[NEohioPAL] Berko review: TALKING HEADS 2 (Beck Center)

[Roy Berko]

Masterful
acting highlights ‘TALKING HEADS 2’ at Beck
 
Roy Berko
(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES
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Dorothy Silver,
who is appearing in ‘TALKING HEADS 2’ at Beck Center, is the reigning grande
dame of Cleveland Theatre.  Robert
Hawks, who is also appearing in the show, is a competent actor.  The duo are superb in this production.
 
Alan Bennett,
the author of the Tony Award winning ‘THE HISTORY BOYS,’ which recently had a
successful production at Beck,is also the author of ‘TALKING HEADS,’a series of dramatic monologues written for the
BBC.  It has also been adopted for
live theatre. 
 
‘PLAYING
SANDWICHES’ centers on Wilfred, a reformed pedophile living under a false
identity and working as a much-praised maintenance man in a public park.  However, as a superior begins to
pressure him for bureaucratic historical information to include in his
personnel file, the pressure causes Wilfred to resume his old ways with
horrifying results. Incarcerated, he contemplates his condition, remarking,
“It's the one part of my life that feels right... and that's the bit that's wrong.”
 
Robert
Hawkes, who stars in ‘PLAYING SANDWICHES,’ is well directed by Curt
Arnold.   Hawkes sucks us in
as we watch him fight against his tendencies, making us believe and even hope
that he will be able to control his desires.  As his resolve breaks down, however, we watch as Hawkes’
face and body virtually collapse.  This is an excellent performance.
 
In ‘WAITING
FOR A TELEGRAM,’ Violet, an elderly woman in a nursing home has been told she
will soon be receiving a telegram from the Queen in honor of her one hundredth
birthday. This news triggers in Violet a memory of a telegram which  brought news of death on a battlefield,
the death of her young lover.  Violet gets even more confused when she finds out that her favorite
nurse, a gay man has recently died of AIDS.  Violet’s present is bleak, her future is bleaker.
 
Under the
adept direction of Reuben Silver, Dorothy Silver completely captivates.  This, and her performance earlier this
year as Golda Meir in Actors’ Summit’s ‘GOLDA’S BALCONY,’ are two of the finest
local female acting gigs of the year.    Silver doesn’t act Violet, she is Violet.  She brushes wisps of gray hair off her
face, displays obstinacy as the world around her becomes frustrating, holds
imaginary hands with her male nurse, pounds on the radiator with a spoon when
she becomes confused.  This is a
superb performance.
 
CAPSULE
JUDGEMENT:   ‘TALKING HEADS 2’
is one of those special evenings of theatre.  In 90 minutes, including intermission, Hawkes and Silver
give a lesson on what good acting is all about!  This is a must see!
 
‘TALKING
HEADS 2’runs through December 7 at The Beck Center for the Arts in
Lakewood.  For ticket information
call 216-521-2540.
 
 
 
 Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2008, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info

His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)