REVIEW: "Present Laughter" in Brown County

Performance: Sunday, August 9th @ 3:00pm

Location: Brown County Playhouse, Brown County, IN

Noël Coward's play Present Laughter, is one that I had never read, nor had I seen a performance of before attending this Brown County Playhouse Production. The play was written in 1939, but not produced for the first time until 1942, which continues to support my feeling that many of the plays chosen for the summer Brown County productions are rather dated for those theatre goers who are searching something substantive to sink their teeth into.

First, I must say that I found myself asking throughout the performance, "what is the point of this play?" and "what is the playwright trying to say?" I would venture to say the answer is "not much". Coward himself is quoted on the introductory page of the play as saying, "Present Laughter is a very light comedy and was written with the sensible object of providing me with a bravura part." Coward was the first actor to play the lead role of Garry Essendine (standing in the photo to the right).

This slow moving play follows the days in the life of actor Garry Essendine (Paul DeBoy) leading up to his departure for Africa. Cared for by his attentive personal assistant, Monica Reed (Abby Rowold), Garry deals with a series of friends, family, and strangers who fawn over him and/or complicate the final days before his departure.

The two stand-out performances came from equity actors Paul DeBoy and Shannon Koob (Joanna). DeBoy's British accent, demeanor, and embodiment of the self-absorbed Essendine were brilliant. Even while the play was slow, it was enjoyable to watch DeBoy's performance. The stage heated to its highest point as Joanna, who happens to be Garry's producer's wife, makes advances toward him. Koob's performance was sultry and her chemistry with DeBoy lit the stage. The highest moments in the play were those scenes at the end of Act I and in Act II, where the audience had the opportunity to take in their banter.

There is one Indiana University MFA student who is one to watch for in the upcoming IU season. Abby Rowold, who was also seen in There Goes the Bride this summer, was very enjoyable to watch, had good timing, and seemed even stronger in the role of Monica Reed. Curiously, the 2009/2010 IU Theatre Season will include Major Barbara, which is a show that Rowold is very familiar with, as she has played the role of Barbara Undershaft in Chicago.

While there were certainly some bright spots in this production, I anticipate that this is the last summer Brown County Playhouse season that I will attend. This theatre goer prefers productions that take risks and inspire thought, rather than simply entertain, though Present Laughter fell a bit short of even this.

REVIEW: "Up" in Chicago

Performance: Saturday, August 1st @ 7:30pm

Location: Steppenwolf Theatre

I have been attending productions at the Steppenwolf Theatre since 2001 when I was looking for a show to see and sight unseen purchased a ticket to The Drawer Boy. Since then, the Steppenwolf has become my favorite theatre and I make a couple trips up every year to see productions.

I was greatly anticipating seeing Up not only for the story it would tell, but also to see another show directed by Tony Award winning director, Anna Shapiro. I became a fast fan of her work after seeing August: Osage County during it's original run at the Steppenwolf before making its way to Broadway.

Playwright, Bridget Carpenter's inspiration for Up came from her knowledge of Larry Walters, a truck driver who took flight in a lawn chair attached to 45 helium filled weather balloons in 1982. Eleven short years later, in 1993, Walters would commit suicide. Carpenter said in an interview, "That haunted me. I found it sad but unsurprising, somehow. I couldn't stop thinking about the flight, how magical it was. I think I wrote Up because I wanted to meet the man that did this beautiful, funny thing."

As the lights went down in the theatre, I took one breath in and the audience around me disappeared; I didn't exhale until the lights came up for intermission. It felt as if only moments had passed and it came as a shock to once again realize that I was sitting amongst hundreds of other theatre-goers.

Walter Griffin (Ian Barford) had his own story of flight in his homemade aircraft and spends his days chasing after the next invention, just out of his grasp, that will bring him the same recognition. Walter's wife, Helen (Lauren Katz) works full time as a mail carrier to support the family, which includes high school aged son, Mikey (Jake Cohen). Lives intersect when Mikey meets another student with no friends, Maria (Rachel Brosnahan), who also happens to be pregnant and her aunt Chris (Martha Lavey). I would be remiss if I did not mention Walter's muse, Philippe Petit (Tony Hernandez).


Above: Rehearsal Photos - (Top) Rachel Brosnahan & Lauren Katz (Bottom) Ian Barford

Below: (Top) Tony Hernandez in rehearsal (Bottom) Philippe Petit in 2009

This talented cast flawlessly wove a story that makes one question how to balance imagination and dreams with daily responsibilities. How many people give up their dreams and squelch their imagination to focus all of their energy on making a living, taking care of family, and creating financial security? How many throw caution to the wind to pursue their dreams, indulge their imagination, and follow what they love?

Anna Shapiro (left) expressed, in an interview with Martha Lavey (Artistic Director & Cast Member), "Up speaks to the experience of not being recognized in your expression, of living a life where your imagination is not valued. As I lamented the demands of my life, I was brought up hard against how rare it is to be a person whose expression is allowed, let alone lauded or appreciated." Shapiro's direction offered a fluidity that created poetry on stage. While direction is required, it is rare to take in a performance where it is as complimentary to the story as in Up.

Up closes August 23rd, 2009. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who may be in the Chicagoland area. You will not be disappointed. I already have plans to take in Fake and Parallelogram in the 2009/2010 season.

To see additional photos and videos from this production or to learn more about the Steppenwolf Theatre, visit their website, here.

*NOTE: Cast photos came from the Steppenwolf website and interview excerpts were taken from the Up program.

REVIEW: "Jersey Boys" in Chicago

Performance: Friday, July 31st @ 8:00pm

Location: Bank of America Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

I have been told numerous times by my theatre loving friends that Jersey Boys is a must see production. When I discovered that I was barely going to miss the opening of Spring Awakening and that I would see Jersey Boys instead, I will admit that I was feeling pretty lukewarm. My likings tend to fall in the direction of musicals with original songs and Broadway seems to have taken to the idea of "recycled" music. I did, however, go in with an open mind and ready to enjoy a night of theatre and I am so glad that I did!

To a rapt audience, Jersey Boys brings the story of Frankie Valli (once known as Francis Castelluccio) and The Four Seasons from the days of singing under the street lights in New Jersey, through the loss and gain of band members, money, and the fame that still follow Valli today. It is impossible to find fault in any of the performances and the performances of Michael Cunio (Tommy DeVito), Michael Ingersoll (Nick Massi), Shonn Wiley (Bob Gaudio, and Dominic Scaglione, Jr. (Frankie Vallie) provided immediate transport back to the height of The Four Seasons fame. Not a moment went by when you didn't believe their portrayals of these musical legends.

While caught in the grip of the music, large screens hanging above the stage held projections representing sixities style comic strip images that helped to set the mood. The set was simple with a silver metal staircase stage left that led up to a walkway that stretched the length of the stage and off stage right, which provided a very poignant exit. Small rolling set pieces and large neon signs took the audience from place to place seemlessly.

The only true fault I could find in the production were some microphone malfunctions during the first half of the show, which caused the audience to lose brief moments of dialogue. I can definitely say that I have been converted. While productions such as Mama Mia and Movin' Out used artists' music to create a new and unique story, Jersey Boys used all of The Four Seasons' music as a way of tell THEIR story. The audience was able to experience their music within the context of how and when it was created. I left energized and have had the music playing in my head every since.

If you are interested in learning more about Jersey Boys in Chicago, click here. Frankie Valli continues to perform around the United States. In fact, he will be performing at the Indiana University Auditorium this coming season. Valli is now 75 years old.