SYLVIA AT THE ODYSSEY

Tanna Frederick, Stephen Howard. Credit: Lia Pearson Photography

Tanna Frederick bounces off the walls as  the lovable pup, Sylvia, for the third time, this time directing herself in the popular show shining forth  at the Odyssey. 

A.R. Gurney's lively story premiered Off Broadway in 1995 and has ever since pleased hundreds of audiences, the Sunday Matinee at The Odyssey: no exception. 

Beege Barkette (l.), Tanna Frederick, Stephen Howard

 The manic energy of Ms Frederick is contagious from the get go as Greg (Stephen Howard) arrives in the townhouse he shares with the mother of their children, Kate (Begge Barkette). The kids are out of the house (though still in college) leaving the empty nest and time for the parents to enjoy the 'stuff' of life.  Greg is dissatisfied with his job with no substance (currency trading) and Kate is finding ways to bring the classics to middle school kids.  Middle age crazy and middle age crisis go hand in hand as Greg arrives home with a wayward pup: Sylvia (director Tanna Frederick).  The upscale set by Mark Kanieff is seasoned with interesting tiny dioramas that depict life in the Manhattan  neighborhood.  I mention these because they are essentially invisible to the audience except for the park bench area where Greg takes Sylvia to romp in a dog park.  This full sized scene is duplicated by a tiny model which is also duplicated again by a teeny tiny model.  The significance of these embedded scenes is not referred to, but add a beautifully artsy flair tothe setting.

As Sylvia, the articulate and hyperactive doggie, Ms Frederick directs herself over the top, literally chewing the scenery with elaborate costume changes as she gallumphs through the lives of Greg and Kate, bringing the energy of the piece to fever pitch.  

A grand triple turn by Matthew Marcy as butch dog owner Tom, Kate's enormous friend, Phyllis and  the androgynous therapist Leslie adds to director Frederick's well timed project.  Whether we are supposed to accept Phyllis as a woman or a transgender is not clear, but her mere physical presence reminded me of Charles Ray's gigantic mannequin!  The wisdom of his ambiguous role as Leslie, deliberately making Kate and Greg deal with their own identities is productive.

The odd conceit of  humans having dialogue with a dog works.  I have issues with the end of the play itself, all neatly summed up through the fourth wall with much too tidy speeches from Greg and Kate, but Fredrick's given herself the lion's share of the schtick and makes us better understand how we may turn our pets into people, not always to the benefit of the family.  Gurney's salting his text with classic references from English Literature shows his scholarship through Kate and adds knowing nods from English majors in the audience.  

High energy and highly entertaining, Sylvia is worth a trip to the Odyssey. It should be on the must see list for folks who are ready for two hours of just plain fun, with some thoughtful provocation driving it at a break neck pace.

SYLVIA

by A.R. Gurney

A Guest Production at The Odyssey Theatre

2055 S. Sepulveda

Los Angeles, CA 90025

Through December 2, 2016

Tickets and Information: 800 838 3006  

  

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS IN M'LADY'S CHAMBER

Jai Rodriguez as Alex Moore
Photo by Sasha A. Venola

Buyer & Cellar currently at the Falcon is a tour de force performance of a near flawless script by  Jonathan Tolins, directed expertly by Dimitri Toscas.  It's Jai Rodriguez holding the stage for an hour and a half with a roller coaster ride that is, simply, a Must See. 

Inspired by Barbra Streisand's book "My Passion for Design,"  whether or not Tolins' story is true or not, the story comes to life with a nudge and a wink as Rodriguez (as Alex Moore) enters from the house making sure the audience understands that this is a "work of fiction."  That said, the checkered career of Alex Moore, including employment at The Magic Kingdom!.. unfolds with a cast of at least five other characters smoothly brought to life with precision by the actor. Adam Flemming's spare but versatile set becomes, with easy lighting changes by Nick McCord, various locations, most notably the downstairs 'shopping mall' created by Alex's Malibu employer to pretty much enjoy on her own.  Alex's job is to literally mind the store: the yogurt machine, the popcorn popper and to dust the myriad of collectables that reflect the exquisite and very expensive tastes of the actress, director, singer and interior designer  who has enjoyed seven decades of her career:  Barbra!

As Alex settles into his employment in Streisand's cellar, a "perceived" friendship develops with the star.  Transitioning easily from one character to another, from storyteller to the supporting players with a simple gesture and change of voice, we find ourselves adoring the character and feeling sorry for her as she confesses that all she has ever really wanted was "to be pretty." 

Rodriguez never drops a stitch as the story flows along.  

It must be noted that even with the standard request by the preshow announcer to turn off all electronic devices, a phone lit up in the lap of the woman seated directly in front of me.  As we are, all of us??, becoming slaves to our electronic leashes, the days of courtesy in public seem to be dwindling away. It may be cruel to call this woman a 'jerk!'  Who knows what the emergency might have been, but had she done as we were asked, the phone would not have intruded. 

When we go to a movie or a play, I think it's to escape the 'real world' briefly to abandon disbelief and immerse ourselves in the play or the film.  If we find it not to our liking, then we are free to excuse ourselves. I hope the woman felt a bit of shame as I leaned forward and asked her to turn her phone off.  

To be dragged out of the play by rude behavior is simply wrong.  I hope that we never become a society of rude "jerks" constantly linked to the ever intruding iPhone or other devices which ruin a performance for an entire theatre full of folks who have paid admission to suspend our disbelief and immerse ourselves in the the argument of the play.

Buyer & Cellar is a well constructed, funnier than anything: poignant and kind tour de force: an evening to remember.  Don't miss this one! 

Buyer & Cellar 

by Jonathan Tolins

Falcon Theatre

 4252 Riverside Drive

Through November 6, 2016

Tickets and additional information  

Falcon Theatre Box Office at 818-955-8101

Burbank, California

THE TRAGEDY OF JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) Conceived, Adapted & Directed by DANIEL HENNING

Chad Brannon (at coffin) and the cast of The Blank Theatre’s world premiere production of THE TRAGEDY OF JFK (AS TOLD BY WM. SHAKESPEARE) Photo credit Rick Baumgartner

Daniel Henning has been making theatre in Los Angeles for many years.  I first met him when The Blank Theatre Company had applied for funding from the California Arts Commission and it was my job to evaluate the work I saw in The Lost Studios over on La Brea.  For twenty years or so, Daniel has been working on the story of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  Even though he was not even born in 1963, he has done extensive research and is considered an authority on the subject.

As the fifty-third anniversary of one of the most memorable and horrific tragedies in American History advances upon us, the memory of that day is indelible.  Henning does his best to create the language of The Bard which sometimes flows less trippingly on the tongues of the Kennedy brothers (Ford Austin as JFK and Chad Brannon as RFK) than it does from the main characters: J. Edgar Hoover (Firey Tony Abatemarco) and Lyndon B. Johnson (Bombastic Time Winters).  Winters nails the look and bombast of the 36th President combining his Texas twang with the rhythms of Henning's verse.   

The chilling exposition reveals that JFK not only ignored the prophesy of his secretary, Evelyn Lincoln (Kelie McIver), but also a bloody dream by Jacqueline (Casey McKinnon) goes begging as LBJ coaxes Kennedy to visit Dallas on that fateful Friday.  

Projections recall not only the President's murder as captured by the Zapruder film, but we move forward to the killings of both RFK and Martin Luther King. 

Shades of Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar creep in as Bobby Kennedy, taking a cue from Mark Antony in his well known speech from "Julius Ceasar"  belies his brother and praises Johnson.   

Wordplay and excellent exchanges, especially between Hoover and LBJ erupt as history has shown us that Hoover, who hated and harassed the Kennedys, abused his office. The power wielded by Hoover even with threats of suicide, were manic and borderline psychotic. Abatemarco finds the fine line between chewing the scenery and projecting the mania that must have haunted Mr. Hoover.

Sydney Russell's bare bones set allows the story to unfold pretty much unhampered.  Problematic, though, is the representation of the Dealy Plaza pergola with openings all along the back of the stage which interferes with informative projections.  There are many missed opportunities for images that could be seen projected over the actors on stage. Seeing the Zapruder film still dredges up questions and deep feelings. 

Going beyond the murder of the President, the text takes us to the March on Birmingham with images of the brutality suffered by Freedom Marchers and Martin Luther King's influence that blossomed to help create the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We then moves briefly forward to 1968 and The Ambassador Hotel with Bobby Kennedy announcing his presidential candidacy.  Actual footage of the kitchen where he died is projected as well.  

Henning's research and declarations refute the Warren Commission Report. Jackie reportedly agreed with the Report while Bobby did not. Lee Harvey Oswald (Brian Brennan) declares to the audience that a paraffin test revealed that Oswald had no gunshot residue on hands when he was captured. There is no mention of the Grassy Knoll nor the 'bums' with new leather shoes,  but Texas Governor John Connally's (Jonathon Lamer) wounds by a single bullet are brought into question.  

Over all the direction of his own writing works for Henning though the Shakespearean language attempt fluctuates from character to character and expected strong stage presences lapse from time to time to a more natural presentation.  The revelation that the disgruntled Army General Edwin Walker (over the top Jonny Walker) actually distributed flyers calling JFK a traitor to the assembled Texans on that fateful day adds to the drama as well as the revelation (according to Henning) of a cabal assembled to do away with the President.  
Over all the large cast of seventeen with much doubling, brings the story to life. 

THE TRAGEDY OF JFK

(as told by Wm. Shakespeare)

Conceived, Adapted and Directed by Daniel Henning

Presented by The Blank Theatre

[A VISITING PRODUCTION AT THE SKYLIGHT THEATRE]

1816 ½ N. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, California
October 1 — November 6, 2016

Friday at 8:30pm / Saturday at 8pm / Sunday at 2pm

ADMISSION: $35

Tickets and Informaton:
www.TheBlank.com 

(323) 661-9827