Halcyon Days

Chester Theatre Company, Chester, MA

www.chestertheatre.org

through July 19, 2015

By Mary Fernandez-Sierra

The conservatory of a nursing home becomes the landscape for an ethereal and superbly acted drama by Deirdre Kinahan. Halcyon Days tells the story of Patricia and Sean, two fiery and fascinating souls whose paths cross in the twilight of their years. It is a story of unraveling, and re-raveling; life and laughter; and most of all, the power of friendship.

It is hard to imagine anyone other than Jill Tanner playing the role of Patricia, or Anderson Matthews portraying Sean. These two actors own their characters, breathing life and love into every moment. Ms. Tanner gives us a strong and statuesque Patricia, who is also incredibly fragile… while Mr. Matthews is wistful and weary as Sean, yet lively and quick-witted when the occasion demands.

Director James Warwick has kept a tight pace throughout the play, making the performance seem to pass in a twinkling. The stage space is utilized brilliantly; every area seems perfect for the parts of the story that unfold there.

Much credit must be given to the scenic design of Matthew Iacozza, and lighting design by Lara Dubin, for the success of this show as well. The interaction between the subtle colors of the stucco walls, those gorgeous greenhouse windows and the transitions and effects of the lights are as much a joy to watch as the performances. Truly, together, they make a masterpiece.

Kudos to Stage Manager Allyson Namishia and her intrepid backstage crew for quick and effective scene changes, and to Sound Designer Tom Shread for music choices that enhanced the audience’s enjoyment and understanding of a truly lovely piece of theatre.

Halcyon Days will not last! Head to the Chester Theatre Company while you still can to see it in all its glory.

World Premier of Inge’s "Off the Main Road" & the WTF experience

Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA

www.wtfestival.org

through July 19, 2015

by Mary Ann Dennis

As a former apprentice from 1980 and 1981, it was exhilarating to return to Williams College for the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s world premier of William Inge’s "Off the Main Road." Kudos to WTF for commissioning a piece that was long lost, then reintroduced by the Inge Estate. This is the kind of mission WTF has always been known for -- work that makes actors want to get their hands dirty, so to speak. Many WTF productions have taken the next big step, over the New York border, to Broadway, and "Main Road" is one that I hope makes it. The world should see these artists. The play, the actors, and the technical aspects are Broadway ready.

Chills and tears welled up in me as I parked in the garage, then came into the lobby. My formative years in theatre were filled with right out of college experiences with all the hopes and dreams in the world to work alongside so many brilliant actors. While at the play this week, I happened to sit next to an apprentice the same age as I was when I first learned from this rich and electrifying group -- the same group for him, only decades later. I asked the young apprentice if they were still allowed to perform a "line rehearsal" with the main stage actors. He answered, yes and that he done so. He has no idea that his summer at WTF will be incredibly invaluable; a year's worth of acting classes in an hour or so. So glad some things hadn't changed.

Okay, on to discussing the show…

The play's three key characters are a mother, daughter and grandmother. Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Kyra Sedgwick makes her WTF debut as the elegant but emotionally fragile Faye Garrit. Her character seeks refuge from her husband by checking into a run-down resort on the outskirts of St. Louis. With her is her 17-year-old daughter portrayed by Mary Wiseman. Faye’s mother is acted by the formidable Estelle Parsons, an Academy Award and Lifetime Achievement winner and a frequent visitor to WTF's stage.

Director Evan Cabnet has the skill of perfectly casting this gripping and powerful drama. He proves which Inge’s legacy of “penning rich, emotionally hard-hitting stories populated by complicated and truthful, human characters”.

Sedgwick’s portrayal of Faye is masterful. Wiseman is enchanting, honest, and brilliant as her character struggles with the internal conflict she faces of not wanting to be like her mother. Parsons is perfect as Faye’s mother -- stuck in her ways, stereotypical and reminiscent of the proverbial grandma. The male actors, Jeremy Davison and Aaron Costa Ganis, hold their own well beside the female triumvirate

The crux of the play is the root of the cycle, a cause and effect of three generations and their affects on each other. Personal, political, and sexual awakenings connect the mother and daughter with heartbreaking clarity.

I walked out of the theatre stunned with much to think about -- my own life and family members, not to mention memories of my apprenticeship at this superior theatre high on the gorgeous mountains of Williamstown. WTF was brilliant theatre then, and it is now.

Legacy

Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA

www.wtfestival.org

through July 12, 2015

by Bernadette Johnson

It’s a rare treat to experience the world premiere of a play that leaves you with the gut feeling that “This one is going to make it big.” If the spontaneous and immediate standing ovation is any indication, such a play is Daniel Goldfarb’s “Legacy,” a comedy/drama starring Tony Award-nominee Jessica Hecht and Drama Desk Award-winner Eric Bogosian.

"Legacy" in rehearsal

It’s all about legacy, the struggle to give meaning to existence when the bedrock life has been built upon crumbles. As the play opens, a dispirited novelist, Neil (Bogosian), whose latest work has been dismissed by the New York Times as “culturally irrelevant,” spews a diatribe against critics in general, and, labeling himself a failure as a writer, proposes to his wife Suzanne (Hecht) that they try to start a family. When Suzanne has difficulty conceiving, Neil’s graduate student Heart (Halley Feiffer), with whom Suzanne has developed a friendship, is recruited as a surrogate.

Casting is exceptional, Bogosian and Hecht convincingly portraying the couple’s anticipation/awkwardness/angst and a vivacious Feiffer initially exuding youthful confidence and, ultimately, the confusion and dismay of Heart’s involvement. 

Justin Long’s offhand and in-your-face manner as Dr. Goodman, a fertility specialist—no bedside manner here—adds much delightful humor, as do many one-liners.

Dane Laffrey’s set is versatile, at first, Neil and Suzanne’s living room and bedroom, and with just a few shifts and Justin Townsend’s “sterile” lighting, the living room becomes Dr. Goodman’s office and the bedroom, the examining room. The immediacy of the examining room heightens the tension the audience feels. There is a most poignant moment with Heart, Neil and Dr. Goodman when the tension is palpable, when it seems the entire audience is holding its breath.  

“Legacy” touches on controversial subjects—abortion for one—and some may be offended by banter that makes light of Holocaust survivors. This reviewer didn’t feel comfortable laughing. Eric and Suzanne are Jewish, yet …. Is this disrespect or is it OK in the same way it’s OK for a black man to use the “N word”?

The Little Foxes

New Century Theatre, Northampton, MA

www.newcenturytheatre.org

through July 11, 2015

by Konrad Rogowski

Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" is a finely crafted tale of greed, deception and the suffocating social conventions of the American south at the turn of the last century. The play's storyline fellows the schemes of two small town families as they plot their way to grasp the golden ring dangled before them by an industrialist from the North. The man's decision to build a cotton mill in town is the key to the families' future.

The complications and plotting arise, because each of the three siblings -- Regina, Oscar and Ben -- must put up one-third of the finances to entice their benefactor to make the deal. And for Regina the whole plan hinges on additional and unforeseen (o the audience) circumstances. The crux of "Little Foxes" is the deal-making and workings among the siblings.

The cast does a credible job in retelling Hellman's all too familiar story of the back room deals and changeable alliances that the temptations of potential windfalls place before folks who think they have it all figured out, and have the upper hand. It is a tale that has been retold in too many newspaper headlines since the 1930's.

Stephanie Carlson, in particular, as Birdie, as the flighty, often times tipsy, and over talkative wife of Oscar, sets the show's tone, being a little too free with the truth about family secrets. While the cast does a credible job in retelling Hellman's all too familiar story of the back room deals and changeable alliances that the temptations of potential windfalls bring, a little harder definition of the plotting and character conflicts/chemistry would have made for a more impactful show.

Greg Trochlil's dramatic and elegant set design and Dawn McKay's costuming set the tone for this period-piece drama of fading fortunes and pots of gold at the rainbow's end.

The little foxes do just what little foxes should, they skulk about in the shadows, they plot, and they work to steal whatever they can, by whatever means are within their power.

Dorrance Dance: A Tap and Musical Sensation

Jacobs Pillow, Becket, MA

www.jacobspillow.org

through July 5, 2015

by Mary Ann Dennis

“Listen to my feet and I will tell you the story of my life” was the line from the “pre-talk” that resonates. In The Blues Project, Michelle Dorrance returns to Jacobs Pillow with her all-star dancers featuring tap soloists Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards as well the stirring and soulful live music by renowned folk/blues composer Toshi Reagon and her band BIGLovely.

According to the New Yorker, Dorrance is “one of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today”. Not knowing what is being played each night, Dorrance gets a lovely surprise by Reagon's sparking excellent improv tap/music you. A great dialogue is "spoken" between these musicians as a distinctive style that is incredibly thrilling to watch musically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Dorrance notes that since she was 18-years old, she wanted to work with Toshi Reagon because she wields music the way Dorrance wields tap. This is a rock concert with guitarists' instruments seemingly to a conversing. That is exactly what the audience sees and feels from the musicians and dancers and between the dancers themselves.

Grant, a known Broadway dancer, defies nature on his toes as he slides through syncopations. Sumbry-Edwards, former tap coach to Michael Jackson, rattles off music with her feet. Amazing.

This hour-long show runs straight through, connecting one phase to another. The moments between each are sensitive, overlapping as one or two artists remain onstage while the next moment starts. Each dancer showcases his/her ability and personality in solos within the numbers and duets. The troupe's unison percussions are jaw dropping.

A few words about lighting -- the design sets the mood perfectly for the lively choreography, making it all quite a visually intriguing production.

A big “thank you” to the cast for keeping the tap alive! Dorrance is a two for one deal: You get a deal: music AND dance. Music AND Dance.

The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy: DISCORD

Chester Theatre Company, Chester, MA

www.chestertheatre.org

through July 5, 2015

by Mary Fernandez-Sierra

What would happen if some of the greatest writers who ever lived could be transported to the same place and time, and any of us were fortunate enough to witness the event? Oh, the possibilities…

This is exactly what happens in Chester Theatre Company’s brilliant and beautiful season opening production. Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy find themselves sequestered together after their deaths, apparently to fulfill some task unknown to them. The mystery of their mission, the finely wrought portrayals of these three literary geniuses (as well as truly out-of-this world scenery, costumes, and gorgeous lighting) all combine to create a mesmerizing evening of theatre.

The production will be particularly fascinating for admirers of the three writers, as the script literally dances with words and ideas from well-known works. Audience members unfamiliar with their writings will still be caught up in the story and the marvelous production values, but knowledge of the in-jokes and quotations simply adds an extra fillip to the fun.

All three actors shine in their roles. The pace as they clash and collaborate is positively dizzying; ideas, philosophy, insults, and admiration fly about the stage in an intellectual ping-pong match, which is a joy to follow. Ezra Barnes brings a soulful sincerity to Thomas Jefferson, contrasting with Rik Walters’ bravura and flamboyance as the inimitable Charles Dickens. Michael Sean McGuiness is earthy and passionate as Leo Tolstoy, adding his own gutsy gusto to what he calls the trio’s “triangular duel” about faith, reason, and love. They make a superb triumvirate, bantering back and forth between comedy and drama with ease.

Bravo to scenic designer Ezra Barnes, lighting designer Lara Rubin, and costume designer Charles Schoonmaker, for enhancing the story with extraordinary arts and skills; and much honor to director Byam Stevens, whose staging and tempo make a play about words - and the men behind them - come to life.

Shining City

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA

www.barringtonstageco.org

through July 11, 2015

by Jarice Hanson

If this review had a title, it would be “A Perfect Night at the Theater.” Shining City is a well-crafted, thoughtful play full of surprises by Conor McPherson, interpreted impeccably by a talented cast that includes Mark H. Dold, Wilbur Edwin Henry, Deanna Gibson, and Patrick Ball. Director Christopher Innvar knows how to use the intimate space of the St. Germain stage to full advantage, and draws the audience into the action from the subtle, pre-curtain rainfall in the background to the last moment of the 95-minute production that takes your breath away.

Photo by David Fertik

The story begins with the awkward first meeting of a psychologist and his a new client. Ian (Dold) and John (Henry) engage in the initial small talk the way men do—staccato utterances peppered with affirmation and uncomfortable attempts to go beyond the superficial, but as John’s pain unfolds, the audiences learns of his late wife and his personal demons. John is suffering and knows that desires are sometimes as misleading as the thoughts he battles in his mind. He is searching for a reality that he knows may not exist, and the reality that emerges brings the stories of the two men into alignment, and simultaneously bridges mind/body, and theare/reality.

The artistic vision shared by every member of the cast and production team is so clear, the audience can’t help but be moved by the individual stories and the sense of aloneness that emerges in Ian’s cold little Dublin office. When John comes to terms with his loss in a brilliantly effective monolog, Ian’s body language not only communicates understanding on multiple levels, but the audience is treated to a master class in acting and interpreting the text. Dold and Henry are a formidable duo, and with McPherson’s words and Innvar’s guiding hand, the production gives its viewers something to think and talk about.

The title, "Shining City," refers to a Biblical passage (the play is Irish, so guilt and religion are expected) but the storytelling is unforgettable.