Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck

Feb. 23-March 10

Interplayers Professional Theatre

174 S. Howard, Spokane, WA

(509) 455-7529

www.interplayers .com or www.ticketswest.com

About the play: “Stamp collecting is far more risky than you think. When a pair of half-sisters discovers the ‘crown jewel’ of stamp collecting after a death in the family, the double-crosses start and continue nonstop in this gripping tale. A seemingly simple sale becomes dangerous when three seedy, high-stakes collectors enter the sisters’ world. This viciously smart, fast, mean and often explosively funny play will keep you guessing and gasping as the house lights come up.” *Contains adult language and situations.

Director: Patrick Treadway

Cast: Damon Abdallah, Sarah Denison, Brian Edwards, Bethany Hart, and Jason Young

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The Count of Monte Cristo adapted by Charles Morey fFrom the Novel by Alexandre Dumas

Feb. 24-March 18

Spokane Civic Theatre’s Main Stage

1020 N. Howard, Spokane, WA

(509) 325-2507

www.spokanecivictheatre.com or www.ticketswest.com

About the play: Exceedingly entertaining, this compelling stage adaptation will both captivate and enthrall you at the same time. The courageous story of Edmond Dantes. Romance, revenge, obsession and justice abound. Yet in the end only truth, hope and love will prevail.

Director Yvonne A.K. Johnson

Cast: Paul Villabrille, Peter Hardie, Nancy Gasper, Dalin Tipton, Damon Mentzer, Chris Taylor, Ryan Marie Patterson, Ron Ford, and others.

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Becky’s New Car by Steven Dietz

Feb. 28-March 3

University of Idaho, Moscow

Hartung Theatre

(208) 885-7212

www.uidaho.edu/class/theatre/productions

About the play: Becky Foster is content with her husband of 28 years, her outspoken 26-year-old son and her steady job at a car dealership. But when millionaire widower Walter Flood steps into her office looking to buy a car, or several, Becky forgets to correct him when he assumes she too is newly widowed.  Balancing two relationships in a double life will test her limits in this hilariously complex comedy about finding happiness in what we have.

Director: Zac Curtis

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Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein

Feb. 24-March 4

Produced by Christian Youth Theatre-Spokane and held at the Bing Crosby Theater

901 W. Sprague, Spokane

www.cytspokane.com

(509) 487-6540

About the musical: Set in a Western territory just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, the journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road. That they will succeed in making a new life together we have no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand-new state provides the ultimate climax to the triumphant OKLAHOMA!

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Annie by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan

Feb. 24-March 4

Produced by Christian Youth Theatre-North Idaho at the Kroc Center

1765 W. Golf Course Road, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

www.cytnorthidaho.org/homepage

(208) 765-8600

About the musical: Annie is the story of a spunky orphan whose journey to find her parents takes her from the home of a billionaire bachelor to the President’s office.  Featuring such favorites as “Hard Knock Life”, “Tomorrow”, and “Maybe”, Annie is a fun-filled, high energy event for the whole family.

Director: Brook Bassett

COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO—Feb. 23, 2012—North Idaho College’s production of the late Wendy Wasserstein’s play THIRD is a theatre-lover’s bargain. It’s well acted, well directed, and admission is free.

In THIRD, Wasserstein’s last work, we glimpse the personal and professional life of college professor Laurie Jameson (Trigger Weddle). In the midst of her dealing with menopause, a father with dementia, and a friend who has cancer, she accuses a student of plagiarizing a paper on Shakespeare’s King Lear. But is the accusation justified, or did she base her charge on her own narrow-minded ideals?

Weddle plays the part of the intelligent and high-minded professor naturally, and her struggles with her own convictions are very believable. Her character is clearly caught between her pursuits of the mind and real life.

Chris LeBlanc is funny and heart-warming as her ailing father. He shows promise as a character actor, and this performance is sure to be as memorable as his portrayal of Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter at Lake City Playhouse last season.

Kathie O’Brien, as fellow professor and cancer-ridden best friend Nancy Gordon, plays the role with sardonic wit and seems comfortable in her character’s skin. Alyssa Maurer as Laurie’s daughter, Emily, and Gustave Lester as the suspected plagiarist Woodson Bull III, “Third,” also are committed to their characters.

The script itself is witty and smart. While some of the high-level humor might be missed by the production’s younger audience, all can relate to a young man who is accused of not being good enough and a woman who is finding that clinging to her ideals can cloud her judgment.

There are several poignant scenes. In one, Laurie’s father is wandering outdoors in the middle of the night thinking he’s on a ship. He doesn’t recognize his daughter when she comes to find him, and he asks her sweetly do dance. It’s a touching moment.

Wasserstein shows her humorous side in a bar scene where the professor’s daughter unwittingly meets the boy who had been accused.

Director Todd Jasmin does a good job keeping the many scenes moving along smoothly, and the pacing was excellent.

Thankfully, the playwright leaves us with hope rather than makes Laurie’s story a Shakespearean tragedy. Wasserstein may have gone, but her presence was felt in this production.

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THIRD runs through Feb. 25 at North Idaho College (www.nic.edu). Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

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Sandra Hosking, M.F.A., is a Spokane-area journalist and teacher. She is editor of Insight for Playwrights, a national publication, and Co-playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre.

By Sandra Hosking

COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO—Feb. 18, 2012—Lake City Playhouse has followed up its impactful and polished production of Rent with the light-hearted comedy EPIC PROPOTIONS by Larry Coen and David Crane.

Set in the 1930s, the play follows two brothers, Benny (Brandon Montang) and Phil (Alex Eddy), who are extras in a movie being filmed in the remote Arizona desert. It’s a huge Biblical epic, titled Exeunt Omnes, and in the words of character Louise Goldman (Dawn Hunter), it basically means “everybody outta here.”

The clipboard-toting Hunter is endearing and effervescent as the film’s extras supervisor. She addresses the audience as if it’s part of the crew of 3,400 movie extras. There’s no way to leave, yet there will be a softball game later—by the way, does anyone have a softball? She delivers most of her jokes with an innocent smile on her face.

Montang is appropriately pathetic as Benny, an extra who always seems to get stuck doing the dirty work—moving heavy objects, standing waist deep in frogs, etc. He moons over Louise. Meanwhile, his brother Phil can do no wrong, taking the helm of director after a series of unfortunate events and sweeping Louise off her feet.

Marina Kalani makes a great Cleopatra-esque diva with her gold high heels and deep, commanding voice. Karla Morrison’s portrayal of the film’s vogue costumer is, well, vogue.

Director Doug Dawson makes an appearance as the uptight Jack, the only man allowed to speak to the reclusive film director, D.W. DeWitt. Dawson bursts on the stage with intense angry energy. Not all the players match that level of vigor in their roles.

The play’s humor is easy and light, and people familiar with Old Testament Biblical epic films like The Ten Commandments will appreciate some of the jokes and sight gags (i.e. DeWitt’s mounting a platform carrying two film reels, Moses-style).

The plot isn’t too terribly complicated. Both brothers vie for the affections of Louise, and the movie just can’t seem to get made. While the evening has its share of amusing antics, such as a scene where Benny gets continuously beat up and a farcical sword fight, its pace doesn’t seem to build to the crescendo we look for in such a comedy.

Still, a short time in the desert and a few laughs will be enough to chase away the winter blahs.

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By Paul Ruch

Feb. 17, 2012—Two antagonistic brothers share a love interest,  an incompetent crew, a missing director and 3,400 extras.  With a cast of  just eleven, what could go wrong?  Most everything, but always with  hilarity.  The stage came alive with energy and laughter.  I loved the  show, as did the rest of the audience.

The first half of the show had a number of short skits that reminded me of the old vaudeville routines.  There was a gladiator battle, the Ten Plagues, Queen Cleopatra, a Roman Caesar and slaves, some with knives.

After intermission there developed a story line involving the brothers and the lovely lady, Louise.  But just as the tension was building in a sword fight between the brothers, they decided all was well, and a happy ending was found.

The cast was excellent.  Marina Kalani, as Queen Cleopatra, was a hoot.

I enjoyed Tyler Lucas as Caesar.  He stood four steps above the stage speaking to the people of Rome.  Three other characters with knives stabbed him, and he bounced down the steps to the stage.  Unfortunately, Louise, the interim director, was not satisfied with the scene.  He had to repeat this bruising fall three more times.

Alex Eddy performed his role as Phil quite well.  He captured the heart of Louise, but when he took over the play for the missing director, he managed to lose Louise to his brother.

The brother, Benny, performed by Brandon Montang, did a great job.  He has a flair for comedy.  The scene where he is under the bed with Louise on top was wonderful.  Her bouncing, or humping, while looking for a blue binder was a comedic highlight.  Benny was battered, turned upside down, and abused.  The fan scene with the Queen was memorable.  Without a doubt, he cannot take a punch, but he recovered well.

Dawn Hunter as Louise is a treasure.  She was in charge of the three thousand extras, and it was her responsibility to prevent unrest.  She was perky and bossy, but always seemed to have a smile.  When the brothers were on the stage, she showed her sexiness.  How this petite young lady can scream as loudly as she did amazes me.  If screaming ever becomes an Olympic sport, she will be in the running for a medal.  Her performance was outstanding.

If you enjoy comedy, and do not need to have an emotional climax to end the show, EPIC PROPORTIONS will delight you.

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EPIC PROPORTIONS runs through March 4 at Lake City Playhouse. Up next, the group will present South Pacific in concert with a catered dinner on March 9. (www.lakecityplayhouse.org).

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Sandra Hosking, M.F.A., is a Spokane-area journalist and teacher. She is editor of InSight for Playwrights, national publication and Co-playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre. East Coast native and playwright Paul Ruch has lived in Spokane for the past 21 years and has performed with Corbin Players, Sage Players, Seasoned Players, and Ignite!

Feb. 10, 2012–Spokane–In IGNITE! Community Theatre’s presentation of A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody by Ron Bernas, it’s New Year’s Eve at the Perry Mansion, and it seems that Matthew and Julia Perry have it all.  Matthew, however, makes a New Year’s resolution.  He announces that he will be killing his wife prior to the next new year, so that he can have some fun.  He wants to go to Aruba, play golf, and enjoy life.  To accomplish this, his wife must die.  She intends to foil his plan by staying alive, at least long enough to see their daughter’s marriage.

Scott Finlayson and Pamela Stark are delightful as this not-so-loving couple.  They have a year long match of wits, and the results are hilarious.  Matthew’s efforts to kill his wife are not successful, but he manages to mysteriously kill most of their friends and household staff.  Their dim-witted daughter, Bunny, played by Carrie Arlington, decides to cancel her wedding since there will be no one to see her wedding dress, nor any wedding gifts to open.

There is also a family butler, performed by Evan Clements, who seems to think he is superior to his station in life, but harbours a secret.

The fiancé of Bunny is a fine up standing young man performed by James Blyseth, and he seems to be comfortable with Bunny’s dim and shallow nature.

When Plotnik, the detective, enters the scene, the humour is taken to new heights.  Robert Nelson is spectacular in his feeble attempts to even locate a clue, let alone solve any murders.  He suspects everyone and is comfortable with his abilities.  Never fear, he will be successful, because after all he is a detective.  However, he ends up rolled in a carpet and left for dead, until he twitches and returns to the living.

This is followed by two hysterical, tearful confessions by both Matthew and the butler and all seems lost in the confusion.  Then Bunny, the dim-witted daughter, utters the most profound statement of the evening, “Now I’m really confused.” I think this is where the  director, Barry Brathovde, wants us to be.  But, since we can’t stop laughing, and Julia finally figures out the mystery of the deaths, it leads to a happy ending.  Everyone in the audience has had a fun filled evening at the theatre.

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Ignite! Community Theatre’s next production, Beware the Man Eating Chicken, is slated to open on March 2. For information, visit www.ignitetheatre.org.

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East Coast native and playwright Paul Ruch has lived in Spokane for the past 21 years and has performed with Corbin Players, Sage Players, Seasoned Players, and Ignite!

Hometown: Randolph, Mass.

Place of Residence: Minneapolis and Los Angeles

Website: www.michaelelyanow.com

Education: MFA from Northwestern University

Selected Titles: An Idiot Box, Banging Ann Coulter, Game/Over, A few More Dumb Propositions, and Robyn Is Happy

Playwright Michael Elyanow enjoys mixing genres and conventions.  “I am a big fan of mash-ups, which is a bringing-together of two disparate genres.  I like colliding worlds and seeing what will happen.  It’s all predicated on the ‘what-if.’”

For example, his play The Idiot Box considers what would happen if sitcoms met reality.  In The Children, what if the mythological Medea existed in the present?  And in A Lasting Mark, what if a man was literally stuck between the past and the present?  “Also, I find it important to acknowledge the fact that what I am writing is Theatre—so I look for creative ways to explore and exploit the medium,” he says.

In May, The Children, a re-imaging of the Medea myth, is slated to premiere at the Boston Court Theater in Pasadena, Calif.  In the play, a member of the Greek chorus kidnaps Medea’s children to save them from her.  In a magic twist, characters are transported to present-day Athens, Maine, rather than ancient Athens, Greece.

Last year, A Lasting Mark received a reading at the Manhattan Theatre Club as part of its 7 @ 7 series.  “The experience was a thrill—it IS Manhattan Theatre Club, after all.  I felt very fortunate to get to work with an amazing caliber of actors and director and dramaturgs,” he says.

Elyanow has taught playwriting, screenwriting, and TV writing classes at various places. He offers the following recommendations to fledgling writers:

• Keep writing plays, keep reading plays and see lots and lots of theatre.
• Write the play you’re terrified of writing.
• Write the play that you think people will hate you for writing.
• Apply for every grant and competition no matter how small.  (Any small and/or not-well-established grant/competition that requires you to pay $$$ for the privilege of applying should be avoided.)
• Jealousy is your map, so get so incredibly jealous of other playwrights with plays moving into production that it makes you want to write more.
• Don’t take rejections personally.  There are LOTS of reasons behind why your play wasn’t selected.  Get the Dramatists Sourcebook and/or think about joining the Playwrights’ Center so you can be part of a community where you can find out about competitions and fellowships and grants that you can apply for.
• Build relationships.  Be kind and generous, especially to actors.  Learn to trust.  And when you get into a rehearsal room, be grateful that you’re in a rehearsal room.

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This profile is an excerpt of an article that appeared in the February 2012 issue of InSight for Playwrights. Visit www.insightforplaywrights.com for information.

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Sandra Hosking, M.F.A., is a Spokane-area journalist and teacher. She is editor of InSight for Playwrights, national publication and Co-playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre.

*Note: Photo courtesty of Playscripts, Inc.

SPOKANE, Wash.—Jan. 28, 2012—When you walk into the Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre at Spokane Civic Theatre, thanks to David Baker’s artful design and deceptively simple set, you get a sense of place far different from the Pacific Northwest, one that sets the mood quite nicely for the ensuing play, “Catfish Moon.”

Set in a southern bayou, this gentle comedy “helps us remember that sometimes friendship is more important than anything else,” says director Chris Wooley in the program.

Three longtime pals, Curley (Dave Rideout), Gordon (Billy Hultquist), and Frog (Jerome Grey), and Frog’s former wife Betty (Sara Nicholls) share a few days in late spring with us, exploring the interweaving of relationships and the foibles and quirks that both endear and exasperate us to our friends.

While I feel that the script by Laddy Sartin has some problems, it also gives us some very warm, silly, funny and meaningful moments, timed and delivered well and sincerely by Rideout and Hultquist.  When Betty, played with authenticity, consistency, warmth and heart comes on the scene, she adds a dimension of both conflict and resolve that give depth to what might have been just a series of anecdotal sketches.

A couple of minor technical points jarred a bit. At the opening of the play, Gordon is dangling his bare feet off the pier, seemingly into the water and then proceeds to don socks and shoes, giving us a nice sense of mood and place. Later Curley has his feet in the same place, but with shoes on. I also felt that a bit more delineation with the lighting between scenes one and two in act one would have better defined the time change. The accents were a bit uneven and varied throughout.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening with warmth, some genuine laughs, and many, many smiles in it.

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CATFISH MOON runs through Feb. 19 at Spokane Civic Theatre’s Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre (www.spokanecivictheatre.com).

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Toni Cummins has a master’s degree in theater and has worked as a college instructor, director, stage manager, dresser, and acting coach in New York City, Colorado, and Washington.

Hometown: South Boston, Mass.

Place of Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Education: Sarah Lawrence College, studied theatre and literature; and The Julliard School, studied playwriting

Selected Titles: Good People, Rabbit Hole, Kimberly Akimbo, Snow Angel, A Devil Inside, Shrek the Musical, Wonder of the World

Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s career is marked by a series of turns.

He wrote his first play in fourth grade for a Christmas pageant and wrote plays throughout high school. He considered himself an actor primarily, however. When he went to Sarah Lawrence College, he mainly focused on acting but took playwriting to fill in his course schedule.

“It wasn’t really until I got into Julliard that I thought, ‘Maybe this playwriting thing is working,’” he says. “I was in denial about it for a long time.”

At Julliard, he found true playwriting mentorship with Durang and Marsha Norman, whose work he had admired since high school. While there, Lindsay-Abaire wrote Fuddy Meers, his comedy about a woman with amnesia. The play was accepted into the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. “I was rubbing elbows with professional playwrights—Lee Blessing and other folks like that.”

In 1999, the Manhattan Theatre Club produced the play where it received a favorable review in the New York Times, which called him a “welcome arrival to the mainstream Off Broadway.” That was another turning point in his career.

“The circle just kept getting bigger. To get a great review in the Times means a lot … The play was published in American Theatre magazine. That was a big thing,” he says.

The point is one never knows where an acceptance, or even a rejection, will lead.

Lindsay-Abaire says he was still cementing his identity as a playwright while writing the offbeat comedies Fuddy Meers, Wonder of the World, and Kimberly Akimbo. Writing the realistic, dramatic Rabbit Hole was a departure for him, and a life-changing effort. The play earned him a Pulitzer Prize, which elevated his profile even more.

“It’s a nice thing to have, but the next day I have to go back and write a play and the Pulitzer doesn’t help me write it.”

Good People, which premiered in early 2011 at the Manhattan Theatre Club and received Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play, is a drama about a working-class woman trying to provide for her invalid daughter.

“I thought I had written another naturalistic drama. That play on Broadway got wall-to-wall laughs, more laughs than any of my comedies did. It was surprising that people laughed so much,” Lindsay-Abaire says. “I hope it also says something about class in America.”

He is a dedicated writer, keeping regular business hours. While his heart belongs to the theatre, he also writes film scripts, including Rabbit Hole and Inkheart. He’s currently working on screenplays for the Wizard of Oz prequel, OZ: The Great and Powerful, the animated Rise of the Guardians, and the Poltergeist remake.

A steady stream of screenplay and play commissions keep him occupied. “I love saying yes to things I haven’t done before,” he says. “It’s why I did Shrek the Musical, why I did Rabbit Hole. I challenge myself to do something different just to see if I can it.”

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This profile is an excerpt of an article that appeared in the January 2012 issue of InSight for Playwrights. Visit www.insightforplaywrights.com for information.

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Sandra Hosking, M.F.A., is a Spokane-area journalist and teacher. She is editor of InSight for Playwrights, national publication and Co-playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre.

By Sandra Hosking

COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO—Jan. 13, 2012—Lake City Playhouse’s production of the provocative, award-winning musical RENT by Jonathan Larson was as anticipated as it was debated. But the drama outside was forgotten as the lights dimmed inside the intimate auditorium on opening night and the audience was transported to an industrial New York City loft in a seedy neighborhood during the early 1990s.

The story centers on filmmaker Mark (Todd Kehne) and his musician roommate, Roger (Robby French). The pair has no money, no food, and no way to pay the rent—and neither do their friends. Director Troy Nickerson has assembled an 18-member cast whose voices blend perfectly as they announce they’re not gonna pay rent.

The story is an American tragedy, and you get the sense that you’re watching lost souls who may not be here a year from now. Indeed, many of them have AIDS.

In “One Song Glory,” Roger, who also has the disease, tries to write one last great tune. It is a haunting prayer sung with pathos by French, whose voice throughout the show ranges from explosive power to nearly a whisper.

As the story’s narrator Mark, Kehne also demonstrates strong vocals. Their equally matched harmonies reflect the strength of the characters’ friendship.

It is the relationships and connections between the characters that set this production apart. The onstage chemistry between Roger and his new girlfriend, Mimi (Keyonna Knight), sparks. And the unlikely coupling of a teacher (Ben Sheff) and the drag queen Angel (Dustin L Sorrell) is the strongest relationship of all. While Sheff’s and Sorrell’s vocals are not as spot on as the other leads, their characterizations are. This makes a tragic event in Act II hard to bear and evokes tears from the audience.

Memorable moments include the ensemble’s “Seasons of Love” that asks how you measure a year, which features a gospel-like solo by Alyssa Jordan, as well as Kehne and Christina Coty, as Joanne, singing and dancing the “Tango: Maureen.” French’s farewell to his drug-addicted love, Mimi, is reminiscent of Marius’ goodbye to Eponine in Les Miserables.

Nadine Carr’s rendition of Maureen’s protest performance art, “Over the Moon,” is a comedic monologue, perfectly timed right down to the last triangle ting and moo. Following the protest, the ensemble celebrates life in a café with “La Vie Boheme,” a number that redefines the table dance.

RENT’s sad story is not without humor. “Christmas bells are ringing. Christmas bells are ringing … someplace else,” the chorus sings.

The pacing between the many scenes and timing is excellent, as is the use of the stage. The band, under Zachariah Baker’s music direction, is a part of the set and complements the voices well. Musicians include Jim Ryan on piano, Rob Peterson on bass, and percussionist David Kappus.

Jillian Wylie’s choreography displayed some artful touches, as in “Santa Fe,” a moseying song (sung by Sheff) in which the characters dream of a better life out west. Several female dancers move and bend along with the music like cattails in a breeze.

At times, however, the theatre’s sound system seemed to get in the way of the efforts of the performers, muddling some of their words.

The cast also includes Brendan Brady, Emily Cleveland, Haley Cohen, Alex Eddy, Robert Garcia (as antagonist Benjamin Coffin), Briane Green, Siri Hafso, Kelly Hauenstein, Scott Mackay, and Justin Roney.

The urban set, designed by the theatre’s Executive Artistic Director George Green, features a painted brick backdrop by artist Jamie Murphy, metal pole scaffolding, and clever wall storage for instruments and brightly colored folding chairs.

Overall, RENT lives up to the hype. Despite the pre-show protest of the its adult content by some members of the community in the form of letters to area newspapers, Nickerson and the Playhouse have proved that there even is art when depicting the dark underbelly of society, and problems do not go away of we ignore them.

Moo.

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RENT runs through Jan. 29 at Lake City Playhouse (www.lakecityplayhouse.org).

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Sandra Hosking, M.F.A., is a Spokane-area journalist and teacher. She is editor of InSight for Playwrights, national publication and Co-playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre.