POIGNANT DRAMA EXPLORES GAY WOMEN’S SEXUAL MORES OF THE PAST 75 YEARS AT DESERT ENSEMBLE THEATRE

The Desert Ensemble Theatre Company (DETC) of Palm Springs launched its 2021/2022 season in its new home at Theatre #3, inside the Palm Springs Cultural Center with the poignant drama “The Beebo Brinker Chronicles” on Friday, December 10, 2021.

The award-winning theatrical company, founded by playwright and director Tony Padilla, and now under the stewardship of Jerome Elliott as Artistic Director, and Shawn Abramowitz as Executive Director, delivers a potent production and story that revolves around the subject that the great American playwright Tennessee Williams called ‘that of which we dare not speak’ – onstage homosexuality and lesbianism. 

The play, written by Kate Moira Ryan and Linda S. Chapman, is based on the lesbian pulp novels of Ann Bannon. The titles of these books were intended to titillate the reader and draw men and women equally with such lurid titles as “’I Am a Woman”, “Women in the Shadows”, and “Journey to a Woman” in the 1950s. Most of these novels were published in soft covers which some referred to as the bane of main stream hardcover book publishers. Everybody wanted to secretly read them, and they served millions of women as bedside reading companions worldwide. 

The opening night audience was treated to insightful special remarks before the play began from the Queen of lesbian literature, author Ann Bannon, as a way of giving both straight and gay audience members the background of lesbian lifestyle in New York City in the 1950s and ‘60s. Resistance and fear of being ‘outed’ and stigmatized by straight society if one championed or accepted the ‘radical life style’ kept millions of gay women remaining in the closet as parents, homemakers, employees, business executives and relatives. Back in the 1920s, relationships like the characters in this play would be labeled a “Boston marriage”, a coded label for gay women living together.

Insightfully and sensitively directed by award-winning daytime TV star, actor/director Judith Chapman of “The Young and the Restless”, it nicely culls the story from Ms. Bannon’s many books. The play is not a traditional linear beginning, middle and end type of story.  It flashes forward and backward at times; but it never loses sight of its core mission to reveal and relate some heartfelt lesbian issues to the audience, issues we all share on planet earth as human beings. The drill never changes: Birth, Life, Death and the beat starts all over again.

Beebo Brinker, the play’s title character ((Alexana Thomas) is a sexual predator and proprietor of her own bar called The Cellar. Beebo is just as repugnant as Harvey Weinstein was in his hotel assignations with starlets. The Cellar is a safe harbor meeting place frequented by lesbians and occasionally gay men where all can meet and relax free from being hassled by the local police. 

The meatiest roles in this achingly poignant and potent drama however, centers around two young women, sensationally portrayed by Phylicia Mason and Lizzie Schmelling as Beth and Laura respectfully, who were attracted to one another in their late teens, but never consummated their feelings beyond friendship.  

It’s now nine years later. Neither of them has seen the other. Beth is married to Charlie and they have two children. Beth, however, is having second thought about her marriage and regrets that she never scratched that itch about her feelings for Laura years ago. Now, in a snap judgment decision, Beth leaves California for New York to see if old flames can once again reignite the two friends in a more permanent arrangement.  

The meeting between Laura and Beth sucks all the air out of the theatre in anticipation of what is about to unfold when they finally meet again. But no spoiler alerts from me from this point on; one will just have to see it for one’s self. This much, however, I will say: It is said that the eyes are our window into the souls of those we meet. 

The onstage eye contact between the two fearless actors Schmelling and Mason is palpable, riveting, and compelling to watch. All of the romantic love scenes directed by Ms. Chapman are handled with the utmost of delicacy and taste. There are no seat-squirming moments to distract the magic that’s being created on the stage.

The talented cast consists of Brent Anderson as Jack Mann, an aging gay man who decides he wants to turn in his playbook and retire;  Tessa Gregory-Walker as Marcie, Lili and Nina; Miguel Arballo as Charlie and Burr; and Alexana Thomas as Beebo Brinker.

The technical team of set designer Thomas L. Valach whose bare bones set of risers would be even more comfortable for the actors who must lay on it in the love scenes if it just had a one inch thick mat to protect and soften those writhing bodies, elbows and knees.  I still remember his richly textured beautiful set he designed for” Coyote StageWorks production of Lucas Hnaith’s “ A Doll’s House: Part 2” production two seasons ago.  The lighting Designer is Kevin O’Shaunessy.

Desert Ensemble Theatre’s auspicious initial production at its new permanent home at the Palm Springs Cultural Center is off to a good start!

INSIGHTFUL COMEDY PLAY “BAKERSFIELD MIST” INTRIGUES AT CV REP

Arthur Hacket and Stephanie Erb star in "Bakersfield Mist" at CV REP

The world of theatre can become a transformative experience for many in the audience as each person views the production through different lenses at the same time. What is funny to one audience member may be off-putting to another.

CV REP, one of the leading Equity theatre companies in the Coachella Valley, re-opened their COVID 19-interrupted production last weekend in what turned out to be a near-flawless, intriguing comedy entitled “Bakersfield Mist” which was penned by playwright Stephen Sachs back in 2011. 

Sachs’ thought-provoking comedy with an edge also acts as a metaphor on how the world of art approaches the thorny problems of dealing with art fraud and verifiable authenticity and how our political system is the opposite in its execution regarding the issues of fraud and authenticity. Theatre productions also can make for strange bedfellows too.

Alas, the art world is constantly being plagued with a plethora of “newly discovered” art masterpieces that have been gathering dust for years in the attics and basements of the Auntie Ems of the world.  Now, thanks to TV’s “Antiques Roadshow”, viewers who purchased old paintings at garage sales for a few dollars or received family heirloom paintings, are hoping their ‘treasures’ will be like winning the lottery. 

Along comes Martha Gutman, (Stephanie Erb) a potty-mouthed, ex-bartender now out of work, who upon closer examination back at her trailer park home, claims that her three dollar purchase of a painting from a friend is an authentic Jackson Pollock now worth millions. 

This claim sets in motion a face-to-face meeting and confrontation with snobbish Lionel Percy (Arthur Hacket), a New York City professionally-certified Art expert and recognized Jackson Pollock authority who has flown to Bakersfield from New York to lock horns over Martha’s Pollock authenticity claim. 

 “It’s not a Jackson Pollock” says Lionel. "Yes it is!" counters Martha.  No it isn’t. Yes it is! This thinking person’s comedy is more than a negotiation of whether it’s an authentic Jackson Pollock painting, it’s a reflection and an echo of how America has been subtly changing its values system without anyone paying attention or objecting.  

As the whiskey flows during their meeting, Martha keeps on coaxing Lionel to give her a break and certify that her painting is a genuine Pollock which leads to more conversation about ethics and rules governing authentication and honesty. This is a comedy but Sachs’ compelling and insightful dialogue and plot line holds the audience in the thrall of actors Erb and Hacket. Their onstage chemistry is downright palpable and rightly so, as they are married to one another in real life; it’s a joy to watch these two pros strut their uncommon skills and talent under the whip smart staging and direction of Ron Celona, CV REP’s Founding Artistic Director.  His pacing is spot-on for a two character play which zips along nicely at 75 minutes (there is no intermission).

One of the strengths of CV REP productions is the experience and wizardry of the creative technical staff led by director Celona. Most are award-winning, skilled artistic professionals including Emmy Award-winning Set Designer and Props Creator Jimmy Cuomo; Lighting Designer Moira Wilkie Whitaker, celebrated Lighting Director for 20 years at the Annenberg Theatre in Palm Springs; Broadway and Tony Award-nominated Sound Designer Cricket Myers. Frank Cazeres, award-winning Costume Designer, and perennial Desert Theatre League award winner Hair and Makeup designer Lynda Schaeps complete this very formidable creative team. Paul Tenaglia stage manages the production.

The twist in this intriguingly written and sensationally performed stage play is that it is actually based on a true event concerning a Jackson Pollock painting claim several years ago.

Note: “Bakersfield Mist” is a play about adults for adults.There are a boatload of expletives being hurled from the stage, so perhaps one should consider leaving Grandma and the kiddies at home.

The play closes Sunday December 12th following the 2 PM matinee performance.  For ticket information to this must-see production, contact the CV REP box office at 760-296-2966 or go online to: www.cvrep.org for additional information.  

And remember… a great nation deserves great art.  Support all the arts.

-- Jack Lyons

The Sound of Music at Palm Canyon Theatre Invites Audiences to Enjoy the Tender Trapps

Live theatres all over the country are mounting their various Holiday versions of Christmas-themed plays and musicals.  The Palm Canyon Theatre, the city’s oldest live theatre, is no exception when it comes to presenting classical Christmas entertainment to its audiences.

“The Sound of Music”, is a show that the whole family can enjoy. It’s based on an inspirational true story of the famous Austrian von Trapp Family Singers and their escape to Switzerland on the eve of Germany’s 1938 Anschluss, and it’s annexing of Austria prior to World War II that will break out one year later.

The story in short - unless you have been living in a cave for the last 100 years  -  revolves around Maria a young novitiate from ‘The Abbey’, a local nunnery, who takes a temporary leave to fulfil a three month position at the behest of her Mother Abbess as a replacement governess for retired widower and aristocrat of the Austrian Navy, Captain Georg von Trapp and his seven children ranging in ages from 16  to a 7 year old.

Captain von Trapp has been raising his children on a very large family estate as if they were crew members under his command. He has taught them navy-coded Bosun’s mate whistles whenever he wants to talk to them in person. Into this very unorthodox style of raising his family comes the energetic, independent- minded, free spited, young Frauline Maria, with a love of the Almighty, children and nature, in that order and all the creatures who inhabit it. Fasten your seat belts!

The Sound of Music story has seen many productions over the years.  It opened on Broadway in 1959  as a stage musical starring Mary Martin. Since then it has been seen several more times on Broadway in various revivals.  When the 1965 movie was released, it became the highest grossing film in history for five straight years.  Its pedigree is solid gold and world famous as the movie that starred a then relatively unknown 29 year-old Julie Andrews as Maria and 34 year-old Canadian Shakespearean actor Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp.

A note for the audience: The Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) production now playing is the’ live stage version’ script, not the movie version. But the talented creative team and a cast of twenty nine performers who make the serendipitous stage magic happen is up to the challenge.

It isn’t possible to list every performer due to space restrictions, but there are always standouts. First and foremost is the performance of Se Layne as Frauline Maria that is absolutely astounding when one considers she is also the musical's director and choreographer who somehow found time to step into the leading lady role of Maria when three of her principal actors were suddenly forced to withdraw just a week prior to opening due to medical issues.  

Mia Alexander as Liesl, the Captain’s oldest daughter, and Virginia Sulick as Elsa Schraeder, a former love interest of Georg, also came on board just a few days before the opening. There is a lot of truth and courage behind the show business axiom of “the show must go on.” I don’t know of a single 501(c)3 theatre company that could weather a blow that severe.

Sheldon Safir as Max, the family’s performance manager and agent soldiered on without missing a beat. Michele Davis as Housekeeper Frau Schmidt, tries her best to control the mischievous children when Captain von Trapp is away at sea duty. They don’t likes governesses, that is until Frauline Maria takes over.  

It’s those adorable little children that concerns one. Can they adapt to new strangers being on stage with them when one of them has never even been on a stage before?  You bet they can and they do! The Nuns of the Abbey are led by Jaci Davis as a sensitive, caring Mother Abbess, who also scores with her glorious rendition of “Climb Every Mountain”.

“The Sound of Music” is based on the original Rodgers and Hammerstein II production with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

Lighting designers J.W. Layne and Kay Van Zandt provide just the right amount of light to see and appreciate the wonderful graphic designs and back-drops of Nick Edwards that lend great authenticity to the overall visual settings and locations. It’s a nice production touch for the audience.

The PCT production is once again brilliantly costumed by Resident Designer Derik Shopinski who also stage manages the show. One can only imagine the traffic management issues going on back stage on this production.  The “willing suspension of disbelief” is definitely called for here.  Ahh, the joys of live theatre.

Musical Director Scott Smith on piano leads band members David Bronson on drums, Larry Holloway on bass and Lee Wolfe on violin as accompaniment for the show’s 17 musical numbers.

“The Sound of Music” runs from December 5 thru December 19, 2021.  For ticket information call Box Office at 760-323-5123.

-- Jack Lyons

ROCK MUSICAL ‘HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH" EXPLODES IN SIGHT AND SOUND AT DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE

Nicholas Sloan stars as the title character in "Hedwig and

the Angry Inch" at Desert Rose Playhouse

The opening weekend of the rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” knocked the socks off capacity audiences in the new home of the Desert Rose Playhouse, now firmly ensconced at 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive in the Palm Springs Fun Center. 

The Desert Rose Playhouse, founded by Paul Taylor and Jim Strait, served for eight years as the Valley’s only LGBTQ+ theatre company.  When Taylor and Strait answered the siren call of the Hawaiian Islands, the producing torch was passed to talented new and dedicated producer/actor Robbie Wayne.

Under Wayne’s auspicious stewardship, the production company has grown from a small venue of about 70 patrons to a glittering new theatre of some 120 seats, along with a technical team capable of mounting comedies, dramas, musicals; you name it, they will produce it.   

Savvy Desert Rose Playhouse artistic director Robbie Wayne was fortunate to nab award winning actor/director Chuck Yates (co-founder of the Equity theatre company Coyote StageWorks ) to helm this iconic musical favorite of the gay community.

Yates is an award winning actor/director and a writer for the TV shows “Caroline in the City” and “Dharma & Greg”. His directorial touches for this high energy production could easily light the entire Coachella Valley. It takes real talent and experience to gather all of the disparate components necessary for a successful musical production. It’s truly a collaborative effort in concert with the director’s choices to make musicals of this caliber soar.

The story, in short, is an oft told tale of the struggle of Hedwig, a gay young man seeking answers and a place where he can not only become his own person making his own choices in life, but shed those in his life who has always told him what do and say. His rebellion speaks to the youth of the world…but only in the music and the lyrics composed and written by Stephen Trask. The libretto by John Cameron Mitchell strings the scenes of Hedwig and his interaction with the audience as a way of keeping the audience fully engaged. It worked like a charm the night I attended.

The superb cast of Nicholas Sloan as Hedwig, and his real-life wife Jamie Leigh Walker as Yitzhak, deliver sensational performances that knock the socks off of Palm Springs audiences in what can only be described as an evening of highly amped sound, cascading light changes, and the toe-thumping musical beat of the Angry Inch Band, under the musical direction of Constance Gordy.

The band nicely blends into the production as integral characters as well as musicians providing the necessary musical accompaniment which allows stars Sloan and Walker to strut their stuff. Big shout outs go to Juan Espino on guitar, Sean McCune on drums, Miguel Arballo on bass, and Krystofer Do on keyboards.  High octane performances deserve high octane musical back-up.

No show as slickly and professionally produced as this show happens without inputs from a creative technical staff, in this case led by director Yates and executive producer Robbie Wayne that include Matthew McLean’s functional set design, creative lighting designs by Nick Wass, Mariah Pryor and Phil Murphy, and Audio/Video designs and special effects by Nick Wass. John Hamilton Palmer provides the costume designs. The production is stage managed by Nathan Cox.

With “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Desert Rose Playhouse has a winning, must see production on its hands.  Don’t miss it.

For ticket information and dates and times call the box office at 760-202-3000.

Remember:  A great nation deserves great art.  Support all the arts.

OPINION: WHY ARE WE STILL MIRED IN THAT ALLEGORICALLY-INFAMOUS WASHINGTON D.C. SWAMP THAT WAS PROMISED TO BE DRAINED FIVE YEARS AGO?

Why are we still mired in, and being held captive like hostages, in that mythically infamous Washington, D.C. ‘swamp’ that was promised to be drained five years ago?

It’s been little over a year since November 2020 when Mr. Trump lost his presidential reelection bid but still refuses to accept his defeat.  And “the big lie’ theory continues to poison the political well-being of our nation.  Since then, the country has been in a constant state of fear, division and distrust.  Timing and choices that affect everything in our lives may also be influencing the almost uncontrollable events sent by Mother Nature in the form of two worldwide pandemics, which has been exacerbating our civil turmoil and political unrest for over twenty months.

Once again, the cult-like Red Hatted Maga party and its enablers are gearing up for the return of Trump in his 2024 presidential bid to dump democracy and replace it with an autocratic regime led by himself as its leader/autocrat/dictator, in the style of Putin’s Russia and China’s President and Prime Minister Xi Jinping.  It’s been a long- held childhood dream of his to become a king.

When We the People ask for answers and solutions to issues that are plaguing our democracy.  Instead we’re denied the full truth.  Instead, we’re handed even more obfuscation and finger pointing along with shifting the blame and stonewalling in the hope that we the people will tire of the issue.

And, if that wasn’t enough of a red flag warning to concern our elected officials, the country then had to deal with the ignominious January 6, 2021, insurrection.  The storming of the Capitol by a band of more than 600 self-proclaimed Trump loyalists and barbarians who breached the gates at his behest, gave life to the political slur from our allies and friends by now referring to the USA as a South American banana-style republic.

The beacon of democracy and hope has not only been dimmed, it’s literally been taken away from us inside our borders by our own countrymen.  All this was made crystal clear prior to January 6, 2021 in screenwriter and director Billy May’s powerful and provocative 2017 film “The Comey Rule”, that explored the Trump presidency prior to the first of his two impeachment trials.  It was a prescient moment and signal to America to be on guard to the possibility of losing our democracy from within by those who covet autocracy over democracy.  

May’s film highlights the lengths that then president Trump was willing to go in his war with the FBI and its director James Comey.   Their relationship was poisoned from moment the director was handed a loyalty oath to sign.  If signed, that would clear the way for the president to co-opt the FBI by allowing it to become politicized and weaponized for Trump’s personal war on his perceived enemies in violation of FBI rules and regulations.

The president’s revenge for Comey’s “disloyalty” was to fire the director and then continue his feud with the Agency by throwing certain FBI civil servant officials who worked for Comey out with Jim Comey’s bath water, despite the Agency’s 112 years of outstanding service, credibility, and loyalty to the Constitution and its reputation and effectiveness to the country.

Trump constantly demonized his own FBI agency at every opportunity in his vendetta to destroy it with a king-like edict of a loyalty oath he demanded from all his cabinet and department heads who were forced to sign it.  Comey, however, demurred when asked to sign the oath and his refusal cost him his job.

One of the main reasons the arts and the media are still available to us is due in part to the boldness and fearlessness of both communities.   It is a testament to their resolve in keeping our 2021 democracy and our citizens well informed.  The main underpinning of our democracy, after all, relies on free speech and the rule of law in America.  Both of these concepts have come under heavy attack over the last five years. 

Now is the time for using “better late than never” as a prudent rationale for reexamining why our current political leaders lately appear to be tired of living in our 245-year-old democracy.  I still feel the sting of the ominous words spoken by Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev who (paraphrasing) smugly said “… we will bury you from within without firing a single shot…”   Nonetheless, the threat of losing our democracy by any means is unacceptable, especially in today’s politically divided and angst-filled American society. 

Khrushchev’s chilling words spoken 55 years ago seem less chilling now but more perplexing in 2021 because of the head scratching actions on the part of what some of our elected officials are saying and doing these days.  They have all sworn an oath to protect the Constitution and by extension, we the people along with our democracy-based way of life.

Alas, it’s a pity but understandable why some Americans today feel the need to ask where one stands when it comes to politics and the nation’s future.  The autocrats of the world are popping champagne corks to celebrate our embarrassment and fall from grace, and in their eyes, the United States of America is no longer the world’s greatest democracy.

Also vexing is why some of our elected officials appear to be recanting or abandoning their original sworn oaths. We have been taught that the truth to power pushback from the people will set us free.  If so, why is our American way of life over the last five years beginning to look a little frayed around the edges?  

The arts and our media are the best pathways to reach the people who, allegedly and ultimately, are in charge of America via the power given them through our Constitution that guarantees all U.S. citizens the freedom and the right to vote.  Remember, Congress works for us not for the flawed legacy of a disgraced ex-president.

We owe it to all the people that we remain a refuge for free speech in these politically charged and perilous times.  Every day in America that brings more troubling new facts and/or news about a new scandal relating to our politicians makes my heart sink a little more and I begin to worry again for our future as a democracy.

Also, I believe that it’s safe to say that most Americans are familiar with the political term “drain the swamp.”  Five years ago, the incoming political players promised to drain that swamp and “Make America Great Again.”  Most of our countrymen are law abiding, God fearing, patient folks, who are still waiting…and waiting… and waiting for that change to take place.

As a country we have survived many ups and downs because we are a unique and special nation.  We have worked very hard in our 245 years of existence to become the envy of the world. We, however, are not perfect, but we continue in the pursuit of seeking perfection.  After all, life on planet earth is a complicated, on-going work in progress.

Personally, I find it more rewarding these days to be an optimist rather than a cynic.  So, this time let’s really “drain the swamp” for the right, noble, and honorable reasons.  For if we fail in this pursuit, dark and dangerous days and perhaps even years, are in store for the greatest democracy the world has ever known.

-- Jack Lyons

“SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE” THE 2021 MOVIE VERSION DRAWS MIXED REVIEWS FROM CRITICS

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in HBO's
2021 remake of "Scenes from a Marriage"

When it comes to original stories made into movies and TV films, about the subject of love and marriage, one would be hard pressed to ignore the angst-filled dramas of the great Swedish filmmaker and writer-director Ingmar Bergman.

Bergman brought to the screen his series of reality-based films about the lives of Scandinavian marriages to insulated uninformed American audiences that didn’t like the feel of foreign films due to their annoying and off-putting subtitles.

Most Americans thought Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark were countries where people were tall, blonde, sexy, and were countries filled with lots of snow and ice during the winter months that made for great skiing and skating but also made for boring weeks where the sun was rarely seen.  Actually, there was a lot more happening in their marriages than we realized. After all, sex is universally practiced and so is its appeal.

Israeli filmmaker Hagai Levi decided he wanted to do a more modern updated version of Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 seminal film “Scenes from a Marriage” that originally starred Liv Ullman, Erland Joseph, Bibi Andersson, Jan Malmsjo, and Gunnel Lindblom.  However, writer/adaptor/director Levi trimmed several characters for his 2021 version. The film cast now features Jessica Chastain as Mira, Oscar Isaac as Jonathan, Nicole Beharie as Kate, and Corey Stoll as Peter, as their married friends and Sophia Kopera as Ava, their three year-old daughter.

The eponymous 2021 movie version currently streaming on HBO platforms stars the always fiercely bold and exciting actor Jessica Chastain as Mira, a shallow, narcissistic, young mother and wife married to Oscar Isaac as Jonathan, a philosophy college professor who rarely challenges Mira when messy home life and workplace confrontations occur.  He prefers the rational approach much like that of a Talmudic scholar in discussions with the ambivalent, passive-aggressive Mira.

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in "Scenes from a Marriage"

We meet them nearing the end of their marital bliss days that are now turning into thoughts of separation on Mira’s part. This is the tipping point in their marriage where the rubber will soon meet the road of reality.  Their marital life has been tedious, slowly paced and is loaded with dialogue that strains one’s credulity and authenticity. For starters, where is Mira’s concern for how she and Jonathan’s actions will forever affect their daughter?

Jonathan has been blind-sided and shell-shocked by Mira’s decision and in her unreal delusional attitude of being a parent and mother. Jonathan suggests they take some time to discuss this, but Mira demurs. Her mind is already made up; she has other plans in her future.

I seriously doubt that many female viewers will embrace the behavior of Mira.  And, yes, the film is not all “sturm and drang”. There are many moments of aching poignancy in Levi’s script about the ups and downs of married life that affect everyone in the film and as well as in real life.       

If one had to choose a character in this story to root for, I suspect it would be Jonathan based on his fatherly love and deep concern for Ava’s future. Levi leaves such decisions up to his audience when it comes to choosing one parent over the other.  Regardless, their marriage had all the elements of an impending train wreck right from the get go, but it is not the screaming, drunken, bombastic sort depicted in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, but it’s close enough on an intellectual level to claim a ‘civilized’ kinship.  

Most of the dialogue scenes are delivered in hushed and whispered tones - so make sure seniors are wearing their hearing aids while watching.  I get the ‘stylistic’ decision that signals intimacy, and as such, demands that the love scenes be spoken in tones that are low and slowly delivered for maximum effect; however, employing that directorial crutch only heightens the glacial pacing even more. There are more surprises and twists in this marital disintegration tale, but no more spoiler alerts here.

Nicole Beharie and Corey Stoll in HBO's "Scenes from a Marriage

I suspect the excesses of our 21st century liberated society influenced this adaptation of ”Scenes From a Marriage”, which resulted in it receiving mixed reviews. After all, the actors are working to execute the writer/director’s vision which they did in highly nuanced tour de force performances.  The talents of Nicole Beharie and Corey Stoll, however, are wasted here. One could make a case that the ubiquitous prop of red and white wine consumed by all (save Ava) has the largest on-screen time in the film.

With respect to the actors, who had nothing to do with the uneven moments in the script, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac are gifted actors and it’s a joy to watch their sublime performances.  Isaac’s “Ex Machina” film about Artificial Intelligence and Chastain’s performances in “Zero Dark Thirty” about the search for Osama Bin Laden, and “The Help” respectively, were breakthrough film performances where audiences and producers took notice.

I can’t wait to see “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”, staring Ms. Chastain as the televangelist partner and wife of disgraced preacher Jim Bakker, that opens in theatres this month.

Remember, a great nation deserves great art.  Support the Arts!

-- Jack Lyons

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL THE ENIGMATIST, THE NEWEST MAGICAL PRESENTATION AT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

David Kwong is THE ENIGMATIST at the Geffen Playhouse.
Photos by Jeff Lorch.

If you are looking for a show that will astound, confound and thoroughly entertain you, look no further than THE ENIGMATIST, the first presentation of the esteemed Geffen Playhouse's 25th season, written and performed by illusionist David Kwong at Westwood's Geffen Playhouse.

Showcasing the incredible skill and charm of Kwong, a New York Times crossword puzzle creator and sleight of hand magician, the show is a delightful combination of mind games, code breaking, fascinating history and jaw-dropping illusions that leave the audience gasping in glee.

Last year, Kwong took the stage in the Audrey Kenis Skirball Theatre in "Inside the Box," a salute to crossword puzzle fans everywhere. He has a can't-miss combination of smarts and humor with a touch of vulnerability, that pulls the audience into the act with ease.

The theatrical experience begins before one even enters the theatre, as an outdoor patio has been transformed into a "clue gallery" where the audience is strongly encouraged to try and solve the presented puzzles before entering the intimate stage set. By the time I sat down, I was hopelessly lost and feeling like a high school dropout, but I still got caught up in the rhythm Kwong creates.

His audience was all too eager to participate, providing assistance in some fairly impressive magic that left them agape. 

Hats off to the imaginative production designers at the Geffen who transform this small space in myriad ways, all of which work brilliantly. THE ENIGMATIST reconfigures the space as a cross between an elegant wood panelled library and a cocktail lounge...and it works. A series of small tables for two, along with banquettes and some traditional theatre seats, encourages the shared experience; the walls feature framed images which are vital clues to solving some of the challenges posed by Kwong. 

And he does challenge you, believe me. If you think you are pretty knowledgeable about puzzles, acrostics, cyphers and the like, you will leave this show feeling like a novice but eager to pursue more information about the nature and meaning of puzzles in our lives.

After his show last year, I wrote that Kwong would be an excellent choice to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy when the time came. Too bad the producers of that show didn't read my review, because this ingratiating magician and "cruciverbalist" (aka a crossword puzzle constructor) would give the TV audience what they are demanding in a host: intellect, heart, humor and a waggish personality. It's not too late, you know...

The show runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and is a perfect family-friendly show with nothing but clean jokes and amazing illusions. It's scheduled to run until November 14, 2021.

Tickets can be purchased through the Geffen Playhouse website at geffenplayhouse.org. Don't miss it!

-- Lisa Lyons

Local Playwright John Guerra Reinvisions "Our Town" for Our Times

Driving up a winding highway that snakes its way through the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles, one becomes immersed in the rural beauty of the canyons above swanky Malibu. I almost miss the slight turn in for the legendary Theatricum Botanicum, a hidden gem of a theatre founded in 1973 by actor Will Geer (Grandpa Zeb on The Waltons), where I am meeting John Guerra, a local playwright born in Carpinteria, a beach community located between Ventura and Santa Barbara. Despite the dust and heat of the day, the affable Guerra is energized and excited to talk about the premiere production of his play "The Last Best Small Town."

"I am so excited for this production, and honestly. I can't think of a more perfect place to see live theatre than here," he says. "The combination of the setting and the exceptional talent, both on stage and behind, is magical. It reminds me of the original form of theatre in the Greek tradition, and it's a perfect fit for this particular story."

"The Last Best Small Town," tells the story of the Miller and Gonzalez families who are neighbors in the small town of Fillmore in Ventura county. The year is 2008, and the country is in the early stages of the financial crisis that will devastate communities and alter the meaning of the American Dream. The age-old expectation that each generation will do better than their parents has been destroyed; what once seemed guaranteed is now fraught with uncertainty. The play's young protagonists, Maya and Elliot, personify the heavy toll on families who had counted on a bright future and now had to reimagine their lives with lowered expectations.

"Growing up, my parents loved road trips, so we would often just jump in the car and ride to an adventure," he lovingly recalls. "We drove through Fillmore a lot on our way to visit family in Burbank, and I watched it expand from a sleepy burb to a bustling community with housing developments and strip malls. I remember what a big deal it was when the first Starbucks opened there. But when the recession hit, everything seemed to freeze. That image just stuck with me."

After graduating from Carpinteria High School, Guerra attended the University of California Irvine and earned his MFA in Playwriting from the California Institute of the Arts in 2015. Starting as an actor with such local theatre companies as the Blank Theatre, the Fountain Theatre, and the Ghost Road Theatre Ensemble, Guerra soon realized a shortage of plays resonated with his Millennial generation. This led to the seed of an idea for a play that would mirror his own coming of age in the early 2000s. He saw how money, status and racial bias had altered the American Dream forever.

When the Los Angeles-based Vagrancy Theatre's Blossoming program put out a call for reimagining a classic theatre piece, Guerra started to mine his own background to create "The Last Best Small Town" as a modern-day "Our Town" using Fillmore as the setting. "The play was a way for me to reckon with my own identity," Guerra reveals. "A lot of the issues that Maya and Elliot struggle with were my own as I came of age, and the conversations about race they are forced to confront are ones that, as someone who is mixed, are constantly going on within myself."

"I set out to write a play without any bad guys - except for the impossibility of the American Dream," he admits. "Hopefully, I have portrayed it with kindness and compassion."

With a humble yet confident tone, Guerra states, "Every playwright looks forward to seeing the ideas in their head realized. I'm hoping that these words and ideas that have kept me up at night will reach across the stage and allow the audience to really feel that they are seen and understood. And isn't that the basis of all great drama?"

"The Last Best Small Town" opened July 31 and will play in repertory at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum through November 6. Tickets can be purchased in advance through their website at https://theatricum.com/the-last-best-small-town/.

-- Lisa Lyons


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NORTH COAST REP THEATRE DRAMA “DR.GLAS” PRESENTS ITS FINAL STREAMING PLAY OF 2021 SEASON

Daniel Gerroll plays the title role in "Dr. Glas"
at North Coast Repertory Theatre. Photo by Aaron Rumley

It’s amazing what the human mind can understand and accomplish when it comes to the world of theatre and its sister art form the motion picture.  Both are potent art forms that appeal to audiences worldwide.

Creative arts practitioners of today however, are still traditionally bonded to the western culture of the Greek Theatre of 2500 years ago.  It’s a base that has served us well. The immediacy of the written word spoken on a stage by live actors resonates with live audiences everywhere, just on a different level than film. The world of theatre is the province of the playwright, ideas, words and actors.

The motion picture camera, on the other hand, with its sweeping mobility for vistas and action sequences or for capturing the intimacy of a moment in a close-up, has the luxury of taking the audience anywhere during its presentations along with an unseen technical army of highly skilled professional artists that make the screen magic happen. 

Film is the kingdom of the director and his or her vision and together with the actors can at times become an out-of-body experience. Think Emile Zola's “Therese Raquin” or Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” for sci fi junkies or “The Exorcist” directed by William Friedkin, for fans of the horror genre. Add Ridley Scott’s “Alien”, the film that scared the wits out of half the known world, to the list as well. Yes, film is powerful as well as the stage. We the audience are the beneficiaries of both art forms.

North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT) of Solana Beach, CA, produces and presents world, state, city and regional premieres with Equity cast productions.  NCRT’s current streaming production “Dr. Glas” is based on the original novel written by 19th century Norwegian author Hjalmar Soderberg in 1905.

American journeyman playwright and author Jeremy Hatcher has fashioned a new version that takes into consideration the heart of the story set in 1905 Sweden, while creating a riveting psychological thriller. It's a perfect vehicle for the talent of polished British actor Daniel Gerroll, in a solo tour-de-force performance that is smartly directed by NCRT artistic director David Ellenstein. 

The story in short is about Dr. Gabriel Glas a respected doctor in Stockholm, is told in the form of a epistolary diary and follows Dr. Glas as he struggles with his depression - a favorite Scandinavian subject matter along with sexual fantasies - that fueled the plays of the great Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and literary giant Swedish playwright August Strindberg.  Swedish film director, playwright and author Ingmar Bergman became a world celebrity in the 20th century with his provocative and profound movies that forever changed the world’s image of Scandinavia as a region of Europe with stern moralists, repressed females and lots of snow.

The antagonist in this Chekovian-like play is Reverend Gregorius, a morally corrupt clergyman. Gregorius’ beautiful young wife confesses to Dr. Glas that her sex life is making her miserable and asks for his help. Glas is immediately smitten with the young wife to the point where he agrees to help even though he’s aware she already has a much younger lover.

Glas attempts to intervene, but 56 year-old Reverend Gregorius refuses to give up his “marital rights” of having sex with his own wife. Glas reluctantly advises her that she must have sex with Gregorius whether she likes it or not. So, in order to make his ‘fantasy lover’ happy, he begins to plot her husband’s murder. Shades of Emile Zola’s novel and later the movie “Therese Raquin” or the film “Double Indemnity” both plotlines were bold and scandalous for their time.  

The real beauty of this streaming production lies in the professionally nuanced, modulated performance of Daniel Gerroll.  He is also a voice-over actor whose silky delivery keeps the audience fully engaged right from the get-go in the excellent 65 minute film adaptation. It’s obvious to the viewer of the rapport and trust that exists between director Ellenstein and Mr. Gerroll. Timing in solo actor productions is critical and are visually evident in this excellent production at North Coast Rep.

The technical credits at NCRT are always first rate.  Director Ellenstein is fortunate in having a team of technical wizards close by.  First and foremost is the camera crew of cinematographers; Aaron Rumley,  Christopher Williams and Philip Korth nicely capture the shifting drama components and deliver another winning production for NCRT’s “Filmed Plays OnLine” series during the pandemic. 

In addition, resident set designer-magician Marty Burnett, Costume designer Elisa Benzoni’s costume for Mr. Gerroll is evocative of the period and spot on for the eyes and authenticity. Props are by Phillip Korth and the production is managed by Aaron Rumley. This will be the final NCRT production in a streaming movie format; the theatre returns to live performances this fall with a charming production of “Dancing Lessons” written by Mark St. Germain and directed by Richard Baird.  It debuts September 8th and runs through October 3rd 2021.

For reservations and ticket information contact the box office at 858 – 481 – 1055 or go online to NorthCoastRep.org. 

And remember: A great nation deserves great art. Support all the Arts!

-- Jack Lyons

BROADWAY AND FILM STAR TOVAH FELDSHUH MORPHS INTO “BECOMING DR RUTH” AT NCRT

Tovah Feldshuh as beloved 'sexologist' Dr. Ruth Westheimer in North Coast
Repertory's production of "Becoming Dr. Ruth"

North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT) of Solana Beach, CA, brings gifted, multiple award-winning actor Tovah Feldshuh to their stage to star in playwright Mark St. Germain’s breezy and delightful one-woman stage play “Becoming Dr. Ruth” in the platform streaming movie format. 

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Ph.D., the diminutive (4’ 7”) munchkin-like, giggling, ‘grandma’ image and author of some 40 plus books on human sexuality became an overnight sensation back in 1980 with her open, fresh approach to the subject of sex.  Dr. Ruth, as she is popularly known, is a licensed sexual therapist and grandmother.  

Call-in listeners to her 1980 radio show on station NYNY 103.5 FM in New York City would ask for her advice on personal sexual matters, which she discussed in an open, straightforward, professional medical manner.  Listeners heard words they thought they would never hear coming from their radios. The popular show went viral when Dr. Ruth moved one year later from radio to America’s television screens, becoming; a worldwide celebrity in the process.  

Playwright Mark St. Germain was of the opinion that the life and career of the pixie-like German-born American citizen and holocaust survivor would make for a wonderful uplifting stage play.  He was absolutely correct, of course.  “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” his stage play, is filled with drama, bravery, courage, wisdom, wit, tragedy and yes, comedy.  All of the components necessary for a wonderfully poignant and compelling stage play for all to enjoy in its 2021 streaming movie format. 

In 2019, the uninvited pandemic guest of covid-19 forced brick and mortar venues to switch their productions from ‘live stage mounted’ to ‘streaming service’ in the movie format.  NCRT has been a leader in the vanguard of presenting quality entertainment in Southern California both on stage and now in the pandemic era of streaming movie formats.  All of their 39th season of productions have been presented in the movie-style format.  But it appears that these restrictions are about to be lifted by California Governor Gavin Newsom on June 15, 2021.  Stay tuned.

The next step and challenge facing David Ellenstein, North Coast Rep Theatre artistic director - who directs “Becoming Dr. Ruth - was to cast an actor who has the talent and skills to breathe life into St. Germain’s insightful and entertaining 90-minute play.  Not to worry, Ellenstein’s search was a no-brainer.

Actor Tovah Feldshuh is a theatrical force of nature in performance and a six-time Tony and Emmy nominee who, as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Ms. Feldshuh not only immerses herself literally into becoming Dr. Ruth (no pun intended) that one forgets she’s also an actor of uncommon talent who happens to specialize in one woman productions.  Who can forget her powerful and riveting performance as Golda Meir in “Golda’s Balcony”?  Or laugh at her antics in TV’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” series as the yenta-like Naomi Bunch, mother of the show’s lead character Rebecca Bunch that starred Rachel Bloom.

Ms. Feldshuh’s mesmerizing performance as Dr. Ruth gives her audience a peek into the life of a holocaust survivor from the POV of a young girl to becoming a famous elderly celebrity whose personal philosophy of never giving in to the ups and downs of life; it's what makes her performance so compelling to watch.

Director Ellenstein’s many clever directorial touches are so seamless that one is unaware of the movie being directed at all.  The rapport between director Edelstein and Ms. Feldshuh is evidence of two pros doing their thing.  One marvels at her stamina, range, and pace while we embrace and laud the vision of director David Edelstein.  It’s great stuff.

The technical team that makes the movie magic happen includes Aaron Rumley, as director of photography and co-camera operator along with Phil Korth and Chris Williams; Marty Burnett, Set Designer extraordinaire, transfers the Solana beach stage into a New York City Condo with a sweeping view of the Hudson River from Dr. Ruth’s front room window that lends additional authenticity to this, at times, inspiring story about the celebration of life and the human condition.  

Costumes by Elisa Benzoni and Properties by Phil Korth; Wig designs by Peter Herman along with Camera operators Phil Korth, Aaron Rumley and Chris Williams, complete the technical film unit team.  The Board Operator is Matt Fitzgerald.

“Becoming Dr. Ruth” streams until July 11, 2021.  For ticket information, go online to NorthCoastRep.Org It’s a must-see production! 

Remember… a great nation deserves great art.  Support all the arts!

HBO SCORES WITH A NEW RIVETING FILM VERSION OF THE BROADWAY STAGE DRAMA “OSLO”

If this Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything it’s forced the American viewing public to think outside the traditional creative arts box when it comes to entertainment. “Streaming” was not a familiar term a couple of years or so ago, unless one was speaking of water or possibly flags streaming in the wind on National Holidays.

Today “streaming” is how a majority of Americans view their entertainment options at home. But the light at the end of this runaway train nightmare pandemic is finally coming into sharper focus as long as we continue to follow the CDC guidelines. Vaccination is free and relatively painless and it contributes to the health and well-being of all Americans. It works! Do It!

It’s anticipated that most brick-and-mortar venues will open in 2022. In the meantime, one can still enjoy quality stories and productions via streaming services. For anxious brick and mortar theatre owners, however, their concerns about returning audiences is an unknown X factor. Will audiences indeed return or stay at home and view plays on film with a snack and a beverage? Time will tell whether live theatre audiences, moviegoers, and the moviemakers themselves will win the fancy of future fickle audiences.

The “theatre” has long been the province of the playwright and the actors. Movies, on the other hand, belong to the vision of the director. Thanks to the breadth and sweep of the motion picture camera the movie industry’s technical wizards bring the insights and emotions of the screenwriter, the actors, and the director front and center in producing astonishing scenes with mind-blowing Hollywood-style CGI techniques.

The camera, with its creative and powerful use of movement and the intimacy of the close-up, would appear to have an audience advantage. Each medium, however, has its fans and followers. For variety, why not embrace both mediums, where and when possible, making the choice a win-win entertainment decision?

Savvy heavyweight Hollywood movers and shakers like Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger, producer Mark Taylor, and director Bartlett Sher lend their considerable talents and heft into a timely remake of the 2017 Tony-winning stage production “Oslo”. The 2021 movie version is also written by J.T. Rogers from his eponymous stage play, adding new inputs as a way of sharpening and updating the dialogue by Rogers and others.

We live in an ever-changing society. What passed for questionable dialogue a generation ago is now woefully considered passe and behind the times. Today, four-letter word expletives are increasingly being hurled from the stage as well as from the TV and movie screens.

Think of all the film and plays we’ve seen in our lifetimes…how did we ever survive or enjoy those plays and movies without using those expletives in dialogue compared to now where every other word to describe what is happening begins or ends with the letters ‘F’ or ‘S’. Back in the day, it was the job of the actor to breathe life into the characters created by the playwrights or screenwriters. But I digress…

The movie version of the Tony-winning “Oslo” stage play follows the plot line pretty faithfully. The difference comes in the editing of the talky stage version that ran a tad over three hours. The 2021 film production only runs about two hours. Having seen both stage and film versions I would be hard-pressed to favor one over the other. However, when the story elements and the performers engage the audience, the litmus test of acceptance and success is when the performance time-elements seemed to have whizzed by.

The story of “Oslo” is how one international ‘shadow diplomacy’ coup – one that actually worked - was ‘touch and go’; based on true events that revolved around the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. The shadow diplomacy occurring in the film became a fraught tool with secret negotiations taking place in distant Norway between trenchant enemies Israel and the PLO who were forbidden to acknowledge even the existence of one other, let alone discuss a covert peace plan for the Middle East.

The air in the initial meeting fairly crackles with electricity and pent-up emotions, along with nervous energy and uncertainty. The characters appear to be walking on eggs and holding their breath waiting to see what happens next in this intriguing and gripping drama - just like we the viewers. It's great stuff and so compelling to watch.

We can all thank a secret back-channel operation created and brokered by Norwegian husband and wife team of Mona and Terje Jull (brilliantly portrayed by Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott) that followed two years of facilitated discussions. It was one of thorniest and incendiary-filled series of meetings ever undertaken by sworn enemies who rise above their personal feelings to come together in safe and neutral Norway, in the name of world peace.

The word “trust” was a keyword that kept the participants coming back to their secret meetings. The ground rules, laid down by facilitators Mona and Terje Jull, were only that the four diplomats present would be responsible for advancing forward the peace process. The only gathering and interactions of everyone occurs outside the meeting room at mealtimes and during personal time and relaxation.

Getting to know one another as human beings and 'friends', helps grease the wheels of understanding and generates a sense of trust in one another which becomes the mother’s milk of their dangerous undertaking. Despite the seriousness of what’s at stake, there are light moments that run throughout the movie… just as in real life.

In defense of no spoiler alerts here, it would be better if readers of this review search out the date and time of HBO’s next scheduled screening. “Oslo” is an important film that will resonate with many because it’s 2021 ‘déjà vu moments that are currently playing out in the Middle East to a shaky cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The burning question for all is: Will this latest attempt for a peace process hold?

The beauty of this movie relies on the collaborative efforts of many talented individuals. If one buys the premise of the story then you will probably buy the bits it takes to accept it. “Oslo” is blessed with a sublime cast of highly skilled and creative professionals. Some you will recognize, others will be newcomers to the American viewing public, but all will be remembered.

I consider this casting aspect to be a plus for viewers. The ring of authenticity as to what takes place at these meetings has been scrupulously researched by screenwriter J.T. Rogers and is smartly and deftly directed with insightful and creative touches by Bartlett Sher. Shout-outs also for the inventive, lush photography of Janusz Kaminski and to Jay Rabinowitz for his effective and nicely paced film editing.

The ensemble cast responds accordingly with a series of nuanced and finely judged performances. The aforementioned actors Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott lead a list of wonderfully dedicated actors that include Salim Daw as Ahmed Qurie; Waleed Zuaiter as Hassan Asfour (both speaking for the Palestinian side); Jeff Wilbusch as Uri Savir; Igal Naor as Joel Singer; Dov Glickman as Yair Hirschfield; and Rotem Keinan as Ron Pundak.

This HBO production, which no doubt will be rescheduled, is well worth the wait. Quality filmmaking is still available for those who are not only discerning but are patient as well. A note of caution, however. “Oslo” has a boatload of expletives running throughout the film.

And, remember a great nation deserves great art. Support all the arts!

TCM-TV ANNUAL PROGRAM SERIES “31 DAYS OF OSCAR” FEATURES FAN FAVORITE “THE RED SHOES” PLEASING NEW AND OLD ALIKE

Moira Shearer stars as tragic heroine Victoria Page in the 1948 classic film "The Red Shoes"

TCM is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to movie fan loyalty and their classic favorites; especially when TCM’s “31 days of Oscars” program is screened nightly, one month ahead, to prepare the viewers for Hollywood’s annual Oscar bash, and the awarding of the best in filmmaking during the previous year.

English live theatre productions of Shakespeare’s plays for the stage have been nonpareil over the last 75 years.  It’s been baked into the British DNA for centuries. Very few performers could match the skill and talent of the man who made the English classics come alive for American audiences.   The brilliant British stage and film actor Laurence Olivier turned Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter speech and dialogue into scenes that both English and American audiences have come to embrace with increased clarity and understanding.  

American movie studios and stories of the 1930’s and 40’s generally wrote scripts and stories targeting American audiences.   The British cinema rarely produced films for American audiences.  They believed English comedies and dramas wouldn’t find their intended audience because of the differences in our language and culture.

Their shortsightedness allowed the wits and wags of the day to agree and credit George Bernard Shaw with the apocryphal biting quip; “Britain and America are two nations and people separated by a common language.”  Even English Prime Minister Winston Churchill, a pretty fair writer himself, got to weigh-in concerning the English vs. the Americans quips.  After all, his mother Jennie Jerome was American-born in Brooklyn New York, making Churchill an Anglo-American.  He was awarded honorary American citizenship in 1963 by the Congress; the only such honor ever awarded to a foreigner.

All those cultural differences, however, came to a screeching halt, at least for me, when the formidable gifted English writing, producing, and directing team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger debuted their flawless 1948 movie gem “The Red Shoes” in London.

Set amid the world of modern ballet, the psychological romantic film wonderfully explores the beauty and discipline of the ballet world, one of the oldest of the art forms which they imbued with technical aspects that only the movie camera provides and captures:  Sweeping vistas, huge casts, unique camera angles, powerful close ups, interior dialogue, flash forward sequences, along with the magic that the editing process delivers in keeping film stories moving  forward, was a game-changing bonus for world cinema.

I would even venture further saying that the success of the “The Red Shoes” helped pave the way, two years later, for the 1950 dramatic non-musical Oscar winning film “All About Eve”, a bitingly, authentic, blistering dramedy and one of the best movies ever written about the stage and Broadway.

There would be no “Red Shoes” movie, however, without the sublime acting talents of Anton Walbrook as the charismatic, arrogant, curt and demanding ballet Impresario Boris Lermontov, who could also charrm his benefactors when required.  The film is loosely based on the life of Sergei Diaghilev founder of Ballets Russes of Monte Carlo.  Stories about Diaghilev and his martinet treatment of demanding loyalty and obedience from his dancers and ballerinas are legion even among his friends and associates. 

 

Moira Shearer and Anton Walbrook in The Red Shoes

I cannot, however, think of another actor to play the role of Lermontov as perfectly as Anton  Walbrook did.  His polished, nuanced and riveting performance elevates the ballet movie genre to a new level of excellence.  It was a real shame and pity that Walbrook wasn’t nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1948. He certainly deserved it.

Young, beautiful, Scottish ballerina Moira Shearer, who was just twenty-one when she was chosen to play Victoria Page, the uber-talented, dedicated and committed young dancer becomes a sensational overnight star in the world of ballet thanks to Julian Craster, a promising young English composer’s, new ballet called “The Red Shoes”.  

Marius Goring might appear to be a tad too old in playing brash, young, gifted, English composer Julian Craster who falls deeply in love with Vicky Page; He marries her, incurring the wrath of Lermontov for ‘stealing’ her away from her destiny of “becoming the greatest dancer who ever lived" only if she remains with Lermontov. Their sin in Lermontov’s world is the placing of one’s human interests and emotions above the interests of the ballet.  That act is an unforgivable betrayal in the eyes of Lermontov and results in Vicky being fired from the company as punishment. 

The film story owes its origins to Hans Christian Andersen’s somewhat dark fairy-tale of a young girl who sees and buys a pair of red ballet shoes from a sly shoemaker who knows the deadly secret that whomever wears the ballet shoes will die from continuous dancing and exhaustion because the shoes once slipped on cannot be removed.  Only upon the death of the wearer can the spell of the red shoes be broken.  Just as in real life, celluloid choices also have life altering consequences to consider as well.

The supporting cast is filled with terrific character actors who know their way around a movie set as well as a ballet stage.  Australian actor/choreographer Robert Helpmann, as Ivan Bolesla, created the 17 minute astonishing ballet sequences danced by Shearer and himself, and at times, with the full company.  The dance of the red shoes sequences are stunningly choreographed by Leonide Massine as Ballet Master Gricha Ljubov, who also portrays the shoemaker in the ballet scenes.

Moira Shearer and Leonide Massine i

Beloved character actor Albert Bassermann, as costume and set designer Sergei, and Esmond Knight as Livy, the music director and orchestra conductor bring authenticity and experience  to their performances. The vivid lush technicolor-filmed photography is lovingly created by award winning master cinematographer Jack Cardiff.  American film director Richard Fleischer (who directed Kirk Douglas in the “Vikings”) said “Jack is not only creative, he’s very fast and very good – two qualities that are absolutely necessary for a cameraman to possess.”

As a side bar, it is interesting to note the similarities in the character portrayal of Lermontov as directed by real life director Powell. Both are strong and opinionated men who are used to having their own way.

During the filming and editing process, co-director Emeric Pressburger questioned Powell on the efficacy of using the footage as shot in the film sequence where Vicky is seen running down the back-stage steps area just prior to making her initial stage entrance where we see she is already wearing her red ballet shoes as posed by Pressburger to Powell in their debate issue was shrugged off by Powell, who later wrote in his diary, that in the coda section of the script.  “I am a director, and a storyteller, and I knew she must (wear the shoes despite the anachronism) I didn’t try to explain it.  I just did it.”

Which to me underscores the mind-set of Powell, and by extension, the mind-set of Lermontov. There was a lot of Lermontov in Michael Powell’s DNA.  Tyrants come in different forms and the real problem in dealing with them is, they also make such wonderful and fabulous motion pictures.

TCM –TV films are free to view and are some of the finest motion pictures ever made. To enjoy “the Red Shoes” and a ton of other quality motion pictures keep checking your local TV listings for “The Red Shoes” screening dates and times for viewing.  You won’t be disappointed. It’s a Masterpiece!

KEN BURNS' PBS DOCUMENTARY "HEMINGWAY" EXAMINES THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

Ernest Hemingway, the American novelist and author, became a giant of American 20th century literature.  His style was new in the early 1920s.  It was fresh, and it was being embraced by readers. He loved in his later years being called "Papa" by his friends and admirers which were legion. But his admirers never knew of the ghosts and demons of his past that plagued him all his life.

"Hemingway," the film, epitomized the romantic idea and notions for a generation of young American writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, John Dos Passos, T. S. Eliot, and Edith Wharton, among others that were key in leaving the legacy of "the great war of 1914 to 18" to the dust bin of history.  

There is no glory or service in war only death and destruction was Hemingway's cynical observation. Yet he served honorably and bravely in both World Wars, receiving medals for his bravery and wounds received under fire, thus endearing him to men young and old worldwide. His three most successful novels came from war settings based mainly on his own life experiences:  "The Sun Also Rises," "A Farewell to Arms," "For Whom the Bell Tolls." 

Hemingway was an enigma wrapped in a mystery that could always get away with things that ordinary people could or words never do. He relished his celebrity status to the hilt, and he was a party-going charmer when he needed to be. He was envied by men and was desired by women from afar.  In his twenties, he had matinee idol looks and worked them to his advantage.

These 'Young Turks' of writing in the early 1920s discovered "the lost generation" and made decisions in their writing to revitalizing the style and subject matter of their current society into the new and exciting 'Roaring Twenties' Hemingway influenced a generation of writers who were eager to leave the literature of the early 20th century behind. They much preferred to tell their stories that appealed to mid-20th century America, placing them in the vanguard of America's emerging writer population.  (Many who read this essay/review, perhaps, are too young to remember this early to mid 20th century golden period of literature and films in America; fortunately, I am not one of them).

The brilliant American documentarians Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, America's foremost literary and film historians, have written and produced a monumental six-hour film chronical on the life and time of Ernest Hemingway that highlights and celebrates his tragic life warts and all.   

They have created this insightful, riveting film epic into three episodes of two hours each; that is to be viewed on three successive nights on PBS. I watched all three episodes from April 5 thru 7.

Genius in any form is always revealing, always engaging, and can, at times, be, dare I say it … be boring or even cruel.  Hemingway was a complicated, flawed, four times married man who had a penchant for younger women (the youngest of his four wives was just 18), and he could be difficult to be around when he dipped into his 'dark-night-of-the-soul periods.  He was an inveterate alcoholic with medical issues that went along with his disciplined writing genius.

He possessed a lust for life that endeared him to his many "he-man" image-driven acolytes everywhere. And his fans adored him; however, Celebrity can become a two-edged sword at times, as Geoffrey C. Ward's inspired script attests.

Ward is an award-winning writer who, with Burns and Novick, appears to do his best work when Ken and Lynn are together in this very created triumvirate. "Hemingway," along with "The Civil War" and "Baseball," are three of Ward's best efforts in a string of wonderful and insightfully written scripts.    

Make sure you see "Hemingway" on PBS when it next appears on your TV screens.  Check your local TY listings in your area.  You won't be disappointed that you did.

AWARD-WINNING ISRAELI FILMMAKER MAYA ZINSHTEIN TACKLES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICAN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS AND THE NATION OF ISRAEL IN THOUGHT-PROVOKING DOCUMENTARY 'TIL KINGDOM COME

How does one cover 2000 years of religious history of the Jewish people and Gentles in the Common Era (CE)?   Perhaps, a good start would be seeing life through the lenses of the other regarding the impact that both religions have experienced on the planet we call Earth. 

For starters, it is necessary to approach such sensitive subject matter with openness, genuine respect and tolerance.  To agree to do so peacefully would be a giant step forward toward a better understanding of one another, especially now in the fraught nuclear arms race by more “wanna-be” players.  Their obsession to expand and join the world’s exclusive nuclear club could be dangerous for all concerned.  

The volatile Middle East, home to millions of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, has been a festering, religious open sore for centuries.  It’s also ironic that the Holy City of Jerusalem, sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians has been the centerpiece and focus and the reason of how so much blood has been shed in the name of religion and God than all the military wars combined throughout recorded history, speaks volumes about man’s ambitions and priorities. 

Award-winning Israeli filmmaker Maya Zinshtein, tosses her director’s hat into modern-day Israel and America to document the 21st century relationships with its supporters, neighbors, and friends - mainly the United States – as the most loyal supporter of Israel since declaring itself a sovereign nation in 1948.  

Zinshtein’s documentary film ‘TIL KINGDOM COME chronicles the story of how one faith-based American Evangelical Baptist Church, owned and operated by the dynastic Bingham family of Middlesboro, Kentucky, embraced the prophecies and the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible concerning the “end of times” and the return of Jesus to Earth. 

Pastors Bingham II and Bingham III also talk about the prediction that the Armageddon that will follow will last for seven years.  When that “happening” or the “Rapture” occurs it’s not clear to what happens to non-believers.  The ‘when’ of such events, however, is still a work in progress waiting to happen. Scientists say our Sun still has about four billion years to go before the fat lady sings.

The American connection to the IFCJ featured in this film documentary is the Evangelical Baptist Church of Middlesboro, Kentucky, under the leadership of Pastor Boyd Bingham II and his son Boyd Bingham III, who fervently believe and preach that God gave the Holy Land to the Jewish people in perpetuity. 

The only problem with following the edict thousands of years later is that the area selected then is now, unfortunately, too small an area to protect and accommodate all the faithful from other religions who lived there before as well, and who still have the desire to live there; this is the sticking point for Middle East. peace

There are many video clips with speeches praising the work and dedication of IFCJ’s many humanitarian accomplishments, and rightly so.   In this documentary film viewers see and hear from celebrities and politicians; including former President Trump, Israel’s current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pat Robertson, founder of The 700 Club, along with casino mogul billionaire and political donor Sheldon Adelson, and, of course, the people of Jerusalem and Middlesboro, KY. 

The documentary is a testament to what can be accomplished when people of Faith work together. That being said, the film also dips a toe into the toxic waters where religion meets the strange bedfellows of politics and politicians  One feels at times that one is watching an hour-long Republican political fund-raising dinner event.

Polite people years ago were urged to never mix or discuss politics and religion in the same conversation. That’s old fashioned thinking these days. It’s good business now to blur those old secular safety nets and “no-no” zones between politics, money, and religion.  It’s a changing and complicated, new world we have entered in dealing with such hot button issues as religion and politics in the 21st century.

‘TIL KINGDOM COME is a well-made, technically first rate, commercial film from director Maya Zinshtein  that shows off the important work being done, and rightly so, by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, who over its 38 year existence has raised more than $1.8 Billion to help Israel’s poor, elderly and all Jewish holocaust survivors. 

The welcome mat is still out for all far-flung Jews inviting them to return to their ancient homeland in Israel.  The IFCC’s new and dynamic President and CEO, is American-born Yael Eckstein of Chicago, who hosts the film.

‘TIL KINGDOM COME was released to selected theatres on February 26th  to coincide with the lifting of the quarantine ban for movie theatres.  Check your local schedules for dates and times of screenings.

-- Jack Lyons