Murder Ballad at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport

The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport presents Murder Ballad, a passionate tale of love, sex, and murder for one weekend only, September 26^th – September 28^th. Conceived by Jonathan Larson Award winner Julia Jordan, with book and lyrics by Jordan and music and lyrics by Juliana Nash, this steamy, completely sung-through rock musical is a unique, sexy, adult thriller that explores love, marriage, betrayal, and revenge and points to the long lasting consequences of the choices we make. 

Phillip Bettencourt serves as both director and musical director for this captivating show, featuring a small, but abundantly talented cast. He leads an onstage rock band featuring Christopher Cavaliere, Marcelo Calderon, Aaron Diamond and Zach Simao that complements but never overwhelms the stunning vocals of the performers.

Maggie Pangrazio, the Bijou Theatre’s artistic director, shines as the not quite objective Narrator, drawing us in with her strong rock vocals and leading us through the dark tale of love gone awry, which but for the grace of God, could happen to any of us. She tells us from the beginning that we will witness a murder, but leaves us guessing as to who gets murdered, and by whom, until the very end of the show.

Arielle Boutin, as Sara, presents both light and dark with her more than believable portrayal of the girl whose heart was broken by the bad boy, but who finds new life and love with her dependable, good-guy husband Michael, played with oh-so-perfectly staid sweetness by Everton Ricketts. Ms. Boutin adroitly captures the initial excitement of first being in love and becoming a new wife and young mother of a perfect little girl – that is until that little girl goes off to school, and she’s left at home wondering who she is supposed to be between the hours of 9 and 3. Her uncertain sense of self, the ennui and routine of being the stay at home mom, and a little touch of depression make her vulnerable to the dangers of her bad boy, ex-boyfriend, Tom. Christian Cardozo, who embodies all the good looks, sensuality, and narcissistic swagger of the kind of guy that mothers warn their daughters against but fall for anyway, devilishly plays Tom. 

This fiery mix of personalities smolders throughout the theater during the performance, further drawing the audience into the passion and drama of the play. Theatergoers should be prepared for an up-close and personal, almost voyeuristic view of the volatile state of affairs (pun purely intentional.) The actors are spot-on in their performances, and are able to elicit all of the empathy, sympathy, hope, and loathing that their characters deserve – although interestingly, I suspect that audience members will differ in who they root for and who they think might deserve to die, depending on their own life experiences and points of view. That is the joy of good theater.

If you are in the mood for some steamy, edgy fun, you’ll need to hurry. Murder Ballad at Bridgeport’s Bijou Theatre runs through Sunday, September 28^th only.  Visit The Bijou Theatre for tickets.

Theater Review: I'm Not Rappaport at Westport Community Theatre

Westport Community Theatre opens its 2014/2015 season with the delightfully funny and poignant play, I’m Not Rappaport, by Herb Gardner. Thanks to a wonderful script full of one-liners, jokes and witty banter, a simple set by Dave Eger, excellent direction by Lester Colodny, and phenomenal performances by each member of its small cast, this play is more than just the story of a couple of old guys meeting daily on a park bench. It is a touching look at an unlikely friendship and a glimpse into the psychological struggle to keep our sense of self while railing against the physical changes and emotional hardships of old age.

 

Fred Tisch and David Tale in I'm Not Rappaport
Westport Community Theatre

Nat, captivatingly played by Fred Tisch, is a cantankerous, but charming, old Communist from way back in the early days of labor unions and industrial strikes. A bleeding heart with a touch of con man inside, Nat feels most alive when channeling his inner Don Quixote. With a surprisingly sharp mind and vivid imagination, Nat adopts alternate personas to constantly tilt at real or imagined windmills. He sees himself as a hero. As long as there are causes to champion, the world still needs him.

Mr. Tisch’s fascinating portrayal of Nat makes the character instantly likable. With a wink in his eye, audience members know that Nat takes delight in his battles, whether jokingly sparring with his park bench companion, or trying to right what he sees as the injustices of the world. Nat is not delusional, but fully aware of the con games he plays. He is so committed to his flimflam that I found myself fully believing the wonderful tall tales he spins, and rooting for his schemes to defend his friends.

Nat’s fellow octogenarian bench buddy, Midge, convincingly played by David Michael Tate, is his temperamental opposite. A black man, who I suspect, has a long history of keeping his head low, staying out of the fray, and just getting along, finds his worth and sense of self in the fact that he is still employed, though tenuously, as the super in the apartment building he lives in. He has diminished eyesight, which he is loath to admit to, and is slowing down, but nonetheless hopes to keep his job at least until the end of the year when he will be ready to move on. But fate is against him as his building is going co-op and the boiler, which he knows inside and out, will soon be replaced by a newer model.

Mr. Tate fits so comfortably into this role that he makes Midge feel like an old friend. He is a solitary old man, tired, with some regrets, but one who is just happy to keep on keepin’ on, until something comes along to upset his equilibrium. He sits in the park by day to avoid speaking with the head of the co-op board who wants to fire him, and he is so invested in keeping the peace, that he even pays a daily protection fee to a park thug to keep from being mugged. 

 

The biggest upset to Midge’s equilibrium is Nat, who invades Midge’s space, tells outlandish stories, and to his chagrin, decides to fight the looming representative of unemployment in the person of Mr. Danforth, played by Rick Stewart, the co-op board member sent to deliver the bad news to Midge. One of the funniest scenes of the play has Nat assuming the guise of an elder law attorney who not only wants to protect his client’s job, but also threatens to stop any construction or renovations to the building and drag Mr. Danforth’s name and reputation through the mud, all while Midge looks on in horror and amazement. With a delivery like Al Pacino at his legal best, I wanted to cheer Nat on as Mr. Stewart’s puffed up, self-important Danforth deflates before our eyes and slinks off to tell the board that Midge would be keeping his job and his apartment.

There are others in the park that Nat fights for or against to less success. He ends up being beaten when he stands up to Gilly (Matt Catalano), Midge’s extortionist protector. And Midge plays Sancho to Nat’s Don Quixote when they go up against a cowboy drug dealer (Jeffrey Wyant) who is after Laurie (Melody Cochran), a recovering addict and our boys’ would-be Dulcinea. This time the plot involves Nat becoming a Mafia king whose simple presence is supposed to intimidate the Cowboy into leaving town, ending with disastrous results. 

Fred Tisch, Deborah Burke, and David Tate in I'm Not Rappaport
Westport Community Theatre

All of this leads to some of the deeper issues surrounding the main characters in the play. Nat’s daughter Clara, excellently portrayed by Deborah Burke, is not amused by her father’s antics and sees him as a clear danger to himself and to others. She wants him safely ensconced in a nursing home, or living with her and attending adult day care which he equates with kindergarten. When he refuses that, Clara threatens him with legal action that will end his independence. It is a last straw attempt at getting her father in line, but necessary because she is, after all, “only thinking of him.”

And that is the crux of matter. For all of the old jokes and one-liners, familiar banter and stirring monologues, Herb Gardner’s script is full of wisdom and warning about how we look at and treat our aging population. Danger and elder abuse exist, whether in the form of bullies and street thugs, forced retirement, or even well-meaning family members. Sooner or later, old age happens to all of us, and how we treat our elders today is a reflection of how we will be treated down the road. What happens to our sense of self when our independence is taken away? Will we diminish and become invisible when shunted away into forgotten corners of society? All of this is heady stuff for a comedy, but worth thinking about.

That’s not to say that this play ends on any sort of down, philosophical note. The upbeat ending has Midge coaxing Nat out of any resigned capitulation to his daughter’s demands and back into his imaginative viewpoint of the world around them. Unlike Don Quixote, Nat does not die clinging to a delusion and the play ends with the hope that together, Nat and Midge will fight the good fight against injustice, old age, and infirmity until the very end.     

I’m Not Rappaport plays through October 5^th at Westport Community Theatre, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT. Call 203-226-1983 or visit Westport Community Theatre for tickets.

Theater Review: The Town Players of Newtown's THE ARTIFICIAL JUNGLE

I was not quite sure what to make of The Town Players of Newtown's production of The Artificial Jungle by Charles Ludlam. Billed as a comedic thriller, I expected a few laughs, but what I was faced with was beyond a lighthearted comedy. Set in a family owned pet shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side, this silly, irreverent homage to film noir classics like The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity starts slowly with a lengthy introduction of unique characters, including a centrally placed tank full of stick puppet piranhas. Add in an average Joe shop owner, a bored and bitter housewife, a dark and mysterious stranger, a melodramatic affair, an overbearing mother, a best friend cop, and parrots that may or may not talk, stir with a ridiculous murder plot, and violà - you have all the makings of an absurd romp where the titters and giggles start out low, grow to hearty guffaws, and by the end of the play, leaves you laughing in the aisles.

The cast of The Artificial JunglePhoto Credit: Lynn Alexander 

This production starts out too slow with lengthy exposition and character introductions in the first act. But, under the astute direction of Gene Golaszewski, each cast member is able to pinpoint their character's most sympathetic and most grating character traits, making them believable despite the absurdities of their situation. Timothy Huebenthal plays Chester Nurdiger, the owner of the unusual pet store. He is a bit of a con artist, who uses ventriloquist tricks to sell non-talking birds to unsuspecting patrons, and the master of upselling products to dissatisfied customers, even if it's his best friend Frankie Spinelli. Frankie, a down to earth, but not too bright cop, is played by Ron Malyszka. His easy going familiarity with the entire Nurdiger family feels so genuine and effortless, that it is easy to believe he is a part of the extended family.  

Cast standouts are Olivia Carr as Roxanne, the scheming, over-dramatic wife of the pet shop owner and Brian DeToma, as Zachary Slade, the preening Lothario with the murderous, yet philosophical streak. Ms. Carr plays Roxanne with all the tough girl, world weary, hard edges of a Barbara Stanwyk on steroids, and Mr. DeToma's Zach is all confidence and machismo, despite the fact that he is as squeamish as a schoolgirl when it comes to handling wriggling tubifex worms. Together, these actors are a hoot to watch, as they are fully committed to their satirical characterizations, going way over the top with their melodramatic portrayals of lust and love gone awry.  

Also notable in the cast is Laurel Lettieri as Mother Nurdiger, the live-in in-law who proves to be the bane of Roxanne's existence. Ms. Lettieri's comic fall during an ill-timed stroke is a wonder to behold, as are her crazy expressive eyes which serve as a constant reminder to Zach of his guilt. The cast is rounded out by Rosemary Howard, who plays a pet shop customer who also appears in Zach's mind as a specter of his horrible crime.  

The Town Players of Newtown's production is not perfect, but as the absurdity of the action continues, so do the laughs, although I suspect not for all the right reasons. One example came after Roxanne and Zach were interrupted in the clean-up after the murder by Frankie, the cop. Roxanne explains to Frankie that Chester has passed out after drinking a bottle of wine, so Frankie suggests they help him to bed. In trying to lift him, the corpse seems to assist them by taking a couple of steps. If this is part of the intended absurdity of the scene, then they have achieved the desired laughs, but if not, then shame on the director for allowing such a glaring break in continuity to  occur.  

There is also an unnecessary intermission in this production, with a very short final act. But it is in this final act that laughs actually start piling on. Zach is becoming unglued by guilt, Roxanne is restless once again, Mother Nurdiger is throwing accusatory glances everywhere and Frankie is as clueless as ever. By this time, I was looking at this play like an old sketch from the Carol Burnett show, seeing Roxanne as an overly made up, over-dramatic femme fatale, and Zach as her bumbling lover played by Tim Conway. Even Mother Nurdiger gets into the act, looking like the Carol Burnett version of Nora Desmond, ready for her closeup. What made the Carol Burnett show so enjoyable was the silliness and absurdity of the sketches, and that is what brings this fun and funny production to its ultimately satisfying conclusion.  

The Artificial Jungle runs through September 27th at the Town Players Little Theater, Orchard Hill Road in Newtown, CT. Visit Newtown Players for more information.

Theater Review: Westport Country Playhouse: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE

Westport Country Playhouse brings on the laughs with a decidedly dark comedy, The Things We Do for Love by Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by John Tillinger, this tale of love and lust wildly demonstrates the effects of "fools rushing in," and mines guilty and often uncomfortable laughs from the human foibles and failures of obsession, infidelity, domestic abuse, and stereotypes. Each of the characters on this rocky road to love starts out with some form of social malady leaving you to wonder if love makes you crazy or if only crazy people fall in love.

Much has been said about the unique setting of this show. The Things We Do For Love takes place on three floors of the same house. Set designer James Noone impresses with his vision of this home: a smartly furnished main floor and partial views of the top floor and basement. How much you can see of the basement floor depends on where you are sitting. I sat towards the back of the theater and did not even know that the bottom floor was furnished until I walked up to the stage at intermission. Not being able to fully see the floor did not detract from the play however, because the script and the actors conveyed all I needed to know about what was going on down there. Laurie Churba Kohn's chic costumes and Paul Miller's lighting were also impressive, adding to this unique production.

The cast is superb at bringing their character's personality quirks to life. Geneva Carr excellently plays Barbara, a single, successful assistant who lives an orderly, but solitary life. She is slightly obsessed with her married boss and is threatened by her younger and prettier little coworkers. But she runs and owns her own home, seemingly thrives on doing everything herself, and relies on no one. That is except for her downstairs boarder, Gilbert. 

Gilbert, sympathetically portrayed by Michael Mastro, is a seemingly intellectually slow widower, but good to have around to help Barbara with simple household chores like fixing the heating and taking her excess clothes out for donation. Gilbert is devoted to Barbara, despite the fact that she barely notices him beyond the little things he can do for her. But Gilbert harbors a secret obsession with his landlady.  Unbeknownst to Barbara, he paints a giant nude picture of her on his ceiling, and instead of donating her clothes, holds on to them for...well...you can guess. Part of the genius of his character, and Mr. Mastro's portrayal is that audiences do sympathize with him for his slowness and his unrequited devotion to someone who barely acknowledges him before we learn that he really is an obsessive creeper/stalker who any sane person would want out of her home.

Turning Barbara and Gilbert's already unbalanced world out of whack are Barbara's former schoolmate, Nikki, played by Sarah Manton, and Nikki's fiance Hamish, played by Matthew Greer. Barbara rents the upstairs apartment to the couple while their new home is being renovated. Sarah Manton's Nikki is a vulnerable young women filled with self-doubt and low self esteem, after just coming out of an abusive relationship. She looks to Barbara for advice and clings to her fiance because she is too afraid to face life on her own. Hamish abandoned his own marriage to take up with Nikki. Outwardly this couple is too cute to bear, publicly displaying their cloying, babyish greetings to each other when they meet at the door or say goodbye. Barbara immediately takes a dislike to Hamish and to the intrusion of this sickeningly sweet couple into her singular life.

L-R Geneva Carr, Sarah Manton, Matthew Greer and Michael Mastro in
Alan Ayckbourn's "Things We Do for Love" at Westport Country Playhouse
Photo by Carol Rosegg

This houseful of dysfunction becomes a powder keg of insecurities, thinly veiled and sometimes open hostilities. and eventually combusts when fueled by life disappointments, real or imagined sleights, alcohol, and lust. But instead of going for the melodramatic, Ayckbourn's brilliant script goes for hilarity in furtive glances, passionate embraces (with one unnecessary nude sex scene; I wish Westport Country Playhouse would acknowledge the value of a well placed sheet), comic fist fights and confused characters. When the dust settles, friendships are severed, a couple still remains, and a desperate though somewhat tamed stalker still lives in the basement. It is difficult to predict a happy ever after for the characters in this show but in the long run, we get an absurd and entertaining look at crazy, stupid love.

Hurry if you want to see this show.  The Things We Do for Love runs only through September 7th at Westport Country Playhouse.

Theater Review: Boomerang Theatre Company's Love's Labour's Lost

There’s a lot to love about the summer arts scene, especially the abundance of Shakespeare performances that seem to crop up in theaters and festivals throughout the country. I thought I would round out my summer Shakespeare experience with Boomerang Theatre Company’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost at New York’s Bryant Park and looked forward to what promised to be a delightful evening in the city. I imagined myself relaxing on the lawn, totally engrossed in compelling theater performed under sunset skies, and having a thoroughly wonderful time. Alas, despite wonderful performances by the actors and innovative direction by Cailin Heffernan, I was disappointed. 

Love’s Labour’s Lost is not your usual Shakespeare comedy. It tells the story of King Ferdinand of Navarre and three men in his court who vow to go without the company of women to concentrate on their studies. Of course, each immediately falls in love with a lady from the court of a visiting princess. The beauty of this play lies within the witty play of words within Shakespeare’s text, and while it has comedic elements and characters, there is no true happy ending. The would-be lovers separate, with a hopeful ‘wait and see if this works out’ cliffhanger.

Boomerang Theatre Company's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Bryant Park

Boomerang Theatre Company’s production starts off slowly, with song and performance sketches in the style of a British Music Hall. The original music and lyrics by musical director Henry Aronson are entertaining enough, although they have little to do with the story of the lovers in the play. Because of the music hall framework, the Shakespearean portion of the evening feels like a play within a play, with an additional layer being added when the characters perform their own play within the play by presenting their version of the Nine Worthies. Maybe I’ve seen too much Shakespeare this summer, because this devise is beginning to feel a little tired.

The play does not start to take off until each man realizes that he is in love and that each of his compatriots is also infected with this deadly condition. But while the men are earnest in their pursuits, the ladies seem merely to mock their attentions, turning the entire love story into an Elizabethan version of foolish games. 

This production stars Timothy Babcock, Amanda Berry, Deborah Carlson, Eva Gil, Timothy W. Hull, Jason Loughlin, Hannah Jane McMurray, Jake Minevich, Linda S. Nelson, Sarah Norris, Jared Reinmuth, Dan Renkin, Natalie Roy, Michael Russinik, Christian Ryan and Sara Thigpen. Individually, each does well with their characterizations, although I found the men much more memorable than the ladies.

Boomerang Theatre Company's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Bryant Park

Standouts in the crowd are Timothy Hull as King Ferdinand of Navarre, the originator of this Shakespearean version of the he-man woman-haters club and Jason Loughlin, who seems to channel a young Kenneth Branagh as Biron, the last to sign the oath and the first to fall. Jared Reinmuth as the bombastic Spaniard, Don Adriano de Armado and Michael Russinik, as Costard, the sage clown of the play, also give outstanding performances, not only because of the roles they play, but because they perform those roles with exaggerated accents.

Boomerang Theatre Company’s production, while enjoyable, still did not live up to my expectations for a wonderful evening of Shakespeare. The flaws are not in the production itself but in the venue. 

Far from being an “oasis” in the heart of the city as Director Cailin Hefferman described in the press release, Bryant Park is an unfortunate choice for this production. The seating (little green folding chairs) for this 2-hours and 15 minutes show with no intermission is uncomfortable. There is no real set to speak of, and aside from the chairs set up in front of the small stage, little is done to separate the stage area from the rest of the goings on at Bryant Park.

Shakespeare requires a certain amount of concentration on the part of today’s audiences for a full understanding of the poetic text, especially for a play like this one, where the laughs all spring from witty wordplay. New York’s gaping tourists, foot and road traffic, honking horns, sirens, and other sights and sounds of midtown detract from and compete with the play. The city itself seems to overwhelm the production, which is unfortunate for the talented group of actors who work so hard to bring their characters to life.

Even though I love New York, I was left with a sense that I might actually have enjoyed the show more had I seen it someplace else. I thought about the grounds of Stratford’s own Shakespeare Festival Theatre, or anywhere indoor, or any secluded spot. It almost did not matter how witty the script, talented a cast, or ingenious the direction, New York City is what steals the show. 

Free performances of Love's Labour's Lost run through August 30th at Bryant Park. Should you go into the city to see this show, I hope you are lucky enough to go on a 'quiet' New York evening. For more information visit Boomerang Theatre Company

Connecticut Free Shakespeare Brings Back the Sixties with As You Like It

There's a sixties style happening going on in Southern Connecticut and it should not be missed. Connecticut Free Shakespeare has brought a delightful version of As You Like It to the outdoor stage. As envisioned by director, Ellen Lieberman, this production of Shakespeare's romantic comedy is set in 1969 and is complete with music, protests, idealized pastoral hippie life, and of course, all aspects of love. Shakespeare purists might object to some of the liberties taken in song and style, but this production is in perfect accord with Connecticut Free Shakespeare's mission of producing understandable and entertaining performances of Shakespeare's plays that are accessible to a broad range of audience members, including those not familiar with Shakespeare's work, without jeopardizing artistic integrity.  

It is always a pleasure to see young children in the audience engrossed in the play that has been put before them, even more so when it is laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of the Bard's work. By including 60's style songs that the audience can join in singing, as well as characterizations that current audiences can relate to, and performing in a relaxed outdoor setting, the stage is perfectly set for a family friendly, drug free 'Be-in' of the theatrical kind.  

As You Like It has some familiar Shakespearean devices: exiled rulers, women disguised as men, misdirected and unrequited love, love at first sight, a forest adventure leading to a happy ending for all, as well as the famous "All the world's a stage" soliloquy. This production is made more enjoyable by the caliber of the production team and the skilled, talented actors that take the stage.  

Hannah Dubner and Caitlin Chuckta are excellent as Rosalind and Celia. Together, they are totally believable as intimate best friends and cousins, with a love between them that even an ambitious uncle cannot break. I especially love their seemingly adolescent 'squeeing' when Rosalind first meets Orlando at the wrestling match, as only two giddy teenage girls can. Celia never seems to break out of the schoolgirl mode, contrasted to Rosalind, who when in the guise of the youth Ganymede, not only affects a male stance and attributes, but also dispenses a knowledge of love and courtship that seems beyond her years.

Mark Friedlander is also excellent as Orlando, displaying all the frustration of a young man oppressed by his older brother's treatment and bemused by his own inability to speak when he first encounters the love of his life. Ah youth! When he escapes from his brother to the Arden Forest, he meets up with the exiled Duke, and his beloved Rosalind who is disguised as Ganymede, with whom Orlando strikes up a friendship.  In the course of one of Ganymede’s tutorials on the art of love, Orlando kisses him, and the look of confusion on Orlando’s face at that point is priceless. 

Musical director Eric Brian Nyquist plays the dual roles of Orlando's older brother Oliver and Amiens, part of the exiled court of Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden. Amiens serves as the court troubadour, setting the tone of the exiles' hippie lifestyle and providing the soundtrack that they, and the audience, can groove to. Mr. Nyquist's entertaining and unique characterization of Amiens is reminiscent of George Carlin's Hippy Dippy Weatherman. Anthony Vaughn Merchant plays both Duke Frederick and the man he deposed, Duke Senior. Each seems the antithesis of the other; where Duke Frederick is uptight, greedy and ambitious, Duke Senior seems laid back and content for the time being in the forest, patiently awaiting that time when he can return to court.  

Ian Eaton plays both Charles, the wrestler, and Jaques, another of Duke Senior's exiles. While Charles is played for laughs, Jaques is the more serious and melancholy of the roles. In this production Jaques does not seem as much of a downer as portrayed in other productions. Although dressed more somberly in comparison to the colorful hippie costumes of the rest of the Arden exiles, Jaques is less of an Eeyore in the forest, as he is a realist in search of his place in the world. Mr. Eaton plays Jaques with an island accent, making him more of a knowing old uncle in the midst of the chaos of the counterculture. However, because of the character's inherent maturity and sobering presence, Mr. Eaton's delivery of the "All the world's a stage" soliloquy when surrounded by the colorful exuberance of youth is all the more poignant and meaningful.  

Part of the brilliance of this production is the connection to the sights and sounds of 1969. In keeping with that theme, we have the Establishment as seen in the characters of the court: Oliver, and Duke Frederick, and the counterculture as characterized by the flower children and hippie lifestyle of the Arden exiles. Another sixties phenomenon is also present in this production in the persons of the simple country folk of the Forest of Arden. With corny accents and costumes reminiscent of the popular television show, “Hee Haw,” the 1969 connection is complete. Standouts among the country cast are Alton Alburo as the lovestruck Silvius and Regina Gibson as Phoebe, the woman who cruelly disdains him. Phoebe’s attempts to seduce Ganymede are particularly unsophisticated and awkward; she reminded me of a character from Li’l Abner – yet another throwback to the sixties.

Joining in the love fest in the woods, and making a further connection between country and court life are Jacob Heimer as Touchstone and Liliane Klein as Audrey. They form another comedic, yet unlikely couple. Unmatched in intellect, their relationship is grounded in physical attraction and lust, as opposed to the other couples striving for loftier ideals. Even the hated Oliver finds love in the forest when he meets Celia and they are both “struck in a moment of breathless delight.” The woods also magically solve the problem with the dukes. Frederick meets a clergyman in the forest, finds God, and restores Duke Senior’s title and lands to him. It was a convenient ending for Shakespeare, but a happy ending for all the characters in this play.

Scenic design by Elizabeth Popiel and lighting by Sebastian Paczynski enhance the outdoor experience of this show. Props and graphic design by Alejandro Lopez also add to the look and feel of the sixties. Ellen Lieberman's adaptation even allows for a  surprising and funny bit with a telephone that has to be seen to believed.

The star of the production team is costume designer Jessica Camarero. Not only are there surprising costume pieces like the feather boa worn by Charles the wrestler, and a clergyman who looks like a refugee from The Book of Mormon, the costumes of the court are conservative reflections of the clothes worn in 1969. Ms. Camarero's brilliant 60’s hippie costumes are amazing and inspired. These hippies are not gritty street people but colorful flower children spreading the ideas of peace and love. The costumes are perfect. It is like looking back at an era through the forgiving lens of nostalgia. 

The run of As You Like It has ended at the American Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, but it will move to McLevy Green in Downtown Bridgeport from August 6^th – 10^th at 8:00 pm. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Don’t miss it! This brilliant production turns this Shakespeare play into a family experience that cannot be beat.   

Theatre Review: Nora at Westport Country Playhouse

Ingmar Bergman’s Nora is a provocative choice for Westport Country Playhouse’s 3^rd production of the season. This play, which is a pared down version of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, is a beautifully written, thought-provoking conversation starter that deals with the issue of women’s roles in the face of an oppressive patriarchal society. When A Doll’s House was written in 1879, it challenged male dominated societal rules about a woman’s place in the home and in the world.

As envisioned by director David Kennedy, Westport Country Playhouse’s version is a more contemporary look at the same issues. Using an innovative open scenic design by Kristen Robinson and superb lighting by Matthew Richards, we are brought into a 20^th century world where sadly, some of the social elements of 1879 still strike a nerve: secrets in a marriage, controlling and abusive husbands, employment and our sense of self, poverty after the death of a spouse, and the far reaching effects of a troubled past. However, the contemporary setting of this production is distracting and does not work well with the dialogue and important themes presented in the original play.

In the 19^th century, the ideal woman possessed a nurturing, passive, domestic character. A woman’s place was certainly in the home; her primary duties were to attend to and bolster her husband, and to be seen as the moral compass for the family. Often at the mercy of her caretakers, women possessed few resources for making their way in the world without her partner, a situation that the title character faced when her husband became ill and was in need of an extended stay in a restful environment. Without the means to afford such a trip, Nora illegally borrowed the money without her husband’s knowledge or consent and has been secretly paying back the loan. Things take a turn for the worse, when through a series of bizarre coincidences, Nora’s moneylender is discharged by her husband’s bank, and he decides to blackmail Nora into securing a new bank position and advancing his career. 

Lucas Hall and Liv Rooth in Nora, Ingmar Bergman's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's
A Doll's House.  Now through August 2nd at Westport Country Playhouse
Photo by Carol Rosegg

On the surface, this premise feels implausible for a contemporary Nora. As played by Liv Rooth, she seems more terrified of what her husband would do if he found out that she went behind his back to take out a loan than the irksome little detail that she forged a signature to do it. Her fear is not for herself but for her husband, who she assumes would feel emasculated by the fact that his wife helped him but who would nobly take the fall for the forgery. 

It does not help that in this modern day version, Nora is like a caricature of a less than brilliant, and yes, a blond, trophy wife. Looking like a well-coifed Barbie doll in chiffon and satin cocktail dresses and heels, thanks to the sublime costumes of Katherine Roth, Nora more than ably fulfills the role of decorative status symbol. She is the object of affection who is coddled and cosseted according to the whims and wishes of her husband Torvald. Nora is a full participant in this game as well; she is submissive when she needs to be, childish and coquettish. Flirtation and sex are her main tools for getting what she wants. When Torvald gets a bit too close to the truth, Nora calculatingly plays dumb, asking Torvald’s help in picking out her clothing, or to teach her to dance. Her efforts at seducing him away from incriminating evidence are almost cartoonish with her shoulder shaking, pouting lips, and come hither stare. And the worst of it is that Torvald falls for it.

The best that I can say about Torvald, convincingly played by Lucas Hall, is that he is a piece of work. He is the epitome of an authoritative, controlling, narcissistic, sexist pig. He decides how Nora should act, what she should wear, what she should think, when she should speak, where they go, when they have to leave, how much she is allowed to spend, and on what items. Everything about Nora is a reflection of him; she is just another of his possessions whose purpose is to impress others. She is his plaything, to dress up and do with her what he pleases, when he pleases.

There is nothing latent about his chauvinism; and therein lies the problem. Torvald is clueless that there could be any other way to interact with his wife. In the modern setting, his condescending little speeches and directives, as well as his incredulity that his little woman could ever possibly think of leaving him are maddeningly laughable. Such blatant sexism may have made sense in the 19^th century when it was more a rule than the exception, but in today’s slightly more enlightened times, you just want to shake your head and say, “Dude, buy yourself a clue.”

There are other characters who inhabit Nora’s world. She has unseen children, who are little more than a footnote to the story. LeRoy McClain plays Dr. Rank, a dying family friend who is attracted to Nora and possibly the only man who sees her beyond her role as wife and mother. Stephanie Janssen plays Mrs. Linde, a friend who’s arrival unwittingly sets off the events played out on stage, and Shawn Fagan gives a beautifully nuanced performance as Nils Krogstad, the disgraced banker who exposes all of Nora’s secrets. Mr. Fagan’s performance has just the right amount of desperation and menace to make Krogstad seem both threatening and sympathetic at the same time.

However, it is the drama that takes place between husband and wife that drives this production forward. Secrets are revealed, and Nora eventually walks out on Torvald, having learned that she has not been loved for who she is but for the roles she plays. The sudden turnaround comes as a bit of a shock; Nora expresses such momentary rage at Torvald at one point in the final scene that I was left scratching my head and asking, “Where did that come from?” Given the fact that we had no hint of simmering feminism or a growing sense of self in Nora up to this point, it seemed so out of place that I was as taken aback as Torvald must have been.  

Nora’s sudden fit of rage was another unfortunate distraction from the eloquent words and monologues that Ibsen wrote for the final act of A Doll’s House. But even that moment is not as jarring as the unnecessary final image of a vulnerable Torvald, symbolically stripped of his perceived entitlements that made him Nora’s superior, standing lost and dumbfounded in all his gratuitously naked glory.

A Doll’s House shines a light on the oppression of women in a male dominated society. It speaks eloquently about the roles of women, sacrifices made in marriages, and of being treated like a human being over and above gender. It is disappointing that the added distractions of Westport Country Playhouse’s production of Nora detract from the message that Ibsen conveys with this important play, especially in this day and age when women are still fighting for an equal place in society. 

Nora runs through August 2^nd at Westport Country Playhouse. Call 203-227-4177 or visit www.WestportPlayhouse.org for tickets.