Theater Reviews: Bronzeville, Dead, Therefore I Am, The Seafarer
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AND THE WAR CAME As the global economic meltdown continues to cast its pall over the land, it’s easy to forget about those other Bush-Cheney contributions to human misery still raging in Afghanistan and Iraq. For this reason alone, director Joanne Gordon’s sentimental stage memorial to the sacrifices made by Iraq War veterans and their families deserves the sincerest of salutes. Through a collage of interwoven sketches and onscreen projections (supervised by J. Todd Baker), Gordon, nine writers and a fine ensemble attempt to convey a sense of the sometimes whimsical but usually tragic experiences of those touched by the war. The best of the pieces are predictably those that stray the least from their source material. These include writer David Vegh’s “Nicole,” in which a young, newlywed enlistee (Beth Froelich) matter-of-factly recounts how her marital bliss is cruelly cut short when her childhood-sweetheart husband ships out only to become a combat fatality; and Brian Addison’s “All Quiet,” in which an American Muslim serviceman (Arber Mehmeti) describes the conflict between family, faith and duty engendered by the war. All too often, however, the narratives simply get tangled in Gordon’s overly elliptical structure and taste for the maudlin. And would it really have been a disservice to veterans for Gordon to have included some antiwar voices or, God forbid, those of the Iraqis themselves? National Guard Armory, 854 E. Seventh St., Long Beach; Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; May 8-9, 8 p.m.; through May 9. (562) 985-5526. A Cal Rep production. (Bill Raden)
APPLE Emotional bonfires crackle around the infidelity of an ordinary, married guy, Andy (Albie Selznick), with a beautiful woman, Samatha (Carmit Levité), who just happens to be a medical technician whom Andy’s wife, Evelyn (Ellyn Stern), sees frequently during her breast-cancer diagnoses and treatments. Evelyn is dying, there’s no question, and her philandering husband lies stretched on a rack of grief and self-loathing — careening between his physical passion for his healthy mistress and his torment as a caretaker for his fading wife. Does his expressed adoration of his spouse stem from something larger than guilt and self-recrimination? “I’m rotten,” he confesses to her. She knows what’s going on, and thank goodness, she’s no peach herself. Foul-mouthed and sometimes petulant, she reveals a mean streak, telling hubbie that she never loved him. That could be true, but it’s more likely to be the only kind of revenge she can inflict. The larger question explored in Canadian Vern Thiessen’s absorbing play hangs in the murky territory between lust and love, and Rachel Goldberg’s wisely abstracted and seductive production tries to clarify that distinction, despite stretches of gratuitous poetical narration that tilt the tone toward the mawkish. Jeff G. Rack’s park bench set and the projected images of Benjamin Goldman’s animation design contribute to the sense of a poem in motion. On opening night, the ensemble was just starting to find the play’s unspoken truths, and will doubtless unearth more through the production’s run. Levité’s smart, charming mistress finds herself smitten with Andy for reasons still vague, though in one scene at the clinic, her defiant defense of Evelyn’s wishes, overriding Andy’s will, could be a kind of punishment of him. Stern’s ill Evelyn is further along, handily negotiating cross currents of wisdom and peevishness, while Selznick nicely handles Andy’s sometimes cloying yet convincing earnestness as he tries to man up. The production invites no easy moralizing, though there is the suggestion that the vow “till death do us part” probably shouldn’t be rushed along — the parting or the dying. Theatre 40, 241 Moreno Drive (on the Beverly Hills High School Campus), Beverly Hills; in rep, call for schedule; through May 24. (310) 364-0535. (Steven Leigh Morris)
BACK TO BACHARACH AND DAVID This splashy production provides a timely reminder of just how much the songs of Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) have imbedded themselves in our consciousness. With their 40 chart-topping hits, many written for Dionne Warwick, they created an astonishing body of work. This production, with musical arrangements by Steve Gunderson, direction by Kathy Najimy, and busy choreography by Javier Velasco, features some 30 of their songs, including “Close To You,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” and “What The World Needs Now Is Love.” The four performers, Diana De Garmo, Tom Lowe, Susan Mosher and Tressa Thomas, are expert, energetic and vocally adept (two of them are American Idol alums), but the production suggests a cabaret show masquerading as a rock concert. The vast venue works against intimacy and tends to homogenize the performers, while the flashing, moving, sometimes blinding colored lights, cinematic projections, and smoke machines can distract, particularly from the less familiar songs. One is grateful for the moments, like Lowe’s rendition of “Alfie,” when someone is allowed to just sing without being overloaded by production values or cutesy choreography. It’s a fun show, and it goes down smoothly, but a little less might have provided a little more. The Music Box @ Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 5 & 9 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through May 17. www.etix.com. (Neal Weaver)
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