Nocturne. Photo courtesy of Peter Guither. A Coupla White Chicks.Photo courtesy of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
THEATER REVIEW
Nocturne
Playwright: Lisa Adams. At: The Living Canvas at the Old Speakeasy, 4139 N. Broadway. Phone: 773-327-7707; $20. Runs through: Aug. 1
BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE
Of the three shows playing the inauguration night of National Pastime Theater's 2009 Naked July: Art Stripped Down festival, only this one features performers disrobing entirely. But if a simple "parts check" is your scheme, think again.
The concept behind the Living Canvas ensemble came to photographer Peter Guither one day while observing videos projected, not on screens—flat, smooth and blank—but on the textured surfaces of the surrounding room. From there it was a short—well, step—to the visual spectacle of dancers bathed in vividly-hued abstract patterns as they execute their kinetic activities unfettered by restrictive garb, the resulting effect being that of nude humans clothed in lighted pictures. ( Oldsters may recall similar motifs—albeit on a more nebulous scale—figuring in the psychedelic Happenings of the late 1960s and early '70s. )
So is there an actual story to justify all this industry, or is this just a make-believe hallucinogenic frolic? For theatergoers in need of intellectual, as well as sensory, stimulation, there is Lisa Adams' text, which recounts the spiritual adventures of a suit-and-briefcase corporate executive whose dreams take him on a hero's journey through events culled from Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne and Maurice Sendak, accompanied by a score of contemporary music ranging from Pink Floyd and Green Day to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and populated with fanciful images created from a squad of supple bodies ( not all of them young, nor conventionally pretty ) interacting in disciplined synchronicity belying the playfulness of their movements. In the end, he awakes refreshed, his experiences having brought him to a renewed realization of his life's purpose and the resolve needed to accept the burdens he endures.
And that acceptance—of yourself, of the world around you, and the benefits of an occasional escape into imagination—is what life is all about. So says Guither, Adams, choreographer Meagan Picocci, premier danseur Michael Sherwin and the whole Living Canvas ensemble, and to prove their point, following the curtain call, still wearing nothing but colored lights, they invite audience members to share in the elation by joining them onstage for some liberative revelry. On the night that I attended, nobody said we had to take off our clothes, but an astonishing number of spectators were moved to do so, immersing themselves in an expressive freedom rarely enjoyed by responsible adults long alienated from such primitive joys.
THEATER REVIEW
The Day on
Which a Man Dies
Playwright: Tennessee Williams
At: National Pastime Theater
at the Old Speakeasy, 4139 N. Broadway.
Phone: 773-327-7077; $20.
Runs through: Aug. 1
BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE
The setting of our play is a hotel suite in Tokyo, where a paint-smeared artist, clad in nothing but an athletic belt and armed with brushes, bottles and spray guns, is in the process of attacking a canvas spread out on the floor. In the next room, his fashionably dressed mistress frets over her lack of legal protection in the event of her paramour's death. A pair of servants assist them in their activities, one explaining to us—assisted by huge rolls of paper for crumpling, slashing or ripping, as occasion deems appropriate—the differences between Japanese and American notions of death.
Scholars may want to note that: 1 ) this 80-minute play was written by Tennessee Williams, one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, 2 ) "Action Painting," a type of abstract impressionism popularized by the heavy-drinking Jackson Pollock ( who died young in an automobile accident ) , involves the artist applying color in a quasi-ecstatic frenzy, 3 ) Japanese Noh Theatre is a formal 14th-century performance genre, founded, some say, upon a "passionate friendship" between an adolescent artist and his likewise youthful patron, 4 ) both the Noh and Kabuki drama employ shape-shifting utility players, called "koken," who assume various personae or serve as "invisible" stagehands and 5 ) Yukio Mishima, the writer to whom Williams dedicated this play, championed traditional Japanese art forms before committing suicide by seppuku in 1970.
But even if the only literary allusions you recognize are Spencer Tracy or Jane Austen ( Williams' painter claims that he can't marry his girl friend because the Catholic church will not allow him to divorce his wife, presently incarcerated in a mental hospital ) , the source of our hero's distress is manifest. What artist does not fear the waning of his creative powers? And given the egocentricity required of such occupations, what artist has not contemplated the attractions of making a swift and showy exit?
Action painting, by its very method, encourages extravagant behavior, and under David Kaplan's direction, Jeff Christian acts up a visceral storm in the role of the distressed artist whose alcohol-fueled despair is a stark contrast to the prim composure of Jennie Moreau's consort and the wry detachment of Gerson Dacanay's Asian host. Following its engagement as part of National Pastime Theater's Naked Theatre: Art Stripped Down showcase, this production will tour the east coast, finishing with an appearance at Provincetown's Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. If you don't fancy booking a flight for Massachusetts, see it now.
THEATER REVIEW
A Coupla White
Chicks Sitting
Around Talking
Playwright: John Ford Noonan
At: Buffalo Theatre Ensemble at
McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn.
Phone: 630-942-4000; $23-$33.
Runs through July 26
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
If ever there were a title that would make English teacher cringe, that would be John Ford Noonan's 1980 comic drama A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking. ( For some reason, Noonan makes a conjunction of "Coupla" out of "Couple of." )
But aside from the grammatical error, A Coupla White Chicks is also bound to send shivers down the spine of anyone who dislikes so-called "chick flicks." The play's title is an accurate indictor of what's inside the packaging.
A Coupla White Chicks originally played a year-long run off-Broadway with two actresses who would go onto win many esteemed acting awards: Susan Sarandon and Eileen Brennan. Anyone who saw those performances would likely boast about seeing the two actresses, but not so much the play.
You can see why in Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's current revival of A Coupla White Chicks. The two-character play is essentially a proto-chick flick piece of theater awash in stereotypical character clichés. It also hasn't dated well as a late 1970s period piece.
Set in a wealthy New York suburb in Westchester County, A Coupla Chicks tells the story of two very different housewives. There's the upstanding WASP Maude Mix ( Amelia Barrett ) , who busies herself with charity work. Then there's Hannah Mae Bindler ( Connie Canaday Howard ) , a former cheerleader and Texas transplant who uses Southern charm like a defensive weapon.
At first there is friction between the new neighbors, but the two become the best of friends after revelations of their husbands' infidelities ( one of Noonan's more hackneyed and forced plot points ) and a Manhattan weekend shopping spree. While Noonan does explore the plight of some wealthy housewives in the play, it lacks the gravitas and believability of other chick flick-type works that delve deeper into women's issues and friendships.
The only reason I suspect Buffalo Theatre produced A Coupla White Chicks was to give its artistic leaders some fun roles to let loose ( Howard is the troupe's artistic director, while Barrett is the associate artistic director ) . Both Howard and Barrett look like they're having a ball on stage under Loretta Hauser's direction, plus I do have to admit that it's sometimes amusing to giggle at all the 1970s fashions, the rotary dial telephones and the disco hits played throughout the production.
But at a mere 80 intermission-less minutes ( and with such a weak and contrived script ) , A Coupla White Chicks doesn't really give you that much value for your entertainment dollar. But if you're looking for nothing more than a summer trifle ( think brainless Hollywood popcorn flick ) , Buffalo Theatre's A Coupla White Chicks should fit that bill.
