The Mountaintop - Playhouse on Park

The Mountaintop, receiving a superb production at Playhouse on Park, is a fictional work by playwright Katori Hall that takes place on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.  Set in Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel, this two-person show is a captivating and affective piece of theater.

 

The production opens in a small, disheveled, ordinary looking hotel room.  King (Torrey Linder) is ruminating about the weighty undertakings he needs to address while in Memphis to support the sanitation worker’s strike.  Seeking a cup of coffee, he calls for room service and soon a young, attractive maid, Camae (Jasmine Shanise) arrives. The two quickly develop a very comfortable rapport.  The conversations between the sassy, care-free hotel worker and the revered civil rights leader range from portentous themes to more run-of-the-mill topics.  They become friendly and playful until a surprise twist adds a more otherworldly and meditative end.

Torrey Linder and Jasmine Shanise in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Playwright Katori Hall took inspiration for the play from King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, delivered the night before his assassination.  In that address he declared, "We've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end.”  An eerie premonition the night before his death.  Hall has crafted the show to allow the characters to discuss and debate numerous highly charged issues of the day, including race, the civil rights movement, and political turbulence.  King also confides to Camae about his misgivings, fears and even death. 

 

Hall took a lot of push back for humanizing the spiritual leader - showing “warts and all” - but the portrayal, in a fictional manner, allows for a fuller picture of King the human being. Some of the character monologues approach preachiness, but the overall impact is engrossing and powerful.

 

Torrey Linder in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Torrey Linder is a natural to play Martin Luther King, Jr.  He has handsome features, and a booming voice finely enriches his oratorical remarks and flourishes.  However, the strength in his performance is the manner he presents the clergyman as an ordinary man who changed a nation.  The actor convincingly conveys the multiple layers to King’s persona as he struggles with the weighty issues of the day.  He is both confident in his on-going work but, at times, questioning his resolve and actions.

 

Jasmine Shanise brings spunk and a street-smart toughness to the role of Camae.  She is nobody’s fool and quickly develops a well-rounded portrayal of her character.  Her patter can occasionally be too quick, but once she settles into the role, the easy going, yet fitful rapport she has with the civil rights giant becomes more natural. She demonstrates her acting range as the frisky, soul-searching banter in the beginning of the play turns more solemn and supernatural.

Jasmine Shanise in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Working within the premise of playwright Katori Hall’s fictional scenario, Director Jamil A.C. Mangan deftly creates an interaction between the two protagonists that is believable and organic.  He effectively incorporates enough busyness and creative machinations to keep the momentum of the two-person show flowing without going stale.  He skillfully directs a seamless transition between the two segments of the show, beautifully and artfully sequencing to the transcendental conclusion.

 

Patti Panyakaew’s set design has a claustrophobic and disheveled authenticity.  Matthew Weisgable’s lighting and Carter Mangan Jr.’s sound design, especially with the lightning and thunderstorm raging outside the hotel room - almost Biblical in its rage - is extremely effective.   Christian Killada’s projection array at the show’s conclusion is compelling and haunting.

 

The Mountaintop, playing at Playhouse on Park through March 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze? - Seven Angels Theatre

The two-person play, The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", receiving its New England premiere at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, is a melancholy and whimsical journey touching on family, grief, and the afterlife.  The action takes place at a small cottage high above the Irish Sea.  There, two brothers reflect on their lives, past, present, and future.  There is angst, joy, and unforeseen revelations to their debates and introspections.  A twist to the story is that the older brother, Jamie (Nick Roesler) is a ghost, a fact his younger sibling Tommy (John R. Howley) is slow to accept.  With this premise, the stage is set for the duo’s sometimes humorous, often impassioned, and always devotional reflections.

Playwright Joseph Bravaco delves into the playfulness and intensity of brotherly love and disagreements.  The issue with The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", is its lack of real drama and tension.  There are moments that engage, but they are few and far between.  While introducing a spiritual component to the play ratchets up the interest, the intrigue it entails slowly wanes.

Nick Roesler and John R. Howley in The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?" Photo by Constantine Pappas.

Director Sasha Brätt attempts to vary the action and interactions within the drama, but is limited by the back-and-forth banter of the script, and Charles O’Connor’s minimalist set – a quaint, compact kitchen connected to a spare yard, a weathered wooden bench serving as its focal point.

The two actors are very good.  Their rapport comes across as natural, both in the love and pain they show each other.   Nick Roesler’s Jamie jousts, prods, and dotes like a caring, concerned older brother.  John R. Howley is terrific as Tommy.  He reveals a range of emotions leading up to a heartrending conclusion.

The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", playing at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Counter - Theaterworks Hartford

The short (75 minutes) one-act, The Counter, provides a slice-of-life at a smalltown diner.  The show, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through March 22, is is an intimate story between two individuals (with a brief appearance by a third person) looking to cope with their simple lives, engage, and build trust with each other. 

 

Katie (Justis Bolding) helms the front of the eatery where Paul (Tim DeKay), a retired firefighter, is always her first customer.  Simple premise.  However, one morning, Paul proposes a rather odd, atypical request of the proprietress.  This sets into motion a reckoning by both characters, each with their respective pasts and possible futures.  

Justis Bolding and Tim DeKay in The Counter.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

 

Through a number of scenes, showing the passage of time, playwright Meghan Kennedy slowly explores the evolving relationship between the two protagonists.  This is not a love story, but of a tentative friendship where heart-to-heart tête-à-têtes reveal deeper truths.  There is easy-going ruminating, humorous leavened with pathos, in the dialogue that could be overheard at any local diner.  At certain points, especially towards the end, the plot can seem contrived, with a somewhat hurried ending.  The inclusion of the town doctor, Peg (Erika Rolfsrud), provides a short, but important element to the play. 

 

Bolding and DeKay, under the uncluttered, straightforward direction of Rob Ruggiero, each give a naturalistic performance.   The actress provides a dash of spunk, independence, and a charm befitting a smalltown diner.  Tim DeKay, who is fast becoming a favorite at Theaterworks Hartford, could be an amalgamation of the denizens of the TV sitcom Cheers.  Sometimes gruff, self-deprecating, and willing to talk your ears off, the actor effectively presents a multi-layered character looking for direction and tethered to hope.  Erika Rolfsrud delivers a well-honed, no-nonsense, yet vulnerable, performance in a role that provides an integral piece of Paul’s backstory.

Justis Bolding and Tim DeKay in The Counter.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

 

The interior of Set Designer Tijana Bjelajac’s diner is detailed and authentic looking.  Matthew Richards’ lighting design adds a touch or realism as the sun sets and rises each day over the venerable establishment.

 

The Counter, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through March 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Frozen - A Contemporary Theatre of CT

The musical Frozen is a tough show to stage.  There is less Disney magic or spectacle than their musicals like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, or Mary Poppins.  The focus, instead, is on the two central characters, Anna and Elsa, princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle.  Without two dynamic performers, Frozen will not work.  Fortunately, the production at A.C.T. of Connecticut (ACT) features a pair of enchanting, vibrant actresses – Leigh Ellen Jones (Anna) and Kyrie Courter (Elsa) - that keep Frozen an entertaining and an enchanting piece of theater, primarily, for younger audiences.

 

The book by Jennifer Lee is tight and fluid.  There are some noticeable changes from the animated film, making the show more manageable to stage, but which will not greatly upset fans of the movie.  For example, the trolls are now the “hidden people” and there is no Marshmallow, the giant snow monster.

 

The plot centers on the Anna and Elsa, from the time they are young girls through the moment Elsa is crowned Queen.  Her magical powers, where she can summon cold, snow, and ice, inadvertently overwhelms the kingdom, forcing her to flee to the mountains.  Anna, looking to save her sister, is joined by an ice merchant, Hans; his reindeer, Sven; and an adorable snowman, Olaf.  Together they seek to rescue Elsa, reverse the eternal winter that has descended upon Arendelle, and save the kingdom from doom.

 

The songs by the husband-and-wife team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez contain a host of catchy tunes and are well sung, as performers nicely tease out the comedic numbers (“Love Is an Open Door" and “What Do You Know About Love”) and the more lighthearted and dramatic moments ("Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “For the First Time in Forever”).  Kyrie Courter’s rendition of the earworm classic, “Let It Go,” is powerfully delivered and generates theatrical pizazz with the incorporation of Scenic Designer Matthew Imhoff’s emerging ice palace.

 

Leigh Ellen Jones and Kyrie Courter Ms. Jones are winningly cast as the two female leads.   Both actresses bring a strong-willed, independent streak to their performances.  As Anna, Ms. Jones also imbues her character with a comedic wit and fortitude she carries throughout the show.  Ms. Courter, more guarded with her portrayal of Elsa, nonetheless, conveys an underlying strength that fuels her character’s yearnings.  Frankie Lou Lauderdale, as young Anna, and Ellie Lila, as the young Elsa, are impressive as they capably command the stage at the start of the show.  Brody Redman is effective in his role as the seemingly altruistic suitor Hans.  While the actor Jalon Matthews aptly conveys befuddlement in the role of Kristoff, the chemistry between him and Leigh Ellen Jones is missing.  Katelyn Lauria is requisitely nutty as the snowman Olaf but, curiously, is more in the background during the length of the show.  The same could be said of Niko Charney as the lumbering reindeer Sven, garbed in a very large costume designed by Travis M. Grant.

 

Robert W. Schneider, utilizing Scenic Designer Matthew Imhoff’s simple, interchangeable sets and Jack Mehler’s dramatic Lighting Design, keeps the pacing quick and action constantly in motion.  A number of his decisions inject humor into the production, such as having members of the cast clothed in towels during the song “Hygge.”   Schneider also skillfully manipulates the cast to become interchangeable parts of the show’s set at the climatic finale.  His one misstep is having the cast continuously enter and exit the stage into the audience.  Individuals seated in the back of the theater have a panoramic view of the arrivals and departures.  Those of us that were seated in the front rows, could not see what was happening. 

 

Caitlin Belcik’s choreographer ranges from elegant ballroom dances to inspired, goofy one-steps.  As with the undertaking of her director colleague, her compositions are key in moving the action forward.

 

Frozen, placing at ACT through March 15.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

 

Gutenberg! The Musical - Playhouse on Park

Gutenberg! The Musical is a silly show with a silly premise - the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of the printing press.  Who says you can’t write a musical on any topic?  While the idea and execution supplies smile-inducing entertainment, the show does begin to run out of steam by its conclusion.  However, what makes Gutenberg! a diverting and amusing show is the comic, full-throttled performances of its two leads – Jeremiah Michael Ginn (Bud Davenport) and John Wascavage (Doug Simon) – and the inspired direction of Sasha Brätt.  The chemistry and energy of the two actors and their no-holds-barred scenery crunching provide a constant supply of tittering.  Brätt manages to generate enough schtick and nuttiness to deliver a show that generates chuckles more than outright laughter.

Jeremiah Michael Ginn and John Wascavage in Gutenberg! The Musical.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

The musical, which debuted Off-Broadway in 2006, tells the story of Bud Davenport and Doug Simon, two nursing home employees who decide one day to pen a Broadway musical.  They sink their life savings into writing and producing a one-shot production, minimally staged and with few props, to impress a big-time producer.  They come up with the idea of the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of the printing press.  When they conduct research - via Google - they discover scant information about the German inventor, which allows them to create a piece of historical fiction - emphasis on the fiction.

 

Jeremiah Michael Ginn and John Wascavage in Gutenberg! The Musical.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

 

The plot follows Gutenberg as he transforms his wine press to the haloed printing press.  Complications, of course, ensue.  Added to the mix are assorted townsfolk; Helvetica, the women who loves him; and, to add a dash of menace and intrigue, a Mad Monk.  Ginn and Davenport portray all the varied roles as they don yellow visored baseball caps, with a character’s name emblazoned on front.  The gimmick works as Director Brätt weaves in quick changes and even a chorus line of hats during one number.  In between scenes, the characters of Bud and Doug provide commentary on the show, reveal secrets of stagecraft, and disclose aspects of their personal lives. 

Jeremiah Michael Ginn in Gutenberg! The Musical.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Scott Brown and Anthony King, who collaborated on the book, music, and lyrics bring a jocular wit and kookiness to the story.  Their score, which includes such ditties as "I Can't Read," "Biscuits," "Stop The Press," and "Monk With Me" works well within the confines of the musical itself, but you won’t be humming any of the tunes as you leave the Playhouse on Park theater.

 

Jeremiah Michael Ginn and John Wascavage are inspired schlemiels.  Their tomfoolery and antics constantly light up the stage.  The two actors are clearly enjoying themselves and play wonderfully off the audience’s reactions.  What impressed me most about their performances was how diligently they were working to make the show succeed.

John Wascavage and Jeremiah Michael Ginn in Gutenberg! The Musical.  Photo by Meredith Longo.
 

Director Brätt, working within the bare-bone set designed by Arthur Wilson and the bold lighting design by Kyle Stamm, inserts enough gags and silliness to keep the production humming smoothly.  Even with the constant barrage of shenanigans, there is a purposeful manner to the musical, which keeps it from spiraling out of control.

 

Musical Director Miles Messier, who doubles as an uninterested foil, adds a professional glint to the show.

 

Gutenberg! The Musical, a beguiling and mirthful diversion, playing at Playhouse on Park through February 8.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

English - Long Wharf Theatre

The play English was presented by TheaterWorks Hartford this past fall as part of a partnership with Long Wharf Theatre.  This winter, it is now the venerable New Haven theater’s turn to present the work, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  Very little has changed in the production.  There are two new actresses (the other three are reprising their roles).  The set, a sparsely furnished classroom created by Sadra Tehrani is smaller, but similar to her design at the Hartford staging.

 

The show, by playwright Sana Toossi, takes place in an advanced TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) class.  Four students, of different ages and goals, seek to master the English language by passing the TOEFL test.  The play adeptly explores language, cultural identity, and self-worth.  Maybe because what is happening in our country and the world, these issues seemed more pronounced and resonated with me more during my second viewing of the show within such a short span of time,

 

The quartet of students, circa Iran in 2008, is under the tutelage of Marjan (Neagheen Homaifar), a demanding yet sympathetic instructor.   They are Elham (Sahar Milani), a driven individual looking to score high on the TOEFL to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor; Goli (Aryana Asefirad), an enthusiastic 18-year-old student; Omid (Afsheen Misaghi), whose is already quite proficient in English and seeking his green card; and Roya (Nina Ameri), a grandmother who wants to become competent in English to be able to communicate with her grandchild living in Canada.

 

Through multiple blackout scenes, designating the passage of time, Ms. Toossi is able to reveal each of the characters’ difficulties as they progress through the course and, hopefully, achieve their objective – passing the TOEFL.  The playwright has cleverly created a system for communicating the characters’ thoughts in both their native tongue and English.  When they speak in an unaccented tone, this connotes their native tongue of Farsi.  Accented English implies their communication in English.  In just a short time, and without any unnecessary exposition, the audience understands the playwright’s device.

 

As the 100-minute, intermission-less show progresses, conflicts, both personal and within the classroom, arise.  The end is a satisfying mix of success and sadness.  Additionally, audiences will leave the production ruminating on the questions posed and situations presented – the mark of a dynamic and thought-provoking production.

 

Director Arya Shahi hasn’t missed a beat molding the old and new cast members into a superb ensemble.  He doesn’t clutter the play with a lot of unnecessary bustling about, but allows the words and simple acts to take center stage.  Working with Mary Ellen Stebbins’ institutional Lighting Design, the director effectively brings out the humor, honesty, and solemnity in Sanaz Toossi’s well-crafted script.

 

Each character is well-defined, bestowed with multiple layers by the playwright.  The only misstep is with the character of Omid.  His motivations for taking the course are not satisfactorily presented, even though his character does add a romantic twist to the show.

 

English, playing at the Kendall Drama Lab, a pocket-sized black box theater on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, through February 1.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

 

The Cottage - Hartford Stage

The Cottage, a play about sex, betrayal, and love, is a very funny show.  Playwright Sandy Rustin has taken the well-mannered, sophisticated play perfected by Noel Coward and turned it on its head with one delicious comedic plot twist after another.  There is also one flatulent scene that rivals the great bean-eating sequence from the film Blazing Saddles. 

 

The Cottage at Hartford Stage - Jordan Sobel, Craig Wesley Divino, Kate MacCluggage, Jetta Juriansz, and Mary Cavett. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The premise is simple.  The time – a beautiful day in June 1923.  Sylvia and Beau are reveling in their yearly tryst at the quaint cottage, lovingly rendered by Scenic Designer Tim MacKabee, owned by Beau’s sickly mother.  Sylvia is truly in love and takes steps to let certain individuals know about her devotion and intentions.  Unfortunately, this sets into motion a cascading number of revelations and scenarios that no one – both the characters on stage and the audience in the theater – sees coming. 

 

The Cottage at Hartford Stage: Kate MacCluggage and Jetta Juriansz. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Normally, I would add a touch more about the show’s plot, but the fun of The Cottage is the constant surprises sprung on unsuspecting theatergoers.  Why spoil the fun?

 

Rustin has crafted characters that have carefully calibrated idiosyncrasies and well-defined character traits.  The women, unlike the usual drawing room farces set in the 1920’s, are strong and empowered.  All of the hilarity and shenanigans are skillfully harnessed by Director Zoë Golub-Sass, who lets the comedy slowly unwind on stage.  The rhythm of the play and the pacing are critical, and Ms. Golub-Sass adeptly guides the action, the physical comedy, and silliness with flawless aplomb.  Even some of the props take center stage, such as the variety of cigarette dispensers littered about the set. 

 

The Cottage at Hartford Stage: Mary Cavett and Jordan Sobel. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The Cottage is a true ensemble piece. The show works so well because each actor/actress stays within their character.  The performers don’t overplay their roles or try to outshine each other.  The whole is, indeed, greater than the sum of its parts.  The acting troupe is Mary Cavett (Sylvia), Craig Wesley Divino (Clarke), Matthew J. Harris (Richard), Jetta Juriansz (Dierde), Kate MacCluggage (Majorie), and Jordan Sobel (Beau).  Even though this is a true ensemble piece, Ms. Juriansz does stand out as the daffy, naïve Dierde.

 

The Cottage at Hartford Stage: Kate MacCluggage, Craig Wesley Divino, Mary Cavett, Jetta Juriansz, and Jordan Sobel. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The creative team, as usual for a Hartford Stage production, contributes their unique talents to fully enhance a production.  They include Costume Design Hunter Kaczorowski, who has wonderfully fashioned garb fitting for British high society of the 1920’s.  Lighting Designer Evan C. Anderson’s picturesque lighting tableau, and Sound Designers Nathan A. Roberts and Charles Coes’ off-stage crashes, and the aforementioned gassy explosion, are central to the show’s entertainment.

 

The Cottage, playing at Hartford Stage through February 8.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.