[NEohioPAL]Jean Anouilh's THE LARK continues at Kennedy's thru December 11th.

[Cesearsforum at aol.com]

-------------------------------1101104336
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

Dear NEOhioPal Friend:
=20
Cesear=E2=80=99s Forum continues its run of Jean Anouilh=E2=80=99s THE LARK,=
 at Kennedy=E2=80=99s=20
Down Under, Playhouse Square Center, through December 11th.  The trial of Jo=
an=20
of Arc, represented as a play within a play, allows Anouilh to present a=20
sardonic picture of politics and religion in the present/past.  The producti=
on is=20
true to Anouilh=E2=80=99s original intention of minimalism, described as=20=
=E2=80=9Ca game of=20
pretending, a game of the intellect involving creator, interpreter, and audi=
ence=20
alike=E2=80=9D (John Harvey, Theory, Yale University Press, 1964).   This le=
ads to=20
interesting criticism and Christine Howey (Scene Magazine, November 17-23, 2=
004)=20
writes: =E2=80=9CCombining aspects of feminism, militarism, religious inspir=
ation,=20
sociological upheaval, and cross-dressing, Joan=E2=80=99s story is one in wh=
ich everyone=20
can find a cause to cheer or deride.  In the Cesear=E2=80=99s Forum producti=
on=E2=80=A6Joan=E2=80=99s=20
brief bio is sketched out during the trial that eventually condemns her to a=
=20
flaming death at age 19.  Blending two adaptations of the original script by=
=20
Christopher Fry and Lillian Hellman, director Greg Cesear attempts to captur=
e a=20
fresh perspective on the intersection of politics and morality=E2=80=A6it=
=E2=80=99s=20
mystifying that there isn=E2=80=99t more passion in Cesear=E2=80=99s product=
ion.=E2=80=9D   James Damico=20
(Cleveland Free Times, November 10-16, 2004) notes that: =E2=80=9CReadily ex=
posing the=20
theatrical nature of his piece, the author has Joan=E2=80=99s wry English ja=
iler, the=20
Earl of Warwick =E2=80=93 with full knowledge of how events turned out =E2=
=80=93 stage-manage=20
brisk but pithy dramatic excerpts from the martyr=E2=80=99s life and trial f=
or heresy. =20
Rejecting sentiment and sensation, Warwick keeps the focus on the political=20
and religious issues involved, and pushes matters expeditiously along to get=
 to=20
the tragic, transcendent climax of the burning at the stake.=E2=80=9D   Dami=
co also=20
notes that Cesear has cut a number of scenes, bringing the running time down=
 to=20
90 minutes rather than two and a half hours:  =E2=80=9C=E2=80=A6reduced sele=
ctions from=20
separate adaptations creates the feel of an excerpted Reader=E2=80=99s Diges=
t version=20
rather than the full-fledged drama=E2=80=A6The cast of seven works well=E2=
=80=A6but lacks the=20
ceremonial weight the original calls for.  Cesear keeps the proceedings simp=
le.=E2=80=9D
Joseph E. Garreau (McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, 1983) writes:=20=
=E2=80=9C
Anouilh offers a body of work in which even his most tragic plays are inform=
ed=20
by the humor essential to Moliere and the linguistic elegance that was polis=
hed=20
to perfection by Marivaux, Musset, and Giraudoux.  The result is often a=20
mixing of genres that critics seem willing enough to accept in Shakespeare b=
ut=20
find offensive or disturbing in Anouilh.=E2=80=9D
=20
The ensemble cast includes: Laura Borgione, Ron Newell, Jeffery Steven Allen=
,=20
Michael Regnier, Brian Bowers, Sherri Britton and Robert Zombar.   Howey=20
writes: =E2=80=9CJoan=E2=80=99s confounding qualities of insolent confidence=
 and devout humility=20
are portrayed convincingly by chisel-jawed Laura Borgione (even though this=20
actor=E2=80=99s adolescent years are disappearing rapidly in the rearview mi=
rror). =20
Damico states: =E2=80=9CThe able Laura Borgione=E2=80=99s Maid=E2=80=A6conve=
ys a direct and strong=20
conviction, especially in the play=E2=80=99s second half, that is appropriat=
ely persuasive. =20
John Harvey (The Tragic Role, Yale University Press, 1964) concludes this=20
way: =E2=80=9CNumerous interpolations and contradictions have already set th=
e play in=20
some fairy-tale world beyond reality, where theatricalism and ambiguity comp=
ound=20
to render the lark=E2=80=99s fate inevitable.=E2=80=9D   THE LARK, Friday an=
d Saturday at=20
8pm, through December 11th, $15, Kennedy=E2=80=99s Down Under, Playhouse Squ=
are.  Call=20
(216) 241-6000.   =20

-------------------------------1101104336
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD>
<META charset=3DUTF-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charse=
t=3DUTF-8">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
f">
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Dear NEOhioPal Friend:</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Cesear=E2=80=99s Forum continues its run of Jean Anouilh=E2=
=80=99s THE LARK, at Kennedy=E2=80=99s Down Under, Playhouse Square Center,=20=
through December 11<SUP>th</SUP>.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </=
SPAN>The trial of Joan of Arc, represented as a play within a play, allows A=
nouilh to present a sardonic picture of politics and religion in the present=
/past.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>The production is true=
 to Anouilh=E2=80=99s original intention of minimalism, described as =E2=80=
=9Ca game of pretending, a game of the intellect involving creator, interpre=
ter, and audience alike=E2=80=9D (John Harvey, <I>Theory, </I>Yale Universit=
y Press, 1964).<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">   </SPAN>This le=
ads to interesting criticism and Christine Howey (<I>Scene Magazine,</I> Nov=
ember 17-23, 2004) writes: =E2=80=9CCombining aspects of feminism, militaris=
m, religious inspiration, sociological upheaval, and cross-dressing, Joan=
=E2=80=99s story is one in which everyone can find a cause to cheer or derid=
e.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>In the Cesear=E2=80=99s Fo=
rum production=E2=80=A6Joan=E2=80=99s brief bio is sketched out during the t=
rial that eventually condemns her to a flaming death at age 19.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Blending two adaptations of the origina=
l script by Christopher Fry and Lillian Hellman, director Greg Cesear attemp=
ts to capture a fresh perspective on the intersection of politics and morali=
ty=E2=80=A6it=E2=80=99s mystifying that there isn=E2=80=99t more passion in=20=
Cesear=E2=80=99s production.=E2=80=9D<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp=
;  </SPAN>James Damico (<I>Cleveland Free Times,</I> November 10-16, 20=
04) notes that: =E2=80=9CReadily exposing the theatrical nature of his piece=
, the author has Joan=E2=80=99s wry English jailer, the Earl of Warwick =E2=
=80=93 with full knowledge of how events turned out =E2=80=93 stage-manage b=
risk but pithy dramatic excerpts from the martyr=E2=80=99s life and trial fo=
r heresy.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Rejecting sentiment=
 and sensation, Warwick keeps the focus on the political and religious issue=
s involved, and pushes matters expeditiously along to get to the tragic, tra=
nscendent climax of the burning at the stake.=E2=80=9D<SPAN style=3D"mso-spa=
cerun: yes">   </SPAN>Damico also notes that Cesear has cut a numb=
er of scenes, bringing the running time down to 90 minutes rather than two a=
nd a half hours:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>=E2=80=9C=
=E2=80=A6reduced selections from separate adaptations creates the feel of an=
 excerpted <I>Reader=E2=80=99s Digest</I> version rather than the full-fledg=
ed drama=E2=80=A6The cast of seven works well=E2=80=A6but lacks the ceremoni=
al weight the original calls for.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </=
SPAN>Cesear keeps the proceedings simple.=E2=80=9D</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Joseph E. Garreau (<I>McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama=
, 1983</I>) writes: =E2=80=9CAnouilh offers a body of work in which even his=
 most tragic plays are informed by the humor essential to Moliere and the li=
nguistic elegance that was polished to perfection by Marivaux, Musset, and G=
iraudoux.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>The result is often=
 a mixing of genres that critics seem willing enough to accept in Shakespear=
e but find offensive or disturbing in Anouilh.=E2=80=9D</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman">The ensemble cast includes: Laura Borgione, Ron Newell,=
 Jeffery Steven Allen, Michael Regnier, Brian Bowers, Sherri Britton and Rob=
ert Zombar.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">   </SPAN>Howey write=
s: =E2=80=9CJoan=E2=80=99s confounding qualities of insolent confidence and=20=
devout humility are portrayed convincingly by chisel-jawed Laura Borgione (e=
ven though this actor=E2=80=99s adolescent years are disappearing rapidly in=
 the rearview mirror).<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>Damico=
 states: =E2=80=9CThe able Laura Borgione=E2=80=99s Maid=E2=80=A6conveys a d=
irect and strong conviction, especially in the play=E2=80=99s second half, t=
hat is appropriately persuasive.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </S=
PAN>John Harvey (<I>The Tragic Role,</I> Yale University Press, 1964) conclu=
des this way: =E2=80=9CNumerous interpolations and contradictions have alrea=
dy set the play in some fairy-tale world beyond reality, where theatricalism=
 and ambiguity compound to render the lark=E2=80=99s fate inevitable.=E2=80=
=9D<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">   </SPAN>THE LARK, Friday an=
d Saturday at 8pm, through December 11<SUP>th</SUP>, $15, Kennedy=E2=80=99s=20=
Down Under, Playhouse Square.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN=
>Call (216) 241-6000.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">    </=
SPAN></FONT></FONT></P></BODY></HTML>

-------------------------------1101104336--