[NEohioPAL]Great Review of SHAME THE DEVIL - Final Performances

[Thackaberr at aol.com]

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=20
Actors=E2=80=99 Summit stages =E2=80=98Shame the  Devil=E2=80=99
By David Ritchey =20
HUDSON =E2=80=94 Actors=E2=80=99 Summit Theater=E2=80=99s  most recent produ=
ction, =E2=80=9CShame the=20
Devil: An Audience With Fanny Kemble,=E2=80=9D takes  an insider=E2=80=99s l=
ook at the realities=20
of slavery. =20
Fanny Kemble (1806-1893), one of  the leading actresses of the 19th century,=
=20
found success on the English and the  American stages. She was a member of t=
he=20
theatrical family that included the  Kembles and her aunt, Sarah Siddons,=20
considered by critics as the greatest  tragic actress of her time. She held=20=
her=20
place in that family as one of its  outstanding theatrical lights. Kemble wa=
s=20
unique on the stage because of her  ability to succeed both in comedy and=20
tragedy. =20
In 1834, while performing in  Philadelphia, she met Pierce Butler, a wealthy=
=20
bachelor who inherited two  plantations in Georgia. Kemble retired from the=20
stage to become the first lady  of a plantation. There, she kept a journal,=20
which later was published as  =E2=80=9CJournal of a Residence on a Georgian=20=
Plantation in=20
1838-1839.=E2=80=9D In this journal,  Kemble describes the conditions of her=
 husband=E2=80=99
s slaves, including the  mistreatment of slaves, the lack of medical care an=
d=20
the sexual abuse of the  female slaves by the white overseers. This journal=20
was important in the slavery  discussion in the United States and provided=20
additional support for the movement  to free the slaves. =20
Anne Ludlum (playwright) adapted  Kemble=E2=80=99s journal into the play=20=
=E2=80=9CShame the=20
Devil: An Audience With Fanny Kemble.=E2=80=9D  The title comes from an Amer=
ican=20
colloquialism: =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99ll tell the truth and shame  the devil.=
=E2=80=9D The setting of the play=20
is in Kemble=E2=80=99s home immediately after she  presented a reading in Ne=
w York of=20
=E2=80=9CRomeo and Juliet.=E2=80=9D She has invited a few  friends to her ho=
me to await the=20
reviews. The audience represents those friends. =20
MaryJo Alexander (Kemble) has  performed in many roles at Actors=E2=80=99 Su=
mmit and=20
finally has a role that reveals  what a gifted actress she is. Alexander, of=
=20
course, plays Kemble, but she also  plays some of the other people who live=20=
on=20
the plantation, including men and  women, free and slave. In addition, the=20
playwright has Kemble illustrate some of  her stories with passages from pla=
ys by=20
William Shakespeare. Alexander=E2=80=99s voice  soars (as did Kemble=E2=80=
=99s voice), but=20
she seems to reach the low notes with great  ease, too. =20
The script is based on =E2=80=9CJournal of  a Residence on a Georgian Planta=
tion in=20
1838-1839=E2=80=9D and, therefore, the focus is  on Kemble=E2=80=99s life on=
 a plantation. She=20
provides enough background for the  audience to understand who she was befor=
e=20
she moved to Georgia and that  exposition explains what happens to her after=
=20
she left the plantation and her  divorce from Pierce. =20
This is a tough role for any actor.  Alexander took the stage and held the=20
audience spellbound for 90 minutes without  an intermission. The audience di=
dn=E2=80=99t=20
shuffle or move about. Everyone was locked  into the fascinating story she=20
told. Alexander captured her audience and didn=E2=80=99t  let us go until sh=
e recited=20
the final lines from =E2=80=9CThe Tempest.=E2=80=9D =20
=E2=80=9CShame the Devil=E2=80=9D will continue  through Jan. 29. Alexander=
=E2=80=99s performance is=20
one we=E2=80=99ll talk about for a long  time. You don=E2=80=99t want to mis=
s this show. For=20
ticket information, call (330)  324-0800. =20
David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of =20
communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American  T=
heatre=20
Critics Association.=20

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<BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
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<DIV>
<H2 style=3D"MARGIN: auto 0in"><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Actors=E2=80=99 Summit stages=
 =E2=80=98Shame the=20
Devil=E2=80=99<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H2>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext40><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">By David Ritchey=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext19><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">HUDSON =E2=80=94 Actors=E2=
=80=99 Summit Theater=E2=80=99s=20
most recent production, =E2=80=9CShame the Devil: An Audience With Fanny Kem=
ble,=E2=80=9D takes=20
an insider=E2=80=99s look at the realities of slavery. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext19><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Fanny Kemble (1806-1893), one=
 of=20
the leading actresses of the 19th century, found success on the English and=20=
the=20
American stages. She was a member of the theatrical family that included the=
=20
Kembles and her aunt, Sarah Siddons, considered by critics as the greatest=20
tragic actress of her time. She held her place in that family as one of its=20
outstanding theatrical lights. Kemble was unique on the stage because of her=
=20
ability to succeed both in comedy and tragedy. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext19><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">In 1834, while performing in=20
Philadelphia, she met Pierce Butler, a wealthy bachelor who inherited two=20
plantations in Georgia. Kemble retired from the stage to become the first la=
dy=20
of a plantation. There, she kept a journal, which later was published as=20
=E2=80=9CJournal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839.=E2=
=80=9D In this journal,=20
Kemble describes the conditions of her husband=E2=80=99s slaves, including t=
he=20
mistreatment of slaves, the lack of medical care and the sexual abuse of the=
=20
female slaves by the white overseers. This journal was important in the slav=
ery=20
discussion in the United States and provided additional support for the move=
ment=20
to free the slaves.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P=
>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext68><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">Anne Ludlum (playwright) adap=
ted=20
Kemble=E2=80=99s journal into the play =E2=80=9CShame the Devil: An Audience=
 With Fanny Kemble.=E2=80=9D=20
The title comes from an American colloquialism: =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99ll tell t=
he truth and shame=20
the devil.=E2=80=9D The setting of the play is in Kemble=E2=80=99s home imme=
diately after she=20
presented a reading in New York of =E2=80=9CRomeo and Juliet.=E2=80=9D She h=
as invited a few=20
friends to her home to await the reviews. The audience represents those frie=
nds.=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext68><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">MaryJo Alexander (Kemble) has=
=20
performed in many roles at Actors=E2=80=99 Summit and finally has a role tha=
t reveals=20
what a gifted actress she is. Alexander, of course, plays Kemble, but she al=
so=20
plays some of the other people who live on the plantation, including men and=
=20
women, free and slave. In addition, the playwright has Kemble illustrate som=
e of=20
her stories with passages from plays by William Shakespeare. Alexander=E2=
=80=99s voice=20
soars (as did Kemble=E2=80=99s voice), but she seems to reach the low notes=20=
with great=20
ease, too. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext68><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">The script is based on =E2=
=80=9CJournal of=20
a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839=E2=80=9D and, therefore, t=
he focus is=20
on Kemble=E2=80=99s life on a plantation. She provides enough background for=
 the=20
audience to understand who she was before she moved to Georgia and that=20
exposition explains what happens to her after she left the plantation and he=
r=20
divorce from Pierce. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext68><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">This is a tough role for any=20=
actor.=20
Alexander took the stage and held the audience spellbound for 90 minutes wit=
hout=20
an intermission. The audience didn=E2=80=99t shuffle or move about. Everyone=
 was locked=20
into the fascinating story she told. Alexander captured her audience and did=
n=E2=80=99t=20
let us go until she recited the final lines from =E2=80=9CThe Tempest.=E2=
=80=9D=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext68><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">=E2=80=9CShame the Devil=E2=
=80=9D will continue=20
through Jan. 29. Alexander=E2=80=99s performance is one we=E2=80=99ll talk a=
bout for a long=20
time. You don=E2=80=99t want to miss this show. For ticket information, call=
 (330)=20
324-0800. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p><FONT=20
size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext66><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"=
><FONT=20
size=3D3>David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of=20
communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American=20
Theatre Critics Association. </FONT></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV><=
/FONT></BODY></HTML>

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