One of the best things about new works is their infinite possibility to change and adapt.  It was great to see the growth that was made in the encore of Company One and Phoenix Theatre Artist’s production of The Superheroine Monologues.  I enjoyed the premiere of the piece earlier this year at The Boston Playwrights Theatre, but I could also see the need for revisions and condensing.  I was looking forward to seeing the show again in the MUCH more convenient Boston Center for the Arts. Greg Maraio and Jared Fennelly did a great job adapting the scenic design into the more compact space of the BCA’s black box theater.

One of the major strengths of this piece is the cleverly crafted frame of superheroines throughout the decades- the audience took delight in watching the characters develop through each time period, touching not just the obvious stereotypes from the generation but also the more intimate female experience (tying it in nicely with the theme of the Vagina Monologues from which the show parodied its title).  The actresses do a terrific job of embodying the essence of their given generation, especially Cheryl D. Singleton’s powerful portrayal of Storm as an independent and strong black woman of the 90’s.

Singleton was not the only strong actress in the cast.  In fact, I would say that the cast was one of the best things that the show had going for it, overall.  For a show that lasted well over two hours (closer to three, after all was said and done) it’s a good thing the actresses were as strong as they were, because at times the writing was not good enough to keep the audience interested for solid fifteen minute stretches of one person speaking.  Molly Kimmerling went on as the understudy for Supergirl in the Friday evening performance, and she was perky and fun. She did justice to Jackie McCoy, who originated the role with style.  Christine Power as Phoenix and Shawna O’Brien as Wonder Woman were absolutely wonderful.  Each had essence of a well-cherished character with the subtle nuance of reinvention.  The Wonder Woman monologue, which dominates the first act of the show, is an excellent revision from the original, giving more continuity to the rest of the monologues and giving O’Brien a chance to shine dramatically.  Though all the actresses stood out at one time or another, the hands-down phenomenal performance award would go to Amanda Good Hennessey as Lois Lane.  She had extraordinary comic timing, delicate but articulate mannerisms, and a dizzying vocal speed that made her very long monologue fly by (literally!).  Hennessey only got better since the original run.  It was worth seeing the show for her performance alone. Props to director Greg Maraio for helping this cast find their voices,  even the ensemble was a great treat.

While the piece did benefit from some additions; notably Wonder Woman’s monologue and the new musical vignettes that helped to thread that element into the plot, I still feel that the play is too long.  While I appreciate that there was enough added content to break up the show into two acts, there was still a lot of “fat” that could have been trimmed to make it easier to swallow.  Authors Rick Park and John Kuntz are extremely funny, giving the monologues humor and sophistication, so it is completely confusing to me how they could allow the first 20 minutes of the show, a dramatic recreation of the origin of Wonder Woman, to be the audience’s introduction into their delightful world.  It is long, sloppily written, and is replete with dated jokes (sorry guys, Sarah Palin is –so- 2008).  The “talking pedestals” are contrived and overdone- it just wasn’t funny after the first time. There is no natural flow to the scene, it was so awkward that the girls sounded like they were reading off of cue cards, waiting for the laughs that only reluctantly came.  It is such a bummer to start a show that way.  I think that whole scene could be reworked into a two or three minute introduction that ornaments, not impedes, the subsequent monologues.  I urge them to put some more thought into revisions- cutting it down to two hours would be a vast improvement.

Park and Kuntz have really strong potential for an amazing piece with The Superheroine Monologues. With any new work, there is always room for improvement, and despite its growing pains, I still found it to be entertaining.  There are still two more weekends of performances at the BCA, and I think it is worth seeing- hopefully this show will continue to grow and adapt, like a superheroine would, to reach the biggest possible audience! One additional note- thanks Park and Kuntz, for creating a female-centric show, no matter what the flaws, I celebrate a show that highlights women in all their glory.  The theatre world is woefully preferential to men, and it is really refreshing to get to see a group of talented women shine.

Storm’s powerful reverie

Call me a theatre snob, (no, really, go ahead, I’m still 60k in debt for my Master’s in Theatre, it is the least you can do) but there just aren’t a lot of opportunities for me to see shows in Boston that I have never seen or heard much about.  That is why I jumped at the opportunity to review SpeakEasy Stage Company’s, Jerry Springer: The Opera.  I did not know a thing about it before I walked through the familiar doors of the Calderwood Pavilion this afternoon.  Despite the fact that I was attending a Sunday Matinee, the house was still completely packed, and not with the usual blue-haired crowd one expects to see at a matinee.  The abundance of enthusiastic twenty-something’s left a pleasant expectation of things to come.

Seated comfortably in my chair, I immediately took in the delightful stage details that made the set look startlingly like the Jerry Springer television show, from the exposed brick (impeccably crafted by Eric Levenson and crew) to the ominous warehouse fan.  From light’s up, surrounded by a chorus of voices imploring “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry” the audience is treated to a delightful romp through the pomp and circumstance of the famous (and infamous) day-time talk show.  From the montage of “audience members”; the pregnant teen, the hick-with-a rat tail, to the bevy of guests including cross dressers, jilted lovers, drug addicts, want-to-be exotic dancers, and KKK enthusiasts, to the unforgettable crew of body guards, camera men, and yes, even the man himself- there truly is no cliché left un-celebrated.  While act one fleshes out the “Jerry Springer Show Experience”, act two brings us to the bowels of hell, where the Devil himself makes an offer to Jerry (who is shot by a stray bullet meant for a KKK member in act one) that he cannot refuse; either propagate a show inviting Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mother, Adam, Eve, and God to discourse with Satan- or be forced to fornicate with some rather unpleasant looking barbed wire instruments.  Through the circus of the Holy Family vs the Family From Hell, Jerry tries to impart his wisdom on those around him- leaving the audience, both fictitious and real, with one final parting thought before the music swells and he is led off to the next world by his guide, a woman dressed in Shirley Templesque finery, leaving his beloved head of security, Steve, weeping on the studio floor.

I was not disappointed by this premiere production.  The vocals, on the whole, were strong.  Particular stand-outs vocally were Ariana Valdes as Peaches/Baby Jane, and Joelle Lurie as Shawntel/Eve (who in my opinion, stole the show- bravo!) as well as an unexpectedly delightful and sparkly solo for Luke Grooms in his portrayal of God in act two.   Additional props must be given to the excellent ensemble who kept me engaged throughout, especially Matthew Varelia, who I could not take my eyes off of the entire time (I loved when he gave the pregnant woman’s belly a motor boat in the opening number and my companion LOVED when he implored a guest to “kiss your mom”).  Timothy John Smith did a reasonably creepy job as Satan in act two, and though his voice was not the strongest, his “angry look” was a great fit and was a great contrast to his “warm up man” role in act one.  Michael Fennimore played an almost flawless Jerry, evoking both his vocal tone and his mannerisms, and gave him the almost vapid “everyman” quality that we have come to expect from the talk show host.  I was disappointed, however, by Jared Troilo’s portrayal of Tremont, the cross dressing, gay guest in the first act.  Besides his voice being off pitch throughout, he did a lot of shouting and vague wiggling as “choreography”.  It is such a fun part in the show and I was hoping for so much more character and vitality from Troilo.  He almost looked bored.  My only other point of contention was that while I appreciated Seth Bodie’s costume designs on the whole, they did impede movement and make things look difficult and awkward several times.  I wanted to see Shawntell dance on her poll but it was impossible in the get-up she was in, and Brian Richard Robinson’s portrayal of Jesus (hysterical as it was) was impeded by having to constantly reposition the pieces of his robe.

I often say to myself, you know what I need to see more in Operas?  Tap dancing.  So a final word about the production is my sincere thanks for the delightful tap numbers that were staged in act two and post curtain call.  There is nothing like seeing a dozen people dressed as KKK members doing a little soft shoe (by the way, props to cast and crew for shooting that hysterical KKK video in The Eagle, of all places!).  Watching them pick up their robes to reveal the pants and bare legs of the ensemble was a treat.  The post curtain call homage to Jerry Springer was the perfect way to end the show, tap shoes blazing, blond wigs bobbing, I left with a huge smile on my face.

SpeakEasy Stage Company still has over a week’s worth of performances left in this run, Wednesday through Saturday 5/20 – 5/30.  You shouldn’t miss it.  It’s worth a trip out to the South End.  Beware all you commuters, though, parking is limited!  Tickets at http://www.speakeasystage.com/

Joelle Lurie as Shawntel