[NEohioPAL] Berko review: 'ORANGE FLOWER WATER' (Bang & Clatter)

[Roy Berko]

Bang & Clatter’s ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER,  theatre at its
best 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

Craig Wright, the author of ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER,’ now
being performed by The Bang and The Clatter, writes
plays about people in families, people who question
the course of their lives.  He is a very talented
writer.  His ‘THE PAVILION’ was nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize.  His HBO series, “Six Feet Under,” was
critically acclaimed.

In “ORANGE FLOWER WATER,’ he delves into the lives of
two couples who, for many years, have each given the
illusion of being happy.  Unfortunately, the facade is
a fraud.  The charade comes to a head when one member
of each couple unite in an adulterous affair.  Through
a series of scenes which take place around and in a
single bed, which represents various beds, we watch as
four lives unravel.  Questions arise.  What will
happen to the children?   Was the affair a mistake or
a necessary intrusion to bring about needed changes? 
Was the action the pursuit of selfishness or a search
for personal happiness?  Will the results be like the
fragrance of orange flower water, sweet but
overpowering?

This is a raw, painful and graphic tale.  It is a
challenging play which forces us to ask, “In the end, 
is a happy ending worth the pain?

B&G’s production, under the well defined direction of
Sean McConaha, is compelling.  The pacing is
appropriately precise, the acting performances
well-honed and the idea development clear.

Jean Klika (Beth) is excellent as the wife of a
controlling, abusive husband.  The actress has several
monologues in which the character comes close to
nervous breakdowns.  Each is done with realism and
elicits compassion.

Daniel McElhaney (Brad) is properly vile as Beth’s
controlling husband.  He paces the stage like a caged
tiger, about to attack.  He transforms himself into a
character whom the audience comes to hate.

Teresa McDonough, as the uptight Kathy, draws sympathy
as the perfectly organized mother and wife who is put
upon by a husband who cannot accept her version of
life and love.  Her librarian glasses, coifed hair and
prim clothing create the perfect visual image for her
ice lady emotions.

Mark Mayo creates a completely etched character as
David, the pharmacist who wants to escape his present
life, but has an unrealistic view of the consequences
that will be wrought by his pursing a married woman.

Written with assurance and constructed with drama and
humor, the play is emotionally wrenching.  The tribute
to both the script and the production was the reverent
silence at the play’s conclusion.  There was nary an
audible sound after the lights went off signally the
end.  When, after an appropriate pause, the lights
came on, the audience was brought back to the reality
of being in the theatre, and gave the performers a
hearty ovation.

Capsule judgment: Bravo B&G!   ‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER’
is a not-to-be-missed production.  It should stimulate
long discussions and encourage a replay in the
viewer’s mind, long after the final bows.   (Be aware
that the play contains nudity and a sex scene.)

‘ORANGE FLOWER WATER’ runs through February 9 at The
Bang and Clatter Theatre, 140 E. Market Street in
Akron .  For tickets call 330-606-5317.  For $15 you
get to see a great show,  free beverages (sorry the
wine and beer have been discontinued due to building
code restrictions) and free parking.  This is quite an
entertainment buy!  Order tickets immediately as the
theatre only holds about 75.

B&G NEWS:  

The Cleveland home of THE BANG & THE CLATTER will be
dedicated late in February.  The venue, in the
exciting reenvisioned East 4th area, will open with
Adam Rapp’s ‘BLACKBIRD,’ a love story that follows a
displaced veteran of the first Gulf War and a 17
year-old Midwestern runaway who traverse the streets
of 1990 New York.  

The Akron venue’s next production is Adam Rapp’s
‘ESSENTIAL SELF DEFENSE.  It is about a disgruntled
outcast who takes a job as an attack dummy in a
women’s self-defense class.

Insider scoop:  B&G will shortly announce their
relocation to another Akron facility.  It is bigger,
will allow the company to expand its offerings, and
will again enable the distribution of free beer and
wine.

The theatre has over 500 season ticket subscribers!



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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