Hollywood has plenty of glittering folklore and
tabloid-worthy stories that provide a brief glimpse into the dramatic past of
the elite. Few, though, maintain the mystery of one particular November weekend
in 1924. Through February 26, Screenplays — a community theater company that
specializes in producing the Golden Age of Hollywood onstage — presents a
hypothetical tale based on true events in “The Cat’s Meow.”
The plot
begins when 13 passengers board newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst’s
yacht, “The Oneida.” The guests have been invited for a weekend cruise to
celebrate the birthday of Thomas Ince, who invented
the modern concept of movie studios and was the “Father of the Western.”
Hearst’s longtime mistress, Marion Davies, plays hostess and unexpectedly finds
herself entangled in a love triangle with Hearst and Charlie Chaplin, who’s
been in love with Davies for some time. Other passengers include a novelist, a
gossip columnist, several young actresses, a doctor and his wife, and several
of Hearst’s business colleagues. On “The Oneida,” there’s no hint of
Prohibition, and champagne flows freely. Everyone knows The Charleston. Short
hair and fringe are in, and sexual promiscuity is encouraged, as evidenced by
every “It Girl.”
Steven Peros wrote “The Cat’s Meow” for the stage, and later
reworked a screenplay for the 2002 film starring Kirsten Dunst as Davies, Ed
Herrmann as Hearst, and Eddie Izzard as Chaplin. The stage version clocks in at
just a little more than two hours, which means the show requires a cast who can
keep the audience’s attention.
Director
Lindsay Warren Baker, an opera instructor and dramatic coach at Eastman School
of Music who has many regional and national credits to her name, is firmly at
the helm of “The Cat’s Meow” and guides her cast of 14 to create a piece that
never feels too dry. She’s chosen to feature several new faces in the cast,
which helps move away from the threat of the same actors playing the same
character in different shows (an all-too-common occurrence in community theater).
Most importantly, the cast retains command of the audience’s attention by
driving the show’s plot forward. The story becomes all
encompassing within minutes.
Part of the
initial hook can be credited to musical director Jacob Stebly.
Throughout the show, he plays piano and sings period tunes, beginning with an
enjoyable rendition of the 1929 song “Talking Picture of You.” Then Judie D’Ambrosio (as novelist Elinor Glyn) appears in the
balcony, serving as a narrator of sorts, almost as though it were a memoir. D’Ambrosio is a consummate performer, with perfectly
delivered one-line pans and nuanced emotion. Peter J. Doyle — a commanding,
convincing presence in each role he takes on — portrays the controlling Hearst.
Gregory Ludek (Ince) and ShawndaUrie (actress Margaret
Livingston) have the newest affair onboard the boat, as evidenced by a
salacious scene that both perform quite handily. Cara D’Emanuele
(Louella “Dolly” Parsons) channels just the right amount of nerves and naivetรฉ
with her depiction of the ambitious gossip columnist — her character is at once
annoying and endearing, a sign of a truly skillful actor.
As Hearst’s
lover Marion Davies, Marcy J. Savastano shines; her
character work on stage cannot be rivaled. From her posture to her tone of
voice, everything about Savastano works in this role.
Opposite her is Sean Smith (Charlie Chaplin), another young local actor who
masters palpable emotion on stage. Savastano is more
fluid during musical scenes, but Smith’s commitment to his character throughout
the show is impressive.
Because the
entire production takes place on Hearst’s yacht, the Cabaret Hall at the Lyric
Theatre couldn’t be more fitting for the set design by Alexandra Herryman. The actors appear in the balcony during
observation deck scenes, and audience members are tucked away in and near
alcoves (which used to be Sunday School rooms for different grade levels when
the Lyric was a church). An additional stage platform has been built out for
the show, creating a free-flow set that makes settings interchangeable.
Furniture and props are kept simple; while costumes by Shelly Stam — especially those worn by the Hollywood starlets —
are flashy and sparkling beneath the stage lights. Hair and makeup design by
Mary Megan Bringley, likewise, is elaborate, playing
up the best of 1920’s trends like finger waves, bobs, and headbands.
While “The
Cat’s Meow” would be entertaining to enjoy with friends, it’s perplexing that a
reserved table in the Cabaret Hall costs $15 to $20 in addition to individual
ticket cost, especially since the tables offer the same plastic folding chairs
as general seating. Concessions are cash-only, another tip for potential
attendees, but parking is free (and plentiful) in a lot across the street and
on the adjacent Prince Street as well.
This article appears in Feb 22-28, 2017.
