[NEohioPAL]Critique & Commentary: UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL at Kennedy's

Sun Apr 18 17:11:36 PDT 2004

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Glen Berger's UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL (currently ay Kennedy's through May 8th)=
=20
follows a Dutch librarian who discovers that a bookmark in a travel guide is=
 a=20
claim ticket for a pair of trousers left at a Chinese laundry in London 85=20
years earlier, and who from there finds himself on the trail of the mystical=
=20
Wandering Jew.

James Damico (April 7, 2004, Cleveland Free Times) sums it up this way:  "A=20
one-man evening shaped as a lecture, it gradually reveals itself to be an=20
intellectual detective story, written with wry humor, but also slyly intende=
d to=20
arrive at serious metaphysical and philosophical speculations about existenc=
e,=20
religion and human indomitability."

Stephen Dunne, (March 5, 2003, Sydney Morning Herald) wrote:  "Berger's=20
script is not without the odd problem=E2=80=A6 but mostly this is a smart an=
d funny=20
excursion through some of life's bigger questions viewed via the self regard=
ing eyes=20
of a minor functionary." =20

Christine Howey (April 7, 2004, Cleveland Scene) says:  "Berger's writing is=
=20
witty, insightful, and oddly informative=E2=80=A6(He) has big issues on his=20=
mind=E2=80=A6=20
(but the) script is almost too clever for its own good." =20

Of the Cesear's Forum production, directed by Fred Sternfeld and featuring=20
Joe Gunderman, Damico writes:  "Joe Gunderman has often proved himself to be=
 a=20
very able performer, and does so again in the solo spotlight, generating an=20
endearing sense of a decent, contemplative, caring soul."  Linda Eisenstein=20
(April 6, 2003, The Cleveland Plain Dealer) notes that:  "The solo character=
 is a=20
seriocomic obsessive, lecturing the audience about his search for the truth.=
 =20
Gunderman's performance is consciously crafted - he has worked on an accent=20=
and=20
a lurching physicality=E2=80=A6he follows a trail of clues like a demented s=
cavenger=E2=80=A6
"  Howey asserts:  "Onstage by himself for 90 minutes, Gunderman illumines=20
facets of his stereotyped character, and is quite funny as he relates some o=
f=20
the eccentricities of his workplace=E2=80=A6Director Fred Sternfeld does wel=
l to convey=20
Berger's convoluted story line in a comprehensible way."  =20

Playwright Glen Berger summarizes it this way:  "The story is about how do=20
any of us authenticate our existence against the backdrop of four billion ye=
ars=20
of earth history, thirteen billion years of the universe - what are we left=20
with?  At best, scraps.  So it's a comedy."

Kessa De Santis (September 24, 2003, ELJ All Arts Annex) sums it up this way=
:=20
 "So yes, there are little contrivances, and no real surprises, and the idea=
=20
of a man traveling the world because an overdue book has mysteriously return=
ed=20
is a stretch.  But, at the theater, where it is always a pleasure to be=20
invited to suspend disbelief, if only for a couple of hours, we have come to=
 expect=20
that anything is possible, even just UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL.=20

Performs Friday & Saturday, 8 pm, through May 8th.  All seats $15, Kennedy's=
=20
Down Under, Playhouse Square Center, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.  Call =20
(216) 241-6000. (www.playhousesquare.com.)

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CK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMI=
LY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Glen Berger's UNDERNEATH THE LINT=
EL (currently ay Kennedy's through May 8th) follows a Dutch librarian who di=
scovers that a bookmark in a travel guide is a claim ticket for a pair of tr=
ousers left at a Chinese laundry in London 85 years earlier, and who from th=
ere finds himself on the trail of the mystical Wandering Jew.<BR>
<BR>
James Damico (April 7, 2004, Cleveland Free Times) sums it up this way:&nbsp=
; "A one-man evening shaped as a lecture, it gradually reveals itself to be=20=
an intellectual detective story, written with wry humor, but also slyly inte=
nded to arrive at serious metaphysical and philosophical speculations about=20=
existence, religion and human indomitability."<BR>
<BR>
Stephen Dunne, (March 5, 2003, Sydney Morning Herald) wrote:  "Berger's=
 script is not without the odd problem=E2=80=A6 but mostly this is a smart a=
nd funny excursion through some of life's bigger questions viewed via the se=
lf regarding eyes of a minor functionary."  <BR>
<BR>
Christine Howey (April 7, 2004, Cleveland Scene) says:  "Berger's writi=
ng is witty, insightful, and oddly informative=E2=80=A6(He) has big issues o=
n his mind=E2=80=A6 (but the) script is almost too clever for its own good."=
  <BR>
<BR>
Of the Cesear's Forum production, directed by Fred Sternfeld and featuring J=
oe Gunderman, Damico writes:  "Joe Gunderman has often proved himself t=
o be a very able performer, and does so again in the solo spotlight, generat=
ing an endearing sense of a decent, contemplative, caring soul."  Linda=
 Eisenstein (April 6, 2003, The Cleveland Plain Dealer) notes that:  "T=
he solo character is a seriocomic obsessive, lecturing the audience about hi=
s search for the truth.  Gunderman's performance is consciously crafted=
 - he has worked on an accent and a lurching physicality=E2=80=A6he follows=20=
a trail of clues like a demented scavenger=E2=80=A6"  Howey asserts:&nb=
sp; "Onstage by himself for 90 minutes, Gunderman illumines facets of his st=
ereotyped character, and is quite funny as he relates some of the eccentrici=
ties of his workplace=E2=80=A6Director Fred Sternfeld does well to convey Be=
rger's convoluted story line in a comprehensible way."   <BR>
<BR>
Playwright Glen Berger summarizes it this way:  "The story is about how=
 do any of us authenticate our existence against the backdrop of four billio=
n years of earth history, thirteen billion years of the universe - what are=20=
we left with?  At best, scraps.  So it's a comedy."<BR>
<BR>
Kessa De Santis (September 24, 2003, ELJ All Arts Annex) sums it up this way=
:  "So yes, there are little contrivances, and no real surprises, and t=
he idea of a man traveling the world because an overdue book has mysteriousl=
y returned is a stretch.  But, at the theater, where it is always a ple=
asure to be invited to suspend disbelief, if only for a couple of hours, we=20=
have come to expect that anything is possible, even just UNDERNEATH THE LINT=
EL. <BR>
<BR>
Performs Friday & Saturday, 8 pm, through May 8th.  All seats $15,=20=
Kennedy's Down Under, Playhouse Square Center, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland=
.  Call  (216) 241-6000. (www.playhousesquare.com.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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