Theatre Review by Todd Zeigler: The Fantasticks at CenterStage

The longest-running musical in Broadway history has two key ingredients going for it: inexhaustible charm and a swell of substance that rises to catch you off guard. Written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones the show, which premiered in May 1960,  bears similarities to Sondheim’s Into the Woods (1986) on the boards at Clarksville Little Theatre. Currently enjoying a New York revival The Fantasticks is a leaner, lighter, more pop take on the question of what happens after “happily ever after.”

The story is simple: a young couple in love longs to be together. Their fathers plot to put them together by pretending to keep them apart (reverse psychology: the only way to reason with teenagers). The lovers unite, but find complacency and resentment before long, and only by going out into the world and facing its dangers do they mature and appreciate what they have left behind. The machinations of a charismatic bandit, “El Gallo,” guide both the lovers and the audience through this meditation on growing up.

CenterStage’s assemblage of talent for this tried-and-true tale does a fine job all around. As El Gallo, Jordan Price is a dashing ringmaster. Though not as bombastic as the role might allow, his muted, easygoing charm is immediately endearing – an absolutely essential quality for a character whose showcase song is a catalog of different types of rape. (“Rape” meaning “abduction” here, but still, one must admit it’s a charged word 50 years into this show’s life.)

Mera Kathryn Corlett is the embodiment of headstrong innocence as Luisa, the starry-eyed 16-year-old whose fantasies belie her pedestrian upbringing. Though he doesn’t quite pop off the stage the way Corlett does, Kyle Braun instills Matt, her true love, with a good heart and the insecurity of an All-American young man. His commitment to some of the intense moments of the second act’s brutal “Round and Round” is chill-inducing.

As Hucklebee and Bellomy, fathers of the young lovers, John Trueblood and Gary Crockett combine pleasing doses of fatherly affection and vaudeville showmanship. Though Crockett’s impish, futzing Bellomy is a bit busier, a bit more of a character and therefore a bit less grounded than his counterpart, they have great chemistry and avoid playing the same character “notes.”

Jason Cooper doesn’t miss a single opportunity for a laugh as Henry, the aging blowhard actor who recites Shakespeare at every opportunity while hobbling his way around the stage. Though his cockney accent is a bit more affected than perhaps necessary for the winking joke that is these two characters, David Beach’s comic timing is tick-tock perfect as Mortimer, the actor whose specialty is dying. (Are these two an homage to Stoppard? A question worth pondering…) Jacob Isaac rounds out the able cast as The Mute, the consciously theatrical show’s onstage props master and “set piece.” His facial work gives the character a personality beyond his utilitarian function here. He’s clearly having a great time, which subtly bolsters our own enjoyment.

A self-consciously theatrical show lends the designers a lot of opportunity, and they take it here. Director John Leffert did double duty as set designer, and his set pieces are simply gorgeous. The moon (a piece of wood hung on a nail) by which the fleeing lovers meet sparkles with glitter. Its flipside sun could have been a simple yellow circle, but instead a blend of myriad warm colors make it an eye-catching piece of art. It is little extras like these that broadcast the creators’ enthusiasm, and draw the same from the audience. Leffert’s costuming (triple duty!) is exciting, eye-pleasing and draws a distinction between the two families: brights and pastels for Hucklebee and Luisa, brown and green earth tones for Bellomy and Matt.

This is a production in which attention has been paid to every detail. It is a bit of a shame (and minor quibble) that the large auditorium of the Jewish Community Center puts the audience at such a distance from these little treats. A degree of intimacy is lost here, but the performers do their utmost to overcome the separation. That being said, you may want to choose a seat further removed as the facility’s limited sound system throws the sound to the middle and back of the room. The varying vocal strength of the performers (no fault of theirs, just a fact of life) also discourages sitting too close. The performances will be great no matter where you sit.

This perennial crowd-pleaser is a great choice for CenterStage and continues through September 18 in Linker Auditorium, 3600 Dutchman’s Lane, 40205. For tickets call 502.238.2739 or go to www.jccoflouisville.org/Centerstage.cfm.

Entire contents copyright 2011 by Todd Zeigler. All rights reserved.

Theatre Review by Keith Waits: "Into the Woods" at Clarksville Little Theatre

Stephen Sondheim writes some of the richest, most complex and supple music in American Musical Theatre, and Into the Woods is one of his strongest works. Clarksville Little Theatre’s is a consolidated interpretation of this theatre classic and expectations must, of course, be somewhat truncated as well.  

Clarksville Little Theatre’s current production directed and choreographed by Debra Rice Endris does some things very well, while reenforcing the stereotypical perception of community theatre as a collection of well-meaning amateurs with varying degrees of experience and ability, working their hearts out to create something meaningful on stage for friends, family and the rest of us. This is a solidly paced performance with actors who articulate the intricate lyrics with skill, while exhibiting a range of mostly unsteady singing voices that inevitably fall short in finding the emotional power of the music.

The first act stitches together Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk into a narrative joined by an original tale of an infertile baker and his wife. Before intermission, all the threads seem to have been tied up neatly, in the best storybook tradition. The second act unravels the tidiness and makes a lie of “happily ever after” by introducing modern-day motivations and complications including infidelity and betrayal. It is Sondheim once again subverting the archetypes of a genre and playing games with the cultural cliché in mischievous manner characteristic of his later work.

For the most part, Debra Rice Endris’ staging elucidates the text’s wit and humor, but misses the passion and high energy begging to be realized.  Accompanist Paul Stiller replaces the original 16-piece arrangements with a single keyboard. His dedication suggests more excitement and drama than one musician might be expected to provide, but  it is clearly a limitation.  The cast balances seasoned veterans with fresh young talent, with capable work by John Campbell Finnegan and Cristina Mullins as the Baker and his Wife that build a good foundation for the audience to enter the story. Bryce Egan is a wistful Jack and Madison Cunningham and Chelsea Endris make for lovely versions of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, respectively.  Robbie Smith, taking turns as both The Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince, exhibits some very real skills, although his snarky take on the Prince seemed a curious choice.

Valerie Hopkins gives a solid performance as The Witch, and easily provides the appropriate glamour after her transformation; like others in the company her lack of vocal training is apparent at times and projection is an intermittent issue throughout.  The vocal tapestry is understandably threadbare during some of the solo passages and benefits greatly when player combine forces.

Despite its limitations Into the Woods is an entertaining evening with a charming, energetic cast. I particularly enjoyed moments from some of the smaller roles, such as Jenna Ryan and Winnie Spitza as Cinderella’s nasty step-sisters, Florinda and Lucinda. The roles are entirely one-note and given no depth in the script, but the actors delivered fully James Lapine’s comic elements.

On a technical note, I do hope that the very loud and squeaky noise that reoccurred as scenery was raised can be addressed for future performances. It was an unfortunate distraction.

Into the Woods runs September 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 & 17 at Clarksville Little Theatre, 301 E. Montgomery Ave. Clarksville, IN 47129. For tickets and more information call 812-283-6522 or go to clarksvillelittletheatre.org

Theatre Review by Keith Waits: Le Petomane's "5 Things" at The Bard's Town

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble is so unorthodox and singular among Louisville theatre groups that the very expectation of seeing something fresh and unusual threatens to become a detriment. At what point do the patterns of idiosyncrasy become discernable to the regular audience member and begin to undermine the element of surprise?

Image from Akira Kurosawa's film
"The Hidden Fortress"

Le Petomane shows are often such a high-wire act, and their original collaboration, 5 Things is no exception. One half of the troupe complement, Gregory Maupin, Abigail Bailey Maupin, and Kyle Ware, portray “The Three”, who are perhaps stranded on a desert island; the circumstances are never fully explained. The cryptic narrative certainly places them in an isolated location with a mysterious “magic baby pool” that delivers meaningful objects as part of a ritual selection process. Each of “The Three” draws items from the sacred vessel that represent different categories of popular culture: literature, music and cinema. The proverbial five things you would take with you on a deserted island.

The premise is fertile ground for absurdist humor of the highest order; inspired lunacy that explores our modern obsession with the cultural artifacts that definine our existence, e.g. favorite books, DVD’s, CD’s, vinyl records, etc. Much of the time onstage is spent articulating such devotion, sometimes reciting passages from To Kill A Mockingbird, or getting lost in a reverie while listening to Paradise by The Shangri-Las, or a very geeky lecture about how Akira Kurosawa’s great film The Hidden Fortress was the direct inspiration for the original Star Wars.

They also sing and play some of the oddest songs you are likely to encounter, but, although Mr. Maupin and Mr. Ware are capable musicians, the results produce laughter and not a desire to dance.

Dave Davies
The Kinks

Given Le Petomane’s creative process of developing material through improvisation in rehearsal, it is not far-fetched to imagine that no small number of each performers’ own cultural touchstones have been adapted into the proceedings. The Kink’s Preservation: Act 1 and 2 and the inclusion of two Kurosawa films are surely not arbitrary, and when Ms. Maupin marches up to the edge of the stage clutching David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, only to hilariously declare that she has “not read this book…yet!”, the joke seems simultaneously private and a knowing commentary on the secret truth of unread books of recognized importance. 

Such detail and observation is carried along on a wave of well-timed wit and intellectual buffoonery typical of a Le Petomane performance, carefully balancing a celebration of geeky self-absorption with a healthy satirical perspective. Then, as if to answer the question posited at the outset, an unexpectedly tender denouement refreshingly undercuts much of what has gone before. Effectively underplayed, this moment grounds the satire in an appreciation of objects representing more honest human connections. So yes, they can still surprise at least this veteran audience member.

The Bard’s Town, 1801 Bardstown Rd in the Highlands

September 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18

7:30pm

502.749.5275

Visual Art Review by Mary Margaret Sparks: "In the Course of Human Events 9/11 - 2011"

Thursday August 18 marked the opening of Louisville Visual Art Association’s (LVAA) latest exhibition, In the Course of Human Events 9/11-2011, a show featuring work in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, ten years ago. Curated by Aron Conaway, the exhibition features work by 30 different artists in a variety of mediums including glass, video, installation and photography. 

Daniel Pfalzgraf
"Mohamed Over Elsa"

I’ll start with a few overall positive notes about the exhibit. Firstly, I was pleased to see a mix of emerging artists such as McKinley Moore and Balthus Priest exhibited alongside more established artists like C.J. Pressma and Al Gorman.  Secondly, it was refreshing to see work outside of the box from your traditional gallery show.  Conceptual installations, interactive pieces and striking videos brought a new sense of life to the space.  Thirdly, I appreciated the conceptual and calming work of artists like Vian Sora and Suzi Zimmerer that helped balance the overtly political pieces. Both are necessary to the success of a show like this one, but the former are not always appreciated and accepted.

Talking with Aron Conaway, I learned that much of the work was created specifically for this exhibit.  Conaway did include a few pieces from the 2002 9/11 Exhibition at the LVAA and a few pieces created prior to that including work by Bill Carner (1983) and Artuoro Sandoval (1990).  Each piece in the show is accompanied by a statement from the artist, adding a nice personal touch that provides more depth and meaning for the viewer.

Mason Maxy
"Don't Drink the Kool-Aid"

Walking into the gallery, I was immediately drawn to the corn hole installation by Emil Walton. Featuring images of Osama Bin Laden and the American flag, the brightly colored corn hole platforms stood in the middle of the room, accompanied by bomb-shaped beanbags. The game was set up for visitors to play and became quite an amusement during the opening reception. 

“My current work was created to celebrate the patriotic passion Americans share amongst each other and the world. That same passion that the rest of the world envies or doesn’t fully understand can be provocative towards outsiders yet will bring our country together in times of need.”-Emil Walton

Being a sculptor and installation artist myself I found the installation by Sharon Scott quite a remarkable piece.  The work consists of a classroom desk accompanied by a backpack full of school supplies and a bottle of water. A helium balloon with American flag décor is tied to the back of the chair. A small recording device invites the visitor to contribute a recorded message while wearing a blindfold. It’s unassuming, yet sends a powerful message to the viewer.

Mel Chin
"9-11, 9-11, Film Adapted from his Graphic Novel"

Falling along the same lines is the work by Dan Pfalzgraf.  On close inspection, you’ll see that motor oil is listed as a medium.  This subtlety lends strength to his work. Incorporating the oil with paint and other materials, Dan creates striking portraits that evoke strong emotions. I pondered each piece, trying to delve into the thoughts of the downcast face staring back at me.  

Walking the exhibition you’ll notice four separate televisions. On first glance I thought that four video installations was too much. After closer examination, I found that each piece differed greatly from the other and provided a unique perspective to the exhibition. I enjoyed most the film by Mel Chinn based on his graphic novella. The film shows the correlation between the 9/11 attacks and the attacks in Chile, 17 years prior to the World Trade Center.  Hallie Jones’ work also stood out among the crowd with its original concept and striking audio.

Emil Walton
"Nothing Spells Freedom Like Cornhole and War"

Last but not least, another piece that distinguished itself to me was Mason Maxey’s Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid.  This little piece is hung in the back gallery and will only be seen if you turn the corner as you enter the room.  Although small, its whimsy and cleverness give it a large impact.  I don’t want to spoil the surprise so you’ll have to go to the show and discover it for yourself. 

Being both an artist and curator, Aron Conaway brought an interesting perspective to developing an exhibition. I caught up with him to get his story on how he balanced both of those roles.  Here’s what he had to say:

“I gave the artists basically a complete freedom in coming up with what they felt

most accurately reflected their own opinions, memories, or emotions related September Eleventh, 2001 and/or interconnected fallout in the following 10 years. I feel that the artists' personal statements were very powerful, which, beyond pestering them to turn them in and throwing them on the wall, was beyond my curatorial power. I definitely see a relationship between my being an artist and my loose approach to receiving work in this show. I enjoy the magic of leaving the final products and group of work up to the collective unconscious, and then intuitively working with these materials in a space”.

Overall, I would call the exhibition a success.  My only negative comment is on a few of the photographic works. Some of the pieces were unoriginal in concept and hung in such a way that it was hard as a viewer to even look at the work. Thankfully it only applies to a few pieces and doesn’t affect the overall positive impact and refined execution of the show.  It’s not easy taking a tragic moment in US history and portraying it through creative means. Aron Conaway has done a great job of embodying each side of the issue. From direct political pieces to abstract conceptual work, In the Course of Human Events is an exhibition everyone should see.

Make sure you make it down to the LVAA at the Louisville Water Tower before the show ends on September 13.   Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5, Sunday 12-4. Admission is $3/$2 for seniors and students free to LVAA members and children under 12.

The Louisville Visual Art Association is also hosting a few events to tie in with the exhibition:

Looking Back – A Day of Remembrance: Sunday September 11, 1PM-5PM. Programming to include live performances, film-showings and ephemeral artwork in memory of September 11, 2001. Free and open to the public, all ages.

Food for Thought, Luncheon and Lecture: Tuesday September 13, Noon-1:30PM

Presentation by Aron Conaway, Curator and LVAA Open Doors Program Manager.

Reservations required; $15 member/$20 non-member

Theatre Preview by Keith Waits for Theatre 502

Theatre 502 has of late been invading local watering holes to deliver “pop-up” performances of their upcoming production of The Debate Over Courtney O’ Connell of Columbus Nebraska, or at least the first act. The idea of springing live theatre on unsuspecting patrons while they bend their elbows with a libation might seem a dicey proposition, but this lively script by Mat Clark lends itself to such an unorthodox presentation, as it depicts a public debate between two suitors for the hand of the title character that plays fast, funny and seemingly not in need of a second act. The scenario winds up with a meaningful audience participation that plays a role in determining the outcome and served to reinforce the immediacy of the presentation in the environs of Patrick O’ Shea’s. 

The whole enterprise serves to introduce the inaugural season of this new company, a unit comprised of several individuals of no small talent and reputation around town: Gil D. Reyes, Amy Attaway, Mike Brooks and Brian Owens. Between them they have worked with several of the most notable theatre companies in town, from Actor’s Theatre to Louisville Repertory Company, but perhaps the most important forebear is The Necessary Theatre Company, whose mission of staging forward-thinking contemporary plays seems to have been enthusiastically adopted by Theatre 502.

Judging by this preview, their first effort seems well-chosen to communicate these intentions, balancing a slightly unorthodox structure with adult humor that, among other things, satirizes the influence and fascination with reality television and how it encourages the abandonment of privacy, when, faced with a life-changing decision, the heroine of the piece is unable to choose her destiny without public feedback. Director Gil D. Reyes keeps the tone light and the pace brisk, eliciting sharp comic performances from a tight ensemble consisting of Zachary Burrell as the moderator, Eli Keel as the heartsick, rough-around-the-edges former lover, Eli Cash as the glib, highly-polished fiancé, and Leah Roberts as the title character. All four deliver focused work; focused but relaxed work that easily connects with the audience.

The high energy of the material on display in these previews makes the brief, two-night run of the full stage production at Land of Tomorrow a much sought-after ticket. Will the convivial society of the local pub and slightly guerilla nature of the previews be missed when the material gets its full reading in a more traditional venue? I guess you will have to see for yourself this Friday and Saturday.

The Debate Over Courtney O’ Connell of Columbus Nebraska

by Mat Smart

directed by Gil D. Reyes

September 8 and 9, 8pm Land of Tomorrow Gallery

Tickets are $15.
To reserve tickets in advance, email info@theatre502.org. Be sure to check out our great membership deals!

Land of Tomorrow Gallery www.landoftomorrow.org

The Land of Tomorrow (LOT) is a beautiful new gallery space at 3rd and Broadway in downtown Louisville. The space in located in the St. Francis Building, 233 W. Broadway. Check out their website for more information about the space.

Theatre Review by Keith Waits: "Sense and Sensibility" at Actors Theatre of Louisville

A couple of seasons ago, Jon Jory brought his adaptation of Pride and Prejudice to Actor’s Theatre. It was a powerful and dynamic version of the famous story, a whirlwind of action settling into forthright narrative that kept a startling amount of the story without burdening the audience with an overlong running time. It was a model of how to adapt classic literature for the stage.

Helen Sadler and Alex Podulke
in ATL's "Sense & Sensibility"
Photo by Alan Simons

Now the former ATL Artistic Director has turned his formidable skills to yet another adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility. He begins at a more measured pace than his Pride adaptation, but he still enters the narrative forcefully and with certain purpose, wasting no time in establishing characters and relationships. We meet the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Nancy Lemenager) and Marianne (Helen Sadler), who, after the death of their father, are cast out of the home they share with their mother and younger sister, Margaret (a character referred to, never seen on stage, and hardly missed). As they settle into a simpler life in a country cottage, various persons enter their lives, including potential suitors Edward Ferrars (Geoff Rice), Colonel Brandon (Alex Podulke) and Willoughby (Justin Blanchard).

This being Jane Austen, the end is never in doubt, but there is great fun to be had in the journey. Thomas Burch’s marvelously airy set design provides an ample space suggestive of both the period and the emotional dynamics of the story, while Brian J. Lilienthal lights the broad backdrop and spare but elegant furnishings in ravishing colors that seal the deal in great style. All of the design work follows function, since the space is necessary to accommodate Mr. Jory’s rapid transitions, which often have actors simply turning from one light to another to begin a new scene.

Still, as the second act unfolds, there is a period where one can feel the wheels of the narrative become ever so slightly stuck in the mud, and the quicksilver staging struggles to muddle through necessary yet burdensome exposition. The journey gets back on track in time to make the inevitable happy ending seem hard won and therefore well-deserved for both the characters on staged and the audience.

The expert cast gracefully navigates the complexities of the plot to realize the warmth and humor of the characters, with nary a false note among them, but the wonderful Helen Sadler stood out as Marianne, the younger, more impetuous sister who suffers perhaps the more deeply felt troubles in the story. Nancy Lemenager also did an excellent job making Elinor’s hidden heartbreak a palpable presence in the theatre. David Pichette was a delightfully funny Sir John Middleton, while Wendy Robie and Penny Slusher responded to Mr. Jory’s embrace of the eccentric but humorous matriarchal figures found in Austen with fine comedic performances. It was also a treat to see local favorite Colette Delaney deliver the goods as the snooty Lady Middleton.

On paper it may seem easy to dismiss Sense and Sensibility as predictable, romantic comedy, but the truth is that romantic comedy (and make no mistake, Jane Austen created the basic narrative structure that modern-day romantic comedies still follow) is always welcome when it is done this well. When this production closes with some singularly effective romantic imagery, offset with a few last comedic grace notes from Ms. Robie and Ms. Slusher, only the most cynical and hard-crusted of curmudgeons would dare to complain. The rest of us will unabashedly relish the swoon and passion on display with a deep sigh of gratification.  

"Sense and Sensibility" continues through September 24 in the Pamela Brown Auditorium. To get your tickets call 502.584.1205 or go to www.ActorsTheatre.org. 

Entire contents are copyright © 2011 Keith Waits. All rights reserved

Theatre Review by Todd Zeigler: Krapp's Last Tape & Happy Days presented by Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company and Masterworks Theatre

Krapp’s Last Tape directed by Alec Volz

Happy Days directed by Michael Harris

It’s part of the legend of Waiting for Godot that an early review of the play summarized it thusly: “Nothing happens, twice.” While it might sound snide, this comment came from one of the foremost scholars of Beckett’s work during the writer’s life.

So while it may sound like a swipe, take it as obeisance to the bravery and audacity of producing two of Beckett’s plays in the same evening when I report that, in this inaugural production of Michael Harris’s new Masterworks Theater company done in conjunction with our resident classical theater group, nothing happens three times.

Samuel Beckett

A novelist and playwright, Beckett’s theatrical legacy is of being perhaps the most anti-dramatic dramatist of all time. Over the course of his career, he sought to demolish most every convention of the stage. His characters wander about aimlessly, speaking half-finished thoughts, engulfed in lives of misery occasionally illuminated by memories (delusions?) of better days past. He went so far in his deconstruction of theater that one of his plays is nothing more than a woman’s mouth in spotlight. Early productions of his work inspired everything from near-riots to walkouts. He was no friend to the audience.

To an actor of sufficient skill and fortitude, however, he can be Santa Claus. It’s appropriate that Barrett Cooper and Alec Volz, the actor/director team responsible for Krapp’s Last Tape, are members of the educational team at Walden Theatre. One can imagine their students receive a fairly substantive immersion in Beckett, as they deliver a seminal performance of one of Beckett’s most famous works (behind Godot, and perhaps Endgame).

Briefly, Krapp’s plot is the titular character, at age 69, listening to tapes made on birthdays decades before, reflecting on recent events in his life and their rapturous and deleterious effects. In one act, Beckett runs the gamut of human experience with a simple premise and the power of suggestion through words, actions and the lack thereof.

The key to playing Beckett is that everything, every single thing, the actor does is important. It is so because he is called on to make so much seem like so little. As Krapp, every twitch Cooper makes is loaded with meaning. He is the prototypical Beckett man through and through: hobbling, wheezing, profane, impish, reflective, pained, sad, defiant, defeated...he is everything a man can be, and the wear and tear is all there on the stage. Volz and Cooper play the wonderful comedic ironies for all they’re worth: Krapp holds scraps of writing and keys an inch from his eye to register them, then unnervingly eyes an audience member as he demonstrates the more obscene qualities of a banana. Krapp may be one of the most difficult roles I have seen performed, as so much of it is rendered in helpless pauses and misdirected business. Cooper leaves the audience completely affected as the lights go down on him, his recorded declarations juxtaposed against all we have seen of this poor soul. Breathtaking work.

The two-act Happy Days is the more difficult piece for a variety of reasons. Michael Harris’s director’s note explains that Beckett sought to dramatize the life of a woman as he saw it. Thus we have Winnie, trapped beneath a mercilessly pounding light, kept awake by the unyielding ring of a bell, with only her spare collection of personal effects to sustain her existence and a barely-present husband with which to share the collapsing house of cards that are her thoughts. She is buried up to her waste in act one, to her neck in act two. And as all women are expected to do under impossible circumstances, she is to remain a lady. Trapped as she is, she attempts to find joy in memories, playing with her properties, and idle talk. It is a desperate struggle.

Whether intentionally or not, pairing these pieces gives a stark insight into the difference between men and women as Beckett sees it. Brevity and gender serve Krapp well. Beckett made his point in one act. Krapp is a man. To deal, he does. As Winnie, Laurene Scalf cannot move. So to deal, she talks. She thinks aloud, her thoughts ricocheting around in the manner that may have indirectly influenced Durang’s Bette. While Cooper plays Krapp’s every flinch with a focus and decisiveness, Scalf glides through Winnie’s struggle. Her affectations are more muted and tentative: eyes downcast, somewhat monotone and over-pronounced in delivery. Watching her becomes tedious, but then, this is Beckett. That may just be the point. It is when Scalf pulls inward that her emotions become a desperate hiss, like a gas leak in search of a flame.

More than a few people have called Winnie “an actress’s Hamlet.” The role is one in which to show one’s skill. I would suggest the role is even more of an endeavor than The Dane. Winnie is a thankless role, almost designed to lose the audience, and Scalf plays her with conviction to the final blackout. Michael Harris plays Willie, Winnie’s husband, with the sluggishness and pained exasperation Beckett demands. Though the audience grew restless, Willie’s final action drew the welcome release of laughter at precisely the right moment. As exasperating as Happy Days is, it may be indicative that Beckett knew exactly what he was doing.

It’s difficult to say a Beckett double bill is an evening to be enjoyed. More to the point, it is to be appreciated. Savage Rose and Masterworks are to be commended, if for nothing else than gamely staging material few would dare to touch with so much theater to choose from in Louisville. Perhaps the best ending would be to leave the lights down after curtain call. I suspect few will see these plays, but on those that do, they will leave their mark.

Krapp’s Last Tape & Happy Days

August 29, September 1-3 at 7:30 p.m.

September 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Nancy Niles Sexton Stage at Walden Theatre

1123 Payne Street

589-0004

www.savagerosetheatre.com

Entire contents copyright 2011 Todd Zeigler. All rights reserved.