Theater Review: Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town' at Long Wharf Theatre

New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre launches its 50th anniversary year with a newly visualized production of Thornton Wilder's classic play, Our Town. Written in 1938, Our Town is a wistful look at small town American life, capturing the beauty in the details of the day to day lives of ordinary people, and focusing on the commonality of the human experience. Set in the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners, Our Town celebrates the universal themes of love, family, constancy and stability, and teaches us to appreciate every day because our short lives are fleeting. It also points to the artificiality of theater itself, with characters that break in and out of the fourth wall with ease, drawing audiences in with feelings of concern and participation in the lives of the characters. Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Our Town has gone on to become one of the most produced plays by community theaters and high schools throughout the country.

Our Town is a play in 3 acts that depicts the everyday lives of the inhabitants of Grover’s Corners from 1901 through 1913. It is a celebration daily living, love and marriage, death and dying. With minimal sets and props, the actors are forced to pantomime much of what takes place on the stage and luckily the superb Long Wharf cast members are up to the challenge. Nothing is missed as they act out cooking meals, delivering papers, milk deliveries, playing ball, a town hall type meeting, a visit to the local ice cream parlor, and even a funeral.

Led by the Stage Manager, excellently played by Myra Lucretia Taylor, the strong cast of actors are all achingly believable in their longings, worries, activities and desires. It is difficult not to be drawn into their characters’ lives and we can easily imagine each as a very real person that we know or wish to have known in our lifetimes. Standouts include Jenna Leona as Emily Webb, and Leon Addison Brown and Christina Rouner as Emily’s parents. Also notable are Rey Lucas as the boy next door, George Gibbs, and Don Sparks and Linda Powell as George’s parents, Dr. & Mrs. Gibbs. In addition to the cast, members of the greater New Haven community also appear as additional townspeople. 

Although the play takes place between 1901 through 1913, the Long Wharf production dresses its multi-cultural cast in modern clothes, as if they could have been anyone who walked in off the street. While this is certainly a celebration of today's New Haven community, it presents a kind of disconnect in terms of some of actions and values that the play espouses. I cannot imagine that in today's day and age, it would be wise for someone to forgo college in order to be with the one he loves, nor would I advocate marrying right out of high school to start a family. These romantic notions work well within the context of the play, but do not feel realistic for our time.

On the other hand, the way this play depicts the afterlife does not coincide with my ‘romantic’ ideals of heaven. In Thornton Wilder’s vision, you do meet those who have gone on before you, but there is such a dispirited detachment from human emotion and life as we know it, that I was disappointed. As depicted on the stage, there was no joy, no feelings of boundless love or even of souls being a part of something greater; the dead were just waiting around to feel something eternal. The bored and often disappointed and disapproving looks on their faces when contemplating the living was in itself chilling – like watching limbo in hopes that heaven soon would be here. It made me sad for the dead.

One of the interesting aspects of Our Town is that it is a play that grows on audiences over time. I've heard young teens refer to it as, 'that really long play that goes on and on, and nothing happens,' while older fans say that they have 'come to appreciate this show more and more, the older I get.' This shift in perspective certainly has to do with experience and is played out on the stage by the character Emily Webb, who only learns the value of life after her own untimely demise. This can be a tough lesson for younger audiences to embrace. I also suspect that part of the age difference in appreciation for this play comes from feelings of nostalgia or even fantasy about living a simpler, calmer, and more stable life free from the ever increasing stresses of today's world.

Despite its minor disappointments, I urge theater-goers to act quickly to see this classic American show. Our Town runs through November 2. With one weekend left, hurry and call 203-787-4282 or visit Long Wharf Theatre for tickets.

Theater Review: 'Intimate Apparel' by Lynn Nottage at Westport Country Playhouse

Nikki E. Walker in Intimate Apparel at Westport Country Playhouse
Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

Westport Country Playhouse saved the best for last as they close out their 2014 season with Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel. This powerful and engaging play, which received the American Theatre Critics and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Play, is a more than a simple love story. It explores race and class divisions, highlighting the triumphs and tragedies of those who live on the fringes of society in 1905 as they create and maintain personal connections while carving their paths in the world. Featuring compelling characters that have been perfectly cast, an ingenious set design by Allen Moyer, and solid direction by Mary B. Robinson, this surprising show is a pleasure to watch from start to finish.

Intimate Apparel tells the story of Esther, a single, African American seamstress who has risen above her limited, uneducated background and created a career for herself by designing and sewing corsets for women. Catering to uptown ladies of leisure as well as to the downtown ladies of the evening, Esther has managed to save some money toward her ultimate goal of owning a salon. But at the age of 35, and still single, she is feeling lonely and afraid that she will never find someone to share her life with.

Esther’s hopes are raised when she receives a letter from George, a worker on the Panama Canal, and she begins a romantic correspondence with him with the help of her friends, which eventually leads to marriage. When George does not turn out to be the man she hoped for, Esther learns a great deal about friendship, love, sacrifice, self-worth, and the cost of compromising your dreams.

Allen Moyer’s set is an important element of the play, and a visual expression of the compartmentalization of Esther’s world. Each panel of the set belongs to a different part of Esther’s life: there’s the upper level panel of one of Esther’s uptown clients, Mrs. Van Buren; the small apartment of Mr. Marks, the Orthodox Jewish merchant Esther buys her cloth from; Esther’s living space with her boarding house landlady Mrs. Dickson, and later with her husband George; and the boudoir of Mayme, Esther’s prostitute friend. Esther is the common thread weaving in and out of these separate compartments, and her relationships and connections with the inhabitants of these differing sections drive the play forward.

Mrs. Dickson, played by Aleta Mitchell, is not only the boarding house landlady, but also the house gossip and busybody. However, Ms. Mitchell imbues her character with such warmth and motherly affection that we know that her meddling comes purely from the heart, and her words of warning and wisdom serve as motherly advice from a kind and well-meaning matriarch.

Leighton Bryan is excellent as Mrs. Van Buren, the wealthy client stuck in a loveless marriage. She evokes our sympathy when she talks about her wayward husband and inability to have a child, and our laughter as she remarks on the irony of writing love letters to a stranger in Panama as she helps Esther with her correspondence. Heather Alicia Simms is also excellent as Esther’s best friend, Mayme. Although she is a talented pianist, Mayme, unlike Esther, did not rise above her impoverished upbringing and works as a prostitute. Ms. Simms earns our laughter with her bawdy sense of humor and our trust through her honest portrayal of love and affection for her friend.

The male characters are also character opposites. Tommy Shrider plays Mr. Marks with self-deprecating humility, and his affection for his favorite customer is filled with such tenderness and spirituality that it is difficult not to yearn for their impossible relationship to blossom. He is the man you want to win Esther’s heart. Isaiah Johnson plays George, the canal worker who woos Esther with words, and whose earthy sexuality and male-chauvinistic need to dominate becomes his undoing.

The star of the show of course is the central character, Esther, movingly portrayed by Nikki E. Walker. Despite her illiteracy, Esther is the kind of character that audiences can love: she is loyal, humble, frugal, religious, and ambitious. She works hard at her trade to achieve her dreams. Honest to a fault, her wry observations provide some of the play’s funniest and some of its most telling lines, pointing out societal boundaries that should not be crossed. Although her head is turned by romantic entanglements, she is very smart, and uses her brains to uncover the real nature of those around her. Ms. Walker adds a layer of grace to Esther’s subtle humor and honest emotions, making her more than just the main character; in rising above her circumstances, Esther becomes a heroine to be admired and emulated.

Some may see Esther’s fate as a tragedy, while others will see it as a triumph of steadfast self-awareness and adherence to one’s dreams. Either way, Intimate Apparel is a triumph for Westport Country Playhouse. This show runs through November 1. Visit Westport Country Playhouse for tickets.

Local Theaters Offer Music for All Generations

There’s something for everyone this upcoming weekend as local theater groups present musicals highlighting songs from the 30’s through the 60’s. All generations will love these offerings from the Connecticut Playmakers in Old Greenwich, the Carriage House Arts Center in Norwalk, and the Bridgeport Theatre Company. Pick your era and join the fun!

If you are looking for great selections from the American Songbook, look no further than Sing for Your Supper, a fully staged musical revue featuring the songs of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. Rodgers and Hart wrote over 500 songs for 26 Broadway musicals. In Sing for Your Supper, 21 performers sing and dance their way through over 40 of the best of Rodgers and Hart’s classics, including “Johnny One Note,” “Sing for your Supper,” “Blue Moon,” “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “Where or When,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” and the quirky, comedic “To Keep My Love Alive.” The cast features the talented Patric Hale who is a winner of New York City’s Mario Lanza Competition and Westport native and soprano Lucia Palmieri who had her sold-out solo debut in Carnegie Hall in 2006, has performed with the New York City Grand Opera, and has been featured in shows on Bravo and ESPN.

Lucia Palmieri, Martin Diamond and cast of Sing for Your Supper
Photo Credit: Jeffrey R. Wyant

Director Donna McLaughlin Wyant, has produced shows featuring Tony Bennett, Donna Summer, Natalie Cole and the Irish Tenors, and is an Emmy and Clio-award-winning producer. Music Director Chris Coogan-has been hailed by The New York Times as “a masterful pianist,” and has played with Bette Midler, Donna Summer, Ronnie Spector, Phoebe Snow, Jose Feliciano, James Naughton, Broadway stars Kristen Chenoweth, and Kelli O’Hara. Chris is also the founder and music director of The Good News Gospel Choir, a 50-voice, multi-denominational singing group that performs in Churches and venues in New York and Connecticut.

Sing for Your Supper runs each weekend through October 26^th at the First Congregational Church Auditorium, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT. For reservations call (203) 249-5419, or order online: Connecticut Playmakers.

If 1950’s pop music is more your speed, you can go to The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Carriage House Arts Center in Norwalk. This smash off-Broadway show, written and created by Roger Bean, takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where songleaders Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, rally together to entertain their classmates in four-part harmony. 

The cast of the Marvelous Wonderettes 

You’ll want to sing along with cast members Lauren Jacob, Candice Sisbarro, Dainelle Testori-Gartner and Melinda Zupaniotis as they don their best starched crinolines and bouffant hairdos and lead you through songs like “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” “It’s My Party,” "Respect" and over 20 other classic hits. Directed and choreographed by Lauren Nicole Sherwood, with musical direction by Dan Ringuette, this nostalgic walk down memory lane is sure to be a hit! 

The Marvelous Wonderettes runs until November 1^st at the Carriage House Arts Center, 390 Grumman Avenue, Norwalk, CT.  Call 203-229-9797 or visit Carriage House Arts Center for tickets.

If you are looking for a grittier, socially conscious experience, then join the be-in lovefest that is Hair, now being presented by the Bridgeport Theatre Company at the newly renovated Downtown Cabaret Theatre. This classic rock musical is at once both a joyous celebration of youth and a poignant journey through a tumultuous 1960s America. This exuberant musical about a group of teenagers searching for truth, peace and love in the Vietnam War era has struck a resonant chord with audiences of all ages.  

Marques Christopher and the cast of Hair
Photo Credit: KevinMcNairPhotography

Under the musical direction of Eli Newsom, Hair features an extraordinary, vocally strong, multi-cultural cast singing a long list of chart topping hit songs, including “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard.” Director and choreographer Lance Gray has lead the local cast members through some of their strongest performances to date. Along with the colorful and authentic costumes by Jessica Camarero, and the beautiful new Cabaret lighting designed by Hugh Hallinan and Phill Hill, Bridgeport Theatre Company’s Hair is as visually stunning as it is entertaining.

But be warned: this show is recommended for ages 13 +; it includes simulated drug use, brief nudity, profanity, questioning of religion, blatant sexual positioning, and refusal of authority. But for those with the maturity to handle that, or who can look back nostalgically at this era full of energy, love, beads, flowers and happiness…enjoy!

Hair runs through October 25^th at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, CT. Call 203-576-1636 or visit Bridgeport Theatre Company for tickets.  

Theater Review: BLAME IT ON BECKETT at Eastbound Theatre in Milford

Art isn’t easy. At least not for the characters in John Morogiello’s wickedly funny play, Blame it on Beckett, being presented by Eastbound Theatre in Milford through October 19^th. This insider’s look into what it takes to work behind the scenes in the theater skewers the business practices and often shady backstage politics of regional houses but has at its heart a genuine love for those who have answered the siren’s call to create and present art.

Although set in a regional theater, this play is full of characters you will meet in just about any business setting: the naïve, young, eager newcomer who wants to make a difference; the jaded, cynical veteran who scoffs at the younger person’s idealism; the ambitious business manager who’s all about ‘getting it in writing’ and the bottom line; and the creative talent who clutches her overstuffed yet insecure ego so that she floats above it all, passing judgment on the peons whose job it is to bring her vision to fruition.

Yes, they are all here – the big fish in the little pool. Throw in a little office gossip, some backroom maneuvers with a few touches of sexual harassment, witty dialogue, barbed zingers, and pointed revelations about what it takes to get a play produced in a regional theater, and you have all the makings of a theatrical bit of genius sure to entertain and intrigue not only theater lovers, but anyone who has observed or been one of these characters on the corporate ladder. 

Under the superb direction of Kevin McNair, Eastbound Theatre’s production does an excellent job of taking us inside this roiling microcosm of regional theater. His clear behind-the-scenes vision helps audiences better understand the world behind the stage. It is far from glamorous. The set design by Kevin Pelkey which makes the most out of every inch of the small Eastbound stage, harsh office lighting by Claudia Toth, and well-suited and cleverly utilized props by Ann Baker, Dana Kaplan and Tom Rushen all combine to bring us into the disorderly office space of a time worn, and disenchanted dramaturge.

Barry Hatrick brilliantly plays that dramaturge, Jim. Mr. Hatrick infuses his character with all the world-weary cynicism that one would expect to find in a person who has been at the same job for a bit too long. He’s grown tired of wading through endless piles of bad scripts. At the point of no longer reading submitted plays, refusing to answer the phone to avoid dashing the dreams of some hopeful playwright, washing down pills with whatever liquid he can scrounge up in his office and spending his days ‘in conference’ which is code for taking a nap, he is irascible, sarcastic and worn out, and audiences can easily empathize with his frustration and his fatigue. 

Barry Hatrick and Alisson Wood in Blame it on Beckett
Photo by KevinMcNairPhotograpy

Heidi, played by Alisson Wood, invades his quiet little world. She works in the box office, but really wants to be a dramaturge. So Heidi manipulates her way into becoming an unpaid intern in Jim’s office. Eager to make an impact in her literary calling, she dives in with all naïveté of an inexperienced college graduate, bound to exasperate someone as worldly as Jim.

Some of the wittiest and sharpest dialogue in the play happens in the interchanges between intern and mentor. Heidi cannot recognize the pearls of wisdom Jim embeds in his insults; he tries to explain how, in his view, Samuel Beckett ruined plays forever with his plotless Waiting for Godot, how even good new plays are not picked up by theaters purporting to promote new works because they have to answer to boards and subscribers who want filled seats and known authors, and even how issue driven plays simply drove out the rich Republican theatergoers in the 60’s, giving Democrats an opportunity to feel good about themselves. Heidi dismisses Jim’s advice as simply being bitter diatribe against the very profession that she is ready to embrace. They both think that they are in the right and refuse to effectively communicate or learn from each other, with unintentional consequences.    

Perfectly cast as the pretty young ingénue, Ms. Wood’s portrayal of Heidi is a study in contrast.  She adroitly finesses her way into being Jim’s intern, and into the good graces of the theater’s business manager and resident playwright with the snake-like charm of an Eve Harrington, but she is hopelessly oblivious to unethical business behavior. At times, I wondered how anyone could be so naïve to think it would be a good idea to document everything she thought was wrong with her department, or to discuss that documentation over dinner with the smarmy business manager. But given her youth and her backstory, it is possible that a pretty little rich girl, with all the narcissism and certainty of youth, could rely solely on charm to make her way through the world without any thought of the implications and consequences of her actions. She is a character who could be liked for her idealist pursuit of making a difference in the theater but also reviled for her methods to do so. Either way, she learns a few hard lessons in the end, and I enjoyed witnessing the journey. Well played, Ms. Wood. 

Less likeable is the theater’s business manager, Mike, played by Qesar Veliu. Mike represents the business side of theater – his concern is filling seats, no matter what it takes to do so. He does not care about art; he just wants to be sure that seats are sold. And each ticket is his ticket out of the small theater into the big time. Mike is pure ambition; his touching backstory of having to work his way up to support himself and his mother does very little to soften his hard edges. He uses Heidi and Jim to get what he wants, and considers their downfalls to be simply collateral damage on his way to the top.

Mr. Veliu’s portrayal of Mike did little to make the character more sympathetic. I thought at times that he could have slowed down the delivery of his lines to show a little glimmer of feeling when telling the story of his rise to business manager, and even when he was acting on his slimiest impulses, I did not feel much emotion from him. It made Mike feel a little one dimensional, simply a narcissistic sociopath, driven purely by ambition. That is not to say there were no high points in the performance however. It was certainly interesting to listen to him explain away his trespasses when accused of sexual harassment. In his eyes, he not only did nothing wrong, he relished in his conquest.

The fourth player in this character driven piece is Tina, superbly played by Joan Barere. Tina is an interesting fixture, a successful playwright who is launching a new play. She has little time for the rest of the characters, generally running in just before she has to catch a train, and checking in on Jim’s progress on her new work. As portrayed by Ms. Barere, Tina is a real power player who revels in the fact that Jim’s, Heidi’s and Mike’s careers hinge on the success of her play, and she plays them all against each other to the fullest. 

Jim suggests she cut a major monologue, and she, like all playwrights in Jim’s cynical view, resists change. This monologue becomes the crux of one of the major differences between Jim and Heidi. Heidi believes the monologue should stay, and does not hesitate to flatter and fawn over Tina to convince her to keep it. Tina dangles the chance for advancement for Heidi for her insight in keeping the monologue, playing the power button by unapologetically indicating that the offer comes with lots of strings attached. Here is where Ms. Barere shines, turning on malicious manipulation without the slightest bit of remorse for tempting the young innocent with the promise of success. She lives up to her statement that she’s an artist without a soul, but then turns around and delivers the sweetest explanation for why artists work in the theater at all. It is this finely tuned dichotomy of character that makes Ms. Barere’s Tina a character that you love to hate.

Thanks to Mr. McNair’s skillful direction, all of these diverse characters with their various ambitions and conflicts are melded into a believable, if not dysfunctional, working unit. Combined with a script full of backstage intrigue, saucy and sardonic dialogue, and a resolution of conflict that seems fair to all, the play comes to a very satisfying end. I highly recommend this engaging and entertaining show. Blame it on Beckett runs through October 19^th at the Eastbound Theatre. For tickets call 203-882-0969 or visit Milford Arts Council.