[NEohioPAL] Berko review/preview: MEDEA @ Mamai, "8" @ CPH

[Roy Berko]

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 *Oft brilliant, but flawed MEDEA, introduces new professional theatre
company, “8”—a fund raiser at CPH*

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)



Mamaí,  Cleveland’s newest professional theatre, opened its summer season
with a monumental undertaking, a staging of the U.S. premiere of Brendan
Kennelly’s translation and script modification of Euripides’ classic
tragedy, MEDEA.



The company’s mission is “to create intelligent, relevant classical theatre
that offers an artistic home for Cleveland’s theatre artists, and equal
opportunity for women in the professional theatre community.”



MEDEA, considered by many theatre aficionados as one of the greatest plays
every written, relates the tale of revenge by Medea, the wife of Jason (of
the Argonauts).  Medea, noted as a sorceress, was the daughter of Acetes,
king of Colchis, who aided Jason to accomplish his quest for the Golden
Fleece.  Medea fell in love with Jason, killed or assisted in killing her
brother, and betrayed her father, in order to assist the handsome and
manipulative Jason.  They flee to Corinth, where they live for about ten
years, rearing two children in relative peace, until Jason, an opportunist,
leaves Medea and marries Glauce, the King of Creon’s daughter, with his eye
on the throne.



Medea’s reaction is one of a scorned woman.  Jason’s betrayal turns her
into a vindictive psychopath intent on getting revenge at all costs.  She
writhes in agony, rants with rage, plots destruction, and acts with no
conscience.  Asking “Why must a man always be seeking something?” she
contends she “will not be a woman civilized by men,” and rages against
Jayson’s infidelity and lack loyalty.  The result is fiery death for Glauce
and her father, the infanticide of her children, and Jayson losing love,
political position, and his heirs.



Euripides leaves the viewer aware that Medea has wreaked her revenge, but,
he asks, “At what cost?”



MEDEA holds great importance in my theatrical training.  While attending
the University of Michigan I had the astonishing experience of working on a
production of the script with Dame Judith Anderson portraying Medea, and
Jason Robards, Jr, as Jason.  That script was the traditional translation
by poet Robinson Jeffers, who was also on the Wolverine campus to share his
views regarding the play.



Though the basic story is the same, Brendan Kennelly’s translation and
enhancement makes changes in the plot and its development.   The chorus is
mainly fragmented into individual characters (a newscaster, several
attorneys, a neighbor and a barista).   The children are girls rather than
boys who would have been Jason’s heirs, carrying on his sperm and name.   Medea
no longer flees in a dragon-pulled chariot provided by her grandfather, the
Sun-God.  Jason does not collapse in defeat as his dreams of power
disappear, realizing his wrongs—a component of classical tragedy.



Kennelly and/or the director, Bernadette Clemens, have added modern touches
to the traditional aspects of the story.  Present are cell phones, i-pads,
lawyers, picket fences, and current language being overlaid over
traditional rhyme patterns.  Ancient staging devices, such as speaking
directly to the audience, are accompanied by interactive spoken lines.



Mamaí’s production is filled with brilliance and frustrations.



Tracee Patterson’s emotional-breakdown performance is amazing.  She grabs
and holds every scene in which she appears.  Her only flaw, which is minor
compared to the outstanding level of her acting, is the difficulty in
understanding some of her lines.  This was caused by her bending heavily at
the waist to illustrate angst, and the director’s pattern of having
performers speak to the back wall, cutting off understandable sound.  Yes,
Ensemble’s Theatre’s stage, on which the play is being performed, is a
small space, but the hard walls and high ceilings causes sound problems
even when the actors are facing the audience, but when they don’t, the
words get totally lost.



Also strong is Anne McEvoy’s presence as Medea’s lawyer.  Mary Jane
Nottage’s opening monologue was well presented, but much too long.  Robert
Hawkes was excellent as Creon, but one might question why the role had
overtones of comedy in both costume and tone.



In fact, the whole presence of farcical shticks, whether during the scene
changes, the song selections, the constant primping by Natalie Green, as
the newscaster, or the shenanigans of Jean Cummins as the drunk neighbor,
is open to debate.  These actions often upstaged, drew attention away, from
important speeches and characters.  Inciting audience laughter during high
dramas scenes seemed inappropriate.  Was this done to relieve the angst or
was this attempts at humor.  If the latter, why was this done in a tragedy?
Only the director knows.



Jason Kaufman, though displaying the sensual presence of Jason, seemed
divorced from performance involvement.  Even in the wrenching scene in
which the dead bloodied bodies of his children were brought on stage for
his viewing and touching, there appeared to be only surface level reaction.
(Why the bodies were brought out at all is another of those directorial
decisions that begs for explanation, especially with the audience only a
few feet from their overwhelming presence.)



*CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  MEDEA, a masterpiece example of classical tragedy, is
one of the Western world’s greatest plays. It is a daunting undertaking.  Some
directorial decisions and story interpretation in this staging seem
questionable, but the production is blessed with a brilliant performance by
Tracee Patterson.  It’s worth going just to see this amazing actress spin
her maniacal magic.*



Mamaí’s MEDEA runs through June 30 at the Ensemble Theatre, housed in
Coventry School, 2843 Washington Blvd, Cleveland Heights.  For tickets go
to:  http://www.mamaitheatreco.org



*CPH reading to support **AFER and Cleveland PFLAG*

Cleveland Play House will present a one-night-only reading of “8,” written
by Dustin Lance Black (*Milk, J. Edgar*).  “8” is an account of the Federal
District Court trial in *Perry v. Schwarzenegger* (now before the Supreme
Court as *Hollingsworth v. Perry*), the case filed by American Foundation
for Equal Rights to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian
Californians of the freedom to marry.



This event will be held in the Allen Theatre on Sunday, June 30, at 5:00 pm.
Tickets are $25 (includes reading and post-show discussion), and $100
(includes priority seating for the reading, post-discussion and a private
reception with cast and special guests). All net proceeds will be shared
equally by the AFER and the Cleveland chapter of Parents, Families, and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Call 216-241-6000 or *
clevelandplayhouse.com* to purchase tickets.
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