[NEohioPAL] Berko review: OPTIMUS PRIME FOR PRESIDENT (Fourth Wall)

[Roy Berko]

Fourth
Wall’s  ‘OPTIMUS PRIME FOR
PRESIDENT’ a winner!
 
Roy
Berko
 
(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association)
 
--THE
TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain
County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times  
 
COOLCLEVELAND.COM
 
On
the surface, ‘OPTIMUS PRIME FOR PRESIDENT,’ by Clevelander Margi Herwald
Zitelli, appears to be an absurd comedy, maybe even a farce, about a group of
people who are meeting in their favorite bar after a Cleveland Indians baseball
game.  They are co-joined season ticket
holders who are “friends.”  The
quotes are important.  They are
friends who talk a lot, tease and taunt each other, but avoid sharing their
real selves with each other.  They
can’t approach truth, they talk about fantasy.  Fantasy, such as whether Optimus Prime would make the best
President.
 
Optimus
Prime, a cartoon character, is the commander of the Autobots, a faction of
heroic Transformers from the planet Cybertron who wage their
battles against the evil forces of the Decepticons for control of
their home world, and by extension, peace in the universe.  He is a heroic, brave and compassionate
character who puts all his talent to use to improve the world around him.   Sounds like a perfect
candidate!  
 
But why are
these people talking about Optimus, baseball, Great Lakes beer, and smurfs,
when there are real issues they face?  One has a terminal illness, a fact  she has failed to share with her “friends.”  Another, a doctor, spends long hours at the hospital rather
than going home to his wife.  Another is about to marry a woman who he doesn’t love, but is marrying
seemingly because  he can’t think
of what else to do with his life.  And, so it goes.  They are
share none of the realities with the people they have supposedly bonded to.  They escape from authenticity by
covering up with meaningless debates, sarcastic interactions, feigning macho
fights, and living out the Peter Principle of not wanting to grow up and face
the realities of life.
 
We find out
about each of these individuals through the clever writing device of having
each transition from the present day and fade into the spot light of elementary
school where they read an essay about what they want to be when they grow
up.  Their future wish fantasies
turn out to be not only revealing, but generally are no more realistic than
their present day lives.
 
Herwald
Zitelli has a knack for developing complete characters.  We know what is motivating each,
allowing the actors to give faithful portrayals.  This is a very difficult task, but she does it well.  She also has a good ear for realistic
language.
 
The Fourth
Wall cast (Joshua Brown, Aubrey-Krisen Fisher, Shawn Galligan, Stuart Hoffman,
Sarah Kunchik and Nathan Miller), is excellent.  There is not a weak link in the acting chain.  They are well directed by Jenna
Messina, who  received the “2007
Best Actress” award in the Times Theatre Tributes listings.  She is as good a director as an
actress.  The show is well paced,
the laugh lines clearly keyed, and the emotional scenes kept in realistic  control.
 
Considering
that Fourth Wall performs in a space literally made of walls of black plastic
sheets, and lights with only 5 spots, and works on a budget that would qualify
them for food stamps, the production is amazing.
 
A
suggestion:  it would be nice if
the program included such information as the setting, the time, the number of
acts and would identify the technical people.  Eliminating some of the excessive details in the extended
personal bios, would also add to a more professional air to the goings-on.
 
Capsule
judgement:  Margi Herwald Zitelli’s
fine script, ’OPTIMUS PRIME FOR PRESIDENT,’ gets an excellent production at
Fourth Wall under the keen direction of Jenna Messina and a performance by a
fine cast. 
 
Fourth Wall
Productions is located at Enterprise Center Building at 540 East 105th St. #221
in Cleveland, at the Bratenahl line.  Obtain tickets by calling (330) 283-2442 or e-mailing
tickets at fourthwallproductions.com. 
 Don’t be afraid to wander down to E. 105th Street.  It’s on the safe end, right at the
Bratenahl line.  There is fenced-in
parking. 

 Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, 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.)