Ask most theater lovers if they have heard of Jacobean-era playwrights such as John Fletcher and Philip Massinger and you would probably receive a confused “no.” Fletcher and Massinger, who wrote The Sea Voyage, were overshadowed by the prodigious talent that was William Shakespeare. As directed by Ann Turiano, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory’s (BSF) The Sea Voyage is pure comedic gold, brimming with love, passion, and intrigue.
Liz Galuardi (Hippolyta), Zipporah Brown (Juletta), and Kerry Brady (Crocale). Photo by Will Kirk.
The play, which dates back to 1622, is similar to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, as it involves a shipwreck on a mysterious island. The Sea Voyage is a convergence of Amazon warriors, French pirates, and castaways on the shores of an unnamed land.
In this show, Turiano wrote in her Director’s Notes: “…we see wonderfully familiar comedic types: the swaggering hero, the bumbling idiot, the firebrand, to name a few.”
As far as swaggering heroes–with a comic touch–go, the French pirate Albert was made to order. Played with an intoxicating panache by Dean Carlson, Albert found himself shipwrecked on an island along with his captured love interest, Aminta, and his partners in crime, Lamure (the fabulous Jim Knost), Morillat (David Martin) and Tibalt (Sian Edwards). Allison Bloechl brought a mirth and a bit of vulnerability to the role of Aminta. Bloechl displayed an adept chemistry with Carlson.
Mark Scharf (Sebastian) and Fred Fletcher-Jackson (Nicusa). Photo by Will Kirk.
Mark Scharf was outstanding as the old castaway Sebastian. With his old-man mannerisms and tree-branch walking stick, Scharf, a playwright making his debut at BSF, dominated all his scenes. Fred Fletcher-Jackson did a fantastic job portraying Nicusa, Sebastian’s nephew and also Albert’s associate Franville.
The always-fun-to-watch Betse Lyons, seen last spring in Fells Point Corner Theatre’s 10x10x10 festival, brought a domineering lovesickness to her role as an Amazon, Clarinda. Kathryn Falcone, recently seen in the BSF productions Othello and Julius Caesar, was splendid as Rosella, Clarinda’s queen-mom.
Zipporah Brown, in her BSF debut, stole a few scenes in her role as the Amazon Juletta. I loved Jim Hart in his role as Master. There were fine performances put in by the balance of the cast, including Kerry Brady as Crocale/Surgeon, Gabe Fremuth as Raymond/Boatswain, Liz Galuardi as Hyppolita, and young actors Kas Schroeder and MJ Smith as Sailor 1 and 2 respectively.
Dean Carlson (Albert) and Allison Bloechl (Aminta). Photo by Will Kirk.
I heartily toe-tapped to the pre-show and intermission sea shanties, including “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” As he did in Trust at Fells Point Corner Theatre, Scharf provided accompaniment to the songs with his guitar. Music Director Kristen Cooley brought forth a series of songs that had the audience engaged and participating. Heather Johnston’s costume design, which had a somewhat Jacobean flavor, featured everything from rich greens, tans and floral prints. Falcone’s magnificent red cape was eye capturing.
Director Turiano made full use of the large three-quarter thrust stage. Her actors ran, slid, dragged one another, and even ate off the floor. Much of the uncredited set design was left to the imagination; to simulate a ship there were simply two long ropes tied diagonally from a balcony area to downstage right and left, and a piece of canvas hanging from a balcony. A minor drawback was the less than ideal acoustics in parts of the show, due to the high-ceilinged hall. TheSea Voyage is a raucous ride full of hilarity and hijinks.
Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.
The Sea Voyage plays through November 19, 2017, at the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory performing at The Great Hall Theater at St. Mary’s Community Center – 3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD. For tickets, call (410) 662-9455 or purchase them online.
Ever-willing to mount bold musicals with large casts you’d never expect to see in such an intimate, cozy space (remember last year’s gorgeous Evita?), Fuzz Roark at Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre (“Spotlighters”) has done it again. Spotlighters’ first show of 2017 proves once again that you really can fit a big Broadway musical into a small space and still make it, well, sing.
Kay-Megan Washington (Celia Peachum), Steve Quintilian (Macheath), and Glen Charlow (The Policeman). Photo by Shealyn Jae Photography.
On January 13th, Spotlighters opened The Threepenny Opera, a play by Bertolt Brecht, with music by Kurt Weill, that is based on and adapted from Elizabeth Hauptmann’s translation of The Beggar’s Opera by Jonathan Gay. Director Michael Blum, making the Spotlighters version even more timely and relatable, has gone the extra step of editing, adapting and providing new translations for this classic piece. The result is an excellent production as relevant today as it was when it first hit the stage in Berlin in 1928.
In his Director’s Note, Blum explains that the “production takes place simultaneously in Baltimore in the winter of 2017 and London in the summer of 1838.” The two notable events occurring at those times? The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the coronation of Queen Victoria of England. The Threepenny Opera is a scathing social commentary on “bourgeois capitalism and modern morality” that shines a light on the perils of a world in which outrageous wealth disparity fosters a culture of graft, corruption, and vice.
The story revolves around a gangster named Captain Macheath or, as we more commonly know him from popular culture, Mack the Knife. Murder, robbery, and all manner of criminal endeavor are the lucrative business of Mack and his gang, though you’d never find evidence of it in Scotland Yard thanks to Mack’s war buddy, the High Sherriff of London. Mack’s surely got a list of enemies, but none so committed as the Peachums. Jonathan Peachum, the boss of a large network of beggars in London, and his wife, Celia, are livid when they discover that Mack has secretly married their daughter, Polly. Mack’s still-current wife, Lucy, and a prostitute named Jenny aren’t exactly happy with Mack either. As one might imagine, treachery and drama ensues.
After a bit of 21st century Baltimore panhandling, the show begins with “Moritat (The Ballad of Mack the Knife),” a song popularized even with people who’d never heard of the play by superstar crooners Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra. Connor Moore, who plays the Streetsinger (as well as Charles Fitch, Rev. Kimball, and the Messenger) holds his own against those greats with a strong, pleasing rendition of the narrative tune that sets the scene and the mood for the rest of the show.
The audience next meets the Peachums, Frank Mancino as Mr. Jonathan Peachum and Kay-Megan Washington as his wife, Celia. I’ve enjoyed Frank Mancino’s fine acting a dozen times or more and somehow have never before heard him sing. What a pleasant surprise to hear him performing the early “Wake-up Song,” as well as his duet with Washington and the later, “The Song of the Futility of Human Endeavor!” I love discovering a whole new side of an actor whose work I enjoy. And Kay-Megan Washington… what a powerful, beautiful voice. Every time Washington opens her mouth, whether acting or singing, is a delight, but none so much as her big number, the sweeping “Ballad of Sex Addiction.”
There are several fine duets between Allison Hicks, as Polly Peachum, and her character’s rogue husband, Captain “Mack the Knife” Macheath, ably performed by Steve Quintilian. “Love Song” and “Polly’s Song,” in particular, come to mind. Both also have the opportunity to showcase their talent in solos – Quintilian, in the spirited “Ballad of Easy Living” and Hicks, lending her lovely soprano to “Barbara Song” and the fun “Bill’s Beer Hall in Balboa.”
Other memorable moments in a show of fine singing all-around include Amber Hooper’s performance as Lucy Brown, singing “Lucy’s Aria (The Poisoning Song);” the outstanding Evangeline Ridgaway, as Jenny Diver, singing both “Pirate Jenny” and “Solomon Song;” and Rob Wall as the High Sheriff of London, Jack “Tiger” Brown’s reprise of “Moritat (The Ballad of Mack the Knife).”
Music Director Erica Rome maintains the mood and the gritty feel of Weill’s quite operatic composition throughout the show. Not only did she guide this cast of talented singers in the preparation of their performances, Rome – alongside synthesizer player/percussionist William George – also accompanies the actors live during the production.
Set Designer/ Scenic Artist Alan S. Zemla chose a simple base set that was flexible enough to represent a number of locations through either rearrangement, like the wedding bed, or the addition of articles brought to the stage, like the shackles used to take Mack to jail. The jail, as well as the Peachum’s store, The Beggars’ Best Friend, are offstage and well-designed for their respective purposes. Lighting Designer Al Ramer enhances the set, providing lighting that helps set the scene regardless of location.
Allison Hicks as Polly Peachum. Photo by Shealyn Jae Photography.
The Costume Design Team of Amy Wiemer, Darcy Elliott, and Andrew Malone supplied the players with a series of costumes that were spot-on for their various roles. Mack and the Peachums were all kitted in finery appropriate for their stations; Polly’s mourning dress is particularly beautiful. Mack’s gang – Jim Knost, Stuart Kazanow, Dave Guy, and Glen Charlow look a perfect combination of dandy and dangerous. And Amie Bell, Andrea Bush, Rachel Verhaaren, Kristin Miller, Evangeline Ridgaway, and Amber Hooper – collectively, “The Whores,” look fantastic in both their 1920s flapper dresses and period pieces, as well as in their, um, “professional” attire.
The Threepenny Opera, currently playing at Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, shows how classic theater can remain relevant and timely when mounted by a company that produces it with care and an eye to the world we live in. An insightful show when it first ran in the late 1920s, now updated and under the direction of Michael Blum, this show remains a piece of art that not only entertains, but has something to say.
As Blum asserts in his Note:
“The Threepenny Opera is rooted in a deep desire to make people want to fight – ‘but not too eagerly’ – for social and economic justice. Its bleak and bitter view of today’s world challenges us to not simply accept ‘the way things are’.”
Spotlighters’ The Threepenny Opera is a well-designed production with great acting and singing that includes a little nudge to make our world better. What more could you want?
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 50 minutes, including one intermission.
The Threepenny Opera plays through February 5, 2017, at Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre – 817 St. Paul Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or online.
As a welcome election-year treat, Cohesion Theatre Company (“Cohesion”), Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre (“Spotlighters”), and the Baltimore Improv Group (“BIG”) have collaborated to create a lighthearted performance event they call Political Cabaret. The production combines “improv, sketch comedy, and musical satire speaking to all things election season.” It’s a night of good fun.
The production features a talented ensemble of actors, performers, writers, and musicians from Cohesion and BIG: Zach Bopst, Caitlin Carbone, Ti Coleman, Rasheed Green, Mike Harris, Jim Knost, Kim Le, AJ McCombs, Andy McIntyre, Miles Needer, Brad Norris, Alice Stanley, and John Windmueller. I wish the members of Congress worked as well together as these artists from different disciplines and backgrounds do; a lot more would get done!
Pooling the skills of the performers and a Production Team Supergroup including Mike Harris, Jonathan Jensen, Kris Messer, Jeff Miller, Heather Peacock, and Alice and Kathleen Stanley, The Political Cabaret is a well-balanced blend of scripted comedy and improvisational theater. As such, it’s a guarantee that the show you see will not be the exact same as the performance I saw, but you’re likely to see variations on my favorite parts of the evening.
The show has some throughlines that hold it all together. The basic premise is that this election year, in addition to the real life candidates we know, we also have some other contenders for the Oval Office. The audience decides the broad strokes, such as where the candidates hail from and where their various debates, town meetings and stump speeches take place, then the improv pros from BIG run with it.
The night I went, BIG members Ti Coleman, Rasheed Green, and Andy McIntyre were hilarious as presidential hopefuls from Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas, respectively. There were also funny political ads and a talking head TV show with pundits Miles Needer, AJ McCombs, and Mike Harris that was very entertaining.
Zach Bopst and Caitlin Carbone. Photo courtesy of Cohesion Theatre Company.
Interspersed between the witty improvised electioneering were some great scripted scenes. Any scene with Zach Bopst as Donald Trump and Caitlin Carbone as Hillary Clinton was sure to get a lot of laughs. Bopst’s Trump was spot on with pouting duck lips; nonsensical, self-aggrandizing language; and a narcissistic lack of concern for the office or the political process in general. Carbone’s Clinton was likewise on target, shamelessly pandering to millennials; aghast at Trump’s laissez-faire approach to the campaign; and so stiff that during a scene where the candidates take a spa day together, she could barely bend her body to fit into a comfy chair. The spa scene was among my favorites, as was a Trump/Hillary trip to the zoo. No spoilers here, just trust me, it’s funny.
Kim Lee and Brad Norris. Photos courtesy of Cohesion Theatre Company.
My favorites among the non-Trump/Hillary scenes included a truly inspired piece in which Kim Le visits a gun store owned by Brad Norris. These two have another scene together in a café that I won’t spoil with details, but which I loved the best even though it hit a little close to home.
Also peppered through the evening was some musical satire, including an upbeat “White House Rock” in which Jim Knost crooned the parodied Elvis tune while Alice Stanley and Brad Norris accompanied on guitar. I also enjoyed Alice Stanley’s sad rendition of Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why,” in which they lament the peril of being a millennial who opts not to vote. I’ve heard Alice sing before, but this ballad blew me away. They’ve got a really lovely voice.
The Political Cabaret is a fun diversion from a depressing election year. Do yourself a favor and go check it out while it’s still here. With only two performances left, it’ll be gone faster than you can book your tickets to Canada. I encourage you to take the advice of BIG’s Artistic/Executive Director Mike Harris and “Go ahead and laugh at America’s Political Future before it is time to weep.”
Running Time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.
The Political Cabaret plays through September 18, 2016 at Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre – 817 St. Paul Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or online.
Phil Gallagher as Karl Marx in ‘Marx in Soho.’ Photo by Shealyn Jae Photography.
Only two shows remain: September 16 and 17, at 10:30 pm, following the final two performances of Spotlighters 5-star production of Marx in Soho. (You get a discount if you purchase tickets to both at the same time).
Assassins, comes to Laurel Mill Playhouse for a murderously fun evening of theatre. This quirky little musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. The premise of the show is a murderous carnival game.
The cast of ‘Assassins’: Left to right, Stephen Yednock (Leon Czolgosz), Joe Mariano (Giuseppe Zangara), Meg Nemeth (Sara Jane Moore), Stephen Deininger (John Wilkes Booth), Morrigan Condo (Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme), and John Scheeler (Charles Guiteau). Photo by John Cholod.
It is a revue style portrayal of men and women who attempted (successfully or not) the assassination of Presidents of the United States. Interestingly, Sondheim’s music throughout the show reflects the popular music style for each era in history. This gives the show a cohesive feel as we are taken through a musical journey of passion, mental illness, politics and hate. The musical first opened Off-Broadway in 1990, and the 2004 Broadway production won five Tony Awards.
Laurel Mill’s production is a finely-tuned machine with phenomenal acting and incredible voices due to the keen casting talents of Director Michael Hartsfield, who is responsible for a highly skilled group of designers. His Musical Directors Billy Georg and Mimi Kuhn McGinniss did great justice by matching the perfect range of voices to the actors. They brought the best out of each voice both in strength, tone, and pitch. It is clear to see that these three are a match made in ‘musical theatre heaven.’
Michael Hartsfield and Tom Howley’s set design was simple, but effective. The black walls accented with red and off-white stripes with tinges of black paint dripping down on the colors gave the appearance of blood. In the opening of the show, the Proprietor Jim Knost is positioned up center stage as a carnival barker of sorts enticing the assassins to shoot a President. He is also ever present on the stage throughout the show adding an eeriness of the surroundings. He is standing in front of a large red and off white stripe American flag with the pictures of all the Presidents who were the targets of assassinations pinned to the flag accompanied by the obligatory prize at a shooting gallery, teddy bears. The set is simple, but makes a powerful statement. And videographer and editor Julie Rogers also contributed to the production’s visual power.
Costumers Carol Mead Cartmell, Michael Hartsfield, and Maureen Rogers did a wonderful job creating the right authenticity for each characters’ time period. The attention to detail was spot-on.
Kudos go to orchestra members, Mimi Kuhn McGinniss, Brian Simon, Kathy Hersey, and Zach Konick for an excellent job playing this very demanding and difficult score, and for not overpowering this great ensemble in such an intimate space.
Assassins Stephen Yednock (Leon Czolgosz), Gary Eunice (John Hinckley), John Scheeler (Charles Guiteau), Joe Mariano (Giuseppe Zangara), Tom Howley (Samuel Byck), Morrigan Condo (Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme), Meg Nemeth (Sara Jane Moore), and Stephen Deininger (John Wilkes Booth) were an equally believable and powerful group of actors and singers. Their stirring rendition of “Another National Anthem” was mesmerizing.
Tom Howley as Samuel Byck gives a notable performance with his two funny and powerful monologues while talking into a tape recorder to Leonard Bernstein and Richard Nixon. His delivery was given with the finesse and very Lewis Black-like.
Matt Wetzel, who portrays the Balladeer, gives an exceptional acting and vocal performance as he spins the tale of these would be killers in “Another National Anthem” (with the Assassins), and when he is joined with the beautiful tenor of Stephen Deininger in “The Ballad of Booth.”
Maureen (Emma Goldman) and Stephen Yednock (Leon Czolgosz). Photo by John Cholod.
Maureen Rogers gives an assertive performance as the kind and independent Emma Goldman.
Gary Eunice (John Hinckley) and Morrigan Condo (Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme) deliver a passionate and creepy “Unworthy of Your Love.”
A notable and commanding performance was given by Daniel Santiago (Lee Harvey Oswald) as the assassins of the past try to convince Oswald that killing President Kennedy will make them more than just a footnote in history, but it will give them immortality in “November 22, 1963.”
Meg Nemeth is hilarious as the very ‘bad shot’ Sara Jane Moore, and is zany in “The Gun Song” with Yednock (Czolgosz), Deininger (Booth), and John Scheeler (Charles Guiteau).
The ensemble of actors who play several different roles throughout the production are powerhouse singers and actors as well. The ensemble is played by Jordan Essex, Brianna Scheeler, AnnaBelle Lowe, Maureen Rogers, Ron Able, Cassandra Ferrell, Stuart Deininger, Daniel Santiago, Penni Barnett, and Patrick Pase.
Laurel Mill Playhouse’s production of Assassins hits the ‘bulls-eye.’ Get your tickets now while they are still available, because it promises to be a sellout. With this great cast -it’s a real killer!
Running Time: One hour and 50 minutes, with no intermission.
Assassinsplays through May 22, 2016 at Laurel Mill Playhouse – 508 Main Street, Laurel, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 617-9906, or purchase themonline.
The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre kicks off their 54th season with the North American premiere of A Sensation Novel, a play in three “volumes” written by W. S. Gilbert. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because he was one half of the famed theatrical duo, Gilbert and Sullivan, who together wrote more than a dozen comic operas. A Sensation Novel is full of all the wit and word play audiences have long come to love and expect from W. S. Gilbert. And in the hands of Director Michael Blum and his cast, this largely overlooked play is finding new life in Baltimore.
Autumn Boyle (Alice Grey). Photo by CMAldridge Photography.
The Author, played by Jim Knost, has entered into a contract with the Spirit of Romance, ensuring that he’ll be able to produce a new sensation novel every week. But he’s suffering writers block with his latest novel. Thus, he summons the Spirit, played by Brian Kraszewski, to discuss his difficulties. We discover that the stock characters the Spirit has lent to the Author are actually all real people. Rather, they were.
All the characters of the Author’s novel are played by spirits whose sins in life have indebted them to the Spirit of Romance. But there’s a twist: the spirits are all very dissatisfied with the Author. The characters they play in the Author’s stories have the exact opposite temperament than they themselves possess. And their own romances are very different than what the Author forces them to do. Outside the novel, the virtuous heroine is really an aggressive, opinionated woman who’s in love with the villain – and she very much enjoys his harassment, thank you. And her sweet love interest is actually devoted to the femme fatale, who herself is a kind and matronly woman. The tension comes to a head in a final, comic battle of wills between the Author and his characters.
Brian S Kraszewski (Gipper ). Photo by CMAldridge Photography.
Each act, or “volume,” takes place after the Author has done his days work, when the spirits are allowed to shed their characters and act as they truly are. Jim Knost, in addition to playing the Author, plays Sir Ruthven Glenaloon, a Wicked Baronet and the villain of the Author’s novel. Knost is pleasant and demure as Ruthven, willingly falling at the feet of the heroine, Alice Grey, as she directs him to persecute her more in the story. It’s a sweet if twisted dynamic, with Knost bringing a ready supply of sweet.
The twisted comes courtesy of Autumn Boyle, who plays the not so virtuous Alice Grey. It’s almost hard to believe a character like Alice Grey could be written in the Victorian Era; almost, until you realize that Gilbert is satirizing the very stories which have formed many of our stereotypes about Victorian life. Grey is like a stick of dynamite treading the stage; explosive, unpredictable, and a touch violent. It’s hilarious. Boyle, with her innocent face and ingénue voice, is a natural fit for the virtuous heroine, but she smashes that image almost immediately and it’s so good.
Brian Kraszewski plays both the Spirit of Romance and the perpetually late Detective Gripper, whose tardiness enables the others to avoid the Author’s intended ending a little longer. Having seen Kraszewski in a number of roles this year, I have to say his performances as the Spirit and Gripper may be my favorites. The roles seem a natural fit for him and he embraces the weirdness of the characters with aplomb.
Evangeline Ridgaway (Lady Rockalda). Photo by CMAldridge Photography.
Evangeline Ridgaway plays Lady Rockalda, the Yellow-Haired Panther. Ridgaway is wonderful as Lady Rockalda; she’s refined, patient, and while she shows marked detest for the Authors’ writing, she’s also resigned to doing the job and doing it right. Ridgaway provides a calming energy to balance out Boyle’s characters combativeness. But both women can be downright dangerous when the Author pushes them too far. After all, while Rockalda is not a villainess herself, the Author has given her lots of practice behaving like one.
Connor Moore (Herbert). Photo by CMAldridge Photography.
The final member of the cast is Connor Moore, who plays Herbert; the love interest of Alice in the novel, and the lover of Rockalda outside of it. Moor’s performance may be the weakest in the cast, which is to say that he’s still incredibly funny, it’s just hard to get a feel for his character when he’s not fighting with Alice.
One of the hazards of theatre-in-the-round is making sure every line is audible; A Sensation Novel is no stranger to this problem, as the characters make many casual asides towards the audience which can be heard clearly by one half of the theater but not the other. It’s still funny no matter where you sit and what you do or don’t hear, but you do get worried sometimes that you may have missed something important. That feeling isn’t helped by the play itself, which, like all Gilbert plots, is convoluted. But it’s all mostly clear, and if you somehow become really lost, summaries of each act are very helpfully printed in the program.
Though the play itself is more than 100 years old, the music is relatively new. The original music composed by Thomas German Reed has been mostly lost over the years. Using what works remained, and with some additional inspiration from Arthur Sullivan, Michael Nash has written a new score. Additionally, the performing version is unique to this production, having been created and edited by Director Michael Blum and Music Director Erica Rome. Erica Rome also plays keyboard in the show, and is accompanied on keyboard d by Bill Georg.
Alan Zemla’s sets are always one of the best parts of a Spotlighters’ production in my opinion, and once again, he’s lived up to my expectations. A striking shade of red, reminiscent of a Victorian boudoir, dominates the set with touches of white and black. A carpet is laid across the middle of the stage and a heavy wooden desk sits at one column. Throughout the theater is an abundance of decoration and paraphernalia. It’s a visual feast that gives the impression of walking into the middle of a BBC period drama.
Carrying on that period drama atmosphere are the costumes. Fuzz Roark is responsible for the costume design, and the costumes themselves were provided by the House of Bankerd. Darcy Elliot is the costume assistant.
Fuzz Roark also designed the lighting, which is as dramatic as you’d hope to see in a melodrama. Megan Millane is the light board operator.
Darlene Harris stage manages this production and Ben Kinder is responsible for props.
A Sensation Novelis uproariously funny and a fabulous opening for Spotlighters’ new season.
Running Time: Two hours with two intermissions.
A Sensation Novelis playing through October 4, 2015 at the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre – 817 Saint Paul Street, in Baltimore, MD. Tickets can be purchased online.
DO run to catch Caroline, or Change at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative. It’s a must-see show, it is worth several times the ticket price.
Lawrence D. Bryant (The Dryer) and Theresa Annette Cunningham (Caroline). Photo by Jack Sossman.
When most folks are busy warming themselves with E-Z traditional holiday-season shows like A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker, it may take some effort to see a production that requires a sense of history, and a willingness move out of one’s comfort zone to view our turbulent past through a different set of eyes.
The notion that what happens in this amazing piece of musical theater runs parallel to what is in the headlines today – economic woes, poverty, homelessness, racial profiling, police brutality, wars, protests and rioting – deepens the sense that as much as we’ve advanced, we seem to be stuck in time.
Caroline, or Change refers, on the surface, to choices a child must make. Ultimately, it has a far deeper meaning. The show, is a musical, of sorts. Perhaps a modern, urban American opera would be a better description.
On Sunday evening, there were more people in the cast than in the audience. A crying shame as this show is a polished gem.
The book and lyrics for Caroline, or Change were written by Tony Kushner, author of the much heralded Angels in America. In workshops for 11 years, Caroline, or Change debuted in 2004 and won several awards.
It is infused with Kushner’s memories of his childhood. As a youngster, he moved from New York City to Lake Charles, Louisiana – quite a cultural shock. His father was a professional musician, playing the clarinet. His mother performed on the bassoon. They were observant Jews.
The show’s music is by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek and Violet) and it is directed dynamically by Darnell Morris. The show, a production of Stillpointe Theatre Initiative is staged in the 160-year old, Gothic-style Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Baltimore.
The four-member band, conducted by Stacey Antoine, performed beautifully. Perhaps, too well. My only complaint is it often played too loudly for the audience to clearly hear the characters’ voices. The actors all wore body mics to amplify their singing and dialog, but the words got drowned out at key points. I was in the third row, unable to hear performers less than ten feet away. Take it down a few notches on the percussion and bass, guys, and this show will be just about perfect. (A side note: this hugely talented band kept jamming long after the show ended and the audience and cast members had departed.)
Upon entering the church vestibule, a ticket holder can’t help but notice the soaring beauty of the old limestone sanctuary. Get there early and take a peek inside.
The show is in the church’s Great Hall, up an ancient wooden staircase.
This hall is bigger than most contemporary churches. It, too, has a high, vaulted ceiling, though its arches are rough hewn wood. The stone walls are sheathed in high oak paneling; the rear of the stage is pierced by leaded glass lancet windows.
The creative set and prop design, by Ryan Haase, and his team (Nolan Cartwright, Jeanine Vreat, Danielle Robinette, and Mitchel Brower), is on three levels. All in all, an awesome set. The major portion of the musical takes place directly in front of the audience. The ground floor of a home occupies the next level, set about 30 feet back from the first row, and a chair, side table and lamp perch high on the third level, atop a set of wooden stairs. The band is partially concealed behind the stairs at the rear of the house.
As the audience enters the room, two moveable set pieces block the view of the rest of the stage. They appear to be made of weather worn, loosely nailed horizontal barnwood planks. They turn out to be hand-painted strips of screen. One is a shadow box. It has a large hole cut out of it and is dressed with white drapery.
It is the home of The Moon (a dynamic Morgan Fannon who possesses a terrific set of pipes). Once the two pieces are pulled away, the stage is revealed.
Theresa Annette Cunningham, Nia Simone Smith and CiCi Monáe. Photo by Jack Sossman.
The show begins on November 22, 1963. Another date of infamy.
Wearing the ill-fitting, starched white uniform of a maid, Caroline Thibodeaux is in the basement doing the laundry. A basement in Lake Charles is a rarity. For Caroline, performed stunningly by Theresa Cunningham, it is a prison. She feels much of her work life is spent below water.
An African-American, Caroline goes by many names: maid, domestic, the help, a Negro, a colored person, mom. Divorced from an abusive Navy veteran and raising three children by herself, she earns $30 a week. Her kids want a TV set, a car, new clothes, Christmas presents, but Caroline is already behind on her rent. She is bitter, resentful and angry.
She’s been a maid for more than two decades and she sees no way out. In this basement, the Washing Machine, the Radio and the Dryer are portrayed by actor-singers. So, too, is the often-late Bus that brings her to and from work.
The Washing Machine is a sensual, bustier-clad venus (Kay-Megan Washington) that rises from behind a onstage machine to encourage Caroline throughout her long workdays. The Dryer, which Caroline later explains was made is hell, is a negative scamp, played by a handsome devil, Lawrence D. Bryant. He uses his machine as a throne from which to taunt Caroline.
The Radio, a cross between the Andrews Sisters and the Supremes, is a 20th century Greek chorus. Radio is performed in short, all-over sequinned tank dresses by Nia Simone Smith, CiCi Monae, and Sontoya Tiana.
Special notice, here, to the costume and hair team of Danielle Robinette, Mitchel Brower, and Ryan Haase. Most of the women in the cast wore period wigs, some understated. The Radio had short curly ‘dos, while the Moon, Washing Machine, and, yes, the guy Dryer had elaborate up-dos. Moon and Washing Machine also sported sparkly makeup ramped up by the lighting design of Amanda J. Rife.
The singing is non-stop – Caroline, the various appliances, the Bus and the rest of the cast all have beautiful, passionate voices. Cunningham’s soliloquy “Lot’s Wife’ is a force of nature. Astounding!
Caroline is employed by the Gellmans, a Jewish family. Stuart Gellman (Ben Shaver), a professional clarinetist, is still mourning the death by lung cancer of his late, chain-smoking wife, a bassoonist. He recently married a New Yorker, Rose Stopnick Gellman (Shani Hadjian). Rose is getting used to married life, having step-motherhood suddenly thrust upon her, and having to deal with a moody, angry maid in the basement.
Noah Gellman, an 8-year-old, misses his mother and is shocked by the quick rebound marriage of his father. He is portrayed by Steven Gross, who appears to be about 12-years old. Yet, he accurately captures the neurotic angst of this 3rd grader.
Noah idolizes Caroline and likes to watch her as she works. “Caroline our maid,” he sings. “Caroline! Caroline! Caroline! The President of the United States! Caroline who’s always mad. Caroline who runs everything. Caroline who’s stronger than my dad.”
Caroline allows the boy to light her daily cigarette. Though tobacco killed his mother, he has a cigarette, too.
Noah also has a bad habit of leaving change in his pants pockets.
His stepmother, who is gingerly stepping around a still-dazed husband, a feisty 8-year old and a sullen maid, decides to teach Noah a life lesson. Plus, the family doesn’t have enough income to give Caroline a raise. “Loose change. Quarters. Those add up. The Negro maid, she’s making bupkes. How does that look, leaving change in his pockets?” she sings in an expensive, long distance call to her father Mr. Stopnick (B. Thomas Rinaldi) in New York.
Any change the maid finds in Noah’s pockets while doing the laundry, Rose decides, Caroline can keep instead of putting it in a cup. Caroline resists at first, but then considers all the things her own kids can buy at the local Five and Dime.
At the bus stop that evening, the outside world collides with her private demons. Caroline learns of the death of President Kennedy from a friend, Dotty Moffett (S. Ann Johnson), who is taking college courses.
Over the next few weeks, Caroline’s kids Emmie Thibodeaux (Nasya Nicole Jeffers – an amazing young singer, especially in her solo “I Hate This Bus”), Jackie Thibodeaux (an earnest Myles Muse), and Joe Thibodeaux (the scene-stealing A.J. Garrett. It’s hard not to watch this empathetic youngster when he’s onstage), rejoice when given a quarter or other loose change from Noah’s pockets.
Though the “change” in the play’s name could represent the detrius of Noah’s pockets, it also suggests the ongoing revolution for civil rights. Emmie and Dotty see the change. Dotty is preparing for the future by earning a degree; Emmie has a small, secret part in inciting a local revolt.
Caroline is devastated by JFK’s death, she believed the President when he said his proposed Civil Rights Legislation would bring a change in the lives of American blacks. But, Emmie is unfazed: “Say he do stuff for us. Get our vote. He just ignore us … I ain’t got no tears to shed for no dead white guy.”
Rose’s father comes to visit in December to help celebrate Hanukkah with the Gellmans and the Gellman Grandparents (Dyana Neal and Jim Knost). Emmie and Dotty are asked to join Caroline in preparing the Chanukah feast.
Mr. Stopnick gives Noah a Hanukkah present a bit more extravagant than gelt – a $20 bill. He also gets into a heated argument with Emmie over the ongoing Civil Rights movement. He says Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s practice of nonviolent protests is too passive. Emmie counters that he knows little “sitting safe and pretty way up North in New York City!”
Lawrence D Bryant IV, (The Dryer), Morgan Fannon ( The Moon), and Theresa Annette Cunningham (Caroline). Photo by Jack Sossman.
The characters are separated and Emmie and Caroline have another explosive argument in the Gellmans’ kitchen.
The next day, Noah suddenly remembers he left his $20 gift in in pants pocket.
He has to make a choice.
So does Caroline.
And, now, so do you.
Running Time: Approximately 2 1/2 hours, with one intermission.
Caroline, or Change plays through January 3, 2015 at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative performing at at Emmanuel Episcopal Church – 811 Cathedral Street , in Baltimore, MD. For tickets, purchase them online, or at the door.
Tis indeed summer and that to the world of the Bard means Much Ado About Nothing. And the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory is no exception to that rule as they mount their first in-the-round production this summer. Taking the well recognized comic back to its simplistic basics, the BSF strips away the scenery and all the other convolutions that can often clog-up Shakespeare’s wittiest comedy and present it in its original essence. Directed by Chris Cotterman, the show is an auspicious start to a fine summer season promised herein.
Benedick (Lonnie DeVaughan Simmons) and Beatrice (Jenna Rossman). Photo by Terence O’Hara.
Simplicity is the best approach, using nothing but the elements and simple white cloth for costumes, designed by April Forrer. It is this minimalist approach that nods to true Shakespearean style; natural light, outdoors, no cumbersome sets, and this approach to the production allows the witty gems of Shakespeare’s writing to truly shine through the performance. Director Chris Cotterman has gathered a fine group of performers are articulate and deliver the word of the Bard’s humors with precision and ease, landing joke after joke upon the audience’s ears while making the strange vernacular approachable to those less familiar with the sound of the archaic language.
For a first attempt at a production in the round, the cast acoustics need work. With more practice, it is certain that the volume will not be an issue, and at present it only stands to be an issue with a few of the minor characters. Projecting voices and adjusting to the new style of blocking, this BSF production is a growing experience and will work its way to full success by the end of the run. The other main issue are the two gulling scenes wherein the characters lay traps of love for Benedick and Beatrice. While the concept behind the scene— having both Benedick and Beatrice respectively take umbrage in the audience as they try to spy upon their cousins and council— is brilliant, it is sadly lacking in its execution. Beatrice’s time in the audience is a bit more successful than Benedick’s as she crawls about more in earnest and haste. To make these scenes live up to their full comic potential the characters laying the trap and doing the gulling need to enter the audience as well, perform a bit of a chase to make the danger of being discovered real.
That said, Director Chris Cotterman has implored a few intriguing casting choices in his efforts to keep the cast contained. Using only 13 performers, who also double as musicians for the pre-show and intermission musical entertainment (a long-standing tradition at BSF where modern and appropriately themed songs are performed by the cast and characters to fit the mood of the show,) Cotterman finds unique approaches to a play that could easily contain a cast of 25 or more. In addition to his curious but rather effect double-casting, gender crossing comes into play where not only Senor Leonato (Sue Struve) is played by a woman, but Margaret (Jim Knost) and Ursula (Sean Elias) are played by men.
Elias, who doubles as the lovely singing Balthazar and Dogberry, has hilarious charm as the good lady Ursula. His dulcet tones harp well upon the audience’s ear when singing as Balthazar and his flamboyant over-the-top performance as Dogberry is one of the most memorable in the production. His true theatrical nature blazes through in the “I am an ass!” scene, a startling and hilarious moment which favors his sassy and histrionic nature.
Other performances of note include Don Pedro (Josh Thomas) who has a very modern approach to the character, making him one of the most relatable characters in the performance. There is something giddy and amusing about the way he teases Benedick over being in love. Thomas, who is one of only five performers who does not double his role, brings a jovial presence to the stage, even in the face of the showdown at the initial wedding, trying to keep his merriment subdued into a more stern visage.
The cast all round— from the rather mild mannered and deceptively cool-tempered Don John (Sean James) to the angsty young twitwit Claudio (Brendan Edward Kennedy)— gives strong performances of these characters, many still developing how best to relate their characters to the show and to the audience. The concept of having them all sit around the performance round as the show is in progress eases the transition of scene changes as the actors literally hop up and into the scene as their character approaches or arrives.
The sarcastic and easily incensed Beatrice (Jenna Rossman) has her work cut out for her against the strapping presence of the equally sarcastic and easily ruffled Benedick (Lonnie DeVaughan Simmons.) The pair quarrel well together, as a proper Beatrice and Benedick ought to; just enough flirtatious and underhanded subtext spritzed into their repartee so that when they land insults upon one another it stings with a hidden hand of pleasure. Rossman brings a saucy nature to show, a rather modern sound to her approach to the character as well. But there is something refreshing about her off-handed approach to the good lady Beatrice.
Background Left- Sean Elias as Balthazar and Christopher Ryder as Antonio. Background Right- Josh Thomas as Don Pedro. Center- Brendan Edward Kennedy as Claudio. Photo by Terence O’Hara.
Simmons excels in his asides to the audience, particularly the inner trappings of his mind which pour out in soliloquy. The “perfect woman” speech ends up reading like a poem, addressed specifically to the audience as he plucks out women for comparison. Rossman’s delivery of her “beard speech” has a similar approach and effect as she hones in on various men from which to make examples. Simmons gives a versatile performance, following the tracks of the ride of love all the way to the end, upholding the Shakespearean witcrackers to the highest level of high-brow humor one can hold them.
Be sure to enjoy the end of the show; you might just find yourself feeling a little crazy in love after all the shenanigans that go down.
Running Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Much Ado About Nothingplays through August 10, 2014 at the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory on the Great Meadow at the Evergreen Museum and Library— 4545 N. Charles Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets may be purchased at the meadow or in advance online.
Some things never change, even when we’re nearing the end. A person’s determination and stubborn nature does not go way of the wind simply because they can no longer do the things they used to do. If anything their determination and temper may flare all the more, which is exactly the case in the vividly boisterous production of Driving Miss Daisy at Dundalk Community Theatre this winter. Directed by Joey Hellman, this classic and heartwarming tale of age and sacrifices will touch your heart while giving you a good giggle along the way.
Hoke (William A. Walker) and Miss Daisy (Carol Conley Evans) . Photo courtesy of Dundalk Community Theatre.
There is something to be said for a director who understands how to find the levities and humors in what would otherwise be a dreary and sad story. Director Joey Hellman has found the subtle nuances of comedy in this glowing tale of the age of acceptance and really works them to the audiences’ advantage. Moments that would otherwise idle in the weight of the play’s nature are reworked by Hellman to bring little laughs and chuckles to those watching without compromising the integrity of the play’s overall theme and message. Having the perfect cast for line delivery, Hellman’s production is splendid in all facets, moving with a brisk pace that allows the jokes to land just so while keeping the audience swept up in the story.
Atlanta, Georgia has a simplistic charm to its nature and Scenic Designer Marc W. Smith brings that southern hospitality into the setting that also transports the play back to the early 1950s. The elaborate sitting room eludes to Miss Daisy’s inherited wealth, rising up out of her impoverished upbringing, without flaunting it; a tactful approach to the classy main character. But it’s the platform levels of Smith’s design that are truly impressive. Each scene taking placing in a sharply focused light (also designed by Smith) so that the scenes roll along like little interconnected vignettes. The lights rise and set on these varying levels individually creating segments of other locations all contained within one stage; a brilliant blocking and design technique that allows the play and its characters to traverse many locations without needing elaborate furnishings or backdrops.
The one drawback to Smith’s brilliant set is the time that the audience spends in darkness between scenes while the three actors traverse these platforms. Occasionally there is music to expedite and entertain during said changes, but there are a few that fall to total silence and provide a hiccup of disconnect between what has just happened and what is about to happen. Although these moments do not occur often, when they do (because the play runs otherwise so smoothly) they are sharply noticeable.
While Hoke and Boolie never see much by the way of wardrobe, Costume Designer James J. Fasching really pulls out all the stops for the title character. With dresses, hats, robes, nightgowns, and coats in all sorts of colors and patterns, Daisy looks her absolute best even when she’s not feeling her best. Fasching finds fashions that are age appropriate while still recalling a touch of class and elegance to Daisy, again imbuing that aristocratic sense of humble riches to her character.
Boolie (Jim Knost) is a minor character that does appear frequently enough to make a major difference in the plot. Knost’s exceptionally thick and strong southern accent rings through in every word that he speaks, really grounding him in his Georgian roots. It’s his sharp but subtle ease with comic timing that allows his character to exist in the finer and funnier moments of this play, making him fit naturally into the little jokes that are carefully worked into the dialogue. Knost carries a concerned but proud nature about his character; keeping the focus on Daisy as the play progresses, even when most of her scenes are shared interacting with Hoke.
Hoke (William A. Walker) and Miss Daisy (Carol Conley Evans) are quite the pair. The working relationship between the two is amazing; a slow progression from embittered enemies— mainly on the side of Daisy disliking Hoke— to dear and trusted friends. The relationship that grows between them during the duration of the play feels genuine; a shared chemistry that blossoms in their banter and flourishes in their time spent together.
Walker has a thorough grasp of the southern dialect used by his character but it is his comic delivery that really makes Hoke shine. Understanding exactly how to deliver a line, exactly where to hold a pause or wait for a split second before returning a bit of banter, Walker gives an exceptionally witty and humorous portrayal in this role. His tender nature and kind heart radiates through the character’s interactions with Daisy even when she’s being trying. Keep a close eye on his silent responses as well, often characterized by his vivid facial expressions.
Evans, as the stubborn Miss Daisy, is a delight in the role, playing it with a familiarity and flare that keeps the audience roaring at her funnier moments, and moved deeply by her more serious ones. Evans finds the perfect balance between her cantankerous biting nature and the more tender moments that her character struggles to accept. Evans brings an honest humanity to the role, leading the audience and other characters to empathize with Daisy; we love her and laugh along in her situations while she tugs at our heartstrings. Evans’ portrayal lets everyone find a little of their own mother or grandmother in Daisy, making her genuine and relatable to all watching; a truly magnificent performance from laughing biting beginning to harrowing bittersweet end.
Boolie (Jim Knost) Hoke (William A. Walker) and Miss Daisy (Carol Conley Evans). Photo courtesy of Dundalk Community Theatre.
Dundalk Community Theatre’s Driving Miss Daisy is a wonderful production and is a perfect outing for a good laugh – and maybe a little bit of a cry as well.
Running Time: Approximately two hours, with one intermission.
Driving Miss Daisyplays through March 2, 2014 at Dundalk Community Theatre— College of Baltimore County in Building K, at the John E. Ravekes Theatre – 7200 Sollers Point Road, in Baltimore, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (443) 840-2787, or purchase them online.
The production features a talented ensemble of actors, performers, writers, and musicians from Cohesion and BIG: Zach Bopst, Caitlin Carbone, Ti Coleman, Rasheed Green, Mike Harris, Jim Knost, Kim Le, AJ McCombs, Andy McIntyre, Miles Needer, Brad Norris, Alice Stanley, and John Windmueller. I wish the members of Congress worked as well together as these artists from different disciplines and backgrounds do; a lot more would get done!
