The Firebugs

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "The Firebugs" by Max Frisch

Date: Sat., Dec. 10, 10:33 PM

Quicktake on THE FIREBUGS

     Once again TheatreZone has come up with a first-rate interpretation of a modern classic. Max Frish's absurd tragicomedy "Herr Biedermann und die Brandshifter", known in English as "The Firebugs", was taken in 1958 as an allegory about the rise of facism. It's continued relevance suggests that Frisch's insight into the relationship between middle-class capitalism, government oppression, and terrorism (in this play, arson) is as true today.

     Gottlieb Biederman (God-loved Anyman), a hair tonic manufacturer is a perfect role for veteran comic actor Bill Doscher. His wife Babette is played by Danielle Fauteux Jacques, co-director of this production with Atissa Banuazizi, and TheatreZone's Artistic Director. The two "firebugs", Sepp Schmitz and Willi Eisenring, are an ominously bald Floyd Richardson, a TheatreZone veteran, and tuxedoed Steven Libby, seen as a Dromio at Publick Theatre this summer. The remaining parts are a delightfully accented Flavia Steiner as Anna the maid, silent Elizabeth Kurtz as widowed Mrs. Knechtling, Rick Carpenter briefly as the ambiguous Ph.D, and Anna Waldron as leader of the chorus of firepeople. She starts the show in an outrageous sequined dress singing--what else--a torch song. The eight chanting and dancing actors in the diverse chorus harken back to those in the ancient Greek comedy, giving this absurdist comedy a unique timelessness.

     The show features live contemporary music and sound effects from Mark Warhol's ensemble. Matthew Kossack worked out the footstomping street-wise choreography. The set of red painted levels was created by Julia Noulin-Merat in her 9th show for TheatreZone, who completing her MFA in Scenic Design at BU. Debbi Hobson's costumes, from Biederman's continental suit to Sepp's carnival wrestler's garb to the effective fireman's outfits give the show a finished look. This "morality play, without a moral" is well worth the short trip out to Chelsea. Carpooling is best; go a little early. .Parking around the triangle in Chelsea Sq. is generally easy to find. I prefer to drive in through tank farm and the wholesale vegetable market from Rt. 99 in Everett and turn left at the second set of lights after driving under the Tobin Bridge. There's a good map on TheatreZone's site.

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"The Firebugs" by Max Frisch, Dec.9 - 23

TheatreZone at Chelsea Theatre Works

189 Winnisimmet, Chelsea Sq. / (617 ) 887 - 2336
TheatreZone

ARCADIA

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard

Date: Thur, Dec 9, 11:37 PM

Quicktake on ARCADIA

     Last summer, "Arcadia", one of Tom Stoppard's landmark plays, recived a strong outdoor production at the Publick Theatre. Longwood Players' current presentation of this historical puzzle is quite a respectable chance for those who missed this summer's long run to wonder at Sir Tom's time-spanning play. Central to the cast is versatile Owen Doyle who play erstwhile poet and cuckold Ezra Chater for the Publick and essays the role of Bernard Nightingale, ambitious academic. His opposite number, Hannah Jarvis is played by education specialist Kaitlyn Chantry. The young romantic leads, math genius Thomisina and her tutor Septimus are ably taken by Zofia Goszczynska, seen earlier this season in "Our Country's Good" and Adam Friedman, a Princeton grad in his first Boston appearance. Thomisina's pleasure-seeking mother, Lady Croom, is Jennifer Bubriski, whose brother, Capt. Brice is John Brice. Andrew Moore is Chater in this production, while Cahal Stephens is the "picturesque" landscape gardener, Rich. Noakes.

     The play swings between 1809-1912 and the present, where Hannah and Bernard are both researching the history of the Coverly estate for different reasons. In the present they meet the sexually forthright Chloe Coverly played by Allison Linker, seen earlier this fall in "N(as in Bonaparte)" with Pilgrim and repressed Valentine Coverly, a mathematical biologist, played by Mike Bash. There's also their silent brother Gus, a intuitive musician played by Zach Adler, who also appears towards the end of the play as Thomasina's younger brother, Augustus, who does speak. These dozen actors must also invoke other unseen characters important to the action, including George Gordon Lord Byron, Mrs. Chater, and Lord Croom. Director Marc S. Miller has shaped this cast into a working ensemble with acceptable English accents. They managed to navigate the complex time-defying plot to make the various mysteries clear. Stronger attention to diction would help with some of the more abstruse moments, but all-in-all it's a solid rendition of the play. Longwood's next project will be Sondheim's early effort, "Merrily We Roll Along" for two weekends March 31 - April 8.


"Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard, Dec. 2 -10

Longwood Players in Durrell Hall

820 Mass. Ave, Camb. YMCA, Central Sq. 1 (800) 595 - 4TTX
Longwood Players

RED ELM

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Red Elm" by Dan Hunter

Date: Sun, Dec 4, 6:20 PM

Quicktake on RED ELM

     As the final new play in BPT's fall season, Dan Hunter's "Red Elm" shares the theme of growing old and leaving a legacy with "The Red Lion" and "Permanent Whole Life". This script may be the best written, but it's the most incomplete. The play's 90 minutes would make a good first two acts--with a bit more tweaking. Like too many current scripts, which seem to be written with an eye to the TV movie market however, the hard work of completing the drama has been left up to the audience--or some future producer's wishes. There are at least three dramatic conclusions implied by the action, some of which is brilliant. The author needs to pick one and go for it.

     The cast of "Red Elm" is superb. Veteran actor William Young is patriarch Jack Butler, a modern Iowa farmer. His long-suffering wife, Margaret, is played by Worcester actress, teacher and playwright, Anne Marie Shea. Their remaining son, Ezra, is Mark Peckham, new to Boston with credits in Providence and elsewhere. Jack's secretary and Ezra's love interest is Julia Jirousek in another appealing performance. Their acting as much as the author's storytelling makes one want to know what happened to these people.
     The set is another effective exercise in abstracted realism by Susan Zeeman Rogers with believable costumes by Gail Astrid Buckley. The show, which was announced for Wesley Savick was directed quite smartly by newcomer Karl Michaelis; Savick is listed as the dramaturg for all the preparatory work he did with Hunter. Lights and sound, plus other technical details are well-handled by a largely B.U. crew. It's a good close to a fall season of interesting work. Look for 11:11 and Brian Tuttle;e to come down from their fourth floor perch at the Actor's Workshop in January. Also in January, playwright Elizabeth Wyatt, who works both here and in Brighton England is bringing "Flowers of Red", a show based on the life and death of Rachel Corrie which she premiered this summer at the Edinburgh Fringe.


"Red Elm" by Dan Hunter, Dec. 1 - 18

Boston Playwrights' Theatre in Studio B

949 Comm. Ave, Allston, (617) 358 - PLAY
Boston Playwrights' Theatre

A CHRISTMAS STORY

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "A Christmas Story" adapted by Philip Grecian from Jean Shepherd's movie

Date: Fri, December 2, 11:19 AM

Quicktake on A CHRISTMAS STORY

     There's another option for family holiday entertainment besides "The Nutcracker(s)" or various visits with Scrooge including NSMT's resurrected production and the a version about to open at the New Rep at the Arsenal in association with the Watertown Children's Theatre. Stoneham Theatre has perhaps started another holiday tradition by reviving the stage version of Jean Shepherd's 1983 movie, "A Christmas Story," the humorists's nostalgic look at growing up during the end of the depression in northern Indiana. Philip Grecian's adaptation uses a grownup Ralph Parker, played by Shelley Bolman, to narrate the saga of Christmas, the Old Man, and the 200 shot Red Ryder air rifle. Bolman, who's worked with Wheelock Family Theatre and teaches there, is the perfect host for this fast-paced account as a cast of ten, two other adults plus seven youngsters, under Caitlin Lownes direction, whisks us through the month of December in frigid Indiana.

     Mother, first to utter the famous line "You'll shoot your eye out" is deftly handled by Bates and Emerson grad Meagan Hawkes, who's taken time out from documentary film-making to deal with Ralphie, Randy--hiding under the table--and of course the Old Man. Dale Place, Stoneham's favorite Scrooge, takes on the mantle of Father, hanging on as a low-level manager, driving his "new" used Oldsmobile, and of course proud of his "major award." While Bolman and Hawkes take alternate roles as the mythical Red Ryder or Miss Fields, Ralphie's teacher, the Old Man is more than enough from Place to handle, pursued by the neighbor's dogs, dreaming of turkey instead of meatloaf and red cabbage, with the firm goal of keeping his family housed, clothed and fed, battling the coal furnace daily.

     The seven youngsters in "A Christmas Story"--plus two alternates--come partly from Stoneham's own Youth Theatre. But Ari Shaps, a Gloucester six-grader, is a product of NSMT's youth program, as is Henry McClean who as kindergartener Randy, spends most of the show hidden somewhere on the set or encased in his snow suit. Ralphie's friends, Flick and Schwartz, John-Michael Breen and Nick McGrath, come from NSMT and Stoneham respectively. Scut Farkas, the playground bully, is played by Stoneham's Danny Marchant. The two girls, Helen, the class brain--who's also reputed to have beaten up Farkas--and Esther Jane who's sweet on Ralphie, are done by diminutive Emily Pinto and tall Sarah Reed, both from Stoneham's program. All are good at being kids and quite on par with the three seasoned professionals who move the show along. Bolman, Hawkes, and Place show that taking the risk of acting with youngsters can pay off. Animals are another matter, but the destructive hounds next door are only heard, not seen.

     The show takes place on Jenna McFarland's colorful changeable set, which looks like an illustration from the Saturday Evening Post. It also folds and shifts so that the kitchen stage left becomes Ralphie's classroom, and the livingroom becomes Goldblatt's Dept. Store, among other things. Fans of the film won't be disappointed, families discovering the Parker's for the first time will find a lot to recognize. So be careful with BB guns, and don't lick the flagpole, but do take a short ride out the Stoneham for this shiny new production, a definite addition to the holiday season.

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"A Christmas Story" by Philip Grecian, Nov. 25 - Dec. 23

Stoneham Theatre

395 Main St. Stoneham, (781) 279 - 2200
Stoneham Theatre

Apocaylpso!

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Apocalypso!" by Bill Donnelly

Date: Sat, Dec. 3, 11:07 AM

Quicktake on APOCALYPSO!

     Rough & Tumble's revival of William Donnelly's "Apocalypso!", first done by the industrial theatre three years ago, has a cinematic feel like their most successful collaboration with Donnelly, "Backwater" It wouldn't take much to film this millenial comedy as a low-budget independent romance. But then the audience would lose the personal touch that Rough & Tumble regulars, Kristin Baker, George Saulnier III, Irene Daly, and Jason Myatt bring to their roles. These stalwarts play Dora, who's got a message about the end of days, Gus, who's less than honest, Cal, who reads self-help books, and Dwight, her husband, with a big secret. They're joined by IRNE winner Kortney Adams as Gin, Cal's sister who's thrown Boone, her husband played by Henry LaCoste, out of the house. He's moved in with Mark Frost's Walt, a friend with a secret. And Gus is shacked up with Sherry, the bartender, played tough by Judith Austin. There are a lot of good two-scenes and thoughtful acting. The opening, between Gus and Boone would play as a ten minute piece itself. But the production as a whole would benefit from generally faster pacing and the newcomers to Rough & Tumble, with the exception of Austin, need to discover the lost art of picking up cues. Adam's character, Gin, is probably the only one where Pineteresque pauses are really appropriate.

     Still, director Dan Milstein, has given the show a nice arc, even when it seems to bog down in trivia. Ron DeMarco's abstract cityscape backed by an equally abstract "sky", surrounding the bits of furniture which defines scenes sets the mood. Perhaps Fred Harrington's live accompaniment gets a bit too meditative, and might try contrasting with the action more, but it's never inappropriate. Bonnie Duncan's costumes are a bit more subdued than usual, but entirely suited to the characters. The result is the best bargain in holiday shows. Unfortunately "Apocalypso!" doesn't run through New Year's. But then who knows when the end will come?


Apocalypso!" by Bill Donnelly, Dec. 2 - 17

Rough & Tumble Theatre at Calderwood Pavilion, Rehearsal Room

527 Tremont, (617) 933 - 8600
Rough & Tumble

THREE SISTERS

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Three Sisters" adapted from Anton Chekov

Date: Thurs, Dec 1, 11:47 PM

Quicktake on THREE SISTERS

     If you've read "Three Sisters, understand the relationships between the characters --the program is no help--and can sit through 3 1/2 hours of Paul Schmidt's workmanlike translation punctuated by at least an hour's worth of pauses and dumbshow, then here's your chance. Krystian Lupa, a renowned Polish director, has had 10 weeks to build this interpretation of what Chekov always maintained was a comedy. There aren't many laughs in his version, but you'll be able to improve your seat after the intermission. Set and costumes are interesting if rather arbitrary, and the original score includes monotonous drumming by the director. Opinions will vary. Read the ARTicles afterwards, but find a synopsis before you decide to brave yet another auteur show committed in the name of a world famous author at the ART.



"Three Sisters" adapted from Anton Chekov, NOV. 26 - JAN. 1

A.R.T at Loeb Drama Center

64 Brattle, Harvard Sq., (617) 547 - 8300
A.R.T.