Starting in the 1930s, radio audiences would thrill to the voice of Orson Welles as he growled "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" Political consultant Rick Wilson titled his 2018 book "Everything Trump Touches Dies." While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has earned such dubious nicknames as "The Grim Reaper" and "Moscow Mitch." Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's prediction that Trump would eventually self-impeach has come true with remarkable accuracy.
In the past few weeks, the political world has been dominated by signs that the blond malignant narcissists leading the United States and United Kingdom down rocky paths may have run up against brick walls.
- Britain's new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was sharply slapped down by his country's Supreme Court, which ruled that his move to shut down Parliament for political reasons was unlawful.
- Here in the United States, President Donald Trump (a pathetic dotard with obviously warped priorities) got the wind taken out of his sails by an older and much wiser woman who takes her oath of office to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" very seriously.
- "The End Of The Line For Incompetent Men," by Emily Peck on HuffPost.
- "Boris Slowly Realising That Being Donald Trump Doesn’t Work on Smart People," by Lucas Wilde on NewsThump.
- “Panicky Trump Orders Dozen New Sharpies Before Releasing Ukraine Phone Transcript,” by Andy Borowitz in The New Yorker.
- "Trump and Johnson on the Brink: The American and British Leaders Meet Their Nemesis. It’s Called the Law," by Roger Cohen in The New York Times.
- "Man Successfully Distracts From His Moral Bankruptcy and Ineptitude by Being Horribly Offensive" by Arabin Patson on NewsThump.
- “How to Talk to Your Aging Parent about Colluding with Foreign Governments,” by Tom Russell on McSweeney's.
- "Pelosi Tells Trump: ‘You Have Come Into My Wheelhouse’" by Sheryl Gay Stolberg in The New York Times.
In her recent program note, California Shakespeare Theater’s resident dramaturg, Philippa Kelly, shared thoughts which are equally applicable to Macbeth as well as such fawning political operatives as Lindsay Graham, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitch McConnell:
“From the deeply feudal times in which the play is set arises the question of how a brilliant, loyal, and noble soldier sacrifices his hard-won honor to unreasoned ambition. Does ambition breed villainy? If so, the human imagination (that precious faculty of reach and depth and scope) must be at fault, because imagination breeds ambition. Does an increase in stature create an unquenchable thirst for power? What this play suggests is that the capacity to look back, to feel remorse, to experience conscience – in other words, to be fully and unmistakably human – is to flirt dangerously with wholeness of mind and integrity of purpose. Can we human beings forgive ourselves for irremediable transgressions? Only, it seems, if we can learn how to live without conscience, without imagination.”
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| Rey Lucas (Macbeth) and Liz Sklar (Lady Macbeth) in a scene from Macbeth (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
“Macbeth, mired in uncertainty, pulls on the garments of manliness that have served him so well in battle. Taking action in a manner that is not valiant, but cowardly; he kills in one evening three people defenseless in sleep. He is still a successful killing machine, but no longer one clothed in honor. Scotland is turned upside down, and the new king, once a great soldier, wears the garments of ‘a dwarfish thief.’ Macbeth, the very same warrior who, at the top of the play is honored for his killing, is at the action’s end reviled as ‘this bloody butcher.’ And Macbeth is in agreement on the very night of the murder. He sees in the death of his king the death of his own honor. Watching Macbeth at a banquet table arguing with a ghost whom no one else sees, we can apprehend the loss of honor to unreason.”
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| Elizabeth Sklar (Lady Macbeth) and Rey Lucas (Macbeth) in a scene from Macbeth (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
I found myself oddly unmoved and underwhelmed by the new Calshakes production of Shakespeare's tragedy, which has been directed by Victor Malana Maog with costumes by Melissa Torchia, a unit set designed by Adam Rigg to resemble a set of monkey bars that featured lots of metal and smoky reflections, and lighting by Russell H. Champa that often relied on an odd use of vertically-placed LED tubes of white light. The musical choices made by Elizabeth Rhodes for the production's sound design struck me as severely misguided.
Veteran Warren David Keith did well as King Duncan and got plenty of laughs as the porter at Macbeths' castle. Dane Troy was forceful as Macduff, but seemed uncomfortable in smaller roles. Anna Ishida doubled as Lennox and Fleance, with Lyndsy Kail similarly doing double duty as Lady Macduff and Donalbain.
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| Dane Troy (Macduff), Catherine Luedtke (Ross), and Joseph Patrck O'Malley (Malcolm) in a scene from Macbeth (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
Jomar Tagatac delivered an impressive portrayal of the loyal Banquo, with Rotimi Agbabiaka shining briefly as Angus. Joseph Patrick O'Malley gained dramatic strength late in the evening as Malcolm, as did Catherine Luedtke as Ross.
Like many cost-cutting productions, the CalShakes staging omits the crucial scene in which the three witches "conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, all similar in appearance to Banquo, and the last carrying a mirror that reflects even more kings. Macbeth realizes that these are all Banquo's descendants having acquired kingship in numerous countries." When included in more traditional stage productions, this critical piece of magical realism has a bone-chilling effect on Macbeth (as well as clarifying the weird sisters' prophecy for the audience). While it is impressive enough in Shakespeare's play, it becomes even more gripping in Verdi's operatic adaptation.
It took me awhile to figure out why it felt like there was a giant hole in the center of this production that made the performance by Rey Lucas as the title character seem so strange. I finally realized that a bizarre combination of his height and clueless facial expressions often made his Macbeth seem like an easily manipulated runt of a litter. By contrast, Liz Sklar was a brilliant and gripping Lady Macbeth, whose lust for power simply could not be denied.
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| Jomar Tagatac (Banquo) and Rey Lucas (Macbeth) in a scene from Macbeth (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
Performances of Macbeth continue through October 13 at the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda (click here for tickets).
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In August of 1982, a new play by Caryl Churchill received its world premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Produced by Joseph Papp, Top Girls subsequently received its New York premiere at The Public Theater. My first encounter with Churchill's play was in 2014, courtesy of the Custom Made Theatre. My second encounter came the following year, thanks to the folks at Shotgun Players. After attending the opening night performance of American Conservatory Theater's new production, I've pretty much had my fill of Top Girls. Let me explain.My decision has absolutely nothing to do with feminism or being sufficiently "woke." Rather, it's my personal issue with logistics and acoustics. Few playwrights put words into their characters' mouths with the desire that they be reduced to nonsensical syllables or gibbering mush. However, large sections of Churchill’s play require actors to talk over each other’s voices. As a result, many of the playwright’s words become unintelligible, keeping the audience at arm’s length from her writing. As a friend of mine used to say after receiving a less than thrilling invitation: “Excuse me, but I have an appointment with a headache.”
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| Julia McNeal (Louise) and Rosie Hallett (Win) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
Churchill's play debuted during the 1980s, when both Margaret Thatcher and the "Dress for Success" craze were peaking. In some ways, Top Girls is nearly schizophrenic in nature. Its first scene is the fantasy vision of Marlene (Michelle Beck), a tough, handsome professional woman who has clawed her way to the top of a London employment agency and is about to host a celebratory party in an upscale restaurant. If you've ever dreamt of having dinner with some of your favorite fictional and/or historical figures, you'll be surprised to see who is on Marlene's guest list.
- Isabella Bird (Julia McNeal) was a famous author and world traveler whose lack of interest in a traditional marriage gave her the freedom to explore new and often thrilling horizons. She frequently makes reference to her younger sister, Henrietta, who stayed at home and seemed to be much better suited to a domestic lifestyle.
- Lady Nijo (Monica Lin) was a narcissistic 13th-century Japanese concubine who, at the age of 14, was forced by her father to sleep with the country's aged Emperor. As she describes her endless humiliations (including having her child taken away from her), Lady Nijo basks in the knowledge that, although she later became a nun, at least the Emperor seemed to like her.
- Dull Gret (Summer Brown) is a peasant woman dressed in soldier's garb who is intensely focused on the food being served. Gruff, coarse, and often monosyllabic, she is a cartoon of an emotionally shut-down male warrior.
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| Rosie Hallett (Pope Joan) and Summer Brown (Dull Gret) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
- Pope Joan (Rosie Hallett) is a fictional character who started cross-dressing as a young girl, got elected Pope while disguised as a man, and had numerous male lovers. After becoming pregnant and delivering her baby during a papal procession, she was stoned to death.
- Patient Griselda (Monique Hafen Adams) represents the millions of women who, after marrying and being told that above all else they must obey their spouses, end up in lives of servitude which basically relegate them to the status of a doormat.
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| Michelle Beck (Marlene) and Monique Hafen Adams (Patient Griselda) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
The rest of Top Girls is grounded in the cruel realities of life in Thatcher's Britain.
- Smug female employment counselors and professional headhunters can be the meanest of mean girls.
- Marlene's homely sister, Joyce (Nafeesa Monroe), has had a difficult time raising the hostile and rebellious Angie (Gabriella Momah) who is, in fact, the illegitimate child Marlene gave up so she could enjoy her independence, fulfill her personal dreams, and climb the corporate ladder.
- Angie's well-meaning but easily frightened friend, Kit (Lily D. Harris), is a neighboring teen with few friends.
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| Nafeesa Monroe (Joyce) and Michelle Beck (Marlene) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
While ACT's new production benefits immensely from Nina Ball's contrasting stylish and shabby set designs as well as the costumes designed by Sarita Fellows, its most interesting innovation is the casting of key roles (Marlene, Dull Gret, Nell, Angie, and Joyce) with women of color. As director Tamilla Woodard explains:
“As Americans, we have a hard time seeing class and often conflate it with race. Having the central family of Marlene, Joyce, and Angie be working-class people of color clarifies the class argument in the last act for our audiences. It’s also super important in the world of the office, where we can see how (white) supremacy pervades the feminist movement as well. Our Top Girls is a fever dream in which Marlene goes to sleep after a night of maybe one too many glasses of Frascati. She’s just gotten the news of her promotion and she dreams that all these rocking women show up at a dinner party to celebrate with her. These are women who have smashed their own proverbial glass ceilings. But this dream turns into a nightmare. They get drunk and then tell it like it really is. No men appear onstage but man-ness is ever present. Masculinity is present. Patriarchy is present. These women are under the weight of that, even if they can’t see it themselves. They’re reacting to it, shackled to it, and, in some instances, affirming it. Each is not as free an agent as she imagines herself to be.”
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| Summer Brown (Nell) and Rosie Hallett (Win) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
“When the value or worth of something is defined by its resemblance to a dominant cultural experience, that’s supremacy. These are women in a ‘man’s world,’ outsmarting and outperforming the men around them. Taking up the mantle of ‘individual responsibility and self-sufficiency’ (a motto of Thatcherism), the play asks if a woman can occupy a space of authority and status without perpetuating the oppressive structures of the patriarchy. Does she have to be a woman in a man’s world? Can we imagine a different world? How do you do that when all you’ve got as instructions on how to lead is the patriarchy playbook? When women no longer need to define themselves in reference to maleness (not as ‘the opposite sex’ or ‘a guy would never do it like this’ or ‘man up’ and so on), when we can think outside of systems of supremacy where something is defined by its proximity to the more accepted thing, then we can imagine a new world.”
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| Michelle Beck (Marlene) and Gabriella Momah (Angie) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
There are some touching moments in the office environment (as Marlene and Win interview job seekers) that reveal the cynicism that has infected the employment counselors. Lily D. Harris, Julia McNeal, and Monica Lin shine during these brief vignettes as they are grilled by "professional women" who have come to enjoy the power that accompanies their positions. In a key scene during which Marlene bluntly dismisses the desperate wife of her male co-worker (who saw the promotion he assumed would be his given to Marlene), her manly lack of empathy is clear to the audience.
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| Monica Lin (Jeanine) and Michelle Beck (Marlene) in a scene from Top Girls (Photo by: Kevin Berne) |
Performances of Top Girls continue through October 13 at the American Conservatory Theater (click here for tickets).
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