By John Quinn
Review: 'Broadway Bound'
Simon says: Dying is easy, comedy is hard
I've just read a Mark Twain story in which a painter fakes his own death to increase the value of his canvases. If the theater prejudice that favors meaty drama over "superficial" comedy ends, Neil Simon will be revered as, say, Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller, without having to die first.
Simon draws heavily on his own experience for inspiration in many of his plays. This is most obvious than in his autobiographical trilogy, "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound." Simon creates a touching portrait of the American Dream, seen through the eyes of his alter ego, Eugene Jerome. With these plays, Simon found his greatest critical acclaim, and for his follow-up, "Lost in Yonkers," Simon was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. That's not too shabby for a comedy writer.
In "Broadway Bound," which opens the Jewish Ensemble Theatre's season, we pick up Eugene's story in 1949. He and his brother, Stan, are ready to ditch their dead-end jobs for careers in comedy writing. Manic Stan has landed an audition with CBS, and much of the first act revolves around the brothers' attempt to turn out a script in one night. Stan's opine that the root of comedy is conflict is certainly true here, based on the "comedy" they find in their own family. They're the product of two generations of dysfunctional relationships, sharing a home with their philandering father, long-suffering mother and befuddled grandfather, who won't leave Brighton Beach to join his wife in Manhattan.
Yet the boys seem almost unaware of the emotional boil just under the surface of their family structure.
Joseph Albright and Milica Govich play estranged parents Jack and Kate. There are scenes of really raw emotion for these complex characters, but equally telling are the off-hand remarks and significant glances that leave no doubt in the audience as to their hidden unhappiness.
Jason Richards and Dax Anderson reprise their roles as Eugene and Stan from JET's production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" last season. This gives the actors a head start in getting to the characters' roots, and both slip into the roles as if they were comfortable shoes.
As Grandfather Ben, Sol Frieder is a scene stealer. It doesn't hurt that Simon has given the old socialist, whose last happy day was the stock-market crash, the best lines. Frieder plays gently with the character who isn't really as befuddled as he seems.
This is a long play, and the second act unaccountably drags. It's not the fault of director Evelyn Orbach, whose attention to detail keeps us riveted, as it is Simon's. He wants to tell us so much about the interplay of past and present in his characters. Kate's subdued childhood reminiscence follows quickly on some non-stop comedy and the contrast is stark. Deft direction and sharp acting get us through the slow spots.
"Broadway Bound" Staged Wed., Thu., Sat. & Sun. by the Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company at the DeRoy Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple Rd, West Bloomfield, through Oct. 15. $27-$37. 248-788-2900. http://www.jettheatre.org.
The Bottom Line: A demonstration that comedy and drama are merely two sides of the same coin, "Broadway Bound" is a worthwhile evening with a great American playwright.
TIDBITS: Theater news from around town
2005 ArtServe honorees announced; Sunsets seeks 'Redemption'
By Donald V. Calamia
The winners of the 20th annual ArtServe Michigan Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture were recently announced, and the nine individuals and organizations chosen represent some of the best and brightest our state has to offer.
"The winners are a strong reflection of the current state of arts and culture in Michigan and throughout the world," said Barbara Kratchman, ArtServe Michigan's president. "As always, the honorees run the gamut from the best in visual arts, music, film, video, business and education. We are deeply proud of all the winners, who demonstrate the highest standards and quality in the arts"
This year's winners include Patricia Shek (Saginaw), the Lansing State Journal, Education for the Arts (Kalamazoo), Box Factory for the Arts (St. Joseph), College for Creative Studies (Detroit), Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids, James Tatum (Detroit) and former Detroiter Jerry Bruckheimer (Los Angeles).
Recipient of the Emerging Artist Award is recent Wilde Award nominee Oliver Pookrum for his multi-dimensional abilities that span writing, acting, producing and directing.
The awards will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 15 at a dinner and ceremony at the Detroit Opera House.
The Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture, established in 1985 and administered by ArtServe Michigan, is the oldest honors that recognize statewide and international leaders in arts and culture from Michigan. Today the ArtServe Michigan Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture continues the tradition of recognizing distinguished achievement and meritorious work in arts and culture by organizations, businesses and individuals.
Tickets for the ArtServe Michigan Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture are $50-$300 each, and are available through ArtServe Michigan at 248-557-8288.
For more information, visit http://www.ArtServeMichigan.org.
Hot on the heels of its critically acclaimed – and controversial – "The Titus Andronicus Experience," Sunsets with Shakespeare returns to Lansing's R E Olds Anderson Rotary Barn at the Woldumar Nature Center with "Redemption: An Evening of One Acts."
The first play, "Five Kinds of Silence" by Shelagh Stephenson, hauntingly examines a family wracked by abuse. It is based on an actual domestic abuse murder case in the early 1990s in Great Britain.
The second is an original piece by Todd Heywood. "Moral Obligations" explores the parallels between violence a gay character experiences while being taken to his place of execution and that which Christ suffered on his journey to Golgotha. The script was originally read on the steps of the state capitol as part of an 18-hour vigil in remembrance of the fifth anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death.
"Redemption: An Evening of One Acts" runs Sept. 30-Oct. 2 & Oct. 4-6. Tickets are $10.
For more information, log on to http://www.sunsetswithshakespeare.com.
