Climbing Rose: Joseph Coat of Many Colors

 

 I have shared with you before how I have a strict set of rules around going to the theatre.  I do NOT peak!  1) I do NOT read any reviews, period!  What do I care what others think make good theatre?  I have a right to protect what will become MY opinion after all.  2) I don't look ahead to see who's in the cast.  I like being surprised.  3) If I'm unfamiliar with the show, I do nothing to educate myself about the plot, etc. ahead of time.  And, 4) I do not seek out press photography.  Again, I want to be surprised by the not only who the actors are, but what the sets and costumes, etc. look like.  

Well, I held my ground pretty well...and then I peaked!  This is a show I have never seen performed on stage before.  I have however, completely worn out 1 CD of the original Broadway cast recording and am well on the way of disintegrating a second!  I love every song and I've memorized them so thoroughly, that I already have an image of the whole musical in my head.  Now, imagine my surprise when I discovered that there are a lot of words in between the songs.  Upon arrival at the Ford's Theatre, I also discovered that the show is three hours long!  Yet, from the first actor to idly wander onto the stage set up to look like a museum exhibition to the final standing ovation--the presentation was exceptional!  

Scenic Design praise goes to Milagros Ponce de Leon. 

Then the stage transforms into the chamber in Independence Hall back in the summer of 1776!

The Ford's Theatre is the very one in which our 16th President was assassinated.  I tend to go on weekend matinees and any performance is always full of visitors to DC who marvel at it's 19th century size (it's small), and the fact that the presidential booth is maintained as a memorial right there, to the right of the stage.  While it always brings a certain gravitas to the production being staged, never more so than with a production like 1776.  For while the musical tells the story of that hot summer in Philadelphia as the Continental Congress debated declaring independence from King George and England, the true drama pivots on a compromise.  The decision to favor independence alone over both Independence and the manumission of enslaved people along with the abolition of the institution of slavery.

The cast was, to a person, pitch perfect.  I could not have loved them more.  Both Jake Loewenthal as Thomas Jefferson and Derrick D. Truby Jr. as Benjamin Franklin were convivial and understated in a way that enhanced their performance and brought a necessary balance to the work of the whole.  Michael Perrie, Jr. as Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee made the most of this solo thus establishing the volume of presentation needed to impress for the rest of the musical.  As a whole the choreography, by Luis Salgado was set on "Amazing" and made the grade from start to finish.  

Others worth celebrating individually include Casey Evans as the ever truculent Pennsylvania Delegate John Dickinson.  The last and the only hold out who in the end was out voted by his delegation and left the Congress firm in his commitment to avoid war, but ready to fight for the colonies if circumstances required.  I've seen Casey in nearly a dozen shows over the past decade, and I've never seen him deliver a finger performance.  His voice was in an excellent state.  Also, and arguably the most difficult to like delegate, Joe Mallon, as Edward Rutledge from South Caroline.  His rendition of "Molasses to Rum" which indicts the members of the Congress from New England for their complicity in the infamous slave triangle was bone chilling delivered.  His baritone, bellowed out during the recitative of place names meant to sound like the names of the men and women being auctioned off in the slave markets of Charleston, felt like a cyclone sucking up all the hypocrisy of mankind and laying it bare in a place without winners.

Finally, we come to Jonathan Atkinson who portrayed the irascible John Adams, delegate of Massachusetts.  What can be said?  For decades the amazing character actor William Daniels has been the person of John Adams in the role; as he did originate it on Broadway.  How I would have loved to have seen him experience Mr. Atkinson's portrayal.  It was, based on everything I know of the original version, on a scale 1 to 10, where the original was a tried a true 10--a 12.  Atkinson to this character by the horns and never stopped shaking new life out of it from the first "Sit Down John!" to the final "Is anybody there?"  On a championship team, Atkinson was the quarterback who through every ball to a touchdown.

So many hours later, I'm still glowing inside.  It was the best thing I've ever seen at Ford's Theatre, and I've seen some amazing productions from "Lincoln" with Scott Bakula to "Come Away From" with the original Broadway bound cast.  This production was for me a dream come true.

The number: "For God's Sake, John, Sit Down!"

John Adams of Massachusetts (Jonathan Atkinson)

Abigail Adams (Kanysha Williams)

As their diologue is taken from their actual letters to one another, they may appear to be together on stage, but they cannot, in the end, actually "touch" each other.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia (Michael Perrie, Jr.)

Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania (Derrick D. Truby, Jr.)

Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island (Stephen F. Schmidt)

Thomas Jefferson of Virginia (Jake Loewenthal)

In a contrivance of the production, Martha Jefferson, Thomas' young bride, is brought to Philadelphia by Adams and Franklin to help him over his "writer's block."

Adams, Martha Jefferson (Justine "Icy" Moral), and Franklin in the number "He Plays The Violin."

John Dickinson of Pennsylvania (Evan Casey)

The number: "Cool, Cool Considerate Men"

The Courier (Hunter Ringsmith) singing "Momma, Look Sharp".  The woman to right did everything she could to stench the flow of tears from her eyes.  I took a more passive stance and just let the warm, salty liquid run down my cheeks.

Jefferson, Franklin and Adams performing the song "The Egg."

Edward Rutledge of South Carolina (Joe Mallon) performing "Molasses to Rum".

Breaky: Scrambled Eggs and Fried Potatoes

 

Baltimore Center Stage: Holes

 "Holes" is a play adapted by the author from a young adult novel.  The story is as fantastical as it is allegorical and traces the experiences of one very unlucky, possibly even curse, teenager in a parallel telling of his great great grandfather's tale and who the "curse" got placed in the first place.  Bottom line: Don't steal a pig from a Gypsy.

The adaptation is ingeniously done and made successful in conjunction with one of the most beautiful sets I've ever seen.  An arid desert full of holes one moment to a lake side community made abundant by waves of flowing water.  Add in a lighting design that perfectly connects to and transforms the sets as needed...it was magical.  Kudos to Scenic Designer Sydney Lynne who was brought in from Chicago to craft this inspiring set, and Jesse Belsky for the accompanying Lighting Design.  I've seen Jesse's work before, but always in standard, unimaginative productions where success is determined by the way you DON'T notice the lights.

The actors were a wonderful mix that in some ways mirrored the audience at today's matinee.  Clearly the word is out, because there wasn't an empty seat in the place, and this on top of the fact that it was also the annual Mount Washington Flower Sale just one block behind the theatre!  Thus the traffic and parking were a thing to be avoided--it also explains why I was able to get such a good seat so late in time...  The audience was split 50-50 between folks my age and up and young parents with children (ages 7 to 12, upper elementary).  The gentleman who sat next to me referred to me as "young man" and regaled me with stories of shows he'd seen as a young man in the theaters than no longer even exist in Charm City.  Like the time after one performance he ran into the Smothers Brothers at the bar at a nearby hotel and they spent the evening drinking and enjoying one another's company.

The parallel with the cast was a divide between established, seasoned actors, and those young men and women still in high school dreaming of their way into the business.  Among the older set were several familiar and dependable staples in the DMV actors' scene: Marcus Kyd, Emily Kester, Jonathan Del Palmer, and Susan Rome.  I've followed all of them over many productions and none more passionately than Susan who can do it all and with such gusto!  From a supporting role in "Brighton Beach Memoir" to a solo show on the life of avant garde sculptor Louise Nevelson, and most recently in a cast written, experimental production on the theme of caring at Mosaic Theatre in the District.  In truth, I first noticed her in a recurring role as assistant district attorney over a couple of seasons of "The Wire".  Here again, she chameleon-ed herself through a series of roles with the comedic timing of a truly gifted professional.

Seven roles went to the young folk as inmates in this nightmarish and farcical juvenile rehabilitation camp called "Green Lake" where there is no lake and nothing is green.  Three are students at the Baltimore School for the Arts, and another is a senior in a different Baltimore High Schools acting program.  It is so exciting to see such talent on stage in its nascent moments.  The main role is that of Stanley Yelnats IV portrayed by Zachary Corey; the aforementioned senior in the Acting Magnet Program at G. W. Carver Center for the Arts and Technology.  No matter how good everyone else is in this play--the production lives or dies on the shoulders of this young man for whom this was his professional acting debut.  I can't imagine the pressure, but I didn't have to, because he was magnificent.  He took on the role with such a natural ease that never fell into pitfalls that can plague inexperienced actors like relying on some cliche or gimmick to define a character's disposition.  Instead, he just was Stanley to the point that near the end when exhausted by his quest he collapses in despair in the desert and cries, I completely forgot that he was an actor playing a role, and instead, wanted to weep with him in empathy with his situation.   Additional shout outs go to Kimberly Dodson as Madame Zeroni and Jude Sincere as Zero.

"Holes" at Baltimore Center Stage is a triumph of story telling and a joy start to finish.

POST SCRIPT:  Prior to the beginning the company often sends out a member of the Board or behind the scenes administrator to welcome the audience and make a pitch for contributions.  The young man who got the nod today began by describing Baltimore Center Stage as "Maryland's Official Theatre Company".  I thought, "What the fuck?  By whose standards?"  Then I realized that it was certainly the result of some promise of state money to underwrite the company, and like other such agreements (The Maryland Zoo, for example) probably exacted an expectation of free performances for Public School groups to performances like this one.  I know they also have an ongoing program that teaches acting at some of the state's juvenile jails--something I think is 100% a good thing.  

Introduced to his Unit D crew members at "Camp Green Lake".

Madame Zeroni (Kimberly Dodson)

Unit D Crew: Top L-R: Stanley (Zachary Corey), X-Ray (Ephraim Neheniah), Zig Zag (Hassan Aziz) Bottom L-R: (Armpit (Joshua Reginald Allen), and Magnet (Braxton Singhanath)

The D Crew member who holds the key to the truth...  Zero (Jude Sincere)

Crew Boss, Mr. Sir (Marcus Kyd), explaining how things go down at Camp Green Lake.

The Warden (Susan Rome)

Stanley is called before the Warden for an infraction.

Stanley Yelnats IV (Zachary Corey)

From the alternate story-line: Kate (Emily Kester) and Sam the Onion seller (Jonathan Del Palmer) attempt to make their escape across Green Lake.

The boys after Zero runs away!

Zero and Stanley on the lamb together.

The treasure is found and the gig's up!  All that has been wrong for over 100 years, will be made right.

My Little Garden Zoo 2026: First Report

 With an oddly cool spring that started with several very hot days, the flowering trees all got a kick start and the air was filled with pollen, then petals, then seed pods!  All of which falls on my planters and requires constant cleaning when decked out as a small figure zoo.  Some years I brave it; this year, not so much.  Tack on to that three weekends in a row with damp weather and highs in 50's and overcast low 60's and it's not been a difficult decision.  Of course, I still like to spend some time on the deck and have moved many tolerant plants outside.  In the process, I have also established a few habitats for this year's iteration of my LGZoo.  

GRAY WOLVES

Canus lupus 

[Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED]

COMMON WOMBAT

Vombatus ursinus 

[Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED]

GALAPAGOS ISLAND GIANT TORTOISE

Chelonoidis niger 

[Conservation Status: ENDANGERED]

EASTERN GREY KANGAROO

Macropus giganteus 

[Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED]

AMERICAN BISON

Bison bison 

[Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED]

NORTH AMERICAN BLACK BEAR

Ursus americanus

[Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED]

North American Moose

Alces alces 

[Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED]

CLOUDED LEOPARD

Neofelis nebulosa 

[Conservation Status: VULNERABLE]

CHEETAH

Acinonyx jubatus 

[Conservation Status: VULNERABLE]

Prologue Theatre: A Mirror

The Program was for the fake wedding complete
with a guest gift bag!

There is a lot of new theatre out there, and honestly, I tend to give most of it somewhere between a B- and C-.  It's derivative.  It's cliche.  It's formulaic.  It's idiosyncratic to the point that its message is irrelevant.  The characters are flat.  So you sit through a story and when it's over there's not that much left to ponder, except perhaps why did I pay to give up two hours experiencing this.  It's a little bit like fishing.  Sometimes you catch a really great fish, but often you don't and still you can appreciate all the incidentals, right?  There's the river, the fresh air, your friend/s, the warm sun, the cool breeze, etc.  So even if a play's plot is not so great, you can appreciate the sets, costumes, props, light & sound, the actors who bring their A-games even to C- scripts.  So that's why I rarely find myself regretting going to the theatre.

And then there are those other times.  The time you bring in the most magnificent Rainbow Trout the Au Sable River has ever given up, and your dad is so proud of you, and later the old girl as fresh as new mown grass roasts over an open fire and flakes off the bone like manna from Heaven.  "A Mirror" by Sam Holcroft is like that trout.  Premiered in London in 2023, it's a relatively new work that is both sharp in its intentions, but soft enough to allow for some atypical character development.  

Prologue Theatre has been around now for about 10 years.  It is the lovechild of Jason Tamborini, who directed this production.  The intention of Prologue is to create interactive post-production experiences in which ideas can be discussed.  To this end, every show comes with an online forum.  "A Mirror" tells the story of a playwright trapped in a totalitarian society who is forced to stage his plays in clandestine ways.  So you enter the "theatre" which is decked out like a church chapel (and which is literally staged in modestly sized storage space on the backside of a CVS drugstore anchored mini-strip mall of just three business.  Parking is in the rear as is the entrance.  It is the most intimate of theatre spaces, perhaps in all of the DMV.  Previously they have found room in the schedule of the Atlas Performing Arts Center in DC, and the very first production I ever saw with in the recital space of a converted circa 1930's movie theatre on Georgia Avenue, NW!  And that's when I knew it was love at first sight!

While this little company might seem inconsequential in the big sea that is the DMV theatre scene--it always manages to punch above its weight.  And nothing proves this more than the fact the Maboud Ebrahimzadeh held the leading role of Celik.  Maboud is one of the most amazing actors I have ever seen, and I've seen him in over a dozen shows.  To experience his talent in such a small and close-up space is a gift I would have paid for under any circumstances.  And he's so good, that I cannot help but believe his performance raise the other's work around him.  And I don't mean to be undermining the role of Jason Tamborini as director.  There's just something magical that can happen when the chemistry is right.  And to that end the rest of the primary cast: Jordan Brown, Lily Burka and Shaan Sharma were pitch perfect.  Here's the ticker--this was a two and half hour production that never lost my attention, if at times pushed the boundaries of my apprehension as I aloud the ideas to sink in and join an internal dialogue around the issues of censorship, honesty, courage and survival.  

On stage through May 18th.  Honestly, go.  This is the sort of opportunity that doesn't come along very often.