Review: 'The Price'
Weighing 'The Price' of one's choices
By Shannon Thomas Kennedy, guest critic
What are the costs we are willing to pay for the choices we make in our lives? That is the question asked of the audience at The Jewish Ensemble Theatre's production of "The Price" by Arthur Miller.
At some point in our lives we all look back and contemplate the choices we have made in our lives – and the price we have had to pay for them.
There are moments in our lives that create situations for us to look at ourselves and the life we have created. We question if the choices and sacrifices we have made were the right ones; if not, they can cripple us and our future. We join the Franz family at one of those moments.
The home of Victor and Walter Franz is going to be demolished, and after a 16-year separation the brothers come together to sell off their former possessions.
Victor (Phil Powers), a veteran of the New York Police Department, arrives at the attic of their former Manhattan brownstone, once the home of his father who lived there from the time of his bankruptcy in 1929 until his death.
Victor's wife Esther (Lynnae Lehfeldt) joins him as he awaits the appraiser. Their conversation provides an analogy for the life they have created together. Esther feels her life has been stagnant and unfulfilled while waiting for Victor to finally make a decision about what he wants to do with his life. She wants Victor to get the best possible price for each item so they can finally have the financial ability to live their lives. Victor, on the edge of retirement, does not want to face that his world is going to change. He holds on to the past like he holds onto the possessions – not understanding that, like furniture, aspects of your past don't always work today and can impede your future.
The arrival of appraiser Gregory Soloman (Sol Frieder), with his questions and insistence of understanding each item, exasperates the dynamic between Victor and Esther. The transaction for the final sale is interrupted with the arrival of Victor's brother, Walter (Loren Bass), as the two review their differing views on their lives and the choices they made – choices that brought Victor resentment and anger, and Walter the realization that life needs to keep moving forward at any cost.
This production, though well cast, lacks the energy and tempo needed to deliver the message of this show – particularly in the first act. It only picks up with the arrival of Walter, who serves as a catalyst that brings the repressed emotions of the brothers to the surface.
The set, an integral component of the play, is well designed and excellently dressed with fine period pieces. The costuming gives you an accurate sense of who these people are and how they live. Lack of texture and nuance in the lighting was disappointing, as there were many missed opportunities to support key moments in the play.
"The Price": Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company at the Aaron DeRoy Theatre on the campus of the Jewish Community Center, 6600 West Maple Rd., West Bloomfield. Wed., Thu., Sat. & Sun., through Nov. 12. Tickets: $29-$39. For information: 248-799-2900 or http://www.jettheatre.org
Professional Theater News from Around Town:
Compiled by Donald V. Calamia
Icarus Falling launches 'human' season with "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" by Anthony Clarvoe
LANSING – Icarus Falling is pleased to announce the opening of "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" by Anthony Clarvoe.
Performances are Nov. 3, 4, 10 & 11 at 8 p.m. in the Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St., Lansing.
Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to performance dates, as IF has adopted a reserved seating policy. This policy assigns seating from front to back of the house in order of purchase. Reservations can still be made, but tickets must be purchased at least 15 minutes before curtain time. Any reservations not claimed at that time will still receive seating as available. Those without reservations will be seated as space allows.
"Ctrl+Alt+Delete" explores the hubris, avarice and illusion that accompanied the dot.com boom and bust. This play was first commissioned by the Wharton Center and produced in partnership with the San Jose Repertory Theatre.
IF Executive Producer Fred Longacre directs this exploration of recent history. Featured are IF ensemble members Doug Alchin as the venture capitalist guru; Robin Harris as his protege with a lost dream; Allan Ross as the energetic idea man with "the Gizmo"; Markitwia Jackson as an idealistic sales man; and Erica Beck as the venture capitalist's assistant. Joining the cast is Becky Tremble playing the business news correspondent tracking the meteoric rise and fall.
"This play explores the impact of the dot.com frenzy," observes IF Artistic Director jeff croff. "Each person is changed dramatically as they try and rope the whirlwind and invent the next big thing. I'm very excited about this show and the season as they take us back to the challenging theatre we've become known for."
Tickets are $10 at the door. If it is a guest's first visit to an IF production, then they can announce they are an "IF Virgin" and get in for half price.
For reservations or information, call 517-290-4375 or visit http://www.icarusfalling.com or {URLwww.myspace.com/ifsoars}.
Williamston Theatre offers opportunity for audiences to 'sit down with the stars'
WILLIAMSTON – Audience members attending the remaining Saturday matinees of Williamston Theatre's production, "Rounding Third," are in for a special treat. Immediately following the 3 p.m. matinee, audience members will be given the opportunity to "Sit Down with the Stars" of "Rounding Third," John Lepard and Tobin Hissong. These informal talk-back sessions will last for approximately 30 minutes and are free to ticket holders attending the 3 p.m. matinees.
"Our audiences are really demanding this," says Artistic Director Tony Caselli. "People love this show – it's funny, it's touching. We're providing them with the opportunity to ask our actors about their process with the development of the production, and their experiences as professional actors in Michigan."
"Rounding Third" is a touching comedy by Richard Dresser about life, love and Little League. Two mismatched dads battle to get through the summer as they try to lead their kids' team through a season of snacks, strikeouts and shoelaces.
Theatre patrons who want even more "behind the scenes" insight into the world of professional theater can check out the Williamston Theatre Rehearsal Blog. Throughout the rehearsal process the director, designers and actors of each production are asked to share their thoughts with our on-line audience. Feedback from our on-line audience is welcome. To check out the Rehearsal Blog, go to http://www.williamstontheatre.org and click on Williamston Theatre Rehearsal Blog located on the home page.
The Williamston Theatre is mid-Michigan's newest professional, live theater. Located at 122 South Putnam Street, the theatre is just steps away from the Four Corners intersection in downtown Williamston (Exit 117 off I-96).
For additional information or to order tickets call 517-655-7469.
Renowned RSC to pass on tricks of the trade to Mosaic Youth Theatre
DETROIT – Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is honored and excited by the opportunity to work once again with the celebrated Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC is in Michigan for its third residency with the University Musical Society at University of Michigan. The young artists of Mosaic Youth Theatre, who have performed around the nation and were the sole US representative in 1996 to the World Festival of Children's Theatre in Copenhagen, are eager to gain new insights in to their craft from this group of internationally acclaimed actors. The Mosaic Acting Company will participate in a private workshop with the RSC this Sunday, Oct. 29.
Mosaic Youth Theatre takes the training of its young artists very seriously and is thrilled to bring such a notable company to the General Motors Mosaic Theatre for a workshop. Director of Acting, Janet D. Cleveland knows that "Mosaic's actors will gain a more in depth understanding of what it means to commit to a character and how to create a characterization that speaks to an audience."
Rick Sperling, Mosaic's CEO, will steal away from leading its Capital Campaign for a few hours to experience the workshop himself. "The RSC may simply be the finest theater company on the planet. Seeing their productions as a teenager changed my whole concept of what was possible in theater."
Workshops are an ongoing part of the RSC's residencies and during each of their visits to Michigan. In 2001 both The Mosaic Acting Company and Technical Crew were privileged to spend time with the cast of "Richard III," and in 2003 Mosaic's technicians were invited to shadow the RSC's production crew during a rehearsal. Each experience encouraged Mosaic's young artists to work harder and reach farther as they continue to hone their skills.
Mosaic is ecstatic that members of their Acting Company will experience what few teenage actors in this country get to experience. Sperling knows that the RSC "is known for their mastery of language and script analysis, something with which American actors often struggle. For our young artists to receive this kind of training can only enhance the artistic quality of the productions Mosaic has planned for this season."
New Forum added to BoarsHead's schedule
LANSING РPaul Slade Smith, playwright of BoarsHead Theatre's much anticipated upcoming production "Unnecessary Farce," will present a forum, "On the Rehearsal & Staging of a World Premiere…" on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m.
The author will speak about the thrill of watching – and participating – as his comedy is brought to life for the first time here at the BoarsHead Theater.
This event will take place prior to the Sunday afternoon matinee, with a short Q & A session after Slade Smith's talk. This Forum is available without charge to all "Farce" ticket holders. Please join us in the Gallery for this 30-35 minute "inside" scoop on Slade Smith's hilarious comedy.
For tickets or other information, call the BoarsHead Box Office at 517-484 -7805.
Fun for the Whole Family:
The Whiting and Flint Youth Theatre present 'Lazer Vaudeville'
FLINT – The Whiting is proud to co-present "Lazer Vaudeville" with Flint Youth Theatre as part of the Razzle Dazzle Family Series on Friday, Nov. 3 at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
"Lazer Vaudeville" combines high-tech laser magic with the traditional arts of vaudeville to create an original theatrical production. Complete with superlative juggling, black light illusion, acrobatics, zany comedy, and audience participation, "Lazer Vaudeville" offers clean, classy fun for the entire family.
A cast of fantastical characters leads the audience on a journey through the imagination as a wizard creates magical illusions with laser beams, a neon cowboy kicks up a luminescent rope-spinning display, and an audience member escapes from a straitjacket. The master of ceremonies is a seven-foot tall, fluorescent, fire-breathing dragon named Alfonzo.
Touring since 1987, "Lazer Vaudeville" fulfills Carter Brown's dream of bringing contemporary vaudeville to the American stage. Internationally acclaimed as a master of his craft, Brown demonstrates the endangered art of hoop rolling. In an astonishing visual display, up to 10 hoops roll around the juggler's body and circle the stage as if taking on a life of their own. Brown also collaborates with performers Cindy Marvell and Nicholas Flair to fly indoor kites, spin glowing staffs and juggle running chainsaws.
"The kind of juggling we do blows away everybody's concept of what juggling is about," Brown comments. Together the troupe creates pinwheel illusions and percussive sounds with South American bolas, bounces balls off airborne drums in a mesmerizing ensemble piece, and defies the laws of probability by passing up to 10 clubs in an engaging display of buffoonery and expertise.
"Lazer Vaudeville" has performed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and was featured in the P.B.S. specials "Juggling Work and Family" with Hedrick Smith and "Center Stage" at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX. International tours have included theater festivals in England, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Bermuda, and Saudi Arabia.
Composer Jesse Manno of the University of Colorado in Boulder has created an original soundtrack that captures the show's special effects and vaudevillian spirit. The music mixes electronic sound with Turkish guitar, Macedonian tambura, Greek bouzouki and Irish fiddle. The troupe sells this lively and lyrical recording on CD along with a performance video, available online at http://www.lazervaudeville.com.
Designer Maia Robbins-Zust of Berkshire Production Resources in Richmond, MA created the company's fiber-optic scenery. A floating castle lights up the stage and monument valley glows in the evanescent moonlight. Imaginative costumes by Jennifer Johanos add extra sparkle to the performance.
Cindy Marvell, the first woman ever to win the International Jugglers' Association Championships, "juggles like a poet" and performs with "a compelling mix of pragmatism and magic," according to Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times. Marvell also dresses up like a chef and teaches children from the audience to spin plates. Master manipulator and physical comedian Nicholas Flair intercepts clubs with razor-sharp timing as Brown and Marvell send them whizzing
Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $16 for children 12 and under.
The Whiting is located at 1241 E. Kearsley St. just off I-475 between the University of Michigan Flint and Mott Community College on the beautiful Flint Cultural Center campus.
Tickets are available by phone at 810-237-7333 or 888-8-CENTER or online at http://TheWhiting.com.
Opportunities for Young People:
High school students: 'Find Your Voice' at Whole Art Theatre
KALAMAZOO – Whole Art Theatre is proud to announce its first annual "Finding Your Voice" 10-minute play contest. This contest will accept submissions from all high school students in the Kalamazoo County Area. The Whole Art Theatre's Resident Company of professional actors and directors will pick four to five plays from the submissions and produce them for our final production of the Late Night series.
The performance dates will be June 2d, 23, 29 and 30.
All plays submitted must meet the following criteria: (1) 8-10 pages, not including cover page; (2) Be in proper play format (Courier font, 12 pt.); (3) Cover page; (4) 2-4 characters; (5) Simple sets; (6) Little to zero technical elements.
Each play's subject matter should also center on the theme of "Finding Your Voice." Some places to start include self-discovery, communication, being unique, friendship, world events, relationships, etc.
Each submission must also have a cover page which includes the title of the play and the author's name, address, phone number, email address, school of origin and grade number.
The application fee is $10. The deadline for all submissions is Feb. 1, 2007.
Please send all plays and application fees to: ATTN: Finding Your Voice, Whole Art Theatre, 246 N. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, MI 49007.
Community Theater Corner:
LCC presents 'Adam's Rib'
LANSING – Lansing Community College Performing Arts Department presents "Adam's Rib" 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 3-4 and 10-11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5 at Dart Auditorium, 500 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing.
This witty battle of the sexes pits married lawyers Adam and Amanda Bonner on opposite sides of a ripped-from-the-headlines attempted murder case. At issue: Is a woman justified in shooting her blatantly philandering husband? "Adam's Rib" brings up issues of equal rights under the law for women and the double standards we hold.
This production will be presented as a 1940s radio play with actors playing actors, sound effects created on stage and live music. The script is adapted by J'esse Deardorff-Green from the Oscar-winning screenplay by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin.
This production is part of "The Stages of the Law" series sponsored by the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Tickets are $10 general admission; $5 students, seniors and LCC alumni.
For tickets, call the Box Office at 517-372-0945.
Whole Art's Late Night Series continues with 'Samhain'
KALAMAZOO – Continuing Whole Art Theatre's Late Night Series, the play "Samhain," written by local playwright Maryann Lesert, tells the tale of three modern witches who stumble upon a soccer mom bingeing on her own children's Halloween candy. The three witches (wiccans) bond with the hapless woman, and through discussion of some of the traditional spirits of Halloween (boggarts, zombies, banshees, etc.) and how a woman's self-image can get skewed, they find that there are kind wishes and caring witches even on All Hallow's Eve.
Directed by Trevor Stefanick, the production features Angie Gundrum, Amber Hunt, Ellie McIvor and Lily Brislen.
"Samhain" will be performed at Whole Art's Studio 246 N. Kalamazoo Mall Space, Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm through Nov. 3 and 4.
General Admission tickets are $5 or $7 including unlimited coffee.
For reservations and information call 269-345-7529 or visit http://www.wholeart.org.
Stagecrafters presents 'Caught in the Net'
ROYAL OAK – Stagecrafters presents "Caught in the Net" by Ray Cooney, Nov. 3 – 19, at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in downtown Royal Oak.
Side splitting and irreverent, this British farce is the sequel to "Run for Your Wife," presented by Stagecrafters two seasons ago, but stands on its own as it rejoins the protagonist, a London bigamist taxi driver, 17 years later as he finds himself this time in an internet-age dilemma.
Although John Smith (played by John Nowaczyk) appears ordinary, he has secretly been married to two women for the past 18 years, Mary (Beth Tetrault) and Barbara (Sandi Glover). The relative calm of this arrangement is set to unravel when Gavin (Kein Onickel) and Vicki (Ashley Shamoon), John's children each from a different wife, connect on the internet. Both having the same last name and a father who is a taxi driver, they decide they must meet.
John enlists the help of his best friend, Stanley (Joe Worthington), the only one who knows of John's dual lives, in his struggle to keep his children apart. In the process the two men don disguises, offer far-fetched explanations, and dodge discovery as chaos ensues side-by-side on stage in the two households.
Meanwhile, Stanley is neglecting to take his aged father (Phil Berns) on holiday. Fortunately, the father doesn't notice that the London flat is not a seaside guesthouse and goes about enjoying his vacation amidst the unfolding mayhem.
Beth Tetrault and Sandi Glover (as the wives, Mary and Barbara, respectively) return from 'Run For Your Wife.'
"If you saw the first play, 'Run for Your Wife,' you'll love this one! But the play stands on its own and it's not necessary to be familiar with the first to totally enjoy this theatre experience," says director Linda Zublick. "It is interesting working with some cast members again; they have a real feel for some of the humor that was in the first play that appears again in this one. The challenge for both of them, however, is that in this play their characters are 17 years older and mothers of teenagers, so they have to adapt their portrayals of those characters to fit the new circumstances."
Staging a farce has its own unique set of challenges. "These particular plays have very specific unique timing which is critical to the play. Since it is set in two homes simultaneously, it is important for the actors to time not only their lines and jokes, but also to time every entrance and exit. If an actor does not enter the stage exactly on time or the phones do not ring when they need to, it changes the entire dynamic of what's going on up on the stage. The show would simply not be as funny because you would lose the continuous motion of the comedy. It has been important to cast actors who not only understand the importance of the timing, but also feel the timing as they deliver their lines. We did this very effectively in the first show, and are following the same path with this one," says Zublick.
Finally she adds, "You will walk away laughing — and don't try to figure out the deep message under the surface because there isn't one. It's just pure entertainment!"
This show is recommended for ages 15 and older.
Tickets for all shows are: $14 – $16. Visa/MasterCard accepted. All seats reserved.
For tickets or information, call 248-541-6430.
Kazoo Civic to present 'Duck Hunter Shoots Angel'
KALAMAZOO – The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre will present Mitch Albom's "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel," Nov. 3 through 18, in the Parish Theatre, 426 South Park Street, Kalamazoo.
Have you ever wondered about those crazy stories in the supermarket tabloids? You know, like the sightings of Elvis at the local Stop & Shop or the space aliens that ate Baltimore? Are they just made-up baloney, or is there a glimmer of truth in there somewhere? This quirky new comedy by Mitch Albom goes about answering such questions.
Two "good old boys," Duane and Duwell Early, believe they have brought down a celestial being hovering over the swamps of Alabama. Enter a jaded tabloid writer and a photographer from New York City who want an exclusive on this breaking "angel story," and you have an evening of fun and laughter filled with zany characters. It's an out-of-this-world tale full of magical surprises, unexpected second chances, and knee-slapping humor.
Directed by D. Terry Williams, the cast features Andrea Arvanigian as Kansas, Nikki Dobos as Woman, Dave Holyoak as Sandy, Preston Misner as Duwell, Tony Serra as Gator Man, Clenten Sims as Lenny and Adam Weiner as Lester. Making their Civic debuts are Matt McCormick in the role of Duane and Runako Marshall as Banker.
Order your tickets today by calling the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Box Office at 269-343-1313 or visiting http://www.kazoocivic.com.
