[NEohioPAL]Berko review: CREDEAUX CANVAS at Ensemble; previews for State/CPH

[Roy Berko]

CREDEAUX CANVAS ‘ AT ENSEMBLE, FRANKIE AVALON APPEARS
IN ‘GREASE’, ‘BLUE ROOM’ AT CPH

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

Lucia Columbi, Artistic Director at Ensemble Theatre
writes a somber message to theatre patrons in the
program of their present show.  It states, "The
mounting of this production is a memorable one.  It
marks the last play Ensemble theatre will present at
the Civic.  After 18 years as the theatre’s home, it
is fitting that we exit with a play about ‘art’."   

Rumor has it that Ensemble is in final negotiations
for a new home.  We hope so, for the theatre is an
important link in the chain of small professional
theatres.  It is also hoped that, in the future, the
theatre reaches out to present challenging shows like
their present production, Keith Bunin’s ‘THE CREDEAUX
CANVAS.’

The story centers on an interesting premise.  When
Jamie, the emotionally fragile son of a now-deceased
art dealer, finds out he is cut out of his father’s
will, he hatches a scheme whereby his roommate, a
struggling artist, will create a "newly discovered"
painting by Credeaux, an unknown but emerging European
painter.  The Credeaux canvas will be sold to a very
wealthy, and supposedly very gullible, art collector. 
If it works, they'll be set for life.  But if it
doesn't...

On the surface it sounds like the potential for an
excellent show.  Unfortunately, in spite of acceptable
performances by the cast, and some fine technical
contributions, the total effect is not completely
positive.  The problem lies with Bunin’s dialogue. 
His characters often speak in platitudes, not
real-sounding words.  They describe their own and
other’s psychological motivations, rather than
allowing the audience to get to know the characters
through their own statements.  He often sounds like
someone who has taken one too many theoretical
psychology classes.  The result is an over-reaching
and fragmented drama.  His play keeps the viewer an
arm’s distance away from feeling the emotions of the
characters.

Bunin devotes most of the play's first scene into
setting up the flim-flam to give us a view of Winston,
the painter, Jamie, the schemer, and Amelia, Jamie’s
girlfriend.  Early in the second act we meet Tess, the
potential buyer of the fake painting who eventually
asks the right questions to blow the sham.

Winston, Jamie, and Amelia are three rudderless souls,
and as such are recognizable. Jamie is the poor rich
kid who doubts his own abilities.  His  contriving to
compensate for what he feels he lacks only succeeds in
making him believe in himself less.  Amelia, who
appears to have modest talent, has come to New York to
make a splash.  She slowly realizes she's wading
aimlessly through puddles rather than getting swept
into the mainstream. Winston is a compulsive loner who
can only see the path he's set himself on, a path on
which he stumbles and eventually falls. 

Colombi’s directing is generally on target, though she
may have helped the performers by working on shadowing
the intentions of the writer.  She is aided by Vincent
Polowy’s set, which fulfills its purpose.  His
lighting design does much to key the required
perceptible elements of the play, allowing us to
visualize the painting elements described.  

Sherri Britton is wonderful as Tess.  She captivates
the audience as she describes the depth of meaning of
the painting.  Joel Nunley’s Winston is inconsistent. 
He stumbles through some of his lines but does allow
us to see many of the nuances of the character in the
spite of being given some very superficial lines to
speak.   Michael John Sestili has some fine moments as
Jamie, but is generally on the surface.  Only part of
that is his fault.  The author has often given very
little motivations for developing a meaningful
character.  Caise Rode, like Sestili, often gets
little help from the script in developing a
multi-leveled character.

Be aware that there is male and female nudity in the
production, thus the warning that the production is
for mature adults.  It is artistically done.  We see
both Rode and Nunley mostly in silhouette, with their
bodies bathed in light that makes each appear as
carved marble statues.

‘THE CREDEAUX CANVAS’ continues at Ensemble Theatre,
located in the Civic in Cleveland Heights through
April 19.  For ticket information call 216-321-2930.


FRANKIE AVALON TO REPRISE ROLE IN ‘GREASE’

If you are old enough, you know Frankie Avalon as one
of America’s "Teenage Idols." About 25 years ago he
came on the scene with as a national heartthrob.   He
starred in such movies as cult movies as ‘BEACH
PARTY,’ ‘BEACH PARTY BINGO" and "HOW TO STUFF A WILD
BIKINI."    His hit songs included "We Go Together"and
"Summer Nights."  He later became a regular in the
nightclubs of Las Vegas.  

In the movie version of GREASE, he portrayed Vince
Fontaine, the "coolest of cool dee-jays." He will
reprise that role in the touring version of the
musical, which will be on stage at the Palace Theatre
from May 15-18.  

GREASE, which was written by Warren Casey and Jim
Jacobs, opened in 1972 and ran eight years.  In 1994
it was revived and added 1,505 more performances to
its record.  It is credited with being the forerunner
of the movie "AMERICAN GRAFFITI" and the TV series
"HAPPY DAYS." Hit songs from the show include,
"Hopelessly Devoted to You," "You’re the One That I
Want," "Sandy," and the title song, "Grease."

During its years the show has starred Richard Gere,
Rosie O’Donnell, Brooke Shields, Adrienne Barbeau,
Barry Bostwick, Treat Williams, Marilu Henner, Jeff
Conaway, Joe Piscopo, Rex Smith, Chubby Checker and
Barry Williams.

Slip on your poodle skirt and put your hair in a pony
tail, or put on your best polyester and slick back
your hair and rock yourself down to ‘GREASE.’  For
tickets, which run $22.50 to $45.50, call 216-241-6000
or 800-766-6048 or by visiting
www.playhousesquare.com.

CPH CLOSES SEASON WITH ‘THE BLUE ROOM’

The Cleveland Play House will close its lightly
acclaimed present season with David Hare’s ‘THE BLUE
ROOM,’ an updated version of Arthur Schnitzler’s turn
of-the-century classic ‘LA ROUNDE.’ It is a play
intended for mature audiences as it contains explicit
sexual situations and brief nudity.

In ten intertwined scenes, Hare examines our search
for intimacy by illustrating a chain of casual sexual
encounters between men and women of various
backgrounds and social classes.    

Bradford Cover portrays all the males, while Emily
Frankovich showcases as the females.  The production
is under the direction of Edward Payston Call.

‘THE BLUE ROOM’ will run from April 29 through May 25.
 For tickets, which range in price from $47.50 to $32,
call 216-795-7000.  Persons under-25 can obtain
tickets for all performances for $12.


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