"All the World's A Stage" - a Gala Tribute Honoring Joe Dowling at the Guthrie Theatre

The Guthrie Theater knows how to throw a gala. The 50th Anniversary Gala two years ago is one of my favorite theater memories, with amazing performances by many local and national favorites in celebration of 50 years of this national treasure of a theater we Minnesotans are lucky enough to call ours. Last Saturday night the Guthrie held another gala, and instead of just a general feeling of appreciation for the community, all of the respect, honor, and love was directed towards one person, Joe Dowling. Joe is resigning from his position of Artistic Director after 20 years (12 of which I have been a season subscriber), during which he oversaw the move from the original theater to the big blue beautiful building on the river and co-founded the Guthrie/U of M BFA program along with many other accomplishments. He is the longest tenured Artistic Director in Guthrie history (surpassing the previous holder of that record, his predecessor Garland Wright, by 11 years) and the most consistent leadership in the Guthrie's 52 year history. In that time he has worked with hundreds of theater artists, many of whom were on hand to partake in the celebration. The 90-minute performance included over 70 actors and showcased a dozen of the over 50 plays and musicals that Joe has directed in his tenure at the Guthrie, plus original musical and dance performances. But even more than the many wonderful mini-performances we were treated to was the overwhelming feeling of love, gratitude, and respect for this theater, this community, and the man who has helmed this theater for so many years. It was a truly magical night.

If you weren't there, here's a summary of the wonderful things you missed:

• The show opened (about 30 minutes past the scheduled 8:30 start time) with a rousing musical number in which a cast of too many favorites to mention sang what I'm assuming is an original song "There You Are," complete with some audience interaction. 
• We were welcomed by the hilarious lisping weeble-wobble brothers Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, played by real-life brothers Kris L. and Lee Mark Nelson, reprising their roles from the 2008 production of The Government Inspector.
• Colman Domingo from the original cast of The Scottsboro Boys returned to serenade us with a beautiful and heart-breaking song from the show, "Go Back Home." The Scottsboro Boys is the brilliant last musical from Kander and Ebb, and played at the Guthrie in the summer of 2010 between stints off and on Broadway. I'm so grateful to Joe and the Guthrie for bringing it to Minnesota.
• Bill McCallum opened a series of scenes with the opening lines from my favorite play The Glass Menagerie, reprising his role of Tom from the 2007 production. The poetic musings by Tennessee Williams on time, memory, and illusion were the perfect way to start the show.
• Michelle O'Neill and Stephen Pelinksi performed the scene about choosing caskets from The Merchant of Venice, in which both actors appeared in 2007.
• This was followed by a selection from Chekhov's Three Sisters, directed by Joe in 2003, with Chloe Armao, Emily Gunyou Halaas, and Michelle O'Neill as the sisters.
• Joe directed The Importance of Being Earnest twice at the Guthrie, in 1998 and 2009. Hugh Kennedy and Valeri Mudek treated us to a scene from the play.
• A "dance interlude" by Megan McClellan and Brian Sostek (who also choreographed the show) did not last nearly long enough. When he leapt into her arms and she caught him and spun around, the audience gasped in delight. They are such effortless, charismatic, playful dancers.
• Master storyteller Kevin Kling delivered a hilarious, touching, and very Minnesotan tale about his work with Joe and the Guthrie.
• Sally Wingert belting out "Gotta Get a Gimmick" from Gypsy - is there anything better than that? Yes there is, because she sang original lyrics by Mark Benninghofen specific to the occasion and was joined by J.C. Cutler, Robert Dorfman, Jim Lichtsheidl, Tracey Maloney, and Isabell Monk O'Connor, each at their most gimmicky to make us love them. It worked.
• Another scene montage began with Bob Davis dryly delivering Minnesota fishing regulations from 2013's Nice Fish, a play I called "absurd, hilarious, strangely profound, and yes, somewhat inexplicable."
• A dramatic and star-studded scene from 2007's The Home Place made me wish I had a better memory, or could see it again.
• Michael Booth recited a monologue from Stoppard's The Invention of Love, directed by Joe in 2003.
• I will never tire of listening to Tyler Michaels sing "On the Street Where You Live," so I was thrilled that he briefly reprised his role from last summer's hit My Fair Lady.
• Four fantastically talented women (Helen Anker, Cat Brindisi, Melisa Hart, Greta Oglesby, and Regina Marie Williams) sang a montage of songs titled "Love's What We'll Remember" that included such Broadway classics as "Send in the Clowns," "Broadway Baby," and of course, the entirely appropriate "What I Did For Love."
• Once again, Jennifer Baldwin Peden made opera seem funny, accessible, natural, and completely effortless. She's sure to win any part she wants with "Adele's Audition Song" from Die Fledermaus.
• The last scene montage began with a scene from the ghostly comedy Blithe Spirit, last seen at the Guthrie in 1997, with Bradley Greenwald, Laura Esping, and Rosaleen Linehan playing man, ghost, and medium.
• Helen Carey and Peter Michael Goetz recreated an intense scene from 2002's All My Sons, another one I wish I could see.
• The scene montages concluded, fittingly, with the heartbreaking closing monologue from The Glass Menagerie, providing a nice bookend to the scene portion of the evening.
• This was immediately followed by a stirring a capella version of "The Hills of Tomorrow" from Merrily We Roll Along, performed by the ensemble. By the way, I should mention that Music Director Andrew Cooke led a fantastic six-person orchestra throughout the show and provided the arrangements. And Peter Flynn did a beautiful job directing the show and the many disparate scenes as they flowed together to form a whole.
• More than two dozen alumni from the U of M/Guthrie BFA program and A Guthrie Experience (or as I like to call it, the Guthrie's strong farm system) performed the As You Like It monologue that begins "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." They told of the seven ages of man, speaking alone or in small or large groups, from "the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" through "second childhood and oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." Such great young talent that the Guthrie has sent out into the world.
• Another U of M/Guthrie BFA graduate, Santino Fontana, who played Hamlet in the final production at the old Guthrie, impassionately sang "I Was Here" from The Glorious Ones.
• The closing number was the highly appropriate "You're the Top" from Anything Goes, beginning with Bradley Greenwald and Greta Oglesby, and continuing through all of the wonderful and beloved performers on that stage.

Have you ever watched the Kennedy Center Honors, in which great artists are honored by the president and performances from admiring proteges? That's what this felt like. From where I was sitting, I could see Joe sitting on the center aisle about halfway up, just beaming. He came onstage after the final number to give a few brief words, in which he credited Tyrone Guthrie and the other previous Artistic Directors, as well as all the actors who've worked at the Guthrie beginning with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in the inaugural season, through Barbara Bryne (who, at 86, was there but in the audience rather than onstage), through the 70+ actors surrounding him onstage. It was such a love fest, and such a thrill to see so many artists whom I love, respect, and admire in one place, Joe Dowling chief among them.

But wait, that's not all! The evening continued with champagne (in real glasses!), dessert, music (the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra set up just in front of the endless bridge), and mingling. I had the chance to talk to so many of my favorite artists, some of whom I'd met before, some of whom I met for the first time. But there were many I didn't dare approach because they're just too intimidatingly amazing. I could have stood there gawking at the crowd all night and basking in the glow of this amazing theater community.

Here are a few photos from the after-party; I'll add more photos as they become available. Also check out my live twitter feed from the event @cherryandspoon.

champagne toast and tuxes

the dessert table - macarons and truffles

dancing to the smooth sounds of the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra

a memento from a magical night - this chocolate is too pretty to eat!

"The Crucible" at the Guthrie Theater

Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible is a classic of the American theater, and dramatizes one of the greatest failings of the American, or rather pre-American, judicial system. During the infamous Salem witch trials of the late 17th Century, twenty people were put to death for the crime of witchcraft, following a long history of the execution of "witches" in Europe. Arthur Miller explores the larger themes of this horrible incident through a very personal story of one affected family, making the play at once intimate and epic. Despite being over 60 years old, the themes of religious fanaticism, mob mentality, and persecution of people who are different are sadly as current as they were during the McCarthy era when the play was written. The Guthrie's grand production of this classic with a cast chock-full of talent is truly something to behold. It's long and intense, but somehow the nearly three hours didn't feel long to me; I was engaged every minute by this compelling story and these beautifully flawed and human characters.

The story begins when the Reverend Parris discovers several young women, including his daughter Betty and niece Abigail, dancing in the woods. Yes, dancing! Betty is afflicted by a strange illness that is blamed on the family's Barbadian slave who is accused of conjuring spirits. In what amounts to a harmless prank gone horribly wrong (never underestimate the power of teenage girls), the girls continue to accuse more and more people of witchcraft, who are given the option of confessing or hanging. The whole thing spirals out of control and Abigail soon accuses her former employer/lover John Proctor's wife, an honest and well-respected woman. John attempts to defend his wife but is powerless against the mass hysteria that has overtaken the community. But somehow in the midst this devastating event, he's able to face the truth and become the best version of himself.

the deputy-governor and John Proctor (Stephen Yoakam and
Erik Heger) with the accusers (photo by T. Charles Erickson)

This is a huge play with many characters but just four long scenes, each of which is like a mini play in itself with several different segments and lots of people entering and exiting. All of it is beautifully orchestrated by the Guthrie's departing Artistic Director Joe Dowling. Joe has directed several Arthur Miller* plays at the Guthrie in his 20-year tenure, but this is his first time doing The Crucible here, and it's a beautiful swan song. The 20+ person cast truly is an embarrassment of riches. There are so many wonderful, experienced, beloved actors who pass through the story for just a moment or two. I'm wondering if some of them took the role just to be part of one of Joe Dowling's last productions at the Guthrie.**

Michelle O'Neill and Erik Heger as
Elizabeth and John Proctor
(photo by T. Charles Erickson)

This production reunites Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth from the 2010 production at the Guthrie (one of my favorites that year) as Mr. and Mrs. Proctor. Michelle O'Neill gives a quietly powerful and emotional performance, and Erik Heger is, as he was five years ago, just magnificent. John Proctor is the kind of role that covers the full range of emotions, from angry to devastated, proud to broken, and Erik hits every note. So raw, so emotional, he has the audience in the palm of his hand in the final climactic scene.

Other highlights in this huge and talented cast include: Stephen Yoakam, always a strong and formidable presence onstage and therefore a perfect choice to play the deputy-governor in charge of the legal proceedings; beloved Guthrie vet Peter Michael Goetz, bringing welcome comic relief through the role of Giles Corey, who was tried along with his wife; the great Wendy Lehr, who could bring comfort to any bewitched person, as noble accused Goody Nurse; and several graduates and students of the U of M/Guthrie BFA program (aka the Guthrie's rich farm system), including Chloe Armao as instigator Abigail Williams, and Ashley Rose Montondo, going from sane and sympathetic friend of the Proctors to full out crazy as Mary Warren.

For the opening dancing-in-the-woods scene, a dozen or so large heavy trees hang just above the stage, their roots not quite touching. They are then raised to the ceiling and hang over the rest of the proceedings like a dark cloud. Ominous sounds and lighting add to the somber and heavy mood (set, lighting, and sound by Richard Hoover, Mark McCullough, and Scott W. Edwards). Jane Greenwood's prim and proper period costumes look so authentic you feel like you're right back there in 1692.

As a theater geek I should have seen this play before now, but I have not, and only have vague memories of the 1996 movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. Now I get why it's such a classic - an important and frightening incident in our history that still has echos in today's world, a personal story of one man's struggle with honor, faith, and redemption, an intense and compelling three hours of theater. It's also a powerful argument for why the separation of church and state is absolutely essential and one of the best things about this country, so that no one person's religious belief is allowed to take away the rights, or in this case the life, of another person who's seen to be in some way evil under that belief.

The two shows on the Guthrie's main stages right now are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play on the Proscenium Stage is a new, modern, creative, and innovative play. Across the lobby on the Thrust Stage, The Crucible is a fine and faithful production of a beloved and acclaimed classic. For traditional theater excellently executed with a huge cast full of mostly local talent and top-notch production values, it's a play not to be missed (playing now through May 24).


*Read more about Joe Dowling and the Guthrie Theater's relationship with Arthur Miller here.
**The Guthrie will celebrate Joe Dowling in a gala performance on June 6 - limited seats still available.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"BEHOLD: 50th Anniversary Gala Performance" at the Guthrie Theater

the program was passed out after the show,
the stage and hallways were strewn with yellow rose petals

It's the morning after the Guthrie's 50th anniversary gala performance, and I'm still just beside myself with glee. It was such an incredible celebration of the Guthrie's past, present, and future. We revisited moments from the past with long-time Guthrie favorites, witnessed some of the amazing talent that currently passes through the Guthrie's three stages, and looked to the future of much more goodness to come. I have seen over 120 productions at the Guthrie in my ten seasons as a subscriber, and even though I'm on the Blogger Night list and get offered free tickets to every show, I will not cancel that subscription because I want to be able to say someday "I've been a Guthrie subscriber for 50 years!" I have never been more proud to be a member of the Twin Cities theater community, that in many ways was born and continues to be shaped by Sir Tyrone Guthrie's decision to create his experimental regional American repertory theater in the state where I happened to be born ten years later. What good fortune for us all. I truly believe that we would not have this rich community of over 70 theater companies and more theater seats per capita than any other town outside of NYC if it were not for the Guthie, which continues to lure great talent to our fair state and foster our home-grown talent from within. The Guthrie Theater is one of my favorite places on the planet and where I've spent many of my happiest moments, and last night tops the list.

But enough gushing - on to the show. I had seen the impressive list of attendees weeks before, but I sort of forgot in the wonder of each moment that someone else wonderful was coming next! It was just moment after incredible moment of pure talent. The show was directed by Peter Flynn, written by Mark Benninghofen, music directed by Andrew Cooke (with a fabulous onstage band), choreographed by Brian Sostek, with set design by Michael Hoover. This behind-the-scenes talent was matched by the talent onstage - so many artists whom I love and admire on that stage and in that building (I saw too many faves in the crowd to mention), that by the end of the night my heart was full of love and my face was sore from smiling. Here are a few (OK many) highlights:

• Joe Dowling, the Guthrie's Artistic Director since 1995, was greeted with a standing ovation when he introduced the show and spoke a little bit about the history of the Guthrie (read more here).
• The show opened with a medley of showtunes from musicals that the Guthrie has done over the years, some that I fondly remember and some before my time. And who else should open this musical portion of the evening besides the brilliant and beautiful Baldwin sisters?! Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden both revisited celebrated roles in Gilbert and Sullivan shows as, respectively, "Poor Little Buttercup" in H.M.S. Pinafore a few years ago and Mabel ("Poor Wandering One") in 2004's Pirates of Penzance (which lives in my memory as my favorite Guthrie show ever). They were joined by many of my favorite musical theater actors (including but not limited to: Dieter Bierbrauer, Aleks Knezevich, Timotha Lanae, Norah Long, Ann Michels, and Angela Timberman) singing selections from Sweeney Todd, She Loves Me, and 1776 among others.

the ensemble (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The evening's co-hosts were none other than Sally Wingert and Greta Oglesby. They were funny and entertaining hosts, and both got a chance to showcase their talent. Sally did a scene from The Royal Family with the incomparable Barbara Bryne and Valeri Mudek, an entirely appropriate scene about love of the theater. Greta reprised "Lot's Wife" from the acclaimed 2009 production of Caroline, or Change, and instantly I was carried back to that show to the point where I could picture the set around her. She was truly astounding on this incredible song.

Sally Wingert and Greta Oglesby (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The "one and only" Peter Michael Goetz has appeared in over 90 productions at the Guthrie, from the 60s through just this year. He is utterly charming and quite the storyteller - no story better than when they were doing Of Mice and Men and Midsummer Night's Dream in rep, and he went onstage for Midsummer Night's Dream in his Lennie costume (a story I've heard before, but it's still great). Incredulously, he's never won an award for theater, but he joked that if there were a Tony for "the guy who kept going," he'd win. After his entertaining talk, he reenacted a scene from the 2004 production of Death of a Salesman with the help of Guthrie alums Matthew Amendt (most recently of Charlie's Aunt) and Erik Heger (a magnificently bearded Macbeth a few years ago).

Matthew Amendt and Erik Heger (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• Several nationally known stage and screen actors spoke of their Guthrie memories via pre-recorded video segments, including Gary Sinise, David Hyde Pierce, Harriet Hayes (Hay Fever), Joshua Henry (Scottsboro Boys), Santino Fontana (currently starring in Cinderella on Broadway), recent Tony winner Courtney B. Vance, and Christopher Plummer (be still my heart).
• The male vocal ensemble Cantus (familiar to me from Theater Latte Da's annual All is Calm) treated the audience to a stunning rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story.
• Real-life married couple Daniel Gerroll and Patricia Kalember (anyone else remember Sisters?) presented a hilarious sparring scene from Noel Coward's Private Lives. 

Daniel Gerroll and Patricia Kalember (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• An adorably nervous T.R Knight ("I wasn't meant to play myself") spoke of his history with the Guthrie (his first role was Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol) and also spoke of original company member (and four-time Tony winner) Zoe Caldwell, and showed a video of an interview he did with this spirited 80-year-old. He also read a lovely quote about the effect her performance had on one man, and how "theater is about changing the lives of people you'll never meet." Ever since falling in love with the sweet dorky George on Grey's Anatomy, I've been waiting for T.R. to return to the Guthrie stage. This will have to do until he comes home to do a play.

T.R. Knight (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• Musical theater composer Jason Robert Brown (who, I have to admit, I am not that familiar with) was commissioned to write a song for the occasion, and boy did he deliver! "Hamlet 3.2" is everything you want in a musical theater song - fast and clever lyrics, a full and complete arc, and a melody that's still stuck in my head. Now I see what all the fuss is about - that guy has talent! And so does the man who sang it, Broadway actor and Tony nominee Brian D'Arcy James. I've never had the pleasure of hearing him sing live before, so it was a treat to witness his powerful voice and charismatic delivery on this brand new creation, never before performed for an audience. And he was backed by the best chorus ever (see above). Lyrics include "Speak the speech, I pray you... trippingly off the tongue," ending with a rousing chorus of "To be or not to be, to be or not to be." I wish I could download the song (I wonder if they recorded the show?), but until then, it will live in my memory (you can listen to a demo recorded by Jason Robert Brown here).

Brian D'Arcy James (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• I can't tell you how much I love Whoopi Goldberg. Not only is she one of the coolest, smartest, most talented, funniest people on the planet (EGOT, anyone?), but I feel a connection to her because she's in my living room every day and we share a birthday. In the excitement of the evening I almost forgot she was there until she literally (please read that as Parks and Recreation's Chris Traeger would say it) descended from the ceiling. She performed her Tony-winning one-woman-show at the Guthrie years ago, and in her off-hand hilarious style, part faux-reading from a script and part speaking from the heart, talked about how intimidating and amazing that was and how much she loves theater and the Guthrie. With one final "flyover my ass!" she descended down through the floor of the stage, never to be seen again. Was that a dream or did it really just happen?!

Whoopi! (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• This evening would not be complete without an appearance by Tracie Bennett. A Tony nominee and Ivey winner for her role as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, she once again channeled Judy to sing a medley of "Almost Like Being n Love" and "This Can't Be Love."

Tracie Bennett (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The show ended with a soliloquy from The Tempest by the divine Stephen Yoakam, followed by one final song from our fabulous ensemble (including Cantus) - "Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide. I am certain that Sir Tyrone Guthrie would be quite proud of how the garden he planted 50 years ago has grown.

Stephen Yoakam (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• I realize I have outed myself as a TV addict in this post, if not before. Needless to say I am beyond thrilled that Vincent Kartheiser (aka Mad Men's smarmy Pete Campbell) is playing Mr. Darcy in the Guthrie's upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice. When I spotted him in the crowded lobby after the show, I couldn't resist the opportunity to tell him how much I love him on Mad Men (is Pete not the most complex, fascinating, frustrating character on TV?) and how much I'm looking forward to seeing him as Mr. Darcy. I told him I believed he'd do a great job, despite people's protestations that "Pete Campbell can't be Mr. Darcy" (news flash - Vincent is an actor and Pete is just one of the characters he inhabits). He very humbly assured me that the play would be good, if not Mr. Darcy. I'm afraid I was a blithering idiot, but what a thrill to meet one of the best actors from perhaps the best drama ever on television!

That's it friends, thanks for sticking with me through this long story. Last night will live on as one of the theatrical highlights of my life that I will remember forever. I have enjoyed every show (some more than others) of my last ten years as a Guthrie subscriber, and even more I love that it has served as a way in to this deep and rich theater community we call home. And I believe it's only going to get better. As my friend Whoopi said - see you in 50!

a letter from the Kennedys
upon the opening of the Guthrie in 1963

a letter from the Obamas
commemorating the Guthrie's 50th anniversary

costumes from past Guthrie shows were on display,
including this one from the 2009 '50s themed
Two Gentlemen of Verona

Christina Baldwin's gorgeous bustled dress
from the 2004 production of Pirates of Penzance

"Long Day's Journey Into Night" at the Guthrie Theater

Long Day's Journey Into Night is the autobiographical masterpiece of American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The son of an actor, he was born in a hotel at what is now Times Square - you can't get much more ingrained in the history of American theater than that. This piece was so personal to him that he left instructions that it not be published until 25 years after his death. His life reads like a tragedy, full of drug addiction and mental illness, so it's no wonder that this most truthful of all his plays is a tragic family story. Set in 1912 at the family's summer home on the sea, the mother is a morphine addict (as was O'Neill's mother), the father and two sons alcoholics (O'Neill's older brother died of complications of alcoholism at the age of 45). The action of the play takes place all in one day as it journeys into night (such a beautiful and poetic turn of phrase). There is love in this family, but also anger, frustration, and desperation. With the Guthrie's usual top-notch production values and stellar (and primarily local) cast, it's a heavy, intense, thought-provoking, and deeply rewarding look at an American classic.

John Skelley and Helen Carey as mother and son

On the night I attended the play, shortly before the lights came up in that lifelike and lived-in seaside home built on the thrust stage, there was an announcement that the role of family patriarch James Tyrone was to be played by Raye Birk, rather than James' usual portrayer, Peter Michael Goetz.* A slight murmur of disappointment rippled through the audience, but 30 seconds after Raye Birk stepped on stage I forgot that anybody other than him was supposed to be playing this role. I've been a fan of Raye's for years, but I'm even more in awe of his talent after watching him step so smoothly into a role that he'll probably only play a handful of times in the six-week run of the show. He and the rest of the cast completely embody these characters both physically and emotionally, and make your heart break at the tragic situation they've created for themselves. The beginning of the play is almost hopeful. Mother Mary (a fragile and fluttery Helen Carey) has just returned from her latest attempt to get sober and seems to be doing well, despite the men in her family watching and reading into her every move and word (it's almost as if their suspicion of a relapse is a self-fulfilling prophesy; they expect her to return to her addict ways and so she does). Youngest son Edmund (a stand-in for the playwright) is sick with consumption (played by John Skelley, who, thanks to his constant cough and the make-up and wardrobe, looks and sounds convincingly sickly, sallow, hollow-eyed, and thin in an oversized sweater). Things go
downhill as the day

the Johns Skelley and Catron as the Tyrone brothers

progresses and pre-lunch drinks turn into pre-dinner drinks turn into an after-dinner binge (as the elder son Jamie, John Catron is such an excellent drunk that I was afraid he was going to fall over!). Heartfelt discussions and confessions (in vino veritas, as Jamie says) are shared between various pairs of characters, but the day ends with the family stuck in the tragedy of self-destruction.

If you're a fan of the American theater, head to the Guthrie between now and February 23 to experience this classic.


*Update: Raye Birk is permanently taking over the role of James Tyrone from Peter Michael Goetz, who has returned to his California home to take care of a personal matter. I'm sorry to see Peter go and I wish him well, but rest assured that the role is in good hands.

"The Sunshine Boys" at the Guthrie Theater

I've been looking forward to seeing The Sunshine Boys at the Guthrie since I heard it would star Peter Michael Goetz and Raye Birk, two of my (and I think everyone's) favorite Guthrie actors. Both of them have been in countless Guthrie productions since the 1960s, as well as many movies and TV shows. These two experienced actors are excellent at both comedy and drama (Peter recently starred in Long Day's Journey Into Night in DC and will reprise his role at the Guthrie early next year, Raye will tackle King Lear at Park Square Theatre this fall). This play gives them a chance to show off their comedy chops, and they do. Written by Neil Simon, The Sunshine Boys is about a pair of old Vaudeville performers who have had a falling out, but come back together in 1972 to perform on a TV show about the history of comedy. As you can imagine, it does not go smoothly, much to the delight of everyone watching.

Peter Michael Goetz as Willie Clark
and Robert Berdahl as his nephew Ben

Peter Michael Goetz is Willie Clark, who lives in a once glamorous but now run-down hotel in New York City. He's still working as an actor, doing the occasional commercial, but jobs are becoming fewer and farther between. He refuses to retire, and chides his agent nephew Ben (played by the wonderful Robert Berdahl, who serves as the straight man grounding these two crazies, dressed in a series of fabulous 70s era suits) about finding him a gig. It turns out Ben has found a gig for Willie, but it involves reuniting with his old partner Al Lewis (Lewis and Clark, get it?). Lewis unexpectedly retired 11 years ago, and the pair hasn't seen or talked to each other since. Willie reluctantly agrees to a rehearsal with Al to see how things go, chaperoned initially by Ben. It falls apart, but somehow they advance to an in-studio dress rehearsal. Act Two begins with the busy TV studio and we get to see the infamous "doctor sketch," in which Dudley Riggs (himself a real-life veteran of the Vaudeville stage and founder of the Brave New Workshop improv comedy troupe) appears. Until that, too, falls apart. The play ends with these two lifelong friends reminiscing about old times and facing the rest of their lives together. It's a true love-hate relationship, beautifully portrayed by Peter and Raye. The banter, the awkward silences, the way they play off of each other, the distinct way they walk around the stage, the broad New York accents, Willie's schlubby style in contrast to Al's fastidiousness, all of it is so precise and so much fun to watch.

Peter Michael Goetz's Willie Clark and Raye Birk's Al Lewis

As you can see from the sticker on the playbill above, I happened to attend on a night when they were holding a post-show discussion, an opportunity I never pass up (and you shouldn't either, if you're at all interested in listening to artists talk about their work). It was really fascinating to hear about all the work that goes into this seemingly effortless performance, and it made me want to watch it again. Peter said that rehearsing a comedy is torture, because there's no audience there to laugh so they don't know if they're funny or not. It's not until the previews that they figure out what works and what doesn't, and they have to adjust a little to allow for laughter. The opening was just last Friday, so he said they're still settling into it. Jennifer Maren (who plays the requisite blond bombshell in the sketch) talked about how a comedy like this is similar to a musical in that it has a certain rhythm and cadence. It's intricately choreographed, such as the scene in which Lewis and Clark spend several minutes moving furniture around to set up for their rehearsal and don't say a word. 

I'm pretty sure I could listen to Peter Michael Goetz tell stories about his life in the theater for hours and hours. His experience in the early days of the Guthrie, on Broadway, and in Hollywood I'm sure provide many amusing anecdotes, like the time he walked onstage during a performance of a classical Shakespeare play dressed as Lennie in Of Mice and Men, back in the days when the Guthrie was a repertory theater (which he says he misses). This is why I love the Guthrie, for bringing actors of this caliber to my town and keeping them here, even after they venture to the East and West coasts.

The Guthrie may no longer be a repertory theater, but you can still see three excellent and very different shows at the Guthrie right now, each wonderful in its own way. Starting at the top, the lovely dance piece Swimming with My Mother is playing in the Guthrie Studio through this weekend. If you're looking for a good old-fashioned musical, go see Roman Holiday. And for a hilarious and intricate comedy, there's The Sunshine Boys. Or go see all three - sounds like a perfect weekend to me!

"Much Ado About Nothing" at the Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater's Much Ado About Nothing is another one of their big, beautiful productions of a Shakespeare play.  Like most Shakespeare plays I see, it took me a while to get into the story and figure out who was who in this big list of connected characters.  But once I did, it was quite enjoyable.  Judging from the costumes and props (a Victrola and streetlights), I'd say that the time period they're going for is about the turn of the century.  The cast is fabulous, full of many of my favorite actors.  And it's a credit to the depth of talent that the Guthrie pulls in that even the understudy list is populated with great actors!  I wish I could see the show again with the alternate cast.

For those of you unfamiliar with the plot (I had seen it about ten years ago, so I was mostly unfamiliar), Much Ado is a typical Shakespearean romantic comedy, full of misunderstandings that eventually lead to a happy ending.  The play contrasts the love stories of two couples: Hero and Claudio, simple young love, and Beatrice and Benedick, two smart and mature people who swear they'll never marry.  Much like the soap character who wishes someone dead, only to be suspected in their eventual murder, this much protesting against love ensures that they'll fall prey to Cupid's spell by the end of the story.  Beatrice and Benedick's friends conspire to get them together, telling one that the other is in love with them, causing each to see the other in a new light.

Highlights of the show include:

• Dearbhla Molloy and Daniel Gerroll (last seen at the Guthrie as Scrooge) have a wonderful chemistry as the clever, sparring lovers, like the Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy of Shakespeare.
• Beloved Guthrie veteran Peter Michael Goetz as the constable Dogberry is a total ham and steals every scene he's in.  From the delivery of his witty lines, to the silly way he moves around the stage, to barking like a dog, everything he does is wacky and hilarious.
• The captain of the Pinafore Robert O. Berdahl makes a brief but memorable appearance singing and playing the guitar.
• Another one of my faves, Ron Menzel (I first saw him in a beautiful play about immigrants in the Lower East Side called Intimate Apparel, years ago at the old Guthrie), gives a serious, weighty performance in an otherwise light-hearted play.  The depth of his performance made me want to know more about his character; I didn't quite understand why he wanted to sabotage the marriage of Hero and Claudio (it must be because he's the bastard brother, bastards always have a bad attitude in literature).
• The first act features a costume party, which gives the Guthrie costume shop, led by designer Fabio Toblini, an excuse to go gloriously over the top in the creation of delightful masks and costumes for the characters and extras.
• The set (designed by Riccardo Hernandez) is simple but beautiful.  Green and red marble tiles adorn the empty stage, over which a moving neutral-colored tarp hangs.

If you can only see one of the two shows playing on the Guthrie's main stages right now, I'd recommend The Burial at Thebes.  If only because it's something I've never seen before; the original music is amazing and really heightens the storytelling in the classic Greek tragedy of Oedipus' daughter Antigone.  But if you prefer something a little lighter, see Much Ado.  Both are entertaining in different ways.

"Arms and the Man" at the Guthrie Theater

My season ticket for the proscenium theater at the Guthrie (the rectangular, red one) is in the front row.  Those are the cheap seats, under the theory that they're "too close."  But in my book, there is no "too close" at the theater.  I like to be close enough to be in danger of being spat upon (which was a definite danger at this performance!).  I like to be able to see the expressions on the actors' faces, and I feel more immersed in the world the closer I am, with no distractions between me and the stage.  Depending on the show and the set design, sometimes there's a row or two added in front of me, but not at this show.  The stage for Arms and the Man includes a rounded wooden projection that came out practically into my lap!  The stage ended about three feet in front of me at nose level.  All along the edge of the stage is a row of toy soldiers and old books, so I had to watch the play through the soldiers.  It was a little distracting when the action of the play was at the back of the stage, but I soon got used to it.  Well worth it to be that close to the charming small town Bulgarian estate that was the setting for this play.

George Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man is set during the Serbo-Bulgarian war of 1885.  The first of three acts takes place in the bedchamber of the daughter of a prominent Bulgarian family, while her father is off fighting in the war.  Raina's peaceful evening is interrupted when the Serbian soldiers are chased through the town and one of the men, a professional soldier from Switzerland, climbs through the window of her room to escape.  He's weary from battle, and Raina decides to hide him (out of pity or boredom, it's hard to know).  The soldier is played by one of my favorite local actors (and one of my costars from the Coen brothers film A Serious Man), Jim Lichtsheidl.  Jim is brilliant at playing multiple characters, as he did in last fall's 39 Steps, and Tiny Kushner (part of Kushnerfest 2009), just to name a few.  He has this great physicality about him that allows him to completely transform into another character.  This time his only role is that of Captain Bluntschli, and it turns out he's just as wonderful when he's only one person.  The weary captain wants nothing more than food and rest, having eaten all of the chocolate he carries instead of ammunition.  Raina offers him chocolate creams, which he devours, and thereafter refers to him as "my chocolate cream soldier."  She convinces her mother to let him stay, but since he's fallen into a deep sleep on her bed, they couldn't move him anyway!

After a brief intermission (during which the audience is entertained by music and dancing by J.C. Cutler's Nicola, the family servant), Act II takes place a few months later in the garden outside the house.  Father has returned from the war, as has Raina's betrothed, the brave and buffoonish Sergius.  They tell Raina and her mother about a scandalous story of Swiss soldier who was taken in by two women, not realizing that they were talking to those very women!  When Captain Bluntschli arrives to return the coat he borrowed, Raina's mother tries to shoo him off, but not before Father has seen him and asked him to stay for lunch.  In Act III the characters move inside into the library, where it is eventually revealed that Raina and her mother are the ones who hid Captain Bluntschli, and romantic entanglements become untangled.

The strong cast also features the amazing Peter Michael Goetz, veteran of over 80 productions at the Guthrie in addition to his numerous movie and TV roles.  He plays the father/major as a somewhat befuddled man who's not quite sure what's going on in his own house.  Kate Eifrig is the stern and in control woman of the house, trying to hide a secret and ensure a good marriage for her daughter.  Michael Schantz (a Guthrie newcomer) is terrifically over-the-top as the "hero" Sergius who's obsessed with the proper appearance of things, even while cheating on his fiance with her maid.  Raina (the delightful and spirited Mariko Nakasone) is right there with him, playing the game, until she realizes that Captain Bluntschli is the one person who sees her as she really is, and therefore she has no need to act the part in from of him.

The set is wonderful and whimsical.  In addition to the toy soldiers mentioned earlier, the snowy mountaintops of Bulgaria surround the main set, of which there are three: Raina's bedchamber with its stately balcony doors through which the soldier arrives, the garden with big purple flowers and a free-hanging second story representing the house, and the library with its tall shelves and animal heads hanging on the walls.  Everything is oversized and utterly charming.  The costumes are to die for.  Raina and her mother wear beautiful gowns (and since I was on shoe level I got a great look at Raina's pretty little low-heeled satin slippers that match her dresses) and the men wear elaborate uniforms, everything trimmed in fur.  Raina has a huge gorgeous fur cloak that I coveted (but of course in faux fur only!).

From the baked mac and cheese at the Level Five Cafe before the show, to Captain Bluntschli's final kiss of Raina's hand, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Guthrie.  A funny and smart play, wonderful acting, gorgeous set and costumes, what more does one need?