Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2000)
Page 4 Septem ber 27, 2000 Portland ffibeewer Focus The Focus The Devils Drama Raises Eternal Questions R unning out of G uest R ooms ? P u t y o u r re la tiv e s o n e of o u rs. The Devils adapted by Elizabeth E gloffplay at Portland Center Stage L to R Linda Hayden/Dasha Shatov, M icheál Newcomer/Nicholas Stavrogin. The Devils marks the Portland directing debut o f Portland Center Stage’s new Artisic Director, Chris Coleman. He has chosen an ambi tious historical drama, with a cast o f 15 characters, elaborate costumes, and a vast, multi-layered set. This sweeping production uses the Newmark’s capabilities to the fullest and engages the audience in fast-paced scenes o f provocative moral dilemma and emotional ur gency. The essential question of The Devils is: what price change? The play concerns a group o f aimless anarchists in provincial 19,h century Russia. Their ruthless leader is Peter Verkhovensky. barely able to goad his followers to print a “Strike!" poster while coldly plot ting the murder o f Shatov, a timid turncoat. The ragtag band, also known as The Gang o f Five or The Society, looks for spiritual leadership in Nicholas Stavrogin, an amoral aris tocrat with a sense o f loyalty to no one but him self and nothing but his own momentary impulses. The rest o f the cast include Mrs. Stavrogin, N icholas' mother and patron o f Stepan Verkhovensky, Peter’s father and a dilettante aca demic; Shatov’s sister Dasha, Mars. Stavrogin's servant and Nicholas’ lover, and Marie Shatov’s errant wife who returns to him only to give birth to her illegitimate child. Then there’s Governor Lembke, object o f the Society’s plotting, and his entourage: Mrs. Lembke, his dizzy wife, and Blum, his bumbling enforcer. Remaining characters in clude the rest o f The Gang o f Five: S h ig a ly o v , V irginsky and Liputin; K irilo v , P e te r V e rk h o v e n sk y ’s d e sig n a te d h it-m a n ; and Matryosha, one o f Nicho las’ young victims. The Dostoevsky novel. The Devils written about I9'h century revolutionar ies, previews at Portland Center Stage on Thursday, September 28. It opens Fri day, September 29 and runs through the m atinee on Sunday, October 22. Port land Center Stage perfor mances take place in the graceful Newmark Theatre at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW Broadway at Main. Tickets range from $10 - $ 4 1 at the box office. Call 503/248-6309 for general information or 503/274- 6588 for the box office. 5736 NE 33rd • Portland, Oregon • (503) 249-3983 w w w .m c m e n a m in sr o m Learn Spanish reading the news Come visit us on the web at www.portlandobserver.com SMOKEY R O B IN S O N C O M IN G S O O N Friday and Saturday, October 13th and 14th at 8 pm MICHAEL MCDONALD NOVEMBER 3 & 4 air supput FEBRUARY 9 & 10 PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS FEBRUARY 23 & 24 C hinook W ìnds C asino & Smooth as silk. Smokey brings Motown to our town. C O N V E N T IO N CENTER For tickets and information call 1 -888-MAIN ACT or tickets on sale 60 days prior to show date 1-888-C H IH O O K • O H THE BEACH IH LIHCOLH CITY, OREGON www.chinookwindscasino.com
