Clark to Present Tony Nominated "Reasons to be Pretty"

Clark College will present "reasons to be pretty" by Neil LaBute (nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play) May 3-4, 10-11, and 16-18. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m., Saturday matinee on May 11 at 2 p.m.

Direction by Patricia Rohrbach. Design by Mark Owsley.

Our Review by Dennis Sparks will appear here by noon May 4. Publicity photos and interview video added soon.

REVIEW: The Musical "RENT" Rocks with Tunes and Talent at Clark College

RENT the award-winning musical written by Jonathan Larson, is directed at Clark College by H. Gene Biby with musical direction by Jonathan Quesenberry and choreography by Lisamarie Harrison.

The Tale

This highly touted, and often produced Rock Opera, covers a year in the life of eight very individualist characters, representing many aspects of New York society. But this world is not located in the condos or penthouses of the rich, but focuses on the underbelly of the City in East Village. Humans, out-of-work and out-of-luck, but with a fierce will to survive, even in the most inhumane of situations, the slums. It is the world of drugs and aids, of struggle and loss, of love and, yes, even of hope.

The Company. All photos provided. For more photos click here.

The life of the author, Mr. Larson, mirrors in many ways, this story. A struggling, young writer, working in delis of NYC, with a fervent hope to be recognized as a true artist. Finally, when that end was within grasp and RENT was to open, he gave an interview to a New York journalist after a dress rehearsal of his play. He then went home alone to his apartment and quietly died during the night of an undetected heart ailment. His dream did come true, garnering a Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize, but without him to appreciate the well-deserved accolades.

This story is one of dreamers, too. Mark (Sam Levi) aspires to be a film-maker. His roommate, Roger (Garrett Dabbs) longs to be a famous musician. Into their lives comes Tom (James Martine) a friend, and his new-found love, Angel (Bruce Kyte), a person with aids. To muddy the waters even more, there is also Benny (Andy Roberts), a former roommate, but now a slumlord, out to evict them. And Mimi (Lydia Fleming) with a drug problem, takes a shine to Roger and they embark on a shaky relationship. And let’s not forget the political activist, Maureen (Jazmyne Waters), Mark’s former love, who left him for another woman, Joanne (Dorinda Toner).

It all sounds like a merry mix-up from a Shakespeare comedy but is, instead, based on the [Italian] opera, La Boheme. This musical is tough for any troupe, as it is not only peppered with songs, but also most the dialogue is sung. But Mr. Biby and his cast, mostly young students at the college, are up for the challenge and, for the most part, exceed expectations.

For additional photos click here.

The Talent

Levi, as Mark, the POV for the audience, is very animated and believable. He is impressive throughout in his singing and acting, but especially in the number, Tango Maureen, which is a show-stopper. Also, powerfully impressive, is Fleming as Mimi, who has a voice that rocks the theater. She is vibrant, sexy, a dancing dynamo and a terrific actress to boot. A triple threat, as they say in the biz, with a Broadway future if she allows her talents to continue to soar.

For more photos click here.

Also very good are Toner as Joanne, and her partner, Waters as Maureen. Dorinda has a super voice and is good in exploring the various shades of her character. Jazmyne also has a voice that will knock your socks off. And her monologue about the cow is very well conceived. (You have to see it to believe it.) And the chorus is exceptional lending powerful support to this amazing production. The five-group band, continues this support, in a show that is almost all music, and difficult music, at that.

For more photos click here.

Dabbs as Roger has an exceptional voice, but needs to loosen up a bit more in the acting [department]. The same can be said of Kyte as Angel. The role is one of the stand-outs in the story and Kyte sings and dances it well, but needs to let go. The character is a free spirit and eccentric and needs to explode on the stage. Roberts as Bruce, also has a great voice, but his acting is limited in showing the complexities and doubts his character must feel in his relationships with others. Martine is equally timid about showing us his full range. But these roles may grow with time.

The Tech

The stark set and inventive lighting, by Mark Owsley, works very well in its favor to show the different settings [in which] the story takes place. A “black box” is perfect for this kind of play. Pat Rohrbach’s costumes are as eccentric as some of the characters and they work beautifully for this production. And Biby must be commended for staging such a difficult show in such a small space with a young cast and doing it quite splendidly.

The band, at times, overpowers the actors, but there is no easy solution to moderating this perfectly.

WARNING: It should be noted, too, that this may not be everybody’s cup of tea. It is raw, deals frankly with sexual situations, and has R-rated language, as well. But, personally, I am glad to see Clark deal with edgier material, for the sake of young artists learning the craft, as well as education for the public. Bravo!

Photos provided. Link to photos on Flicker.

The Ticket

The play is showing in the Clark College Decker Theater, located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Wash. The play runs through March 9th with showings February 23, March 1 & 2*, and 7-9. Evening shows at 7:30 p.m. *Saturday matinee on March 2 at 2:00 p.m. General tickets are $15, students are $10 and seniors are $12. For further information, contact them at www.clark.edu

If you choose to see this production, please tell them Dennis sent you.

By Dennis Sparks, Guest Reviewer
www.dennissparksreviews.blogspot.com

REVIEW: Clark's "Virginia Woolf" Dark but Desireable

Edward Albee’s classic play, "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," opened last night at Clark College’s Decker Theatre. It is directed by Mark Owsley and runs through November 17. Tickets are at the door or at the Clark College Bookstore, 360-992-2815 or www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp

A Dark Desire 

Gossip had it in the beginning that it was the story of same sex couples. Albee vehemently denied this and I tend to agree with him. The original Broadway production featured Uta Hagen (one of the finest acting teachers), Arthur Hill, George Grizzard and Sandy Dennis (who reprised her role in the movie version).

The very good film version by Mike Nichols was with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Dennis and George Segal. The film won some well-deserved Academy Awards, but it also cuts over a half hour out of the play and changes the setting a couple of times, both are unnecessary. If you truly want to see Albee’s story, as he intended, see the play version.

The dark drama is set in the home of a middle-aged couple, George (played by theater department head, H. Gene Biby) and his wife, Martha (Linda Owsley, wife of the director). He is a professor in the History Dept. of a small New England college, run by Martha’s father. After a faculty party, in the early hours of the morning, she invites the newly transplanted, young Biology teacher, Nick (Aaron Howell) and his wife, Honey (Emily Wells) to their house for drinks.

The cast of Clark College's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" From right to
left: Emily Wells, Aaron Howell, Linda Owsley and H. Gene Biby.

Early on it is plain to see this is not going to be just an ordinary welcoming party. As the night progresses toward another day, they will play mind games--games that will lead them to questioning their own sanity and will, ultimately, change all their lives forever. The games are filled with elements of truth, dare, illusion, secrets revealed and stories dispelled. Mix them all together and you have “Fun and Games at George and Martha’s House.”

Nick is ambitious and is determined to “plow his way to the top” if need be. Honey is rich, but spoiled and sheltered and not really up to connecting with the outside world, as she “gets sick a lot.” Martha, spoiled (and possibly abused) by a domineering father, is unhappy with her lot in life and never lets George forget it. And George (the story is from his POV0, silently controls the Games toward their bittersweet conclusion.

Deeper and Darker

Inbred within the story are even darker elements: Nick, the scientist, wanting to manipulate genes, in order to create a Master Race; George, the historian, seeing history possibly repeating itself, both universally and personally; and Martha and Honey, potential incubators of the next generation, fearing of giving birth to that legacy. Nothing is quite as it seems at George and Martha’s. And telling too much of the games would spoil the surprises.

George and Martha fight and fume.

But, amazingly, it is a love story, albeit tangled and disjointed. A man, loving a woman so much, he is willing to create illusions with her, so that she can hang onto sanity. And an unhappy woman, hating that self-same man, for loving her just the way she is.

And what, you may ask, has Virginia Woolf to do with all this? Ms. Woolf was a writer who, to some extent, concentrated her writing on stream-of consciousness and the deep-seeded truths that inhabit a person’s life: A reality deep within one. The meaning will become clear when this ditty is reprised at the end of the play.

The actors are all uniformly good. Biby inhabits George with a quite command. It is a powerful performance as his character is key to the success of the story. He tackles the part, both as a character and as an actor, like a bulldog, not willing to let go of his prey. Owsley blesses us with a Martha that is beseechingly bitchy and yet refreshing vulnerable at times—a delicate balance, teetering nicely between illusion and reality. According to George, you need to know the difference between the two, but then carry on as if you didn’t care. They are well-suited as a lean, mean fighting machine.

Nick and Honey are harder characters to get your teeth into. They appear one-dimensional but they are simply empty books, with baggage, waiting to be written upon. Howell is, in looks, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, physically fit product of the New Order he proposes. He struggles mightily and effectively with the weight of that burden until he, at long last, sees the light. Wells is superb in showing us the naivety and vulnerability of Honey, who must, in the final result, change her ways even though she may not ever understand why.

Direction and Design

The direction and design of the production by Mark Owsley, hits the mark in keeping the action flowing and interest high in such a confined space. His actors seemed to have found all the little nuances and layers necessary to reveal the story in such compelling way. Not easy to do over a three-hour period, but well done by Owsley!

H. Gene Biby and Linda Owsley as George and Martha. All photos provided.

Keep in mind the length of the production and that it involves very adult situations and uses harsh language. It is an exhausting journey, from darkness to dawn, but well worth the trip. If you see it, tell them Dennis sent you.

Review by Dennis Sparks for SWWASTAR. Mr. Sparks was formerly a Portland theatre reviewer for the Vancouver Voice (now defunct), and is currently a free-lance reporter with his own blog site for Portland and Ashland theatre reviews: www.dennissparksreviews.blogspot.com

All photos and video provided.

Sneak Peek at the Clark College Production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

David Lindsay-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole" at Clark College Truly Prize-winning

“It’s a good thought, that somewhere out there I’m having a good time.”

The Tale

And that is the element of hope—the moment, ten minutes before curtain, when the inkling of healing comes to Becca—a mother grieving at the loss of her child—that life might go on.

David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Rabbit Hole,” tells the tragic tale of a family dealing with the accidental death of their four-year old son. They find healing through honesty, humor and sometime tears.

The Clark College Theater production, under the astute direction of Patricia Rohrbach, is indeed Pulitzer Prize material. The dialogue is genuine in the writing; the delivery only slightly underplayed. But the cast was amazing having tackled the heart-rending material after just four weeks of rehearsal. For the most part it was like we’d really dropped in on a family as a fly on the wall.

The show’s production schedule was so truncated because it was virtually recast due to three players leaving the production mid-way through the rehearsal process. While the new cast did an exceptional job there was some evidence that they had not yet connected with the gravity of the script and the depths of the emotion. The anger that should have escalated at pivotal points was subdued though the conversation rarely unnatural. At times, however, the material was so “every day” that it bordered on mundane.

The Talent

H. Gene Biby (left) as Howie and Dorinda Toner as Becca on the set of the Clark
College production of David Lindsays-Abaire's"Rabbit Hole." Photos provided*.

However, the production neared perfection. Fine performances were given all around. Dorinda Toner was remarkable as Becca; H. Gene Biby, though too reserved, played Howie rather convincingly; and Laura Henderson added genuine realism to her role as Izzy.

From left to right, Sandi Stokesbary as Nat, Laura
Henderson as Izzy, and Dorinda Toner as Becca.

Matthew Brown, as Jason, (not shown) dialed in an absolutely stellar performance and Sandi Stokesbary was quite good as Nat. Jason’s mid-way-through-the-first-act monologue was ideally performed and touching.

The Technical

Technically, the show came off without a hitch. The scene transitions were unusually, but beautifully executed and brilliant. The stunning set was Mark Owsley’s best design yet. It was absolutely a work of art. I don’t know how he is able to fit so much space in so little space. It was perfect in every way. His lighting design, too, was masterful—only slightly flawed by hot spots. His intimate knowledge of the space certainly shows.

There was a good deal of “language” in the play which was a bit uncomfortable to my ears, otherwise the play was superb. I’d almost want to be in this play—since the cast ate their way through a variety of desserts.

One tip: Put some sand or water in the detergent container so that carrying it looks natural.

The Tickets

The play continues at Clark College’s Decker Theater in the Frost Arts Center, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash., 7:30 p.m., May 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 and 2 p.m. May 12. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the campus bookstore or by calling 360-992-2815. Visit the Clark theater website for more information.

By Gregory E. Zschomler
*Photos by Dominique Horn Photography