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.

“You are in for a treat, my friend,” I told my companion as we took our seats in the Calderwood Pavilion to see Speakeasy Stage Company’s last production of the season, The Great American Trailer Park Musical by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso.  I was admittedly unfamiliar with the show (so refreshing) but I did know something that filled me with delight, and I wanted to share it with my slightly less theatre-savy companion, “you are about to see some of Boston’s finest actors all together in the same room.”  I went on to expound my love of Kerry Dowling (my faithful readers have heard it before) and my excitement in seeing the ever-enchanting Leigh Barrett, and the bawdy, beautiful Mary Callanan all together on one stage.  In that moment I truly felt lucky to live in a place like Boston, a city bursting with talent that I personally feel rivals many of New York’s playhouses.

Speakeasy Stage Company never disappoints me.  This show was the perfect closing for a colorful, exciting season.  The Great American Trailer Park Musical takes place in the tropical heat of Florida’s Armadillo Acres, a trailer park in a town called Starke.  It was so stark, in fact, that the lively inhabitants of the trailer park only have gossip to keep them entertained.  With an agoraphobic and her husband with a wandering eye, a hysterically pregnant teen married to a gay Broadway dancer we never see,  and an exotic dancer as the new kid on the block, there is certainly plenty of gossip to go around, and the colorful characters paint a dazzling picture using broad and colorful strokes, leaving the audience breathless with laughter.

Dowling, who plays Betty, the Trailer Park owner, is joined by Lin (Callanan) whose husband is on death row, and Pickles, the young and not-so-knocked up teen (Santina Umbach).  The three play a Greek Chorus of unimaginable silliness as they introduce us to life and times in Armadillo Acres.  The three actresses have perfect chemistry and impeccable comic timing.  I was especially delighted to see Umbach hold her own beside two very decorated Boston performers.  She was hysterical, captivating, and a real scene stealer.  David Benoit, as Norbert, joined Barrett (playing Jeannie) as the sad couple whose son was kidnapped 20 years prior to the show, and were still dealing with the after-effects; Jeannie, by never leaving the house, and Norbert, by taking up with the lovely but vacant Pippi (Caitlin Crosbie Doonan).  Benoit was as charming as he was dogged, and his voice had a smooth country twang that would soothe even the fussiest baby to sleep.  Doonan’s bold and confident exotic dancing was matched only by her heart-rending delivery of the show’s finale number.  The cast was rounded out by the incomparable Grant MacDermott whose portrayal of Duke was spot on; he was both grimy and endearing.  His performance of “Roadkill” was one of the highlights of the production.  All the actors were highlighted by another ingenious set design from Jenna McFarland Lord (she is an amazing talent whose name you should continue to watch out for) and killer costumes by Seth Bodie.  Paul Daigneault and Nicholas Connell’s direction of the talented cast is apparent in their effortless vocals and easy stage presence, and they should both be proud of how brilliantly their cast shined under their discerning eyes.

Speakeasy Stage Company is one of Boston’s finest and I have been honored to attend their 2009-2010 season.  I have recently become aware of  a campaign currently going on for Speakeasy where all donations they receive are being matched by a generous donor.  Now is the time to get in and help them acquire funding to continue to deliver the best of Boston arts and entertainment.  You can find more information about donations on their website.  My money is on this company having a long life in the community, and I’m looking forward to what is on the horizon (namely a spectacular holiday production of Groovelily’s Striking 12- if you haven’t heard of it, you’re in for a real treat!) Rest up, Speakeasy, can’t wait to see you this fall!

Road Kill – (Clockwise From left):  Mary Callanan, Kerry A. Dowling, Santina Umbach  and Grant MacDermott  Photo:  Mark L. Saperstein.

The Zeitgeist Stage Company really hit one out of the park on their last production of the season, Beau Willimon’s Farragut North.  I have enjoyed each production that Zeitgeist has offered this season, but the impeccable acting, riveting story, and thoughtful use of staging put this show in a class all of it’s own.  I cannot begin to express how exciting and professional this production was.

Farragut North is a full speed chase.  Brilliant and young Stephen is on the fast track to political stardom; he is a gifted press secretary with panache and fortitude and he’ll stop at nothing to win the presidential race for his client.  When the opposing side approaches him the night before an extremely important caucus and offers him a job, it leads to a downward spiral he never could have anticipated.  The play runs like the best episode of the West Wing.  Full of huge characters and even bigger stakes, the audience is taken on a breathless journey into the cut-throat climate of Washington D.C. during an election.

This production can boast the best uses of the small BCA black-box theatre for the season.  The set was streamlined, tasteful, and inventive.  I especially liked the simple light changes used to wash the white glass wall units, they created a whole new feel for each scene without sloppily changing furniture or set pieces.  Daniel Jentzen should be proud of how effective his light design was.

Victor Shopov played the lead with poise and natural instincts; his portrayal of Stephen was absolutely spot on.  He had impeccable chemistry, whether it was with the tenacious and willful Molly (played with sophistication by Caitlyn Conley), the quirky and confident Ida (Dakota Shepard) or Stephen’s no-nonsense boss, Paul (Peter Brown).  I was not disappointed as I watched him go from top dog to in the dog house because he played each moment with the utmost realism.  Joining Shopov, Conley held her own as the young intern whose romantic exploits fanned the political fire of the piece.  She had a very natural stage presence and was hard to look away from, even when she was in pantomime.  Shepard played Ida, the hard-hitting reporter whose pleasant demeanor hides a real nose for rooting out a story.  She was great.  Her pacing really helped to pull the cast through some difficult and cerebral dialog sections and she didn’t trip over a single word.  I also enjoyed the stand out performance of Brown as Paul Zara.  The confrontation between Brown and Shopov was so electric that the whole audience was on the edge of its seat waiting for the next verbal blow. “Loyalty,” he spat, as if the very word was a bullet, “without it you’re nothing. In politics it’s the only currency that matters.”  That line echoed perfectly in the efforts of Zach Winton in his role as Ben Fowles.  The only character that exhibited true loyalty throughout the show, you see him rise through the ranks, ultimately taking Stephen’s place.  Winton was completely believable as the passionate and assured young speechwriter.  The cast as a whole (Bill Salem and Andres Rey Solorzano rounded them out, each nailing their characters) worked together seamlessly and had a united energy that was infectious.  They were able, as a unit, to move the story as effortlessly as if we were watching a well-cut feature film.   I was really delighted.

The Zeitgeist Stage Company has really left their mark on the Boston Theatre scene.   As their 10^th anniversary season approaches, I can say with confidence that they have carved out a very special niche in the south end, and their presence cannot be ignored.  The caliber of actors and their thoughtful and progressive eye on play selection leaves them in a very good place to take on a new decade of sharing their works with the community.  I commend them on a job well done this season and look forward to what 2010-11 has to offer.

Farragut_North_10 (L to R):  Victor Shopov, Dakota Shepard, Peter Brown, & Zach Winston in Zeitgeist Stage’s production of Farragut North.

Photo:  Richard Hall/Silverline Images

I am going to say right off the bat that I have a very intimate relationship with Elmer Rice’s play, The Adding Machine.  Having played Mrs. Zero myself, and having been nominated for a National acting scholarship because of that performance (/ shameless self promotion) I feel not only an intimate bond with the character, but with the show as a whole, and I was extremely enthusiastic about seeing this production of Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith’s musical adaptation of the play.  Perhaps it is my little extra knowledge of the show, perhaps it is my tiny, itty bitty personal bias, or perhaps it is Speakeasy Stage Company’s proven dedication of pushing the limits of quality and affordability, but this production is truly one of the finest I have seen in Boston in the last five years.  It would absolutely be a sin to miss it.

The vocal performances of the cast, and their seamless unity integrated with the unique stage design and carefully constructed costume and lightscape to completely consume the audience and pull them into a dark world that, while dated, seems strangely and uncomfortably familiar.  From the first light hitting the menacing number-scrawled scrim, to the last painful note, the audience is enveloped in a surreal world of hopeless repetition- a theme which plays out over and over again throughout the piece- in content, music, and staging, and yet, it never feels boring.  I was completely enraptured.

Adding Machine A Musical is a very familiar story about a man trapped in a life he doesn’t want to live, a slave to predictability and habit. So repetitive is his life and the lives of those around him, that he isn’t even given a name beyond Mr. Zero.  After one desperate moment, a violent act rips him out of that life and we watch as Zero try to cope with quickly changing circumstance, through life, death, and beyond.  Zero’s few relationships, with his wife, his coworkers and fellow prisoners are also examined in their own mismanaged, micro-repetitive way.  Left with many opportunities for redemption in both life and death, we watch as Zero continues to make the wrong, easy choices out of habit and fear.  This familiar tale is both comforting and disturbing when faced with our own life choices.

A cast full of Speakeasy Stage Company veterans completely embodies this solemn world.  It would be impossible to list them in order of importance because each one was perfectly fit to their role.  The four lead players, as I will call them for the purposes of this review, Mr. Zero, Mrs. Zero, Dasiy Devore, and Shrdlu, were expertly supported by a completely committed and professional “chorus”.  Sean McGuirk was ominous and foreboding as the Boss and his otherworldly counterpart, The Fixer.  Leigh Barrett played an impeccable Mrs. One, confidently walking the line between blending into the scene and standing out.  Her voice was true, clear, and exceedingly pleasant to listen to.  Cheryl McMahon and Bob De Vivo as Mrs. Two and Mr. One respectively, cast an eerie and melodic tone into the choral music, and had tremendous stage presence.  David Krinitt as Mr. Two could not have been more perfectly cast in the role.  His physicality, costuming and makeup were expertly crafted to compliment his wonderful vocal tone and easy movement.  He was my favorite “chorus” personality.

Brendan McNab was a powerhouse of hopelessness as Mr. Zero.  His voice was superb, his movement, intentioned.  His impassioned soliloquy, “Zero’s Confession” left me breathless.  It took a tremendous talent to play such a demanding role with such an air of nonchalance.  Amelia Broome blew me away as Mrs. Zero.  Knowing most of her lines by heart, I felt I was extra critical of her movement and intentions, and she was beyond even my already high expectations for her (having been brought to tears at her portrayal of Margaret in The Light on the Piazza).  She was especially excellent in her grating yet somehow sad aria “Something to Be Proud Of” which opens the show.  Liz Hayes as Daisy Devore was wonderful.  Far from your typical ingénue, Hayes plays Daisy with grit and frustration.  Her vocal work, especially her accent was not what I expected and was a great surprise.  Her unusual beauty was exactly what I would have pictured, and her melodic voice was a great contrast and compliment to the role.  John Bambery gave a heartrending and touching performance as Shrdlu, arguably the only compassionate and soulful character in the piece.  Bambery has a strong and clear voice that I loved listening to.  This stellar cast was expertly directed by Paul Melone and Steven Bergman, and choreography by David Connolly was strong and diverse.

I was so taken with the production and I implore everyone to see it.  See it before it’s gone because you will be missing out on something really unique and special.  Thank you to the cast and crew for allowing me to relive a little part of my past in a very special way.

Brendan McNab and Liz Hayes as Mr. Zero and Daisy Devore (Photo: Mark L. Saperstein)

The Zeitgeist Stage Company has yet again transformed the intimate BCA Black Box into a unique playing space for their winter production, Alan Ayckbourn’s Private Fears in Public Places.  Part apartment, part office, part hotel bar, the thrust-style space is fully explored by the actors, hiding and highlighting different interactions for different areas in the audience.  It only heightened the sense of mystery we felt as the character’s stories and relationships unfold around us.

Private Fears in Public Places is a brief slice of life that follows six lonely souls as they strive to make connections with the world around them- not realizing how interconnected they already are.  Running throughout their stories is a vein of darkness that may keep them from achieving their dreams. Not your typical love and loss story, the show isn’t always clear about who we should believe.  Does sullen Dan, on the verge of serious alcoholism, drink from fear of failure or to escape from a loveless relationship?  Does sweet and innocent Charlotte plot sexual games with her friends and coworkers to keep her entertained or is she reaching out in desperation for help from a crushing addiction?  Is soft-spoken, mild mannered Ambrose hiding a life of homosexuality from his ailing father or merely focusing his attention on his work to hide his fear of losing him?  No real answers are ever given in this one act play, set up in short vignettes, giving the audience bursts of story that take us right to the edge of comprehension before swinging us right back into the blurred confusion of their solitary and tragic lives.

Zeitgeist’s cast of six include company regulars, Michael Steven Costello, Christine Power, Bill Salem, Becca A. Lewis, and Robert Bonotto, and introduced newcomer Shelley Brown.  Bonotto’s pained and nervous depiction of Stewart was excellent, as was Brown’s heartbreaking portrayal of a lonely spinster looking for love in the personal ads. They were both at home on the stage and had an eerily comfortable family dynamic.  I enjoyed Power and Costello’s chemistry as Dan and Nicola, as well as the fun and funny bar scene that Brown and Costello shared.  Salem’s sensitive treatment of Ambrose was a fresh breath after the heavy and intense scenes surrounding him.  The knockout performance of the night came from Lewis in her interpretation of Charlotte.  Besides her spot-on British accent (the hands down best in the cast), her stage presence was spectacular.  You could not help but look at her even when she was not the focus of the scene.  While I credit the playwright with giving her the most provocative character, I credit Lewis for her nuance.  The performers were, overall, solid and committed, and I enjoyed them as a unit as well as individually.

I’m not quite sure, though, if I enjoyed the production as a whole.  Ayckbourn’s script leaves a lot of questions unanswered and doesn’t lay the foundation for the audience to fill in the answers on their own.  Director David J. Miller chose to include the use of British accents for the whole cast (the show was originally produced in the UK) but the cast could only pull this off with varying degrees of expertise, which continuously pulled me out of the story.  Though it was technically sound and the actors and actresses gave clean and thoughtful performances, it lacked the wow factor that I have come to expect from Zeitgeist productions. Overall a solid, but not spectacular, production.

Bill Salem and Michael Steven Costello Photo by Richard Hall/Silverline Images

I had my first taste of Bread and Puppet Theatre as a graduate student under the incomparable tutelage of Emerson College’s John Bell- a world-renowned expert in the puppetry field.  Bell infused each lecture with biting political commentary- and completely expanded my understanding of what puppetry could be and how it could be used to reach its audience.  Gone were my innocent days of seeing puppets only for their comic and educational children’s values.  Muppets and marionettes were pushed aside to make room for a wider range of puppetry experiences.  As a class assignment, I had the opportunity to volunteer for Bread and Puppet’s 2005 visit to Boston.  I was blown away by their dedication and passion.  When I heard they were returning this year to perform Tear Open The Door of Heaven, a “a pink and blue puppet show about Heaven and its effects on the Underneath,” at the Boston Center for the Arts, I was enthusiastic about attending and sharing a very unique experience with my fellow audience members.

Upon entering the Cyclorama at the B.C.A., my companion and I were greeted by the resplendent musical stylings of the Second Line Social Aid Pleasure Society Brass Band (with none of than John Bell himself on the trombone).  The audience was alive with laughter and some of them joined the Company in jubilant dancing in the playing space.  Bread and Puppet Theatre always includes a faction of volunteers from the city they are visiting, which provides two things: a guaranteed audience of friends and family, and an enthusiastic group of performers bringing good energy to the space.  Boston’s volunteers were both enthusiastic and energetic, and also had a comforting sense of familiarity about them- these are people you know, your neighbors, friends, coworkers- I even saw my old next-door neighbor in the crew!  After the music and dance, attention shifted quickly to Peter Schumann, the company’s founder, offering a thought-provoking introduction complete with scenery and props.

Tear Open The Door of Heaven is performed in six separate scenes with six dance interludes in between.  The six vignettes show a hypothetical heaven ruled by a God, his daughter, and his stepdaughter and their interaction with the earth.  The scenes range from Heaven, to a Presidential office, to a mountaintop.  The puppetry work is nothing short of masterful.  Each step is nuanced from the tilt of the head to the rotation of a heel, to create the most impact for the audience, and despite such a dedication intimate detail, the show still maintains a very organic and free-form feeling. In one touching scene, a banner of names is unfurled.  We are told that each name written represents one of the child victims of the previous year’s fighting in the Gaza strip as a group of larger-than-life puppet dancers performed an absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful tribute.

There is no question that a casual observer might find this production to be ridiculous.  People twirling and leaping around in oversized masks and yards of fabric accompanied by a cow bell and fiddle isn’t the most coherent way to express an opinion or idea- but I can say without an ounce of acrimony that it works.  I have never had a more lively political discussion with my companion than we shared after this production.  Whether the argument is that the puppetry has nothing to do with politics, or the puppetry has everything to do with politics, the open channel for discourse on the topic is clear.  You absolutely feel the need to have a dialog at the end of the production.

For the puppetry connoisseur who finds political satire hard to swallow, Bread and Puppet Theatre also performs a family-friendly show during the afternoon in their “ports of call.”  These shows celebrate puppetry in the more classic sense with messages about friendship, the environment, and working together in ways that are more palatable for a younger crowd.

A pillow made from names.

It’s a difficult thing for a reviewer when they are tasked to write a review of something that is extremely dear to them.  [title of show] captured my heart back in 2006 when I stumbled upon its brilliance at the Vineyard Theatre.  An inventive, unique little piece that taps into the heart of any person who dreams about seeing their creative hopes and dreams succeed in a world where money is the only sure bet.  As a struggling artist myself, I immediately connected with the quirky characters who reminded me so much of my own friends, and delighted in the obscure references and clever quips that were meant to endear the veteran theatergoer.  When I heard that SpeakEasy Stage Company would be mounting one of the first regional productions, I was both delighted and fearful- how would a group of actors, no matter how talented, capture the essence of a cast that are essentially playing themselves?  How could I possibly be satisfied seeing strangers in a production that I felt so intimate with?

It was with great trepidation that I entered the Calderwood Pavilion on Sunday.  I was cautiously optimistic to begin with- Speakeasy consistently provides their audience with clever, well-acted shows starring some of the best talent the area has to offer.  I was further encouraged by the fact that this particular production did not include any “Speakeasy Super Stars” or other “Famous Bostonians” because it was easier for me to believe in the actor’s ability to embody Jeff, Hunter, Susan and Heidi without already recognizing them as Zanna, Jerry Springer, Shelly Parker, or Alfie Byrne.  When I sat down and saw the “four chairs and a keyboard” waiting for the show to begin, I took a deep breath, and was ready to let Speakeasy take me for a ride into one of my all time favorite shows.

[title of show] relies a lot on the quirky chemistry of its characters to bring the warmth and vitality to the music- and Speakeasy’s darling cast was full to the brim.  Jordan Ahnquist as Jeff and Joe Lanza as Hunter were a dazzling duo- capturing the charming relationship that Jeff and Hunter share.  Ahnquist is completely adorable- and his voice is perfectly suited for the role.  At times it was difficult to watch anyone else on stage because he just had that “stage presence” that you often hear about and yet somehow cannot define.  Lanza is wonderful as well- especially toward the second half of the show where Hunter’s stress and anger really allow Lanza the opportunity to flex his acting muscles.  Though not as strong vocally, his deep understanding of the character and great physicality make him a worthy partner for Ahnquist.  Amy Barker is phenomenal as Heidi- I would actually consider her to be as good as the original, if it is possible to be as good as someone who is playing herself. Her voice is lyrical and expressive and she is an excellent character study as well, capturing Heidi’s confidence and candor.  Val Sullivan plays Susan with apprehension.  She does give a solid performance; her voice is kooky, her gestures fun- but her delivery was slow and stiff- and at times, she really sucked the energy out of the scene.  She just seemed to lack the polish of her other cast-mates.  I do give her credit though, for smoothly covering her late entrance during “Development Medley” with a clever and unapologetic smile.  That’s not easy to do, especially so early in a run.  Props as well go to Will McGarrahan, music director, who is spot on as Larry, music director!

I am, without question, one of those “Nine People” who considers this show one of their favorite things, and I knew that I would be difficult to please, so I must commend Speakeasy for putting forth a tremendously entertaining production of [title of show].  It may not star the “real” Jeff and Hunter, but I think that it would make them proud (and I hear they are coming to see the show- break a leg and congratulations!).

Val Sullivan, Joe Lanza, Jordan Ahnquist and Amy Barker

Photo:  Mark L. Saperstein.

The civil rights movement and the about turn in the political posture that resulted have always been inspiring to me.  I’m amazed when I think about people who have been repressed for centuries and how they work tirelessly to evoke non-violent revolution.  Company One’s production of The Good Negro, by Tracey Scott Wilson, is a microcosm of the moiling moments of Civil Rights Movement.  Director Summer L. Williams illustrated the unimaginably raw vehemence of racial astriction in that time period. William’s effective direction was showcased to perfection by the skills and talent of her design team.  Set, lights, costumes, sound and projection were all engineered to authenticate the words of the play-write and the characterization of the actors.  Every aspect of the production worked to establish the confluence of events that told a specific story while also analogizing the entire civil rights movement.  This show, being produced at this time in history is particularly apt.  There are an abominable amount of Americans just coming to accept racial diversity, and an even more humiliating amount of Americans still clinging to the ideals of ignorance.  There is still racial inequality, and there are, now, additional civil rights/liberties that still need to be fought for.  This production was cathartic and instructional for those still waiting for an end to prejudicial ideology and action.

Jonathan L. Dent played the tragic hero of the show, James Lawrence, with sincerity.  Dent brought ingenuousness to the character’s conflict of conviction.  Battling between his faith and desire for freedom and his fallibility as a man and husband, Dent brought a victimless vulnerability to the stage and story.  Dent was flanked by actors Cedrick Lilly as Bill Rutherford and Cliff Odle as Henry Evans, the proverbial angel and devil of Lawrence’s psyche.  Lilly portrayed Bill Rutherford with a naiveté of knowing but not experiencing, which was visibly ground out by the action of the play.  Lilly gave definition to the term supporting role.  With subtlety, he enriched the texture of the story without over-reaching for audience reaction.  Odle was also a charming presence, playing Henry Evans with a comedic touch that allowed for the interjection of humor into a story so mired in misery. The antagonist Gary Thomas Rowe, Jr., as played by Greg Maraio, stood as the symbol of the white southerner of the time.  Maraio avoided caricaturizing, and made prevalent the literal ignorance of an entire people.

The stand-out performers of the night were Kris Sidberry and Marvelyn McFarlane.  These two were the only women in this male heavy cast, but their limited time on stage left me longing for more.  Sidberry captured the self-possessed composure of a political wife, in her portrayal of Corinne Lawrence, while evoking in the audience the character’s true feelings.  McFarlane also displayed composure as Claudette Sullivan.  She, however, kept her aplomb out of fear.  McFarlane played this crucial role with humility.  She was required to touch on the extremes of emotion and the points between, but regardless of her place on the emotional spectrum, her sensitive performance held an engendering meekness.

The quality, talent, and substance of this production were such that writing this review was difficult.  I wrote, deleted and re-wrote it several times before coming to the conclusion that no matter how eloquent I may try to be in describing it, my words could not convey the esteem with which I regard this production, and as a result, the esteem with which I have come to regard Company One.  I greatly look forward to the next production in their season.

Kris Sidberry (Corrine) and Jonathan L. Dent (James)