My Fair Lady was the first show I ever saw whose scenery included turntables (Oliver Smith's set for the prize-winning 1956 musical employed two externally tangential revolves). It wasn't until Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in 1964 (with scenery designed by Boris Aronson) that I had a chance to see how two internally tangential turntables could heighten a scene's dramatic impact.
Since then, advances in computer technology have been a key factor in automating stage machinery. Having seen numerous productions that utilize single turntables as well as internally and externally tangential turntables, I've concluded that a floor plan featuring two concentric turntables (which comprise a central turntable with an external rotating ring or "donut") is the system that facilitates the fastest and most fluid dramatic transitions.
When the Berkeley Repertory Theatre recently unveiled the world premiere of Ain't Too Proud -- The Life and Times of The Temptations, I was thrilled to see this setup used to perfection. Imagine my surprise and delight when, several weeks later, Berkeley Rep's second venue hosted the world premiere of Daniel Handler's new comedy, Imaginary Comforts, or The Story of the Ghost of the Dead Rabbit, using a similar floor plan!
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Much of Handler's play finds his protagonist running around in circles as she confronts various emotional obstacles while feeling as if fate is trying to flush her future down the drain. At the center of this meticulously crafted farce is Naomi Wittenberg (Marilee Talkington), an incredibly incompetent female rabbi who is so socially awkward that she gives new meaning to the Yiddish word "schlemiel."  |
| Marilee Talkington (Naomi) and Michael Goorgjian (Clovis in a scene from Imaginary Comforts (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
The audience first encounters Naomi as she meets a young man for a coffee date (which does not go well at all). There seems to be some confusion about her identity. She is a rabbi, but he's looking for someone who can act like a rabbit. This puts Naomi on the defensive because what kind of man would think she was really a rabbit? And if he did, what kind of pervert would he be?
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| Long before Hugh Hefner got his start in business... |
Naomi's misfortunes continually bring her face-to-face with a collection of schmendricks and schlimazels who make no bones about being "lesser" Jews. While others may succeed, these are not "the chosen people." Among this group of losers are:
- Sarah Gold (Susan Lynskey), a middle-aged woman whose father has just died. Because her family is not particularly religious, when she looked for a cheap listing for a rabbi, she found Naomi's ad on Craigslist. Newly married, Sarah met her husband in a bar where she vowed that she would marry the first man who said the exact same word at the same time that she did. That word is guaranteed to generate hearty laughter at every performance of Handler's play.
- Michael (Cassidy Brown) is Sarah's new husband, an affably bland gentile who seems much nicer than Sarah deserves.
- Dr. Marcus Gold (Julian López-Morillas) is Sarah's deceased father, a psychologist specializing in addiction therapy who must always be referred to as Doctor Gold). As part of his methodology, Dr. Gold always asks clients to tell him a story.
- Mrs. Gold (Sharon Lockwood) is Sarah's mother who, in good times, tends towards hysterical laughter and, following her husband's death, cannot stop crying hysterically. Her kitchen is the site of numerous accidents which prevent her from ever delivering the drink she politely attempts to offer to visitors.
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| Julian López-Morillas (Dr. Gold) and Sharon Lockwood (Mrs. Gold) in a scene from Imaginary Comforts (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
- Clovis (Michael Goorjian) is the man who meets Rabbi Naomi on her initial coffee date. An aspiring theatre director who is a former client of Dr. Gold's, Clovis is trying to stage a special moment at a friend's funeral. A recovering addict, he has recently stopped attending meetings of his 12-step program.
- Jack (Jarion Monroe) is Dr. Gold's close friend and accountant who, from the moment he meets Rabbi Naomi, can't take his eyes off her.
- The Ghost (Danny Scheie) is an actor working with Clovis to prepare a performance for Dr. Gold's funeral; the kind of actor who is eager to know if his director has any notes for him, but less than thrilled by the evasive responses he gets from Clovis.
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| Danny Scheie in a scene from Imaginary Comforts (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
The foundation for Handler's farce is a simple story that Dr. Gold always loved to tell to family and friends alike.
Headed by Marilee Talkington's frustrated rabbi, the cast does a beautiful job of lobbing Handler's puns and mischievous bits of wordplay into the audience while keeping the farce light and airy. Michael Goorjian has a laidback appeal as Clovis which stands in sharp contrast to Jarion Monroe's intensity as Jack. True to form, Danny Scheie is absolutely hilarious as the Ghost. Although Julian López-Morillas and Sharon Lockwood shine as the deceased doctor and his wife, Susan Lynskey bravely copes with their daughter Sarah's cynical disbelief as Rabbi Naomi continues to fuck up one thing after another.
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| Marilee Talkington (Naomi) and Susan Lynskey (Sarah) in a scene from Imaginary Comforts (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
Working with costume designer Meg Neville, lighting designer Nick Solyom, and sound designer Jake Rodriguez, Tony Taccone has directed Handler's play with obvious delight in the script's basic silliness. With its concentric turntables, Todd Rosenthal's attractive set helps to effect easy scenic transitions as Rabbi Naomi's life keeps spinning out of control. As the playwright explains:
"One of the things that I like about theatre is the kind of space that can be made. That someone can walk out of a bedroom scene, take off their pajamas, put on a coat, and then be walking outside -- the space transforms. Those are always nice moments in the theatre."Performances of Imaginary Comforts continue through November 19 at Berkeley Rep (click here for tickets). Here's the trailer:
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Approximately 30 years ago I began to lose vision in my left eye. While returning from a trip to the East Coast, I had to change planes at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Because my left eye was felt like it had sand in it, I went to the airport's onsite medical clinic to have it checked out. I was reassured by an EMT that I was able to fly back to San Francisco, where I could have the situation evaluated by an ophthalmologist.Much to my surprise, I had developed a herpes simplex infection in the eye which, over the years, was joined by a scratched cornea. As a result, the vision in that eye is extremely blurry and, during allergy season, almost nil. But there are moments when the visual and/or mental fog clears and my sight improves for a while. At other times, I'm forced to wonder if I'm seeing double.
That challenge took on a new twist at a recent performance of La Traviata by the San Francisco Opera. John Copley's 1987 production is almost as old as my the problem with my left eye and, having seen it numerous times, I'm amazed at what happened during a brief moment of clarity.
- Some of what transpired can be attributed to the fact that I was seated closer to the stage than usual.
- When I got home following the performance I was able to examine photos of the production available on the San Francisco Opera's website.
- When I sent an email to the San Francisco Opera's press department asking if they could clarify what I thought I had seen, I was shocked and delighted to learn that my hunch was correct.
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| Aurelia Florian as Violetta Valéry in a scene from La Traviata (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
It turns out that the two exquisite ball gowns designed by David Walker for Violetta are basically cut from the same pattern and use similar materials. Other than some small differences in external adornments, they are the same gown except for the fact that one is a creamy white and the other is black.
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| Aurelia Florian as Violetta Valéry in a scene from La Traviata (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
With sets designed by John Conklin and lighting by Gary Marder, this production is notable for Walker's extensive array of period costumes for the female chorus.
La Traviata is such a staple of the operatic repertoire that seeing the same production numerous times can dull one's sensitivity to the brilliance of Verdi's score if any of the lead artists is not having a good night. The first performance of La Traviata I saw was during the 1966-67 season, when the Metropolitan Opera moved to its new home in Lincoln Center. That cast was headed by Anna Moffo, Bruno Prevedi, and Robert Merrill in a new production designed by Cecil Beaton and directed by Alfred Lunt.
Since then I've witnessed many Violettas cough themselves to death on numerous opera stages. Some sopranos (Patricia Brooks, Josephine Barstow, Ailyn Pérez) were more impressive dramatically than vocally while others (Montserrat Caballe, Joan Sutherland) were more impressive vocally than dramatically. Finding a soprano who is equally strong in both departments and who can deliver the goods for one of the toughest roles in the Italian repertoire is a never-ending challenge.
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| Aurelia Florian as Violetta Valéry in a scene from La Traviata (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
Many opera companies like to include La Traviata in a subscription series because of its guaranteed box office strength. Hiring a superstar soprano or tenor will definitely spike the excitement level among subscribers and single ticket buyers. But what happens when all three leads are making their company debuts and the company's music director is relinquishing the reins at the end of the production's run?
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| Atalla Ayan as Alfredo Germont in a scene from La Traviata (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
This time, the happy result was a solidly sung and acted performance of an old operatic chestnut. Making her United States debut as Violetta, Romanian soprano Aurelia Florian handled all the demands of Verdi's score with vocal confidence and a rare dramatic strength. As her youthful, ardent lover, Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan brought a fresh, full voice to the role of Alfredo. The big surprise of the evening came from Polish baritone Artur Ruciński, whose portrayal of Giorgio Germont brought down the house.
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| Artur Ruciński as Giorgio Germont in a scene from La Traviata (Photo by: Cory Weaver) |
This revival, faithfully directed by Shawna Lucey, marks the first time I can recall ever seeing Doctor Grenvil (Anthony Reed) actually touch his patient's forehead to see if Violetta was running a fever. Appearing in supporting roles, Renée Rapier was a gossipy Flora Bervoix, Philip Skinner a huffy Baron Douphol, and Amina Edris a sympathetic Annina.
Carola Zertuche's choreography added some chuckles to the third act ballroom scene while, as always, chorus director Ian Robertson did fine work. Nicola Luisotti's conducting was passionate and precise. Rather than being "just another Traviata," this turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying and immensely fulfilling performance.
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