[NEohioPAL] Berko review: LEGACY OF LIFE @ Cleveland Playhouse; Fusion Fest

[Roy Berko]

LEGACY OF LIGHT illuminates science and women at CPH; Roe Green gives large 
grant toward FUSIONfest

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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“Everything changes, but nothing is lost.”  This is the mantra of Karen 
Zacarias’ LEGACY OF LIGHT, now on stage at the Cleveland Play House.  It is also 
the last line of the last play that will be performed by CPH at its present 
location.  In the fall, the venerable company moves into their new digs at the 
Allen Theatre in PlayhouseSquare.

LEGACY OF LIFE, won the Steinberg/ATCA Award for best play of the year that 
premiered outside of New York.  The selection is made by the membership of the 
American Theatre Critics Association.  

The script was commissioned by The Arena Theatre in Arlington, VA and, according 
to the author, went through fifteen rewrites before it opened.  The play’s 
success can be illustrated by the fact that it is being done by numerous 
theatres.  In fact, according to the author, there are two other productions 
being done simultaneously with the one at CPH.  

The script confronts the issue of how women attempt to balance a passionate 
yearning for learning with a maternal instinct.  The viewer is introduced to two 
women living 260 years apart, and juxtaposes their stories, as each fulfills her 
passion for advancing science.   Zacarias uses the overlapping writing device to 
equate the laws of physical science with that of human love.  We watch as the 
women who not only hunger for human continuity but also lust for knowledge, and 
are driven to exhaustion “to do something that matters.”

One of the women is the real 18th century scientist, Émilie du Châtelet, a 
married woman who was Voltaire’s lover, the leading light of the Age of 
Enlightenment. Châtelet has been credited with translating, interpreting and 
challenging Isaac Newton's monumental works regarding gravity.  
The tale also introduces us to the modern-day Olivia, a fictional scientist, who 
is supposedly on the verge of discovering a new planet.  One of the parallels 
between the two, of course, is the thread of Newton and the concept of gravity.  
Another connection is child bearing.  One dies as the result of birthing, the 
other comes to life because of it, but, as we find out later, there is an 
additional connection which is revealed late in the goings-on.
The CPH production, under the direction of Bart DeLorenzo, is slowly paced.  
There is some humor, some drama, and  much exposition about the Age of 
Enlightenment.  The intertwining stories are not easy to follow, but with a 
moderate amount of concentration, the ideas become clear.  In addition, the 
script does not contain much physical action, so some may find the experience 
less than stimulating.
Cerris Morgan-Moyer as Emilie is charming, developing a clear picture of a woman 
driven by her motives to succeed and make a difference.  Michelle Duffy is 
excellent as the Olivia, who finds herself torn between her desire to be a 
scientist of importance, while questioning her role of being a wife without a 
child.  Amelia Pedlow is a delight as Millie, the young, free-spirited, Olivia’s 
surrogate.
Lenny von Dohlen, who looks eerily like the real Voltaire, starts slowly, but 
builds into the role.  His portrayal may give the idea that Voltaire was 
somewhat of an airhead, which weakens the image of the Father of Enlightenment.  
The rest of the cast is very acceptable in their character developments.   
Takeshi Kata’s set design, composed of sliding screens and trees with the 
requisite apples which fall on cue, Matthew Richards’ lighting design, and David 
Kay Mickelsen’s costumes, all add to the experience.  Tiffany Goff’s original 
music helps in mood development.
 
CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  Cleveland Play House brings down the curtain on the facility 
that has been its long-time home, with a pleasant and thought provoking 
production.  They might have wanted to transfer to their new home with a return 
to stage of some of their stars from the past and a splashier play, but LEGACY 
OF LIGHT is an acceptable send-off.

LEGACY OF LIGHT runs through May 1 at the Brooks Theatre at Cleveland Play 
House.  For tickets call 216-795-7000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

FUSIONfest

FUSIONfest continues at CPH through April 23.  For a complete schedule go to 
clevelandplayhouse.com

It was announced before the opening night curtain of LEGACY OF LIGHT that Roe 
Greene, arts patron and community activist, who serves as the Chief Executive 
Officer of the Roe Green Foundation, has made a new three-year commitment to 
FusionFest in the amount of $500,000. In addition to the financial gift, The Roe 
Green FusionFest Award, will be presented annually to a mid-career American 
playwright.The prize will provide an honorarium of $7,500 to the winning 
playwright as well as support for the development process of a new script. The 
selected playwright  will spend a week in residency at CPH during FusionFest, 
over which time she or he will oversee rehearsals and a reading of the work and 
engage in workshops and master classes with young theatre artists from the 
region.

Green, a graduate of Beachwood High School, where she got her first taste of the 
theatrical life as a prop person, also endowed the $13 million Roe Green Center 
for the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, 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