[NEohioPAL]RE: Beko review: FROZEN (Beck Center)

[Rick Duke]

--_998d8b4e-c9e5-4717-9c6e-be97b2c0656b_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


I had the pleasure of seeing Frozen at the Beck Center for the Arts last ev=
ening and I agree with just about everything Mr. Beko says. The cast was ex=
cellent, as were the set and costuming. The script was indeed thought-provo=
king and, to tell you the truth, I had a few nightmares last night!Where I =
must disagree with Mr. Beko is his review of Liz Conway's performance. As a=
 former (community theater) actor, I could tell what a thankless role it wa=
s, loaded with exposition and poorly written transitions (the playwright's =
fault, not the actor's). Nonetheless, Ms. Conway dove into the role with he=
r usual passion, commitment and honesty. She is one of the four or five act=
ors in town whose performances my partner and I never miss.I am not a crisi=
s counselor so I cannot attest to the verisimilitude of the opening scene, =
but I can tell you my partner and the folks sitting in front of us sure bel=
ieved her. I am, however, a junior high English teacher and the teacher in =
me wants Mr. Beko to know the word he should use is "immersion", not "emers=
ion".In any case, vive le difference (of opinions!) and thanks to Mr. Stern=
feld for providing this forum wherein we can all throw our two cents.Warm r=
egards,Rick> From: royberko at yahoo.com> To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.co=
m> Subject: [NEohioPAL]Beko review: FROZEN (Beck Center)> > =91FROZEN=92 at=
 BECK is thought provoking, though talky> > Roy Berko> (Member, American Th=
eatre Critics Association)> > --THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--> Lorain County Times=
--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News> Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times > > In rece=
nt years the Beck Center has become known for> its quality productions and =
thought provoking script> selections. =91FROZEN=92 by Bryony Lavery is anot=
her one> of those stagings. > > As with the company=92s recent =91EQUUS=94 =
and =91PASSION,=92 > =91FROZEN=92 explores a psychological theme. In this> =
case, the play asks, =93Is it possible to forgive that> which seems unforgi=
vable -- the abduction, presumed> sexual assault, and murder of one's child=
? And if so,> what effect could that forgiveness have on the mother> as wel=
l as the killer?=94> > Lavery explores the subject through a series of> mee=
tings which take place 25 years after the crime> between the mother, the pe=
dophilic killer, and a> psychiatrist. > > '=92FROZEN=92 was a hit in London=
 and then New York,> though the Big Apple production only played 128> regul=
ar productions. And, despite its difficult> subject matter, it's the fourth=
-most-produced play in> the country in the 2005-06 season.> > Swoozie Kurtz=
, who played the role of the mother in> the off-Broadway and Broadway produ=
ctions states of> the script, "When I first read this play last summer,> it=
 knocked the wind out of me. I can't imagine what> it is to watch it. I've =
never been in a play that> people say the kind of things they say about thi=
s one.> It gets inside people's hearts and won't let go. I> mean, this woma=
n has survived 20 years of darkness and> grief, navigating her way past the=
 land mines.=94 > > The play, besides the subject matter, is not without> c=
ontroversy. Bryony Lavery, the script=92s author, has> been accused of plag=
iarism by criminal psychiatrist,> Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis and writer, Malco=
lm Gladwell> who said that they have found at least "a dozen> instances of =
word-for-word plagiarism in the play, as> well as thematic and biographical=
 similarities to a> 1997 New Yorker profile of Dr. Lewis and a 1998 book> b=
y Dr. Lewis.=94 To date, there has been no resolution> to the case.> > Beck=
=92s production, under the wise direction of Sarah> May, has an excellent c=
ast. Derdriu Ring as the> mother (Nancy) wisely walks a tight rope of despa=
ir> and depression. She does so with controlled emotions,> psychiatric nonv=
erbal reactions and total involvement> in the character. This is a tour-de-=
force> performance.> > Jason Markouc is obsessive as Ralph, the pedophile. =
> He is down-right scary in his complete emersion into> the role. It is imp=
ossible to separate Markouc from> Ralph. > > Liz Conway does not fare as we=
ll as Ring and Markouc. > Her psychiatrist is often unbelievable. Her openi=
ng> scene, when she has a panic attack, is overacted and> unrealistic (side=
 note: as a crisis counselor, I know> about panic attacks). She often shout=
s or goes into> speeches with no transitions. It is hard to accept> her as =
a credible psychiatrist.> > Don McBride=92s glacier/tundra setting is chill=
ing. It> develops the script=92s theme of being psychologically> frozen, of=
ten below our level of awareness, in subtle,> yet obvious ways. > > Jennive=
r Sparano=92s costume choices are right on. This> is especially true of Rin=
g=92s frumpy English up-tight> early dresses, which morph into brighter col=
ors as the> character reaches outside her traditional self.> > Audiences sh=
ould be aware that there is harsh language> and the subject matter will ups=
et some. > > CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Though a little talky, and> sometimes feeli=
ng overly long, =91FROZEN=92 is a> thought-provoking script which is given =
an intelligent> production at Beck.> > =91FROZEN=92 runs through June 24 at=
 The Beck Center for> the Arts in Lakewood. For ticket information call> 21=
6-521-2540.> > > Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews=
 from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications informa=
tion, can be found at http://royberko.info> > Roy's theatre and dance revie=
ws appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source. To subscribe to this f=
ree service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/ma=
ilman/listinfo/neohiopal. His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com=
=20
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail to go? Get your Hotmail, news, sports and much more! Check out the =
New MSN Mobile!=20
http://mobile.msn.com=

--_998d8b4e-c9e5-4717-9c6e-be97b2c0656b_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html>
<head>
<style>
P
{
margin:0px;
padding:0px
}
body
{
FONT-SIZE: 10pt;
FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<BR>I had the pleasure of seeing Frozen at the Beck Center for the Arts las=
t evening and I agree with just about everything Mr. Beko says. The cast wa=
s excellent, as were the set and costuming. The script was indeed thought-p=
rovoking and, to tell you the truth, I had a few nightmares last night!<BR>=
<BR>Where I must disagree with Mr. Beko is his review of Liz Conway's perfo=
rmance. As a former (community theater) actor, I could tell what a thankles=
s role it was, loaded with exposition and poorly written transitions (the p=
laywright's fault, not the actor's). Nonetheless, Ms. Conway dove into the =
role with her usual passion, commitment and honesty. She is one of the four=
 or five actors in town whose performances my partner and I never miss.<BR>=
<BR>I am not a crisis counselor so I cannot attest to the verisimilitude of=
 the opening scene, but I can tell you my partner and the folks sitting in =
front of us sure believed her. I am, however, a junior high English teacher=
 and the teacher in me wants Mr. Beko to know the word he should use is "im=
mersion", not "emersion".<BR><BR>In any case, vive le difference (of opinio=
ns!) and thanks to Mr. Sternfeld for providing this forum wherein we can al=
l throw our two cents.<BR><BR>Warm regards,<BR>Rick<BR><BR><BR>> From: r=
oyberko at yahoo.com<BR>> To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com<BR>> Sub=
ject: [NEohioPAL]Beko review: FROZEN (Beck Center)<BR>> <BR>> =91FROZ=
EN=92 at BECK is thought provoking, though talky<BR>> <BR>> Roy Berko=
<BR>> (Member, American Theatre Critics Association)<BR>> <BR>> --=
THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--<BR>> Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewo=
od News<BR>> Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times <BR>> <BR>> In recent y=
ears the Beck Center has become known for<BR>> its quality productions a=
nd thought provoking script<BR>> selections. =91FROZEN=92 by Bryony Lave=
ry is another one<BR>> of those stagings. <BR>> <BR>> As with the =
company=92s recent =91EQUUS=94 and =91PASSION,=92 <BR>> =91FROZEN=92 exp=
lores a psychological theme. In this<BR>> case, the play asks, =93Is it =
possible to forgive that<BR>> which seems unforgivable -- the abduction,=
 presumed<BR>> sexual assault, and murder of one's child? And if so,<BR>=
> what effect could that forgiveness have on the mother<BR>> as well =
as the killer?=94<BR>> <BR>> Lavery explores the subject through a se=
ries of<BR>> meetings which take place 25 years after the crime<BR>> =
between the mother, the pedophilic killer, and a<BR>> psychiatrist. <BR>=
> <BR>> '=92FROZEN=92 was a hit in London and then New York,<BR>> =
though the Big Apple production only played 128<BR>> regular productions=
. And, despite its difficult<BR>> subject matter, it's the fourth-most-p=
roduced play in<BR>> the country in the 2005-06 season.<BR>> <BR>>=
 Swoozie Kurtz, who played the role of the mother in<BR>> the off-Broadw=
ay and Broadway productions states of<BR>> the script, "When I first rea=
d this play last summer,<BR>> it knocked the wind out of me. I can't ima=
gine what<BR>> it is to watch it. I've never been in a play that<BR>>=
 people say the kind of things they say about this one.<BR>> It gets ins=
ide people's hearts and won't let go. I<BR>> mean, this woman has surviv=
ed 20 years of darkness and<BR>> grief, navigating her way past the land=
 mines.=94 <BR>> <BR>> The play, besides the subject matter, is not w=
ithout<BR>> controversy. Bryony Lavery, the script=92s author, has<BR>&g=
t; been accused of plagiarism by criminal psychiatrist,<BR>> Dr. Dorothy=
 Otnow Lewis and writer, Malcolm Gladwell<BR>> who said that they have f=
ound at least "a dozen<BR>> instances of word-for-word plagiarism in the=
 play, as<BR>> well as thematic and biographical similarities to a<BR>&g=
t; 1997 New Yorker profile of Dr. Lewis and a 1998 book<BR>> by Dr. Lewi=
s.=94 To date, there has been no resolution<BR>> to the case.<BR>> <B=
R>> Beck=92s production, under the wise direction of Sarah<BR>> May, =
has an excellent cast. Derdriu Ring as the<BR>> mother (Nancy) wisely wa=
lks a tight rope of despair<BR>> and depression. She does so with contro=
lled emotions,<BR>> psychiatric nonverbal reactions and total involvemen=
t<BR>> in the character. This is a tour-de-force<BR>> performance.<BR=
>> <BR>> Jason Markouc is obsessive as Ralph, the pedophile. <BR>>=
 He is down-right scary in his complete emersion into<BR>> the role. It =
is impossible to separate Markouc from<BR>> Ralph. <BR>> <BR>> Liz=
 Conway does not fare as well as Ring and Markouc. <BR>> Her psychiatris=
t is often unbelievable. Her opening<BR>> scene, when she has a panic at=
tack, is overacted and<BR>> unrealistic (side note: as a crisis counselo=
r, I know<BR>> about panic attacks). She often shouts or goes into<BR>&g=
t; speeches with no transitions. It is hard to accept<BR>> her as a cred=
ible psychiatrist.<BR>> <BR>> Don McBride=92s glacier/tundra setting =
is chilling. It<BR>> develops the script=92s theme of being psychologica=
lly<BR>> frozen, often below our level of awareness, in subtle,<BR>> =
yet obvious ways. <BR>> <BR>> Jenniver Sparano=92s costume choices ar=
e right on. This<BR>> is especially true of Ring=92s frumpy English up-t=
ight<BR>> early dresses, which morph into brighter colors as the<BR>>=
 character reaches outside her traditional self.<BR>> <BR>> Audiences=
 should be aware that there is harsh language<BR>> and the subject matte=
r will upset some. <BR>> <BR>> CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Though a little tal=
ky, and<BR>> sometimes feeling overly long, =91FROZEN=92 is a<BR>> th=
ought-provoking script which is given an intelligent<BR>> production at =
Beck.<BR>> <BR>> =91FROZEN=92 runs through June 24 at The Beck Center=
 for<BR>> the Arts in Lakewood. For ticket information call<BR>> 216-=
521-2540.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatr=
e and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and p=
ublications information, can be found at http://royberko.info<BR>> <BR>&=
gt; Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-li=
ne 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 <br /><hr />Hotmail to go? Get your Hotmai=
l, news, sports and much more!   <a href=3D'http://mobile.msn.com' target=
=3D'_new'>Check out the New MSN Mobile</a></body>
</html>=

--_998d8b4e-c9e5-4717-9c6e-be97b2c0656b_--