FOOTLIGHT REVIEWS
BAY AREA THEATRE, FILM
& CABARET:
NOW PLAYING AND COMING SOON:
THEATREWORK'S
INSPIRING ”PITMEN PAINTERS”
REMINDS US THAT ART TRANSCENDS
SOCIAL CLASS
reviewed by Bonnie Weiss
The
17,300 year old cave paintings in Lascaux, France give clear evidence
that the gift of artistic expression is nearly as old as humanity,
itself. What’s more it can spring forth with
astonishing skill and beauty even from the minds of Paleolithic
man. But over the centuries, visual art has somehow become
associated with aristocrats and the upper echelons of
society. In modern times members of the middle class have had
the money and education to appreciate, acquire and even create fine
art. But what about those in society who are doomed to live
their lives as part of society’s lower depths, uneducated and
culterally-deprived? Is it
still possible for people with so little resources and few sources
of inspiration, to create great art?
The
Pittmen Painters, a play based on a true story, would have us
answer this
question with a resounding
“yes”. And in
Theatrework’s enlightening and entertaining production (a
West Coast premiere), we get to see just how this was
accomplished. British playwright, Lee Hall, who based
his play on William Feaver’s book of the same title) brings
to life the story of a group of British coal miners (pitmen) who become
recognized and celebrated painters in 1930’s Great Britain. They
become known as “The Ashington Group”, after the town in
industrial Northern England where most of them live and work.
Hall,
who also gave us the similarly inspiring film and stage musical, Billy
Elliot, reduces the size of the Ashington Group to a
representative
five, each embodying a different aspect of this astonishing collection
of working class painters. Director Leslie Martinson and her cast
of some of the
Bay Area’s most familiar and talented actors, bring these visual
artists, and the art instructor who inspires them to vivid
life. James Carpenter is the cautious, principled, union shop
steward, fascinated by technique; Jackson Davis, the confused,
mystified miner willing to go out on a limb and give it a try; Dan
Hiatt the social actiivist who sees his creations as an opportunity to
express his political convictions; Patrick Jones as an
exceptionally gifted natural artist who makes the greatest impact with
his creations; and young Nicholas Pelezar as an adolescent inspired by
Picasso’s Guernica. .
Paul
Whitworth plays the role of Robert Lyon, the
college art teacher funded by The Workers Education Association to
bring university courses, chosen by the workers themselves, to their
villages. His performance is authentic and complex, capturing
the man’s educated, philosophical outlook and his genuine
desire to make these miners truly comprehend that appreciation of great
art is within each of them. When Lyon discovers that the men
have never viewed a painting, he encourages them to create their
own. (We actually get to see some of these actual
pieces. via projections of the original artists’ work on
screen projections (Jim Gross) above the evocative union meeting hall
set ( Andrea Bechert). To evoke the era, scenes from the coal
mines and 1930’s streets of North England are also projected
onto the screen.
Once they start creating their first
works of art, Lyon encourages the miners to assess each others
paintings. Out of these critiques, this exceptional teacher guides them
into deep discussions on art and
meaning and the creative process, itself. These questions and
their answers will resonate with all audience members who wonder about
the meaning, worth and place of art in our culture, and especially, to
those of us who have a hidden artist deep within our souls.
Dates:
Now thorugh Feb. 12th
Place:
TheatreWorks, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
Contact:
659/463-1980 or web: theatreworks.org
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S TOTEM TOPS THEM ALL!
Reviewed by Bonnie Weiss
As someone who has witnessed every Cirque du Soleil production to tour
San Francisco, I must say that Totem is my very favorite.
Yes,
all of these productions are aglow with wildly imaginative sets and
costumes, inspired and unconventional clowning, and feats of impossible
athletic agility and daring set to dreamlike, metamorphic
themes. But Totem has a special magic: It
twinkles
with a lightness and sweetness and performances filled with heart as
well as astonishing skill. And some of the stage
effects
(Carl Fillian) are wondrous as well as lovely to look at..
One of
the most memorable is the protuberance in the center of the stage that
sometimes serves as a rock-like ledge, opens as a tunnel for entering
and exiting, and transforms into a watery pond. In its
aquatic
state, performers appear to dip in and out, go boating, and
even swim beneath its surface. Yet neither
performers
nor surrounding stage areas get wet.
Written and directed by Robert Lepage, Totem’s theme can
loosely
be described as the primal beginnings of civilization, human tribal
dynamics and the evolution of culture. While the music has
sometimes proved grating to this reviewer in past productions, this one
has a percussive score (Marc Lessard and Guy Dubuc) that is truly
mesmerizing. Musical magic of a more whimsical
nature
occurs during one of the comic pieces when Rachael Cogan
draws
lovely flute-like sounds out of a rack of colored test tubes.
Australlian stage and screen costume designer, Kim Barrett has created
costumes that, while wildly imaginative, are less flamboyant
than
those in past productions. Yet, to this reviewer’s
eye,
they more artfully enhance the bodies of the astonishing athletes who
wear them and add an extra element of sheer beauty to the production.
Like all its productions, Totem throbs with dazzling feats of strength,
agility, balance and endurance. And of its dozen or so acts,
not
a single one is a dud. . Acrobats fly across flexible
towering
poles. A speed skater whirls his partner above his head while
circling atop a small drum. Two young Russian women use their
hands and feet to turn what appear to be large limp circles
of
fabric into wildly rotating discs. They keep the items
spinning
while one sister balances the other on one hand.
Yet, this reviewer’s very favorite moment of the evening is
the
aerial trapeze duet of romantic and sexual attraction portrayed by
Rosalie Ducharme and Lous-David Simoneau. While they engage
in a
flowing, weaving, arching, twisting, pushing, pulling, climbing and
coiling evocation of desire, vulnerability, retreat and risk,
their emotional engagement is palpable. They not only give
the
audience the thrill of death-defying performance but the delicious
warmth of genuine human connection. It’s
the piece de
resistance of a night of innumerable wonders.
Dates:
San Francisco: Now through December 18th
Grand Chapiteau, next to AT&T Park, San Francisco
Tickets:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/totem/tickets/san-francisco.aspx
San Jose: Opens March 2nd, 2012
Grand Chapiteau at Taylor Street Bridge
Tickets:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/totem/tickets/san-jose.aspx
CURRENT
& FUTURE 42ND STREET MOON PRODUCTIONS
(Concert Productions of Rarely Performed Musicals):
Event:
OH KAY! :
George &
Ira Gershwin's hit 1926 musical
Song hits:
"Clap Yo
Hands",
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
Tickets:
415/255-8207
Info:
www.42ndStMoon.org
A
MUST-SEE FILM FOR MUSICAL THEATRE BUFFS
"The
costumes, the scenery, the makeup the props
The audience that lifts you when you're down.
The headaches, the heartaches, the backaches, the flops
The sheriff who escort's you out of town.
The opening when your heart beats like a drum.
The closing when the customers won't come."
Except
for the sheriff, everything in this verse to Irving Berlin's classic
"There's No Business Like Show Business" is vividly portrayed in a
terrific new documentary about the 2003-2004 Broadway musical season.
Called, "SHOW BUSINESS: THE ROAD TO BROADWAY", the film focuses on the
trials and tribulations - from original concept to the Tony Awards - of
four musicals: Stephen Schwartz's "Wicked", the Boy George bio "Taboo",
the 'Seseme Street for Adults' puppet musical "Avenue Q" and Tony
Kushner's biographical "Caroline or Change".
Director
Dori Berinstein keeps the momentum going, with expert editing and
dazzling cinematography. What's more, she covers all the bases:
Rehearsals, performances, revealing interviews with producers,
directors, performers, songwriters, choreographers and critics.
Interviewees include actors Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Raul
Esparza; composers Jeanine Tesori, Jeff Marx; playwright Tony Kushner;
producers Rosie O'Donnell and Rocco Landsman, director George Wolf,
critics Ben Brantley and Linda Winer, and more. In short, 'SHOW
BUSINESS: THE ROAD TO BROADWAY' gives us a rich inside view of a
complex, thrilling, and often maddening world.
"Let's go on with the show!"
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