[NEohioPAL]Berko review: BATTERY (convergence-continuum)

[Roy Berko]

CONVERGENCE-CONTINUUM ATTEMPTS TO ELECTRIFY AUDIENCE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)


--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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


A student in a playwriting class that I taught turned
in a script that consisted of line after line of
idioms referring to the game of baseball.   This was
the 1970s, the era of “hip” theatre, happenings, in
your face language and messages, going against the
grain, letting the audience figure it out for
themselves.  After the class had digested and
commented on the manuscript, I asked the student, “Are
you more interested in playing word games then in
getting a message across?”  He sat for a few moments,
a sly grin stole across his face and he said, “I
really love baseball!”

Daniel Therriault, the author of ‘BATTERY’ presently
on stage at convergence continuum, Cleveland’s avant
garde theatrical space, must really love electricity. 
As with my student, I found Therriault’s script to be
mostly affect with an emphasis on language rather than
story effect.

‘BATTERY’ has been described as “...a psychological
tour of tortured souls.”  It has also been called as
“as much a multidimensional rap symphony as it is a
play.”  Further comments include, “Overly long and at
times maddeningly redundant." Commentary also referred
to “the  playwright's excesses and twisting thought
line.”  One production was described as "Incredibly
funny and totally disgusting.” 

The play’s overriding metaphor is "A battery is two or
more cells placed in a common container; one
dominant."   Set in Rip's Electric, a home appliance
repair shop in Chicago, the play juxtaposes Rip (Brin
Metzendorf) and Stan (Tim Coles).  Rip is not only the
dominant cell in his relationship with Stan, he also
dominates Brandy (Meg Cavanaugh), who functions as
little more than a sex toy to him to “set his
electricity flowing.”  Rip gives homemade shock
treatments to his manic-depressive assistant, but when
the treatment takes effect, the assistant yearns for
his own independence and encourages the master’s
battered girlfriend to do the same.   In the end, Rip
is left alone  surrounded by his electrical repair
equipment and worn out appliances, his opposing source
of electricity gone.

As always, Clyde Simon’s direction is on course. 
There is no major problem with the production.  His
actors each develop a consistent characterization.  
The play is properly paced.

Jim Smith’s set design works well.  No credit is given
in the program for who collected the overwhelming
number of electrical appliances and gadgets.  The
masses of Apple IIE computers, burned out toasters and
out-dated vacuum cleaners would make a junk collector
drool.

Those of you who are regular readers of my reviews
know that I often find myself in an intellectual
battle with convergence-continuum’s Artistic Director
Clyde Simon over his play selections.  He often picks
scripts that I find obtuse, more flash than substance,
more affect than effect, such offerings as Mac
Wellman’s ‘7 BL*WJ*BS’ and “SINCERELY YOURS.’   On the
other hand, he also picks what I would consider
wonders like “HOT N THROBBING” and “QUILLS.”   Okay,
he wants to choose scripts that others in the area are
afraid to select because of box office appeal and
that’s good.  But to pick abstraction for the sake of
abstraction baffles me; but, it’s his theatre and his
financial investment so he can do what he wants.   I
just hope that the niche audience he is aiming at
continues to buy tickets as it would be a shame for
the area not to have a “different” type of theatre.

Capsule Judgment:  Daniel Therriault’s ‘BATTERY’
doesn’t say much to me.  I was neither entertained nor
repulsed, neither elated nor bored, neither
electrified nor short circuited.  Whether you will
like the play depend on your tolerance for the over
extended metaphor and the Twilight Zone-like subject
matter.

‘BATTERY’ runs at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays through May 21 at convergence-continuum’s
artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438 Scranton Rd. in
Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.  Tickets are $12
general admission and $9 for students and seniors. For
information and reservations call 216-687-0074.
Seating for this production will be limited to about
50.



Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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