[NEohioPAL]YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (GLTF)/CLIFFORD THE RED DOG PREVIEW

[Roy Berko]

‘YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU’ SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTS AT
GLTF; ‘CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG’

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

I’ve had a personal love affair with the play, ‘YOU
CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU’ since high school, when it was
presented as my senior class production.   I found it
then and now both delightful and insightful.

Since it opened in 1936 to universal raves, including
being granted that year’s Pulitzer Prize, it has
become one of the most produced American plays. 
Unfortunately, due to its massive cast-size, it is
most often done in amateur settings, such as high
schools and community theatres where concern about how
to pay the cast is not an issue.  Therefore, it was
with great anticipation that I looked forward to Great
Lakes Theatre Festival’s professional production.

Unfortunately, the Thursday night I saw the
production, the presentation was lethargic.  The
timing and the pacing were off.  It lacked the spark,
the enthusiasm, the zaniness that makes for good
comic-farce.  Most surprising is that GLTF, since
Charles Fee became its Artistic Director, has made
zany out of plays that shouldn’t have been.  So, why
did director Drew Barr’s production not enthrall me?  

Theatre is ephemeral.   The very fact that it is live
makes it fleeting.  One night’s production may not be
the same as another.  The mood of the cast members,
the varying reactions and size of audience, even the
weather,  can affect the timing and the concentration.
 I am going to give GLTF the benefit of the doubt and
assume that on another night, when they haven’t had a
couple of day’s lay-off and the play was on a roll, it
probably would have been a better production. 
However, I have to critique the production I saw, and,
unfortunately, that one was lacking.  Not bad, just
lacking.

‘YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU’ was the third
collaboration by the most important 1930s
comedic/political playwrights, George S. Kaufman and
Moss Hart.  Its stage success resulted in a 1938 film 
which won an Academy Award for best picture.

The play relates the humorous encounter between the
Kirbys a conservative upper class family and the
eccentric household of Grandpa Martin Vanderhof.  
Grandpa's collection of idiosyncratic individualists
amuse with their energetic physical antics and inspire
with their wholehearted pursuit of happiness.  The
play requires a stage full of chaotic activity from
beginning to end.   One character continually dances
around the stage, the maid’s boy friend charges in and
out of the house at will.  Another “guest” hates
everything as he rants against the Soviets. 
Government agents enter and leave on various quests. 
A woman writes plays because a typewriter was
accidentally delivered years ago.   A fireworks
manufacturing plant in the house’s basement explodes. 
Cookies packed in boxes with anti-government slogans
are produced.  And, in the midst of this chaos,
Grandpa, who many years ago just got up and walked out
of his successful business because he wasn’t having
“any fun,” spends his life looking at his stamp
collection, ignoring income tax bills, going to
commencement speeches and generally enjoying life.  

This is a play of witty one-liners and visual
theatricalism, is a perfect example of the
well-constructed play.  And, although it  is
undeniably escapist theater which prompts immediate
enjoyment, it brings up strong questions of what’s the
best way to live and what should be the role of the
government in people’s lives.

GLTF’s production is housed in a beautifully designed
set by Gage Williams.  The huge stained-glass windowed
room is filled with a garage sale shopper’s dream of
odds and ends.   The curtain rose to an ovation for
the set.

There are many positive aspects to the production. 
Times Tribute winner Wayne Turney  was born to play
Martin Vanderhof.  He gives a low-key performance in
which every twinkle in his eye adds to the merriment. 
 He places himself clearly in the center of the wheel
on which the rest of the cast should be supportive
spokes.  

Another Times Tribute winner, Andrew May, is given
full reign to produce maniacal and hysterical rage. 
His Boris is what the rest of the cast should attempt
to be....a farcical instrument who keys in on the
character and plays it for all he can.  It’s worth
seeing the production to watch May do a full body
attack on stuff-shirt Dudley Swetland in a
hysterically funny wrestling scene.   Nina Domningue’s
Rheba is also on key.  Meg Chamberlain is a hoot as
the drunken actress who spends most of one act lying
under a blanket on the floor and the rest on her back
with open-legs straddling a piano bench.  Dudley
Swetland (Mr. Kirby) is fine when he pontificates.

On the other hand, some of the other actors simply
don’t infuse the right tone in their characters.  Lynn
Allison doesn’t have the necessary ditsy quality
needed for Penelope.   George Roth, as her husband,
and Marc Moritz as their son-in-law, walk through
their roles without establishing any definable
characterizations.  Kathryn Chrasaro spends so much
time concentrating on her faux dancing that she
forgets to make meaning of her lines.  Anne McEvoy
(Mrs. Kirby) isn’t upper class matronly enough as the
intended mother-in-law.  Elizabeth Davis (Alice) 
fails to develop the charming characterization needed
for the young female love interest.  There seems to be
little love-magic between her and Jeff Cribbs, who
plays Tony.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Maybe my expectations were too
high but I found the production of GLTF’s ‘YOU CAN’T
TAKE IT WITH YOU’ lethargic, missing the needed finite
characterizations to make this wonderful play
delightful and insightful.   Maybe I just saw it on an
off night.

‘THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR’ and ‘YOU CAN’T TAKE IT
WITH YOU’ are running in tandem through September . 
For tickets to any GLTF production call 216 241-6000
or 800-766-6048.

EDUCATORS:  GLTF has prepared an excellent Teacher
Preparation Guide for aiding students to understand
and enjoy ‘THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR’ and ‘YOU CAN’T
TAKE IT WITH YOU.’  Call GLTF to obtain your copy.

IAN TO REVIEW ‘CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG’

For more than 40 years, Scholastic's CLIFFORD THE BIG
RED DOG’ has charmed and amazed children with his
engaging adventures and "Big Ideas."  Now, kids will
have a whole new way to experience the crimson canine
with ‘CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG’ LIVE!   Featuring a
brand new story, the production brings the well-loved
characters from Birdwell Island to the Palace Theatre
in Cleveland’s Play House Square from September 23-25.
 This should be a  fun-filled spectacle for the whole
family. With memorable songs and the characters kids
love, ‘Clifford The Big Red Dog LIVE!’ is sure to be a
"pup"ular hit!

For tickets contact the Playhouse Square box office at
 216-241-6000, 800-766-6048 or go on line to
www.playhousesquare.com. 

Sidenote:  As I’ve done in the past with shows that
are kid-friendly I’m going to ask one of my grandsons,
in this case 5-year old Ian, to be my critical eyes
for this production.  Watch for the play’s review.


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.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com