[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE NEW CENTURY @ Dobama
Roy Berko
royberko at yahoo.com
Sat Dec 18 19:38:56 PST 2010
THE NEW CENTURY at Dobama, funny, but…
Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
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--coolcleveland.com-
The question asked by Paul Rudnick's play, THE NEW CENTURY, probably is, “Where
is the new century heading?” And, even though it was written by Rudnick, the
creative and 'in” author of such gems as I HATE HAMLET, JEFFREY, and THE MOST
FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD, the script and the Dobama production don't seem to
garner an answer.
Rudnick, who is openly gay, loads the script with one-liners which shoot out of
the characters as if they were using verbal machine guns. The fun is generally
there, at least through the first three monologues and, then, a trite last act,
tries to give us some obtuse message.
This is not a politically correct play and the illusions and visual images will
not be of interest to those of the political right persuasion or the uptight.
Such topics as sexual bondage, multi-nationalism, transgenderism, lesbian
marriage, scatology, Nellie queens, terrorism, AIDS, bad aesthetic taste,
Chinese Siamese twins, and last, but not least, full frontal male nudity, are
presented.
The monologues include a diatribe by Jean Kauffman, as the well meaning Jewish
Helene Nadler from Massapequa, Long Island, who states that “we are each
special.” Especially special, and the source of her being 'the most loving
mother of all time,” are her three children. One is a co-habiting lesbian,
another is transgendered, and the third is gay. The role was played by the
irrepressible Linda Lavin in the New York production. Nadler is good, though
she plays the role more as a caricature than a character, thus losing some of
the needed reality. Even so, she is amusing.
We next meet Mr. Charles (Greg Violand), currently of Palm Beach. He was living
in New York,, but was “run out of town by those younger gays who thought he was
too flamboyant, and a fey relic of the old gay culture.” So, now he is the star
of “Too Gay,” a public access television program which airs in the early, early
morning to a very limited audience. His “boy toy” is named Shane who “lives to
dance” and prances around in short shorts, skin tight shirts and, in one scene,
nothing at all. Well, that's not totally true. He does have a bouquet of roses
which cover his private parts. But, temptation finally wins and the audience is
exposed to all of Shane. Mr. Charles's goal in life is to eradicate bad taste,
though he, himself, is a visual image of garish styles and colors. He attempts
to influence the new born baby of Barbara Ellen Diggs (Molly McGinnis) to be gay
and stylish.
Violand, who is one of my favorite local actors, seems uncomfortable with the
total flamboyance of the role. It is a part which needs the late Paul Lynde at
his limp-wristed best. Violand gets laughs, but misses some because he is
trying too hard to be what he is not.
The third monologue is entitled “Crafty.” As the title indicates, the segment
centers on Joann Milderry (Caitlin Lewins), a crafts person from Decatur,
Illinois who shows off her wares as she tells the story of her son, a gay man
who died of AIDS. Her wares include a crocheted tuxedo cover for her toaster ,
knit toilet paper covers, and sock puppets to cheer up kids in the hospital (she
hangs them on their IV stands). Much credit for this segment's success must go
to Nick Meloro, the properties designer, who must have searched every junk shop
in the area to find all the doodads needed.
Lewins is wonderful in the role. Her description of the AIDS quilt is a
beautiful tribute to those who have been lost to the disease's epidemic.
.
The final segment, “The New Century,” is a contrived device to get all of the
characters together for a play's dénouement. They all appear in the maternity
ward of a NY hospital, for no apparent reason, other than to give Rudnick a
device to bring his tale to a close. It doesn't work. The whole segment is
forced and actually sucks the joy out of the first three acts.
After reading rave reviews of the New York production, it appears that the
Dobama staging, under the direction of Scott Plate, though it is fine in parts,
simply isn't up to Big Apple showing. Kauffman and Violand try too hard,
Steven West, though he has the physical assets, doesn't appear to have the
acting chops to carry the complex role of Shane. Molly McGinnis is fine in a
brief role. Only Caitlin Lewins is totally character correct.
CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: THE NEW CENTURY gets an acceptable, if not triumphant
production at Dobama. There are many laughs, but Rudnick's message, if there is
one, does not come through.
THE NEW CENTURY runs January 9th at Dobama. Call 216-932-3396 for tickets.
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 www.NeOHIOpal
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