[NEohioPAL] Berko reviewe: PULP (Cleveland Public Theatre)--seen on 11/30

[Roy Berko]

‘PULP,’ a reliving of lesbian fiction of the 1950s,
gets a good production at CPT

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

--COOLCLEVELAND.COM--

‘PULP,’ now making its Ohio and regional debut at
Cleveland Public Theatre, is a parody of lurid lesbian
fiction of the 1950s which centered on the “love that
dare not speak its name.”   The script, which was
written by Patricia Kane, concentrates on the themes
of many of those fictions novels:  the outsider, the
tough broad, the siren and the hyper-sexuality of a
renegade sub-society, all of which take place in a
gritty urban setting.   

The play’s outsider is Terry Logan, a butch woman from
Texas, just discharged from the Women's Army Corps. 
On a train bound for Chicago during a hot summer in
1956, she meets Pepper who figures out that Terry is a
kindred spirit and invites her to The Well, a Chicago
(gritty urban setting) lesbian nightclub where she
works. The club, which features drag performances
(women dressing as men) is owned by Ms. Warren, the
ice princess (the siren).   Terry lets her libido draw
her initially to Eva (the hypersexual).  As a plot
developing device,  several other characters have
hidden or misguided loves, but by the time the lights
go out after 90-minutes of sexual innuendos, sexual
explicity, and sexual trysts, three couples have been
formed and, if fairy tale endings are your thing,
you’ll accept that they will live happily ever after.

An original score of period-sounding songs, with music
by Andre Pluess and Warren, are performed with various
degrees of proficiency as nightclub numbers. The score
sounds familiar, but careful listening will reveal,
like pulp novels, that the songs contain strong,
overly ripe lyrics.  Lyrics like, "Lips that taste of
tears lose their taste for kissing." 

The script, which is a combination of melodrama, farce
and musical review, lends itself to an over-the-top
production.  How can a play which repeats and repeats
and repeats the line, "I'm a lesbian plain and simple.
I don't make any bones about it," be done seriously?  

Fortunately, for those who will venture to CPT, 
director Scott Plate uses asides, over-exaggeration
and physical underscoring to accomplish the generally
well-done production.

Plate keeps the goings centered.  The laughs come from
the overdrawn characters and the way they are
over-played.  The cast, with the exception of Maggie
Arndt (Terry), are excellent.  Arndt is not macho
enough, not sure enough, not cocky enough to make us
believers. She has an underbelly of vulnerability that
is off-setting.  Her singing also leaves much to be
desired.

Sheffia Randall Dooley, the only Equity member of the
cast, and purely the audience favorite, overdoes the
role of Eva/Bing, with appealing certainty.  She
effectively wails her musical vocals.

Allison Garrigan as bar owner Viviane, develops a
clear and convincing character as the rigid appearing
ice princess. Her opening musical number sets the
right mood for what’s to come.

Kimberly Lauren Koljat is consummately sweet as the
bartender who befriends Terry.  Her crush on
Sarge/Winny, one of the drag entertainers who is also
an excellent marksman (hey, what did you expect, this
is a lesbian-centered script), is tenderly developed. 
Elizabeth Wood is convincing as Sarge/Winny.

Butch Marshall, the Music Director, plays one mean
piano to back up the cross-dressing devas.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   CPT’S ‘PULP’ takes an
appropriately contrived script, and makes it into a
well planned over-the-top production that generally
works well, in spite of a weakly portrayed linchpin
character.  Will non-lesbian audience members enjoy
the show?  The very conservative will not.  They will
probably be uncomfortable with all the same-sex
kissing and touching and sexual innuendos.  Those of
the more liberal ilk probably will appreciate the
cleverness for what they see and hear.

‘PULP’ runs through December 22 at Cleveland Public
Theatre.  For tickets call 216-631-2727.

CPT’s next major production is the delightful‘THE
SANTALAND DIARIES’  (December 6-22) which will be
followed by the wonderful ‘THE CONFESSIONS OF PUNCH
AND JUDY’ (February 7-23).  The show, which is in its
return engagement, was an original work which was born
on the CPT stage.  


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 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://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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