By Gabriel Morales
For the Real Critics Blog
Special thanks to director Mel Chadwick and the cast of Riverside Community Players' "Queen Milli of Galt" for giving me some of the best theatre I have seen in... a while. And I see a lot.
Reader's theatre is a strange thing. With its dim lighting, minimal staging, and black-clad, script-schlepping actors, reader's theatre has a more voyeuristic quality than traditional productions. Rather than (hopefully) feeling as if you're watching people's lives pass before you, it's almost as if one has stolen into a private rehearsal where the company is testing out a new script before deciding whether to fully produce it. Such a setting makes the playwright and his words the focal point, since there isn't much else to grasp one's attention.
Not so with "Milli." The cast's subtle, realistic portrayals were a joy to watch. Exchanges between Alexis Rafter (Milli of Galt) and Adam Demerath (Edward) were especially poignant and enthralling, crackling with well-timed wit and believable desire.
In viewing this modest production, with its two-day run and $20 budget, a simple truth was illuminated: theatre is enjoyable -- indeed valuable -- when it reveals the truth of the human spirit and condition through genuinely talented actors. All else is garnish.
Next at Riverside Community Players is "The Mousetrap," opening March 19. Visit www.riversidecommunityplayers.com for details.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
RCP's "The Price" Offers Honest Intimacy
By Darcie Flansburg
Real Critics Editor/Publisher
Arthur Miller's "The Price" takes a very intimate look at the Franz family as they seek to sell family furniture before the building, that the family grew up in, is taken down. Though the play is not very action packed, the depth of emotion fills the small cluttered room on stage with heavy, life-changing doubt, guilt, regret and love.
To pull off such a show you need a small, but mighty, cast and the Riverside Community Players production fit the bill.
Now, I don't mean to compare, but when you've seen a show multiple times, or even once before, it is difficult not to. We also have our favorites. We prefer the original to the sequel, or feel that the first Broadway cast did it best. But when a critic can look at one show and say that they not only did it justice, but also rivaled their all-time favorite, that's a good sign.
When I saw "The Price" at A Noise Within in Glendale in 2007 I felt like I was a fly on the wall of the room that the Franz family argued and discussed in throughout the play. I did not feel like the cast was acting, but rather trying to work things out honestly and fairly. I had a similar feeling watching the RCP production. It didn't feel staged or set up; it felt natural.
The heart of the play is Victor Franz, played by Chris Marler, who, in revisiting his old house, learns that his life could have been different, but he's not sure that it would have been for the better. Marler is fantastic in this role. Though he is slightly younger than Victor, Marler presented the life and heart of the character with wonderful naturalness and honesty. Marler showed Victor's thoughtful nature in his small mannerisms, these slightly anxious, restless movements that portrayed his vulnerability to his wife, his brother and even the furniture appraiser.
Alisa Ann Lovas was charming and controlling as the lovely Esther Franz. Her presence always seemed to make Victor stand up taller, and she spoke plainly to the appraiser, unwilling to be ripped off. Lovas could have used Esther's love of alcohol a bit more, but her sympathy for her husband toward the end of the play was touching.
Tom Shelton played the well-to-do Walter Franz, Victor's older brother. Shelton was an excellent foil to Marler's character. The two could almost see eye-to-eye, but not quite. That tension made the room feel smaller and yet the brothers were still so far apart.
But the heavy mood was often broken by furniture appraiser Gregory Solomon, played by Don Hudson. Hudson brought wisdom and humor to the cramped family gathering. The audience need only see Hudson appear and they knew there would be some funny trouble brewing.
In her Director's note Pat McQuillan asks "How does one determine what it costs to give up that which was most important to take on a task that he never expected? And what does it cost to abandon your family at a time of crisis to continue in your quest for your future? Who benefits? Which one is successful? How do we measure success, happiness, and peace of mind? Does success change who we are? Does acceptance of less change what we are?" I think, based on the convincing performance of the RCP ensemble, these questions could be answered in many ways. But that's life, right? Everyone has a different answer, everyone chooses a different path. No one's path is smooth; everyone has to make choices and whether those choices are good or bad, well, that answer lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Riverside Community Players presents "The Mousetrap" March 19 through April 4. Visit www.riversidecommunityplayers.com.
Real Critics Editor/Publisher
Arthur Miller's "The Price" takes a very intimate look at the Franz family as they seek to sell family furniture before the building, that the family grew up in, is taken down. Though the play is not very action packed, the depth of emotion fills the small cluttered room on stage with heavy, life-changing doubt, guilt, regret and love.
To pull off such a show you need a small, but mighty, cast and the Riverside Community Players production fit the bill.
Now, I don't mean to compare, but when you've seen a show multiple times, or even once before, it is difficult not to. We also have our favorites. We prefer the original to the sequel, or feel that the first Broadway cast did it best. But when a critic can look at one show and say that they not only did it justice, but also rivaled their all-time favorite, that's a good sign.
When I saw "The Price" at A Noise Within in Glendale in 2007 I felt like I was a fly on the wall of the room that the Franz family argued and discussed in throughout the play. I did not feel like the cast was acting, but rather trying to work things out honestly and fairly. I had a similar feeling watching the RCP production. It didn't feel staged or set up; it felt natural.The heart of the play is Victor Franz, played by Chris Marler, who, in revisiting his old house, learns that his life could have been different, but he's not sure that it would have been for the better. Marler is fantastic in this role. Though he is slightly younger than Victor, Marler presented the life and heart of the character with wonderful naturalness and honesty. Marler showed Victor's thoughtful nature in his small mannerisms, these slightly anxious, restless movements that portrayed his vulnerability to his wife, his brother and even the furniture appraiser.
Alisa Ann Lovas was charming and controlling as the lovely Esther Franz. Her presence always seemed to make Victor stand up taller, and she spoke plainly to the appraiser, unwilling to be ripped off. Lovas could have used Esther's love of alcohol a bit more, but her sympathy for her husband toward the end of the play was touching.
Tom Shelton played the well-to-do Walter Franz, Victor's older brother. Shelton was an excellent foil to Marler's character. The two could almost see eye-to-eye, but not quite. That tension made the room feel smaller and yet the brothers were still so far apart.
But the heavy mood was often broken by furniture appraiser Gregory Solomon, played by Don Hudson. Hudson brought wisdom and humor to the cramped family gathering. The audience need only see Hudson appear and they knew there would be some funny trouble brewing.
In her Director's note Pat McQuillan asks "How does one determine what it costs to give up that which was most important to take on a task that he never expected? And what does it cost to abandon your family at a time of crisis to continue in your quest for your future? Who benefits? Which one is successful? How do we measure success, happiness, and peace of mind? Does success change who we are? Does acceptance of less change what we are?" I think, based on the convincing performance of the RCP ensemble, these questions could be answered in many ways. But that's life, right? Everyone has a different answer, everyone chooses a different path. No one's path is smooth; everyone has to make choices and whether those choices are good or bad, well, that answer lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Riverside Community Players presents "The Mousetrap" March 19 through April 4. Visit www.riversidecommunityplayers.com.
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