[NEohioPAL]ABJ Loves Bang and Clatter's CLOSER

Tue Jan 31 10:09:18 PST 2006

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Talented cast gets `Closer' to laughsAkron play features more dark comed=
y than gloomy 2004 filmBy Kerry ClawsonBeacon Journal staff writerThe drama Closer is a brutally honest exploration o=
f the ugliness that can permeate adult relationships.
It's British playwright Patrick Marber's second play, which premiered in=
 London in 1997. Marber adapted Closer into the 2004 screenplay that sta=
rred Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.
In this story, that which is ugly also has a sense of ironic humor.
At the Bang and the Clatter Theatre Company in downtown Akron, Director =
Sean McConaha and his talented cast successfully mine the bitter humor t=
hat Marber infuses into his play. The Akron stage premiere -- billed as =
a dark comedy -- has more laughs than the morose movie, which didn't tak=
e the humorous route.
Closer isn't a brilliant piece of literature. But it does capture in an =
astonishingly accurate manner the ways in which lovers are driven by jea=
lousy, selfishness, deceit and simple libido.
The story follows four years of messy relationships, with two couples sw=
itching partners back and forth. Set designer Sean Derry has created a s=
lick turntable set that reflects the revolving door of these couplings.
This show is adults-only fare, with lewd language and sexually oriented =
content. None of it is gratuitous, through. Through this relationship tu=
rmoil, Marber also illuminates themes of death and solitude.
Larry, Dan, Alice and Anna are each emotionally stunted. They try to get=
 ``closer,'' but they're entirely self-absorbed, throwing the word ``lov=
e'' around without understanding what it means.
Marber creates a clever parallel in which author Dan writes an ``accurat=
e'' novel about love and sex, just as Marber's play strives to do.
What is the playwright trying to tell us about modern-day relationships?=
 His is a sad commentary on how selfish many lovers are.
At the same time, Marber has some wicked insight into the human conditio=
n. He sees how lovers are driven by various compulsions, including the s=
ick need to know all the nasty details when we've been wronged in love.
Actress Celeste Cosentino has a wide-eyed girlishness as young Alice, sh=
owing at the same time how Alice cunningly toys with people. Alicia Rodi=
s plays rival Anna on a consistently serious note. Actor Derry -- who ha=
s often played the bad boy in the past -- displays his breadth in the ro=
le of sensitive, insecure obituary writer Dan. But what's up with his ul=
tra-messy hair?
Mark Mayo steals the show as the misogynist Larry, a dermatologist who c=
onfuses ownership with love. Larry's honest enough to admit he's a cavem=
an.
Mayo is a hoot in a scene where Dan plays a computer prank on him in a l=
ive sex chat room. The script here has no spoken words, but Mayo's react=
ions to the raw e-mail he receives (displayed on two overhead screens vi=
a Powerpoint) are priceless.
For its season opener, the Bang and the Clatter has gone with a high-tec=
h show, featuring visual projections that inform the play's various sett=
ings. Local artist Laura Bidwell has created the visuals, staging a numb=
er of the photographic shots in her home and also featuring portraits by=
 local artist Andrew McAllister.
Closer's opening was delayed a week to allow for more time to synchroniz=
e the show's technical elements. This thoughtfully presented show is wor=
th the wait.
Director McConaha creates interesting parallel staging in a number of sc=
enes. In a dual breakup scene, arguments move from one side of the stage=
 to the other as the couples fight in their respective apartments.
The only weak moments occur between Cosentino and and Derry during their=
 characters' breakup. Cosentino's words ring hollow here because her Ali=
ce shows no trace of broken-hearted desperation.
Alternately, Mayo and Rodis present a most emotionally vicious display o=
f their characters' breakup. In an innovative stroke, McConaha has Derry=
's remorseful Dan walking right through the other couple's heated argume=
nt -- tangled up in their love triangle.
Marber, through the Dan-Alice coupling especially, makes one think about=
 how arbitrary desire can be.
``Desire, like the world, is an accident. We live as we dream, ALONE,'' =
one of his characters sadly muses.
Ironically, Alice -- the youngest character -- has the greatest wisdom i=
n this story: She declares that both love and selfishness are choices.

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<html><H1>Talented cast gets `Closer' to laughs</H1>
<H2>Akron play features more dark comedy than gloomy 2004 film</H2>
<H5>By Kerry Clawson</H5>
<H6>Beacon Journal staff writer</H6><!-- begin body-content -->
<P>The drama <I>Closer </I>is a brutally honest exploration of the uglin=
ess that can permeate adult relationships.</P>
<P>It's British playwright Patrick Marber's second play, which premiered=
 in London in 1997. Marber adapted <I>Closer </I>into the 2004 screenpla=
y that starred Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.<=
/P>
<P>In this story, that which is ugly also has a sense of ironic humor.</=
P>
<P>At the Bang and the Clatter Theatre Company in downtown Akron, Direct=
or Sean McConaha and his talented cast successfully mine the bitter humo=
r that Marber infuses into his play. The Akron stage premiere -- billed =
as a dark comedy -- has more laughs than the morose movie, which didn't =
take the humorous route.</P>
<P><I>Closer </I>isn't a brilliant piece of literature. But it does capt=
ure in an astonishingly accurate manner the ways in which lovers are dri=
ven by jealousy, selfishness, deceit and simple libido.</P>
<P>The story follows four years of messy relationships, with two couples=
 switching partners back and forth. Set designer Sean Derry has created =
a slick turntable set that reflects the revolving door of these coupling=
s.</P>
<P>This show is adults-only fare, with lewd language and sexually orient=
ed content. None of it is gratuitous, through. Through this relationship=
 turmoil, Marber also illuminates themes of death and solitude.</P>
<P>Larry, Dan, Alice and Anna are each emotionally stunted. They try to =
get ``closer,'' but they're entirely self-absorbed, throwing the word ``=
love'' around without understanding what it means.</P>
<P>Marber creates a clever parallel in which author Dan writes an ``accu=
rate'' novel about love and sex, just as Marber's play strives to do.</P=
>
<P>What is the playwright trying to tell us about modern-day relationshi=
ps? His is a sad commentary on how selfish many lovers are.</P>
<P>At the same time, Marber has some wicked insight into the human condi=
tion. He sees how lovers are driven by various compulsions, including th=
e sick need to know all the nasty details when we've been wronged in lov=
e.</P>
<P>Actress Celeste Cosentino has a wide-eyed girlishness as young Alice,=
 showing at the same time how Alice cunningly toys with people. Alicia R=
odis plays rival Anna on a consistently serious note. Actor Derry -- who=
 has often played the bad boy in the past -- displays his breadth in the=
 role of sensitive, insecure obituary writer Dan. But what's up with his=
 ultra-messy hair?</P>
<P>Mark Mayo steals the show as the misogynist Larry, a dermatologist wh=
o confuses ownership with love. Larry's honest enough to admit he's a ca=
veman.</P>
<P>Mayo is a hoot in a scene where Dan plays a computer prank on him in =
a live sex chat room. The script here has no spoken words, but Mayo's re=
actions to the raw e-mail he receives (displayed on two overhead screens=
 via Powerpoint) are priceless.</P>
<P>For its season opener, the Bang and the Clatter has gone with a high-=
tech show, featuring visual projections that inform the play's various s=
ettings. Local artist Laura Bidwell has created the visuals, staging a n=
umber of the photographic shots in her home and also featuring portraits=
 by local artist Andrew McAllister.</P>
<P><I>Closer's </I>opening was delayed a week to allow for more time to =
synchronize the show's technical elements. This thoughtfully presented s=
how is worth the wait.</P>
<P>Director McConaha creates interesting parallel staging in a number of=
 scenes. In a dual breakup scene, arguments move from one side of the st=
age to the other as the couples fight in their respective apartments.</P=
>
<P>The only weak moments occur between Cosentino and and Derry during th=
eir characters' breakup. Cosentino's words ring hollow here because her =
Alice shows no trace of broken-hearted desperation.</P>
<P>Alternately, Mayo and Rodis present a most emotionally vicious displa=
y of their characters' breakup. In an innovative stroke, McConaha has De=
rry's remorseful Dan walking right through the other couple's heated arg=
ument -- tangled up in their love triangle.</P>
<P>Marber, through the Dan-Alice coupling especially, makes one think ab=
out how arbitrary desire can be.</P>
<P>``Desire, like the world, is an accident. We live as we dream, ALONE,=
'' one of his characters sadly muses.</P>
<P>Ironically, Alice -- the youngest character -- has the greatest wisdo=
m in this story: She declares that both love and selfishness are choices=
.</P></html>

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