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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Palatino;color:windowtext">TRYING,
a fine history lesson woven into an interesting story</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">Roy Berko</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-family:Palatino;color:windowtext;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">Lorain
County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Palatino;
color:windowtext"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">--coolcleveland.org</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">What happens when a man noted as a national and
world leader faces the reality of his demise?<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>This is the premise of Joanna McClelland Glass’s TRYING, now
in production at Cesear’s Forum.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The play was based on
Glass’s own experiences as Biddle’s personal secretary from 1967 through 1968.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">Biddle, is a traditional prep school, Ivy league
educated conservative Republican until he presides over a case of the coal
unions in Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He moved by the experience and does a
complete about face and declares, “I’ve come to right a wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That’s why God invented Democrats.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>From there on he championed liberal
causes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">We meet Biddle as a </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:windowtext">sharply cantankerous,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Palatino;color:windowtext">
ailing 81-year-old, who has become fussy, overbearing and impossible to live
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is trying to everyone he
deals with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He hires and fires
secretaries on a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>That is, he fires the ones who make it through the first day of working
for him without running out in tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In desperation, his wife finds a 25<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>year-old Canadian girl, whose life has been hard and has
caused her to learn not to take abuse from anyone. <span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>The duo spars as they try to learn how to communicate with
each other and gain mutual respect and a binding connection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext">The play was originally produced in Chicago and then
moved to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext">Off-Broadway in 2005.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Both in the Windy City and New York, it starred Tony Award
winner Fritz Weaver and Kati Brazda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext">Glass’s writing is natural and real, not theatrical
or overblown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It gives the
illusion allowing the audience to of peek in on a real place, with real people,
with real consequences.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext">The production, under the direction of Greg Cesear,
is nicely textured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The performances
are first rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Though there are a few line flubs here
and there, this is a fine performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Tricia Bestic is completely real as Joanna.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>She even has the pregnant walk down pat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Colerider and Bestic play off each
other with compassionate fidelity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Verdana;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Palatino;color:windowtext">Capsule
Judgement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>TRYING is a fine script
which shares historical knowledge woven into a nicely textured story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It gets a fine production at Cesear’s
Forum.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:
Palatino;color:windowtext">TRYING runs at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays
through<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>December 10 at <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Cesear’s Forum, located in Kennedy’s
Down Under, PlayhouseSquare. For information and reservations call 216-241-6000.</span></div>
</div><div> </div><div><i><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#8000FF">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.<br></font></i></div></div></body></html>