[NEohioPAL] Berko review: COLDER THAN HERE (Dobama)

Roy Berko royberko at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 3 06:12:45 PST 2008


Dobama’s ‘COLDER THAN HERE’--a must see fun, thought
provoking tour-de-force!
 
Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

Laura Wade, the author of ‘COLDER THAN HERE’ now in
production by Dobama Theatre, is quite unusual. 
Between February, 2005 and March 2006 she had three
plays in production in London.  She was the winner of
the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising
Playwright of 2006 and the recipient of Pearson
Playwrights Best Play Award.  All this, and she has
only been writing full-time for less than three years.

‘COLDER THAN HERE’ is the story of Myra, a mother in
her mid-50's suffering from advanced secondary bone
cancer.  Since she only has about six months to live,
she sets about planning her funeral with the same
energy one might expend on organizing the perfect
wedding.  She picks out and assembles the cardboard
coffin, which she decorates with clouds and stars,
even deciding that she wants to be placed in the box
on her side, because that’s the way she sleeps.  She
illustrates her plans in a Power Point computer
presentation so her family can follow the directions. 

In between trips to scout out prospective eternal
resting places, Myra tries to build up the self-esteem
of youngest daughter Jenna, who seems to have settled
for unhealthy romantic relationships.  As Myra says,
"While I'm still here, I can help. After I kick it,
you're on your own."  She also confronts her own
marital problems, highlighted by years of separate
bedrooms, and tries to mend the emotional distance
between family members.

Is she bizarre, a woman lost in sorrow?  Not so,
according to playwright Wade who believes that “Grief
needs to be occupied, and organizing the funeral is
one way of doing that.” Her research for the play
brought her into contact with the Natural Death
Movement, which aims to rescue funerals from the
high-cost funeral directors and gives people control
over their own dead bodies.  It's an approach Wade
thinks we would do well to follow.  (Incidentally,
this is a growing trend in England, where this play is
set.)

Sounds like a downer.  It’s not.  There is humor,
tenderness and even beauty.  Most of all, there is
reality.  I defy anyone in the audience not to be
thinking about their own approach to death and the
rituals which surround it.  

Dobama’s production, as has been the case so often, is
right on target.  Artistic Director Joyce Casey has
again chosen a script of merit and turned over the
forging  of it to director Joel Hammer, who paces the
production well, creates all the correct moods and has
molded the cast into a quality team.

Anne McEvoy takes on the difficult task of Myra.  She
does an outstanding job of walking the fine line
between humor and drama.   This is a masterful
performance.

We laugh and are amazed at  Jenna, the self-obsessed
daughter.  In the role, Heather Lea Anderson Boll, the
only equity member of the cast, effectively traverses
the tight rope between being “ditzy,” “confused” and
“pathetic.” It would be so easy to go overboard with
the characterization, but Boll doesn’t.

Liz Conway, is right on target as Harriet, the
sensible daughter.

Robert Hawkes gives a stellar performance as, Alec,
Myra’s husband, the typical English male
self
contained, distant and practical.  

Ben Needham’s multi-scene set works well, as does
Michael Boll’s lighting design and Richard Ingraham’s
sound.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Bravo to Dobama for continuing
it’s string of outstanding productions.  ‘COLDER THAN
HERE’ is a must see presentation that deserves
community support.

Dobama is still without a permanent home, so this
production is being performed at Pilgrim
Congregational Church in Tremont.  For east-siders,
the marvelous church is only a five-minute drive past
downtown and contrary to popular myth, you don’t need
a passport to get over the Cuyahoga river.  There is
free and safe parking.  Go early and enjoy one of
Tremont’s many wonderful restaurants.

‘COLDER THAN HERE’ runs through March 23.

For tickets call 216-932-3396 and leave a message or
go on-line at  www.ticketleap.com. 


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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