Storyline: In a hot and humid hall in "foul, filthy, fuming
Philadelphia," the delegates of the 13 colonies debate everything from
opening up a window to declaring independence. Central to the cause of
separation are John Adams who is "obnoxious and disliked" but devoted to the
cause, Benjamin Franklin, "a sage, a bit gouty in the leg" who understands
the importance of crafting coalitions, and Thomas Jefferson, who, at age 33,
has "a remarkable felicity of expression." The audience knows what the
outcome of the debate will be, but there is tension and drama aplenty along
the way to the final vote.The real
magic of this piece is the way Stone and Edwards manage to communicate the
complexity of the issues and avoid making simplistic cartoons of the
majority of the characters they portray. Richard Henry Lee is treated with
less respect than most, being a comic popinjay of an egotist, but the
adherents to the heritage of the British nation are shown as earnest, honest
men who have sincere differences of opinion. Indeed, Stone writes a
marvelously moving moment at the end when the victorious John Adams pays
tribute to the defeated John Dickenson who has fought with all the energy
and passion at his command in a cause he holds dear. Even the question of
slavery, which was finally resolved on the side of human dignity only by
bloody civil war decades later, is presented with both sides landing telling
blows in the argument.
Paul Binotto is strangely unaffecting as the tormented
John Adams and Rob Richardson brings vocal strength and physical height but
little else to the role of Thomas Jefferson. The three best performances all
happen to be delivered by actors playing Pennsylvanians. Harry A. Winter's
Benjamin Franklin is refreshingly free of comic caricature and full of
charm, wit and real commitment. Thomas Adrian Simpson's
well balanced portrayal of John Dickenson has all the dignity and strength
the roll demands. John Tweel takes the small part of James Wilson, who finds
himself in the undesired spotlight as the swing vote at the end, and
delivers a moment of superb acting. His bright, intelligent eyes go into an
unfocused introspection and his tongue licks his dry lips as a tightly
controlled inner panic is triggered by his predicament. Both of the women in
the cast bring beauty (both physical and vocal) to the otherwise
male-dominated performance. Jessica Lauren Ball delights as Martha Jefferson
who so charms Adams and Franklin in "He Plays the Violin," and Eileen Ward is
the better half of the Adams family here. Both are
Toby's Dinner Theatre alumni, Ball most recently impressing in
Titanic. Carl
Randolph adds a sense of dignity as the Congress' President, John Hancock.
The play requires a representation of the hall in
Philadelphia where the political magic of 1776 occurred. Robert Kovach has
designed one that uses a forced perspective technique but then doesn't carry
the perspective lines through for all the set pieces. While the chair
railing is properly horizontal and the crown molding where walls meet
ceiling angles upward to create depth, the doors, windows and wall
decorations all stay distractingly square. Howard Vincent Kurtz' period
costumes are a fine representation of the styles of the time with sumptuous
fabrics for many gentlemen but simple garb for others. Christopher Youstra's
six-member orchestra in the pit gives out a thin sound played fairly
tentatively. Ah, but there is some fine ensemble singing from the stage with
"Sit Down John" delivered with verve by all twenty voices, and Chris Sizemore
searing the hall as Edward Rutledge attributing responsibility for the
"peculiar institution" of slavery in his solo, "Molasses to Rum."
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by
Peter Stone. Directed and choreographed by Stephen Nachamie. Music direction
by Christopher Youstra. Design: Robert Kovach (set) Howard Vincent Kurtz
(costumes) Karlah Hamilton (wigs) Jeffrey Koger (lights) Jarett C. Pisani
(sound) Stan Barouh (photography) Lou Timmons (stage manager). Cast:
Jessica Lauren Ball, Don Edward Black, Paul Binotto, Peter Boyer, Andrew
Boza, Michael Bunce, Byron Fenstermaker, James Garland, Dave Joria, Don
Kenefick, Scott Kenison, Bill Largess, Sam Ludwig, Dean Marshall, Joe Myering, Joe Peck,
Rob Richardson, Carl Randolph, Ben Shovlin, Thomas Adrian Simpson, Chris
Sizemore, Jonathan Lee Taylor, Joseph Thanner, John Tweel, Harry A. Winter,
Eileen Ward. |
|
May 17, 2008
The Very
Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites
The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia performs for ages 4 to 7 as part of the
Family Entertainment Series.
June 4 - June 29, 2008
The Mousetrap
Agatha Christie’s best known and longest running mystery. In fact, it is so
long running that it is still playing in London nearly 50 years after it
opened. It’s a classic of travelers trapped in a house during a snow storm –
with a murderer.
June 18 - July 27, 2008
Stuff Happens
David Hare (Via Dolorosa, The Blue Room) wrote this "history play" about
very recent history - the Iraq War - taking its title from a quote from
then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The text is a blend of accurate
quotations and fiction.
July 16 - August 10, 2008
Rabbit Hole
The new play by David Lindsay-Abaire (Fuddy Meers) won the 2007 Pulitzer
Prize for Drama. It details the struggle of a couple to cope with the grief
while relatives keep trying to cheer them up.
September 24 - October 19, 2008
The
Underpants
Steve Martin (Picasso at The Lapin Agile) adapted this early
twentieth-century satire by German Carl Sternheim in which a government
official tries to avoid scandal and notoriety in the wake of his wife's
indiscretions which involve her undergarments.
November 19, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Peter Pan
The classic play became a classic musical with music by Mark ("Moose")
Charlap and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and additional music by Jule Styne with
additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. |
