Lost in Yonkers at Second Story Theatre

By Richard Pacheco

“Lost in Yonkers” is considered by many to be Neil Simon’s best play. It opened in 1991 on Broadway where it ran for 780 performances. It walked off with the season’s major awards winning the Pulitzer, Outer Critic’s Circle Award, Dram Desk Award and the Tony. The current production at Second Story shows you why. This fine production is propelled by laugh and drama, both skillfully performed with finesse and style.

In the Summer of 1942 widower Eddie Kurnitz must leave his two sons with his domineering mother while he pursues work in the south to pay off a loan shark for the money he borrowed to help their now dead mother battle cancer. In the household is the childlike Aunt Bella and Uncle Louie, a small time hood on the run. The play deftly mixes Simon touches of humor with heartwarming and touching drama.

Matthew Pirraglia is the younger son, Artie. Andrew Jacovelli is the older son, Jay. Mr. Pirraglia is feisty and fun as the younger son, intimidated by his stern grandmother and at odds with the situation he finds himself living in daily. He is perky and energetic. It is a solid performance that is fun to watch. He has a solid sense of comic timing.

Mr. Jacovelli is a delight as the cocky, smart mouthed older brother Jay. He is very protective of his younger brother but finds it tough in the madhouse where he finds himself living.  Mr. Jacovelli shows a fine comic sense and offers some great expressions while the madness unfolds around him.

Paula Faber is relentless steel as Grandma. She is a survivor who managed to get her family out of Germany before Hitler turned it all to hell. She is stern and harsh, determined to teach her children and grandchildren to survey at all costs. Ms. Faber is pitch perfect in the role with her German accent and harsh ways. She is not a woman to bestow love on anyone.

Hillary Parker is a enchantment as the childlike Bella. She has a fine comic timing and a real flair in her performance. She is alternately ditzy and people smart. Ms. Parker is full of energy with a witty flair for the funny. She has some great lines and delivers them with aplomb and impeccable timing.

Ara Boghigian is your macho tough guy, a Humphrey Bogart incarnate as Uncle Louie. He is on the run, perhaps for his life and manages to slide back into their lives and bond with his nephews. He talks the talk with that gruff, macho demeanor with skill and vitality.

Joe Henderson is the father Eddie. He is torn and tortured having to leaves his sons with his iron mother without kindness. But he does what has to be done. He is sensitive and trying to be strong for his sons.  Mr. Henderson is adroit as she shifts back and forth from the strong to the sensitive.

Rounding out the cast is Tray Gearing as Aunt Ger, who has a funny way of talking, sometimes with breath going out, other times with breath going in. The result is very funny. Ms. Gearing is sheer glee as the aunt. 

Director Mark Peckham shows a real feel for the material. He skillfully guides his cast through delicate balance of humor and drama with real flair and elegance.

Trevor Elliot’s set design is a wonder, with period touches that are winning. The stairs to the rear and the multiple doors work really well. The flavor is definitely the forties and reminds me of my grandmother’s home.

Marcia Zammarelli’s costumes are true to the time and appealing. Things like knickers for Artie and the gangster get up with spats and  fedora for the gangster uncle are right on target.

This is a wacky dysfunctional family that is prepared for laughs and deep feelings by turns. They draw you into their world like a welcome guest and you enjoy the invitation.  This is Simon at his best with vibrant performances to bring it all to life.

It will be presented at Second Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI until December 16, Tickets are$25 and under 21 for $20. 401-247-4200 or http://www.2ndstorytheatre.com/tixfaq.htm

A Christmas Carol at Trinity Repertory

By Richard Pacheco

A Christmas Carol at Trinity Repertory

By Richard Pacheco

You can always tell when the Christmas season approaches. It all used to start with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. And in theater, there is always the perennial Dickens “A Christmas Carol” or David Sedaris’ “Santaland Diaries”. Trinity Repertory brings vividly to life the Dickens classic with verve, imagination and a sheer abundance of talent which shines throughout. This production is pure fun, rollicking, creative and well acted.  It is the 200^th birthday year of Dickens.

Timothy Crowe shines as Ebenezer Scrooge, the cranky, crotchety skinflint who evolves into a kind, generous human being after being visited by several ghosts, including his departed business partner, Jacob Marley. Mr. Crowe is a joy as Scrooge. He is robust, articulate and funny as well as fun.  His transition from skinflint to generous patron of the poor and supporter of Christmas from the master of humbug is full of marvelous moments. He has done the role 15 times to date.

Stephen Thorne delivers a enthralling and charming performance as Jacob Marley. He offers many fine touches both as the dying Marley (in this version he does not start off already dead) with Scrooge and as the returning ominous ghost who comes out from beneath Scrooge’s bed.

Mauro Hantman is pure fun as Bob Cratchit, the devoted father of Tiny Tim and Christmas devotee. He is nervous around his boss, but the scene at Tiny Tim’s grave is not as powerful as it could be.

Leicester London is on the mark as Scrooge’s nephew Fred. He is animated and full of verve as Fred. He is also imposing as the ominous Ghost of Christmas Future, a tall, dark creature with glowing red eyes who moves slowly and methodically.

Mia Ellis is winning as the Ghost of Christmas Past with a captivating entrance on a trapeze which descends from the ceiling in a grand way. She is deftly poised and pleasurable in the role.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is given multiple duty with Benjamin Thornton and Elliot Peters and Joe Wilson Jr. with a fake beard as Christmas Present ages a bit, and they are sheer enjoyment, full of liveliness. It starts with a younger Christmas Present who ages as time passes into an older version of himself.

Tom Gleadow is captivating as the reader who starts off the entire adventure. He opens the show when the children, who work for him polishing shoes and they do so around the audience prior to the show, plead with him to tell them a story. He tells them the story of Scrooge’s change of nature. The children are feisty and full of life, with solid singing voices and perky energy. Phineas Peters who alternates with Bedros Kevorkian on different nights is enchanting as Tiny Tim.

The rest of the large cast is full of zest and energy. The singing by the cast is swarming with vim and vigor, full of fine distinction. The original music by Richard Cumming is captivating and endearing and punctuates it at various times. The play does not have many special effects, the trapeze descent of Christmas Past, some snow, Marley emerging from beneath Scrooge’s bed and the video sections with the clock face are about it. The floor opens and closes for various scenes.  There is nothing really dark and brooding about this production unlike some in the past. There are no real frightening  moments with the ghosts and it is all kept lighter, breezier. It is a straightforward and relatively simple production fairly faithful to the original story.

This adaptation by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming is amusing and enjoyable.

Director Tyler Dobrowsky keeps the pacing swift and bright, avoding darker moments, a rollicking good time for all ages.

The Eugene Lee set is both simple and stylish. It has two stories and on the upper level is a large clock face, a sort of Big Ben, which figures well into the tale. It is a battered board façade which is not that much like London in the 1840’s but seems to work none the less.

The costume designs by Alison Walker Carrier are stunning, both historically faithful and dazzling.

This is a merry romp full of pleasurable moments and robust energy. It is a wonderful holiday treat that is a pleasant trip, not at all scary. It will be presented at Trinity Repertory at the upstairs Elizabeth and Malcolm Chase theater until Dec. 29. For tickets, call the box office at 401-351-4242. Adult ticket prices for A Christmas Carol start at Tickets are $36-$70. Children’s tickets (age 2-14) start at $22. For information on group discounts for parties of 20 or more contact Group Sales at 401-351-4242 or online at online at: http://www.trinityrep.com

“Red” at the Gamm Theater

By Richard Pacheco

The Gamm Theater’s current production of John Logan’s Tony Award winning “Red” is relentless, compelling and eminently fascinating. It concerns a fictionalized account of eminent painter Mark Rothko’s attempt to create a space in the Four Seasons Restaurant where viewers could truly interact with his artwork in a contemplative manner. This two person play is propelled by the endearing and masterful performances of Fred Sullivan Jr. as Mark Rothko and Mark Dante Mancini as his assistant. This is extraordinary theater that amuses, provokes and haunts throughout. It grabs hold of you and never lets go as you watch the squirming antics of the depressed, yet funny Rothko and his assistant as they go at it and develop a vibrant relationship between them, part father and son, part mentor and pupil part friends.

              Fred Sullivan Jr. is compelling as Rothko, a man beset by huge doubts and relentless passion for his art and getting it to the viewers in a way that impacts their lives indelibly. Mr. Sullivan’s Rothko is a man who changes like a chameleon, one moment rash, brash and egotistical as well as eccentric to the next, compassionate and insightful.  This is a complex, troubled character that Mr. Sullivan brings vividly to life. It is Mr. Sullivan’s first appearance onstage at the Gamm, but he is a longtime Trinity Rep actor and director at the Gamm,

Marc Dante Mancini is his perfect foil as Ken, his assistant. Ken is a student artist, thrilled to be working with the legendary abstract expressionist painter. This too is a highly complex character, beset by doubts and ambitions, wanting to succeed, yet not wanting to offend his employer. Mr. Mancini creates a fine mixture of student uncertainty and awe with an underlying desire to understand and zealous exploration of the nature of art. It is a deft performance, truthful and energetic.

Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Mancini create a kinetic chemistry onstage between each other. There is so much energy here, intellectual, emotional and artistic that it never fails to enlighten and charm even the midst of enraged outbursts..

Together they do a deft dance of passion and energy, discussing art and life with equal verve and vigor. They are somehow inexorably tied to each other, both repelled and attracted to each other’s intellect and artistic passion. Rothko is the well established mentor, the legend to Ken’s fledgling artist full of hopes and dreams as well as artistic ambition while battling with his difficult and emotional past. Underlying it all is Rothko facing his greatest artistic challenge, murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant in the new Seagram’s Building while being threatened by the emerging new generation of artists coming up to challenge his authority and accomplishments.

“Red” is a vibrant, ardent ride into the meaning between art and its viewer, between an older generation of artists and the one that replaces it and between artist and assistant. As Rothko points out, “first you must respect them, then kill them” when it comes to artists succeeding their predecessors.

The play is also an enthralling and inexorable dialogue about art and those who make art. It is articulate and intelligent, fuelled by energy and sincerity. As Rothko points out in the play, “I am here to stop your heart. I am here to make you think. I am not here to make pretty pictures.” They play makes you think, often breathlessly. It creates a vivid portrait of an artist in the act of art, which drives his life forward.

It is highly memorable and permeates the mind and heart with indelible precision and zest. It is a must see production.

Director Tony Estrella keeps it all flawlessly on track, by turns funny and passionate, full of energy and vigor.

The set by Michael McGarty is rich and a vivid recreation of an artists studio. The Marilyn Salvatore costumes are right on the mark. The light design by David Roy is impeccable.

It will be presented until Dec. 16 at the Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket, RI. Tickets are $36 to $45 depending on time/day. Discounts for groups of ten or more, seniors and students. Tickets at 401-723-4266 or gammtheatre.org

An Inspector Calls at Second Story Theatre

By Richard Pacheco

               Second Story Theatre delivers a witty and intriguing production of J.B. Priestly’s 
“An Inspector Calls” at the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High Street, Bristol.

            The play, set around the First World War time period, just before it, is family gathering and celebration gone sour. The Birling family is together to celebrate their good fortune, full of self congratulations and good cheer. Sheila is getting engaged to the equally wealthy and prominent Gerald Croft. This will be not only a family merger but a business merger. These people are incredibly wealthy, sleek sophisticated and aloof. But beneath this veneer of proper sophistication there is a darker layer of hidden secrets and that is where the mystery lies. All of this becomes clear when a mysterious police inspector arrives to put them through their paces with some devastating questions. A young woman has committed suicide in a most horrible way and the inspector believes he can find some answers here, so far away from that grisly scene.

            The play is packed with relentless twists and turns and the inspector digs deeper into the dead young woman’s past and the people in the room with vigor and mercilessly dedicated to finding the truth. Oddly, the inspector seems to know certain answers before he asks the questions and his manner is not accusatory, but deeply probing.. The result is a witty and delightful mystery with jabs of comedy throughout.

Vince Petronio is a delight as Inspector Goole. He is poised and astute in his relentless and cagey pursuit of the dark secrets he knows lies here.  Mr. Petronio is the perfect calm, cool and collected inspector who knows what he wants and how to best get it.

Tom Roberts is engaging as Arthur Birling, the family patriarch, a man set in his ways and superlative businessman with an every ready eye to the bottom line. Mr. Roberts is determined to protect his family and his business from outside assaults and ready to use any means he has to defend them and prevent scandal at all costs. Mr. Roberts is imposing in the role.

Laura Sorensen is incisive as Sheila Birling, a young woman brought up in sheer luxury and disdain for those others, less privileged than her, who gets to look into her life with astonishing revelations. Ms. Sorensen is highly convincing in her balance between elegance and sincerity.

Tim White is poised and intelligent as Sheila’s fiancé, Gerald Croft.  He is a man beset by personal challenges and dark doubts about a bright future. It is a strong, nuanced performance.

Jeff Church is engaging as the dissolute and hard drinking brother, Eric Birling. Mr. Church is outstanding as the man who while he takes advantage of his advantages his darker thoughts about them at the same time.

Joan Batting is incisive as the family matriarch, Sybil, who knows all too well her status in life and what it takes to protect it. She is aloof and self assured, above it all. She knows she is right, and she is right, facts be dammed.

Valerie Westgate rounds out the cast as the maid, Edna.

It is a well honed performance, with many laughs along the way. There are provocative questions here, which resonate to current day. The cast is right on target with their poise and character twists and turns marked by a sincerity that is endearing and at times surprising or off-putting. It is engaging fun and presented with no intermission, running time one hour and fifteen minutes.

Director Ed Shea keeps a fine balance between the wit and mystery in the play. It is vivid and impressive.

Trevor Elliot’s set is sheer delight, elegant and simple at the same time. Ron Cesario’s costume designs are impeccable, sophisticated  and graceful, faithful to the time period.

It will be presented again at the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High Street, Bristol, RI until Dec. 2. Box office 401-247-4200. www.2ndstorytheatre.com Tickets $25, Performances Wed, thru Sun. at 8 pm, except for Sun. which are at 3 pm and 7 pm on different Sundays.