[NEohioPAL] Berko review: TRYING @ Cesear's Forum

[Roy Berko]

TRYING,
a fine history lesson woven into an interesting story
 
Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain
County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times                  
--coolcleveland.org
 
What happens when a man noted as a national and
world leader faces the reality of his demise?  This is the premise of Joanna McClelland Glass’s TRYING, now
in production at Cesear’s Forum.
 
TRYING is based on the real story of Francis Biddle,
the Attorney General under Franklin D. Roosevelt and Chief Judge at the
Nuremberg trials which examined the evils of individual Nazis following World
War II.  The play was based on
Glass’s own experiences as Biddle’s personal secretary from 1967 through 1968.
 
Biddle, is a traditional prep school, Ivy league
educated conservative Republican until he presides over a case of the coal
unions in Pennsylvania.   He moved by the experience and does a
complete about face and declares, “I’ve come to right a wrong.  That’s why God invented Democrats.”  From there on he championed liberal
causes.
 
We meet Biddle as a sharply cantankerous,ailing 81-year-old, who has become fussy, overbearing and impossible to live
with.  He is trying to everyone he
deals with.  He hires and fires
secretaries on a regular basis.  That is, he fires the ones who make it through the first day of working
for him without running out in tears.  In desperation, his wife finds a 25  year-old Canadian girl, whose life has been hard and has
caused her to learn not to take abuse from anyone.  The duo spars as they try to learn how to communicate with
each other and gain mutual respect and a binding connection.
 
The play was originally produced in Chicago and then
moved to Off-Broadway in 2005.  Both in the Windy City and New York, it starred Tony Award
winner Fritz Weaver and Kati Brazda.  
 
Glass’s writing is natural and real, not theatrical
or overblown.  It gives the
illusion allowing the audience to of peek in on a real place, with real people,
with real consequences.
 
The production, under the direction of Greg Cesear,
is nicely textured.  The performances
are first rate.  We watch Glenn
Colerider, as Judge Biddle, take his stubborn stands, but begin to wilt as the
strain of aging and illness take over his mind and body.  Though there are a few line flubs here
and there, this is a fine performance.  Tricia Bestic is completely real as Joanna.  She even has the pregnant walk down pat.  Colerider and Bestic play off each
other with compassionate fidelity.
 
Capsule
Judgement:  TRYING is a fine script
which shares historical knowledge woven into a nicely textured story.  It gets a fine production at Cesear’s
Forum.
 
TRYING runs at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays
through  December 10 at  Cesear’s Forum, located in Kennedy’s
Down Under, PlayhouseSquare. For information and reservations call 216-241-6000.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews, 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, while special features appear at http://artsamerica.org.
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