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<P><STRONG>Review by David Ritchey in the <EM>West Side Leader</EM>
11/6/2008</STRONG></P></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>Only 3 performances remain: Thurs., Nov. 13 at
7:30 p.m., Fri., Nov. 14 and Sat., Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>To purchase tickets: 330-836-2626 or
weathervaneplayhouse.com</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV class=topstoryTitle><STRONG>Weathervane stages ‘winning’
production</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV class=topstoryTitle><EM><STRONG>‘Love! Valour!’ raises playhouse to ‘new
level of excellence’</STRONG></EM></DIV>
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<TD><STRONG><FONT size=2>Starring in Weathervane Community Playhouse’s
production of “Love! Valour! Compassion!” are, from left, Richard
Worswick, Gregg Stickney, Zac Hudak, Pierre Brault, Scott Shriner, John
Haller and Jasen Smith. <BR></FONT></STRONG></TD></TR>
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<TD><FONT size=1><STRONG>Photo courtesy of Weathervane Community
Playhouse</STRONG></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Weathervane Community
Playhouse has moved to a new level of excellence with its production of “Love!
Valour! Compassion!”</P>
<P>The story deals with eight gay men who visit a large country home two hours
north of New York City. The home belongs to Gregory Mitchell (Richard Worswick),
a well-known dancer-choreographer. The three acts of the play take place on
successive summer holidays — Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.</P>
<P>As the eight men visit, they reveal their vulnerabilities, anxieties and
fears. Gregory is an aging dancer, whose performance career is at an end. In
addition, because of his age, Gregory fears he is losing his young lover, Bobby
Brahms (Gregg Stickney).</P>
<P>Buzz Hauser (Zac Hudak), another houseguest and a costume designer, is HIV
positive and fears he may not live another year. However, at the house party,
Buzz meets James Jeckyll (Scott Shriner), who also is HIV positive, and they
start a relationship.</P>
<P>The most interesting guests at the party are John and James Jeckyll,
identical twins (both played by Shriner). James is kind and considerate and is
quickly welcomed into the circle of friends. John, often called the “evil twin,”
is unable to win the affection of the friends. He is included in the party only
because he is an accompanist for Gregory’s dance rehearsals.</P>
<P>As the summer wears on, the eight men form alliances and reform friendships
and animosities.</P>
<P>Playwright Terrance McNally is considered one of the greatest of the living
American playwrights. “Love! Valour! Compassion!” opened off-Broadway and soon
moved to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for almost a year.
The production received several Tony Awards, including best play (an award for
McNally) and an acting award for John Glover.</P>
<P>McNally has earned four Tony Awards and one Emmy during his career. The Tony
Awards were for “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Ragtime,” “Love! Valour!
Compassion!” and “Master Class.”</P>
<P>The production now playing in Weathervane underscores why McNally received
the Tony for “Love! Valour! Compassion!” This is an excellent, multi-layered,
dense script. The three-dimensional characters in their vulnerabilities reveal
qualities that challenge the audience to care for them and to forgive their
sins. For example, Bobby is a blind office worker, and Mitchell’s partner.
Mitchell could not love Bobby more, but Bobby finds it impossible to be faithful
to him. His infidelities bring pain to Mitchell, his friends and to himself.</P>
<P>Or consider Ramon Fornos (Pierre Brault), a talented dancer who has the
potential to have a successful career. Yet, he cannot focus on his career and
spends much of his holiday time flirting with men who should be out of his
reach.</P>
<P>The play is about characters who, although privileged gay men, have the same
problems as straight people and as men and women less privileged. This script
and this production ring true and meaningful for all.</P>
<P>The Weathervane production’s power belongs to an ensemble cast. The men work
together, sharing the stage, evoking laughter and tears. Director Jim Fippin has
shaped a significant production with the support of his cast. Fippin keeps the
focus on the script and lets the actors tell the story without fireworks or
unwarranted drama.</P>
<P>Shriner has developed his acting skills in the past few years. In this
production, he plays twin brothers. Shriner walks on the stage and the audience
immediately knows which character he is playing — with a subtle shift of his
posture and a slight change of voice, he becomes the good or the evil twin.
Shriner is doing some of his best work in this production.</P>
<P>Worswick constantly challenges his acting abilities. I first saw Worswick
about 15 years ago in a Cleveland production of McNally’s play “Lisbon
Traviata.” At that time, I thought Worswick was the best actor I’d seen perform
in Ohio. I have not changed my opinion of him in the performances and the years
since then.</P>
<P>Again, in “Love! Valour! Compassion!” Worswick pushes himself and creates a
character who is at once winning and emotionally demanding.</P>
<P>Buzz is a costume designer who has encyclopedic knowledge of American musical
theater. Nathan Lane created the role on Broadway, and Jason Alexander played
the part in the movie. Hudak is considerably younger than either Lane or
Alexander when they played Buzz, but he makes the role ring true.</P>
<P>“Love! Valour!” has comedic elements. But the playwright and director also
cut deep, helping the viewers see life through a different set of eyes.</P>
<P>The folks at Weathervane have taken a big gamble with this production. The
gamble resulted in a winning production that should be on your theater-going
calendar.</P>
<P>“Love! Valour! Compassion!” continues through Nov. 15 in the John L. Dietz
Theater at Weathervane. This is an adult production featuring adult situations,
language and nudity. <STRONG>For tickets, call 330-836-2626.</STRONG></P>
<P><EM>David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of
communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American
Theatre Critics Association.</EM></P></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Janis Harcar<BR>Director of
Advancement<BR>Weathervane Playhouse<BR>330-836-2323 X16<BR><A
href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com">www.weathervaneplayhouse.com</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>