Philadelphiatheaterarts

Review by Neal Newman

March 2, 2023

Playgoers could rightly expect THURGOOD, the one-person show at People’s Light, to be a traditional lecture featuring a podium in a tiny space. Instead, they are treated to a phantasmagorical dream with amazing stage pictures, projections, and sound. This only enhances Brian Marable’s exceptional performance as Thurgood Marshall, our country’s first black supreme court justice. 

Even more memorable, or at least dramatic, is his stand before the court in Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), which challenged the painfully prejudiced condition of school segregation in the South. The constitution had enshrined the policy as ‘separate but equal,” but Marshall challenged the concept as evil, damaging to young students, and illegal. The resulting court decision reframed the entire existence of the white South and led directly to the civil rights crises of the ’60s that continue today.

I had the privilege of being joined by the acclaimed author and novelist Jewel Thomas, who pointed out that George Stevens, Jr.’s play was a necessary educational document. To many young people, segregation is a historical chapter lost in the past rather than a shameful event that continues to plague our society. Ms. Thomas was especially struck by the scene where the young Thurgood is arrested by a group of arrogant white southern policemen for “driving while black.” Yes! This kind of thing still occurs.

Stevens’ play explains the segregation issue with extraordinary clarity. During the famous trial, Marable transforms into John W. Davis, the acclaimed white lawyer who defended the 14^th amendment. Davis, played by Marable, leans on the podium in a confidential tone, exemplified by his distinguished deep southern accent, of the necessity of continuing separation of the races. At the conclusion, he wipes tears from his eyes. Ah! The heart of the “lost cause” of the old South is revealed.

Brian Marable always commands the stage in his portrayal. He begins as an infirm elderly gentleman with a cane, but as he relates the stories of his youth in the 1920s, he transforms into the eager young man scraping a living as a Pullman Car waiter. (How many of our current supreme court justices can claim to have waited on tables?)  His voice last night exhibited a hoarse quality, which denied him the oratorical tones of the real Marshall, but ultimately his commitment, humor, and honesty made this irrelevant. He brings high comedy when he imitates historical figures such as General McArthur, LBJ, and his 6th-grade teacher. We were genuinely moved when he finally donned the judge’s robe.

My friend, Jewel Thomas, saw the original Broadway production and declared this one superior due to the exciting production values. Director Steve H. Broadnax III adroitly uses the large stage of the Leonard C. Haas stage, selecting portions of the stage to represent the different events of Marshall’s remarkable life. There is a podium, but it is used only for the “on the court record” arguments. The action is punctuated by Curtis Craig’s sound design’s whistles, music, sirens, and gavels. This is accompanied by a variety of historical photos and projections designed by Hailey LaRoe, including large-scale announcements of the legal cases. You won’t forget PLESSY VS FERGUSON after this. The attractive setting by Tony Cisek, enhanced by Nic Vincent’s theatrical lighting, is simple but necessary for the dreamlike swirl the designs create.

Audience members should now go to YouTube to see SEPARATE BUT EQUAL, the outstanding TV miniseries that starred Sidney Poitier and Burt Lancaster. This award-winning film was written and directed by, you guessed it, George Stevens, Jr.

RUNNING TIME:  90 minutes with no intermission.

THURGOOD runs through March 19 at People’s Light – 39 Conestoga Road in Malvern, PA. Call the box office at (610) 644-3500 or purchase tickets online.

Review by Neal Newman

February 12, 2023

ASPECTS OF LOVE at the Media Theatre closes on February 19. This review is late due to the cancellation of the opening night due to illness. The cast is now in tip-top shape, but you only have one more week to see it.

ASPECTS is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s forgotten musical. At least in this country. The show, his follow-up to PHANTOM, opened in London to reasonably good reviews and audience response but was positively murdered by critics in the United States and closed as soon as the advance sale ran out. It remains Lloyd Webber’s most mature work. He tries his hand at complex and mature relationships rather than singing trains, singing cats, or falling chandeliers. This production GETS it.

Based on the acclaimed (at least in England) novel by David Garnett, the book was a cultural event for young schoolboys in 1955, and Lloyd Webber remembered it for future production. It tells of Alex, a 17-year-old lad who develops an adolescent crush on Rose, an actress at least ten years older.

                                    

 He whisks her away to a lavish hideaway, and they begin an affair. His wealthy uncle, George, the actual owner, appears and is enchanted with Rose, and she is likewise with his apparent grace, maturity, and older man’s sexiness.

After a long courtship involving George’s longtime mistress Giulietta, George marries Rose, and they have a daughter, Jenny. Act II takes place 15 years later. George is now an older man needing frequent naps, and Alex is a career soldier. He visits and meets Jenny, who develops an adolescent crush on him. Alex finds himself involved with all aspects of love, including older/younger, younger/older, with a dash of incest and lesbianism.

Lloyd Webber makes much of this intriguing. The cast at the Media Theatre is spot on, delivering the angst and the beautiful music.

I saw ASPECTS OF LOVE on Broadway and found it an intimate story in a too-large theater swamped by overproduction. Media Director Jesse Cline has finally delivered the musical I had hoped for: a superb cast, a simple but attractive setting, with acting that believably delivers the complex story. The many locations are indicated with a few discreet pieces of furniture, with attractive rapidly changing slides and films to create the many scenes. The elaborate amusement parks, carnival settings, and haylofts are not missed.

The designers are Matthew Miller (scenic), Tristan Horan (projections), and Lilian Lee (lights). Their work blends seductively with the continuous music, directed by Ben Kapilow using Lloyd Webber’s chamber orchestration. The costumes are simple and create the mood of 1950’s Europe, but Rose and Giulietta have only one costume each. These dresses are knockouts, but certainly not realistic. Perhaps Cline sees the women as unchanging while the men mature and advance in years. They are the constant “woman.” The large Media theater has been revamped, with nearly half the seats curtained off and the stage thrust toward the audience. It now has the feel of a European playhouse.

Emily Goulazian, as Rose, has it all: acting, singing, and a look to drive renaissance painters mad. She’s not afraid of appearing unsympathetic, either. She is a tough cookie who likes luxury and older men. Gianni Palmarini, as Alex, is convincing as a callow youth and a mature army officer. His LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING

is not the traditional power ballad anthem, but a man searching for answers. John D. Smitherman is unforgettable with OTHER PLEASURES, which superbly creates a sexually powerful man facing old age. 

Sophie Jones, as Giulietta, is a wild and likable artist who believes you must take life as it comes and enjoy it

while Leah Senseney as Jenny captures the adolescent blooming of a young woman.

The acting and singing skill of the entire company is notable in handling the many recitatives that bridge the songs. It soon becomes clear that Lloyd Webber has written only about seven tunes and tons of “recit.” The lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart range from good to clumsy, but the spaces between the songs are not up to the composer’s significant events. Amazingly, the cast can sing these moments as if they were talking to each other.

Through the years, I have come to treasure the winter when Jesse Cline selects a less popular musical for rediscovery. I have thoroughly enjoyed the chance to experience THRILL ME, THE WILD PARTY, SIDESHOW, THE DESERT SONG, and many others. What will he choose next year?

Running time: Two Hours twenty minutes with an intermission.

ASPECTS OF LOVE plays at Media Theatre through February 19. Media Theatre is at 104 E. State Street, Media, PA. Buy tickets online at mediatheatre.org or call the box office at 610-891-0100.

Review by Neal Newman

February 10. 2023

GOOD GRIEF at Hedgerow Theatre is a beautifully written play. Ngozi Anyanwu has created a penetrating and powerful study of grief, recovery, family, and the awkwardness of growing up. It’s also about much more than that too. The lead character is named N. The name is Nkechi, but her Bucks County friends can’t pronounce that. She’s an upwardly mobile medical student who is “friends” with MJ, an attractive and likable slacker. They have no idea about their years-long relationship; are they best friends or soon-to-be lovers? Is he the love of her life? This is shattered when MJ is killed in an auto accident, and N cannot cope with grief. She becomes a different person who is melancholy and powerless to face life. Her helpless parents (immigrants from Nigeria) try to intervene but to no avail. 

Anyanwu is a poet and playwright, as N’s lengthy speeches demonstrate. In a memorable scene when her father tries to teach his daughter to drive, he keeps telling her, “Let’s go.” She answers, “I want to stop. To stop time.”

The author demonstrates special skills in the handling of memory.  Memories are not consecutive, nor can they be especially truthful to reality.  Anyanwu tells her story in 18 short nonconsecutive scenes that take place between 1992 and 2006.  In some of these, N and MJ are children delighting in Pac-Man, while others take place in the teen years, not to mention the present and beyond.  Since many of these memories cannot be precise, N will sometimes address the audience, saying, “That’s the way it SHOULD have been.”  This college dropout will obviously become a writer, and indeed playwright Anyanwu created the role N in New York.

This is demanding of the audience. The program lists all the scenes and clearly outlines which are memories. Keep it close by to avoid confusion.   

Hedgerow has a small stage, so this brainchild challenges the designers. Most successful is the sound design of Jarious Parker with musician/soundscaper Karen Smith.)  They have devised an exciting concentration of tinkling bells, horrific crashes, African drums, and period-setting pop music selections. The playwright indicates that nearly all of the scenes take place at night. Lighting designer Will Lowery forges some striking images that visually emphasize memory, but eventually, there is a flatness to the long evening. Scenic Designer James Johnson has created a functional black box set that does not supply a visual counterpoint to Anyanwu’s striking dialogue. The costumes by Tiffany Bacon add some flair, especially when the memories visit Africa.

The cast, directed by Zuhairah McGill and Phillip Brown, could not be bettered. N, played by Morgan Charece Hall, is constantly onstage and at the center of every moment. She must portray an elementary school student, a blossoming teen, and an older but not wiser woman. In one scene, at age fifteen, she asks MJ to kiss her, but only to give her some “experience” when she approaches her high school crush, JD (James Ofalt), who is a gorgeous white charmer in the Dick Clark/Pat Boone mode. She pulls it off with beauty and charm. Ronnie Riggles has a strong scene getting high with N. All the actors take full advantage of the author’s ability to lighten the mood with crisp wit and a rare ability to convey deep love and commitment in very few words. McGill and Brown also act in the production and bring humor and complexity to the Nigerian parents, who also bring African costumes, dialect and proverbs to the proceedings. Dell Jackson as MJ equals Ms. Hall in charm, and their many different scenes feature irresistible chemistry.

There is one fundamental problem with the production, which will hopefully resolve as performances continue. The program indicates a running time of ninety minutes, but it is actually two hours. The actors are allowed to explore the profound depth of their inner life, but the directors must also attend to the pacing and dramatic build. The scenes lack rhythm and shape, so the evening has a meandering quality that could easily be remedied with tightening.

Opening night’s packed house cheered and laughed exuberantly. After all, it’s quite a play.

Running Time:  Two hours with no intermission.

GOOD GRIEF runs through February 26, 2023, at Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, PA. For tickets: hedgerowtheatre.org or 610-565-4211.

Review by Neal Newman

February 4, 2023

Let’s get right to it. Act II Playhouse’s rendition of Robert Harling’s STEEL MAGNOLIAS, directed by Megan Bellwoar, is one of the best productions I’ve ever seen. And that includes at least three previous professional and community theatre versions. I considered it a very good play, but I think Harling is up there with Chekhov. “Why?” is a tricky question, but I’ll try to explain.

But first, a bit of the story. It is 1987 in Chinquapin, Louisiana, a small town that lives for high school football, gun culture, religion, and holiday festivals. The setting is Truvy’s beauty salon, realistically designed (Meghan Jones) and lit (James Leitner), with a slight touch of tackiness, suggesting the owner’s lower-class background. The excellent costumes (Janus Stefanowicz) are changed frequently and reflect the town’s and the characters’ class system and the changing seasons. And the wigs (Bridget Brennan) suggest the ladies’ concern for their appearance and the skill that makes Truvy’s the best salon in the town. Even affluent ladies of a certain age go there. There is a wisp of a plot in which one lady’s daughter is being married at the beginning, but her type-one diabetes concerns everyone. It’s about the bad but loving relationships of the ladies involved. Well, Chekhov wasn’t too much for plot either.

Harling has sprinkled the play, especially the first act, with clever wisecracks that suggest a sitcom. Truvy’s motto is “There is no such thing as natural beauty.” Or “I always wanted to go to Baltimore because I’ve heard it’s the hairdressing capital of the world.” Or another lady: “Instead of playing hard to get, at her age, she should be playing Beat the Clock.” These jokes frequently mislead actors, and some critics, into thinking Harling has written a sitcom. A sitcom means that one laugh is needed for every fourth line, delivered in an overloud monotone, followed by a slight smirk meaning “I really didn’t mean that.” Not here.

This production is truthful and deeply felt from the start. The laughs are there but seem to spring naturally from the character’s needs. Bellwoar’s careful staging accentuates the natural spread of life, including some complex hairdressing, which is easily handled. The actors are also terrific at handling subtext, covering their deep affection with a surface of testy remarks.

The second problem is that the play has a reputation for being “chick-lit.” Although written by a man, what real man would want to attend a play with six female characters set in a beauty parlor? But the truth is that Harling and Bellwoar create a world. In a profoundly Southern world, people hear frequent gunshots and ignore them. It’s just the men just playing around with their toys. And the Evangelical minister is suing the football team because they are called “The Devils.” Class is clearly defined as well. Most of these wealthy ladies would never run into Truvy at the Piggly Wiggly.

But enough analysis, the cast is fantastic. Mary Carpenter, as Truvy obviously rules the place and controls the gossip. She constantly reminds the ladies, “there are no secrets in this room.” She also has a bawdy streak which the ladies find delightfully offensive. Truvy’s assistant, Annelle (Kelsey Herbert), is also from a lower-class background and has a poignant moment with a lengthy speech when she defends her Evangelical beliefs. The wealthiest lady Clairee (Carolyn Nelson), skillfully handles the subtext of her love/hate relationship with Ousier, played by Penelope Reed. Miss Ousier seems to be the typical sitcom cranky lady, but Reed brings a touching humanity to her as she re-meets and falls for an old beau. M’Lynn, (Sabrina Profitt) has a caustic relationship with her daughter but later handles the dramatic scenes with moving skills. The daughter, played by Jenna Kuerzi, brings surprising depth to the ailing Shelby, especially when she ignores her own problems to concentrate on and help the other older friends. Kuerzi also has an impressive and subtle vocal range, which adds to the characterization. The pacing and comedy timing is flawless, and the switch to a dramatic ending is handled brilliantly. I was surrounded by audience members laughing uproariously and wiping away tears simultaneously. I compare that moment with UNCLE VANYA’s epiphany when Vanya enters carrying a gun saying, “I missed.”

The tiny theater was packed with an exuberant audience. Tickets for this production will be hard to get. Better order yours now.

Running Time: Two hours and ten minutes with an intermission,

STEEL MAGNOLIAS plays through February 26, 20023, at 56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Tickets can be ordered at act2.org or by calling 215-654-200.

Review by Neal Newman

January 21, 2023

Quintessence Theater is presenting WAITING FOR LEFTY by Clifford Odets. Having read and reread Harold Clurman’s THE FERVENT YEARS or A LIFE by Elia Kazan, any theater disciple knows this play. The 1935 opening night was one of the great violent openings in American Theater history. Sure, it’s agitprop, describing a union meeting preparing to vote on a pending taxicab drivers’ strike, but the power and commitment of the era still manage to thrill. The performers are capable, and the piece has a positive energy.

A director must make a choice. Will this be like Quintessence’s recent CAMILLE, where an old war horse is resuscitated and accurately offers the audience a chance to experience the emotions of a past era? Or should the play be modernized to reflect current conditions for an audience who may not know or care about the play’s history? This production evidently tries to do both and succeeds at neither.

Odets wrote the play on-demand from a union theatre group by locking himself in a hotel room and writing at white heat. His devotion to his cause was so great that many modern critics have called his plays overwritten and fruity. Try this whopper:

Edna:  Your boss makes this subject. I never saw him in my life, but he’s putting ideas in my head a mile a minute. He’s giving your kids that fancy disease called the rickets. He’s making a jellyfish out of you and putting wrinkles in my face. This is the subject every inch of the way…When a man knocks you down, you get up and kiss his fist! You gutless piece of boloney.

Imagine a young actor presented with this. What can you possibly do with it? It’s written in a thick lower-class New York accent (which has pretty much died out), in a unique rhythm that is known only to Odets.

The answer is clearly outlined in Elia Kazan’s autobiography.

WAITING FOR LEFTY was “energetic, lighthearted, bold, and sassy. And felt! The emotions were those in our hearts: anger at what existed, demand for a change, and confidence that the change—you know which—would come. The lines didn’t sound learned; they leaped out of the mouth at the moment. Still, the total effect was surefooted and confident, which is how we felt.

This scene of Edna and Joe, played by Angelica Santiago and Doug Harris, is heading in the right direction. Joe comes home from a failed shift as a taxi driver. He discovers his furniture has been repossessed. His wife is furious with him. He cringes as his masculinity is threatened, as a man’s place in life is to provide for the family. The profits go to the fat cats who own the taxis and the corrupt union officials. She demands action. Action for change. Don’t just complain; get out there and fight.

As played on opening night, the scene was adequately delineated but lacked the depth of passion Odets demands. Every ounce of the character’s being and emotional makeup must be challenged. We must believe that Joe has put in five grueling hours and that Edna is exhausted after a horrible day as a depleted housewife. Perhaps this vignette will deepen as the production continues.

Another scene depicts a young doctor who has strangely been removed from operating on his patient. The reason is that another MD has political and donor connections and deserves the glory. It doesn’t work, and the patient dies. Then the young doctor discovers he is fired. Why? Because he is a Jew. The actors yell and complain loudly, but the audience is cold. The necessary depth of feeling is generalized.

The director’s intent is confusing as well. The attractive setting by Lindsay Fuori evokes a 1935 union hall with a compelling clenched fist backdrop, inventively lit by Elizabeth M. Stewart. The costumes by Zhang Yu are all over the place. Some actors wear period-era jackets and long underwear, while others have modern tennis shoes, earrings, haircuts, and talk on plastic phones. Sound designer Chris Lane uses rock and other music to bridge the vignettes, and the final moments when the cast yells STRIKE! is accompanied by a noticeably modern audio rumble. According to current conventions, many male roles are played by women who are not very effective, except for Katherine Perry, who powerfully exposes a false out-of-town witness trying to stop the strike.

Director Kyle Haden has some staging problems as well. Odets calls for a raised proscenium stage, with the cigar-puffing Mr. Fatt at the center and the “offstage” performers surrounding the action in a semicircle. Haden is forced at Quintessence with a movie theater-style stadium seating. While he does fulfill Odets’ directions, he places Fatt and the observing actors on a raised platform where they unnecessarily dominate the action. This means the dramatic scenes are staged on the floor, allowing minimal space and difficult viewing for the patrons in the higher rows of seats. The locations become static, needing inventive staging to clarify the actor’s moods and changes. Indeed a better groundplan must exist for this configuration.

Many of the play’s memorable moments are missing as well. Buzz Roddy is convincing as Fatt, but it is unclear that he is a corrupt union leader whom the union members despise for trying to stop the strike. And where are the famous “plants” in the audience, actors who pretend to be audience members but who begin shouting as the commotion builds to a climax?

The passion required is undoubtedly detailed in today’s news. Look at the footage of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations or, dare I say it, the marches pro and con for abortion. The commitment is there. Can it be translated to Odets?

Quintessence performs at 7137 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy.  You can purchase tickets at the box office, by phone at (215)987-4450, or online at quintessencetheatre.org.

Running time:  One hour without intermission. 

Column by Neal Newman

January 15, 2023

What a night it was! The concert has come and gone, but you can still witness some of the magic and hear the great music at www.concert4caleb.com/live-stream. Three producers, Gina Giachero, Megan O’Brien, and Grayce Carson, pulled together a fantastic performance of local artists headed by Broadway star Rob McClure. McClure was, as expected, terrific, but he did not attempt to steal from the less famous co-stars, all of whom shone brightly.

What were our favorite moments? I’ll start with my wife Karen’s vote. She loved Bryan Black’s rendition of I’m Not That Smart, from SPELLING BEE. Black captured this young contestant’s insecurities but performed with heartwarming professional assurance. My vote went to Megan Ruggles, who presented Times Like This, generally known as the “dog song” from LUCKY STIFF. Ruggles quietly and charmingly told that times are rough and a dog is truly your best friend. This was outstanding, and she didn’t belt.

Superstar Rob McClure proved to be an all-around triple threat who impressed us with a depth of characterization. He has just concluded a run Off-Broadway in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and, joined by Maggie Lakis, proved that even without the wig and glasses, Suddenly Seymour could be truthful, hilarious, and joyful.  .  McClure also presented a Mr. Roger’s Medley. If a Broadway producer wants a ROGER’S musical, he’s the guy.

There was a definite Disney flair to the evening. We thought the concert was to assist 6-year-old Caleb O’Brien, who was recently re-diagnosed with leukemia. He was stuck at home with his family and wasn’t allowed to attend, but he was watching a Livestream on television, and the performers made it a true concert FOR Caleb, performing many of his favorite songs. On the Disney List were numbers from DUMBO. MARY POPPINS, CINDERELLA, and HUNCHBACK. Since Caleb loves dinosaurs, performers were quick to make faces a growl into the camera.

Some of the local performers outdid the Broadway or film originals. Ben Michael’s rendition of Out There from HUNCHBACK and Nancie Sanderson’s Hold On from SECRET GARDEN were better than the original cast albums and also dealt with Caleb’s challenges.

A break in the music was provided by ComedySportz, which did a variation of the old game “Pull the Line,” but this time, the lines were suggested by the guest of honor himself.

Mention must be made of roof-raising power songs such as Don’t Rain on My Parade, sung by Rachel Brennan, and Dream Girl with Kyleen Shaw.

One particularly moving aspect of the evening was the support the young artists gave their fellow performers. They sat in the front row of the three-sided audience and applauded and cheered each other with genuine joy and appreciation. Theater is a cutthroat business; for this one night, it was a force for good.

If there was one hero in the show, it was Gina Giachero, who conducted from the piano a really “hot” band of Nero Catalano, Mike DiFebbo, and Jon Ball. Much of the event’s talent was gathered from the 11th Hour Theatre Company, which, though it is not producing currently, proved to be a wellspring of local talent.

New York has nothing on this area when it comes to talent. What a night. Donations are still being accepted at the original website, www.concert4caleb.com.          

Column by Neal Newman

January 7, 2023

How does this sound.?  A concert with some of Broadway and Philadelphia’s finest musical artists. Sounds good, yes? Refreshments? Yes. How about a contest with prizes, including box seats for the Philadelphia Flyers, tickets to Broadway shows, restaurant gift cards, and more? Yes! And how about some of these names:  Broadway star Rob McClure (you remember his breathtaking turn as the little tramp in CHAPLIN), who has recently played leading roles in MRS. DOUBTFIRE and LITTLE SHOP. Not to mention such stars of classical theatre, cabaret, comedy, and Broadway musicals, including but not limited to Maggie Lakis, Rob Tucker, Marissa Hines, Comedy Sportz, and the list goes on and on. It will be rare to see such a talented (and expensive) group on one stage in one evening. This is made possible by everyone donating their services along with a generous arrangement with the esteemed Arden Theatre. Put a calendar circle around January 15 at 7 PM.

The reason for the excitement is a five-year-old boy, Caleb O’Brien, whose original leukemia diagnosis has suddenly recurred. Caleb must now live near the specialty hospital for increased treatments, forcing his parents to leave their homes and jobs.

This all came about when Caleb’s aunt, Megan O’Brien, met up with Gina Giachero, a colleague at Temple University and fellow veteran of the 11th Hour Theatre. Gina heard the story and decided to put their theatrical skills to work for the cause. I am told that Gina plays a “loud, goofy piano with the energy of a hummingbird,” so the success of the event and its scintillating entertainment seems assured.

The silent auction has begun. What an array of terrific ideas. Dinner at Paladar, Broadway shows like KIMBERLY AKIMBO and special deals from great theaters like the lantern. Check this out at app.galabid.com/caleb/items.

The doors open at 6 PM for the silent auction. Philadelphia Theater Arts is pleased to participate in this exciting and worthy event.

CONCERT FOR CALEB will be presented at the Arden Theatre, 40 North 2nd Street in Philadelphia, on January 15, 2023, at 7 PM. To reserve seats, visit www.concert4caleb.com.

By Neal Newman.

November 27, 2022

The actors ask the audience: “Who here has read or seen Dicken’s CHRISTMAS CAROL?” The entire audience raises its hand. And why not? Hedgerow, and just about every other local theater, has continually performed this holiday favorite. You can see scenes from the traditional Hedgerow version on YouTube. So, this year when times are tight, the company is presenting a two-character COMEDY version in its American premiere. The playwright, Katie Leamen, has cut the story to 70 minutes and added as many visual and verbal gags as the timeframe will allow. There are, of course, the expected anachronistic jokes such as Facebook, selfie, and Jack Nicholson, but in service to the audience, your faithful correspondent will not reveal many of them.

It is done with a simple, brightly colored set by Sarah Stryker, with many surprises hidden therein. The lighting by Lily Fossner is filled with unexpected pops and flashes, and the sound score by Sammy Hurley is amazing. Hurley, assisted no doubt by the author and director Pete Pryor, is filled with music from a male chorus singing THE NUTCRACKER in the beginning to a final traditional brass ensemble, with DIE VALKYRIE and Elton John in between. With assistance from Lynne Griffin from the original Canadian production, Elizabeth Hanson’s costumes are simple but make ample use of distinctive hats, scarves, and wigs. There are, after all, only two performers.

They are Benjamin Brown as Scrooge and Christopher Patrick Mullen as Everybody Else. Brown does as well as he can with the bare bones of the character that are left and does a decent transformation from miser to benefactor. The actual star performance naturally goes to Everybody Else, who not only reappears as somebody else every few seconds but often portrays several different characters simultaneously. Fortunately, Mullen has arms and legs made of elastic and delivers delightful physical and vocal characterizations for each one. He is also an excellent mimic and gleefully impersonates stars like Carol Channing and Jack Nicholson. Pete Pryor, a local acting-directing tyro, directs with a strong, sure hand. He is wildly inventive in using all parts of the famed grist mill theater. At one point, a freezing Bob Cratchit points to the mill’s second-floor fireplace and comments, “Shouldn’t that be here on the stage rather than up there.”

You’ll laugh at Leamen’s clever script, and you will leave the theater humming, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

A CHRISTMAS CAROL COMEDY runs through December 24, 2022, at Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, PA. For tickets: hedgerowtheatre.org or 610-565-4211.

Running Time:  70 minutes with no intermission.

Review by Neal Newman

October 17, 2022

THE PILLOWMAN at Hedgerow Theatre is an overwhelming experience. Co-directed by Megan Bellwoar and Marcie Bramucci, the best words to describe it are “horrifying” and “hilarious.” But since Martin McDonagh wrote THE PILLOWMAN, this was to be expected. With plays such as HANGMAN and THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, the mixture of violence and black comedy is iconic to this playwright’s fantastic output. Each of his works has a few unexpected discoveries to make the audience gasp. But this is not the cheap trickery of the Halloween horror movies shown at the local mall. There are no screams of violins or hands grabbing the teenager from behind. Each of these revelations is earned by the complexity of the characters, who manage to amuse and terrify at once. THE PILLOWMAN is a horror show for adults.

I have no desire to spoil the surprises, so I will merely give the outline of the plot. A young man is arrested in a totalitarian country (probably Eastern Europe) for writing stories about violence to young children. These stories seem to have led to a series of copycat murders. 

Here’s an example of one story:  THE PILLOWMAN, a cute cartoon character made of pillows, visits young children and urges them to commit suicide. He is from the future and knows they will live tragic lives and hopes suicide will shorten their lifelong suffering. That’s only the beginning of the story.

These tales open a Pandora’s Box of themes including, but not limited to, child abuse, torture of an autistic child, abused becoming abusers themselves, and the concept that a work of art can be dangerous and should possibly be destroyed.

However, the power of stories is most important to the author. Stories are the breath of our lives. Human beings cannot live without them. Some may be harmful. Some may cause gullible people to commit crimes. But do even the most terrifying stories make a valuable contribution to society or history? McDonagh wrote the play in 1998 before the series of tragic shootings and other appalling events that now burden our daily news. Was McDonagh presaging the current gang of young men huddled over computers being inspired by various websites that seek to move them to violence?

Since McDonough is a prolific writer, we must assume he believes that all stories should be saved.

How you may ask, is this “hilarious?” Credit veteran actor Pete Pryor as Detective Tupolski, who manages to mine every possible laugh in his interrogation of the young man. As the “good cop” of the team, he tends to drift from kindly to menacing in an instant. His comic timing is impeccable. His partner, Detective Ariel, played by Stephen Patrick Smith, is the “bad cop” who initiates much of the violence. But even this character manages a few moments of excellent comedy.

Daniel Romano handles the more touching scenes. He plays Michal, the intellectually disabled brother, with a combination of sweetness and accurate honesty that is disarming, particularly as the two brothers express their evident and deep love for each other. Bravos to Mr. Romano.

The most extended role is Katurian, the young story writer, played by James Kern. He is powerful as he tries to plead with the skilled tactics of the police and convince them of his total innocence. The lengthy scene with his brother is a standout, as is his handling of the play’s final moments. His performance is, however, the production’s weakness, as he is not a skilled storyteller. His renderings of the many tales are sincere but repetitive and prevent the audience from hanging on to every grotesque image.

Since I will not reveal surprises, I can only say that the fight direction of Terri J. McIntyre is strikingly believable, and the set (Shannon Zura), a brutal police interrogation room, is never what you think is. These moments are skillfully abetted by the dramatic lighting of Lily Fossner, the costumes and make-up by Robin Shane, and the creepy sound effects and music of sound designer Garrett Adams.

Directors Bellwoar and Bramucci are to be congratulated especially for their extraordinary balance of horror and comedy. It’s demanding on the audience at 2 hours and 30 minutes, but if you want to experience McDonagh at his best, don’t miss it.

THE PILLOWMAN runs through October 30, 2022, at Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, PA. For tickets: hedgerowtheatre.org or 610-565-4211.

Running Time:  2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission.

Review by Neal Newman

October 1, 2022

The plays of Eugene Ionesco are a celebration for actors, directors, and designers. You know that every production must be unique, and those above mentioned will pull out all the stops to be as inventive as possible. Such is the case at Quintessence Theatre with THE CHAIRS, one of the master’s most challenging works.

As expected, there is no plot, consistent characterization, or dramatic development. The story, as such it is, concerns an old man (Frank X) and an old woman (E. Ashley Izard) who are setting up chairs for the visit of an orator who will explain everything the old man has wanted to say for decades. The large audience arrives, but they are invisible. This is a metaphor for the current theater situation, with actors and directors working hard to create art for a post-pandemic audience that may well turn out to be invisible.

It’s a designer’s field day. Director Alex Burns also created the set and sound. Instead of the custom of using the tumbled-down Sedgwick Theatre as a black box, he has incorporated much of the unrestored ceiling and décor into the play. Where is it? A bomb shelter after a war? Or a pandemic? A hovel by the river? Who knows. Since the play has no discernable shape or build, director Burns has inserted some delicious special effects and sounds to surprise the audience. These won’t be revealed here, but they are spectacular. John Burkland’s quick-change resourceful lighting abets this wonderfully, and Kelly Myers’ tramp costumes continue to surprise.

The actors meet the challenge. They talk incessantly for two hours, and what they say makes no sense unless you listen carefully. Themes, among what seems like hundreds, include the mother/son relationship, the need to flatter people in power, the failures of a long life, and the complexities of being married for 75 years. Both thespians know how to command the stage and are skilled vocal and physical performers. Izard follows a hilarious sexual and physical workout with a powerful speech about losing her son (if she has one.)  X transforms into a multi-voiced vaudeville comic who can be a British servant one minute and a Southern Evangelical minister the next. If they aren’t quite the comedy team like, say, Laurel and Hardy, that will probably happen before closing night, October 23.

What did the audience think of all this? They seemed divided, with some laughing uproariously, listening intently, and yelling Bravo at the end. Others politely squirmed anxiously, wanting it to end. There was much bemoaning as we exited that the set was designed so that you could not leave.

What kind of audience does this require?

It helps if you pretend that you live in Paris in the 1940s and 50s, where Europe was still covered with desolation. Here was the birth of “Existentialism,” WW2’s gift to modern philosophy. It ponders that life is meaningless and that man’s actions are ultimately useless. Considering the state of Europe in that era, this seems sensible. But as Jean-Paul Sartre has pointed out, this philosophy gives you emotional freedom to enjoy life. If any action that you take is useless, you can never succeed. On the other hand, you can never fail. Maybe it’s just best to accept life as it is and try to enjoy the ride. Paris in that era exploded with “absurdist” plays by Ionesco, Beckett, Sartre, Camus, and others that if done well were really a lot of fun.  It also helps if you speak French.  Martin Crimp’s overly British translation is exact, but no translator can recreate the mouthfuls of Gallic splendor that must emerge from the actor’s mouths.

I guess Philadelphia is not Paris. But if you can alter your mindset, run to see this.

Quintessence performs at 7137 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy. You can purchase tickets at the box office, by phone at (215)987-4450, or online at quintessencetheatre.org.

Running time:  Two hours without intermission. Masks required.