[NEohioPAL] Berko review: FIVE FLIGHTS @ convergence continuum

[Roy Berko]

Convergence continuum’s FIVE FLIGHTS stumbles on
opening night
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
 
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times            
 
--coolcleveland.org
 
In its New York run, Adam Bock’s FIVE FLIGHTS was
called “an intricately constructed comedy about love and grief that is
incredibly funny, surprisingly touching and soaring with joyful humanity.”  I wish I could say the same thing about
the convergence continuum production.  Unfortunately, on opening night, with some members of the cast fighting
to just remember, let alone make sense of their lines, the pauses, stumbles,
and oft panicked looks on their faces, took much of the very breadth out of the
production.
 
The script which is about religion, belief, love, and
loss is divided into four sections: "The Narrative", "A
Vision", "The Mad Scenes", "The Conclusion . . .plus,” and "
A Little Dance.”  
 
The plot revolves around three adult siblings whose
father, in an act of devotion to his recently dead, bird-loving wife, builds an
aviary in his wife’s honor to house a bird which landed on him during her
funeral.  He perceives the
feathered creature to be his wife’s reincarnation.  After both the bird and the father die, a decision must be
made about what to do with the now decaying edifice, which, in reality, is a
metaphor for the various flight patterns each of the lives of the participants
takes.  
 
The decision is left to three siblings, two of whom
we meet during the play. The deciders are sensitive Ed, who was hurt by a gay
relationship gone bad; his sister Adele, who is steered into decisions by her
love for Olivia, a fanatical preacher of charismatic religion who wants the
site for her church; and Jane, the compulsive wife of Bobby, the never seen
brother.  The confusion is
compounded by the entrance of  Tom,
a hockey player who falls in love with Ed. 
 
Zak Hudak (Ed) and Clinton Elston (Tom) shortly
after first meeting look at each other.  Hudak with his huge deer-caught-in-the-headlights eyes,
Elston in his macho way, move forward, try and figure out how to wrap their
arms around each other, awkwardly move their bodies in formations that would
create the right contact points, figure whose nose goes to the right and whose
to the left, and awkwardly kiss.  Then all hell breaks loose and the duo is a tangle of flying body
parts.  It is a classic bit of
theatricality…hysterically funny yet sensual. 
 
Besides the kissing scene, Clyde Simon’s direction
gives a fun interpretation to viewing a ballet in which the characters’ eyes
and heads bob in time to Tchaikovsky’s music.  Unfortunately, the timing was not exactly right, so the
effect was somewhat lost.
 
Simon, who relishes titillation, inserts a nude
locker room and shower scene.  Though it may appeal to some of the con con audience, the nudity adds
little to the development of the play, itself.
 
Hudak gives a nice textured performance as the
conflicted Ed.  A master at facial
comedy, he creates a humorous, often pathetic yet appealing
characterization.   Elston, as
Ed’s want-to-be lover, is convincing, and has both the physicality and the
macho hockey player mannerisms needed for the role.  They play well off each other well.  
 
Elaine Flagler is overly strident as Jane.  She screams most of her lines in a
hysterical high pitched whine.  The
usual competent Laura Hammer (Olivia), stumbles through her lines.  It’s hard to tell whether the blanks
spaces in dialogue are caused by her forgetfulness or she is getting the wrong
cues.  Jaclyn Cifranic (Adele) has
some nice moments, but never seems comfortable in the role.  Robert Branch, as Andre, Tom’s hockey
playing buddy, has some funny moments, but has an off-putting accent.
 
Capsule
Judgement:  Based on the opening night performance, it’s pretty hard to
judge  con con’s FIVE FLIGHTS.  After the cast learns their lines, the
delightful and meaningful script might take flight.  As of now, it, like the aviary in which it takes places, is
in need of some repair.
 
FIVE FLIGHTS runs at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays through  September 10 at
convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438 Scranton Rd. in
Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. For information and reservations call
216-687-0074.
 
Con-con’s next staging, is the American classic,
Mart Crowley’s THE BOYS IN THE BAND to be staged from October 7-29.
 
 
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
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