The American Plan at Melville Theatre
Fri, 26 June 2009, 08:19 ambillythekid14 posts in thread
The American Plan at Melville Theatre
Fri, 26 June 2009, 08:19 amMelville’s “The American Plan” is the first production in Community Theatre that I have attended since my arrival in Perth. I was impressed.
I have to confess that I went with some trepidation as I had seen a professional production of this play a few years ago in New York. Being mindful of the facilities available to professional theatre, as opposed to the local community group, this production stood up well and I congratulate them for it.
The play is set in the Catskill Mountains in 1959 and then in the final scene in New York 10 years later. It’s about relationships and makes an important statement about what it was like in 1959 to be marginalised. I won’t comment further on the plot as there is a major change in direction midway through the play and to give it away here would spoil it for future audiences.
The script calls for one of the actors to be an African/American. Clearly such an actor would not be readily available in Perth. I have seen some debate on this site recently concerning the use of black make up. It may work in some places but not, I think, in this play and the Director has wisely chosen to make a slight adjustment so that character in this production is of Scandinavian origin. Sidsell Brannick, using her own natural accent, gives a charming performance as Olivia, the housekeeper/companion to Eva. It is not a large role but she has some nice moments, especially with the daughter Lili.
Nicknamed the “Czarina” by the holidaymakers in the Jewish enclave in the Catskills, Eva, played by Marsha Holt presides over table, describing life in the hotel across the lake as barbaric. Her well-bred sensitivities are assaulted by the copious amounts of food eaten. She is a bitter woman whose husband’s Jewishness was unacceptable in the corporate world of the ‘50’s. Ms Holt makes the most of her character and I enjoyed her work with it.
Eva’s daughter Lili, a “difficult, difficult girl” is played by Amy Welsh. Ms Welsh is diminutive in stature but not in ability. Some very amusing and in contrast, emotional moments show her range. She holds herself with grace and maturity in the final scene.
Lili’s lover Nick, played by Gareth Walsh, is the young man who “looks like nothing ever happened to him”. His handsome face is a window to his soul, his vulnerability in significant scenes palpable, the telling of his father’s story a beautiful moment of theatre.
The “enthusiastic and attractive” stranger (Gil) played by Manuao TeAotonga enters in Act 2. Mr TeAotonga has a commanding presence on stage but not to the detriment of the other players. His is a pivotal character, played with distinction.
The scenes between Nick and Gil are handled with honesty and integrity and are a highlight of this production. I congratulate the actors for their work together.
If I have any issues it would be only that I felt the painted backdrop was not the best, but I was so interested in the story and the actors playing it that it (the backdrop) became for me unnoticed.
My congratulations to all those involved in this play that I highly recommend. Contemporary theatre, I love it. Melville Theatre, well done for taking risks in staging this work.
Clapping Coercion an American Plan?
Sat, 4 July 2009, 02:15 pmWent last night, it was ok. Actors were very good. Direction left MUCH to be desired. A great deal of profile acting happened which made it more difficult for audience members to engage with the actors, again not so much the actors fault as the director's. I might also add the actors were made to stand still at most times giving the play more of a feeling of being at a chess match. Pauses were too much and turned what might have been great scenes into sloppy melodrama. Pace was awful too, it was like watching a Galapagos tortoise perform Hamlet (full length).
Perhaps the greatest abomination though was the obnoxious clapping which ensued after each scene had finished and was instigated by just one member of the audience. There were certainly some scenes which deserved the applause but there were many scenes where the audience should have been allowed for the emotion of what just happened to sink in, instead they were coerced into applauding. It reached a point of absurdity in the second act when a scene no longer than two minutes in length was applauded. I might add that at this point the majority of the audience had stopped applauding and there were many disgruntled sighs taking place around me.
Now, normally I would just allow this to drop BUT I found out that the instigator of this obnoxious clapping was the director!!! If he does read this: Stop it! You're really ruining not only your own work but that of your actors.