This week I have two reviews of shows that were terrific experiences for me, and I hope they will be for you too.
Elizabeth Bennett (Becky Potter) discloses some disturbing information to Mr. Darcey (Edwin Peabody) in Butterfield 8's "Pride and Prejudice" Photo by: Judy Potter
How many times have I reviewed and praised the many colorful and thought-provoking theatrical works of famed Irishman and author, George Bernard Shaw? Over the past 30 years, I cannot begin to remember all of his plays I have had the good fortune to bear witness to. This week I was fortunate to attend the outstanding California Shakespeare Theater’s production of “Candida”, directed by Cal Shakes’ innovative directing visionary, Jonathan Moscone.
Shaw’s parents were not wealthy people. He was a very bright young man, attended the Methodist Wesley College for a short time and as a result of his voracious reading, he became most angered by what he saw as the exploitation of the working class. He gravitated to a very popular social group at the time, known as the Fabian Society, a group dedicated to socialism through a democratic transition, rather than the revolutionary template followed by the communist party. Shaw went on to become an accomplished orator with an incredible talent for writing drama with humor. Most of his plays focus on social mores, class privilege and women’s rights at the time of their writing. It was these controversial messages that drove to the heart of his literary work.
“Candida” is set entirely within the London residential rectory office of the right Reverend James Mavor Morell (Anthony Fusco), a firebrand Christian Socialist clergyman. Eugene Marchbanks (Nick Gabriel) is a romantic young poet (18 years of age) who chooses to see the world through his own somewhat colored, distorted and unrealistic lenses. He is a guest in the Morell home. Candida (Julie Eccles), Morell’s wife, is in reality, the reverend’s rudder and stabilizer, in large part responsible (behind the scenes) for her husband’s strength, encouragement and success at the pulpit and in his public speaking. The poet Marchbanks is an idealistic, immature (almost childlike), cowardly, and at the same time, flamboyant and painfully honest. He is the product of a very wealthy family of many children, with many servants. He has been allowed by his family to steer his own ship of fate upon the rocky shoals of reality, unable to earn a respectable living, undisciplined as a student, resorting to a life depending on others who feel sorry for him. While he is a somewhat talented artist, it is his romantic poetry that motivates and propels him into the arms of “mothering” types who take pity and rescue him.
Marchbanks believes that he is madly in love with the very beautiful Candida (Julie Eccles) (15 years his senior) and wants to rescue her from what he perceives is a dull, unfulfilling life as the wife of a “windbag” minister husband. Marchbanks perceives Candida as divine, an angel incarnate, above any and all menial household chores and deserving of being lavished with love and waited on constantly. He believes his love for Candida transcends the bounds of mere mortality, and that she in turn loves him and would chose Marchbanks over her husband, if given the opportunity to make that choice. During a somewhat bizarre evening of vacillating rhetorical challenges, Marchbanks and the minister, Morell, spar and spat roundabout and nearly come to blows as they debate the challenges laid down by the poet as to Candida’s love and loyalty to her husband.
In the midst of this madness, Candida’s entrepreneurial capitalistic and somewhat estranged father, Mr. Burgess (Jarion Monroe), unexpectedly shows up at the Morell rectory to engage his son-in-law in the renewal of an old dispute, pretending an attempt at reconciliation, but admittedly confessing otherwise, as the evening wears on. This old controversy further raises the level of anxiety and frustration already poisoning the heavy household atmosphere.
Two other delightful support characters, the reverend’s secretary and stenographer, Miss Proserpine Garnett (Alexandra Henrikson), and another associate minister, Reverand Lexy Mill (normally played by Nicholas Pelczar but played this evening by the very capable Liam Vincent), bring a wonderful sense of comic relief and even more romantic conflict pulling into the fabric of this very unique comedy!
When Candida finally gets the opportunity to respond to the unchallenged assumptions and accusations, she will air her feelings, clear the air and make a resolute choice. What will the lady decide? You will have to see the play to find out the very clever and thought provoking ending. This production is outrageously funny and the acting by all is simply superb.
The set designed by Annie Smart is really quite beautiful, functional and elegantly “smart”. The Lighting Design by York Kennedy works exceedingly well and the costumes designed by Anna Oliver could not have been more apropos, more perfect. Once again, California Shakespeare Theater in the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in Orinda has mounted and delivered a true work of art, a labor of love by all concerned.
“Candida” continues Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 pm, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday at 3 p.m., and Sunday performances at 4 p.m., now through September 4th. Tickets vary in price depending on dates and seating location, they range between $35 and $66 with discounts available for seniors, students, persons age 30 and under by going on line at http://www.calshakes.org/ or by visiting the box office at 701 Heinz Avenue in Berkeley, CA. You may call (510) 548-9666 for more information. The Bruins Amphitheater is located at 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way (formerly 100 Gateway Blvd.) just off highway 23 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Road, one mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel. There is a complementary shuttle from the Orinda Bart Station beginning 90 minutes prior to opening curtain and there is complementary parking on the premises. The grounds open two hours before show time.
Last week, I am sure you remember my rave review of Pride and Prejudice in the Butterfield 8 Theatre in Concord. Well, as promised, my wife, daughter and I returned for part two, the final chapter in this brilliant adaptation of Jane Austen’s widely acclaimed romantic novel, re-written as an entirely new play! This is a stunning production, especially from a community level theater!
In order to bring my readers up to date, who did not read last week’s column, let me begin by telling you about local author and adaptor Donald L. Hardy. He expended great effort to abbreviate and reduce the eloquence and complexity of the original story of Pride and Prejudice down to a manageable two hour common stage production format, but the process just did not work. Donald Hardy preferred the author’s original storytelling format to the modern script writers’ process of transferring text into verbal context that never actually existed previously (putting their own words in her mouth). He decided to go back to her original writings. Hardy began a process of converting this remarkable book into a unique play format, by cleverly using both first person and third person narration, for the most part, lifted directly from Austen’s own masterful work. As David Hardy reveals, he did not want to “create a one night romp through the most basic plotlines” – which was very tempting to do, since so many people already knew the story. This new adaptation is a melded work of translational genius. The complete play is carried out in two separate performances, part I and part II. Last week I covered the story development as it involved the complex story surrounding the Bennet Family, the Bingley Family and their relationships to each other, all taking place in the English countryside.
In the first part of this two part play, the older of the Bennet daughters, Jane (Amy Liebert), became enamored with a young, wealthy gentleman, who had recently leased an adjoining estate, a Mr. Bingley (Alexander Murphey). Mr. Bingley likewise enjoyed the company of Miss Bennet. Unfortunately, while both families are landed gentry, there is a rather large class chasm between the two families, a social barrier which leads to Bingley’s friends and family members doing everything in their power to break up the budding romance between the couple.
One of Bingley’s closest friends, another very wealthy young gentleman by the name of Mr. Darcey (Edwin Peabody), has likewise become acquainted with the Bennet family and their five daughters. Darcy’s opinion of the Bennet family is decidedly negative and is against his friend Mr. Bingley, becoming involved with the Bennet family because of the obvious class, financial and social distinctions between the two families. He also is put off by the overt unrestrained actions of Mrs. Bennet (Maureen-Theresa Williams), who is desperately and obviously seeking her daughters’ future securities through marriages to wealthy families.
It is through Darcey’s first encounters with the Bennet family that he meets Elizabeth Bennet (Beckey Potter), a decidedly independent and headstrong younger sister of Jane Bennet. Even though he remains distant but courteous to the Bennet family, he has little use for them and basically comes off as far above them, almost to the point of being rude.
It is not until the second half of the play, part two, that we discover that Darcy is enamored with Elizabeth. Something about the very lovely, but “socially inferior” Elizabeth Bennet sticks with him and to his great dismay, he finds himself falling in love with her. At the same time, Elizabeth cannot stand the arrogant Mr. Darcy, primarily for what she perceives as his financial mistreatment of a cousin, George Wickham (Carter Chastain), and Darcy’s meddling in her sister’s promising love affair with Mr. Bigley. Then, quite unexpectedly, Darcy arrives and asks to see Elizabeth. After a few nervous pleasantries, Darcy approaches her and proclaims, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you!” The astonished Elizabeth chokes back her emotions, but remains sensitive to the tenderness and warmth with which he has delivered his heart-felt admission. She strives to find a civil manner in which to explain that she certainly had no similar feelings for him and why she could not, would not, acquiesce to his proposal of marriage. Finally, she sums up her feelings by saying, “You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it!” She continued to chide him for his “arrogance, conceit, selfish disdain for the feelings of others, and elaborating further in telling him that she felt that “ you were the last man in the world to whom I could ever be prevailed to marry.” The now astonished Darcy could never imagine that any woman would reject a man of his position, especially in such a strong and convincing manner. He abruptly but cordially leaves the premises immediately.
The play engages in other situations, including an intrigue between Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lydia (Annie Potter) and the controversial militiaman, George Wickham. There is an elopement by the pair which could even cause far greater disdain for the Bennet family from the community as a whole. The complexities continue to multiply as lies, jealousies, conflicts and misunderstandings arise and prevail. The story eventually comes full circle, back to focus once again on the love interest by Mr. Darcy for Elizabeth Bennet.
The story never becomes boring or weighty and it moves along surprisingly well under the expert and excellent guidance and direction of John Butterfield. There are 16 actors employed in this stellar endeavor, most of whom I do not have space to appropriately recognize in this article. All of the acting is superb, with very few missed lines or cues.
These performances are very reasonably priced community theater productions at $12 for seniors and students, $18 for adults and $10 for TBA (members of Theater Bay Area) and Actors Equity members. “Pride and Prejudice” continues Thursday (8/18), Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoon performances at 3 p.m., now through August 26th. For those of you who want to see the entire production in one day, On Saturday, August 27, there will be one consolidated Saturday afternoon performance beginning at 2 pm, to be followed in the evening with the second installment at 8 p.m. The Butterfield 8 Theater Company uses the Cue Productions Live performance space at 1835 Colfax Street in Concord, only one and a half blocks East of Todos Santos square in downtown Concord. Tickets may be selected and purchased by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006 or by purchasing tickets at the door. You can also gather more information by going online to http://www.b8company.com/ and click on “Events” for more information about the company and the show. This is a very informal theater with casual seating in a cabaret type of venue. I always bring an extra tush cushion for my bony derriere. On-street parking can be tight on Friday and Saturday nights due to a number of restaurants and clubs nearby, so come a little early. Seating is open, so come first and be first seated!
Shaw’s parents were not wealthy people. He was a very bright young man, attended the Methodist Wesley College for a short time and as a result of his voracious reading, he became most angered by what he saw as the exploitation of the working class. He gravitated to a very popular social group at the time, known as the Fabian Society, a group dedicated to socialism through a democratic transition, rather than the revolutionary template followed by the communist party. Shaw went on to become an accomplished orator with an incredible talent for writing drama with humor. Most of his plays focus on social mores, class privilege and women’s rights at the time of their writing. It was these controversial messages that drove to the heart of his literary work.
“Candida” is set entirely within the London residential rectory office of the right Reverend James Mavor Morell (Anthony Fusco), a firebrand Christian Socialist clergyman. Eugene Marchbanks (Nick Gabriel) is a romantic young poet (18 years of age) who chooses to see the world through his own somewhat colored, distorted and unrealistic lenses. He is a guest in the Morell home. Candida (Julie Eccles), Morell’s wife, is in reality, the reverend’s rudder and stabilizer, in large part responsible (behind the scenes) for her husband’s strength, encouragement and success at the pulpit and in his public speaking. The poet Marchbanks is an idealistic, immature (almost childlike), cowardly, and at the same time, flamboyant and painfully honest. He is the product of a very wealthy family of many children, with many servants. He has been allowed by his family to steer his own ship of fate upon the rocky shoals of reality, unable to earn a respectable living, undisciplined as a student, resorting to a life depending on others who feel sorry for him. While he is a somewhat talented artist, it is his romantic poetry that motivates and propels him into the arms of “mothering” types who take pity and rescue him.
Marchbanks believes that he is madly in love with the very beautiful Candida (Julie Eccles) (15 years his senior) and wants to rescue her from what he perceives is a dull, unfulfilling life as the wife of a “windbag” minister husband. Marchbanks perceives Candida as divine, an angel incarnate, above any and all menial household chores and deserving of being lavished with love and waited on constantly. He believes his love for Candida transcends the bounds of mere mortality, and that she in turn loves him and would chose Marchbanks over her husband, if given the opportunity to make that choice. During a somewhat bizarre evening of vacillating rhetorical challenges, Marchbanks and the minister, Morell, spar and spat roundabout and nearly come to blows as they debate the challenges laid down by the poet as to Candida’s love and loyalty to her husband.
In the midst of this madness, Candida’s entrepreneurial capitalistic and somewhat estranged father, Mr. Burgess (Jarion Monroe), unexpectedly shows up at the Morell rectory to engage his son-in-law in the renewal of an old dispute, pretending an attempt at reconciliation, but admittedly confessing otherwise, as the evening wears on. This old controversy further raises the level of anxiety and frustration already poisoning the heavy household atmosphere.
Two other delightful support characters, the reverend’s secretary and stenographer, Miss Proserpine Garnett (Alexandra Henrikson), and another associate minister, Reverand Lexy Mill (normally played by Nicholas Pelczar but played this evening by the very capable Liam Vincent), bring a wonderful sense of comic relief and even more romantic conflict pulling into the fabric of this very unique comedy!
When Candida finally gets the opportunity to respond to the unchallenged assumptions and accusations, she will air her feelings, clear the air and make a resolute choice. What will the lady decide? You will have to see the play to find out the very clever and thought provoking ending. This production is outrageously funny and the acting by all is simply superb.
The set designed by Annie Smart is really quite beautiful, functional and elegantly “smart”. The Lighting Design by York Kennedy works exceedingly well and the costumes designed by Anna Oliver could not have been more apropos, more perfect. Once again, California Shakespeare Theater in the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in Orinda has mounted and delivered a true work of art, a labor of love by all concerned.
“Candida” continues Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 pm, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday at 3 p.m., and Sunday performances at 4 p.m., now through September 4th. Tickets vary in price depending on dates and seating location, they range between $35 and $66 with discounts available for seniors, students, persons age 30 and under by going on line at http://www.calshakes.org/ or by visiting the box office at 701 Heinz Avenue in Berkeley, CA. You may call (510) 548-9666 for more information. The Bruins Amphitheater is located at 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way (formerly 100 Gateway Blvd.) just off highway 23 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Road, one mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel. There is a complementary shuttle from the Orinda Bart Station beginning 90 minutes prior to opening curtain and there is complementary parking on the premises. The grounds open two hours before show time.
Last week, I am sure you remember my rave review of Pride and Prejudice in the Butterfield 8 Theatre in Concord. Well, as promised, my wife, daughter and I returned for part two, the final chapter in this brilliant adaptation of Jane Austen’s widely acclaimed romantic novel, re-written as an entirely new play! This is a stunning production, especially from a community level theater!
In order to bring my readers up to date, who did not read last week’s column, let me begin by telling you about local author and adaptor Donald L. Hardy. He expended great effort to abbreviate and reduce the eloquence and complexity of the original story of Pride and Prejudice down to a manageable two hour common stage production format, but the process just did not work. Donald Hardy preferred the author’s original storytelling format to the modern script writers’ process of transferring text into verbal context that never actually existed previously (putting their own words in her mouth). He decided to go back to her original writings. Hardy began a process of converting this remarkable book into a unique play format, by cleverly using both first person and third person narration, for the most part, lifted directly from Austen’s own masterful work. As David Hardy reveals, he did not want to “create a one night romp through the most basic plotlines” – which was very tempting to do, since so many people already knew the story. This new adaptation is a melded work of translational genius. The complete play is carried out in two separate performances, part I and part II. Last week I covered the story development as it involved the complex story surrounding the Bennet Family, the Bingley Family and their relationships to each other, all taking place in the English countryside.
In the first part of this two part play, the older of the Bennet daughters, Jane (Amy Liebert), became enamored with a young, wealthy gentleman, who had recently leased an adjoining estate, a Mr. Bingley (Alexander Murphey). Mr. Bingley likewise enjoyed the company of Miss Bennet. Unfortunately, while both families are landed gentry, there is a rather large class chasm between the two families, a social barrier which leads to Bingley’s friends and family members doing everything in their power to break up the budding romance between the couple.
One of Bingley’s closest friends, another very wealthy young gentleman by the name of Mr. Darcey (Edwin Peabody), has likewise become acquainted with the Bennet family and their five daughters. Darcy’s opinion of the Bennet family is decidedly negative and is against his friend Mr. Bingley, becoming involved with the Bennet family because of the obvious class, financial and social distinctions between the two families. He also is put off by the overt unrestrained actions of Mrs. Bennet (Maureen-Theresa Williams), who is desperately and obviously seeking her daughters’ future securities through marriages to wealthy families.
It is through Darcey’s first encounters with the Bennet family that he meets Elizabeth Bennet (Beckey Potter), a decidedly independent and headstrong younger sister of Jane Bennet. Even though he remains distant but courteous to the Bennet family, he has little use for them and basically comes off as far above them, almost to the point of being rude.
It is not until the second half of the play, part two, that we discover that Darcy is enamored with Elizabeth. Something about the very lovely, but “socially inferior” Elizabeth Bennet sticks with him and to his great dismay, he finds himself falling in love with her. At the same time, Elizabeth cannot stand the arrogant Mr. Darcy, primarily for what she perceives as his financial mistreatment of a cousin, George Wickham (Carter Chastain), and Darcy’s meddling in her sister’s promising love affair with Mr. Bigley. Then, quite unexpectedly, Darcy arrives and asks to see Elizabeth. After a few nervous pleasantries, Darcy approaches her and proclaims, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you!” The astonished Elizabeth chokes back her emotions, but remains sensitive to the tenderness and warmth with which he has delivered his heart-felt admission. She strives to find a civil manner in which to explain that she certainly had no similar feelings for him and why she could not, would not, acquiesce to his proposal of marriage. Finally, she sums up her feelings by saying, “You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it!” She continued to chide him for his “arrogance, conceit, selfish disdain for the feelings of others, and elaborating further in telling him that she felt that “ you were the last man in the world to whom I could ever be prevailed to marry.” The now astonished Darcy could never imagine that any woman would reject a man of his position, especially in such a strong and convincing manner. He abruptly but cordially leaves the premises immediately.
The play engages in other situations, including an intrigue between Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lydia (Annie Potter) and the controversial militiaman, George Wickham. There is an elopement by the pair which could even cause far greater disdain for the Bennet family from the community as a whole. The complexities continue to multiply as lies, jealousies, conflicts and misunderstandings arise and prevail. The story eventually comes full circle, back to focus once again on the love interest by Mr. Darcy for Elizabeth Bennet.
The story never becomes boring or weighty and it moves along surprisingly well under the expert and excellent guidance and direction of John Butterfield. There are 16 actors employed in this stellar endeavor, most of whom I do not have space to appropriately recognize in this article. All of the acting is superb, with very few missed lines or cues.
These performances are very reasonably priced community theater productions at $12 for seniors and students, $18 for adults and $10 for TBA (members of Theater Bay Area) and Actors Equity members. “Pride and Prejudice” continues Thursday (8/18), Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoon performances at 3 p.m., now through August 26th. For those of you who want to see the entire production in one day, On Saturday, August 27, there will be one consolidated Saturday afternoon performance beginning at 2 pm, to be followed in the evening with the second installment at 8 p.m. The Butterfield 8 Theater Company uses the Cue Productions Live performance space at 1835 Colfax Street in Concord, only one and a half blocks East of Todos Santos square in downtown Concord. Tickets may be selected and purchased by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006 or by purchasing tickets at the door. You can also gather more information by going online to http://www.b8company.com/ and click on “Events” for more information about the company and the show. This is a very informal theater with casual seating in a cabaret type of venue. I always bring an extra tush cushion for my bony derriere. On-street parking can be tight on Friday and Saturday nights due to a number of restaurants and clubs nearby, so come a little early. Seating is open, so come first and be first seated!