What happens when you combine opera with an episode of Frasier?
You get a comedy of operatic proportions. You get Do Not Disturb, which will be presented by The Forgotten Opera Company in this year’s DC Fringe Festival.
Composer Sean Pflueger has never written a comedic opera until now. In fact, his first opera, Children of The Mist (based on Stephen King’s novella, The Mist) gave Fringe audiences a suspenseful and dramatic tale back in 2012. He’ll still have people on the edge of their seats, but this time around, it will be with fits of laughter.
In this slamming doors-style farce, Ethan Rosenblum, a junior attorney, calls out “sick” to propose to his girlfriend Emma at a romantic lakeside resort. Unfortunately, his boss, George Rosenburg, is meeting his mistress, the judge Virginia, at the same bed and breakfast. Meanwhile, Rosenburg’s wife has enlisted her niece to spy on his extramarital activities. The 90-minute opera combines compromising situations and mistaken identities, all thanks to a hotel employee that is too engrossed with his phone to bother getting anyone’s room number right.
Librettist Laura Wehrmeyer Fuentes knows that DC Fringe audiences will easily relate to the overworked lawyers – and their neglected partners. The DC area attracts driven professionals that often tip the work/life balance more toward work, just as Rosenblum and Rosenburg’s characters do.
Although Pflueger first had the idea to write Do Not Disturb more than 4 years ago, it took a while before he found a librettist. He and Fuentes first met in a production of Sousa’s Desiree put on by The Victorian Lyric Opera Company back in 2007. Fuentes had never written a libretto before, but she was more than willing to give it a go. Along with Michael Hock, who also worked with Pflueger and Fuentes to develop the story, an operatic version of a Frasier episode was born.
The Forgotten Opera Company (the alter-ego to the Victorian Lyric Opera Company for putting on contemporary operas) presents Do Not Disturb at the Atlas Performing Arts Center during the Fringe Festival. You’re guaranteed not to forget this opera, though.
PERFORMING AT: Atlas Center for the Performing Arts’ Sprenger Theatre-Atlas
1333 H Street, NE, in Washington, DC 20002
PERFORMANCE TIMES: Saturday, July 9 at 1:30 PM Wednesday, July 13th at 6:30 PM Sunday, July 17th at 9:00 PM Tuesday, July 19th at 6:30 PM Saturday, July 23rd at 7:45 PM
Long before singles misrepresented themselves in their Tinder profiles or cribbed others’ memes online, there was Cyrano de Bergerac— the man who would be Romeo, if not for that monstrous appendage.
You know the guy: Musketeer type, profuse poet, besotted of Roxane, big honkin’ nose. Comedian Steve Martin popularized him for mainstream America with 1987’s tender, tears-of-a-clown film Roxanne.
In whatever incarnation, the story is about a man gifted with rapier wit, heroic bravery and pure passion – beloved by all but unloved (at least in the way he craves) by any – cursed with celibacy — because of a fatal flaw. The work declares that nobody’s perfect and everybody’s insecure about some aspect of their being.
Boy, does it declare it. Edmond Rostand’s original play roars with melodramatic bluster, written in verse and reflecting the outsize ego of playwright, director, actor all rolled into one critic of society, the insightful Cyrano. As with Shakespearean dialogue, its cleverness is layered thick, making even the most enlightened audience member feel inadequate.
Greg Ongao (Cyrano) puts his best face forward.. Photo by Lauren Seibel/The Hoya.
But the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society’s production of Cyrano, a 2011 adaptation by Michael Hollinger and Aaron Posner, is refreshing in its magnanimity. Not only is it delivered in colloquial English, it’s infused with a rich hierarchy of humor – the jokes on the page compounded by a reservoir of winks and “thinks” from these smart college kids.
Because, after all, there’s a phallus on that guy’s face.
The character Cyrano is a showy, erudite French cadet secretly in love with his distant cousin, the virtuous Roxane and most eligible bachelorette in town — in fact, the only bona-fide woman onstage. But there’s a war going on, and men have their priorities: make war, not love. The character Roxane is often reduced to an object of desire; here, even the villainous commander of the troops, the Count de Guiche, intends to win her. But Roxane is taken with the “new guy,” Christian, a red-blooded meathead, which pierces Cyrano to the soul. Rather than wither in defeat, he rises to the challenge of puppet master and decides to use Christian as a vessel to woo her – ghost-writing epistles and coaching him on romance, while directing his own tragic love triangle.
Enter Greg Ongao (Cyrano), Taylor Rasmussen (Roxane) and James Callaway (De Guiche). They are a trio of actors who wow with technique.
Anticipation builds during an overwrought preamble before the audience gets a glimpse of Cyrano, but we are abundantly rewarded when Ongao plants himself onstage. Ugly?! Ongao is luminous and will take your breath away. The depth of his dagger eyes and patter of his elocution, synched with heartful pitter-patter, speaks volumes. And speaking volumes is exactly what he’s tasked to do – so many lines! But he performs with more gusto than the character is endowed, balancing Cyrano’s perfect insecurities with an infectious, and genuine, romanticism. (His balcony serenade in Act 2 is the height of bold and true.)
The proceedings only get better once we whiff the refined nectar of Rasmussen. This lady is no object. She is the full-bodied formula of what a woman should be: brainy, cocksure and captivating. I would classify her as the adult here. She’s a lusciously powerful performer. Funny. Firm. Flawless. Every nuance in tone, gesture and expression are delightfully on point.
Callaway also anchors the cast with his mature, memorable presence. A solicitous cat-and-mouse scene between him and Rasmussen is an evening highlight. He turns a haughty “heavy” de Guiche into a comic foil and then a sage with a spin of the prize wheel.
Ben Sullivan steals a few scenes as lady-in-waiting Desiree. Photo by Lauren Seibel/The Hoya.
The entire frat-pack cast displays great promise, notably Ben Sullivan, who multitasks as voluptuous nurse Desiree and utility jester, and Benjamin Lillian, commanding as Capt. Le Bret, BFF to Cyrano and in the thankless role of narrator. “Thankless” because who wouldn’t prefer at this stage of life to be the romantic lead or a caricature type that can be overplayed for laughs – yet Lillian’s natural thespian pedigree shines through with dignified cool.
It figures that the venue, Poulton Hall Stage III, sits a heartbeat from Georgetown University’s linguistics department and that this production was directed by linguistics major and graduating senior Nicholas Norberg. Every pun pops. Swordplay is but a sheath for the boisterous wordplay. “Insults to a nose” might get you snorting. And while some of the dialogue threatens to bore, Norberg enlivens the pulse with modern inflections and staging that utilize each corner of stage, so that a simple, cogent set design by Makayla Kessel seems to engage as a pinball machine. Joong Won Pyo’s lighting design also gets the job done and is a seamless accent to Molly O’Shea’s sound effects.
Taylor Rasmussen (Roxane) puts Jonathan Marrow (Christian) to the test. Photo by Lauren Seibel/The Hoya.
And I’d be remiss not mentioning nursing student Lura Auel, whose makeup work is the show’s crux. Of course, she’d have to be an expert in anatomy to get that nose just right. What is it about a nose and its metaphor as truth-teller? From Pinocchio to “I smell a rat” to “clear as the nose on your face” – even the deceit of a transformational nose job – this protuberance ferrets out wisdom. Could explain the lasting power of Cyrano: the hypocrisy of a poet purporting to be all head and heart when we all know passion drives poetry and that Man not only can’t keep “it” in his pants, “it’s” a telltale sign on his face. Talk about wearing one’s organ on one’s sleeve. Oh, dirty jokes abound between the lines of this youthful joust!
Interestingly, the legacy of Mask and Bauble is that of underground theater so rebellious that the first couple of stages were shut down (the troupe has now graduated to Stage III). Alumni include none other than John Wilkes Booth, Don Ameche, John Barrymore, Eileen Brennan and the recently departed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Knowing this upon entering the 70-seater-plus black box, I couldn’t help but relish the empty benches onstage. When on a dare a patron clambered onto one and had to be disciplined by Norberg, who was in the house and dressed to the hilt with first-time producer Annie Ludtke, I applauded their swift justice.
Because, ultimately, Cyrano is about the universal inner struggle between wanting attention and not wanting to be judged. That never-can-win contest between lust and love – Cyrano and Christian are two sides of the same human drive, like a Jekyll-Hyde coin toss. Which is the purest motive: that which is moral or primal? And why can’t we be it all and have it all? Or are we, in spite of ourselves, the “full package” and just can’t face it?
The upshot: This effervescent production — part Don Quixote, part Les Mis and running on eight testosterone-charged pistons — is a real humdinger. See it with someone you lust.
Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission.
Cyranoplaysthrough February. 27, 2016, at Poulton Hall Stage III, Georgetown University-1421 37th Street, NW (at the corner of P Street, next to UPS store), in Washington, DC. For tickets, call (202) 687-3838, or purchase themonline.
In Part 3 of a series of interviews with The Playwright, Director, and cast of Calendar Girls at McLean Community Players meet Liz Weber.
Liz Weber
Tell our readers where they may have seen you on local stages.
I last appeared in Rockville Little Theatre’s production of To Kill A Mockingbird and in a new musical play at Woolly Mammoth called Tangles, about Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, I played Grandma in Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of The Addams Family, and Desiree in Damascus Theatre’s production of A Little Night Music.
Tell us about the character you play and how you relate to her. Does she have any of your personality or character traits?
I play the part of Celia, who is the wife of a wealthy man who plays golf all the time. Even though she may be wealthy, she is actually very down to earth and real. She despises the fake, pretentiousness of the golf club women she is forced to hang out with in order to spend time with her husband. This is why she goes to the WI meetings, to be with “the real women” of Yorkshire. I can relate to her feelings about these golf club women – I’d much rather hang out with the WI girls too!
What has been the most fun playing this character?
I am having a great time being full of myself, and a bit over the top, but in a fun way. Celia is a bit full of herself, in a good natured way. She kids the other girls, but is down to earth at the same time and pokes fun at herself. She dresses very expensively and lets everyone know what designer she is wearing, and she is supposed to have a great figure and be well endowed. Those are not particularly my traits, but I am having fun pretending!!!
What have been some of the challenges you have had preparing for your role and how did your director help you with these challenges?
The British accent is a bit of an obstacle as it changes my natural vocal inflections. As I work with the accent, I am finding it actually helps with the character development and line reading. Also, Celia has a monologue in Act 2 where she reveals personal feelings to the WI girls, which is something Celia doesn’t normally do. Bob (director) is helping me find those nuances and changes and asking me how I feel about what I am revealing. He is allowing me to find those levels, which I really appreciate.
Which character in the show is most like you?
I think in some ways, I was pretty well cast as Celia. I may not have the physical attributes and the money, but we’re making it work (ha!). Bob and the producers did a great job casting this show.
What do you admire most about your fellow cast members?
First of all, the entire cast is really nice, really talented and lots of fun! Secondly, they are perfectly cast in their roles so they’re all having fun and hitting their marks already even though we are still early in the rehearsal process.
What do you want audiences to take with them after watching you perform in Calendar Girls?
I want the audience to laugh and cry with us. We are all, as our characters, learning something about ourselves during this play. I want the audience to leave the theatre feeling great and loving life.
If you were a Calendar Girl, what would your page look like, and which month would you be and why?
I would be July, my birth month. I love the beach so I would probably be walking along the water’s edge with a glass of wine right before dusk, my favorite time to be on the beach.
What is your favorite line that your character says? What is your favorite line that another character says?
I particularly like my line: “Get down to the WI, girls. Come and hang out with the real women of this county and learn a little debauchery before it’s too bloody late.”
Cora’s line: “Yo ho, sodding ho!” cracks me up! But this play is full of wonderful lines, happy and sad…there are so many.
Calendar Girls plays from September 18- October 3, 2015 at the McLean Community Players performing at McLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre – 1234 Ingleside Avenue, in McLean, VA. For more information, call (703) 304-3176, or visit theirwebsite. Tickets are available at the Alden Box Office, through OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111, or online.
LINKS Meet the Cast of McLean Community Players’ ‘Calendar Girl’: Part 1: Diane Sams.
Poignant. Sophisticated. Elevating. Witty. These are just some of the adjectives to describe Breast in Show, now appearing at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. First conceived in 2009 by Executive Producer Eileen Mitchard, it is a show designed to reach people far and wide, to educate and empower audiences about breast cancer and its “warriors.” A musical about breast cancer? Morbid? Absolutely not. It is a tasteful production that will move you and amuse you all at once.
Left to right (top row) Matt Dewberry, Chris Rudy (bottom row) Ayanna Hardy, Megan Westman, Jennie Lutz, and Gracie Jones. Photo by Betty Adler.
Mitchard astutely brings on Playwright Lisa Hayes and Composer and Lyricist Joan Cushing to write the book and to compose the score and they deliver a heartfelt and humorous and poignant book and score. Hayes and Cushing use the true stories of patients to craft the new story of five breast cancer patients and their loved ones.
Bringing the words and music to life are Director Kathryn Chase Bryer, Musical Director Deborah Jocobson (on keyboards with Dana Gardner on Reeds), Choreographer Ilona Kessel and their ideal cast. The director and her team make unique use of the intimate Arts Barn stage. Their staging and choreography is meticulous and genteel. I particularly enjoyed the choreography and movement in the opening number “Breast in Show,” where all cast members were moving together yet apart -each in their own realm, yet totally in sync.
Playing 16 different characters throughout the show, the ensemble of six veteran actors is superb. Megan Westman, as Nurse Desiree, is caring and cheerful, and always the eternal optimist. Jennie Lutz, as the grandmother is fun and bawdy, singing “I am in Love with My Oncologist.” Playing the male patient, something more common than most realize, is Chris Rudy. Rudy is sympathetic and entertaining, quipping along with his fellow patients, keeping their moods high. He is joined by Gracie Jones, Darren McDonnell and Ayanna Hardy in one of the most gripping songs of the evening, “Normal.”It’s a song about two couples and their desire to feel normal again after the surgery, and the delivery is stunningly beautiful, filled with gorgeous harmonies.
Ayanna Hardy plays the strong willed attorney, Wendy. The only ensemble member not wearing a shade of pink, she refuses to yield to her diagnosis. Her breakdown in the song “Pink” sent shivers up my spine. By the end of the show she has fully embraced her diagnosis and her fight, and the transformation of this “warrior” is joy to watch.
Gracie Jones ( Chelsea) sitting sings the song “A Nurse Named Desiree.” Megan Westman (Desiree) is standing. Photo by Betty Adler.
Darren McDonnell is touching as Wendy’s supportive and encouraging husband. His short monologues about his struggle caring for his wife are affecting and heartwarming. McDonnell then effortlessly transforms into the jovial Freddy, a friend of Nurse Desiree who helps to heal Breast Cancer patients by supplying glamorous wigs and prostheses . His rendition of “Freddy’s Prosthesis Emporium” is one of the scene stealing moments of the evening.
One of the most powerful performances of the evening comes from actress Gracie Jones. She plays multiple roles, but her portrayal of the young single mother Chelsea is remarkable. From her demure introduction to the group of cancer patients in the ‘Chemo Café,’ to the subtle interaction with her therapist regarding her “bad dreams” and her future is spot on. He heart-wrenching rendition of “A Nurse Named Desiree” is incredible – so real, so raw.
Breast in Show is a little gem waiting for you this month at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. Shows like Breast in Show do not come often, so don’t miss it.
Running time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.
Breast in Showplays through September 27, 2014 at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn -311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Tickets range from $20 to $25. For tickets and information call (301) 258-6394, or visit the Gaithersburg website, or purchase your tickets at the door.
Schedule of Performances: Friday, Sept. 12th at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13th at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14th at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19th at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20th at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21th at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26th at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27th at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27th at 8 p.m.
The Friday, September 19th 8 PM performance will be sign interpreted.
“At last. A show that has taken the Capital Fringe Festival 2014 theme to heart: Move Me.
Breast in Show, conceived and produced by Eileen Mitchard, is arguably the best titled and best marketed show in this season’s lineup. (Collecting Fringe buttons? Patrons get their own pink Breast in Show button to proudly pin to their chests.) It’s also likely the most aptly named, as it shall prove prophetic when it comes time to clinch the Best of Fringe.
A musical about cancer, you ask? Or as it’s billed: the musical that ‘puts humor in the tumor.’
When the six veteran thespians first hit their marks in various pink-splotched costumes to belt a brassy opener, you gotta wonder: To whom is this targeted? The Pink Ladies gang? Is this some twisted evolution of the candy-stripe crew come to cheer the sick with one-liners about a codified, institutionalized disease?
…“Every 69 seconds, someone dies of cancer.” In the race for the cure, there are 2.5 million victors of every stripe. The show speaks for each of them and to those yet undiagnosed, as well as those who love them. Turns out it’s a show for the masses — and not just the metastasized kind.
We appreciate the irony of how a fight for survival interrupts “life.” And discover a new definition for “the 1%.”
Then full onset of the drip, drip, drip. We submit to Director Kathryn Chase Bryer’s well-managed care through some difficult themes. One minute we’re laughing at a scene set in the Chemo Café, where nurse Desiree (Megan Westman) is serving prescription cocktails to patients dancing with IV poles (delightful choreography by Illona Kessell). The next, the audience is wiping eyes in unison and blubbering with nasal drip like a Greek chorus. Or filled with queasy suspense wondering who among them, and us, will beat the odds. Or railing with anger, along with the people onstage we’ve come to love: Wendy (Ayanna Hardy), a tough-as-nails lawyer whose lack of pink in her wardrobe at first belies denial; her husband (Matt Dewberry), who god-love-him is the first to push our visceral buttons; Chelsea (Gracie Jones), a 29-year-old for whom the disease runs in the family; a saucy, seasoned gal (Jennie Lutz) with the hots for her oncologist; the aforementioned dutiful nurse, who is also stricken; and a young father (Chris Rudy), who must endure the taunts of suffering a “lady’s cancer” not only from his buddies but from his daughter’s playground bullies.
All six impeccable actors play multiple roles. Suffice to say, they are top-flight talent ranging from New York stages to major local marquees (Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, KenCen). Pros all, who turn trenchant prose to poetry. It was Maya Angelou who said: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”
As channeled through Dewberry and Jones especially, playwright Lisa Hayes’ words will slay you. Jones simply works magic. Playing a 29-year-old mother of two who is stricken with breast cancer, Gracie Jones manages to flash all of life’s fragrance before our eyes. And that synesthesia reference (cross-linking of the senses — in this case, sight and smell) is intended. This is an actress whose work is like watching a flower burst open in time-lapse motion. She actually plays multiple roles in Breast in Show — a cancer patient, the wife of a cancer patient and someone who has lost a loved one to cancer. In each case, she recruits every muscle to tell a different story from a fresh perspective.
At the Chemo Cafe, while undergoing chemo treatment and struggling to stay warm under a blanket, Gracie Jones sings a torch song tribute to her nurse, Desiree: ‘A Nurse Named Desiree.” It is the show’s defining moment.
The way Gracie Jones walks, sits, flips her hair or tweaks her tone belies a polished actress who takes time to craft, from flesh and fiber, rich and resonating characters. She juggles a crone’s wisdom with a child’s rawness, because she can play old or young convincingly. Truly a breathtaking performance, and one that will connect with everyone in the audience, as if she’s speaking just to you.
Dewberry, who doubles as Freddy, the proprietor of Freddy’s Prosthetic Emporium, is also immensely gifted, from gut-wrenching drama to burlesque — and if you had any doubts that cancer is natural fodder for musical theater, imagine the joy of the wig and makeup folks whose calling it is to bring out the best in their subjects. So, too, with Freddy’s ebullient makeover dance.
And how refreshing to witness singers whose vocal powers can forgo those Britney Spears-esque lavalier mics. Their singing wells up from within — they sing because they can’t express themselves any other way. What’s beautiful is we get so wrapped up in it, we forget we’re being manipulated. And that, my friends, is theater.
Above all, hats off to composer/lyricist Joan Cushing. Along with Chase Bryer’s direction, I cannot summon enough praise for Cushing’s creations. There is Hardy’s sucker-punch soliloquy, “Pink,” in which she vomits (not literally) vitriol over her circumstance (“I feel shitty” is a great counterpoint to Sondheim’s lyrics in I Feel Pretty); the exploration of relationships in “Toxic People,” led by the sympathetic, kinetic Rudy; Jones’ climactic “A Nurse Named Desiree”; and the melancholic ensemble anthem, “Time.” (I’m improvising on titles.) Let’s put it this way: The percentage of Fringe shows surviving this first round of treatment is slim, but Breast in Show definitely has a positive prognosis.
Musical Director Deborah Jacobson handily supports the actors with piano accompaniment that bounces and bellows. On reeds and horns, Dana Gardner helps one imagine how this will sound fully orchestrated when it translates to larger stages. Oh, yes, this is merely Stage 2.
If I had any criticism it would be the set design: all that pink glitter and the three gigantic breast cancer awareness ribbon cutouts serving as costume racks seem like overkill; the show sparkles enough on its own. Perhaps the idea is to hit you over the head with it, the way the Big C pummels its prey. But Zac Gilbert’s lighting design helps tone it down, and Frank Labovitz’s costume palette (pinks, grays, blues and browns, and black-and-white for the central couple) is inspired in its coordination.
I welcome a second opinion, but mark my words, Breast in Show deserves 5 stars. It will move you. Time is running out. Get a move on.”
Running Time: 90 minutes.
Breast in Showplays tonight September 12, 2014 through September 27, 2014 at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn -311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Tickets range from $20 to $25. This show contains mature themes and is appropriate for those 13 and older. For tickets and information call (301) 258-6394, or visit the Gaithersburg website, or purchase your tickets at the door.
Left to right (top row) Matt Dewberry, Chris Rudy (bottom row) Ayanna Hardy, Megan Westman, Jennie Lutz, and Gracie Jones.
Schedule of Performances: Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
The Friday, September 19 performance will be sign interpreted.
At last. A show that has taken the Capital Fringe Festival 2014 theme to heart: Move Me.
Breast in Show, conceived and produced by Eileen Mitchard, is arguably the best titled and best marketed show in this season’s lineup. (Collecting Fringe buttons? Patrons get their own pink Breast in Show button to proudly pin to their chests.) It’s also likely the most aptly named, as it shall prove prophetic when it comes time to clinch the Best of Fringe.
A musical about cancer, you ask? Or as it’s billed: the musical that ‘puts humor in the tumor.’
When the six veteran thespians first hit their marks in various pink-splotched costumes to belt a brassy opener, you gotta wonder: To whom is this targeted? The Pink Ladies gang? Is this some twisted evolution of the candy-stripe crew come to cheer the sick with one-liners about a codified, institutionalized disease?
Granted, many breasts and breast forms had gathered on opening night; possibly 90% of the audience had a vested interest, even if they held things close to their vests.
It takes no time for the drugs to take effect, though. You’re all in as soon as what I’ll dub the “Blah Aria” begins (the program did not include a song list). This is pure-cut medicinal theater, where starkly drawn characters like cards in a deck get tossed at the audience who then must calculate the odds. “Every 69 seconds, someone dies of cancer.” In the race for the cure, there are 2.5 million victors of every stripe. The show speaks for each of them and to those yet undiagnosed, as well as those who love them. Turns out it’s a show for the masses — and not just the metastasized kind.
We appreciate the irony of how a fight for survival interrupts “life.” And discover a new definition for “the 1%.”
Then full onset of the drip, drip, drip. We submit to Director Kathryn Chase Bryer’s well-managed care through some difficult themes. One minute we’re laughing at a scene set in the Chemo Café, where nurse Desiree (Megan Westman) is serving prescription cocktails to patients dancing with IV poles (delightful choreography by Illona Kessell). The next, the audience is wiping eyes in unison and blubbering with nasal drip like a Greek chorus. Or filled with queasy suspense wondering who among them, and us, will beat the odds. Or railing with anger, along with the people onstage we’ve come to love: Wendy (Ayanna Hardy), a tough-as-nails lawyer whose lack of pink in her wardrobe at first belies denial; her husband (Matt Dewberry), who god-love-him is the first to push our visceral buttons; Chelsea (Gracie Jones), a 29-year-old for whom the disease runs in the family; a saucy, seasoned gal (Jennie Lutz) with the hots for her oncologist; the aforementioned dutiful nurse, who is also stricken; and a young father (Chris Rudy), who must endure the taunts of suffering a “lady’s cancer” not only from his buddies but from his daughter’s playground bullies.
All six impeccable actors play multiple roles. Suffice to say, they are top-flight talent ranging from New York stages to major local marquees (Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, KenCen). Pros all, who turn trenchant prose to poetry. It was Maya Angelou who said: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”
As channeled through Dewberry and Jones especially, playwright Lisa Hayes’ words will slay you. Jones simply works magic. Playing a 29-year-old mother of two who is stricken with breast cancer, Gracie Jones manages to flash all of life’s fragrance before our eyes. And that synesthesia reference (cross-linking of the senses — in this case, sight and smell) is intended. This is an actress whose work is like watching a flower burst open in time-lapse motion. She actually plays multiple roles in Breast in Show — a cancer patient, the wife of a cancer patient and someone who has lost a loved one to cancer. In each case, she recruits every muscle to tell a different story from a fresh perspective.
At the Chemo Cafe, while undergoing chemo treatment and struggling to stay warm under a blanket, Gracie Jones sings a torch song tribute to her nurse, Desiree: ‘A Nurse Named Desiree.” It is the show’s defining moment.
The way Gracie Jones walks, sits, flips her hair or tweaks her tone belies a polished actress who takes time to craft, from flesh and fiber, rich and resonating characters. She juggles a crone’s wisdom with a child’s rawness, because she can play old or young convincingly. Truly a breathtaking performance, and one that will connect with everyone in the audience, as if she’s speaking just to you.
Dewberry, who doubles as Freddy, the proprietor of Freddy’s Prosthetic Emporium, is also immensely gifted, from gut-wrenching drama to burlesque — and if you had any doubts that cancer is natural fodder for musical theater, imagine the joy of the wig and makeup folks whose calling it is to bring out the best in their subjects. So, too, with Freddy’s ebullient makeover dance.
And how refreshing to witness singers whose vocal powers can forgo those Britney Spears-esque lavalier mics. Their singing wells up from within — they sing because they can’t express themselves any other way. What’s beautiful is we get so wrapped up in it, we forget we’re being manipulated. And that, my friends, is theater.
Above all, hats off to composer/lyricist Joan Cushing. Along with Chase Bryer’s direction, I cannot summon enough praise for Cushing’s creations. There is Hardy’s sucker-punch soliloquy, “Pink,” in which she vomits (not literally) vitriol over her circumstance (“I feel shitty” is a great counterpoint to Sondheim’s lyrics in I Feel Pretty); the exploration of relationships in “Toxic People,” led by the sympathetic, kinetic Rudy; Jones’ climactic “A Nurse Named Desiree”; and the melancholic ensemble anthem, “Time.” (I’m improvising on titles.) Let’s put it this way: The percentage of Fringe shows surviving this first round of treatment is slim, but Breast in Show definitely has a positive prognosis.
Musical Director Deborah Jacobson handily supports the actors with piano accompaniment that bounces and bellows. On reeds and horns, Dana Gardner helps one imagine how this will sound fully orchestrated when it translates to larger stages. Oh, yes, this is merely Stage 2.
If I had any criticism it would be the set design: all that pink glitter and the three gigantic breast cancer awareness ribbon cutouts serving as costume racks seem like overkill; the show sparkles enough on its own. Perhaps the idea is to hit you over the head with it, the way the Big C pummels its prey. But Zac Gilbert’s lighting design helps tone it down, and Frank Labovitz’s costume palette (pinks, grays, blues and browns, and black-and-white for the central couple) is inspired in its coordination.
Some of Chris Baine’s sound effects are funny, perhaps not as intended, and there’s some questionable product placement: Coca-Cola is allegedly a big supporter of the cause, although BPAs in its cans have been linked to, yes, cancer, not to mention its link to a host of other American-prone conditions. Applause for Properties Designer Daniel Mori for NOT using a Mac as the laptop prop — lately, that icon seems to carry its own baggage.
Another nit: Although Lutz performed it riotously, the song “My Oncologist” echoes too clearly “Who’s Crazy/My Pharmacologist and I” from the Tony-winning Next to Normal. Still, the lyrics are clever: “He’s aggressive with my disease … impressive with all those degrees … I love the way he treats me.” Then there’s that song “Normal.” Hmmm. Perhaps it serves as a tribute.
I welcome a second opinion, but mark my words, Breast in Show deserves 5 stars. It will move you. Time is running out. Get a move on.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Breast in Show plays through July 27, 2014 at Mountain – at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001. For information and to purchase tickets, visit the production’s Capital Fringe page.
LINKS
Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 1: Gracie Jones.
Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 2: Jennie Lutz.
In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of Breast in Show, meet Matt Dewberry
How did you get involved in the show?
Matt Dewberry.
Matt: I had worked with Kate Bryer previously at Imagination Stage (most recently last summer when she directed me in Peter and Wendy).I got a call from her earlier this summer asking if I might be interested in working on the show with her for Fringe. I’ve always enjoyed our collaborations and knew this one would be a lot of fun. It sounded like an exciting show about an important topic, not to mention I’d get to work with some very talented artists, so I jumped at the chance.
Why did you want to get involved in the show?
As I mentioned before, I’d worked with Kate previously and had a great time, so I was excited for the opportunity to play again. I’d also just done a show at Adventure Theatre written by Joan Cushing (Miss Nelson is Missing). Her music is so much fun to sing and I had a blast working on that production so I knew that this one wouldn’t disappoint either. Then I found out who the rest of the cast and creative team were and who could turn down the opportunity to work with such an amazingly talented group of people. All of those things, combined with the fact that the show is so incredibly beautiful and well written made it a no brainer. The topic of breast cancer is one that affects each and every one of us and to be able to discuss the subject so candidly and do it with such humor and insight was thrilling to me. I think it is an important show that people will really respond to, and I’m honored to be a part of that.
Introduce us to your character and how you relate to him.
Because of the way that the show is structured, we all play several different characters. My two main characters are Tim and Freddy, and they couldn’t be more different, which makes it a blast. Tim is Wendy’s husband. Wendy is a hot shot lawyer working endless hours to become partner at her firm and who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a devastating blow to their relationship and the two spend the show finding ways to support each other and to do whatever they have to do to get their lives back to a state of normal.
Wendy has always been the strong one, so Tim has to find the strength to step up and be the husband and father that his family needs during this trying time. Freddie is the long time best friend of Desiree, the nurse at the Chemo Café. He is the flamboyant, over the top proprietor of Freddy’s Prosthesis Emporium, a specialty wig shop for patients in the middle of their battle with cancer. He has a heart as big as his wig collection and is always willing to go over and above to make sure his clients feel comfortable and at ease in their new wigs, or “cranial prosthesis” as he calls them. A one man traveling show, things are never dull when Freddy is in the room.
Why is this show so important to you? And why should local theatres come and see and support the show?
Like almost everyone, I’ve been personally touched by breast cancer. My grandmother went through two separate battles with the disease and came out victorious both times. I’ve also had an aunt, a best friend’s mother, and other close family friends who have had to go through treatment, some having more success than others. It’s a topic that we all have some connection to and that we think we know a lot about, which isn’t necessarily the case. Being able to tell the stories of these courageous people on the stage through music with such candor and humor was really exciting for me. I think it is a show that everyone should see because it brings to light the amazing stories of these breast cancer warriors, it gives us an up close look at how this disease affects each and every one of us, it educates us on the disease itself, and, most importantly, it leaves us with its incredible message of hope
What is the most moving scene for you in the show and why?
There are a many beautiful moments throughout the course of the play, but there are a couple that really stick with me after every rehearsal. The first one is a song called “Normal” in which two of the couples, Wendy/Tim and Donna/Pete, discuss how their lives have been affected by the cancer, how they’ve changed so drastically, and how all they want in the world is for the chance to get their lives back to a place where everything is normal.The song is heartbreakingly beautiful and accurately depicts that very real struggle that these couples are going through in this literal fight for their lives. The other moment in the show that gets me every time is a song called “Desiree.” It occurs late in the show during a chemo treatment with one of our main patients, Chelsea. She sings a song about Desiree, her nurse who has become one of her best friends over the years and who is always there for her, no matter what. It is a very simple song, but the moment is beautiful and haunting, and I love listening to Gracie sing it.
What are your big songs in the show and what do we learn about your character when you are singing the song/songs.
I have 3 big songs in the show. My favorite is “Freddie’s Prosthesis Emporium.” It comes later in the show when my character Freddie comes for a visit to the Chemo Café with the goal of finding a wig for Wendy. She is resistant to having to admit that she needs my help, so with a little song and dance, and some gentle urging from the other patients in the café, I convince Wendy to try on a wig and make herself feel better. The number is a lot of fun and we get to see the lighter side of these characters for a few minutes.
Another one of my songs is “Normal.” It occurs near the top of the show and gives us a look into the lives of two of the couples in the show and the strain that living with breast cancer has put on their marriage. It’s a beautiful quartet where we get to see that each of these characters is really angry and searching for answers but that we all realize that we are lucky to have our partners to lean on through the difficult times, and that our love for each other is ultimately what’s going to pull us through this.
One of my last songs is called “Blah Blah Blah.” I don’t want to give to much away, but it’s a pretty hysterical operatic patter song sung by three doctors. I have a lot of fun with that one.
The cast of ‘Breast in Shows’: Left to right: Ayanna Hardy, Megan Westman, Jennie Lutz, Gracie Jones, and Chris Rudy. Not Pictured: Matt Dewberry.
What do you want theatregoers to take with them after seeing Breast in Show?
I think the biggest thing that I’d want an audience to take away with them after seeing Breast in Show is a feeling of hope. Breast cancer is a terrifying, horrible, traumatic, physically and emotionally taxing experience that no one should have to deal with. But the reality is that unfortunately, most of us will be affected by it in one way or another in our lives. Our playwright and our producer both told us that all of the people that they interviewed when they were creating Breast in Show emphasized the importance of being able to have a sense of humor and laugh, to not get too bogged down in all of the bad that you couldn’t see the good. I think that Breast in Show does a beautiful job of being truthful to the struggle that patients go through while not forgetting the hope and the humor that give them strength to wake up every day and keep fighting. I hope it is that feeling that audiences will hold on to as they leave the theatre.
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Mountain – at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church 900 Massachusetts Av., NW, Washington DC 20001 (9th and Massachusetts)
Metro: Mt. Vernon Sq./Convention Center ( yellow and green lines) We are cool! We have air-conditioning!
A weekend in the country is exactly what you’re in for if you head up to the Damascus Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn this month. The Sondheim classic is being revised to have a more modern feel with D. Scott Richards and Musical Director Keith Tittermary at the helm. Will the romantic entanglements of the well-known period musical still shine through, well the only way to find out is to go and see it for yourself.
Bill Brown and Dru Harwood as members of the quintet, Mr. Lindquist and Mrs. Nordstrom. Photo by Elli Swink.
Having no set or costume design to speak of, except for Bill Brown’s ingenious use of the accordion chair, the play depends solely on the actors’ abilities to sing, dance, and tell the story of these characters. Brown’s brilliant notion of having a single piece of multi-purpose furniture (and it truly is one of the most incredible pieces of furniture I think I’ve ever seen on or off the stage) really allows for a myriad of scenes to unfold in this otherwise minimalist setup.
Musical Director Keith Tittermary does a relatively impressive job working the complex rhythms and intricately woven convoluted harmonies that are an elemental signature in any Sondheim musical into this production in a successful fashion. Tittermary’s biggest success in the show is the quintet: the show’s five strongest vocalists coming together in rousing harmonies that really showcase the depths of emotion in just the score alone in this Sondheim piece. There are other moments, though sparing, throughout the production where the harmonies are not as clear and do not work as well, but overall Tittermary achieves a great deal of success with this difficult musical.
Director D. Scott Richards’ approach to modernizing the musical is ineffective. Stating that the musical is no longer relatable to modern audiences in his director’s note, Richards’ concept of bringing the modern audience a step closer to these characters, and their lives, is incomplete. While the actors are no longer wearing the period piece costumes there is a lack of general theme or cohesive idea to tie their modern look together. The setting falls to the wayside with characters still keeping all their original titles, mannerisms, and speech patterns, and what gets left behind is a group of performers outfitted somewhere from the late 90’s to the present day with nothing solid in the minimalist/modern design choices to bring them together.
Richards’ use of the quintet—while they are vocally superb and incredibly emotionally connected to the music that they sing—is also confusing and creates a layer of separation that pushes the audience further away from these characters. It feels like Richards’ is creating a secondary play within a play; having the members of the quintet guide the main play characters into place, and tap them out of freeze frame once a scene is finished. His purpose in doing this is unclear, and as an overall framework to the show it detracts from the quintet’s main purpose of being a ‘guiding chorus’ of sorts.
The quintet, despite their misdirection, have the best voices in the production and delivered every number they sang flawlessly. Consisting of Bill Brown, Cheryl J. Campo, Daniel Fleming, Dru Harwood, and Sarah Sylvia Johnson, their voices are lyrical perfection that carries these Sondheim songs as if they were written for them. Both “Night Waltz I” and “Night Waltz II” are perfect examples of their ability to create vocal beauty while infusing passionate emotion into the song. Brown and Harwood are often featured in duet snippets of the quintet’s number, having a subtle but lovely chemistry between them, especially during “Remember?” and both of their voices are sensational; ringing out as solid and vivacious sounds throughout the production.
While many of the principle players in the production were not strong singers, the acting was executed with style; emotions were packed into each delivery and this carried the musical forward with a great deal of excitement. The Count (Rich Shegogue) and his Countess (Jenni McGinnis) were two stunning performers that really crafted sharply focused characters in this show. McGinnis, though giving a convincing rendition of “Every Day a Little Death,” should be commended for her sassy and sarcastic delivery as Countess Charlotte. The zingers and sharply witted humors zipped out of her mouth with flare. Shegogue gives an equally impressive and thoroughly developed character with his rendition of the jealous count.
Really crafting a character that put the audience on edge was Alexa Soriano, playing the ingénue Anne. Constantly in hysterics, be they of elation or of dreadful woe, every move Soriano made, every breath she drew was played to the peak of melodramatic. While at times this approach bordered on unbearably obnoxious, it was perfect for the way the character is written into the show, and was an effective choice, as well as one that was delivered with total commitment.
Petra (Kristina Friedgen) gives the best well-rounded performance in the production. A vocal knockout for her number “The Miller’s Son,” she has a fierce command of her vocal range, presenting an enigmatic yet majestic sound that begins subdued and jaded in jazz, rolling quickly into a blast of something exhilarating. Her saucy and salacious approach to the character makes her wild and fantastic to watch. Friedgen easily delivers the most compelling number in the show with this solo and is sensational as an actress.
The most moving number of the performance comes from Desiree (Liz Weber). Her rendition of “Send in the Clowns” sheds the unabashed flare and zest that her character has shrouded herself in up until this point, revealing a vulnerable and delicate woman filled with love, longing, and a life of disappointment. Weber creates such a dynamic versatility between this point in the show and where her character has previously come from that there is no better word for it than stunning. With a keen grip on how to imbue moments of humor into her character’s existence, and how to properly balance experience with interest, and sensuality with tenderness, Weber delivers a rendition of this character that would make Sondheim proud.
(l to r) Desiree (Liz Weber), Madame Armfelt (Rachel, Hickson), Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Rich Shegogue), Fredrik (David Fialkoff), Anne (Alexa Soriano), and Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Jenni McGinnis). Photo by Elli Swink.
There are several good reasons to enjoy this production even if conceptually it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Damascus Theatre Company will open your eyes, and give you a new way to look at Sondheim, giving you the opportunity to discover some of the subtler nuances built into this show.
Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission.
A Little Night Musicplays through February 23, 2014 at Damascus Theatre Company at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
Love in Afghanistan, Charles Randolph-Wright’s exquisitely woven four person drama currently playing in Arena Stage’s Kogod Cradle, centers around two families: Duke (Khris Davis) and his mother Desiree (Dawn Ursula), and Roya (Melis Aker), and her father Sayeed (Joseph Kamal). Duke is an American rapper, performing for the troops at Bagram Air Force Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Roya is the interpreter assigned to him for the duration of his stay.
(L to R) Khris Davis (Duke) and Melis Aker (Roya). Photo by Teresa Wood.
Randolph-Wright begins and ends the play with an awkward, forward (on Duke’s part), and ultimately human conversation between Duke and Roya, in which Roya answers all of Duke’s questions with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ The simplicity in this conversation is exquisite, and calls to mention whether or not you can disregard events that transpire in a friendship/relationship and truly start over with someone you have come to know, in a certain light. The play also questions how well we know ourselves, and the effect that has on the persona we let others see. Roya discusses her adolescence under the “bacha posh” tradition, in which a daughter is disguised and lives as a boy until puberty, giving the child a life she would not have had otherwise and allowing the family to overcome the pity they would have faced for not having any male children. Duke and his mother, Desiree, briefly discuss his career as a hip-hop artist and how that influences the persona he puts out in public, versus who he really is without the fame. This play, while specific in setting, dialects, and plot points, is wonderfully universal in theme and characterization.
The performances in this play are truly breathtaking, and while there is a slight undertone of melodrama to the plot of the story as a whole, the performances are organic and even out the tone. Khris Davis’ Duke is wonderful, with his bravado and his pathos equally skillful, and used at perfect moments throughout the play. Melis Aker’s Roya truthfully flawed, guarded, and wrapped up in a web of events that could blow up in any number of directions at any moment. The strength of her performance is in her ability to keep these various worlds spinning while not knocking into each other and exposing weakness. The moments in which she is caught off guard by Davis’ Duke are the most brilliant, and allow both actors to shine and elevate each other’s performances. At times, I felt voyeuristic as an audience member viewing a couple of their scenes together, for fear that I was intruding on an all too personal moment.
The supporting players in this play, if you can even call them that, provide honesty and levity at the same time, which is a credit to their performances that they are able to provide both. Dawn Ursula’s Desiree is pointed, strong, and an in control mother of a son who doesn’t always think with his head. Ursula’s performance is beautifully colored, with strength of self throughout and moments of brevity and humor that punctuate the scene and the pace of the play beautifully. Joseph Kamal’s Sayeed is careful, calculated, and traditional. He holds strong in traditional beliefs, which sometimes conflicts with his views of his daughter’s life, decisions, etc. The torn nature of the character and how Kamal adeptly plays this aspect of the character, make his performance a stand out. Ursula and Kamal have dynamite chemistry with each other, as well, and watching that chemistry play itself out is all too bittersweet.
Lucie Tiberghien’s direction is extraordinary, and provides such a calculated ride for the audience. The sharp punctuation of select moments in the play, especially when a new emotion is brought about for a character or characters, allows the audience to brace for that emotional pivot and see it through with ease, but still think about that shift, question it, and digest it. Tiberghien refines Randolph-Wright’s tone of the piece, and allows just enough melodrama in to draw the audience in, but not too much to take you out of the organic nature of the human interactions.
Daniel Conway’s scenic design is absolutely stunning and visually exciting, without being over-the- top. The use of the elevated grate around the main playing space is wonderful, and provides a devoid of emotion element that is so present in stereotypical interrogation scenes. Mark Lanks’ lighting focuses the piece, provides warmth in moments that require that, and allows for that interrogation lamp feel for added effect. Elisheba Ittoop’s original music and sound design is stellar, and really charts the emotional arc of the piece, engaging the audience from the minute they enter the theatre, through all of the scene changes, and through to the end of the piece.
(L to R) Joseph Kamal (Sayeed), Melis Aker (Roya), Dawn Ursula (Desiree), and Khris Davis (Duke). Photo by Teresa Wood.
Charles Randolph-Wright’s Love in Afghanistan is a fascinating look into human connection and sense of self, in a much talked about locale, with a twisting and turning plot that will excite and arouse your thoughts during, and long after, the performance.
Full of colorful performances by a virtuosic four-actor ensemble, Love in Afghanistan is a ‘Must-See.’
Running Time: Two hours, with a fifteen minute intermission.
Illustration by Edel Rodriquez.
Love in Afghanistanplays through November 17, 2013 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater – 1101 6th Street. SW, in Washington, DC. For tickets, call the box office (202) 488-3300, or purchase them online.
There are some performances that you just never forget and Anne Kanengeiser’s performance as Fosca in Signature Theatre’s Passion in 1996 is one I will always remember and cherish, so I was thrilled when Anne was coming to town to appear in No Rules Theatre Company’s The Personal(s), because I had my chance to catch up with Anne on her career and preparing to play the role of Janna.
Joel: How did you get involved with The Personal(s) at No Rules Theatre Company, and why did you want to appear in the production?
Anne Kanengeiser.
Anne: I actually got called in to audition by Casting Director Judy Bowman, who had cast me in Passion at Signature Theatre. I read the script, was inspired and then read about No Rules Theatre Company, Brian Sutow, and Josh Hecht, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this journey.
Why did you want to play the role of Janna and how do you relate to her? What personal experiences did you bring to the role and how did these experiences help you shape your performance?
I connected and empathized with Janna’s journey. Although many of our life experiences are different I do feel there is a depth of pain, humor, desire for life and longing for true connection that I share. I often find that I learn a great deal about myself as the women I play ‘reveal themselves.’ They are teachers for me. I also find that as I learn more about Janna my capacity for going to very deep and risky places is increasing and my capacity for compassion for her and myself grows exponentially.
Michael Kramer plays your husband Don in the play. Tell us about Don. What does Janna admire about him and how would you describe their marriage?
Don is a retired magician/comedian who is desperately trying to ‘re-find’ his marriage after the death of their daughter. He is charming, vital, smart and witty but only knows how to communicate through his charm and humor. I think Janna fell in love with all of these attributes and especially his ‘joie de vivre’ (joy of life). She still loves her husband deeply, however she needs a deeper connection around their tragedy that, to date, Don has not been able to provide.
What do you like most about working with Michael and how would you describe his performance?
Besides the fact that, like Don, he is charming, funny and very intelligent, as an actor, Michael is passionate about fully investing everything he has into the work and finding the truth. It’s been a tremendous learning experience to watch and share the work with him. Because both of us must go to some very intimate and very emotional places within ourselves, what I’ve appreciated the most about Michael is that I always feel safe and supported to go to those places, to do the most thorough work I can do. I feel that I’m doing the best work I can because working with Michael demands it. I know that his performance will be specific, poignant, funny and heartbreaking.
Don (Michael Kramer) and Janna (Anne Kanengeiser). Photo by C. Stanley Photography.
Spencer Trinwith also appears in the show. Introduce us to his character.
Spencer plays Henry, the bartender and Don’s employee. This was a role that Brian created and expanded for the play. He’s sweet, wise beyond his years having lost his father and imparts his specific wisdom to both Don and Janna. Because Don and Janna have such difficulty in really expressing their needs to one another, they can safely communicate to Henry their longings and fears. I love what Spencer has found with this character. He’s simple, honest, and endearing and is committed to finding the truth of his story.
How do ‘Blind Dates’ play an important role in this play?
Don and Janna attempt to reconnect after 12 years of estrangement, through a personal ad (‘Blind Date’) that Don places in the paper. It is an exact duplicate of the one he placed when he and Janna first met. The play becomes a series of personal ads that each of them place to hopefully rekindle the marriage they had before their tragedy.
Have you ever been on a blind date, and what happened?
I have only been on one blind date many years ago and it was less than stellar. I went out with a friend’s very cute brother. He was nice but rather like a Doberman puppy … all paws. Not my idea of a stimulating evening. I like a lot between the ears and that’s NOT what was on his mind.
Have you seen the two films – both called ‘Blind Date’ – one by Stanley Tucci and the second by Theo Van Gogh – that inspired Brian Sutow’s new stage version? How is your character in this stage version similar and or different from the film versions?
I did watch Stanley Tucci’s film with Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. I found the performances very subtle and intimate. I could hardly breathe as it progressed. Brian’s piece is a bold departure from the movie in that theatre demands that it be more expressive and bigger in movement. The relationships are at times disturbingly internal. The play has the potential to sweep you up and take you with it. My Janna is more extroverted or heightened than the film counterpart and yet the undercurrent is as deep and subtle. My energy must fill even a smaller house like The Ark whereas in film, you have a camera on the smallest blink of an eye. We have one very cinematic scene where we’re dancing and it’s very intimate but our physical and vocal energy still has to carry to the back row. It’s a fine balance to maintain the tension and internal conflict going on in each of us and yet communicating to 100 or more people. However, unlike film, we have the joy of communicating to living breathing people that are only feet away from us. That’s exciting.
Have you worked with Director Josh Hecht before? How would you describe his style of directing and how has he helped you shape your performance?
This is my first time working with Josh Hecht and I consider myself very fortunate that he’s been at the helm of this project. He has a very specific knowledge base and vision that he brought to this play. He invited us to be partners in creating the telling of this story. Josh was always open to hearing our thoughts about what worked and didn’t work for us but we ultimately depended on what he felt served the story the best .
(l-r) Spencer Trinwith (Henry), Michael Kramer (Don), and Anne Kaneneiser (Janna). Photo by C. Stanley Photography.
How long has the rehearsal process been and how has your performance and feelings about the characters evolved or changed since you began rehearsals?
We fortunately had 4 weeks of rehearsal. Developing a new work is always a challenge because it’s being done for the first time. You get to try different things in an effort to find what you feel to be the best version of a moment, the version that tells the story in hopefully the best way possible. And this is a hard story. As we’ve progressed I’ve really fallen in love with these two people and their desire to change their lives. I resonate with the tenacity with which they ‘stay in the game.’
Since you have appeared in many musicals, do you find there are different challenges when you are now preparing for a lead role in a play?
I would say the preparation is much the same but the demands are different. I find my approach is similar in terms of asking the basics, what is this story? who am I? what does my character want? what is she willing to do to get it? Etc. What I find different for me working on Janna, is that there is no hiding. There’s no music to ‘ride on’ or to allow you to ‘escape’ or ‘deflect’ the darkness. I went to very dark and raw places as Fosca in Passion, but there was still the music to carry you into and perhaps above the darkness. With this play, I’ve experienced an uncompromising and uncharming demand to go places that expose some of my underbelly that I might’ve otherwise been able to avoid when enveloped in the strains of beautiful music.
What scene or scenes in the play are the most difficult to play and why?
I would say the first scene has been the most challenging to negotiate because there are so many layers to it. Past, present, and future are intricately woven within this scene as it sets up the rest of the play. Don and Janna are creating their ‘game’ via the personal ads. They’re nervous and aware that this is potentially their last chance to come back together as a vital married couple. We slip from the ‘role play’ to revealing our characters inadvertently. The audience is privy to seeing not only Don and Janna’s ‘game faces’ but who they are, their difficulty in communicating and the love and fun that brought them together and hopefully makes you want to go on this journey with them.
Is Brian still making changes to the script and have you made suggestions to him that he has incorporated into the script?
As we just opened Brian has stopped making adjustments to the script, but it’s possible he may see some things in the 3 weeks to come that we might adjust when we move the play down to Winston-Salem. The first day we started rehearsal we had a completely different version of the play than the version I had read in preparation for my audition. Then throughout our rehearsal process, Brian saw things he wanted to change, and Josh, Spencer, Michael, and I made suggestions as well. We had a few changes up until opening and that is the way of new plays and musicals. We can rehearse as much as we want ,and then once we’re in front of an audience, we get new information that informs us as to what works and what might not be so successful.
You won 2 Helen Hayes Award for Musical Roles playing Fosca in Signature Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion and for the musical Eleanor: An American Love Story at Ford’s Theatre, and you returned to appear in 1776 in 2003at Ford’s as Abigail Adams. So it’s been a while since you’ve been back on a DC stage. It’s so nice to have you back!What were some of your fondest memories appearing in these two productions?
Lewis Cleale and Ann Kanengeiser in ‘1776 ‘ at Ford’s Theatre. Photo by Stan Barouh.
All three of these plays hold dear memories. I’d say that Passionwas my maiden voyage to my dark side and singing Sondheim’s score was gloriously challenging. It was an amazing production and Eric’s vision was impeccable. I loved the intimacy of the old Signature space and performing Passion taught me about the value of silent moments. Every night there were moments where we could hear a pin drop. I learned then, that silence can speak louder than any words.
Eleanor at the Ford’s Theater was a highlight of my career. I was creating a new role and from Eleanor I learned about ‘doing life’ in spite of fear, following your passions, striving to live in integrity. And performing at the Ford’s … what can I say. To perform 1776 and Eleanor – there was a dream come true. 1776 is one of my all time favorite musicals, and I enjoyed playing with Abigail’s insightfulness, strength and humor.
My experience in the DC area has always been rich and meaningful. I was originally drawn to DC because my sister lives here, but I’m rediscovering the vitality of the DC Theater community, and I hope to be down here more often.
What ever happened to Eleanor: An American Love Story since Ford’s and did you get another chance to play Eleanor after Ford’s?
My hope was, of course, to see it have a longer life possibly in NY, but it would’ve required, like all new pieces, more work and backing. We had several theatres in the USA and in the UK interested but it hasn’t happened yet. One never knows. I still love Eleanor’s personal story and I’ve always resonated with ‘the phoenix rising from the ashes’ quality about Eleanor Roosevelt. Perhaps I’ll produce it one day.
Anthony Cummings (Franklin Roosevelt) and Anne Kanengeiser (Eleanor Roosevelt). Photo by Stan Barouh.
What roles that you have performed since you were here in DC last were some of your favorites?
A few would be: Mrs. Potts in the national tour of Beauty and the Beast, Mme Giry in the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera; Lili Vannessi/Kate in Kiss Me Kate, and my most favorite at this point is my Shakespeare work.
Any roles that you would love to play that you haven’t played yet?
Oh my …. Musically, I’d love to do Desiree in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and Margaret in The Light in the Piazza. Dramatically, a whole new world is opening up. Right now my dream is do Shakespeare. I grew up with a grandmother who directed, studied, and lectured on Shakespeare’s life and plays. I never thought I would perform these works and now that I’ve been studying the Bard, working on such roles as Lady Macbeth, Elizabeth in Richard III, and Emelia in Othello. I’m ready to do it.
What do you want audiences to take with them after seeing The Personal(s) at No Rules Theatre Company at Signature Theatre?
I’d like the audience to experience the enduring power of love and what we can learn about humanity, compassion, and our own frailties. It takes great courage to be in this world and to open up to others. Hopefully they will understand how the lack of communication with others can be truly devastating and to recognize how our love and vitality arises from honest and clear communication. Compassion for these people and admiration for their struggle bonds me to the intricacies of the play and I hope that those watching will see this as well.
The Personal(s)plays through May 18, 2013 at No Rules Theatre Company at Signature Theatre – 4200 Campbell Avenue, in Arlington, VA. For tickets, call the box office at (703) 820-9771, or purchase them online.
