[NEohioPAL]Berko review: THE MAGIC FIRE (Ensemble)

[Roy Berko]

‘THE MAGIC FIRE’ burns out at Ensemble

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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‘THE MAGIC FIRE,’ which is now in production at
Ensemble Theatre, is a semi-autobiographical saga by
actress and playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag.  It
centers on the life of her immigrant relatives (both
the Italian and the assimilated Jews from Austria) who
have moved to Argentina to escape the Nazi onslaught
in Europe.  The play itself takes place in Buenos
Aires in June and July of 1952, during the reign of
Juan and Eva Peron.  

The family had perceived Argentina as a land of hope,
freedom and unbridled entrepreneurship. 
Unfortunately, the rise of Peron, much like the rise
to power of Hitler and Mussolini, destroyed that
illusion.

The family tries to insulate itself from reality by
turning to the arts.  They discuss opera, classical
music and drama.  They listen constantly to the
waltzes of Johann Strauss and soaring arias of
Giuseppe Verdi.  In spite of blocking out the sounds
and sights around them, reality eventually hits home. 


Beyond the family’s protective cocoon, Eva Perón,
referred to by family members as “that woman,” lies
dying, and police sirens disrupt the night and
innocents are dragged away, never to be heard from
again.  The family is spared because of the protection
of their neighbor, General Fortannes, who is a
high-ranking member of the Peron regime.

The play, which examines family ties and the effect of
politics on the individual, asks whether art and
culture are necessarily opposed to political struggle?
 Eventually, we see that “art separated from life
withers and dies, or enters the sterile service of the
elite.”
 
The script is overlong and riddled with clichés and
abstract musical illusions.   Only in a fast-paced and
well-envisioned creation will the audience be
captivated.  Unfortunately, the Ensemble production is
 plodding and poorly conceived by director Licia
Colombi.  It is almost painful to watch the quality
actors in the cast struggle to keep their heads above
water due to poor blocking, lack of clear character
development and misplaced accents which come and go or
are never there.  No one seems to completely
understand what’s going on.  There’s a lot of emoting,
with little underlying meaning coming through.

All is not lost.  Lee Mackey, one of the dowager
empresses of Cleveland theatre, is delightful as the
old Italian grandmother who insists that she was
kidnapped by her husband (spit, spit) and brought to
this country where “even the cows are too big.”  She
keys many of the play’s laughs.

Tween-aged Sarah DiGirolamo,  gives the right tone to
Young Lise, whose acid tongue and incessant questions
(e.g., “What’s a foreskin?”) is a perfect metaphor for
youthful naïveté.  (She alternates with Camille
Rekhson in the role.)

Annie Kitral, as the frustrated old maid Paula, has
some wonderful moments.  

The rest of the cast tries hard, but never quite hits
the right pace or allows the audience to feel the
feelings of the people they are portraying. 

Capsule judgement:  ‘THE MAGIC FIRE’ is not an easy
sit.  Between the talkiness of the script and the lack
of concept by the director, there is little to grab
and hold attention. The magic is missing. The fire
doesn’t burn.  

Ensemble’s ‘THE MAGIC FIRE’ continues at the Cleveland
Play House though September 23.  For tickets call
216-321-2930 or go on-line to
www.ensemble-theatre.com.

Ensemble’s next show will be William Inge’s ‘A LOSS OF
ROSES’ from November 9-25.


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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