[NEohioPAL]Berko review: SHORN (Dobama)

[Roy Berko]

JULIETTE REGNIER showcases talents in ‘SHORN’ at
Dobama

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

Juliette Regnier readily admitted during the
after-show discussion of ‘SHORN,’ now being performed
at Dobama Theatre, that she is an actress, not a
playwright.  In spite of this, Regnier has penned
what, for lack of a better description, is a
performance piece entitled ‘SHORN.’

‘SHORN’ brings to life the stories of three French
women, who had sex with Nazis during World War II.  
Much like Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘THE
SCARLET LETTER,’ who was branded with wearing the
scarlet “A” to identify her as an adulterer, these
“collaborators” had their heads shaved and were
marched through the streets as models of shame.

It mattered little that one was truly in love with the
young German, another needed food and the third plied
her trade as a prostitute and it would not have
mattered what nationality her sex partner was. 

‘SHORN,’ according to Regnier “looks at women as
‘collateral damage’ during war time through the lens
of French women accused of being ‘complicit’ with the
Nazis.  She has obviously achieved this, at least in
the eyes of the women who responded during the play’s
after discussion.

In spite of what I consider to be a very compelling
bit of acting, I have some problems with Regnier’s
piece of work.

The first is the piece’s format.  ‘SHORN’ starts and
stops with several interludes.  The pieces don’t
really flow together.  The use of a mime/clown to make
bridges isn’t clearly defined.  Most of the time the
clown appears to be exactly what it is, a theatrical
bridging device to loosely hold the parts together. 
If Regnier is going to go further with this piece, she
needs to more completely develop why a clown was
chosen and what the purpose of that figure is.  As is,
it’s just gimmick for the sake of gimmick.

In addition, it would seem to serve Regnier’s message
better if she stressed her self inscribed purpose of,
“And suddenly I was faced with the non-judgmental
question of just how would a woman/I respond during
the war?”  Maybe her “clown” might challenge the
audience with that question, thus developing the
theme.

And, I did not find the woman clearly etched.  Each
should be more clearly fleshed out so that their
underlying motives and their reasoning for their
actions would  clearer.

Capsule judgment:  ‘SHORN,’ which is getting its world
premiere at Dobama is an interesting evening of
theatre, one that is thought provoking.  Yet, because
of its flawed script, ‘SHORN’ leaves one wishing for a
more complete experience.

‘SHORN’ runs through March 4 at Dobama’s temporary
home on Shaker Square several store fronts away from
the Shaker Square Cinema.  For tickets call 216-932
3396.

Dobama will be presenting FIRST MONDAYS, a series of
play readings at the Heights Arts at the Library, 2340
Lee Road.  The first reading will be ‘THE HODGEPODGE’
with Dorothy and Reuben Silver at 7 pm on March 5. 
For $5 tickets call 216-932-3396.

PREVIEW
Notre Dame College Theater and Choir presents "SEASONS
OF LOVE: A  BROADWAY 
SCRAP BOOK" at no charge in the Notre Dame Performing
Arts Center on March 23, 24, and 25.    It’s an
evening with Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Rodgers &
Hammerstein, Andrew  Lloyd  Webber, Leonard Bernstein
and Stephen Sondheim.  
The college is located at 4545 College Drive, off
Green Road just North of Cedar. For more information,
contact: Peter Manos at (216) 381-1680.


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly 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.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


 
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