“Proof” Of Good Theatre Resides In Backyard Renaissance’s Production

 Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company is completing its sixth season with David Auburn’s  award winning “Proof” .  “Proof” was the longest running Broadway Play in two decades” according to Playbill Magazine. A Broadway play typically runs about nine months to a year. Auburn’s long running “Proof’ lasted as long as some musicals, thrillers and comedies” .

I am no mathematician. Not by any stretch of the imagination. So, when a play about the proof of a mathematical problem is put before me, even in an artistic setting, I am in awe. But I needn’t have worried. “Proof “is as much  about relations, family relations, father daughter affection for and pride in, and mental health as much as it is about proving a mathematical theory. And…as director  Anthony Methvin, has thrown some much needed humor when least expected.

Liliana Tatwatte and William Huffaker

Family dynamics, old wounds and new concerns, an outsider who has access to the deceased professor’s papers and a case of mental instability are the ingredients for this engrossing and very well done play, set (Yi-Chien Lee) on an old and decaying back porch of the family’s run down house in suburban Chicago.

When the play opens Catherine’s (brilliantly played by Liliana Talwatte) father (Francis Gercke),a  little heavy handedly comes up from behind her and wishes her a happy birthday. She is twenty five this day and he offers her champagne and a suggestion she party with friends, which of course, she replies 'she has no friends'. 

The play moves back and forth in time and unfortunately, what we don’t know until later revealed, is that her father, Robert, is dead and this is the day of his funeral. 

Francis Gercke and Liliana Talwatte

Over the course of time, Catherine tries to sort out what life without her father would look like. She has been his caretaker for the last five years and his student since she can’t remember. She knows that she has the same genius genes as he and worries she might inherit his mental instability. She is looking for a new start, a new beginning, perhaps going back to finish her college degree.That is about to happen when Robert’s nerdy grad student Hal ( a bit too much over the top William Huffaker) comes into the picture. Hal has been working with Robert going through his notes compiled in a series of some 103 notebooks. Now that her father is dead, she doesn't trust him to be alone with his papers. She also has an investment in the material.

Liliana Tatwatte and Wendy Maples

Adding to the family dynamic, Catherine’s sister Clare (a smart and powerful Wendy Maples) a force in her own right, descends on the family home demanding that they sell the family home and Catherine  goes back to New York with her and live there. 

But, where has she been all this time when Catherine dropped out of school to care for their father? 

Will Hal and Catherine learn to trust one another? 

Is Catherine really the stuff of which her father is made? 

More questions than answers, but worth the 2 ½ hour wait to find proof of what’s really on Auburn’s mind: genius, greatness  or madness.  As an aside, when Robert was Catherine's age, he was a certified genius. 

You be the judge.

This is the third time yours truly has seen this show; once on Broadway in its original production, once here in San Diego at the now defunct San Diego Rep. where Gercke played the nerdy student and now downtown at Backyard Renaissance Theatre. One can understand why it played on Broadway for two decades.

Wendy Maples and William Huffaker

There are many components to every piece of theatre. Without being too detailed, there are things to look at beside just the play: costumes, music, lighting, sets and direction are but some of the considerations not to mention the actors who take their trade very seriously and directors that put the pieces together to make sure that  proof of good theatre continues.  

San Diego stands with some of the best Regional Theatre companies in the country. As for this company, production values  run high. Hats off to Curtis Mueller, lighting, Matt Lescault-Wood, sound, Jessica John Gercke, costumes Chad Ryan, technical director. and of course Anthony Methvin.

Cast

Enjoy. 

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Runs Nov 25 and runs through Dec. 9. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays

Where: Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 Tenth Ave., downtown

Tickets: $18-$40

Phone: (760) 975-7189

Photo: Daren Scott

Online: backyardrenaissance.com

“MAMMA MIA”

“Mamma Mia” the jukebox musical is making its 25th Anniversary North American Tour. This week it landed in San Diego at the Civic Theatre\downtown. 

“Mamma Mia”! has been performed in more than 40 countries and across five continents, including: Belgium, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.  The first non-English production started in Hamburg, Germany, on November 3, 2002.  Many international tours have run over the past several years.

It’s  a fun musical with the songs and music of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus written originally for ABBA and are the main attraction. The book by Catherine Johnson, is so ho hum that after a while, you just look forward to hearing the music which is made to fit around the story of the young Sophie Sheridan (locally grown Alisa Melendez “I Had a Dream) who is planning a conventional wedding to the handsome and muscular Sky (Grant Reynolds)  “Lay All Your Love On Me”) and always dreamed about having her Dad walk her down the aisle. 

Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill, Carly Sakolove

No problem for those who know who their Dad is. Not so in the life of Sophie. You see her mother Donna (Christine Sherrill), feisty, forty- something and who used to be part of a singing group called the “Dynamos”. She is still single but way back then she had a tryst with three different young men when they were all young and foot loose.  It all happened somewhere on a small Greek Island 21 years ago. 

Donna never told Sophie about them but for the sake of expediency Sophie gets hold of an old diary of her Mom’s. After reading it Sophie finds out the names of  three men in her mom’s life, who at that time she was gaga over and possibly had affairs with. Without consulting her Mom, she sends all three an invitation  (that was supposed to come from Donna) to the wedding.

Jim Newman,Victor Wallace, Rob Marnell

The mystery: Donna knows nothing of this and the three men, now into the same forties as Donna are flummoxed as to why they have been invited to a wedding of someone they know little about.There is Sam (Victor Wallace ...“Knowing Me Knowing You”), Bill, (Jim Newman and Harry (Rob Marnell). All three left the island leaving Donna behind. She now runs a nice little hotel and cantina and ekes out a living for both herself and Sophie.  

None knew she was ‘with child’ and now they, all three potential Dads’ show up thinking Donna invited them. She’s as confused as they, especially after Sophie asks all three to walk her down the isle.  (“Thank You For The Music”)Needless to say, it all works out; conundrum aside, and ABBA fans get to hear no less than 23 favorite songs including “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “Winner Takes It All” “Voulez-Vous”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, and  “Slipping Through My Fingers”,  among others all under the direction of Phyllida Lloyd, and his high energy, uniform dancing with choreographer Anthony Van Laasy, brilliant lighting  by Howard Harrison, sound designers (too loud) Andrew Bruce and Bobby Atki

Grant Reynolds and Alisa Melendez

The production is filled with a combination of youthful energy and mature and over the top funny/ hysterical shenanigans.  The night I attended the entire ensemble was on top of their game that left the audience on their collective feet when the whole cast came out for curtain call in their full on pull up Lycra costumes coordinated by Lucy Gaiger.

Melendez looking heavenly in her wedding dress, hrr credits include“Almost Famous” and “Rent” has a lovely and even  (“I Have A Dream”) voice and with acting credits to go along; “I want my Dad to walk me down the aisle”  bit. 

There is strong chemistry between Christine Sherrill’s  Donna and Melendez’ Sophie that lends credibility to their mother daughter relationship. (“Slipping Through My Fingers”). Sherrill  has the right chops for the Abba sound and uses them to her advantage. 

Donna’s old girlfriends and singing buddies (the “Dynamos”) Tanya and Rosie (Jaylynn Steele and Carly Sakolove) who were also invited to the wedding helped steal the show with their antics and good humor, (“Dancing Queen”) 

Sakolove is a hoot as the prankster of the three and her little shtick with Newman’s Bill is a hoot. (“Take A Chance on Me”)

Other than that, the three ‘fathers’ are about as exciting as watching grass grow. They come, they go, and they bring little pieces of forty- year history with them that refuses to be reconciled any time soon.  

Victor’s Sam and Sherrill’s Donna dance a dance but seem miles apart until the last scenes (no spoiler here in case you’ve never seen the show). He wants to talk, she wants to have nothing to do with him, or so it seems. (“The Winner Takes It All”) 

Cast

The talented ensemble of young people, who do a good amount of dancing (and with fins on their feet to boot) create some semblance of excitement on the island with Patrick Parks ’s Pepper making a big pass at Tanya as she plays him like a violin. 

But it’s the dancing along with the 23 or so Abba songs that give this particular musical most of its pizzazz. It takes a village to mount a show filled with this much youthful energy, mature and hysterical shenanigans and over the top and funny performances that follow.

So?What’s not to like? In this reviewer's opinion, nothing. 

Go, see, enjoy, sing along and have fun, it’s  Abba after all.  

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through Nov. 12

Tickets: $39-$169

Phone: 619.564.3029 

Production Type: Jukebox Musical

Photo: Joan Marcus

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre Downtown, SD

3651 4th Avenue San Diego, CA 92103

" THE LITTLE FELLOW (OR THE QUEEN OF TARTS TELLS ALL)"

 Kate Hamill’s world premiere production “The Little Fellow or The Queen of Tarts Tells It All” is in a saucy, sexy, shameless and spicy production at Cygnet Theatre in Old Town through Nov. 19th. With Rob Lutfy at the helm and a solid cast of four playing several roles, the show is on solid footing

The subject is  based on the life and times of 19 century courtesan Harriette Wilson, who, at the age of thirteen became a prostitute at the biddings of her father. But it is at this point, later on in life that Hammill picks up the story. We learn the backstory as the action moves forward.

Keiko Green with MJ Sieber

In the words of Sir Walter Scott, “far from beautiful; but smart and saucy, with the manners of a schoolboy”…She was boisterous, rude vulgar, bold and outspoken, fought and chewed tobacco, spat and carried a riding crop and wore men’ clothing. She counted some of the most influential men in the country as her clients. She was called “The Little Fellow or The Queen of Tarts”.

Keiko Green and MJ Sieber

In 90+minutes the beautiful and sexy, moody and oft domineering Keiko Green  as Harriet is all of the above. When we first meet, she is chasing one of her clients around her sitting room and slapping him with her riding crop. That may be THE most playful scene in the show as it gets nastier as she meets up with others the likes of The Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley (MJ Sieber Green’s real-life husband)plays several men’s roles, including The Marquis of Worcester, Lord of Berwick & others), who at her demand promise her a yearly income if their names are not mentioned in her tell all books, which  made her a rich woman in her own right. As her reputation grew she was called the “top of the bottom”.

Rachael VanWormer and Keiko Green

Along the way, she has run ins with several women in the same profession like Julia and others (Sofia Jean Gomez) but with altogether different mindsets. Julia, another prostitute  is softer and when approached, choses her words carefully except when they disagree and then the shouting, over each other, begins.  

Past her prime ( the time is 1800’s) and rejected by many of her clients as they could, as at the time, men ruled and the only recourse she has is to grooms her maid Mary (Rachael VanWarmer) as a young and upcoming prostitute.

Keiko Green

Bitter and desolate Harriette, who was once at the top of her game, is showing the toll taken, is now an outcast, and one can see her devastation, alone in her home, but alone… 

After seeing Green’s performance in, “Exotic Deadly or the MSG Play”, there is no question of her super star quality. In one of her final scenes with  The Duke of Wellington  has tensions flying off the roof tops. This is a scene seared into the minds memory.

She is on stage the entire ninety minutes showing every side of her personalities. As for the rest of the cast one can only applaud the diverse nature of all. No easy task, this to speak in accents according to position in society and get it right.

Keiko Green and Sofia Jean Gomez

Yi-Chien Lee (scenic designer), Anne E. McMills (lighting designer), Steven Leffue (sound designer) Regency costume designs), Peter Herman (wigs and make-up design), and Alyssa Kane (properties designer) all contribute to making Cygnet’s world premiere of “The Little Fellow” a reason to rush to Old Town before it closes.

If you are not offended by the racy nature of the play, enjoy!

See you at the Theatre.

 

When:  Oct. 28 and runs through Nov. 19. Showtimes, 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Where: Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Tickets: $27 and up

Phone: (619) 337-1525

Photo: Karli Cadel

Online: cygnettheatre.com