A New Look at A Seasoned Show: “A Chorus Line” At Moonlight Stage Productions Giving The Company a Three of Three ratings of 10’s

In 1975 the Marvin Hamlisch (music), Edward Kleban (lyrics), James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante (book) and Michael Bennett (conceived and originally directed and choreographed) the musical hit Broadway and never looked back. It received 12 Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score culminating with nine in all. The show ran for 6,137 performances and became the fourth longest running Broadway show ever. 

The last of the last ‘musical within a musical, “A Chorus Line” was produced at Welk Village Theatre where it was abruptly halted due to the Pandemic. It’s ironic that one of the more recognizable tunes is “What I Did For Love” sung by Diana (Milan Magana) and company that just about says it all when it comes from the life’s work of everyone in show business. 

During intermission, I had a chance to chat with Producing Artistic Director Steve Glaudini who had tears in his eyes as he impressed upon me that a dancer’s life is about love, rejection and what is done for the love of dancing, being in a chorus line, auditioning knowing you may or may not make the cut, “(Oh God I need This Job”), possibly injuring yourself and laying bare your soul for the chance of the dance. The Pandemic changed all that and in the process left many behind in its wake. But the show goes on.

Every now and then, it’s good to see it again through new eyes (I’ve seen it at least three or four times over the years) just because it is one of the quintessential dance shows of Broadway’s past (by doing the math, it’s 46 years old), not to mention it is a damn solid and good show, it gives dancers the complete floor ( it starts out with 26 dancers and is whittled down to 8) on what goes into the process of becoming a dancer, and it gives the audience a chance to perhaps, understand how much hard work is involved in making something look so easy. 

Xavier J. Bush as Richie

What the show did not have at Welk was live music with Dr.Randi Rudolp and her 16 member orchestra, a sprawling stage setup outdoors (with spot on lighting by Jennifer by Jennifer Edwards). What Welk did have and continues to a have at the Vista location is director/choreographer Hector Guerrero (using the original dances) and about ten of the cast from Welk. Some of the cast and crew have different roles, but not to worry, each one past and present are excellent. 

The premise of the show is that Zach is conducting interviews for chorus line dancers being interviewed. We also get to see behind the scenes of what it looks like as dancers to go through the audition process before even getting close to the finished product. From there the finished product and in this case, the Big Production Number and finale, “One” (that singular sensation) that always brings the house down). 

Natalie Nucci as Sheila

In charge of these auditions in this show is the director, Zach (Tyler Matthew Burk) who barks out orders to this chorus of those wannabe chosen. He does this by relentlessly probing, questioning and eliminating while all the while getting under their collective skins by having each one gives a brief background of themselves as the “I Hope I Get It” mantra is chanted in the background. This is the heart of “A Chorus Line”. 

One by one Zach prods information from each with the usual suspects and personalities standing out over and above the others. Jessica Naimy as Diana, the brash Latina, who speaks of her toughness with one of her numbers, “Nothing” while relating a touchy, feely acting class she took in school on the one hand, and on the other hand later on in the show, belting out “What I Did For Love” with more emotional tremor than what was expected of her given her tough veneer. 

Cast

 Mike (Michael Jeffrey Scott Parsons) the youngest of twelve who tells how he used to mimic his sister at her dance class by learning her steps in “I Can Do That”. 

Sheila (a terrific Natalie Nucci) is tough as nails and has been around the block several times. In her number, “At The Ballet”, she reminisces about her parents and her dancing lessons and her dysfunctional family life.  The beautiful Jennifer Knox) is Cassie, Zach’s old flame and ex live in girlfriend, have a bit of an on stage why are you here moment ‘after all is said and done and you walked out on me’? Jennifer shows her talent as she dances her solo number that lasts at six or seven minutes if not longer, “The Music and the Mirror”. 

Several of the boys speak of their homosexuality but it’s Paul (Steven Ruvalcaba)) who is given the juicy part as he recalls the pain of his early childhood, his removal from Catholic School when he confesses that he is gay, his dancing in drag after he leaves school and his parents recognition of him as a young man. That monologue opens the floodgates for the audience. Ruvalcaba is a perfect Paul. Danny Gersonde is the flaming Bobby. He sashays his stuff for all to see. 

Jennifer Knox as Cassie

Holly Echsner is on target as Val, the skinny kid with no chest no behind to speak of but a great dancer none the less.  She ends up doing bit of body reconstruction and sings about it in another show stopper “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three” or (“Tits and Ass” showing off her now big breasts).

 Xavier J. Bush (Richie) is the tallest dancer I’ve seen but don’t underestimate; he can kick those babies out as far as the eye can see.  

Samuel Shea is Larry, Zach’s serious assistant who helps run the auditions and Trevor Rex is Greg the Jewish gay man who struts around like a prima donna and talks about his first encounter with a woman when it’s his turn to talk. All in all, the dancing is terrific, the musical numbers are timeless, the voices are all excellent and the passion of the dancers, on a scale of one to ten, hits a ten.  

Moonlight’s last show “Beauty and the Beast” was definitely child friendly. “A Chorus Line” is adult oriented. It is well worth to trip to Vista. 

Steven Ruvalcaba as Paul

According to fun facts on “Broadway Buzz”: director/choreographer Bennett thought up “A Chorus Line” from scratch but the famous interviews was based-hours and hours of tape of dancers sharing their life’s stories-was actually started by veteran Broadway dancers Michon Peacock and Tony Stevens in January 1974’ efore that first interview session, four of the dancers—Sammy Williams, Thommie Walsh, Priscilla Lopez and Kelly Bishop—were so nervous about the event that they met up at Walsh’s house and got stoned.

It was Neil Simon's then-wife Marsha Mason who called up Bennett and suggested (strongly) that he change the ending  and put Cassie into the show (she was not originally) to be less of a downer.

 Clive Barnes "The conservative word for “A Chorus Line” might be tremendous, or perhaps terrific."

I second the motion. 

Photo: Ken Jacques

Where: Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Park, 1250 Vale Terrace drive, Vista

Phone 760 724 2100

Runs though Sept. 4th.

Tickets: $17.00 t0 $59.00

Online: moonlightstage company

 

It’s a Memory Play. It’s a Love Story. It’s a Story of Assimilation. It’s a Trip of a Lifetime on a ‘E ’Ticket in San Diego Rep’s '57 Chevy”. Hop on Board

 There is something to said about memory plays that bring out the fuzzy feelings in some of us. In Emmy Award-winning writer, Cris Franco goes back to the days when his father Cris Sr. moved the family from Mexico to South Central Los Angeles, a culturally diverse neighborhood, where young Cris and his siblings flourished.

But nothing lasts forever and when the family grew financially, they moved to ‘the San Fernando Valley' when young Cris was only 10. In his own words, ‘where everything looked the same and lacked any diversity’. Their family stood out as the only Hispanic family in the neighborhood. On the other hand, Cris Sr. moved to a bigger shop and the family prospered even more. 

Salinas acts out in chapter and verse (85 minutes) the goings and comings of their family dynamics, of self a -confident and self -determined immigrant who bragged about coming to America ‘legally’ to give his family everything any family could dream of: ‘The American Dream’, a big screen color TV, sending his children to a private school, albeit Catholic and a big home in the burbs, like it or not. 

In his one man tour de force, Rick Salinas (of the original Culture Clash) becomes Cris Sr. and a host of characters (18 in all) including their ‘Tia’ Miss Mimi Barnes, who got him a job in a Volkswagen auto shop and a work visa to come to the America after Cris fixed her VW Bug. 

In describing his dad, Cris calls him Mexican duct tape; “he could fix anything”. His claim to fame was that he was a master mechanic, but dirt poor; “old Mexican eat the dirt poor”.  His specialty was fixing German automotive i.e. Volkswagens, but when push came to shove, his real love, next to his family was his '57 Chevy that he paid $1802.00. With this purchase, Cris felt he had achieved ‘the American Dream’. 

Rick Salinas as the Senior Franco

In his rendering, Salinas is a as busy as a queen bee in a beehive, moving all over the stage, (designed by Christopher Murillo) as an old garage, the Chevy, (“See the USA”) his home and using anything available in the mix and match of discarded clothes, furniture, an old vacuum cleaner, a wagon filled with anything and everything, ponchos to an old vacuum cleaner, and a wooden mixing spoon that he used as a shift lever for the Chevy when he was driving the family on outings on his day off. 

It is directed by Herbert Següenza (another original Culture Clash member) and artistic director Sam Woodhouse. Along with Salinas the memory play and excellent directing by the dynamic duo, Franco’s homage to his father is both heartfelt and rock bottom honest;  “a classic”,  especially when he admits that he will not follow in his father’s footsteps to follow in the family business but will become a writer instead, and lucky for us.                                  

Along with Murillo’s everything goes set design, Mextly Couzin’s lighting, Matt Lescault’s sound, Carmen Amon’s creative costumes and Fed Lanuzo’s music, Cinematography and projections/photography by Tim Powell and Elizabeth Barrett and stage manager Heather M. Brose it all comes together like a well oiled 1957 Chevy. 

Before graduating High School in mmmmm I drove a 1955 Chevy and thought I was Miss Goddamit of my senior class. 

Two thumbs up for the entire cast and crew...

57 CHEVY is available from San Diego Repertory Theatre through Aug. 15th. For show and ticket information go to www.sdrep.org

Photo Credit: San Diego Rep.

Delicious Combination of Acting, Directing and Playwriting Give NCR’S “Dr. Glas” A Tasty Morsel of Intrigue, Morality and Mystery.

 When you start thinking about a play you’ve seen for days on end, you might consider seeing more than once. Through the technology of streaming (a new phenomenon during Covid) it’s possible to go back and watch a play more than once sans an audience. None-the -less however it does have its advantages and North Coast Repertory Theatre has become a prime example of doing an exemplary job at it perfecting this type of filmed streaming. It is its eighth of this type. 

“Dr. Glas” is a short story by Hjalmar Söderberg published in 1905 in Stockholm, Sweden, where it was immediately condemned. And why not? It deals with abortion, women’s rights, and male dominance, infidelity, sexual perversity and murder.  

             Daniel Gerroll as Dr. Glas. (Photo Credit Aaron Rumley)

With the winning combination of playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (“Tuesdays With Morrie”, “The Turn of the Screw”, “Compleat Female Beauty” and a host of others), director David Ellenstein and celebrated actor Daniel Gerroll giving a tour de force performance as Dr. Glas, mark your calendars as a must see. 

Gerroll, after reading the book, brought the idea of writing a play based on the novel to Hatcher, who immediately took on the challenge. When Ellenstein was brought into the picture, the deal was sealed and voila the world premiere of “Dr. Glas” is streaming through Aug. 15h’ 

Hatcher frames the monologue in journal form as the good doctor jots his notes after seeing his most celebrated patients; the not so good reverend Gregorius and his youthful wife. Let your imaginations wander. Helga Gregorious can’t stand having sex with her husband (she’s having an affair outside the marriage). He demands she perform her wifely duties. In separate visits Glas promises her to talk to her husband whom he detests, yet finally convinces him to give it a break.  

              

After several visits by her,  Glas admits he’s in love with the reverend’s wife and let's his imagination run away with him. What to do about the husband he loathes and has thoughts about getting rid of? He does have those tablets laced with cyanide. He arranges a meeting. If nothing else. But, alas…

As the good doctor muses, “Morality’s place is among household chattels, not among the gods. It is for our use, not our ruler. And it is to be used with discrimination, with a pinch of salt”. 

Sadly, love has passed the good doctor bybut passes it off with a shrug, yet in another exchange he confesses that he wouldn’t’ trade places with anyone else. The Dr. totters on the edge the several morality questions. Yes, the cynicism gives this short piece (60 minutes) both comic and tragic edges as he explores the pros and cons of euthanasia and death by one's own hand and gives it a voice. 

Söderberg ’short story is a loaded cannon jammed with questions waiting to be answered and for an audience to experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let’s just say that there’s more than a morsel to digest in this world premiere psychological thriller.

Director Ellenstein and Gerroll have the whole projected streaming perfected thanks to the excellent help. Scenic Designer Marty Burnett, Cinematographer / editor and stage manager Aaron Rumley, costumes/Elisa Benzoni, Prop Design Phillip Korth, photo credit Aaron Rumley. 

DR. GLAS will stream on Showtix4U.com July 21 – August 15, 2021.

A 30 min talkback follows the show. It's worth the listen.

Tickets:  $35.00-$54.00

Northcoastrep,org

At Moonlight Stage Productions of “Beauty and the Beast”, A Star is Born.

 If the stars, moon and sun were all in alignment, it couldn’t have been a more perfect year for Jenna Lea Rosen (Belle) to be born. The year of her birth, 1999 was the same year her parents were performing in the First National Tour of “Beauty and the Beast”. Now, a star in in the second production of Moonlight's showy of showy shows she is a standout. She has the poise , beauty, grace, charm and the chops that give this production the grounding it needs. (“Home” and “Change In Me”). 

Jenna Lea Rosen and Michael Deni as Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Adriana Zuniga Photography

Based on Disney’s animated film of the same name, this show has all the ingredients any youngster (and adults alike) would drool over. Beautiful heroine, bright and colorful costumes (Mela Hoyt Heydon) handsome prince (Michael Deni) before he was transformed into the Beast.  

Company by Ken Jacques Photography

Included in the large cast (24 in all) Buffoon/cad/bully Gaston (Evan White), Belle’s Dad, Maurice, an eccentric inventor (Johnny Fletcher), singing and dancing table utensils, teapots. The dancing silverware and other household items, signatures of the show, are always fun to watch especially (Michael Paternostro) as Lumiere the candelabra, whose lights are ready to extinguish any moment, Jerald Vincent as Cogsworth the clock and head of household is a kick, three silly girls Taylor Evans, Carly Haig and Kaitlyn O’Leary are part of the company and great dancers, Zane Comacho is a hoot as Lefou, Gaston’s punching bag and Bryce Hamilton is Madame de la Grande Bouche.  

“Be Our Guest” song and dance number, one of the most extravagant and as production numbers go, proved to be both lively, and jaw dropping. The more familiar theme song, 'Beauty and the Beast', sung by Bets Malone is lovely.  Madame de la Gran Bouche, (Bryce Hamilton) and the grand armoire is as a strong presence throughout and was most clever.  

Evan White as Gaston. Ken Jacques Photography

(Bill Burnes choreographed) and an adorable youngster, Chip (Abraham German) “Human Again” is the face inside the tea cup. The rest of the household are frozen according to the tasks they performed in the Palace. As the teapot, Mrs Potts, Bets Malone, is spot on. 

The story of Belle a beautiful young woman sought after and perused by local cad Gaston, her  journey of beastly cordiality and finally love begins when her father, an absent minded inventor, gets lost in the mystifying forest that lies just beyond the outskirts of her little French village and is beseiged by some pretty scary looking animsls (lighting designs by Jean-Yves Tessier. )

Unbeknownst to those living in the Provencal, there is a castle hidden deep in the woods where, years earlier, a Prince who had not been very Princely turned a beggar woman away from the castle when she asked for shelter. 

Before she is sent away, she handed him a rose which not only revealed her beauty, but cast an evil spell on the Prince, turning him into a Beast;  his servants into morphed household items and his castle, a  cold and uninviting prison. No B&B that! The curse, we find, can only be broken when the Beast learns to love and is loved in return. This must happen before all the petals from the rose, which is sealed in a glass jar, fall from its stem.  

 Back in the village, Gaston tries every means including manhandling Belle to convince her to marry him strutting across the stage, flirting with the audience, flexing his muscles and just plain being obnoxious and loathsome, as he offers an absurd proposal of marriage to Belle, who quickly turns him down. 

He’s the guy you love to hate for his larger than life ego. Yet he’s so ridiculous, that its fun watching him. Ms. Rosen, as mentioned at the top of this review, is charming as Belle the deal maker/breaker for the beast. She was in fine voice on opening night and needless to say everyone was rooting for her to tame the Beast and rid herself of Gaston.  She is just the right, charming choice as Belle. 

With lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and book by Linda Wolverton and music by Alan Menken, who is no stranger to collaborating with other artists, worked on several Disney features such as “Little Mermaid”, “Pocahontas”, and “Aladdin”. His first successful work was in the off Broadway musical, “Little Shop of Horrors” in 1982. “Beauty and the Beast” made its Broadway premiere in April of ’94   based on the Disney animated film of the same name. It was the first animated film to be nominated for The Academy Award for Best Picture. 

L to R, Michael Paternostro as Lumiere, Jerald Vincent as Cogsworth and Jenna Lea Rosen is Belle. Photo by Ken Jacques.

Director JamieTorcellin is in the director’s chair, Elan McMahan in the pit, Jonathan Infante as production designer, Jennifer Edwards technical director and special shout out to Stanly Cohen as Stage Manager.  

The show continues at 8 pm through Aug 8th. at Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Terrace, Vista Ca 92804. 

Tickets range from $17.00 to $59.00.

Photo by Ken Jaques and Adriana Zuniga Photography

The Art of The Story Makes its Its Way To “The Mango Tree”

 

The art of storytelling is as old as Bible Stories themselves. And it came to pass that when Beninese-American born Bibi Mama was growing up in Storrs, Connecticut she spent her early years “observing her father continue the Yoruba oral tradition through storytelling which inspired her love for acting”. According to her father, best -selling author Dr. Raouf Mamma, in a talkback after the show. ‘there was no TV, no internet, Face Book” just storytelling or folklore to make a point without hitting you over the head.

Moxie Theatre is presenting this original play  “The Mango Tree” as part of the SAY IT OUT LOUD Juneteenth Festival and the Black Artist Collective. Ms. Mama, co-directed with Claire Simba. Mama, a recent graduate from The Old Globe-University of San Diego MFA theatre program, is the solo artist who sets the mood, 

      Bibi Mama . Photo: Moxie Theatre

A young girl and her twin brother always celebrate their collective birthdays together, sharing adventures. One of their favorite things to do after their celebration, was to climb the large mango tree by the river’s edge. Although her brother is minutes older, she is the more adventurous egging him on to climb higher and higher, where she claims the mangos are best at the top. Hesitant at first, he surprises her this one day and climbs to the top sending down beautiful and ripe mangos. All is well, right?

But folklore isn’t exactly as it seems when meets the eye. In a sacred, lively and spirited performance Ms. Mama takes us through the ins and outs of lesson building, love of family, right and wrong, respect and dismay of the selfish ‘river goddess’, love and loss and caring after loved ones. It’s a story to be handed down and told from generation to generation, as did her father before her, the subtle and not so subtle. Meanie Chen Cole's sound design added a bit of adventure and mystery to Mama's journey.

The production will be streaming Friday, June 18th at 8:30, and Sat. June 19th at 6pm at moxietheatre.com for tickets.

 For more information on the Black Artists Collective go to sdblackartistcollective.com sayitloud. 

This production was filmed on MOXIE’s stage and the recorded performance will be streamed at scheduled performance times.

Each performance includes a pre-show interview with Bibi Mama and her father who is a storyteller and inspired this show.

There are lessons we can all learn from "The Mango Tree",

 Don't miss it. 

On Becoming Dr. Ruth Shines On Many Levels

When an irresistible force such Tovah Feldshuh

Meets an old immovable object like Dr. Ruth Westheimer

You can bet just as sure as you live

Something's gotta give

Something's gotta give

Something's gotta give.

What gives is that over the course of Mark St. Germain’s 90 or so minute play, “Becoming Dr. Ruth”, Feldshuh steps into Dr. Ruth’s shoes and right before our eyes, she becomes Dr. Ruth the famed sex therapist. (“Sex for Dummies”)

But in real life, that’s not exactly how it happened. Karola Ruth (Siegle)Westheimer was born in Germany in 1928 to an Orthodox Jewish home. “sex for us Jews was never considered a sin”. She was a child of the Holocaust, (both of her parents went to the camps when she was just ten.) Before that her mother saw to it that she on the Kinder Transport and sent to Switzerland, but grew impatient when the families treated the children like hired help.

She managed to get to Israel, lived on a kibbutz, fought (she was a sharpshooter) in Israel’s Haganah (Israel’s underground movement) at age 17 during Israel’s fight for independence.

Dramatist Mark St. Germain’s plays, “Freud’s Last Session”, “Dancing Lessons”, “Camping With Henry and Tom”, were all presented in San Diego over the years to fine reviews. His style that he refers to as historical fiction ‘brings life to historical events and personalities’. And Dr. Ruth happens to be one of those characters.  

On several interviews with Dr. Ruth, who upon first being approached for this project, refused, he finally made her comfortable enough for her to put her faith in him as a playwright and not to distort or sensationalize her life.     

He penned “Becoming Dr. Ruth” in 2012 and now San Diegans have an opportunity to catch the show streaming at North Coast Rep., directed by artistic director David Ellenstein and the pièce de résistance is the one and only Tovah Feldhshuh.

Short in stature with a twinkle in her eyes, Ms. Feldshuh aka Dr. Ruth, walks through the apartment she is planning to move from to a smaller space, stopping every now and then to pull a family picture off a bookshelf that is projected on to a TV in the room, sit in her easy chair or bench and tell us about her family, her children, her three husbands.  

Or she might look out her living room window across the river where she can see the Statue of Liberty, and the Hudson River.

Set in the backdrop of her comfortable apartment in New York, (where she immigrated as a single mother), now cluttered with moving boxes (set designed by Marty Burnett) we are under the impression from phone calls from movers and with lots of newspapers for wrapping pictures and other valuables, that she is in the process of moving.

She may stop to regain her composure when talking about her father, who instilled in her, her Jewish roots, (she now belongs to two Synagogues) her faithfulness to Judaism and to her mother who always taught her to look on the sunny side of life. 

                                  Photo by Aaron Rumley

Feldshuh in an easy and pleasant manner, channels Dr. Ruth with an all-knowing smile, a high pitched 'hmm', a lifted eyebrow or a wag of her fingerand a unique laugh. Her performance is so natural that listening to her tell her stories makes you feel that you are sitting in her living room with her and that she is speaking directly to you. 

Aside from the facts and fascinating life she led, Feldshuh gives us an honest and heartfelt heartbeat of the one thumping in the real Dr. Ruth Westheimer. She was a mover and shaker in her own right and with that knowing all smile is still going strong in that apartment she was going to leave over the objections of her two children. 

Aaron Rumley is credited as cinematographer/editor. Elsa Benzoni designed Ms. Feldshuh’s brightly colored blouse. Peter Herman, wigs, and Philip Korth, props. 

 BECOMING DR. RUTH will stream on Showtix4U.com on demand from JUNE 9 to JULY 4, 2021. Tickets are $35 for individual viewing and $54 for group viewing and can be purchased at northcoastrep.org. Runtime is 90 minutes.

I would also urge you to tune in to the conversation between Dr. Ruth, Playwright St. Germain, David Ellenstein and Tovah Feldshuh. She's the real stuff. 

 

“DRY POWDER” A POWDER KEG OF HIGH STAKES FINANCES

 For those not in the know (yours truly among them), Investopedia describes dry powder as “a slang term referring to marketable securities that are highly liquid and considered cash-like. Dry powder can also refer to cash reserves kept on hand by a company, venture capital firm or individual to cover future obligations, purchase assets or make acquisitions.” Who knew?

        Jessica John, Javier Guerrero, James Hancock III, Carter Piggee

Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company is presenting Sara Burgess’s 2016 comedy /drama behind the scenes world of high finance; the bargaining, the lies, the deal and the kill in a highly emotional and charged production as directed by Francis Gercke that pits just about every player against his or her self.  

It’s a fast moving 80 plus minute of wheeling and dealing about finances, company layoffs, workers protesting about the layoff’s, investors overseas manufacturing and who in the company has the best plan for the most return on the dollar, er millions of dollars. 

CEO of KMM Capital Management Rick (Javier Guerrero) is trying to recover from the company’s fiasco of laying off many of the grocery workers from a company KMM recently acquired especially after he just threw an expensive party celebrating his upcoming marriage. The optics were not good.

                            Carter Piggee and Jessica John

Enter Seth (Carter Piggee) another partner who, wanting to change the dynamic, suggests the company buy Landmark Luggage, a company founded in America and made in America and using American workers. He has an inside track to the CEO of the company. 

The rub in that scheme is another co-founder Jenny (Jessica John), a wiz at crunching numbers that can make your head spin who has other plans for Landmark Luggage. And so, the beat goes on with wrangling from all sides on how best to seal the deal. The one unknown is Jeff (James Hancock III) CEO of Landmark Luggage who also happens to be buddies with Seth. He’s ready to deal, but too many red flags keep popping up.  

The action takes place over a three day period as the balance of power changes from one character to another, all fully committed to The Deal but approaching it from different angles. All think they want the same thing but are miles apart in the way they do business. 

Both Jenny and Seth argue numbers. Seth thinks he has the upper hand because he and Jeff have known each other and have built some trust between them. Jenny, who can bowl you over with numbers, vies for Rick’s approval when she delivers the bottom line. Rick seems like he’s in a conundrum most of the time by being pulled in all directions.  

Burgess’s play, a fast paced comedy drama, alluded yours truly parts of the time. True confession; I have not balanced my checkbook in over thirty years. Kudos to the four wonderful actors for at least dragging me into the cut throat world of high finances. Or maybe not!

John’s Jenny single purpose of rattling off different scenarios to make the deal work is, to yours truly, mind boggling and she does it with such conviction and confidence and the skill of a high powered control bully. Piggee on the other hand is low keyed, and assured. His is a more controlled and deliberate way of doing business while Hancock’s Jeff, on the receiving end, smells a rat complicated by layoffs and outsourcing and Guerrero’s Rick seems otherwise engaged. 

Francis Gercke directs with a firm hand keeping all the moveable parts going in the right direction. Ross Stewart’s are befitting the players in high roller positions. Tony Cucuzzella’s set is befitting the work place. Jonah Gercke’s filming and Rachel Eubanks editing give the piece a sleek and easily defined look enhanced by Joel Britt’s lighting. Matt Lescault-Wood created the sound design.

Photo Backyard Renaissance.

 Once again Backyard Renaissance has outdone itself in acting, look and, dare I say, the challenge to step into the world of high finances. 

“Dry Powder “will be available for streaming through May 2.