Tuesday, November 24, 1998
Curtain calls
"The Diviners"
Through Dec. 20
Theatre Forty
Beverly Hills
Tickets: $9-$18
(323) 660-8587
Sometimes it is tiring to stare at a screen and watch
lightning-fast, edited shots pass for entertainment, much less have
it elicit any sort of emotion.
In "The Diviners," the setting of a small town in the 1930’s
provides the premise for a technology-free, true exploration into
human nature. For the audience, emotions are easily extracted from
witnessing human nature at its best.
While the plot – a lone ex-preacher wanders into a small town
and changes the lives of its people – seems like another hackneyed,
cheap stab at sympathetic emotions, "The Diviners" transcends the
seen-that-before formula with its tremendous performances.
Buddy Layman (Jason Horst) is a free-spirited but mentally
challenged 17-year-old with the gift of detecting rain and water
beneath the ground. Ironically, he is deathly afraid of water and
cannot bear to take baths as a result of having almost drowned as a
little boy.
One day, a mysterious and darkly handsome stranger (Eric
Cazenave) shows up and begs for work from the Layman family. He is
revealed to be an ex-preacher named C.C. Showers, stirring the
women in the town into a frenzy over the possibility that the
townspeople will be saved. In the Layman house he is accepted as
simply a good man, and C.C. does touch the lives of each member of
the family.
Buddy is loved but scolded by his stern father Ferris (Dan
Peters) and little sister, Jennie Mae (Ranjani Brow), who must
constantly watch him. But C.C. proves to be a true friend, and
listens and comforts Buddy when everyone else politely dismisses
him. C.C. also tries to help Buddy overcome his fear of water, even
though others close to him have long given up on him.
Though C.C. claims that he quit preaching because he doesn’t
believe his own words, the former preacher nevertheless brings
spirituality and hope to the people by doing rather than preaching.
He gives Jennie Mae a chance to be a young woman and Ferris the
strength to help Buddy once more. Most of all, he challenges the
handicaps which Buddy lets debilitate him.
"The Diviners" is a simple story where the plots isn’t
important. The character development is enough to hold up the play
against a cliche premise; the freshness stems from the surprisingly
restrained but highly effective acting.
What could have been a vehicle for Horst to run around like a
misunderstood, wild nature-boy in every scene and Cazenave to don a
can’t-help-being-a-preacher, Robert Duvall-like character is
forgone in the exploration of the power of simple human
relationships.
What it may lack in originality the play more than makes up for
with its beautifully simple but emotional story. "The Diviners"
doesn’t fall into the easy trap of over-emoting or forcing
characters to be sympathetic. Instead, its setup is a believable
sequence of events, and the play takes its time to come to any
great realization or milestone.
When that happens, the climax is so poignant, the slow but
steady buildup is not only forgiven but appreciated.
Sandy Yang
"Only a Kingdom"
Through Dec. 20
Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena
Tickets:$11.50-$33.50
(626)792-8672
"Only a Kingdom," a new musical playing at the historic Pasadena
Playhouse, bills itself as a retelling of "the most romantic story
of our time." While the story of King Edward VIII and his
relationship with the American divorcee Wallis Simpson certainly
has the makings of a fairy tale, this musical works best as the
simple tale of a great love between two people.
In the 1930’s, King Edward of England abandoned his throne in
order to marry a woman whom the royal family would have never
accepted as their queen. Kaitlin Hopkin’s strong performance as the
American woman makes the king’s sacrifice entirely believable. Her
disarming demeanor and smooth emotional shifts make this actress a
joy to watch in every scene.
Stan Chandler (the king) possesses a strong and regal voice, but
his slight stature often makes him unbelievable as the ruler of the
British Empire.
The rest of the cast performs with vigor and humor, although
Mary Pat Gleason as gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell is often a bit
too abrasive to be truly believable as a close companion to the
king and his lover.
Director Scott Schwartz’s light touch makes both the dramatic
and comic scenes seem natural. The set itself consists of several
ingenious, moving platforms, creating a simple but effective
backdrop for the action.
Where the production runs into some trouble, however, is in its
musical numbers. At times, the songs are simplistic and musically
predictable, detracting from the style and elegance of the overall
production. Although this musical doesn’t quite live up to the
romantic promise of its tag line, it still makes for an enjoyable
event. The scenes where the king and his future wife interact one
on one are the most affecting, simply because the two of them
relate so well on a human, rather than royal, level.
"Only a Kingdom" may not be an epic tale, but it certainly is an
entertaining one.
Carrie Meathrell
"Ali"
Through Jan.10, 1999
Odyssey Theater
Los Angeles
Tickets: $13.50 – $22.50
(310) 477-2055
Muhammad Ali walks in through a side door. It is 1989; Ali has
just returned from rescuing 15 hostages in Iraq. Affably he shakes
the hands of males in the audience. Then he pensively sits on an
exaggeratedly small stool, contemplating how one hostage called him
an angel.
"Angel. Ain’t nobody ever call me that before."
Watching the one-man play "Ali," one must begin to wonder, why
is Ali so cherished? Why is Ali an American hero? Why is he so
venerated?
Geoffrey C. Ewing, who co-wrote the piece, plays Ali as an
over-confident, over-zealous, ambitious man. The most notable
aspect of Ewing’s Ali is the loud, bellowing voice with which he
frightens his opponents and woos his audience. Switching
reminiscently from present to past, Howell delivers a solid
progression from Ali the unstoppable to Ali the lame-duck
fighter.
Unfortunately, Ali is always larger than life. We do not see
much into the deeper side of him. Occasional moments, like when Ali
tells a kid it’s okay to cry, are eclipsed by moments such as Ali’s
famous title bouts.
Though Ali is widely respected for his athletic prowess, it is
difficult to find respect for him outside of that arena. He is
flamboyant, cocky, vociferous and sometimes verbally abusive.
Perhaps it was the fact that he could predict the round in which
he would knock out his opponent. Perhaps it was his ability to
rhyme every other word into glib catch phrases.
"Ali" would have its audience believe that Ali should be
respected for his persistence against racism, against the Vietnam
War and against giving up boxing.
But one wonders whether these qualities are enough to propel Ali
from man to myth, from champion to legend.
Indeed, they nearly are. But there are notable omissions that
make Ali’s arrogance less condonable. For example, his love life is
dealt with rather curiously. Also, Ali’s losses are treated more
like transitions than real defeats, making it more difficult to
savor his poetic victories.
Gems, such as a hilarious impression of Howard Cosell, are
sparsely interspersed among a dialogue that is filled with plenty
of Ali-isms, the most prominent one being "float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee."
Though such phrases may be trite after a while, Ali’s speeches
are still captivating enough to make the two-hour play seem like a
lifetime.
Howard HoTheatre 40
Colleen Shelley, Elizabeth Meads and Dee Croxton star in "The
Diviners."
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