"Miss Lead"

Dawn Jamieson, Dylan Carusona, Nancy McDoniel,
Tyree Giroux, Tanis Parenteau, and Michelle Honaker in
"Miss Lead"
at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Steve Bartel

As EPA standards lessen, land and water, as in the headlines about West Virginia, is polluted by companies safely unaccountable for their misdeeds. Going back to recent history, in the 1940's, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was able to use WWII as an excuse to allow mining for lead on Native grounds. In that case, as in the current headline events, the government is complicit.

Mary Kathryn Nagle's "Miss Lead," at 59E59 Theaters, in an Amerinda production, through January 26th, looks at a combination of the historic mismanagement by the BIA and the fact that large companies have been allowed to ride roughshod over communities, particularly Native American ones, around the country.  Unfortunately, all the sympathy for those vicimized cannot make sense of the jumbled plot.

Tanis Parenteau in "Miss Lead"  at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Steve Bartel

It is nearly Thanksgiving in a mining town, and the family owned Tri-State Mining Company is trying to put a brave spin on impending law suits and EPA SuperFund excavations. Meanwhile, the effects of lead poisoning may already have hit close to their own home.

The device of using a writer, Katie (Tanis Parenteau), as the central character and sometime narrator only serves to distance the viewer from the tragedy at the heart of the story. "Miss Lead" is an unconvincing drama.

Kudos to Elizabeth Rolston, who as Rebecca, has to deliver a polemic with fluidity and ease. Among the large cast, Stuart Luth, both as Fred and as David, and Claire Louise Burke as Ruth are the most natural.
Also in a dual role, as Glenda and Aunt Mallory, Nacy McDoniel gives some broadly comic relief.

For more information about "Miss Lead," please visit 59E59 Theaters.

"The Winslow Boy" --Pyrrhic Victory Or Unleavened Triumph?

Photo by Joan Marcus. Terence Rattigan's "The Winslow Boy" at Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre, clsoing December 1st. Charlotte Parry as Kate Winslow with Zachary Booth as Dickie Winslow.

There are playwrights who have been forgotten and then there are those who have been neglected at our peril. Terence Rattigan was a popular writer before new voices of malcontent and unrest appeared on the scene. The oft-called "angry young men" were eager to break new theatrical ground and fight new universalist battles. Rattigan was a master of old-fashioned dramaturgy, whose subjects were often also universalist battles.

In "The Winslow Boy," certainly, based on an actual case, Rattigan resonates with ideas of personal freedom and the right to vindicate ourselves against untrue allegations by those in positions of power. "The Winslow Boy" transcends the drawing room in which it is so gracefully set by Peter McKintosh to attack issues of due process and inalienable rights.

"The Winslow Boy" harkens to quaint ideas about parental approval and filial obligations. It takes place around 1912, before the "great war," when women's suffrage, Kate Winslow's (the wonderful and winsome Charlotte Parry) raison d'etre, is considered a lost cause. Sir Robert Morton (a superbly cool Alessandro Nivola), the advocate Arthur Winslow (the marvelous Roger Rees) hires to defend his son, Ronnie (a lovely Broadway newcomer Spencer Davis Milford) against allegations of theft speaks to the difference of what is right and what is just. Sir Robert dedicates himself to the cause of "The Winslow Boy" in the interests of the former. That, too, may seem a bit quaint. 

Yet it is very much still a timely question of whether the powerful can attempt to impose their version of the truth with impunity if the rest of us do not abrogate our right to fight against it.

Arthur Winslow is a highly practical man. Yet he sacrifices his family's security for the sake of what is right. If Ronnie-- "The Winslow Boy"-- has been falsely accused by the Admiralty, then his name should be cleared."The Winslow Boy" himself stands at the center of the fuss as disinterested as he is innocent. He is, as his brother Dickie (Zachary Booth) puts it, and ordinary boy, who "sometimes doesn't wash." Ronnie is oblivious of the concerns of his family or the troubles  they are undertaking on his behalf. 

Charlotte Parry, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and

Spencer Davis Milford. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The charm of the writing in "The Winslow Boy," articulated by the actors with equal charm gives the "tempest in a teapot" story broader reach. "The Winslow Boy" is at once humanistic and realistic about its subject. It dares to question our reactions while pointing us to the broader picture.

Under the excellent direction of Lindsay Posner, there are some wonderful performances from the  large cast in this production: Michael Cumpsty is peerless as the hapless Desmond Curry; Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is superb as the patiently suffering wife and mother, Grace Winslow. Henny Russell is etouchingly amusing as the Winslows' loyal, inept and untrained parlor maid, Violet. Chandler Williams gives a  fine portrayal as Kate's exasperated fiance, John Watherstone; he also cuts a nifty military figure in his resplendent uniform (also courtesy of Mr. McKintosh's design.) Rounding out the ensemble are Meredith Florenza in a small but meaty role as a reporter, Miss Barnes, interested only in the women's point of view on the case; and Stephen Pilkington as her associate, the photographer Fred.

To find out more about this production of "The Winslow Boy," which plays at the American Airlines Theatre through December 1, please visit Roundabout Theatre Company.

Out of Control

Where is the line between stubborn and principled?

Robert Emmet Lunney as Buzz Adams and PJ Benjamin as Ray Deluso in "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan," by John S. Anastasi at the Beckett through Aug 25. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

The major thread in "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan," at the Beckett Theatre through August 25th, is about staying the course. Reagan  famously, after issuing a warning, did not back down and the air traffic controllers who remained on strike lost their jobs. He showed the world that he was not a waffler, and  on August 5, 1981, 11,345 PATCO employees were fired.

Patricia Richardson as Jane and PJ Benjamin as Ray in "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan." Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Both sides based their actions and decisions on principles. Against this backdrop of history, John S. Anastasi has written an intelligent family theatrical piece.

Ray Deluso (PJ Benjamin) believed that PATCO would prevail if everyone held fast. His choice to not return to work proved to be life altering. Not only did he lose a job he loved, but he apparently also lost his mind. His wife, Jane (Patricia Richardson) paid a hefty price, as well, of course, and there is plenty of tension in their household.

Twenty-three years later, Ray has mostly recovered from his depression, but he still has not forgiven his best friend, Buzz Adams (Robert Emmet Lunney) for returning to work.

PJ Benjamin as Ray with Robert Emmet Lunney as Buzz in "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan." Photo by Carol Rosegg.

The ensemble of four is rounded out by the Deluso's pampered daughter, Tess (Danielle Fatielson), an aspiring actress, who even at 26 is daddy's little girl. Under Charles Abbott's guidance  in "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan," the cast give excellent, realistic performances.

"I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan" is put together well, with the flashbacks and most of the expository scenes keeping both the drama alive and the plot moving. There is a small quibble at the ending, which holds an air of mystery at the curtain.

All in all, however, "I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan" is an entertaining and engaging work, well-worthy of the talent in it, and of your attention as an audience.

For more information on"I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan," please visit The Beckett site.

Shocking and "Scandalous"

There have always been determined women who've succeeded in a male-dominated world.

"It's not man's world, it's God's," Aimee Semple McPherson (Carolee Carmello) tells Louella Parsons (Elizabeth Ward Land) in "Scandalous," the new musical enjoying an open run at the Neil Simon Theatre.

Kenneth Ormiston (Andrew Samonsky) and Aimee Semple McPherson  (Carolee Carmello) in a photo by Jeremy Daniel.

The woman at the center of Kathie Lee Gifford's (book, lyrics) "Scandalous" was a controversial celebrity evangelist. In 1927, Aimee Semple McPherson became embroiled in a morals trial.

Was she targetted because her large house of worship dominated Los Angeles and competed with the established church of Brother Bob (George Hearn)? Was it that she broadcasted sermons coast to coast that drew fire? Was she signalled out because she was a driven woman? Did she shock convention? The answer in "Scandalous" is all of the above.

Aimee Semple McPherson  (Carolee Carmello) and Borther Bob (George Hearn) in a photo by Jeremy Daniel.

A Holy Roller's biography in music (by David Pomeranz and David Friedman  and additional music and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford) and song should have some exuberant singing. The music in "Scandalous" is muted as if intentionally tamping down the "joyful noises" of a Pentecostal service. Unexpectedly, the fiercest and most rousing number in "Scandalous" is one in which  Aimee challenges God, "How Could You?"

The company with Carolee Carmello. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

"Scandalous" is a lavish, if somewhat uninspired, musical play. The costumes by Gregory A. Paplyk are simply gorgeous. The Ensemble is hard working and well directed (David Armstorng directs, choreography by Lorin Latarro.)  Among the large cast, Edward Watts (in a dual role as Robert Semple and David Hutton, two of Aimee's husbands, George Hearn (also in two roles as Aimee's father and Brother Bob), and Roz Ryan as a madam, Emma Jo Schaeffer, who becomes Aimee's assistant in the church, all stand out..

Aimee Semple McPherson welcomed the attention of the press and the public. She sought it out. Her hubris brought on her downfall. Or, as it happens, more like a stumble. The scandal in "Scandalous" did not shut her or her Angelus Temple down.

For more information about "Scandalous," please visit http://scandalousonbroadway.com/ 

Dreamers and thinkers: Ideas that Threaten

Dreamers and thinkers are a threat to tyranny.

Nathan Englander's "The Twenty-Seventh Man," at The Public Theater extended through December 16th,  examines Stalin's extreme reaction to that threat.

Stalin had encouraged Yiddishists in every arena, supporting the Moscow State Jewish Theater, Yiddish newspapers and schools. In 1952, his paranoia seems to have gotten the better of him. He began rounding up Jewish intellectuals for execution.

In  "The Twenty-Seventh Man," Pinchas Pelovits (Noah Robbins), the titular final prisoner, is mystified at being brought in to share a cell with literary luminaries. His cellmates are all prominent writers. Pinchas is unsung and never published.

Vasily Korinsky (Chip Zien), Guard (Happy Anderson), Pinchas Pelovits (Noah Robbins), Moishe Bretzky (Daniel Oreskes) and Yevgeny Zunser (Ron Rifkin). Photo by Joan Marcus 

Yet, upon being dropped in the cell, the only thing Pinchas asks for is pen and paper. Vasily Korinsky (Chip Zien), one of the famous authors with whom he is incarcerated, suggests it would be more sensible to ask for his freedom. Pinchas points out that if your jailer were to free you, he would no longer be your jailer. As played by Robbins, Pinchas is an innocent savant.

Yevgeny Zunser (Ron Rifkin) and Pinchas Pelovits (Noah Robbins). Photo by Joan Marcus 

The mild-mannered  Yevgeny Zunser (Ron Rifkin) is amused by Pinchas's youth and Talmudic reasoning. Unlike Korinsky, who is convinced that his arrest is a mistake, Zunser is resigned to his plight.

The dream cast in "The Twenty-Seventh Man" includes the amazing Byron Jennings, as the Agent in Charge. When Korinsky tells him he is innocent, the Agent asks if that means the others are not, and asks him to confirm it in writing. "Sign it," he urges, "so I will believe it."

The Agent in Charge (Byron Jennings) with Vasily Korinsky (Chip Zien). Photo by Joan Marcus 

There is an intensity that is wrought by the carefully-placed language and the precision in the tone of "The Twenty-Seventh Man." As befits a drama about writers and thinkers, "The Twenty-Seventh Man,"
weaves a spell of words. The stylized text evokes a feeling that can only be described as Russian.

For more information about "The Twenty-Seventh Man," please visit www.publictheater.org.

Justice Is Illusive in "Murder In The First"

Chad Kimball as Willie Moore, Ryan Scoble as a guard, Guy Burnet as Willie’s attorney, Henry Davidson, Thomas Ryan as Judge Clawson, Jim Lorenzo as Alcatraz’s Assistant Warden Milton Glenn, and Darren Kelly as DA Bill McNeil in “Murder in the First” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Since justice is illusive, the courtroom always makes a compelling setting for drama.

“Murder in the First,” at 59E59 Theaters through July 1st, is a rivetting courtroom drama. Inspired by a headline-making actual trial from the early 1940s, in 1995 Dan Gordon turned these real events into a film, and now has moved the proceedings to the stage.

Willie’s attorney, Henry Davidson (Guy Burnet) visits Willie Moore (Chad Kimball) in his cell in “Murder in the First” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Gordon's play tells the story of Willie Moore (Chad Kimball), who upon being released from the dungeons at Alcatraz, murdered a fellow inmate. The large, impassioned cast delivers the gripping tale of Henry Davidson's (Guy Burnet) surprising defense in a Federal court in San Francisco.

His day in court: Willie’s attorney, Henry Davidson (Guy Burnet) pleads in front of Judge Clawson (Thomas Ryan) with Willie Moore (Chad Kimball) in the witness chair in “Murder in the First” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Standing out in this excellent panoply of players are Joseph Adams as a wannabe Winchell named Houlihan, and Larisa Polonsky as Mary McCasslin an ambitious lawyer in love with both Henry and her job at a time when women were not generally hired by the public defender's office. John Stanisci is Henry's older brother Byron, a successful corporate lawyer who tries to protect Henry from himself. Also giving a superb performance is Robert Hogan as the bewildered warden of Alcatraz Harold Humsen, a man who made rehabilitation the business of prisons but was outdone by the demands of running "the rock." Lastly, Darren Kelly as the DA Bill McNeil certain of winning his case exudes supercilious confidence in a fine portrayal.

Guy Burnet (background), Anthoula Katsimatides and Chad Kimball in “Murder in the First” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Chad Kimball and Guy Burnet carefully measure the mettle of their characters in stirring performances. Hank and Willie develop an unlikely friendship in this moving drama.

“Murder in the First,” beautifully paced by Michael Parva's directorial hand, is well-written and tense. The sets designed by Mark Nayden split the stage, moving the action fluidly with the aid of David Castaneda's lighting from the cage in which Willie is held to the court over which Judge Clawson (Thomas Ryan) presides to Henry's offices or home.

Excellent writing, good acting, fine staging all add up to a stellar “Murder in the First.”

For a schedule or tickets, please visit www.59e59.org.

Photos © Carol Rosegg l-to-r: Chad Kimball with Larisa Polonsky; Larisa Polonsky with Guy Burnet; and Guy Burnet with John Stanisci in “Murder in the First” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo.

It Was Often Bleak at "February House"

Stanley Bahorek as Benjamin Britten,. Ken Barnett as Peter Pears, A.J. Shively as Chester Kallmann, Stephanie Hayes as Erica Mann, Kristen Sieh as Carson McCullers, and Erik Lochtefeld as W.H. Auden shivering at 7 Middagh. Photo © Joan Marcus.

In 1940, George Davis (Julian Fleisher), had a dream of creating a communal hothouse for brilliant talents in a ramshackle Victorian on a Brooklyn hill. Davis,having published a novel to some acclaim, went on to a very luminous career as an editor.

"February House," at The Public Theater through June 10th 17th, will appeal to lit. nerds and English majors. The musical by Gabriel Kahane (music and lyrics) and Seth Bockley (book), and direction by Davis McCallum, is based on Sherell Tippins non-fictional 2005 exploration of life at 7 Middagh Street, Brooklyn and the ragtag assortment of famous and accomplished intellectuals who resided there.

The group included Gypsy Rose Lee (Kacie Sheik) who worked on a best-selling murder mystery while boarding with George.

Kacie Sheik as Gypsy Rose Lee at 7 Middagh, Brooklyn. Photo © Joan Marcus.

Carson McCullers (Kristen Sieh), just 23 and fresh off the success of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," left her husband, Reeves (Ken Clark), and took up residence. W.H. Auden (Erik Lochtefeld), in a moment of abandon, took a room with his young protege, Chester Kallman (A.J. Shively.) Benjamin Britten (Stanley Bahorek) and his lover, the singer Peter Pears (Ken Barnett) reluctantly decided to join the experiment.

Auden worked with Britten and Pears on the opera "Paul Bunyon" at February House. Photo © Joan Marcus.

At "February House," Davis coaxed and coddled his charges. He exerted a flair for the dramatic and decorative, sometimes at the expense of the practical. Life at 7 Middagh Street was never dull, but often it was far from comfortable. There was plenty of booze, but not enough heat; frequent partying lead to missed deadlines.

George Davis' little experiment in communal artistry did not fare well. Gypsy Rose may have been the only one of his tenants to have produced a successful work while boarding with George. Erika Mann (Stephanie Hayes), Thomas Mann's daughter who was married to Auden, adds a little political gravitas to the house on the hill when she shows up. It is after all the middle of World War II.

A highlight of "February House" is the song "California," sung by the endearing Bengy and Peter; the score successfully blends the post-modern with California pop when the pair of resident Brits announce their departure for Hollywood.

The tone of the musical is often wistfully alegiac. Among the charms of this production, along with the cast of fine young performers, is the fact that the characters are both icons and ordinary folk.

"February House" is the first commissioned musical as part of The Public Theater's Musical Theater Initiative. To find out more, visit www.publictheater.org

"Take What Is Yours"

All of us benefit from the struggles of three generations of American women for whom getting the right to vote was nearly a full-time job.

Erica Fae in “Take What Is Yours” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Augustinus Tjahaya

In “Take What Is Yours,” at 59E59 Theaters through May 27th, Erica Fae along with Jill A. Samuels, who also directs, tells the story of Alice Paul (Erica Fae,) a particularly dedicated Suffragette.

Alice Paul, educated with multiple degrees from prestigious colleges in the US and England, was relegated to a psychiatric ward for her determination. She was arrested for leading marches at the White House; in prison, she led a hunger strike. "Take What Is Yours," based on the writings of Alice Paul and members of The National Women's Party, is a fictionalized account of Alice Paul's time spent at Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia.

To say that her jailers were neither kind nor sympathetic understates the cruelty she suffered. Alice Paul rallied against the inhumane conditions under which she and the women with whom she was arrested were held. She offended the authorities, particularly the prison physician Dr. Gander (Adrian Jevicki)by requesting status as "political prisoners."

Wayne Maugans and Erica Fae in “Take What Is Yours” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo © Augustinus Tjahaya

The claustrophobic staging (Jill A. Samuels, concept, design consultant by Deb O) adds to the oppressive realism of the production. Theater B at 59E59 is a small space, made so much smaller by the wall behind which Fae and Wayne Maugans (as The Man,) Jevicki (who plays a Guard as well as Dr. Gander,) David Riley (as a Guard) and Courtney Stallings (Nurse) appear. Panels of the wall move aside to reveal the action; the half-sized bed in Alice Paul's tiny room spins as she is interviewed repeatedly by The Man and Dr. Gander.

Wayne Maugans air of aggressive hostility, even distaste, makes The Man a truly unpleasant visitor. Erica Fae is superb in the lead.

To find out more about "Take What Is Yours," please visit www.59e59.org.

Secrets and Evasions

Repressive regimes-- like the communism that the journalist and "Cold Warrior" Joseph Alsop detested or the equally unsavory home-grown witch-hunting of Joseph McCarthy-- breed secrecy and fear.

In David Auburn's "The Columnist," at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre extended to June 24th again through July 1st, Joe Alsop (John Lithgow) hides the open secret of his homosexuality in a marriage to his best friend's widow, Susan Mary Alsop (Margaret Colin.)

John Lithgow as Joseph Alsop with Margaret Colin as Susan Mary Alsop Photo © Joan Marcus.

A Visit To Bloomsbury and Beyond

A flair for the dramatic is a looked-for quality in theater. It is nearly an essential element for the artistic temperament.

Hollis McCarthy as Vanessa Bell and Christian Pedersen as George Mallory. Photo © Eric Johanson

In "Eternal Equinox," currently at 59E59 Theaters in a production brought over from the Grove Theater Center in California, through March 31st,the dramatic dwindles into the melodramatic.

Michael Gabriel Goodfriend as Duncan Grant and Hollis McCarthy as Vanessa Bell. Photo © Eric Johanson

The premise behind "Eternal Equinox" allows playwright Joyce Hokin Sachs to imagine a weekend encounter between George Mallory (Christian Pedersen),the Everest mountaineer, Duncan Grant (Michael Gabriel Goodfriend), the painter, set and costume designer, and Vanessa Bell (Hollis McCarthy), an artist in her own right, who was married to Clive Bell and sister to Virginia Woolf. Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell were both prominent members of the Bloomsbury Set, an influential group of writers, artists, philosophers who all worked or lived near Bloomsbury, London. (See Wikipedia for more.)

Michael Gabriel Goodfriend as Duncan Grant and Christian Pedersen as George Mallory. Photo © Eric Johanson

While professing that "there are all kinds of love," as George tells Vanessa, Joyce Hokin Sachs paints an almost cloyingly romantic view of the decidely unconventional relationship between her and Duncan, her one-time lover. Although he fathered a child, Anjelica, with Vanessa and lived with her for most of their lives, Duncan Grant was thoroughly homosexual in his tastes and appetites. "Eternal Equinox" shows them to be cloyingly affectionate, with Vanessa possessive, jealous, and competitive in love, in seeming contradiction to the openness of their Bohemian lifestyle.

George Mallory and Duncan Grant had been lovers at one time. Mallory and Vanessa Bell shared a romantic encounter as well. Their friendship makes an interesting backdrop to the story in "Eternal Equinox." Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the cast, the story quickly grows tiresome.

Michael Gabriel Goodfriend as Duncan Grant and Hollis McCarthy as Vanessa Bell and Christian Pedersen as George Mallory. Photo © Eric Johanson

For a schedule of performances of "Eternal Equinox" please visit www.59e59.org.