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.

The Grove Presents "Rent" As We Know and Love It

By Darcie Flansburg
The Real Critics Editor/Publisher

It's Friday and I'm still singing songs from "Rent." I saw the show last Friday night at The Grove in Upland and moments of this production brought me, happily, back to Broadway.
Long before the film version came out I saw "Rent" in New York, front row. I was completely enmeshed in the La Bohem contemporization, and enamored with the characters whose choral message was to live every moment as if it were your last, wishing only to " celebrate, remember the year in the life of friends."
Director Richard Hochberg (and Scenic Designer Frank Dickson) obviously wanted to do the show that patrons expected; the set design and blocking were strongly influenced by the Broadway production. When a director tries to emulate a well known show they must either do the show that everyone knows (to a tee) or they must make it their own. Hochberg, Dickson (and Costume Designer Jeannete Capuano) did an excellent job of recreating the show that the audience knows, and wanted to see.
Hochberg also did the piece justice simply by casting very talented vocalists. Though some actors may have lacked character, they made the show worth it with their voices.
Brandon Alpert (Mark Cohen) not only brought life and love to his character, but also has a truly beautiful voice. He and Josh Switzer (Roger Davis) had some  amazing moments together -- "Tune Up" and "What You Own."
Mandy Tucci (Mimi) played up the sex kitten (though not nearly as much as she could have) and had a fabulous voice for all of her amazing songs -- "Out Tonight," "Another Day," and "Without You." But Tucci lacked something in her character that allowed the audience to feel any compassion for her. Getting the audience to feel for someone that is a stripper, and a junkie, is no easy task, but it is possible to bring empathy to the character.
Christen Dugger (Maureen) really struck home. "Over the Moon" is not the most engaging or melodic song of the show, but Dugger elicited laughter and love from the crowd. At Friday night's show everyone "Moo"-ed, on cue.
Adair Gilliam (Joanne) also had tremendous character, but her beautiful voice was often lost and her funny words could rarely be heard because of bad mics. This was a problem for a few actors in the show.
Miguel Cardenas (Tom Collins) showed great emotion, emotion that made the audience reel with him. The loss of his love was utterly felt by the audience and lovingly echoed by the ensemble.
Joseph Andreas (Angel Dumott Schnard) had an amazing voice (and some killer legs) for the ever popular numbers "Today For You," "La Vie Boheme," and "I'll Cover You." Though Andreas, as the sick and dying Angel, brought tears to the audiences' eyes, the spunky, lively Angel was rather lackluster. Yes, he was there for all the right moves, the right words and the right cues, but Andreas lacked that verve, that charisma, that the character really needs.
But the small pitfalls of these few actors did not really effect the overall quality of the show. I started this review saying that this show brought me back to Broadway, and with all of the above thoughts in mind, I could still feel the life of Braodway in these actors, in their voices and in the spectacle of the production. Well done.

"Rent" performs through Feb. 7 at The Grove in Upland. Visit www.grovetheatre.com for details.

'School House Rock' Didn't Rock, But It Was Fun

By Darcie Flansburg
The Real Critics Editor/Publisher

Tom is about to teach his first day of school, but he’s worried that he won’t be interesting to his students or that he may forget the material. Thankfully the School House Rock bunch appear, claiming to be different parts of Tom, and remind him of all the classic hits that he grew up with.
“School House Rock, Live” is basically a review of the cartoon songs that were once wedged between Saturday morning cartoons, with no real through line other than academic subject matter. The plot of the show is really more of a shell, with very little dialogue mingled amongst School House Rock songs.
Yucaipa Little Theatre’s production of “School House Rock, Live” was respectable. The cast appeared to have a lot of fun at the Sunday, Dec. 13, closing performance. But perhaps they were tired from the run of the show because there was a lack of energy.
But singers Brad Allen, Hannah Lake, Jessica Bridgeman, Rosslynn Medina, and Tianna Prescott carried the show with their strong vocals. Some of my favorite routines included “Sufferin’ ‘Til Suffrage,” “Conjunction Junction,” “Interjections” and “Interplanet Janet,” in which the cast kicked out Pluto because he is no longer a planet. And I liked Kimberly Stewart-Robel’s direction of “The Great American Melting Pot.” Stewart-Robel used the ensemble to represent all of the cultures that have come and made homes in America. Destiny Ayala, Rylie Prescott, Corey Moore, Lauren Heitmann, Tim Wilson, Daisy Dabois, Nicholas Kelly, Savannah Chester, Nicolette Wilson, and Calin Prescott were costumed multiple times and then ran onto stage and disappeared behind the counter where the singers were cooking in the Great American Melting Pot.
Though the show could have used some more energy at times, it was still a lot of fun to watch. Nothing too deep, in terms of plot, but everyone enjoys the show for the music anyway.
It was a good show for Yucaipa Little Theatre to put on and it was refreshing to see a non-Christmas show around this time of year.

Yucaipa Little Theatre presents “Suessical the Musical” in February. Visit www.yucaipalittletheatre.com or call (909) 790-1884 for details.

‘Macbeth’ Was Stunning, But Immature

By Darcie Flansburg
The Real Critics Editor/Publisher

Steve Shade’s vision in his production of “Macbeth,” at the University of Redlands, was spectacular. But almost too much for the cast to handle.
The opening of the production presented a ritual for Macbeth. For war? No. For the play. The entire ensemble met in a circle of candles, blessed and ready. The ensemble spoke words that Macbeth (Nicholas Zaharopoulos) echoed, but not words just for battle, but words that concerned his future, his kingdom, his ambition. This was an interesting way to start the play because it was almost as if Macbeth beckoned the witches to him, but it also shows that Macbeth had ambition for a kingdom long before the witches spoke to him of his future.
The ritual makes the witches, and their rituals, more acceptable in this world, which allowed Shade to weave the weird sisters, and their heavy burden, into more of the play.
The ritual element at the start of the show also lessoned Lady Macbeth’s (Robyn O’Dell) persuasiveness as a character. It was no longer about her manipulation of the situation, but about her pushing Macbeth toward what he already knew to do. But when Macbeth comes back from  battle he does not seem to be as ambitious as the pre-war ritual portrayed, so this link was also lost.
The starting ritual created a lack of continuity; Macbeth, in particular lost his real through line as a character. He went from ambitious to modest, to ambitious, to (supposedly) manipulated, to crazy. Macbeth needs to go from an honest, hardworking soldier to a surprised and grateful Thane of Cawdor, before he meets the witches, before he becomes power hungry and ambitious.
But Shade’s Grotowski vision was truly stunning. The live African drummers, collective vocal stylings, the rake, the wall of doors and the lighting were enough to create the intensity required for Shade’s phantasm. And it was this intensity that asked a lot of the young cast; almost too much. And that’s what they are - young. It was difficult to look at some of these young men as warriors and heroes. But it is not really an issue of age, but maturity. The ensemble did not have the maturity and depth that was required of them; not only for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” but for Shade’s magnanimous vision. The efforts put forth by the college cast were respectable, but just not convincing.
For example, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship felt juvenile and disconnected. When Dame Judy Dench convinced Sir Ian Mckellan, in the same roles, to kill King Duncan, she seduced him into it and the chemistry was instantly felt between them. O’Dell in this same scene slapped Macbeth and through a tantrum like a child. So when Zaharopoulos agreed to the plan of assassination it seemed to come out of nowhere. Lady Macbeth said “do it” and Macbeth said “okay.” That was how the scene played out. There was no real struggle, no real sexuality, no real passion for each other or their collective future.

But Shade also placed the characters in some magnificent images and it was in these breathtaking moments that the acting flaws could be overlooked. The play moved smoothly with the use of tableau’s and brief movement pieces that showed the scenes that are only talked about in the play, but not shown. These pieces created a cohesiveness to the play unlike any I have ever seen in a Shakespeare production. A particularly beautiful moment was when Macbeth was having trouble sleeping, after killing the king, and in a movement piece between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth the couple showed the struggle Macbeth was having with his wife. It was a perfect picture of his internal conflict and really well executed.
Another element that really shaped these moments was the ensemble vocals and music. The ensemble hovered on the wings throughout the duration of the play providing music; using their vocals, in various ways, and instruments, of all kinds. And the African drummers really made the battle scenes, fight scenes and transitionary moments extremely, and aptly, intense.

Though lacking maturity at times, the cast presented some very noteworthy performances. Music major Nathan Riley stole the show with his regal presence as King Duncan, physical comedy as the Porter and with his beautiful vocals as part of the musical ensemble. Jillian Ferry also presented the most chilling Lady Macduff scene I have ever witnessed. Her screams made everyone in the audience, appropriately, cringe and shudder. And Dan Stong (Banquo), Jeff Groff (Macduff), Brett Serrell (Malcom), Zaharapoulou, and O’Dell all exemplified a strong understanding of their characters, though the through line may not always have been clear.
The University of Redlands’ production of “Macbeth” was respectable. I expect a lot from Steve Shade productions, and I expected just a little bit more from this one. A little more maturity, a little more growth. But overall a job well done. One of the best productions of “Macbeth” in this region in the past few years.

An Evening of Legend

By Gabriel Morales
For the Real Critics Blog

In a macabrely exquisite tour-de-force, Travis Rhett Wilson mystifies in "Lord, Save My Poor Soul: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe," a splendid one-man production starring the deceased literary hero.

Skillfully written/arranged and directed by John Lynd, "Evening" is a moving, visceral journey through the times and trials of the legendary poet, exploring every facet from childhood memories, to dysfunctional relationships -- with family, women, society and the bottle -- with each of the play's two acts culminating in stunning reenactments of Poe's most famous works, "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven," respectively. The production is minimal: just Poe, his writing desk, a spirit-filled decanter and Virginia Poe's empty wedding dress -- the combination of which is maximal in its aesthetic power. Especially the latter -- O, that dress -- with its lifeless sleeves swaying as it's cradled about in a somber recreation of Mrs. Poe's final, tuberculosis-ridden days... quite a disturbing, profound effect.

In a role he was seemingly born to embody -- his awe-inspiring, award-winning turns as Renfield (RCP's 2007 "Dracula") and  Macbeth (IESF's 2008 "Macbeth") notwithstanding -- Wilson readily exceeds this reviewer's expectations of his artistic capabilities, once again proving himself one of the Inland Empire's greatest acting talents. He humanizes Poe, a man whose enduring worldwide fame paints him even more morbid than his writings; yet, as Wilson aptly portrays, Poe was a man of deep love, passionate for his art and beloved Virginia; a man whose heart-wrenching losses and subsequent fears tortured him to alcoholism and eventual madness: a harrowing roller-coaster through which Wilson vises the audience's attention from lights up to the final "nevermore."

Lynd has struck gold with his "Acting Out Series." Fascinating and informative, entertaining and educational, one is sure to leave with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the statesmen, pioneers and artists that shaped Western culture. Coming soon: the respective lives of Benjamin Franklin and Vincent Van Gogh.

For performance or booking information visit http://www.jtlproductions.net.

YTL’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ is Well Sung Good Fun

By Darcie Flansburg
The Real Critics Editor/Publisher

Creating gory special effects on stage is no easy task. The effects can easily look fake and costumes have to be worn again the following night, so blood stains are not favorable.
Yucaipa Little Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd” not only did an excellent job of keeping the audience on edge, using authentic effects, but also kept their costumes fairly clean. One bloody instance was so well executed that it literally caused an audience member to groan with discomfort and say, out loud, “oh my, it’s real!” The same man later said “what a great show for October,” obviously pleased with his experience.
The horrific production was not only a good choice for October, but also for Yucaipa Little Theatre. From the very opening of the show with “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” YTL’s production had great intensity, vocal talent and some really fabulous costumes.
The theatrical space was also utilized well. YTL does not have much space to work with, but they always seem to have fun set pieces, on wheels, with multiple purposes. Pirelli’s stagecoach, for example, rolled on stage and unfolded to become quite the spectacle.
“Sweeney Todd” is actually considered an opera. The fact that the music in this production was well sung and in time is a testament to the ensemble in and of itself. Singing Sondheim, in general, is not easy, and even though the YTL cast might have wavered here and there, they showed great mastery of the work overall.
Daren Prescott maintained an austere stare as the severe Sweeney Todd and flexed his vocal muscles throughout the show. My only wish is that he had had a British accent, like the rest of the ensemble. It reminded me of Kevin Costner’s portrayal of Robin Hood, the only actor to play the part without a British accent. Johnny Depp may have sounded like he was impersonating himself, a la Captain Jack Sparrow with his slight cockney accent as Todd, but at least he had an accent.
Mia Mercado was simply marvelous as the quirky Mrs. Lovett. Mercado had great comedic timing and seemed confident singing Lovett’s very (very) difficult songs.
Winston Peacock was wonderful as Todd’s opposing barber Adolfo Pirelli. Peacock has a beautiful voice that was supplemented with some very scary razor work during the number “The Contest.” It was in this number that my neighboring audience member groaned with discomfort believing that the blade was real.
The entire ensemble deserves much credit for their frosty presentation. The production had a consistent mood, no one appeared out of place and everyone presented Sondheim’s classic well.
Doing popular drama is a challenge, especially when the production was recently made into a major motion picture. It is up to the director to either do the show that everyone knows or adapt the show to create something new. Director Christi Prescott mixed the style of the recent Tim Burton film with the original Broadway version, creating a production that would please old and new fans of the show. Costumes reflected both styles, while characters took on the eccentric nature of the Broadway version, but stage blocking emulated the recent film.
The outlandish characters provide humor in this somber production, but this was overshadowed in the Burton's film, as he sought a much darker approach. A friend that attended the show with me never cared for Burton’s film version, but found himself whole-heartedly laughing at the zany characters in YTL’s production.
“It’s much better on stage,” he said. And, indeed, it was a truly noteworthy show.

“Sweeney Todd” runs through Oct. 25 at Yucaipa Little Theatre. Visit www.yucaipalittletheatre.com for details.

Top Vision, Top Execution, Top Entertainment: “Top Girls”

By Gabriel Morales
For the Real Critics Blog

Featuring an impressive all-female cast, superbly directed to powerful realism, 3 Theatre’s “Top Girls” is an electric, riveting, in-your-face theatre experience.

What do a medieval damsel, Germanic warrior princess, Buddhist concubine-nun, Victorian explorer and philosophizing pope have in common? They’re all deceased, time-travelling dinner guests at a surrealistic party held by a Reagan-era British business woman -- Act One of Carol Churchill’s somberly poignant drama of feminine tribulation and mystique. Through this unabashed, dark-witted conversation, Churchill outlines woman’s struggle through centuries of misogynistic oppression, foreshadowing -- Act Two and Three’s modern-day vignettes of the same personalities and trials that have endured the changing zeitgeists.

Overall, the ensemble is wonderful, aptly demonstrating a wide range of characters and mostly consistent dialects. Alisa Ann Lovas (Griselda/Nell) brings an affective naïveté to her roles. Melissa Smith (Kit/Shona), a young veteran of musical theatre, delivers as the sassy youth empathetic to her best friend’s familial plight. Rhiannon Cowles (Lady Nijo/Win) is a delight to watch as both the stoic Kabuki-faced courtesan -- with her moving revenge monologue -- and Nijo's modern alter ego, Win, a smooth-talking, well-traveled, Burnettesque office worker. Paige Polcene (Pope Joan/Louise) is great as the lady pontiff, especially when she lets loose with her mournful prayer -- in Latin. Sarah Jacques (Dull Gret/Angie) makes the largest shift between characters as she goes from sword-bearing combatant to discontented juvenile -- a change deftly made. Believable as a downtrodden teen, moving as a boorish, gluttonous ancient, Jacques’s monologue about her journey into hell is chilling.

Desiree Hill (Isabella Bird/Joyce) is a strong addition to the ensemble; having worked with Second City and Steppenwolf among others, Hill’s training and experience is readily apparent. Her scenes sizzle with voracity and power as the self-possessed Victorian, and even more so as the abusive matriarch of her dysfunctional family. At last, but far from the least, Rebecca Williams enthralls as the sultry-voiced top girl, Marlene. With intelligent choices she deftly navigates the central character’s difficult journey as a no-nonsense businessperson and distraught absentee mother -- avoiding the pitfalls of demonstrative presentation and caricatured British accent. From her silent entrance into the dark head trip of an opening scene, to the explosive argument and aftermath during the closing beats, Williams possesses an intense focus and clarity of motivation that is a vision to behold.

Seasoned director Patrick Brien should be proud of this bold, captivating production. With great costuming and a delicately crafted tone -- sans the self-consciousness and aspirant habits often seen in non-professional theatre -- Brien and his cast have created a dynamic, gripping production that would make Grotowsky smile.

3 Theatre's "Top Girls" continues through Oct. 24 at the Mission Galleria in Riverside.