Making characters human
This season at Stratford artistic
director Richard Monette completes his presentation of the entire Shakespeare
canon — as well as continues his expansion of the contemporary repertoire.
Jonathan Goad, whom I have admired as
an excitingly developing young actor, brings Dostoevsky’s passionate Dmitry to
pulsing life in Jason Sherman’s The Brothers Karamazov. Whether that
complex meganovel really lends itself to the stage is a matter of taste. The
haunting philosophical and religious questions evoked by the wildly different
four Karamazov brothers, the meanings of the mystery of their father’s murder,
and the heartbreaking fraternal relationships between the three legitimate
brothers are probably too much to get fully from frequent readings of the
novel, much less from a few hours in a theater. But Sherman certainly condensesThe Brothers Karamazov into a compelling
drama.
Only because his role is smaller does
Scott Wentworth’s dynamic father, Fyodor Karamazov, seize the imagination less
potently than Goad’s tormented Dmitry. Shane Carty is believable (no small
achievement) as the freakily erratic, intellectual brother Ivan.
Director Richard Rose’s typically
gimmicky staging makes almost symbolic use of the rearrangement of chairs by
the mostly onstage large cast, and Charlotte Dean’s costumes suit Graeme S.
Thomson’s dark designs for sets and lighting to maintain a rather Gothic
atmosphere.
Those who know the first five
Wingfield plays recognize that Dan Needles’ Wingfield’s Inferno is a
comedy. But it is also a thoughtful, sometimes moving, original Canadian play.
Walt Wingfield, former stockbroker
and now rural Ontario farmer, writes dryly comic letters to a nearby newspaper
about his experiences among quirky and very human neighbors. This time Walt
tells about the machinations necessary to “restore” a burned-down community
hall. His baby girl’s deafness-threatening ear infections, attempts to train a
filly to be a racehorse although reins and a bridle terrify her, and other
problems are all connected through the topics of bureaucratic cupidity and
insurance. As in all the Wingfield plays, actor Rod Beattie portrays Walt, his
editor, and all the zany characters, this time also voicing Walt’s wife and his
baby girl.
Rod Beattie’s brother Douglas again
directs invisibly. And, however special or cute or limited they may seem in
description, all six plays are delightful gems worthy of repeated viewings in
major theaters, and continue to win international awards to prove that
statement. Beattie alone is a whole community of engrossing characters.
— Herbert M. Simpson
You
should go if you want to see new life in Dostoevsky, or for a comedy with
thought and wit. The Brothers Karamazov through September 24 and Wingfield’s
Inferno through August 14 | Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario,
Canada | $18.85 to $91.16 US dollars | 800-567-1600,
www.stratfordfestival.ca
Living up to its name
The elusive triple threat: stunning
singer, delightful dancer, and able actor. Who could have guessed that a
collection of these rare creatures would assemble in Auburn, New York?
The historic Merry-Go-Round
Playhouse, set in beautifully groomed Emerson Park and adorned with gorgeous
chandeliers hanging from the preserved wooden ceiling, is a unique theater
environment without a bad seat.
Crazy
For You is classic Gershwin: over the top, sappy, convoluted, and
wonderful. Bobby Child, a reluctant big-shot banker, dreams of stardom, but his
demanding mother and overbearing fiancée insist that he pursue business,
requiring him to foreclose on a family theater in Nevada. When he arrives in
the ghost town, he falls madly in love with the owner’s daughter, Polly.
Love is never easy, especially in
musical comedy. Think I Love Lucy meets the Wild West and you’ll have some idea of the hilarity that ensues. Only
Gershwin could get away with asking a character to sincerely deliver the line,
“I’ll stop this show if it’s the last thing I ever do!”
Josh Walden (Bobby) is a versatile
character actor and talented physical comedian, singer, and dancer. Ellen
Zolezzi skillfully plays Polly with a tough exterior that immediately melts
when she yearns for that “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
The impressive cast whirls through
dizzying choreography while singing with abandon. Smoldering performances (Yes,
Gershwin can be sexy!) are delivered by dancers Andrea Davey and Melanie
Waldron who have, respectively, the appeal of Ginger Rogers and Claudette
Colbert.
Despite wig fiascoes, shaky sets, and
a somewhat anticlimactic ending, this vibrant production is worth the drive.
Director Ed Sayles, musical director Christopher Babbage, and choreographer
Jennifer Turey have succeeded in creating “Broadway in the Finger Lakes.”
— by Erin Morrison-Fortunato
You
should goif you like slapstick,
classic show tunes, lovely ladies in tiny costumes, and lots of talented
actors. Crazy For You through August 4 | Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, 17
William Street, Auburn | $31-$35 | 315-255-1785, www.merry-go-round.com
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2005.
