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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT size=3>‘Huck
and Holden’ a delightful yet unsatisfying diversion<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
American Theatre Critics Association <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">5/13/11</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT size=3>The
earlier works of successful playwrights offer both a glance at the genius to
come and evidence that it ain’t there yet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Such is the case with “Huck and Holden,” an early play by Rajiv Joseph
being performed by Ensemble Theatre.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p><FONT
size=3></FONT></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT size=3>Joseph,
a Cleveland Heights native, was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for his
“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” which is currently playing on Broadway to
wonderful reviews.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With t<SPAN
style="COLOR: black">he Gulf war as its backdrop, “Bengal Tiger” serves as a
sensitive-to-the-touch reminder of the self-destructive nature of the human
animal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is a serious play,
filled with fearless theatrical metaphors, powerful images, and bouts of
extremely dark humor.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT
size=3>By comparison, the one-act, one-dimensional “Huck and Holden” is a
Thursday night sitcom on CBS.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT
size=3>This is a fun, titillating piece of made-for-TV entertainment rather than
a satisfying piece of engaging theater. There is an occasional glimmer of
something grander in the storytelling, but it comes too late and shines too
little.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT size=3>Navin
(played by an adorable Daniel Caraballo) is a fish-out-of-water archetype.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He is an unassuming, doe-eyed college
student from India who needs to write a term paper that compares Huck from
“<SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
with Holden from “The Catcher in the Rye.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Navin is as naïve about American literature as he is about American
culture and human sexuality, and much of the humor in this play derives from
situational misunderstandings associated with both.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT
size=3>Think Raj from “The Big Bang Theory” (before drinking alcohol) meets
Latka from “Taxi.”</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT
size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN><FONT
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">While
attempting to locate the two books for his report, Navin encounters Michelle (an
affable and endearing Kristi Little).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>She is </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">an
attractive African American student working as a part-time librarian.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Michelle likes him, but she’s in a
relationship with Torry (an engaging Kyle Carthens).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He likes her, but he is an unassuming,
doe-eyed college student from India who is driven by duty to his family and
handcuffed by the social customs of his native land.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Let the games begin.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>The main conceit of this play is that Navin will learn about adventure
and America from the iconic rebels in his assigned texts. He will learn about
sex from Michelle and, in a funny but highly contrived scene, from her boyfriend
Torry as well.<SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">True
to the TV sitcom formula, “Huck and Holden” comes complete </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">with
pratfalls, punch lines and a lovable<SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">
sidekick character.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The sidekick is
the physical manifestation of Navin’s m</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">emory of a popular and daring Sikh
schoolmate named Singh (a charming Ammen Sulieman), who pushes Navin toward
Michelle and the life unexplored.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Director
Celeste Costentino clearly understands what she is working with here.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She keeps the short scenes moving at
sitcom-speed and makes sure Joseph Mitchell’s lighting and scenic designs are
sitcom-bright and sitcom-simple.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">laugh track is required,
for Joseph’s writing is consistently clever and the performers are
superb.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal align=left><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>Glimpses of the playwright’s sardonic humor and pendent for the quirky,
so prominent in his later writing, surface when the Hindu goddess Kali (a
delightful Neda Spears) shows up to complicate matters.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She is the equivalent of the meddlesome
mother-in-law from the sitcom catalogue, only with multiple arms, a necklace
made of baby’s heads and a bit of thought-provoking perspective and social
commentary.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT
size=3>Think Raj from “The Big Bang Theory” (after drinking alcohol) meets Marie
Barone from “Everybody Loves Raymond.”</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN><FONT
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Joseph’s
“Huck and Holden” is not on par with “Bengal Tiger” but, then, Twain and
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">Salinger
also had to learn their craft and find their voices before their respective
masterworks came to fruition. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While
not the stuff of a deeply satisfying theater experience, there was the
inclination after the opening night performance to come back to the Cleveland
Play House the same time the following week in search of the next
episode.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=3><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“Huck
and Holden”</SPAN></I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
continues through May 29 in The Cleveland Play House’s Studio One Theatre.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range from $10 to
$20, call </SPAN></I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">216-321-2930 or visit <A href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.ensemble-theatre.org</FONT></A>.</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>