Musical Version of Jane Austen's "PERSUASION" at Taproot Theatre — A Review

Life rarely offers us second chances, but now you have one if you have not yet seen Taproot Theatre's production of Persuasion. In fact, this musical adaptation of Jane Austen's novel by the same name is about second chances, and much more. It is at Taproot's Jewell Mainstage Theatre, in Seattle, through August 26, 2017. Thanks to positive audience response, it has been extended with extra performance times. Don't miss the opportunity.

Cayman Ilika & Matthew Posner in Persuasion at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Harold Taw wrote the book, and Chris Jeffries the music and lyrics. Together, they have given a new life to an old tale. It takes place during the Regency era in England, roughly from the late 18th century through the first two decades of the 19th century. Just as today, we see a society with its own "1%" versus "99%" imbalance. We step into the world of a titled English family desperately clinging to its phony, snobbish, aristocratic lifestyle, a family that refuses to quit spending lavishly or putting on airs, even though the money is basically gone. The protagonist, Anne Elliot (Cayman Ilika), is the only family member with common sense, genuine compassion, and humility. 
  

Matthew Posner, Sophia Franzella, Ryan Childers, Chelsea LeValley, Cayman Ilika & Randy Scholz in Persuasion at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Apparently doomed to spinsterhood, and with liberal views concerning women and the worth of those in the lower classes, she is almost an embarrassment to her father, Sir Walter Elliot (Nick DeSantis). Her mother died previously. One sister, Mary Musgrove (Kate Jaeger) is married. The other one, Elizabeth Elliot (Chelsea LeValley), is the father's favorite, looking for a rich husband who will indulge her as he has. 

Anne Elliot would have been married, had she not rejected the love of her life, a member of the British navy, after being persuaded to end the match based on their class differences. Her status-conscious godmother, Lady Russell (Caitlin Frances) did most of the persuading. At the beginning of the musical, we learn this lost love has returned, eight years after being jilted. Now, known as Captain Wentworth (Matthew Posner), he returns a hero of the Napoleonic Wars. This was at a time in English society when changing views allowed for accomplishment, rather than merely inherited wealth, to be considered a path to full acceptance as a gentleman. 

Nick DeSantis, Cayman Ilika & Matthew Posner in Persuasion at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Anne Elliot's emotional struggles over her regrets, the feelings she still has for him, and the idea of a woman exerting her own will against the forces imposed on her by family and society, form the basis of the story. Will they reunite, or not? The lasting pain of of their shared past and the love each still feels provide a poignancy the fine acting and expressive voices of Ilika and Posner make relatable and deeply moving. Director Karen Lund has nurtured another winner.

The hope of having a second chance, and then the question of whether or not to make the most of that chance when it is offered, is a facet of human experience as relevant today as 200 years ago. Austen completed this novel, her last, in 1816, then died in 1817. It was published posthumously in 1818. She knew, first hand, about the barriers between the social classes and the rigid restrictions on women's choices. Born into a genteel but impoverished family, Austen's only hope of a better life was through marriage. Yet, she was not considered a suitable bride for the young man she loved, whose family persuaded him to marry for money instead. 

Caitlin Frances, Nick DeSantis & Matthew Posner in Persuasion at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The novel's cast of characters are not all actually seen in this musical, and the audience must accept the fact that some actors play multiple characters who physically resembled each other perhaps a bit too much. But this did not really detract. All actors gave excellent performances! Lovely costumes by Sarah Burch Gordon and authentic dancing, choreographed by Katy Tabb, helped create the feel of the era. So did the work of Dialect Coach Ben Wippel.

The novel's rather complicated plot has been simplified here, but some knowledge of that source would help in understanding who is being referred to and what is happening. Another difference is that, in the musical, the character of Anne Elliot is more impassioned about the rights of women. She leaves little doubt about her progressive feminist views, whereas in the novel, she seems to have less of a sense of victimization and more tolerance for the idea of maintaining social order, even at the expense of personal freedom. In both the book and musical, Anne upholds the ideal of a marriage in which partners are equal.

Cayman Ilika, Sophia Franzella, Caitlin Frances, Chelsea LeValley & Kate Jaeger in Persuasion at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The musical Persuasion was created in 2015 during the 5th Avenue Theatre's intense month-long event called NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals. Then, in 2016, it underwent refinement at the Texas Musical Theatre Workshop. The results will impress you. At first, the idea of a Jane Austen novel as a musical seemed strange, but I loved every minute. The music was so pleasing, and the lyrics expressed complex emotions and situations in a way that felt natural. I could hear every word clearly, with perfect volume. This production offers a delightful blend of serious social commentary, romantic tension, good humor, memorable characters, and the suspense of not knowing for sure what decisions those characters will make. With all of that, it added up to a most engaging performance. I highly recommend it. If you allow yourself to be influenced by my own persuasion, you will thank me.

Tickets will be gone soon! Order yours here.

"Evidence of Things Unseen" at Taproot Theatre Poignantly Mirrors Real Life — A Review

 No matter who you are, the play Evidence of Things Unseen, at Seattle's Taproot Theatre now through April 29, will feel personal to you. Life is complicated, for all of us. This finely crafted drama by Seattle native Katie Forgette takes the raw clay of that simple truth and sculpts a story filled with the pain of grief and the release of humor, tension and tenderness, the desire for revenge and the need to let go. Forgette's complex characters will remind you of friends, family members, or even yourself. Their conversations sound natural and believable, spiced with wittiness. Above all, this beautifully acted play is a story of finding grace.

Michael Winters, Christine Marie Brown and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Two very different sisters each love their elderly father and want to help him deal with a tragedy even as they struggle to do so themselves. Jane (Jenny Vaughn Hall, who impressed me before in Best of Enemies) turns to her Christian beliefs while her sister Abigail (Christine Marie Brown) has little patience with all of that. Their opposing views create seemingly irreconcilable conflicts. In spite of their obvious love for each other, jealousies and insecurities surface. Choosing action over passivity, Abigail seeks justice above all, but will find that it is not a simple or satisfying matter. Their most lovable father, Jack (Michael Winters), a former academic, is living in a care facility, where bird watching remains his only joy. Their three-partner dance involves fluid shifts of protectiveness, parent/child dynamics, and personal power. They perform this dance to the music of genuine love and concern for each other, even while not always quite in step.

The fourth character, Daniel (Chip Wood), seems to be the axis of guilt and regret, from which fateful consequences swirl outward to envelope other lives. Yet he has his own story too. The script raises seriously questions about responsibility and accountability when personal pain leads to choices that affect others.

Then there are the ghosts who also dwell on the edges of this expanding universe, beyond reach, but forever a part of it. We all have those. 

Christine Marie Brown, Michael Winters and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Another kind of loss examined, if lightly, in this play is the very real loss of personal power over one's bodily capabilities, range of choices, and living circumstances, as aging occurs. Jack's sense of losing his significance to society feels painfully real, thinking of our own parents and what lies ahead for each of us. What he must face reminds me of a sad observation. No matter how well life is lived, or how many decades people have faithfully "paid their dues," they never seem to reach the point where the work is done and they can simply, happily, coast along. Even to the very end, most of us will continue to be called upon to face and adjust to loss and change.

We all have families. We all experience loss. We all struggle, at times, to understand why things happen the way they do. And that goes for even the most religiously devout among us. At one point, the frustrated Jane looks heavenward and says, "You can step in any time now!" Is there really a grand plan behind the way lives intersect as they do, or do events happen randomly? Can we love and  work together for a greater good, even we disagree? These questions and more, make the play relatable to every person in the audience.

Beautifully spare in terms of props, actors, and explanations, the play manages in only about 80 minutes, and with a storyline covering only a few days, to give us the sense of decades of marriage, misunderstandings, mistakes, and personal journeys of growth.  Scott Nolte's excellent direction draws the best from these fine actors and a powerful script that also includes many very funny lines. I have seen so much great acting at Taproot, and this is some of the best. 

Michael Winters and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Through the use of sound effects—singing birds and flowing water—we immerse ourselves in the peacefulness of nature. In contrast to these imagined bucolic scenes, however, is the background to this stage set, which, frankly, detracted. I have always loved the sets at Taproot, and expect to again, but not this one. I would describe it as a tangled, thorny-looking, and slightly disturbing frame at the back of the stage that seemed incongruent with the story, although dramaturg Sonja Lowe would disagree. In an article in the program titled Fragmented Wholeness, she explains how the abstract structures Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira creates from found scraps of wood, refuse of the streets, inspired scenic designer Amanda Sweger. Meant to represent "brokenness and wholeness," its symbolism was apparently too subtle for my mind. Instead, it merely distracted from a beautiful, although painful, story. At times, I felt the same way about the music, although the sound design in general was well done.

Those were the only two slight negatives in this most worthwhile and moving production. As usual, Sarah Burch Gordon's costume design is pure perfection. The way she dressed these characters said as much about their personalities and tastes as any lines spoken.

This intense and beautifully acted play brings memories of our own moments of family drama, sibling tensions, and questions that remain unanswered. The tenderness I felt toward the father, Jack, clearly came from my own experiences at the end of my own father's life. In the case of this particular family in Evidence of Things Unseen, the things unseen, the "truths," can only be viewed from a distance, by stepping back far enough from ourselves and our own perceptions to see the greater whole, the biggest of the big pictures. The evidence that meaning does exist must be, simply, the existence of love. Reconnect with yours at Taproot. I highly recommend this play.

For tickets, see http://taproottheatre.org  or call (206) 781-9708. 

"Room Service" Delivers at Taproot Theatre in Seattle— A Review

Christopher Morson in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug

On February 3, Seattle's Taproot Theatre opened its 2017 Jewell Mainstage season with the classic comedy Room Service. It sounded as appealing to me as a bowl of hot soup on that rainy, gloomy evening in this particularly dark winter, and it was. It warmed, cheered, nourished, and satisfied, but with different seasonings than I expected. As with real room service, you don't know until you lift off the shiny domed cover whether or not the order will match the image in your mind. This did not quite match mine, but still pleased me.

Knowing a bit about this work's history will help shape your own expectations. Although its promotion includes references to the famous Marx Brothers, attendees need to understand that the original play inspired the 1938 Marx Brothers movie by that name, not the other way around. 

Daniel Stoltenberg, Erwin Galán and Eric Hampton in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Written by Allen Boretz and John Murray in 1937, the play Room Service  lifted the spirits of audiences during the Great Depression and became a hit. That success led RKO Pictures to buy the rights in order to produce the 1938 film version, using the Marx Brothers. It was not as successful as other films written specifically for them, or as successful as the original play itself, which ran through 500 performances. Yet, if you are a diehard Marx Brothers fan, you might expect this production's actors to imitate that unique brand of silliness, and be disappointed. Let go of that notion and appreciate it for its own merits.

Mike Spee, Bill Johns, Nikki Visel and Christopher Morson in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Like the movie, Taproot's Room Service, directed by Associate Artistic Director Karen Lund, tells the story of an intrepid theater troupe, high on enthusiasm but short on funds as they try to produce a play. Their producer, Gordon Miller (Erwin Galán), is running up huge bills by housing all of them in the White Way Hotel while he waits to find a financial backer. Coincidentally, the manager of the hotel, Joseph Gribble (Mike Spee) is married to Miller's sister. This relationship puts poor Gribble in a most awkward and stressful position, (made all the more tense by Spee's fine acting) especially after hotel company executive, Gladys Wagner (Nikki Visel) arrives to whip the White Way into shape. She has had enough of Miller's overdue bills and threatens to kick out the whole theater company.

Miller, his director, Harry Binion (Daniel Stoltenberg), and his business manager, Faker England (Eric Hampton) prepare to hastily  leave town when two things happen that give them hope and complicate matters. The young playwright, small town mama's boy Leo Davis (Christopher Morson) unexpectedly shows up at the hotel, penniless and owing money on his typewriter. With no place to go, he stays in a room shared by others who will exploit him in several ways, stealing the typewriter to buy food, and having him fake a serious illness to prevent their expulsion from the hotel. About the same time, Miller's girlfriend, Christine Marlowe (Melanie Hampton) seems to have found a backer at last.

Eric Hampton, Melanie Hampton, Daniel Stoltenberg, Erwin Galán and Christopher Moron in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

That backer, a well-known person, is represented by a woman named Sylvia Jenkins (Kim Morris) who arrives for a meeting with Miller to give him a check (that ultimately bounces because she stops payment). Morris's performance in this role was one of the best and funniest in the production, perfect, really. The combination of Jenkin's gushy, lady-like demeanor and obvious lust for young males creates a delightful and engaging character. Morris has also mastered the art of subtlety, making the role all the more enticing by causing one to wonder if Jenkins is really who she claims to be, or is possibly pulling off a trick of her own. In addition to playing the part of Jenkins, Morris also appeared in the smaller role of Thelma Hogarth, a representative of a collection agency, with equally hilarious results.

The tension in this play arises from several sources. Will the money come through in time to keep the troupe from being thrown out on the street? Who will be fired? Will the staged illness and possible (faked) death of Davis result in scandal against the hotel too great for Wagner to risk, thereby forcing her cooperation? Will Davis see his play be produced and successful, solving all their worries? 

Laura Lee Caudill and Christopher Morson in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Many other facets of this fun farce offer good entertainment. A romantic attraction between Davis, and hotel employee Hilda Manney (Laura Lee Caudill) provides awkward moments. A Russian-American actor named Sasha Smirnoff (Bill Johns) wants desperately to audition for a part, to the point of bringing food from the kitchen to the theater troupe's starving leaders in exchange for the opportunity. The talented Johns excelled in this role, as well as three others. He also played Dr. Glass, a bank messenger, and Senator Blake. Stoltenberg, as the director, Binion, was another of my favorites. He could drop a hilarious comment like no one else. Hampton, as business manager Englund, offered some good laughs too, through his goofy character. 

Galán, as Miller, the part played by Groucho Marx in the film version, is not Groucho, nor does he need to be. Without the cigar, monotone voice, and animated eyebrows, this very experienced actor did a fine job of creating his own unique version of a lively character who will do anything to produce the play, even if that involves shenanigans. 

Taproot Theatre serves up this production of Room Service with the perfect place setting. All action happens within a single hotel room complete with just the right furnishings and multiple doors as props. Much of the show's non-stop action involves them opening and slamming shut as character find themselves locked in or out, coming, going, hiding, and escaping. It's madcap fun.

The costume staff, true to my observations at all Taproot productions, did an outstanding job. Lighting, sound, and stage direction were excellent too.

Nikki Visel, Bill Johns and Mike Spee in Room Service at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

If the play has any drawbacks at all, it could be those references to the Marx Brothers and some bits of physical comedy that came close to their style, but still fell somewhat short. The production might have tried too hard to replicate that particular zaniness, unnecessarily, since it can stand on its own.

As a comedy, rather than a drama, Room Service delivers a light meal, but one worth enjoying. It also serves to remind us, as our nation faces uncertainty, that humor helps buoy hope and the arts are critical to any society's collective intellectual and emotional well-being. (So please support live theater!)

The show runs through March 1, 2017. In addition to the regular schedule  (with more than 20 performances remaining as of the date of this post's publication), the theater offers some special events. One is a Valentine's Day performance at 7:30 on Feb. 14. Intergenerational Matinee at 10 a.m. on Feb. 15, followed by an educational post-play discussion. 

Taproot Theatre Company, a professional, no-profit theatre company, is located at 204 N 85th St., Seattle WA 98103 

Box office hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Phone (206) 781-9707OX 

"JOYFUL NOISE" at Taproot Theatre — a review

Jim Gall in Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug

Christmas is still nearly three months away, but if you are one of those people who love Handel's Messiah and can hardly wait to sing along with the Hallelujah Chorus, you can do something right now to make one of your favorite holiday experiences more meaningful. Attend the play Joyful Noise at Seattle’s Taproot Theatre, running now through October 21. It reveals the dramatic story most people do not know about the creation of this particular piece of classical music.

Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director Scott Nolte, Tim Slover’s book, lyrics, and music bring the history of George Frideric Handel’s most famous and beloved musical composition to life on the Jewel Mainstage Theatre’s stage. While being entertained, you will discover things about Handel your childhood piano teacher never taught you. Perhaps you will even find yourself motivated, as I was, to research not only Handel’s life, but also the lives of the other historical characters portrayed by this talented cast. 

Jim Gall in Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Born in Germany in 1685, Handel was a child prodigy. By the age of 10, he could compose for several instruments. As a young adult, already devoting his life to music, he produced his first opera, Almira, which immediately became a great success.He spent three years immersed in the Italian opera scene before leaving Venice in 1710 to move to London. There he composed his opera Rinaldo in two weeks’ time and saw it performed during the 1710-1711 opera season. It, too, was a major success, launching his career. He became a citizen of England in 1726, composing music for royalty and generally enjoying his status as a celebrity. However, he would soon face struggles, and Joyful Noise opens in the middle of this chaos. 

The play is set in London and Leicestershire, England, in the time frame of 1741 through 1743, during the reign of King George II (Frank Lawler). The glitter of Italian opera, and the previously brilliant career of Handel (Jim Gall), had begun to tarnish. He lacked financial backing, caused himself embarrassment by ranting publicly about the rejection of his operas, and an ongoing feud between two women singers, Kitty Clive (Molli Corcoran) and Susannah Cibber (Allison Standley) made life more than stressful.

Jim Gall, Molli Corcoran, Chris Shea and Allison Standley in Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

It was also during this time that a wealthy fan, the librettist Charles Jennens (Kevin Pitman) asked Handel to compose an oratorio about the life of Jesus Christ based on Jennens’ carefully arranged passages from scripture. This composition, finished in a few weeks, was as unique as it was brilliant. Although based on religion, it was to be performed not in a church but a concert hall, (for Easter, not Christmas).

As if the issue of performing a religious work in a secular setting did not raise enough controversy on its own, scandal surrounding Cibber, an accused adulteress, fueled moral outrage as well. However, when Messiah debuted in Dublin, Ireland, her emotional singing endeared her to all. The oratorio dazzled audiences, who were deeply moved by the powerful music that recognized the truly human side of religion. Things did not go so well back in London however. Bishop Henry Egerton (William Kumma) had his own career goals in mind when he became a force that nearly destroyed Messiah’s chances for success in London. The ugliness of church politics contrasted with the uplifting quality of Messiah was a striking point in this play.

William Kumma in Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The play examines this intertwining of subplots in an arresting way in a short two-hour time span, although at times some of them felt too condensed. The acting was excellent in all cases. Gall gave Handel so much personality. You come to see how his passionate nature and determination to do things his own way might have enabled him to create such a masterpiece. I loved his attitude about God not being remote and inaccessible to human beings, but out in “the mud” of their existence. Lawler was a delight as Charles II who, like Handel, contributed humor and humanity to the story. Kumma’s performance as Bishop Egerton showed us a character with a calm, pious exterior hiding typically self-serving human motivations. Pitman, as Jennens, succeeded giving an edge to the real tensions that can result in situations of collaboration. Actor Chris Shea was wonderful in his role of John Christopher Smith, Handel’s copyist and secretary, but also a composer in his own right, I learned.

Nolte, too, brought humor and smiles to the stage with her portrayal of Mary Pendarves, Handel’s greatest fan. A poet, music patron, and kind benefactor, she is overly dramatic and probably too nice for her own good. She protects and sympathizes with Cibber, who always portrays herself as a victim, even though obviously opportunistic and manipulative. Standley develops this character with such skill that the viewer sees both sides of her personality. While we feel for her over her separation from her child, we watch her physically assault competing songstress Clive, who, in real life, was considered London’s most popular woman actress and singer at the time. One weakness of this play is the rapidity of the eventual reconciliation between these two women, after being bitter rivals for so long. It felt unbelievable. I also wished the script would have revealed more about Clive, a role Corcoran played so well, instead of a mere glimpse into her side of the story.

Jim Gall, Molli Corcoran, Chris Shea and Allison Standley in Joyful Noise at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The versatile set design, by Don Yanik, made a perfect framework for this play, allowing it to move quickly and smoothly from one situation to the next. (Actually, dates and locations projected onto a surface above the stage, for our enlightenment, flashed on and off a bit too quickly for me to jot down in my notes, which was frustrating.) Nanette Acosta’s beautiful costumes added so much with their historical accuracy and attention to detail. Kudos to everyone on the production staff for a job well done. Another aspect of the production that was especially effective was the way some scenes split into different bits of dialog, where some actors froze in their exchanges while, on another part of the stage, we could eavesdrop on a separate conversation.

I highly recommend Joyful Noise. Go see it, and next time you hear Handel’s Messiah, you will have a greater appreciation for the near miracle of its existence, in spite of human dramas, politics, and all else that would have squelched creativity in anyone less amazing than Handel. 

Here is your link for tickets: http://taproottheatre.org/buy-tickets/

MUSICAL "GREASE" AT THE 5TH AVENUE DOES NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO SLIDE

Danny Zuko (Bryan Gula) and Sandy Dumbrowski (Solea Pfeiffer), center, with the Company of Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Mark Kitaoka

I looked forward to the musical “Grease” at The 5th Avenue for months, but came away with mixed feelings. This production, which runs July 9-Aug. 2, 2015, got off to a great start. The Dusty 45s, a 1950s-style Seattle band, opened the show, supposedly playing for a reunion of a Class of ’59 from a fictitious high school. Led by the energetic guitar and trumpet player Billy Joe Huels (Johnny Casino, here) every member contributed rocket fuel for a blast of a performance leading into the musical, and other fine musicians joined them later. That music set the mood and was probably the main reason most of the audience went wild for this production, directed by Eric Ankrim. That audience included people ranging in age from those young enough to think of the ‘50s as their grandparents’ era to those who probably did graduate in 1959. 

The Company of Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Tracy Martin

The problem with this show was that it is neither raw enough to feel painfully realistic nor sweet enough to come across as pure hokey nostalgia. Some of the things said, done, and talked about, especially in mixed company, were just too far-fetchef, if you wanted nostalgia. On the rougher side, the raunchy trash talk seemed gratuitous, like a added dose of token "bad ass" but not convincingly scary, just crass. 

In spite of that, everyone in the cast performed well within the confines of their roles. The 5th Avenue’s version of Grease does have plenty to offer if you want to spend a fun evening immersed in a clichéd view of the ‘50s with a Mickey-Mouse-Club-turned-naughty feel. The male lead, Bryan Gula, as Danny Zuko of the “greaser” crowd, and Solea Pfeiffer as the proper good girl, Sandy Dumbrowski, did not entirely convince me of their teenage angst and frustration, but they gave it a good try. Petite fireball Kirsten deLohr Helland will be remembered for her edgier role as bad girl Betty Rizzo (who actually had more depth and integrity than some of her peers), but she had a bit too much of an attitude at times. Fortunately, Helland did a fine job of bringing out Rizzo's humanity when it counted, giving this musical a badly needed touch of real drama. Kudos to her.

Rizzo (Kirsten deLohr Helland, center) and the Company of Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Tracy Martin

The plot suffers from disjointedness and confusion. One minute a rumble is about to happen among the boys (although the threat never seemed real), and the next minute we’re on to a new scene with no idea whether or not the rumble happened. The lead couple is on the outs and then suddenly on the hood of the car, ready to kiss, but when did they reconcile? Ironically, one of the best scenes I saw seemed inserted into the story without any logical reason. It centered around Frenchie (Sarah Rose Davis), the beauty school dropout, and Teen Angel (Kyle Robert Carter) and provided not only creative and fun examples of set and costume design, but also a chance to hear Carter's wonderful solo, the best voice I heard all evening.

Frenchie (Sarah Rose Davis) and Teen Angel (Kyle Robert Carter), center, and the Company of Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.              Photo credit Tracy Martin

There were other good voices, but I did not like the way the microphones affected them and sometimes thought they were too loud in comparison with the live music. I loved the choreography throughout. There was a lot of talent on that stage, a lot of it very young talent, but the cast also included veteran actress Marianne Owen, who played the one adult in the musical, Miss Lynch. Owen always gives a great performance. I enjoyed and appreciated Harmony Arnold’s costume designs, Christopher Mumaw’s stage sets, and Tom Sturge’s typically perfect lighting.

Danny Zuko (Bryan Gula) and Sandy Dumbrowski (Solea Pfeiffer) in Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Tracy Martin

People in the audience seemed to love this show. The woman sitting next to me could possibly have been in high school in the late ‘50s, and she and her friends were having a great time. She whooped and whistled, moved to the music, and applauded wildly. Meanwhile, I sat there next to my equally quiet husband, thinking, Man, what’s wrong with me? I must be way, way too serious. I did enjoy it, did applaud, but in spite of great performances and fun music, I just didn’t feel truly engaged, much less on the verge of swooning, and some of it irritated me.

Sandy Dumbrowsk (Solea Pfeiffer, center) and the Company of Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Mark Kitaoka

As we watched what was supposed to be these characters' mapless journeys from the struggles and insecurities of youth to adulthood, I suspected that most of them would miss the turnoff and never reach their destination. This had to be the most immature bunch of high school seniors ever, posing as tough gang members and their girlfriends. I questioned why this musical celebrates Sandy's rise in social status gained by completely succumbing to peer pressure, giving up her good girl looks and ways for sleaze appeal, as victorious. According to the program, this was a transition from “uptight teenager to a joyful young woman,” as if cigarettes, tight pants, a boy friend who treats you badly, and conformity necessarily lead to a joyful life. (I wonder how Sandy looked at the 30-year reunion.)

Maybe the problem was that my memories of 1959 are those of a very young child from what people would have called a "respectable family" in a small town. My older sister and her boyfriend were high school seniors about that time. My sister could have stepped right out of a 1950s movie role. Pretty and popular, she lived, it seemed to my four-year-old self, in a magical swirl of high school clubs, dances, football games, wool skirts and sweaters, saddle shoes, record players, 45s, and all. From my adult viewpoint, there’s little doubt that beer, cigarettes, and sex entered into the picture during their teen years too, but those things never entered my innocent mind at the time I was making my own memories of the late '50s. The closest thing to Grease in my young life was whatever my sister’s boyfriend used to slick his hair back into a D.A., and I adored him. After all, he let me sit on his lap and steer his car.

Kenickie (Saxton Jay, center) and (l-r) Sonny (Jorden Bolden), Doody (Kody Bringman), and Roger (Patrick Shelton) in Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Photo credit Mark Kitaoka

This fascination with the ‘50s puzzles me sometimes. I asked my husband why he thought that decade became symbolic of carefree youth, fun, and happiness, when in reality, it included the Korean War, McCarthyism, segregation, bomb shelters, and a post World War II society that pressured women back into the Betty Crocker cookbook role of subservient housewives, after they had held vital jobs in the defense industry. Why are so many people so in love with a fantasy?

“It was the music,” he said. “It had all that energy.” 

He’s right, I’m sure. An evening spent watching Grease at The 5th Avenue will definitely energize you. Go. Have fun. Just don’t believe everything you see and hear.

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"Best of Enemies" at Taproot Theatre, Based on a True Story, Confronts, Moves, and Inspires — a review

  Jeff Berryman and Faith Russell in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug

There exists a kind of time travel that forces a person, ready or not, through darkness and extreme discomfort on a trip as irreversible as birth. A play called Best of Enemies, at Taproot Theatre in Seattle March 25-April 25, 2015, takes audiences on this trip. It tears away the insulating comfort of group identification, the notion of “them and us,” as it examines human prejudices and commonalities. Hopefully, as in the journey of birth, the traveler ultimately reaches a place of light, joy, and a new life, or at least the potential for as much.

Written by Mark St. Germain and directed by Scott Nolte, this powerfully moving, tragic, and uplifting play is based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson, a true story of how a Ku Klux Klan member named C.P. Ellis and a female black civil rights activist named Ann Atwater ended up working together for the betterment of their communities in Durham, North Carolina, and how that connection forever changed both of them and the course of their lives. Taproot Theatre Company hopes this production will change other lives as well. 

 Faith Russell, Corey Spruill and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The vehicle for time travel used here appears to be simple, at first, a product of Richard Lorig’s creative scenic design—a table and a few chairs on an otherwise empty stage, a wall covered with enlarged newspaper clippings, some TV screens showing black and white photographs that change, simple props like a couple of telephones, and some liquor bottles. Then you notice that the newspaper clippings are of events related to the struggle for civil rights in the years following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Images on the screens flash back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ghostly voices of radio personalities with racist agendas blare forth at times. 

The characters, too, appear simple at first. Have we not met them before? Are we not tempted to stereotype them ourselves—the bigoted Klansman, the outraged and outspoken black woman, the do-gooder civil rights worker from up north, the housewife and stay-at-home mother? Do not make that mistake. Each character, before your eyes, becomes a fully developed and deeply complex human being, each with their own pain, presumptions, and suspicions born of experience, fear, loneliness, and a lack of communication.

  Faith Russell and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

On this canvas of a stage with its sparse furnishings, I watched four fine actors paint a mural of their characters’ shared history and humanity using brushstrokes of raw feelings and excellent acting. The first stroke shocked me like a slash of blood red paint. The character of C.P. Ellis (Jeff Berryman) addressed an invisible gathering of Klan members, gleeful over the assassination of Martin Luther King. Although the theater’s size makes it feel intimate, it was also nearly full on the night I attended. Yet it seemed that during the short pauses in his highly offensive rants, Berryman managed to stare right into the eyes of everyone there, not only into mine. I could feel all of us squirm as the impact of his words hit us. Berryman had the talent to make me afraid and later make me care, as he revealed his character’s personal pain and insecurities.

Equally intimidating in her own way was the character of Ann Atwater, artfully portrayed by Faith Russell. At first Atwater gave me little more to relate to than did Ellis. Both were harsh, angry, self-righteous, stereotypical and stereotyping, both believing God was on their side. They both used words like weapons, and at first did not even seem willing to reach a middle ground. They delivered both side-splitting and heart breaking lines, Germain’s often witty script giving some balance to the heavy subject matter and helping to ease the tension as we watched two people change. Initially filled with hate, they come to terms with the uncomfortable fact that they are actually beginning to respect, understand, and even like each other, but at a price. 

Another character was Bill Riddick (Corey Spruill), a black civil rights worker from out of town who has come to help organize meetings of both sides in the hope of fostering communication and understanding. With a smile on his face and an air of eternal optimism, covering realistic worries, he deftly sets up the loom that will weave these opposing forces together. Spruill’s sensitive performance required him to walk the tightrope between humility and incredible bravery, and he never fell.

Jenny Vaughn Hall and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Jenny Vaughn Hall played the part of Mary Ellis, wife of Klansman and gas station/garage owner C.P. Ellis was simply outstanding in this role. She gave her character a familiarity that hid a quiet strength and depth, making an ordinary woman seem extraordinary and reminding us that profound spiritual wisdom and great heart sometimes come in a package we take for granted as common. This talented actress just found a new fan, and I hope to see her on stage again soon.

Amanda Sweger’s lighting design, Sarah Burch Gordon’s perfect costumes, and Mark Lund’s clever and oh so effective sound and video design all combined for a powerful sensory experience. Stage Manager Claire Branch, Dramaturg Shelby Vander Molen and Dialect Coach Simon Pringle obviously made huge contributions as well. 

A thoughtfully chosen mix of the era’s popular music served as a soundtrack for Best of Enemies. They took me back, those lyrics of my earlier life, those tunes that made me recall where I was when I heard them, and with whom. If I could have, I would have chosen to remember those years with embarrassingly innocent nostalgia, distanced as I was from the most blatant forms of discrimination. However, the true history of those times includes ugly injustices too easily ignored or accepted, even here in the Pacific Northwest, our little paradise with it’s own dark past, and in some cases, present.

I highly recommend Best of Enemies and hope everyone reading this will go to see it. (Order tickets here.) I guarantee that you will laugh and cry, because the forces of personality and circumstance feel so real. When you think about what it took to play these uncomfortable parts, your admiration for the cast will soar. I cannot quit thinking about Russell’s comment about her role as Ann Atwater during the post play discussion.

“To make it real and valid, I allow the impact of it,” she said. 

I promise, you will see and feel that impact. Then, think about how what you have seen will change your perception of history and the emotional lives and experiences of your fellow human beings. This trip back through time is not always a fun vacation, but one you will be glad you took. If the real C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwood could work out their differences, there is hope for the rest of us.

 Faith Russell, Corey Spruill and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

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