate, like a favorite pair of house slippers. Her need to nurture and even her eccentricities are familiar. Jewish mother, Italian mother, Greek mother, black mother, universal mother – Kate is not a caricature, but a memory. One of the most touching scenes occurs when Kate reminisces with her son about her youth, her love of dancing, and how she finagled an opportunity to dance with 1930s and 40s film star and noted dancer, George Raft. Steinberg and Stevens dance together – mother and son – and time stands still. Eugene later narrates how awkward such an intimate moment with one’s mother can be and this, too, feels authentic.

One cannot mention memories without noting that Jeff Clevenger stepped into the role of Kate’s husband, Jack – a role that had previously been performed by the late Andrew C. Boothby, to whose memory this production has been dedicated. Clevenger managed to bring humanity and depth to Jack. Yes, Jack betrayed his wife and family, but he was also a loyal friend to his former lover, staying by her side through an unnamed terminal illness, and his sons loved him. Like real life, things are not just black and white.

The cast also included Ken Moretti, also making his Virginia Rep debut as Ben, Eugene’s grandfather and Kate’s father. Ben clings to the past, and his socialist beliefs, and while he is not demonstrative, he fiercely loves his daughter and grandsons. Moretti more than adequately reveals these qualities, often with his posture and actions rather than with words. Sara Collazo, another returning cast member, rounded out the cast – and the family – as Kate’s sister, Blanche, who married up the social ladder, much to the dismay of her father, Ben.

Terrie Powers’ multi-level set is divided into four separate spaces: the brothers’ bedrooms upstairs and a comfortably nondescript living room and dining room downstairs, with doors leading to the kitchen and the front entrance. The black metal mailbox on the door-frame and the mezuzah (prayer scroll) that Jeff touched – one of his few tender acts – on entering through the door could have been taken from my grandmother’s house in Brooklyn where I grew up. (No, we were not Jewish, but the previous owners of our house were.)

Lighting by R. Jonathan Shelley further defined the spaces, and Corbin White provided the sound design, which seemed a bit uneven on opening night. (There was one effect in act one that startled me; I wasn’t sure if it was a toilet flushing or the nearby train rumbling by.) Sue Griffin costumed the men in neatly creased trousers, dress shirts, and fedoras. Jack sported suspenders. Kate wore a uniform of modest, printed house dresses with coordinating sweaters and a pair of open toed casual wedges that looked identical to the ones my grandmother wore. And as a born Brooklynite, the Jerome family’s accents sounded nostalgically familiar.

Broadway Bound certainly addresses the brothers’ show biz dreams, even including a lengthy radio show excerpt, but the focus is on the people and their relationships and that is what makes this a fitting offering for the Acts of Faith theatre festival and a memorable drama you will think about long after the final bow.

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*For non-New Yorkers: Brighton Beach is a part of the Borough of Brooklyn, which is part of the City of New York. But for people in Brooklyn – as well as the other “outer” boroughs of Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx, going into Manhattan is called going to “the City.”

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: Aaron Sutten

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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: “People Who Do Not Complain Are Never Pitied”

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Quill Theatre

At: Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard, RVA 23220

Performances: March 8-24, 2019

Ticket Prices: $30 Adults; $25 VMFA Members & Seniors 65+; $20 Students (with ID)

Info: (804) 340-1405, quilltheatre.org or https://reservations.vmfa.museum/

The Quill production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, adapted for the stage by Christina Calvit, is quite possibly the most fun I’ve ever had at a Quill production. Running just over two hours, the show is a delightful comedic romp that follows the trials and tribulations of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett as they – well, mostly Mrs. Bennett – try to find husbands for their five unmarried daughters.

Calvit has limited the novel’s multiple subplots and kept the story fairly simple and easy to follow, as is the language, and director Christopher Owens keeps the cast moving at a fair pace that is upbeat and maintains the classic character and deportment. Jeremy Gershman’s Regency era choreography adds an element of cultural authenticity while keeping the cast literally moving along at bubbly pace.

Irene Kuykendall and Axle Burtness have the lead roles of Elizabeth, the Bennett’s smart, beautiful, and stubbornly independent second daughter, and Mr. Darcy, the tall, handsome, and arrogant stranger who steals her heart. In one of the early ballroom scenes, the two admirably kept their conversation going while dancing, without missing a syllable or a step. If you’re looking for well-roundedness or depth of character, I don’t think you’ll find it here, but that’s not necessarily a shortcoming – just an observation of the adaptation’s purpose and the director’s vision. The comedic pacing was fine, while the characters’ chemistry was not developed in a way that made their ultimate passion convincing.

Kuykendall and Burtness may have had the lead roles, but Melissa Johnston Price commanded several scenes, first as the openly gold-digging mother, Mrs. Bennett, and then as the demanding matriarchal patron, Lady Catherine Debourgh – the aunt of Mr. Darcy. If Kuykendall and Burtness did some fancy stepping on the dance floor, Price did some fancy quick changes from Mrs. Bennett’s matronly dress, that resembled nothing so much as wallpaper, to Lady Debourgh’s elaborately layered widow’s weeds and cane. Price sums up Mrs. Bennett’s character with one line: “People who do not complain are never pitied.” (For Lady Debourgh, one might paraphrase that to, “People who do not bully others are never feared,” but that carries much less panache.)

Joe Pabst, in the quadruple roles of Mr. Bennett, Sir William, Colonel Forster, and Fitzwilliam was also no slouch in the quick change department. I’m sure kudos are due to unnamed backstage assistants. Pabst seemed to enjoy his roles as much as the audience, but I found his delivery of my favorite line a bit too subtle. When Elizabeth declines the proposal of Mr. Collins, her father asks if she understands that “your mother will never see you again if you don’t marry him. . .and I will never see you again if you do.” Here, it might be helpful to know that she is the daughter who spends the most time with her father, apparently helping him with the family’s business.

We learn more about Elizabeth and Jane, the second eldest and eldest, respectively, and the headstrong youngest daughter, Lydia, but very little about the other two – Kitty and Mary.

Tradition dictates that the eldest, Jane, played by Maggie Quick, must marry first, but Lydia, played with great energy and enthusiasm by Annie McElroy, has no regard for tradition, and places the family name in jeopardy with her impetuous actions. Mary, who is traditionally described as the plainest in looks, is played by the lovely Allison Gilman, and Kitty, gets so little attention that the considerable comedic skills of Nicole Morris-Anastasi are sadly underutilized.

I also enjoyed Joel White’s portrayal of the obsequious cousin and heir, Mr. Collins, whose annoying speech quirk of adding “mmmmm” in the spaces between words while gesturing as if holding a large, invisible hat with a large feather are strangely endearing. As Mrs. Bennett’s brother-in-law, Mr. Gardiner, he is the picture of manners and gentility. And I must include a brief mention of Audrey Sparrow and Ethan Cross, two high students who played the role of servants – welcome to the company of Quill Theatre.

Reed West designed the set, which contains many architectural elements that rotate to create the various environments, with the support of lighting by Gregg Hillmar. Patricia Wesp designed the costumes, which I thought were much more elaborate and well-constructed for the men than for the women. While the daughters generally had dresses appropriate for the unmarried young women of a gentleman of little means, Mrs. Bennett’s shapeless dress was dangerously close to resembling a flannel nightgown. Several members of the Regency Society of Virginia attended Saturday’s performance wearing period attire that rivaled that of the actors onstage.

Pride and Prejudice is a delightful production of a classic love story that reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s become a classic for a reason: we recognize these people; it appeals to a wide range of ages; it crosses class; and it addresses real problems with humor. Pride and Prejudice has a run of only ten shows, so don’t hesitate if you like to see it.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: Photos not available at the time of publication.

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EVERY BRILLIANT THING: What Hope Is

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: HATTheatre, 1124 Westbriar Dr., RVA (Tuckahoe) 23238

Performances: March 1-15, 2019

Ticket Prices: $25 Adults; $20 Seniors; $15 Youth, Groups, Students & $12 with RVATA card; Reservations Required – No tickets at the door

Info: (804) 343-6364 or hattheatre.org

It’s hard to imagine a warm and engaging comedy about mental illness and suicide but that is exactly what the team of Vicky L. Scallion/Artistic Director, Chris Hester/Actor, and Frank Foster/Director and Scenic Designer have pulled off with Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing, now running in the far West End’s HATTheatre.

In short, the one-man play is about a man looking back over his life and telling the story of how he survived as the child of a mother whose first attempt at suicide occurred when he was a 7-year-old school boy waiting for his mom to pick him up from school. While Hester is the only professional actor on stage, the script calls for him to enlist the help of numerous audience members. Some read lines from a card when their number is called. For example, #1 Ice Cream. Others have actual roles and characters with coached or adlibbed lines. There is the veterinarian who is called to euthanize the family’s elderly dog, Paws McCartney, and Mrs. Patterson, who is a school counselor with a Snoopy sock puppet. There is his dad and his girlfriend Sam. Interestingly, Hester’s character, the main character, remains unnamed.

Every Brilliant Thing is one boy’s attempt to fight depression. By the time his mother gets out of the hospital, he had begun a list of things worth living for. Ice cream. Yellow. People falling down. Peeing in the ocean. Many of these things are so simple, and others are quite funny. But even though he keeps adding to the list, his mother doesn’t get better. The boy grows into a man, and fears, too, will succumb to the demons of depression. His father, unable to help, copes by retreating into his home office with his records. In an early poignant moment – and there are many – the boy stands outside the door of his father’s study waiting to see what type of music he will play. That will let him know whether to enter or head downstairs and fend for himself.

Every Brilliant Thing reminds us that it is natural for the children of suicidal parents to blame themselves. There have been many studies completed, and it has been determined that suicide is contagious. After a high-profile or celebrity suicide, suicide rates spike sharply. There is even a name for the phenomenon of copycat suicides: the Werther effect, which takes it name from Goethe’s novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther.

The audience interaction creates a distraction or diversion that balances the serious nature of the subject with unexpected interjections of humor. Foster has also created balance with his design elements. He has transformed Scallion’s tiny black box theater into a comfortable living room with a variety of chairs and sofas set on both ends of the room, including the area that is usually reserved as the stage, and small tables that hold conversational lamps, trivia cards, a chessboard. There’s even complimentary coffee and hot chocolate and warm chocolate chip cookies for the audience. Erin Barclay designed the lighting, which incorporates all the little lamps. Hester has the area between the two banks of seats, with occasional forays into the audience. At one point he breathlessly attempts to high-five every member of the audience. His sweaty brow and panting are genuine and endearing, as is the rest of his performance.

One of the best parts about Every Brilliant Thing is the sound design, by Scallion, based on the authors’ instructions. Music cues the young boy on whether to interact with his father. Music marks the family’s happy times – when they gather around a piano in their kitchen, of all places, and sing soul songs. There’s a record player and an album in a yellowed jacket that Hester plays at the end. And there is a soundscape that includes Ray Charles and Cab Calloway and other music appropriate to the time (which in this case begins in 1982 and covers several decades as the boy becomes a man).

Every Brilliant Thing will be different each time it is performed, as the new audience members bring new inflections to their lines. At Sunday’s Acts of Faith talkback, Hester revealed that he looks forward to relating to new audience member at each performance. He himself is no stranger to depression and mental illness in the family. When the audience was informally polled to see how many had been affected either personally or with mental illness in their families, every single person present raised a hand. Maybe the list couldn’t save this boy’s mother, but it seems to have saved him, and making lists and keeping journals are components of many self-help programs and therapies.

I recommend Every Brilliant Thing because it is an intriguing production. It will make you laugh, it may make you cry, as it did the young woman who played the role of Sam on Sunday afternoon. But more importantly, it provides a non-threatening opening to discuss these very real and very timely issues: depression; mental illness – or better yet, mental health; suicide. Every Brilliant Thing puts the audience to work and reminds us that there is always hope.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: photos uncredited at the time of publication

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An Act of God: Thou Shalt Laugh

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Richmond Triangle Players

At: The Robert B Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Avenue, RVA 23230

Performances: February 27 – March 23, 2019. (Opening Night – March 1)

Ticket Prices: $10-35

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

An Act of God is an irreverent comedy in which the One and Only God settles casually into a talk-show set to chat and rant about what’s wrong with the universe. The Richmond Triangle Players production marks the Richmond debut of David Javerbaum’s play, first produced in New York in 2015.

The all-female cast is headed up by Maggie Bavolack as God, supported by Kylie M.J. Clark as the Michael and Anne Michelle Forbes as Gabriel. Michael starts out helpfully fielding questions from the audience but becomes increasingly insolent, challenging God like a precocious child. This eventually brings on the wrath of God, causing Michael to lose a wing – which we later see bent and reattached with a generous application of duct tape. The more compliant and sweet-faced Gabriel is the keeper of the Guttenberg bible – which is housed in a guitar case – and dutifully reads verses as God updates The Ten Commandments. Both archangels are smartly dressed by Sheila Russ in white pant suits and glittery silver boots.

But this show mostly belongs to Bavolack who, despite a few opening night stumbles, smoothly navigated Javerbaum’s script, which started as a series of tweets and then became a book before manifesting as a play delivered in the form of a list. Director Jan Guarino must have given Bavolack free reign because her performance is an intriguing balance of warm and natural, sarcastic and funny, as she enumerates the new commandants. (A few old ones were kept because they were just that good.)

Bavolack wears a gold trimmed white caftan with fluffy white unicorn slippers – sort of the sartorial equivalent of the mullet (you know, business in the front, party in the back). Her hilarious delivery of the list is varied in style and tempo. God’s updates to The Ten Commandments range from the relatively mild (Thou shalt not tell me what to do) to the controversial (Thou shalt not tell others whom to fornicate). Some commands are delivered almost matter-of-factly while others require extensive anecdotes or take long detours.

Bavolack also interacts with the audience, calling out a pair of latecomers and directing other comments directly to those who occupied front row seats – make that the first two or three rows. Oh, and there is a runway that extends the stage into the aisle.

The script has adlibs built-in, allowing for a sprinkling of timely or local references. There’s a fleeting mention of our Commander in Chief and one particularly impressive local reference that Richmond has almost as many houses of worship as confederate monuments. (I wonder what an actor would insert here if performing in Brooklyn, or Philadelphia, or Miami…) There’s even a song at the end, “I Have Faith in You,” when quite suddenly things take a bit of a surprise turn, and the celestial trio takes pleasure in belting it out like rock stars.

Chris Raintree’s design, with its set of double steps (which did not succeed in suggesting a stairway to heaven, if that was the intention), a white sofa, a “poof” or ottoman, a coffee table, and a podium, looks like a celestial talk-show set. Bavolack’s eyes are projected onto the backdrop and emblazoned on the “merch” – a mug, tee-shirt, and magnet are among the show-themed items for sale at the bar. Michael Jarett’s lighting includes a few lightning strikes and there’s a bit of smoke as well.

I would not categorize An Act of God, which is, of course, a part of the Acts of Faith Theatre Festival, among my favorite scripts, but the performance delivered by Bavolack and company is a delightfully entertaining way to spend 75 minutes.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: John MacLellan

CYRANO DE BERGERAC: Unrequited Love

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 Jefferson Davis Highway, Colonial Heights, VA 23834

Performances: January 26 – March 2, 2019

Ticket Prices: $40 Theater only; $57 Dinner & Theater

Info: (804) 748-5203 or swiftcreekmill.com

Edmond Rostand wrote Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897 and many are familiar with this classic, either as a reading assignment in high school or from Steve Martin’s 1987 comedy named for Cyrano’s love interest, “Roxanne.” But it is another thing entirely to see Cyrano performed live onstage, and still be moved to laughter by the 17^th century poet’s flowery words and braggadocio and touched by the hero’s uncharacteristically humble acceptance of unrequited love. And yes, this is fiction, but it is based on a real person.

The current production onstage at Swift Creek Mill Theatre, adapted by Emily Frankel and directed by John Moon, is a delightful period comedic romp. Like every production at Swift Creek, it is one of artistic director Tom Width’s favorites. This one earns a special place of honor because, he writes in the program notes, it “confirm[s] the ability of this story’s themes to transcend time and place.” Cyrano, a talented poet, playwright, musician, and soldier, is in love with his beautiful cousin Roxane, but due to his unusually large nose, he lacks the confidence to approach her. Instead, he writes love letters to her on behalf of Christian, a fellow cadet whom he befriends at Roxane’s request.

The production is dedicated to the beloved Andy Boothby, who transitioned suddenly on November 26, and had been cast in the title role, which is now being filled by Matt Bloch. Even with the flamboyantly large prosthetic nose in place, Bloch isn’t ugly; in fact, he is so far from ugly that this casting decision requires good acting in collaboration with a suspension of belief by the audience. Looks aside, Bloch does a commendable job as Cyrano, a role that is both verbally and physically demanding. The final scene, in which he visits Roxane who has retired to a convent after Christian dies on the battlefield, is more touching than I expected. Thankfully, director Moon keeps it simple and brief.

David Janosik plays Christian, whose love for Roxanne is also unrequited, because she doesn’t know that the words that are winning her over are not his own, but those of her cousin Cyrano. I wanted to feel sorry for Christian, but it was difficult to balance this desire with rooting for Cyrano to overcome his insecurities about his looks and find true love.

The lovely Rachel Rose Gilmour is well cast as the fair Roxane. It was helpful to see the scene in which she deftly deflects her lecherous uncle, DeGuiche – a scene performed for the Acts of Faith Preview – in context. In her scene with the tongue-tied Christian she is abrupt and amusing.

Other strong characters include Walter C. A. Riddle as Cyrano’s second in command, Capt. LeBret and Jon Cobb as the play’s antagonist, DeGuiche. Debra wagoner provided some wonderfully comedic moments as Roxane’s Duenna, and her perpetual giggle was simultaneously girlish and naughty.

Frank Foster’s simply elegant design, consisting mostly of a soaring archway with moveable benches and posts, transformed, with the help of Joe Doran’s lights, from a theater to a pastry shop, a court yard, a battlefield, and finally the garden of a convent. Maura Lynch Cravey’s elaborate period costumes, which included lace collars and cuffs, capes, plumed hats, and long hair for the men, and the women’s extended skirts, were as flamboyant as Foster’s design was unassuming.

As for those enduring themes, there is pride versus humility, physical beauty versus inner beauty, integrity and deception, bravery and revenge, chivalry and love, and of course, there is sword-fighting!

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits:

Robyn O’Neill

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