<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Palatino;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style>Ensemble’s LOWER
NINTH gives a snapshot of New Orleans following Katrina </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Roy Berko</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans.<span style> </span>While the nation watched in horror, the
event and the area were mainly ignored by then-President George Bush.<span style> </span>When the President finally appeared on
the scene, he praised the work of Mike Brown, his director of FEMA in spite of
the ineptitude of the agency and their chaotic response.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lower Ninth Ward is the area within New Orleans
downriver industrial canal, which is near the mouth of the Mississippi
River.<span style> </span>This area, mainly populated
by African Americans, is still not rebuilt.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beau Willimon’s LOWER NINTH gives a short glimpse of three
men, two alive and one dead, who are stranded on the roof of a house following
the storm.<span style> </span>As the days and nights
go past, a story is told of the relationships of these men.<span style> </span>It also gives a glimpse of life before
the catastrophe and maybe an insight into what is to come.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Willimon was the recipient of the Lila Acheson Wallace
Julliard Playwriting Fellowship and the Lincoln Center Le Compte du Nuoy
Award.<span style> </span>He is best known for his
play FARRAGUT NORTH which was adapted into the film THE IDES OF MARCH, which
starred George Clooney.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">LOWER NINTH is a she slice of life story which centers on
Bible-quoting Malcolm, and E-Z, the son of the woman he lived with for many
years.<span style> </span>The duo are sweltering on a
house roof waiting to be saved from the sea of contaminated water that
surrounds them.<span style> </span>Though their
backgrounds are only hinted at, we gain a base understanding of each man.<span style> </span>The connection seems to grow as they
become more and more desperate.<span style>
</span>Also on the roof is Lowboy, a friend of E-Z’s, whose body was dragged out
of the water in a failed attempt to save him.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The play, which is getting its area debut, does hold the
viewers interest, but it is not extremely well developed.<span style> </span>It is more a series of character
studies rather than having a focused story with a beginning, middle and end.<span style> </span>The themes are not clear, the
motivations are only hinted at, and it is difficult to clearly state the play’s
purpose.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ensemble’s production, under the focused direction of
Celeste Cosentino, is well paced, and the inclusion of visual images of clouds,
sun and overcast skies, helps in building the tedious and sweltering mood of
life on the roof.<span style> </span>Steve Vasse-Hansell’s
rooftop set gives a clear image of the isolation of the characters from the
rest of the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">William Clarence Marshall fully develops the role of
Malcolm.<span style> </span>He shows us a man who has
found God, and transferred from a hinted-at history of abandoned accountability
and social transgressions, to a person who has assumed his
responsibilities.<span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E-Z, is a conflicted young soul, who appears to have had
little male guidance and doesn’t really know who he is.<span style> </span>He covers his insecurities with
pseudo-macho mannerisms and ghetto language. J’Vaughn T. Briscoe fleshes out
the role well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lowboy, was a drug dealer who had once saved E-Z from a
school yard beating, thus earning life-long respect from the boy.<span style> </span>Joseph Primes makes the most of a
character whose motivations aren’t clearly etched.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-autospace:none"><i style>CAPSULE
JUDGEMENT:<span style> </span>LOWER NINTH gives the
viewer an insight into life in New Orleans immediately following Katrina.<span style> </span>Though it gets a good production at
Ensemble, it isn’t a well developed piece of theatrical literature.<span style> </span>It’s worth seeing to gain an
understanding of a topic that has not been showcased on stage.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">LOWER NINTH runs Thursdays through Sundays until
February 9 at Ensemble Theatre, now housed in Coventry School, 2843 Washington
Blvd, Cleveland Heights.<span style> </span>For
tickets call 216-321-2930 or go online to <a href="http://www.ensemble-theatre.org">www.ensemble-theatre.org</a> <br></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i>Roy Berko's reviews and comments can be found at <a href="http://www.royberko.info">www.royberko.info</a> and on-line at <a href="http://coolcleveland.com">coolcleveland.com</a>, arts america, and <a href="http://broadwayworld.com">broadwayworld.com</a></i><br>
</p>