Eugene weekly., September 13, 2007, Page 15, Image 15

out the gazillion movies, musicals and plays
for more info. Onward: Much has been made,
both in Ashland and for anyone who reads
about the OSF, of incoming artistic director
Bill Rauch’s supposed boldness in keeping the
adults of R&J in Elizabethan costume while
showing the “generation gap” between adults
and youth by dressing the youth in “modern”
outfits (a kind of Hogwarts lite, combined
with some sweet soccer kits for the boys in
later acts). Fine. Nice idea! No problem, espe-
cially for those who have read the script to
West Side Story and know its emphasis on how
adults just don’t understand teens. But cos-
tumes, wonderful as they may be (and they are
lovely), do not a production make. How is the
acting?
The young lovers are played by John Tufts
and Christine Albright; Benvolio is Juan
Rivera LeBron, and Mercutio the excellent
Dan Donohue (who, I’m happy to hear, is
playing Iago next year). I’m not clear on why
Tufts instead of LeBron played Romeo — to
adapted by Thornton Wilder as The Merchant
my mind, LeBron is the better actor.
of Yonkers and The Matchmaker, which even-
Nevertheless, Tufts does a decent job. So does
tually became Hello, Dolly!
Albright who, while young, looks far too
Is that confusing? Well, it’s only theater
mature for this role. Jonathan Haugen chews
history; audiences don’t really need to know it
the scenery as Lord Capulet; Mark Murphey
to enjoy this farce. And be clear: This play is
gets his props as Friar Laurence; and, of
almost the definition of farce. Do not go to On
course, Demetra Pittman as the Nurse puts in
the Razzle if you don’t enjoy a good dose of
a good night’s work.
comedy leavened
Romeo (John Tufts) and
But, even if you enjoy
with mistaken identi-
Juliet (Christine Albright)
this oft-produced tale of
ties, outrageous lies
star-crossed lovers, the
and dares, zipping in
reason to see it is
and out of windows
Donohue. As is often the
and doors and
case
with
R&J,
incredible wordplay.
Mercutio’s brilliance
Because
it’s
(almost) makes up for
Stoppard, this is all
the self-centered blather
combined with nods
of the teenage lovers.
and winks to meta-
— SS
jokes about language
and the way German
sounds to English
speakers (specifical-
Taming of the
ly to the British,
Shrew
which
means
(Elizabethan Stage,
Americans
miss
through Oct. 7)
some of the jokes).
Rereading Taming
The garish set and
before the trip, I thought
the costumes of
about how clearly the
Adults just don’t
everyone including
language shows this was
the two mostly won-
understand teenage love
an early play. Over time,
derful
leads,
Shakespeare refined his
Weinberl (a brilliant Rex Young) and
use of blank verse; in plays like Taming and
Christopher (Tasso Feldman), could keep a
Richard II, the language is pristinely beauti-
health care worker awake after a 36-hour
ful, but the couplet reigns supreme, and
shift. The only sour notes come from OSF
inconvenient things like character develop-
regulars who essentially play their personas in
every show, and that’s a casting problem Bill
Rauch should solve. But in general, this pow-
erful, unstoppable farce gathers momentum
for its dazzling, many-balls-in-the-air scenes
of hilarity, and though it ends with a whimper,
the show is a nice antidote to the more serious
fare on offer. — SS
Gem of the Ocean
(Angus Bowmer Theatre, through Oct. 27)
Going into Gem, one of us had read it
ahead of time and the other hadn’t. Neither of
us (embarrassingly) had seen an August
Wilson play before. We left silent, moved and
utterly captured by the script, acting and stag-
ing of this smart, fine, truly meaningful play.
The only problem with Gem is that every-
thing else at the OSF pales (yes, that’s figura-
tive and literal) in comparison: The subject
matter — workers’ rights, the Civil War and
slavery, the impact of Reconstruction on
African American communities in the North
and South at the dawn of the 20th century, the
courage it takes simply to rise out of bed in a
world gone so mad — gives it broad reach.
Greta Oglesby, who originated the role of
Aunt Ester in this remarkable play, brings
experience and depth to the part, and every-
one else in the cast lives up to her intensity.
Even Derrick Lee Weeden — so wooden in
The Tempest — comes alive here as Caesar, a
cop with a vengeance.
Perhaps because of the cast’s work with
“movement guru” Patdro Harris — and intel-
ligent lighting design from Robert Peterson
— even a potentially problematic “magic”
scene works its true magic and leaves the
audience shaken and weeping.
Gem is performed with appropriate skill
on a perfect set with smart lighting. While the
music feels a bit off — did they borrow the
theme from Fried Green Tomatoes? — the
production easily overcomes it. This is the
major play of the OSF season, a play that hits
at the vital heart of our self-definition as a
country. Go see it. — CA/SS
On the Razzle
(Angus Bowmer Theatre, through Oct. 28)
Romeo and Juliet
The perfect blend of goofy movie marquee,
arch-ironic vaudevillian slapstick and translat-
ed-from-19th-century-Vienna farce, On the
Razzle delights and dazzles from its opening
moments on. The play is Tom Stoppard’s adap-
tation and interpretation of Johann Nestroy’s
Einen jux will er sich machen, which was also
(Elizabethan Stage, through Oct. 5)
(With apologies for the non-iambs … )
Was ever a hackneyed tale more well
known than that
Of this fiery Montague and his young
Capulet?
I refuse to recount the plot of R&J; check
Tickets, discussions, info and a list of 2008’s plays can all be found
at the OSF’s website (www.osfashland.org).
JENNY GRAHAM
tion at OSF this season. For that reason alone,
it’s worth a viewing, especially for parents
with kids in tow. — CA
JENNY GRAHAM
JENNY GRAHAM
Greta Oglesby,
who originated
the role of Aunt
Ester in the
remarkable Gem
of the Ocean,
brings experi-
ence and depth
to the part, and
everyone else in
the cast lives up
to her intensity
ment can be disposed of with a well-turned
phrase. How would the OSF deal with the
language and the final submissive speech of
Kate (Vilma Silva)?
To the first, the answer is well, well, well.
To the second? Sometimes, there’s not much
you can do. Later, I heard opinions ranging
from “At least [director] Kate Buckley played
it straight and didn’t try to subvert it” to “Oh,
that was a total subversion!” Neither seems
quite accurate; in the glorious combative
wordplay between Kate and the incredibly
energetic Petruchio (Michael Elich, who
racks up the I-5 miles as a Portland State prof
and an OSF mainstage actor), one can read a
certain amount of winking and nodding, but
despite a bit of amusing stage business at the
very end, Kate’s speech remains a blot that
takes modern audiences right out of the play.
Luckily, Buckley didn’t remove the
comedic bits with Bianca (Sarah Rutan) and
her suitors Gremio (James Edmondson),
Hortensio (Shad Willingham) and the lucky
Lucentio (Danforth Comins). These classic
Shakespearean interplays of dialogue, physi-
cal comedy and clever deception delight the
audience. The actors obviously enjoy them-
selves in this production, which is gorgeously
costumed and lit; thanks to Elich’s mania and
the sweet staging, it’s the outdoor production
not to miss. — SS
Tartuffe
(Angus Bowmer Theatre, through Oct. 27)
Religion: A truthful game played by liars,
believed only by fools. At least that’s what
French playwright Molière might be trying to
say with his Tartuffe, penned in 1664, a com-
edy about religious hypocrisy at a time when
religious fervor was at its apex in France.
Fittingly, the play was immediately banned
from the stage by dévots (the devout faithful),
many of whom turned out to be (big surprise!)
religious imposters themselves.
For those unfamiliar with Tartuffe, the sto-
ryline is straightforward. Rich aristocrat
Orgon (Richard Elmore, in scenery chewing
mode) has taken in the charlatan Tartuffe
(Anthony Heald, in full sleaze mode) as a
spiritual advisor to his household. The only
problem is that while Orgon sees piety, the
others smell a scoundrel. Orgon’s children,
Mariane (Laura Morache) and Damis
(Gregory Linington), his wife, Elmire
(Suzanne Irving), her maid Dorine (Linda
Alper, fiery as ever) and her brother Cleante
(Richard Howard) all wish to open Orgon’s
eyes to Tartuffe’s trickery, but this task is dif-
ficult when, in fact, Tartuffe never lies. Orgon
rebuffs his family and orders Mariane to
marry Tartuffe instead of her true love, Valère
(Kevin Kenerly). Mortified, Mariane pleads
with the others to set a trap for Tartuffe; they
do, and the imposter is, literally, caught with
his pants down. But it’s too late, and only a
Tartuffe (Anthony Heald) listens
to the arguing Orgon (Richard
Elmore, back left) and Damis
(Gregory Linington)
SEPTEMBER 13, 2007 15