The Crucible at BCT

Cast members of "The Crucible" at Beaverton Civic Theatre

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

Witch-hunts. They form a recurrent theme throughout recorded history. Like it or not, the potential exists in all cultures for an outbreak of “endemic persecutory mania,” where a society suffering from mass paranoia turns upon itself. Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible, while written in direct response to the political “witch-hunts” of the McCarthy era, is as pertinent and potent today as it was over sixty years ago.

Kira Batcheller as Abigail

In Beaverton Civic Theatre’s current production of The Crucible, director Doreen Lundberg demonstrates a penetrating comprehension of Miller’s essential themes. In a show where the actors too frequently go over the top, but rarely plumb the depths of their characters, Lundberg elicits restrained but powerful performances from her 21-member cast.

The play is based on the actual Salem witch trials of the late 17^th century, when over a six-month period 19 “witches” were hanged (and one reluctant witness pressed to death) on the basis of evidence from a group of hysterical young girls. In Miller’s version the girls’ afflictions are orchestrated by 17-year-old Abigail Williams, the jealous and delusional ex-lover of farmer John Proctor, in order to get rid Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. Ironically, Elizabeth (and her unborn child) survive the ordeal, while John Proctor hangs.

The story opens with the Rev. Samuel Parris (Aaron Morrow), Abigail’s uncle, bemoaning his fate while sitting at the bedside of his nearly catatonic daughter Betty (Addison Groendes). Over the course of the play, Morrow convincingly takes his character from the self-centered and self-pitying accuser to the recalcitrant and broken man who, too-late, faces his culpability for the horrors visited on Salem.  Like Parris, Ann and Thomas Putnam (James Bass and Valarie Griffiths Brown) have a daughter who appears to be afflicted. Brown effectively conveys Ann Putnam’s despair (having lost seven children she cannot bear to lose another) and anger at the pious midwife Rebecca Nurse (Virginia Kincaid), who is mother to eleven and has never lost a child.

Kraig Williams as Rev. John Hale

Kraig Williams is simply brilliant in the role of the Rev. John Hale, the scholarly witch hunter brought to Salem by Parris to investigate the bizarre and frightening behavior of the “afflicted” girls. His original goal is to discover and expel the devil from the community – but by the end he finds that the real evil is in the court itself, and that he has no power to stop this destructive machine. His transition from true believer to shattered doubter is a moving testimonial to the play’s deepest themes.

John and Elizabeth Proctor (Seth Haas and Letitia Maskell) are the driving forces propelling the play to its tragic conclusion. Seth Haas brings a subtlety to his role that may be unexpected to fans of Daniel Day Lewis’ angry performance in the movie version. Haas finds in Proctor’s character a maturity and thoughtfulness that elicits sympathy without histrionics.  The modern audience has no trouble relating to Haas’ believable performance as a complex, flawed, but essentially good man. Letitia Maskell’s interpretation of Elizabeth Proctor’s tortured position matches Haas’ performance in its integrity and intensity.  Elizabeth’s shame, fear, and anguish flow from her husband’s infidelity, and Maskell shows a steely tenderness that captures every nuance of the role.

Steve Holgate as Governor Danforth

The strength of this production is, in part, in the restraint shown by the actors – and this is nowhere more clearly illustrated than by the afflicted girls. In place of unbridled (and potentially comic) hysteria, the audience sees a much eerier and colder Stepford Wives/Village of the Damned ensemble under the thumb of the truly evil Abigail Williams (Kira Batcheller).  Of this group, only Mary Warren (Marina Neal) ever attempts to reveal the girls’ duplicity. Neal brings real emotional depth to the dramatic shifts in her character.

W. Paul Brewster provides a few moments of dark comic relief in the role of Giles Corey, whose stubborn individuality leads to his ultimate demise (he is the lucky fellow who gets pressed to death).  We cannot ignore the almost-diabolical duo of self-righteous judges (Steve Holgate as Governor Danforth and Chris White as Judge Hathorne). White’s eagerness to “hang ‘em high” contrasts, but ultimately complements, Holgate’s pretentious vision of even-handed but inhumane “justice.”

Set designer Alex Woodard and the construction crew have produced a beautiful backdrop for the play’s events that captures the stark simplicity of the Puritan era. Scene changes are efficient and swift, a welcome feature in a long play.

BCT’s excellent production of The Crucible deserves as full and appreciative a house at every performance as it had on opening night.

The Crucible is playing through October 13th at the Beaverton City Library auditorium. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

 

LUCKY STIFF Knocks ‘Em Dead at Broadway Rose

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

Broadway Rose’s current show, Lucky Stiff, is the first product of a highly successful collaboration between lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty (Once on This Island, Ragtime, Seussical). It is an absurdist murder farce – sort of “comedy of errors” meets “Dashiell Hammett” – but with lots of singing and a fair amount of dancing. Luckily for the audience, Broadway Rose never does anything by half-measures, and the quality of this production transforms what could be two hours of formulaic fluff into a great evening of entertainment.

The story itself is predictably convoluted and nonsensical. Harry Witherspoon, a downtrodden, dog-hating British shoe salesman, inherits six million dollars from his long-lost American uncle, Tony Hendon – but there are strings attached. In order to claim his inheritance, Harry must treat Uncle Tony’s embalmed corpse to a weeklong vacation in Monte Carlo – gambling, sky- and scuba-diving, the works! Should Harry fail, Uncle Tony’s millions will go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.  Harry’s efforts to fulfill Uncle Tony’s wishes are countered by the machinations of Tony’s lover, Rita LaPorta, and by Universal Dog Rescuer Annabel Glick. Suffice it to say that things get complicated.
 

Robert Winstead brings his extensive experience as a vocalist and a comic to the role of Harry Witherspoon. His English accent is convincing, and his marvelously expressive face clearly conveys both the pathos and the determination of his character. Winstead sings on more than half of the show’s songs, and his solid vocal performance buttresses several fine ensemble numbers. His duets with the lovely soprano Ecaterina Lynn (“Annabel Glick”) are especially effective  - comic or poignant as the story demands. Lynn’s earnest, dog-loving fanaticism is a perfect foil for Winstead’s befuddlement, and the two share many of Lucky Stiff’s funniest moments – especially in the brilliantly staged bedroom/dream sequence.
 

Amy Jo Halliday brings a frenetic bimboism to the part of Rita LaPorta, Uncle Tony’s extraordinarily classless half-blind lover (she refuses to wear her glasses) and accidental murderer.  Her over-the-top character is matched by the power of her brassy vocals, and she knows just how far she can push the role. David Smidebush displays remarkable physical fluidity throughout; his spectacular tap dancing helps to make “Harry’s Nightmare,” a captivating bit of stage magic and choreography, the high point of the show. 
 

Other noteworthy performances include Darren Hurley’s turn as the lounge-lizard/maître d’hotel/singing nun/Arab and Catherine Bridge’s portrayal of Dominique, part b-girl, part Spanish dancer, all femme fatale.  The ensemble, as expected with any Broadway Rose production, is flawless. Music director/conductor/pianist Alan D. Lytle once again brings vocal and instrumental magic to the New Stage.
 

Director/choreographer Dan Murphy presents what may be the cleverest staging of any show we have seen in recent years.  In addition to the above-mentioned bedroom/dream sequence, the series of vignettes showing Witherspoon, Uncle Tony, and Annabel parachuting, scuba diving, and fishing their way across the stage keeps the audience in stitches.  Lucky Stiff may not be terribly profound, but this production provides high quality musical theater and immerses its audience in an evening of beguiling entertainment.
 

Lucky Stiff is playing at Broadway Rose’s New Stage, 12850 SW Grant Avenue, Tigard through October 13^th.

 

 

 

The Fantasticks – Simply Wonderful!

 

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

In a world where even a modest community theater offering can cost thousands to produce, it is nice to know that a minimalist show like The Fantasticks still speaks to audiences, as it has since its initial 42-year, 17,162 performance off-Broadway run. The power of the show, when properly done, is in the simple story and the tiny band of actors who tell the tale. H.A.R.T. Theatre, under the direction of Glen York, brings just such a Fantasticks to the Hillsboro stage.

The program sets the scene; even before the actors appear, we read that the setting is “Time: A little while ago” and “Place: On stage.”  Two boxes, a bench, a ladder, a crudely framed platform, some sticks, a fine pianist (Linda Smith), and the omnipresent Mute (Heather Sutherland) replace the full pantheon of sets, special effects, and orchestra that normally clutter up more lavish shows.

The 1960 musical by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones is loosely based on “Les Romanesques,” a play by Edmund Rostand of Cyrano fame. The story is as simple as the set, and makes no more pretense at realism. A boy, a girl, two fathers, a wall (good job, Heather!), and a (literally) fantastic trio of faux villains tell the tale of young love denied, realized, forsaken, and reborn – all this in under two hours with songs!

Jake Beaver (The Narrator, El Gallo) anchors the small but mighty cast with an impressive combination of timing, physical comedy, tongue-in-cheek delivery, and surprisingly sensitive vocals.  Matt Rowning and Sarah Thornton are effective in their portrayals of Matt (The Boy) and Luisa (The Girl). Rowning brings a charmingly nerdy touch to the role that makes his turn as a hero particularly funny.   In a less balanced cast, Thornton would simply steal the show.  She has a lovely and powerful voice and well-honed comic timing; her wide-eyed innocence does little to prepare us for the fiercely independent woman who emerges in Act II.

Stan Yeend and Nick Hamilton as the fathers are triple threats – their voices blend beautifully, the dance numbers are beyond hilarious, and they deliver their lines with understated comic subtlety.  While “Try to Remember” is the best-known song from the show, Hamilton and Yeend make “Plant a Radish” the most memorable number in H.A.R.T.’s production.

Blatant comic relief is provided by two of the funniest guys we’ve seen this year – William Wilson (The Old Actor) and Seth Rue (The Man Who Dies).  This mismatched duo brings the unmatchable flair of two-bit overactors to roles that demand unrestrained physical comedy.

Solo, duet, and ensemble numbers all display the sure hand of vocal director Alice Dalrymple, who makes the most of an already talented group of singers. Maria White’s quirky costumes cast a complementary aura of surrealism that supports the director’s vision.

 

If you’ve never seen The Fantasticks, H.A.R.T.’s production is a great introduction. If you know and love the show, you don’t want to miss this marvelously intimate offering of a theatrical icon.

The Fanstasticks runs through Sunday, September 22 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays at H.A.R.T. Theater, 185 S.E.Washington, Hillsboro.

 

 

Theatre in the Grove’s C.A.S.T. Plays A Fine Fiddler, Jr.

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

Fiddler on the Roof is one of our favorite musicals (Darrell has cast recording in eight different languages!), and we were a little nervous about how such a dense and sophisticated show would translate to the conventions of the “Jr.” format, usually reserved for shows with a very young cast and aimed at an equally young audience. However, Theatre in the Grove’s C.A.S.T. (Children’s After School Theatre) production proves our fears unfounded. The teen ensemble, directed by Jeanna Van Dyke and vocal director Ashleigh Zijdemans, captures the spirit and emotional impact of the original story, and the cleverly edited script retains all of the show’s powerful themes and characters.

In less than ninety minutes, Fiddler, Jr. deals with prejudice, religious freedom, women’s rights, love, class warfare, the tension between tradition and progress – all topics as current today as they were when the Harnick and Bock show made its Broadway debut in 1964. Set in the tiny Russian village of Anatevka in 1905, the story revolves around Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, his wife Golde, and their five daughters.  By the closing number, the Jewish villagers have been driven out by the Cossacks, three of Tevye’s daughters have picked their own spouses without the assistance of matchmaker Yente, and the remaining family members are headed off to America to live with an unsuspecting uncle.

Jer Stephens (Tevye) provides a firm anchor for the show, acting as both lead and Greek chorus as he navigates and narrates the key moments. He brings a mature dramatic sensibility, comedic precision, and a solid singing voice to the role. The relationship between Stephens and Mikayla Wallace (Golde) works beautifully - while she is technically subservient to her husband, Golde tries to rule the family with an iron hand, but is constantly undercut by her husband’s romanticism and indecision. Mikayla’s lovely voice adds a lot, especially in the touching “Do You Love Me?”

The three oldest daughters (Crystal White as Tzeitel, Brea Grimes as Hodel, and Brenna Fitzgearld as Chava) provide charming solo voices and harmonies, and they do a great job of conveying their growing resistance to traditional notions of arranged marriage. Among the rest  of the cast, Jack Thias (Motel the Tailor) particularly shines – he is poignant and believable as Tzeitel’s timid suitor, emboldened by love.

Unlike many productions we have seen, this cast has a real Fiddler (Adam Borrego), and he is both a good musician and an integral part of the show.

The full cast of 31 actors provides a strong ensemble, with beautiful harmonies and intricate choreography. A highlight of any Fiddler is the bottle dance, and this cast really nails it – no Velcro or magnets hiding in the hats, just lots of practice, athleticism, and talent. Ashleigh Zijdemans’  skill as a choreographer will be missed, as she is leaving for work in San Francisco – and this production is a great send-off for this TITG mainstay.

The all-teen crew tackles the complexity of prerecorded music, delivering crisp sound that does not overwhelm cast voices. The beautiful set is simple enough that set changes are fast and seamless, complemented by the intricate and effective lighting.

Theater education, oft missing from today’s schools, is still crucial – and the C.A.S.T. program does a spectacular job of bringing local youth to the stage. At only $5.00/ticket, this is the best game in town, and we hope that the entire Forest Grove community shows this production the support it merits.

Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. runs through Sunday, August 25^th at Forest Grove’s Theatre in the Grove with shows at 7:00 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and 2:30 pm on Sunday.

Doolittle and Company Do A Lot at Broadway Rose

 

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

My Fair Lady is indisputably one of the best English language musicals ever written – not surprising given its Shavian antecedents. Story aside, the music has permeated our culture for over 50 years, and even people who have never seen it on stage or screen are likely to recognize such enduring songs as “On the Street Where You Live” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.”



Because it is a long, complex endeavor that demands an exacting blend of singing, dancing, acting (oh, those English accents!) and multiple elaborate sets, the show is not performed as often as it deserves to be. It’s bloomin’ loverly that Broadway Rose has the financial backing, theater, talent base, organizational structure, orchestra and community support to pull it off with such aplomb.



Jazmin Gorsline as Eliza Doolittle.

As with the songs, most theater lovers are familiar with the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower seller plucked from the gutter by misogynist Henry Higgins and his linguist colleague, Col. Pickering.  Higgins’ boastful claim is that he will, in six months, transform Eliza’s dreadful diction and syntax so dramatically that he can pass her off as at least a duchess or, even more demanding, a lady’s maid.

Actor Kevin Connell skillfully navigates the tricky waters of Henry Higgins’ less-than-loveable personality.  He is loud, self-centered, supercilious, and pedantic but still displays moments of charm that allow us to partially overlook his multitudinous character flaws – in part on the strength of his singing. Darius Pierce (Col. Pickering) serves as a compelling sounding board – perhaps as brilliant as his colleague, but a much nicer fellow. His performance is gently effective – he is Dr. Watson to Higgins’ Sherlock Holmes.

The object of all of this linguistic expertise, of course, is Eliza Doolittle – without a powerhouse Eliza, there is no show. Jazmin Gorsline, having played the role in three previous productions, brings a wealth of experience to her part – and it really shows. She is a superb vocalist, her accent(s) are unerring, even when the script calls for rapid-fire shifts, and she develops a captivating personality as the show progresses.

Broadway Rose mainstay Dan Murphy plays Eliza’s father, the irascibly philosophical Alfred P. Doolittle. Murphy displays remarkable vocal and terpsichorean agility in two demanding song and dance numbers, and the clanking tankards maneuver in “Get Me To the Church On Time” is a real showstopper. Henry Higgins’ mother, played with surgical precision by Pat Lach, gets the biggest laughs of the evening. Her accent, timing, and oh-so-veddy British demeanor mine every line for its full comic potential.

Blake Cranston portrays ingénue Freddy Eynsford-Hill as a deer in the headlights – so enamored of Eliza that he can’t think straight. His clear tenor voice gives poignancy to “On the Street Where You Live.” Housekeeper Mrs. Pearce, played by Paige Jones, serves as a confident and subtly spunky adversary, quietly defending Eliza from Higgins’ worst verbal and emotional abuse despite her “subservient” status.

As always, the Broadway Rose ensemble is excellent – time and again, group vocals build from small beginnings to powerful crescendos. Choreographer Jacob Toth has clearly worked his cast hard, and the dance numbers are sharply captivating. Music director Alan D. Lytle and his eleven-piece orchestra tackle the complex score with an enthusiastic precision that belies the troupe’s modest size.

As mentioned above, My Fair Lady is a long show – with intermission, this production runs about three hours. We are delighted that Director Sharon Maroney did not succumb to the temptation to trim the show or rush the pacing – she allows her actors the time to explore their characters and fully develop key scenes. It may be years before a top-notch production of My Fair Lady plays again in the metro area, and we strongly recommend that musical fans take advantage of the opportunity to see this marvelous show during this run.

The Broadway Rose production of My Fair Lady runs through Sunday, August 18^th at the Deb Fennell Auditorium in Tigard.

Caesar Takes Hillsboro Civic Center by Storm

The production features an all-female cast. Photo by Casey Campbell

 

 

"Thought-provoking" interpretation goes beyond "adaptation"

 

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

Take Julius Caesar, one of Shakespeare’s best known and most often performed plays. Mess with the script – move things around, add new dialogue, condense from the original five to only two (relatively short) acts. Cast the almost all-male show entirely with women, stage it in the round, without amplification, and do it outdoors – in Oregon. What could go wrong? Probably a lot, but in Scott Palmer’s remarkable staging of Julius Caesar for Hillsboro’s Bag&Baggage – nothing!

Palmer’s approach to the play goes well beyond “adaptation” – his casting, costumes (wonderfully timeless creations by costume designer Melissa Heller), staging and script work together to reimagine the play into a powerful and cohesive story that breathes new life into what can be a mind-numbing maze of plots and characters. Remarkably, the all-woman cast is in many ways the least revolutionary feature – although it may be the casting that frees Palmer, his actors, and his audience from 500 years of convention. The dry, sneaky Roman patricians skulking around the Forum in togas and sandals have been stripped to their barbaric essence - a tribe of earthy, wild haired warriors passionately defending their vision of Rome’s greatness.

In Palmer’s opening address, he refers to his cast as a group of “kick ass” women, which hardly prepares the audience for the raw physicality permeating the production. Cyndi Rhoads plays the expanded role of Julius Caesar as a compelling, but somewhat delusional leader who has begun to believe his own press. Rebecca Ridenour as Caesar’s closest friend, Brutus, perfectly captures the character’s angst at being forced to choose principle over affection. Marc Antony’s assertion that Brutus was the noblest Roman of them all is abundantly supported by Ridenour’s portrayal of the tragic patriot. The second prong of the triumvirate of assassins, Cassius (Arianne Jacques), provides a powerful contrast to Brutus’ purity – Jacques gives Cassius a sly and manipulative persona that fits well with Caesar’s perception of his enemy. Clara Hillier as the third prong, Casca, offers a strong, clear voice and superb acting in a physically demanding role.

Stephanie Leppert brings to the role of Brutus’ wife Portia at least as much power as any of her “male” colleagues.   One of the most moving moments in the play comes from the skillful blend of her beautiful voice and hysterical sobbing after Caesar’s death. Cassie Greer plays Caesar’s staunchest supporter, Marc Antony, with a combination of sincere love for his leader and a sophisticated political acumen. She especially shines in Caesar’s funeral eulogy, and she gives a humorous reading of Antony’s sly oratorical skill when she “accidentally” reveals the contents of Caesar’s will to the citizens of Rome.

 It is difficult to believe that there are only eleven cast members in the production – during battle scenes, with staffs flying, John Armour’s superb fight choreography relieves emotional tension by creating the sights, sounds and fury of pitched conflict. The minimalist set effectively utilizes not only the area encircled by the audience, but the entire Civic Center Plaza, to recreate the Roman Forum and the plains of Philippi.

In the hands of this astonishing ensemble of “kick ass” women, Julius Caesar delivers an entertaining and thought-provoking evening that is much more accessible to modern audiences than Mr. Shakespeare’s original work.

Bag&Baggage’s production of Julius Caesar runs through August 17^th with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

Some Americans Abroad – Oh, the Humanities!

The cast of Some Americans Abroad at HART Theatre.

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

HART Theatre’s current production, Some Americans Abroad, is an often humorous but curiously unsettling exploration of some of the characters, conventions, and pretensions of a (presumably Ivy League, but unnamed) university English Department. Playwright Richard Nelson clearly knows his subject well, but for the audience it sometimes seems like a series of black and white New Yorker cartoons linked by a parody of high-toned and obscure literary criticism and intellectual dishonesty.

Set in England during one of those ubiquitous summer education programs meant to inoculate undergrads with culture by immersing them in classic theater, the show revolves around (a) the plight of lecturer Henry McNeil, one of the program chaperones who is on the verge of non-reappointment (what, in the non-academic world is called “being fired”), (b) the cowardly angst of Department Chair Joe Taylor, who takes the easiest short-term path by lying to Henry about his impending fate, (c) the temporary disappearance of student/tour participant Donna Silliman, who ditches several plays to hang with a newfound love from Brown (until he goes off to Paris with his actual girlfriend), (d) Silliman’s ploy to earn a passing grade by claiming to have been groped by another professor, Philip Brown, and (e) Brown’s affair with yet another professor, Frankie Lewis. The white-knuckle drama is heightened by some truly frightening revelations – McNeil’s Ph.D. is from (gasp) Case Western Reserve University (buried as it is in the heart of flyover country, how good can it be?), McNeil has promising job opportunities, but at the high school level (oh, the humanity!), Joe and Philip are at serious odds on the value of George Bernard Shaw’s oeuvre (can you feel the tension now?), and McNeil has overpaid a car rental company by (gasp again) five pounds! Out of the Department’s budget! Add in the failure of former department chair Orson Baldwin to formally invite McNeil and his wife to visit their home in the English countryside and you have the stuff of which nightmares are made.

Director Stephen Kelsey acknowledges in his notes that the show is “driven by more character than plot” – thus, casting the right actors is key, and Kelsey most definitely has done just that. Joe Taylor (Jim Crino) might seem, to those unfamiliar with academia, to be an exaggeration – but we have known humanists just that self-centered, hypocritical, and domineering. Crino succeeds in making us thoroughly despise Taylor – job well done! Tom Witherspoon plays McNeil as a wide-eyed innocent willing to accept his colleagues’ covert disdain, hoping against hope that he can retain his job by being thoroughly unobjectionable. We are told repeatedly that “everybody likes Betty” (McNeil’s wife, played by Angela Michtom) and we could not agree more. Michtom brings emotional strength and honesty to her role, and has more cojones than all of the male characters in the cast put together. Maille O’Brien’s portrayal of Frankie Lewis is comparably strong; although she is betraying her husband, she shows a fiery loyalty to her paramour, Brown. Despite the contradictions in her character, O’Brien gives a clear and concise interpretation and remains likeable throughout. Dan Kroon’s reading of Brown makes it difficult to see what inspires this loyalty – his constant arguments with best friend Taylor are studies in small-mindedness.

The remainder of the cast bring strong backgrounds to the show. Of particular note – Dalene Young’s portrayal of Harriet Baldwin is attractively quirky as she remains pleasantly disconnected from the academic politics swirling around her. Tourists Ilana Watson and Brandon B. Weaver embody the stereotype of the Ugly American – but perhaps could rein in their enthusiastic boorishness a bit.

This is a short engagement, so next weekend will be the last opportunity for Anglophiles, literary critics, and lovers of droll character study to see this rarely performed work.

Some Americans Abroad runs through Sunday, July 28^th, at the HART Theatre, 185 SE Washington Street, Hillsboro.