THE BAUHAUS PROJECT II

 

Jack Goldwait, Katarina Joy Lopez, Sang Kim,
Chloe Madriaga and John C. Sweet
Photo by Francisco Hermosillo III

The unusual business of a World Premiere with what may essentially be at least three plays all bound together is a challenge that  Director Martha Demson has taken to heart and mostly..  even though the extreme pedantry of what we learn from the play is a bit sticky, I got a lot.  I want to recommend both productions.  This second one is a lot more fun. For the plays to make sense, please see them in order. 

That said, the set up in the first iteration  has a couple of jokes that are apologized for in the second play.  But, the fun stuff and the information is really on page II.

Richard Hoover's magnificent set echos the essence of the Bauhaus theme. Straight lines with beautiful projections by Gabby Griego on slick moving panels examine  the linear ideas that Walter Gropius introduced. For a time Gropius and Bauhaus were a major influence in architecture and other art forms  around the world.

To call the script out for so much information is a little unfair, as the idea was for modern day art students to portray a host of real characters from the early days of Bauhaus as it struggled from one location to another, ending up in Berlin where . as Nazi Germany took power, it faded.

In the first iteration we   are introduced to the kids, taking cell  phone photos and attempting  in modern day.. to tell the complicated story of Bauhaus.

Demson's direction would have been helpful to old analog me had the students, portraying the actual characters had name tags to help us better understand who was who. Agitprop that Brecht would have championed?  In the first evening.. Duc, the Asian guy.. speaks in pidgin English. Just offensive and difficult to understand.   The other kids at the playwright's insistence adopt different accents that are marginal at best and depending on the actors' skills may or may not work. Had someone said.. "Hey, we're not actors, let's just let the audience know  who we are with costumes and Name Tags and let the history tell its own story.." 

Jah Volt!

It's yeoman's work. We experience the trials and tribulations of what Gropius and Klee and Kandinsky and others went through, touching .. eventually, heavily on "The Jewish Question" antisemetism  as Hitler came to power, twiich led to the eventual demise of the Bauhaus in Berlin  

I'd have bought the whole presentation more easily sans accents and occasional moments of the kids going up and recovering... 

The actors play so many parts,  I had a hard time keeping track. But!! one rather creative scene between two characters at the same time is played by either Katarina Joy Lopez or

Chloe Madriaga.  I'm guessing Katerina. It went well.

Entering any theatre, we are tasked to abandon disbelief.  Even with being unsure who's who.. this second presentation is truly  informative.    The first act is interminable, but we stick it out and wind up in Berlin where the gesso hits the fan. I'll let you figure out who's who bur hope you'll book both shows in order and get back to me. It's an vital lesson regards the importance of art in our world today.

 

Cast:

Jack Goldwait, 

Sang Kim, 

Katarina Joy Lopez, 

Chloe Madriaga, 

Crew (please forgive the odd parsing.. copy and paste is a bubbaboo.

Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design
Richard Hoover Michael Mullen Gavin Wyrick
Original Composition Prop Masters Assistant Lighting Designer
Tim Labor Barbara Bragg & Richard Hoover Grace Berry
Bruce Dickinson & Ina Shumaker
Assistant Director Projection Designer Graphic Designer
Sarah Zuk Gabrieal Griego Simon Grendene
Intimacy Director PR Representative Social Media Coordinator
Cate Caplin Lucy Pollak Grace Soens
Production Stage Manager John Dimitri

The Bauhaus Project II

by Tom Jacobson

Directed by Martha Demson

WHEN:
Previews: July 12, July 13, July 14
Performances: July 19 through August 25
• Fridays at 8 p.m.  Part 1 (Bauhaus Weimar): July 12 (preview), July 19 (opening night), July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23
• Saturdays at 4 p.m.: Part 1 (Bauhaus Weimar): July 13 (preview), July 20, July 27, Aug. 3, Aug. 10, Aug. 17, Aug. 24
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Part 2 (Bauhaus Dessau & Bauhaus Berlin): July 13 (preview), July 20 (opening night), July 27, Aug. 3, Aug. 10, Aug. 17, Aug. 24
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: Part 2 (Bauhaus Dessau & Bauhaus Berlin) July 14 (preview), July 21, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18, Aug. 25
* Audience members can choose to view the entire Bauhaus Project over the course of two evenings (any Friday and any Saturday at 8 p.m.); two matinees (any Saturday and any Sunday at 4 p.m.); or on a single Saturday, at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (The history is sequential, so it is not advised to view the parts out of order.)

WHERE:
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.

TICKETS:
• Part 1 and Part 2 (combination ticket): $50
• Part 1 or Part 2 (individual ticket): $35
• Students receive $5 off either price
• Previews: Pay What You Can

HOW:
www.openfist.org
(323) 882-6912

 

Dido Of Idaho at The Echo

The toughest review for me to write is the one that wants  to be informative and to find compliments and sounds like, I want to recommend a show.. and I DO recommend Dido in Idaho..but for the life of me am not sure why.

Julie Dretzin and Elissa Middleton
Photo by Makela Yepez Photography

 Chris Fields's Echo is a favorite venue at the Atwater Village Theatre complex.  Chris is as avant garde as anyone and as we file into the space, you could hang meat in there! Chilly for cause, I guess.   Chris says Hello.. It's a hometown crowd.

Amanda Knehans's amazing  scenic design looks like there's been an explosion  at  Lamps R Us, but in a good way.  It's amazing.. the theatre has situated the action.. and there is action! in the center of the space.. Scumbled white paint  with lines possibly to define one specific area from another?? line the floor. An elevated  sort of bed?  is available from ramps and directly. Surreal. Theatre in the Round.

Enter Boise State Professor Michael (Joby Earle) in his socks. From my seat, I, thankfully, missed the full monty as Michael entered. His shadow cast impressively on the floor.  

I'm pretty sure that Dido of Idaho is a metaphor of the story of Dido, Queen of Carthage and the Trojan, Aneas (which I should have known but didn't), who loves her and leaves her. It turns on the 17th Century Purcell Baroque opera about their love affair.

Poor Nora (Alana Dietze) is nuts for Michael and they are both big into the Purcell opera. There's  some singing. Abigail Deser's crisp direction keeps the action cooking  as playing to the four sides of the audience is often a challenge to   share the argument of the play evenly. The set is a mish mash.. Ionsco comes to mind.and Albee in the dramatic interplay and dialogue.. Again.. it's tough.. the actors are all evenly cast and present themselves well.  

Michael and Nora have been hot and heavy, but Michael is a  married man in a 'situation' that creates problems for Nora. Nora's had it tough and alcohol seems to have been  a factor for a long time. Poor Nora.

There's a Virginia Woolfish bent to the dialogue that flows and bites and tumbles from the actors.

Spoiler alert:  Enter Crystal (Nicole DuPort),  Michael's wife.. former first runner up for Miss  Idaho or was it Miss Boise? The plot twist that creates a major issue unfolds. It's a little screwy.

At this point, we know that Nora's mom, Julie (Julie Dretzin) has essentially ghosted (to coin a phrase?) Nora's email attempts to connect her for a long time. Even though Nora longs for a reconcilliation  with her mother, Julie's heavy Christian faith and judgements of Nora keep her from responding.. That Julie has adopted Nora bubbles up later as we meet Julie's girlfriend, Ethel (.Elissa Middleton)  They live in a cabin. It might have been cool to call Nora's mom "Lucy..."

 Because of the business of the actors addressing different sides of the stage at  various times, I didn't get all  of the dialogue verbatim, but the gist and the energy and delivery of each actor's physical presence worked nicely.  Over all the physicality of the piece is impressive.

The parallel of the lives of Queen Dido and Nora seems a given. But the metaphysical aspect of the story .. even with cookies being baked on stage, calls for examination that I am still puzzling over.

Bottom line is that as a tone poem and character exercise, even with naked Michael and a very brutal moment .. it all seems to work. Opening night audience was enthusiastic and got some of the jokes that I either couldn't hear or just didn't understand.

It's this kind of production, especially with the spectacular set and lights by Xinyuan Li,  that define some areas as specific times...  that I want to rave about.  So.. in my still somewhat Puzzed state of mind, I'll recommend this Dido of Idaho if for no other reason than I want to support 'left handed theatre!'  Meaning that there is nothing ordinary about this production!  Opera.. mostly. to me is caterwalling. Thankfully, the full monty and the singing are brief. 

 Cast

Nora :        Alana Dietze
Michael:    Joby Earle
Julie:         Julie Dretzin
Ethel:        Elissa Middleton
Crystal:     Nicole DuPort

 Crew: 

Scenic designer Amanda Knehans, lighting designer Xinyuan Li, sound designer Alysha Grace Bermudez, costume designer Dianne K Graebner, make-up designer Jennifer Pritchard and fight choreographer Ahmed Best. The production stage manager is Tatiana Zaza. Chris Fields, Kelly Beech and Marie Bland produce for the Echo Theater Company.

Dido Of Idaho

by Abby Rosebrock

Directed by Abigail Deser

Echo Theater Company
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039

PARKING:
FREE in the Atwater Crossing (AXT) lot one block south of the theater

TICKET PRICES:
Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays: $34
Mondays: Pay–What–You–Want
Previews: Pay–What–You–Want

HOW:
www.EchoTheaterCompany.com
(747) 350-8066

 

Previews: July 17, July 18, July 19
Performances: July 20 – August 26
• Wednesday at 8 p.m.: July 17 ONLY (preview)
• Thursday at 8 p.m.: July 18 ONLY (preview)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: July 19 (preview), July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: July 20 (opening night), July 27, Aug. 3, Aug. 10, Aug. 17, Aug. 24
• Sundays at 4 p.m.: July 21, July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18, Aug. 25
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: July 22, July 29, Aug. 5, Aug. 12, Aug. 19, Aug. 26

 

 

“Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”

 

David Dean Bottrell Photo by Conor Weiss

 David Dean Bottrell's monologues are intimate, physical, presentational, mental,  creative and a hoot. Mostly.

The essence of the evening with DDB turns on his personal stuff. the episodes in his life that have been moments.. stepping stones, if you will, to being in a place where each anecdote evokes a gamut of emotions and most important, genuine laughter! that being difficult to come by these days!  Whatever the opposite of a stand up routine might be, the broad range of emotions, especially, make Bottrell's show a must see. In today's  super charged atmosphere of uncertainty, sharing David's insights and sometimes snarky take on things is a welcome relief.  His story of being jealous of another actor who got all the parts he went up for is a little shaggy.. but fun.

Bottrell is a charmer and playing to the enthusiastic opening night audience became a symbiotic experience with the reach of true sadness when recalling the loss of love and capped by where the title of this show comes from.   A card from Lincoln Center!!

The way Bottrell tells his stories flows naturally.  To me, anyone who holds sway for an hour and a half or so.. moving smoothly from one episode to the next with the snap of his fingers, from the story of the Louisville Slugger to Lincoln Center and back again, it's the sort of show that makes you want to share with friends.. 

Or else!  

Bottrell uses the wide Matrix stage to advantage, sharing his anecdotes generously.  The Matrix's shallow three rows of seats make this an ideal situation for .. especially.. Bottrell's intimate moments ..  

David Dean Bottrell Returns in Rep at 8pm Wednesday, July 10 and runs through July 21, 2024. Check website for performance schedule. 

Rogue Machine, in the Matrix Theatre

 7657 Melrose Ave., 

Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45 (Seniors $35, Students $25). Reservations: https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/ For more information 855-585-5185. 

Schedule:

Wednesday, July 10 at 8 pm (Opening) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”

Friday, July 12 at 9:30 pm (Late Show) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”

Saturday, July 13 at 3 pm (Matinee) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”
Sunday, July 14 at 3 pm (Matinee) The Death of Me Yet
Monday, July 15 at 8 pm The Death of Me Yet
Wednesday, July 17 at 8 pm The Death of Me Yet
Friday, July 19 at 9:30 pm (Late Show) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”

Saturday, July 20 at 3 pm (Matinee) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”
Sunday, July 21 at 3 pm (Matinee) “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This”