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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Bile and bad behavior
take center stage in Dobama’s ‘God of Carnage’<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d"><FONT size=3>Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; 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=3>News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon
Times,<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; 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=3>The
Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d"><FONT size=3>Member,
American Theatre Critics Association <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d">This review will
appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">on
4/27/12</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>It is surprising how
infrequently projectile vomiting works its way into a theatrical
production.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Rarer still is it
serving a significant role, as it does in Yasmina Reza’s 90-minute comedy of
conflict, “God of Carnage,” currently on stage at Dobama
Theater.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>The international symbol
for vulnerability (and bad seafood), a head in a bucket is the turning point in
this play, when the gloves of civility come off, the boundaries of proper public
behavior are crossed, and all niceties are purged figuratively and
actually.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>Alan (Scott
Miller) and Annette (Derdriu Ring) Raleigh’s 11-year-old son has hit Michael
(John Hedges) and Veronica (Tracee Patterson) Novak’s 11-year-old son with a
stick while playing at the park, breaking two of his teeth. The grown
ups---upper-middle class New York professionals—have gathered in the Novak’s
tastefully-appointed living room to discuss, logically and amiably, how best to
deal with the boys. Not wanting to get “stuck down some emotional cul-de-sac,”
Veronica takes the high road and notes that “there is still such a thing as the
art of co-existence, isn’t there?” <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Yes there is, but not for
very long.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Soon the couples nitpick
over words, such as how to categorize dessert (“So, clafouti, is it a cake or a
tart?”) and how to define the assault (“armed with a stick,” after some
discussion, is replaced by “furnished”). They then disagree on what constitutes
proper parenting and begin arguing over what their children should do to right
the great wrong.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Awkwardness turns
to tension, which escalates to agitation, which leads to Annette’s head in a
bucket.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>And then things turn
ugly.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When alcohol gets added to
the couples’ already dysfunctional dynamic, protective and savage instincts
begin trumping intellect and inhibition, primal behaviors disregard social
norms, and soused self-righteousness supersedes everything.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Soon, the couples have at it, the men
align themselves against the women, and all this culminates in a survivor of the
fittest free-for-all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Not since <SPAN
style="COLOR: black">Edward Albee’s 1962 drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
have proper adults behaved so badly.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>And not since </SPAN>Eugene O’Neill’s 1928 drama “Strange Interlude” have
the inner workings of their psyches been so exposed.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While O’Neill experimented with the
characters’ <SPAN style="COLOR: black">dialogue and interior monologues playing
in counterpoint with one another to creatively display his characters’ souls,
our playwright simply applies rum.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>The result
is hilarious. To a point.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>Once the
early intellectual banter about civilization and the business of parenting
decays so, too, does that level of cerebral pleasure this portion of the play
generates.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What is left for the
rest of the evening is bemused titillation from the drunken antics on display
and sympathetic spasms from the projectile vomiting.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As the playwright did in “Art” and “Life
x 3,” the well-woven illusion of depth in this play leaves those craving it a
tad dissatisfied when it dissipates into nothingness.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT
size=3>Fortunately, much of this dissatisfaction is alleviated by this
production’s superb ensemble.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The changing emotions, the shifting loyalties, and the physical comedy
become a form of dance when executed by these four professionals.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They are brilliant throughout the play
and, under Joel Hammer’s full-throttled direction, never downshift in their
delivery or in their effort to mine and find delightful comedic moments for
their wholly unlikable characters.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><FONT size=3>John
Hedges’ best moments come at the cost of the Novak family pet and in his casual
explanation of the poor creature’s untimely demise.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Scott Miller’s moments occur with each
phone call that abruptly interrupts the couples’ efforts to reach
resolution.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Patterson is at her
best on the outer edge of inebriation and tiring of her husband’s
complicity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ring’s highlight comes
at the bottom of a bucket.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">The Tony Award-winning
“God of Carnage” is a good play about very bad behavior.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">actors make it
better.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“</SPAN></I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">God of
Carnage</SPAN></I><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">”</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">c</SPAN></I><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">ontinues through May 13 at the Dobama
Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>For tickets, which range from $10 to $26, call 216-932-3396 or visit <A
href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.dobama.org</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></FONT></P>
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