Hearing the very first minutely affected syllable breathed through a totally dark theatre, I knew that I was in for something special as an audience member of Speak Easy Stage Company’s final production of the season, Tony award winning, The Drowsy Chaperone.  Our narrator, “Man in chair”, is quick to bring us into the particulars of his world; a place where a treasured classic musical can transform a room right before our eyes, can stop and start at his whim, and can lay a foundation for the hysterical- though sometimes shockingly heart-rending, tale of a day in his life.

“I know him!”  I exclaimed in a whispered hush to my companion- but I didn’t mean that I know perfectly-cast, Will McGarrahan, I meant that I am intimately familiar with the man he portrays.  He lives inside of me, and inside of so many other musical theatre lovers- a person who understands the tranformative ability of a beautiful score, the cleansing properties of a perfectly cast love-song, the glee of a clever tap-dance number, and the emotional satisfaction of a grand finale where everyone lives “happily ever after” and then reprises that last stirring chorus after the curtain call! I cannot begin to recall the number of times I have tried to explain my passion for musical theatre to someone who doesn’t quite “get it’, and to feel the silly frustration when they don’t understand why it is so poignant that Lea Salonga should play BOTH Eponine and Fantine  in different productions of Les Miserables.  I too have tasted the “poopoo platter of tunes” and feel the longing to share its flavor with the world outside. That is what is so perfectly touching about this treasure of a musical.

Speak Easy’s production value is as high as ever with this selection.  Jenna McFarland Lord’s opening set is so impressively detailed that it is hard to imagine it is only one small part of the entire picture.  The ingenious moment where the bed comes out of the man’s stove- with the Chaperone aboard- is a show stopper!  Every detail of the costumes by Seth Bodie (I’m a big fan!) was lush and over-the-top, bathed in period color and set perfectly against the vivid and clever light design of Karen Perlow.  Of the dozens of Speak Easy shows I have seen throughout the years, I found the cohesion of production elements in this particular production to go above and beyond the norm.  Directors David Connolly and Nicholas James Connell should be proud of how dedicated their production team was to truly showcasing the expertise of their actors and directing style.

It is hard to name one person as a standout in this extremely talented cast.  David Christensen’s Robert Martin was charming and doltish, a man you’d want to hug and simultaneously smack upside the head.  Sarah Drake plays “Kitty” with an effervescent enthusiasm that completely enchants the audience from her first off-key squeak. Thomas Derrah as “Aldopho”, the smarmy European, could not be better cast.  What a hysterical combination of swagger, accent, and comic timing!  Add to that the droll and languid musings of “Drowsy Chaperone,” Karen MacDonald and the punches just keep right on rolling.  This musical cast would not be complete without seductive starlet, “Janet Van De Graaff” played by Speakeasy alum, McCaela Donovan.  This is the role that Donovan was born to play.  She was, in every way, a show stopper.  What a beautiful, poised, and passionate woman.  I was blown away by this indisputable triple threat.  This nod to a fantastic ensemble would not be complete though, without re-mentioning Will McGarrahan in the roll of “Man in Chair”.  Despite the colorful, over-the-top stage shenanigans that sprang to life all around him, I couldn’t take my eyes off of McGarrahan throughout the production.  I wanted to see and enjoy his reaction to the musical even more than I wanted to watch it unfold myself.  He was tender and approachable, passionate and clever, a little flirty and suggestive, all without having to leave his chair for more than a few moments.  I wanted to leave my seat and sit with him.  I wanted to proclaim my excitement and allegiance to him- he was, in essence, the star of BOTH shows.  This was perfect casting.

I cannot implore you more, as a reviewer and a lover of all things musical theatre, run, do not walk, to see this production.  This one is once in a lifetime.

As Speak Easy’s 20th anniversary season draws to a close, I cannot help but want to express my gratitude for the many wonderful productions (and the few not-so-wonderful ones) I have seen throughout the years.  I look forward to what is ahead for the company in the next 20 seasons.

Karen MacDonald as The Chaperone and Will McGarrahan as Man in Chair in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, . Photo: Stratton McCrady.

It’s a brand new year for the Boston theatre scene, and most of the local production companies are well into their seasons.  Their holiday shows just a pleasant memory, it’s time to up the ante and add a little “pow” to the hum-drum winter months in order to keep their audiences awake through the seasonal hibernation.  Speakeasy Stage Company’s answer to that challenge is the romantic suto-love story, NINE, based on Fellini’s popular film, 8 1/2.

In theory, everything about NINE is powerfully seductive to me.  Set in Italy, the rustic staging and sultry accents tempt my exotic side, and the female dominate cast appeals to my ever vigilant quest to find gender balance in the performing arts world, but despite beautiful production value, and an enormously talented cast, I found NINE to be little more than a tolerable mash up of mediocre songs with a terrible script (it did pick up a bit in the second act though).  I actually have to hand it to the Speakeasy Stage Company for giving me something even remotely positive to say about a show that has failed almost universally despite its many incarnations on the stage and screen.

While the Yeston/Kopit script is dull and insulting (not to mention endlessly long), director Paul Daigneault works diligently against the monotony with solid staging, and choreographer David Connolly squeaks some interest out of terrible musical numbers.  I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to assign meaning to line after line of predictable misogyny, but Daigneault actually helps Timothy John Smith’s Guido Contini come across as slightly more sympathetic than I thought possible.

Smith is overall a solid performer, his voice is smooth and rugged but with a touch of the exotic that I craved, I only wish his accent was more authentic sounding and more consistent during his speaking lines.  I’m afraid I was distracted by some pretty terrible sounding mispronunciations.  In the Act Two finale, Smith’s reprise of “Long Ago” was extremely touching and beautifully sung.  Amiee Doherty as Luisa was excellent.  Her accent was fairly consistent in both speaking and sung lines, and she was stunning to look at, especially during her heartfelt send-off, “Be On Your Own.”  Doherty looked well beyond her age in this role, and carried that age with sophistication.  She had an almost- Sarah Palin-like warmth and glow as she portrayed the wife of an important Hollywood icon.  I also particularly liked Kami Rushell Smith, who played a sort of “storyteller” role in the piece.  She was beautifully poised.  But for me, the knock-out performance of the night, and truthfully the only moment in the show that I wasn’t the least bit bored, was while watching Kerry Dowling perform as Sarraghina, a woman of the night.  “Ti Voglio Bene/ Be Italian” was a true show stopper and Dowling was a completely believable Italian native.  How fortunate Speakeasy Stage was to have her among the already talented cast.

I’m not completely sure about Speakeasy’s choice of NINE to cure the winter doldrums.  I left the theater feeling a little disappointed.  Surrounded by so much amazing talent, I wanted them to push the limits and bring me something fresh and exciting, but what I got instead felt a little predictable and stale.  At least, with Speakeasy, I am never disappointed by their excellent technical skills and their impeccably friendly and helpful staff.  I’m looking forward to being wowed by their early spring offering, reasons to be pretty.

Timothy John Smith (center) and company in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of NINE

David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross is as poignant today as it must have been when it was first presented in the early 1980s.  The anxiety and desperation of buyers and brokers remains pertinent in our society,  serving as catharsis for the repercussions for the recovering economy of our present.  Though the causes have changed and decades have passed, Mamet’s work dually depicts the stresses of selling and purchasing property.  The Independent Drama Society’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross highlights the cyclical, therefore cyclically destructive, nature of the American capitalist economy.

The Independent Drama Society brought this piece to life in the Plaza Black Box Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts.  The set was built in two distinct areas for the two distinct acts of the play – the first struck and second constructed during the evacuative intermission.  Act I offered satirical character development through a series of one on one discussion, all about real estate.  Act II gave the climax, conflict and drama of the work.  The technical aspects of the show came together to effectively create the illusion of the story.  Director Brett Marks worked well with ¾ wrap audience – a good use the black box space.  The action was such that it could clearly be seen from any angle.

Craig Houk as Moss and Michael Pevzner as Aaronow stole the first act with their vignette of bitterness and bumbling (respectively).  Bob Mussett as Lingk made a particular impact in the first act, in spite of his character’s lack of lines.  Jeremy Brown as the sordid and paltry Williamson was very convincing.  He laid the groundwork in the opening of the show scripted mostly with silent reaction.  It was in the second act, however, that Brown’s performance was fully realized.  The stand out performer of the evening was Phil Thompson.  Thompson played the aging and flailing Levene, struggling to reclaim his former glory.  With the mouth of a sailor and the tenacity synonymous with real-estate ( and salesmanship in general), Thompson brought to life the insecurity of a commission based income, and paradoxically highlighted the risk of investment.  Thompson appeared to be in the moment, and personified the sharp edge of a shifty market.

The Independent Drama Society has brought together an entertaining production.  The themes of their Season of Love and Loathing season are clearly highlighted with Glenngarry Glenn Ross.  Salespeople’s inability to accept “no” for an answer is punctuated in this piece.  Walking the fine line between wage earner and con-man, a broker can easily satisfy both aspects of the IDS season.  An object of love when they find your dream home, but when investments go wrong, the real-estate agent can easily become the subject of loathing.

Keep your eye on IDS.  They are indeed an up and coming local theater company.  The hard work of the production team is evident and I look forward to seeing the continued offerings of this season. The company’s continued selection of worthwhile works demonstrates their taste, and their production value rivals companies who have been around a lot longer.  I expect IDS to continue growing and making themselves a staple in the Boston theater scene.

Phil Thompson as Levene and Michael Fisher as Roma in the Independent Drama Society’s production of GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, Tix and info: independentdramasociety.org. Photo by Bethany Krevat.

When you have had just about all the tinsel, eggnog, and crowded malls that you can possibly handle, Speakeasy Stage Company’s Striking 12 is like a deep breath of fresh air to clear your lungs of all the chestnuts and winter berry.  Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with holiday shows that come around every year.  The Nutcrackers and Christmas Carols of the world are long-loved staples that we would all miss terribly if they were gone, but there comes a time when even the most antediluvian of all of us are aching for a fresh perspective.  With a multi-talented cast of three, a simple set in an intimate space, and a rock/country fusion score, Striking 12 has almost nothing in common with the “traditional” holiday offerings.

Set just after the Christmas holiday, New Years Eve, in fact, Striking 12 tells the story of an ordinary “Bostonian” who has absolutely no inspiration to participate in the usual end-of-the-year festivities thanks to a demanding job, a gaggle of self-involved friends, and a very outspoken ex-fiance. He comes to terms with the great fortunes of his life with the help of an unexpected visitor that is not in the form of a ghost or grim reaper- how refreshing this time of the year!  The three person cast, who also play their own instruments, embody a variety of roles in addition to their “main” characters as a story unfolds which loosely follows Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Match Girl.

Striking 12 was originally developed by a New-York-based Rock/Country/Jazz trio called GrooveLily, and Boston’s inspired collaboration of José Delgado on keyboard, Zacary Hardy on drums and Erikka Walsh on violin were a formidable tribute to the creators.  Delgado used the keyboard with effortless ease and his voice was every bit as wonderful as his playing.  He was quick and funny with excellent projection.  Hardy completely captured the satirical nature of Groovelily’s drummer, Gene Lewin, in his portrayal of the role; in fact at times his voice was almost identical to Lewin’s, but rather than just mimic the drummer, Hardy adds his own wit and nuance- and absolutely ridiculous drumming.  Walsh is a force to be reckoned with on the violin.  Not just an instrument, Walsh actually uses the violin as an extension of her own voice and her own body.  Her vocal acting, especially during “The Sales Pitch” was the highlight of the performance, and more than made up for her occasional pitchy-ness in some of the more delicate vocal sections of her part (most notably during her moments singing as the little match girl).  I have never seen anyone play the violin so expressively and so passionately before- and she did it all in absolutely fabulous stiletto heels (you didn’t think I could review on “out and about in town” night without mentioning those fierce shoes, did you?) The cast had great chemistry, and, I can confidently say, more overall talent than I am used to seeing in such an intimate space.  I loved being able to watch three musicians perform such exciting and “modern” music without being distracted by people screaming or throwing themselves against the stage, though frankly I am surprised no one tried to- they were that good.

The technical aspects of the show were no show stoppers, to be sure, but they ran smoothly and added to the overall professional quality of the production.  Victoria S. Coady’s stage management should be complimented for making everything look so easy-breezy.  Scott Sinclair made his Speakeasy directorial debut with this show, and he should be commended.  What a wonderfully unique and special piece to have had the opportunity to bring to the Boston community.  Sinclair, an Emerson alum (represent!) has a bright future ahead of him if he continues to collaborate on shows as clever and exciting as Striking 12.  Your holiday season will be just a little bit brighter if you take a moment to see this show.

Merry Christmas from Boston Theatre Review!

Erikka Walsh and José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12
Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo.

The Shirley, VT Play-Festival in a word: synergy. The Huntington, SpeakEasy, and Company One come together to present three works of play-write Annie Baker, all of which take place in the fictional town of Shirley, VT. You had me at Vermont. I was raised camping and skiing in Vermont, traditions I still maintain today. I consider it to be my secondary home state. The idea of a festival featuring a single play-write is a stroke of collaborative brilliance. One in which the plays are set in Vermont only made it all the more enticing.

SpeakEasy produced Body Awareness as their exhibition in the festival. Under the guise of body awareness, this piece seemed to deal with the concepts of overall self-awareness and awareness of others. As always, SpeakEasy offers top-notch theatre. The cast, set and script all came together in a witty, heartfelt exploration of empathy. Judging from this production, the entire festival should be great.

Paula Plum, one of Boston’s greatest talents, did not disappoint as the self-sacrificing Joyce. Plum created a compelling progression from complete empathy for those around her to self-assertion. I imagine Plum contributes to the excellence of her fellow performers. While Plum brought to life a woman learning to look inward, Gregory Pember juxtaposed her journey as a young man learning to consider others. Pember played the aspergers-suspect Jared. Pember walked the fine line that allowed for uncertainty in his diagnosis. This ambiguity allowed the Aspergers to serve as a tool to underline the degrees to which each of us displays particular symptoms. Pember and Plum both created characters on opposite trajectories of interpersonal discovery, but in the end their parent/child relationship is symbiotically engendered.

The stand out performer of the night was Adrianne Krstansky as Phyllis. Krstansky played the flappable psychology professor committed to a particular vision of gender empowerment. She was the image of an ultra-liberal, free-spirited (unorganized), over-analytical intellectual of academia. Krstansky took Phyllis on a journey that seemed to parallel that of Jared’s. Krstansky began her subtle transformation obliviously elitist, calling attention to Jared’s lack of empathy, all the while doling out her unsolicited opinion as fact. In the end Phyllis open’s up to other perspectives. Krstansky’s choices were exacting. Krstansky’s performance was exacting and complex.

The stage was set to resemble a house, the likes of which are numerous in Vermont. The wood panels were a priceless touch. The kitchen table, bench, bookshelf, and wooden kitchen island all created a rustic milieu, an absolute signature of Vermont homes. The costumes too were very appropriate for the locale; winter in the green mountain state requires many layers to facilitate the varying temperatures of varying locations. SpeakEasy always demonstrates technical excellence.

This was a touching show. It challenged ideas of mind/body awareness. Annie Baker has manifested a family learning to understand themselves and each other. SpeakEasy took this poignant story and helped it speak volumes. There were lessons to be learned from each of the characters on how to be more conscientious friends and family members. I seldom have the opportunity to see a SpeakEasy production, but I am consistently entertained and impressed.

Jared (Gregory Pember) indulges his passion for the Oxford English Dictionary

Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo.

One thing I can count on is the Zeitgeist Stage Company’s ability to choose prevalent, poignant pieces that carry some socio-political statement.  True to form, Zeitgeist presents the sardonically fresh Enron by Lucy Prebble.  I was very excited to see this production.  I tout the work of the company, and was glad for the opportunity to review their work.  In their comfortable home of The Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, this avant-garde play was brought to life, amassing the very… zeitgeist… of the economic turmoil of the last 10 years.

This ensemble strong play led with a strong ensemble.  As always Becca L. Lewis stood out.  In each of the parts she played, Lewis was committed and entertaining.  Also standing out were Zachary Eisenstat and Dimitriy Molchanov.   Specific kudos, however, is in no way to diminish the work of the entire ensemble.  They acted individually and as one.  Almost like a flock of birds, or raptors. These actors enriched the texture of the story.

A multimedia light show combined with staged action at times stirred the pot of visceral emotion.  The blocking often, particularly between the named characters (not just Claudia and Jeff), had a sexual undertone.  Actors would often stand uncomfortably close to one another when they spoke almost anticipating a kiss.  This close talking was coupled with some sort of touching, whether it was a hand on the shoulder, or pat on the back.  In particular, the character of Andrew Fastow, played by Greg Ferrisi, appeared often to be blocked standing behind other men with a hand on their shoulder, or even smacking their derriere.  Whether a directorial or acting choice, the sexuality of some scenes made palpable the molestation the real Enron perpetrated.   Blatant symbolism was used to drive home underlying blame, some of which was humorous, some creepy.  Each element of the production worked together to emulate the ludicrousness of the Enron scandal.

I was excited to see Bill Salem in the ranks playing Ken Lay.  I was, however, slightly disappointed in his dialectal work.  His Texan drawl faded in and out, and served sometimes as a distraction from the lines being delivered.  When has accent was on, Salem was right on par.  I feel it is only fair to admit a bias in making my next comment.  Having worked with her briefly once, I expect only the best, but I was taken aback by the work of Erin Cole as Claudia Roe.  In the fantastical portrayal of an outrageous scandal, Cole remained a grounding force of maturity and reality.  Cole also wove in and out of the ensemble with a stealthy skill.  There were multiple moments where I was so lost in the illusion of her performance I forgot I was watching Cole.

The outstanding performer of the evening was Victor Shopov as the epic Jeff Skilling.  Shopov displayed a continuous state of transformation, as his character developed over the fourteen-year span of the plot.  Shopov used body and voice to make this arc, from awkward, nerdy and slightly out of shape to fit and cocky through to the verge of psychosis.  Shopov brought to life the blind hubris that can only be responsible for the depravity of such a crime.

Zeitgeist Stage Company’s production of Enron by Lucy Prebble was a surprising and entertaining dark-comedy.  This script required a bold approach, and true to Zeitgeist form, the challenge was met.  The technical elements of the production were synergized and synchronized elevating the action of the stage.  Zeitgeist has claimed its niche producing new works with contemporary themes.  This company certainly knows how to push the envelope, and may very well be on the forefront of theater.

(L to R) Victor Shopov as Jeffrey Skilling, Bill Salem as Ken Lay and  Erin Cole as Claudia Roe in Zeitgeist Stage Company’s production of ENRON.

Photo by Richard Hall/Silverline Images

Sarah Ruhl’s play concerning women’s sexual awakening and their men’s response in the electrical age is a thrilling subject. Ruhl stepped out of the box when writing this 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Nominated play. I had very high expectations for what was called a “laugh-out-loud provocative and touching play” but I was surprised at how little I laughed and realized, when leaving, this play was more a drama than anything else. It seems most people’s laughter stemmed from their discomfort with the subject at hand. It’s clear that SpeakEasy had a great script to work with but  Director, Scott Edmiston, had too many ideas for where to take the play, and it led to audience confusion.

Instead of focusing on the relationships of the characters, more focus was given to electricity and new discoveries (one of my clearest takeaways from the play was the news from outside that an elephant had been electrocuted on Coney Island). The touching ending almost made up for the entire lack of relationships in the rest of the play, but still left me wanting something I didn’t get for the two and half hour production.

The first act was the “funny” act. The audience got to see the vibrator, how it worked and who it was worked on. The high society characters played by Anne Gottlieb and Marianna Bassham were over the top and exaggerated as could have been in fashion during the 1880s, but the side characters played by Derry Woodhouse, Dennis Trainor Jr and Lindsey McWhorter were down to earth, believable and more modern in their interpretation. This left a disconnect between the lead players and the supporting cast which I found very distracting. I did laugh on numerous occasions, but I can’t recall if I laughed because of the script or because of the actors. I must say that the end of the act was brilliantly executed by Gottlieb, though.  Bravo!

The second act did not have the humor of the first act and focused on the breakdown of each character and how the women’s lives were hurt or changed because of the vibrator. It was the better half, yet unexpected.   Gottlieb’s character came alive towards the end of the show with a full range of emotion missing in the first half, but some other characters did not develop to match.  I thought that Trainor was most successful in his portrayal of Mr. Daldry, whose character  filled me with sadness and helplessness for his situation.

Susan Zeeman Rogers set was well done and used to it’s greatest ability seeming fluid and easy. The set paired with Karen Perlow’s lighting was also well matched especially with regard to how electricity was displayed through lighting. Gail Astrid Buckley’s textiles and fashions of the 1880′s were well used, but Gottlieb’s beautiful gowns were so ill fitting, I found them to be a distraction.

All in all, I was left confused with what message to take away from the play. I had a smile on myself and a lot of good facts to discuss at dinner parties, but should there be more?

I’m looking forward to the rest of  Speakeasy’s season.  I’m always interested in their thought-provoking and original choices!

Anne Gottlieb and Derry Woodhouse in a scene from IN THE NEXT ROOM (or the vibrator play) Photo: Stratton McCrady.

Unfortunately, grim is the best way to describe Company One’s recent production of Grimm, a retelling of seven classic Brother’s Grimm fairy-tales.  Clocking in at a laborious 2 hours and forty five minutes, these “re-imagined” vignettes were not the dark and thoughtful pieces I had hoped for, but on the whole were a poorly written mishmash strung together by very poor quality voice over recordings from the authors.   Even the undeniably talented actors and actresses giving it their all and the clever set dressings couldn’t compensate for this sloppily written collection.

Giving Gregory Maguire, writer of the popular novel, Wicked, top billing was a good idea for this production, because his name alone got bottoms in the seats.  His play, The Seven Stage A Comeback, was based on a short story he wrote by the same name, in which the seven dwarfs of “Snow White” fame go on a journey seeking answers from White after she “abandons” them to live with the prince.  Though I found it to be a bit arcane, at least it was written with sophisticated language and acted well.  I wish the play wasn’t broken into three parts and performed throughout the night because I found it to be distracting,  both for the play itself and in relation to the other plays.  Not that the plays themselves deserved much scrutiny.

Thanksgiving, by Kristen Greenidge, barely references “Clever Else”, the fairytale it was supposed to be written about.  Heavy handed and sloppy, the only thing saving this soap-opera melodrama is the superb acting work of Nicole Prefontaine,  Becca Lewis and Molly Kimmerling, whose physical and vocal transformation is commendable among the cliche.   Stories about Snakes by Melinda Lopes is barely followable.  The repetitious, sing-song dialog is boring, the acting is stiff and strange,  and the point is completely obscured.  John Kuntz’ Red is a disappointing retelling of “Little Red Riding-hood”- using a supercharged sexual story to try to teach the audience something about trust and power; I just felt uncomfortable during the frankly unsurprising story.  This was my biggest disappointment of the night, considering my obvious affinity for Kuntz’ work.

Marcus Gardley presented the audience with Half-Handsome and Regrettable, one of the most insultingly bad “professional” plays I have ever seen.  I’m not going to apologize for how blunt that sounds because I was completely floored that something so juvenile and poorly written was showcased with the likes of John Kuntz and Gregory Maguire.  Half Handsome and Regrettable was one bad joke and insulting stereotype after another all topped off by a museum guard doing a suggestive dance to “Single Ladies” (so insulting that this pop-culture slapstick is the only way Gardley thought he could get his audience to laugh).   Prefontaine and Mason Sand played the “Hansel” and “Gretel” characters, and even their dedication to the roles didn’t save the train wreck of a script.  I’m shocked that Company One selected this sub-par play to be part of their Grimm collection.

The ultimate problem with this night of re imagined fairy-tales, is the very essence of fairytale in and of itself.  The Brothers Grim crafted masterful stories that were meant to teach the reader subtle lessons about right and wrong in their own  society and culture.  When you extract and twist and reconstitute the stories trying to add layers and dimension, you ultimately strip the stories of their very essence.  Not every tale continues to resonate in our modern culture (Stories about Snakes was a particular failure here).  Of course this can be done to great success (look at all the excellent manifestations of the “Cinderella” story which exist in popular television and film) but when you mess with something that is already perfectly constructed, you run the risk of an even more crushing failure (did you see Sydney White?)  I think this production of Grimm fell a little too far on the side of “crushing failure” more for its desperate attempt to add meaning to stories that already had meaning than for its acting and production value.

Victoria Marsh displays a very notorious apple.