[NEohioPAL]Berko review: RAISED IN CAPTIVITY (DOBAMA)

[Roy Berko]

RAISED IN CAPTVITY DISAPPOINTS AT DOBAMA

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

I was among the original group of local thespians who
left Euclid Little Theatre and followed Don Bianchi,
Barry Silverman, and Mark Silverberg and into a new
theatrical adventure to become known as DOBAMA.   The
name has no mysterious meaning.  It was simply the
first two letters of the guys first names (DOn, BArry,
and MArk).  

Therefore, it is painful to watch a production at this
theatre that is poorly directed, and is generally
poorly acted.  Unfortunately, Nicky Silver’s ‘RAISED
IN CAPTIVITY’ fulfills these negative criteria.  It is
also painful because Dobama has become the shining
light of the off-Broadway-like professional theatres
on the North Coast.

The play starts with a brother and a sister reuniting
at their mother’s funeral, after several years of not
seeing each other.   It follows the problems of the
siblings, which includes a ghost from the past that
reveals some secrets, a psychologist who blinds
herself out of guilt, a husband who runs off with the
psychologist upon the urging of his wife, a several
month old baby who walks, and new level of
understanding between the siblings.

The play, according to its author is about "guilt,
redemption and self-punishment.”  Yes, there is guilt
and sorrow, but who cares.  The characters don’t earn
our empathy. 

Our lack of feeling is somewhat strange since The New
York Times said that Silver’s dialogue “skillfully
juxtaposes the banal and the outlandishly whimsical.  
New York Magazine referred to the NY production as
"....funny, original, imaginative and possessed of a
furious energy that makes it spin like a top....full
of wittily prickly lines and riotous exchanges, and it
uses the stage in splashily irreverent ways that can
be exhilarating." 

So, what’s the problem here?  It lies purely on the
shoulders of director Russ Borski who appears to lack
any insight into what the play is all about.  It is
the responsibility of the director to set the tone for
the production and guide the actors in achieving the
playwright’s intent.  On this count, Borski fails.  No
one in the cast seemed to know how to develop their
character.  In spite of this, there were some funny
moments, but far, far too few and any meaning that
might have been present evaporated in a pile of
confusion and lethargy.

Not only was the cast lost,  so was the audience on
opening night.  They didn’t seem to understand or want
to understand the goings on either as shown by the
number who left the theatre at intermission. 

Credit has to be given to the cast consisting of Tyson
Postma, Tyler Postma, Sean Derry, Juliete Regnier and
Jeff Staron.  They really tried to pull it off.  The
odds were just too stacked against them.

CAPSULE JUDEMENT:  Every theatre has some good
productions and some weaker ones.  It hurts to say it,
but ‘RAISED IN CAPTIVITY’ must go on the list of one
of Dobama’s weakest moments.

Dobama’s next production will be David Hare’s ‘AMY’S
VIEW.’  It will staged by award winning director Sonya
Robbins and stars a stellar cast consisting of
Catherine Albers, Derdriu Ring and Todd Krispinsky. 
The show will be on stage from February 27 through
March 21.  For tickets call 216-932-3396.  For more
information about the theatre go on line to
www.dobama.org.



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