Shakespeare’s Richard the III vies with Woody Allen’s Play It Again Sam!

There are two terrific theatrical productions well worthy of your attendance this week; a blood curdling Shakespearean thriller, Richard III, and a delightfully clever comedy about a nervous, neurotic movie reviewer desperately seeking the perfect girl, in Play It Again Sam.

Ben Ortega superb in Woody Allen masterpiece!

Act Now! Theatre Company is producing an outstanding Woody Allen comedy with their current production of Play It Again Sam, in the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

Born Allen Stewart Königsberg in 1935, “Woody” Allen was raised by Jewish parents in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He had a natural gift for comedy and began writing gags and jokes for newspapers while in high School. His first published joke (reportedly), “I am at two with nature,” preceded his first paid comedy writing gig, beginning with Sid Ceasar, when he was just age 16. By 19 years of age he was writing scripts for the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show, and the Ceasar Hour. It was during his side-by-side working relationship with Danny Simon on the Sid Ceasar Show that he developed his intellectual, cerebral, shy, nervous, neurotic style of writing. The rest, they say, is history, as this brilliantly talented comedy writer, film director, actor, author, jazz musician, and stand up comedian, went on to win three Academy Awards while being nominated for 12 Best Original Screenplay awards (and won 2), nominated for 6 Best Director Awards (won 1), nominated for a Best Actor Award, and has directed over 40 films to date.

Play It Again Sam is an example of Woody Allen’s early, funny plays, also turned movie. It introduces Allan Felix (Ben Ortega), a San Francisco ardent movie buff and writer for film magazines, who is despondent following the departure of his wife, Nancy (Robyn Wiley), who left him to pursue a different, more active and involved lifestyle. Nancy describes Felix as a “watcher of life”, an observer, a passive, non-participant. His best friends, a married couple, Linda and Dick (Terry Darcy D’Emedio and John Hale), attempt to come to his rescue, to pull him out of his negative, downward emotional spiral by finding him dates.

Felix fanaticizes about "stepping out a little”, and bringing "broads...swingers, freaks, nymphomaniacs, dental hygienists" up to his apartment to share his self-imagined sexual prowess. Woody Allen delivers a plethora of great one-liners, such as:
“You can’t expect me to keep up that level of charm, - - I’d have a heart attack.”
“I tried marijuana once, I had a bad reaction - - I tried to take my pants off - - over my head.”
I’m such a naïve jerk - - She used to lay in bed and look up attorneys in the yellow pages.”
“I hate the beach. I hate the sun. I'm pale, I'm red-headed, and I don't tan - I stroke!”

Felix has such a poor self-image of himself, that he continually tries to set the stage for his dating encounters, trying to be someone more romantic, dashing, and more masculine than he actually is, resulting in a succession of romantic misadventures. Felix, repeatedly draws on the advice of an imaginary visitor, Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Motta), one of his favorite cinematic heroes. Bogart delivers typical Bogart character style advice such as “Dames are simple. I never met one that didn't understand a slap in the mouth or a slug from a forty-five.”

These misadventures therein provide the canvas upon which Allen paints his series of outrageously funny situations. The entourage of lovely ladies drawn into Felix’s disastrous romantic forays include Jacquie Duckworth (as Sharon), Jeannine Rouse (as Gina), Cynthia Padden (as Vanessa), Christina Angelos (as the museum girl), and Julie Golden (in several different characters, including the girl upstairs).

This clever play earned Woody Allen a Phillipe Halsman portrait on the front cover of Time Magazine in 1969, along side his character’s ghostly counterpart, Humphry Bogart.
The acting is simply superb. Ben Ortega plays Felix brilliantly. John Hale and Terry Darcy D’Emidio are equally entertaining. The entire cast fits its characters perfectly. The direction by Stephen Murphree works very well. It may be an old play, but time has not dulled its sharpness!

Play It Again Sam plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8:25 p.m., with matinees on Sundays at 2:15 p.m., now through June 23rd. Tickets range between a very reasonable $12.50 and $25. For tickets and reservations call 943-7469 (SHOW). For more information visit their web-site at www.actnowtheatre.org or www.dlrca.org . The Act Now! Theatre is located in the ground level theatre in the Dean Lesher Regional Cener for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek.

Richard III, history remanufactured to “educate” the masses!

California Shakespeare Theatre opens it 2007 season with Richard III, a stunning, brilliantly conceived and directed masterpiece in William Shakespeare’s almost autobiographical historical play about life in England after the War of the Roses. I say almost autobiographical, because, if one knows the facts, Shakespeare was certainly perpetuating the fallacy set about by Sir Thomas More (King Henry VIII’s main man), “to legitimize the rule of the Tudor dynasty, by defaming the rule and historical events surrounding the life of King Richard III.” While the play is certainly long on drama and intrigue, suspense and villainy, I strongly recommend that you read Laura Hope’s article (in the program) about Shakespeare’s re-writing of history, before you get caught up in the despotism of its principle characters. While none of these Kings, Queens, Earls and Dukes were exactly princely characters, they lived to survive the times and to maintain the monarchy. Shakespeare generally wrote in league with the populists concepts to make his work more acceptable and saleable.

Richard III is set during the political chaos immediately following the War of the Roses, a series of civil wars waged between the royal houses of the Lancasters and the Yorks, descendents of Edward III. The many plots and sub-plots in this play are much too convoluted to encapsulate here, other than to say that Richard III (Reg Rogers) is portrayed as a villainous and greedy brother who engineers the death of his brother Clarence (Max Gordon Moore); his brother, Edward of York (not seen in the play); the Duke of Buckingham (Dan Hiatt); Prince Edward and Prince Richard (Elvy Yost and Caroline Gelber); Earl Rivers (Brad Myers);Lord Grey (Raife Baker); Lord Hastings (T. Edward Webster) and finally, of course, his new bride, Lady Anne (Susanna Livingston).

At least nine specific deaths are ascribed to this one man, in one play (not to mention those he kills in battle), which must make him the first serial killer in history. Shakespeare makes this man into a more villainous character by changing his stature to that of a hunch-back with deformed arm and leg. This is certainly a clever writer’s tact designed to make this man as heinous as possible. This portrayal is, in fact, probably the most heinous and horrific of characterizations I have ever seen made of Richard the III. Reg Rogers portrays this character so well, it makes this old play new again. To merely say it is powerful, horrifying and humorous all wrapped up in one actors interpretation, does not begin to do it justice.

The three Queens who meet and share their misery and misfortune and hatred for Richard III, are Queen Margaret (Catherine Castellanos), Queen Elizabeth (Lorri Holt), and Queen Richard III (Lady Anne played by Susannah Livingston).

This is a very long production, but I feel necessary to show the many intrigues and levels of involvement of all of the characters. The ascension of Richard III to the throne takes place over a relatively short time, but it is a very convoluted and turbulent transition.

This powerful play, one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest, is exceptionally well directed by Mark Rucker. The costumes designed by Katherine Ross are a marvelous melding of time periods, proving the universality of themes between then and now. Our governments today are apparently still attempting to re-write the history of our times to fit their spin, their whim, their purpose. The set (using a large number of lights) designed by Erik Flatmo presented the story in a glaring and unvarnished text. The Sound by Ted Crimy worked effectively along with the comic interplay of Kay Starr’s 1952 hit song, Wheel of Fortune.

Richard III plays Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 or 8 p.m., with Sunday mid-day performances at 4 p.m., and there are a couple of Saturday performances at 2 p.m. as well, now through June 24th. Call the Box Office at (510) 548-9666 or visit their web-site at www.calshakes.org for more detailed information. The Cal Shakes Theatre is located in the Bruns Amphitheater at 100 Gateway Blvd., in Orinda. There is plenty of parking at the entrance to the theater which is at the last exit east of the Caldecot Tunnel, at 100 Gateway Blvd, in Orinda. There is a hill to climb to the Bruns Amphitheater seating area, but if you prefer, the company has a free shuttle up the hill from the entrance, and from the Orinda BART station as well. Tickets start at $15 and generally range between $37 and $60 depending on accommodations and date. Remember to dress warmly as it can be very chilly, in-fact, down-right cold if the fog comes in over the Orinda hills into the theater area.

Bring a picnic dinner or lunch or buy a dinner from the food booth adjacent to the theater seating area and dine before the performance in the wonderful picnic ground also adjacent to the theater. Come early and wander around the beautiful grounds and see the lovely pieces of statuary and art work. Cal Shakespeare is more than a theatrical experience - - it is a walk in the park, and it is an educational opportunity, a rich and rewarding experience.