You betcha – Purple Rose continues excellent season with heartwarming family comedy
The Brownings are not a predictable family, theatergoers discover at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, and neither is "Leaving Iowa," the world premiere comedy by playwrights Tim Clue and Spike Manton that opened last weekend in downtown Chelsea.
Sure, it has a warm and fuzzy ending – this IS a comedy, after all – but that's not what ultimately makes this such a satisfying production; rather, it's Don Browning's personal journey and the discovery he makes that turn "Leaving Iowa" into a genuinely heartwarming experience.
One, I might add, that had tears rolling down the cheeks of many in the audience on opening night!
Don, an award-winning journalist from Boston, returns home to Iowa to attend his nephew's baptism. It's been years since his last visit, and there's one not-so-insignificant family secret that must be attended to before he leaves again the next day: Dad's final wish to have his ashes scattered at Grandpa and Grandma's house has yet to be honored.
It's an act the family has inexplicably put off for three incredible years!
So Don decides it's finally time to honor the only request his father ever asked of his family.
There's just one problem, however: When Don arrives at his grandparents' house, he discovers it's been torn down and replaced by a tennis court!
Where, then, should Dad's ashes be scattered?
That answer comes to Don as he recalls the many vacations his family took traipsing about the Midwest in their station wagon. It's a journey filled with warm memories of horrendous trips – from the youngster's point of view, of course – but with answers that allow the grown-up Don to resolve not only his immediate concern, but also the guilt that's haunted him ever since his father's death.
The world created by playwrights Clue and Manton is reminiscent of Beaver Cleaver and his all-American family – but by way of Fargo, North Dakota. They avoid the usual sitcom pabulum, however, by crafting a script with a deeply emotional underpinning that everyone can identify with; the death of a loved one – especially a parent – usually leaves those left behind with unresolved feelings.
And as adults, we discover things about our parents that never occurred to us as children.
Director Anthony Caselli has found both the humor and the pathos in his characters, and he's mined them well. It's a production that is extremely well paced, and his transitions between past and present are flawless.
(Okay, there's one thing that bugged me: When cars stop or turn, especially suddenly, the passengers' bodies should reflect that action with a reaction, something that does not consistently happen; but I'm being nitpicky here!)
Caselli's most important contribution, arguably, is his fine eye for casting!
Elizabeth Ann Townsend is delightful as the always smiling Mom who you know is simmering not too deeply under the surface; Teri L. Clark is wonderful recreating the pushy Sister who knows which buttons to push and how far to go to get her way.
Grant Krause gives a beautifully understated performance as the bespectacled Dad who finds even the minutest details of history fascinating – and who is always silently in the background during Don's journey. And as Don, John Lepard is superb from start to finish.
The hit of the evening, however, is Jim Porterfeld who does yeoman's work portraying all of the other male characters in the play. Although a big, barrel-chested man, each character (wacky or otherwise) is distinct from every other – something many other actors could never accomplish!
All technical elements are fine – especially Vincent Mountain's simple, yet perfectly conceived set: four stools placed atop a detailed map of Iowa!
"Leaving Iowa" Presented Wednesday through Sunday at the Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, through March 13. Tickets: $17.50 – $32.50. 734-433-7673. http://www.purplerosetheatre.org.
The Bottom Line: Fine family entertainment – another "must see" at The Purple Rose!
Review: 'The Wizard of Oz'
Classic tale gets imaginative revamp at Planet Ant
Although you might be off to see the wizard at Hamtramck's Planet Ant, be forewarned: It might not be the Wonderful Land of Oz fans of the Judy Garland movie are familiar with!
Which, quite honestly, makes Director York Griffith's re-envisioned adaptation of the classic tale by L. Frank Baum that much more interesting!
Gone are the munchkins, the hot air balloon, Toto (stuffed or otherwise) and even the yellow brick road – although if you watch Griffith's imaginative staging, it's there.
Instead, what Griffith and his innovative collaborators deliver is a still-recognizable Oz, but stripped to its essentials; what's important in this production are the motivations behind the characters and their actions, not the colorful costumes in which they are generally dressed.
Griffith's decision to stage his version of the beloved classic has its roots at the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago where he studied this past summer. There, he learned a fairly new holistic approach to acting called "Viewpoints," a method that allows the performers to more fully develop their characters – or a new ensemble piece, for example – through the exploration of relationships through physical means, rather than mental or emotional ones.
Although the concept is difficult to adequately explain, it's a style that encourages actors to discover their characters through the development of symbolic gestures, changing tempos, movement and repetition.
It also expects the audience to participate in the process, as well; it's up to us to interpret what the actors are meaning to convey through both their words and their actions.
So using Baum's novel and snippets of the movie as their starting point, Griffith and his cohorts set out to understand – and vividly portray – how each of the story's primary characters relate to and with one another.
The dialogue and actions of the Brainless Idiot, the Heartless Cad, the Yellow Coward and the Wayward Child, then, bring those interpretations to life – and help propel the story forward.
The result is a darker – almost expressionistic, although that's not totally correct – Oz than most are familiar with.
But does it work, you're probably asking yourself.
Yes, but probably not for Oz traditionalists.
And possibly not for young children.
All-in-all, Planet Ant is to be commended for taking a celebrated icon and reinvigorating it with an approach that allows us to get into the heads of the characters – probably for the first time ever.
However, as with any organic theater piece, Griffith's "Oz" will continue to evolve over time – what didn't work well or wasn't clear this past Saturday night was probably re-imagined by Sunday afternoon's matinee.
What works extremely well is Griffith's focused, hardworking and talented ensemble: Tiffany Bedwell (The Good Witch), Maureen Biermann (Dorothy), Carolyn Hayes (The Wicked Witch), Keith Allan Kalinowski (The Cowardly Lion), Chris Korte (The Scarecrow) and Eric W. Maher (The Tin Man).
And the Wizard? It's a nice touch – one I won't ruin for you!
"The Wizard of Oz" Presented Friday through Sunday at Planet Ant, 2357 Caniff, Hamtramck, through Feb. 22. Tickets: $15. 313-365-4948. http://www.planetant.com.
The Bottom Line: A unique, thoughtful and entertaining approach to an old chestnut that might not be for everyone.
