[NEohioPAL] Berko reviews: 2010 Summer Stages @ CSU

[Roy Berko]

‘THE ELEPHANT MAN’ and ‘CURTAINS’ at CSU

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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‘THE ELEPHANT MAN’  gets acceptable production at 2010 Summer Stages

‘THE ELEPHANT MAN’ is a 1977 play by Bernard Pomerance. It centers on John 
Merrick, an Englishman with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human 
curiosity.  Because of his thick and lumpy skin, enlarged lips, and heavy legs, 
he was nicknamed The Elephant Man. 

Merrick became well known in London society after he went to live at the London 
Hospital after being removed from a freak show.

The play opened on Broadway in 1979 after being produced in London. 

One of the staging difficulties of the script is Pomerance’s insistence that no 
prosthetic makeup be used on the actor portraying Merrick. The actor must, 
before the eyes of the audience, transform himself into a twisted grotesque 
being with malformed face and body.

The CSU 2010 Summer Stages production, under the direction of Everett Quinton, 
is acceptable.   This is a difficult show to stage.  Not only must the lead 
actor transform himself, but he must keep in physical character throughout.  
Because the play does not contain much physical action, concentrated pacing and 
clear characterizations need to be developed.  In addition, the setting is 
England, so consistent British accents must be maintained throughout.  As is, 
the pacing dragged in parts and the cello interludes, which were effective at 
the start became tedious after a while.  The accents came and went.  

Eric Perusek did a nice transition into the ill-formed Merrick and generally 
held it through out the play.  The changeover to his being “normal” would have 
been helped by his being difficult to understand at the beginning and then 
improving.  Ursula Cataan was excellent as Mrs. Kendall, who became Merrick’s 
friend and tutor, and Geoff Knox did a nice job as Frederick, Merrick’s doctor. 
 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘THE ELEPHANT MAN’ got an acceptable production, but would 
have been improved by a faster pace and some attention to the development of 
clearer characterizations by some of the cast.

Misselected, Misdirected ‘CURTAINS’ at CSU’s 2010 Summer Stages

‘CURTAINS,' the musical that CSU’s 2010 Summer Stages chose to present, was 
probably DOA (dead on arrival) at the Factory Theatre.  Peter Stone, who wrote 
the original book, died just before the play opened leaving it unfinished.  Fred 
Ebb, who wrote the lyrics, also died before the musical was completed.  So, is 
it a coincidence that the ridiculous piece was a disaster?

New York reviews stated, “’CURTAINS' lies on the stage like a promisingly gaudy 
string of firecrackers, waiting in vain for that vital, necessary spark to set 
it off," "It's not so much a whodunit as a whydoit" and “A somewhat clunky, 
piece of entertainment."  

Well, not quite a total disaster.  David Hyde Pierce, who played the major role 
did get the Tony for his leading actor performance.

The story centers on a detective who is called in when the untalented leading 
actress is killed on the opening night of ‘ROBBIN' HOOD OF THE OLD WEST.’  The 
play within the play is a western musical.  The detective, who is an amateur 
actor “saves the show” with some “spiffy” suggestions, falls in love, and 
catches the killer.  The entire production is filled with unmemorable music 
including, “In the Same Boat 1,”  “In the Same Boat 2,”“In the Same Boat 
Completed,” “Coffee Shop Nights,” “Kansasland,” and “The Woman’s Dead.”

Under the direction of Michael Mauldin, CSU’s production stumbles along.  It is 
poorly paced, few songs are well interpreted, the acting is generally flat, 
actors stand in straight lines often having to duck out behind other performers 
in order to say their lines.  Even Martin Céspedes, the crown prince of local 
choreographers, couldn’t save this debacle.  He tried hard, but the cast wasn’t 
up to carrying out the movements.

Jessica Duer as Nicki, who adorably looks like she is right out of a 1920s 
musical, and Jean Kauffman as the comedic producer, do themselves proud.  Most 
of the rest of the cast have problems with inconsistent accents, weak singing, 
and weak character development.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘CURTAINS’ misses on almost every count….weak script choice, 
poor directing, undistinguished performances. ‘nuf said!


 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2010, 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.)