Fool for Love

For the opening installment of the fall semester of the 2015/2016 season it certainly was in line with my expectations of the overall season - and that would be crappy.  

Fool for Love is Sam Shepard's existing 1985 work which has seen a life on stage and in film before.

It's a cavernous and lonely piece.  It purposely tells you only part of the story leaving you to figure out or just assume the rest.   It's a smart work, but in performance doesn't quite fulfill it's promise and leaves you with more questions and uncertainties than the steep price of the ticket should permit.

Fine performances by Nina Arianda (May) and Sam Rockwell (Eddie).  A handsome Tom Pelphrey rounds out the performances near the end as Martin.  The Old Man (is he dead or alive?) was played with a stoic, lifeless Gordon Joseph Weiss.   Interesting and artistic, yes.  Satisfying, No.

Tales From Red Vienna

Lynne Meadow and Barry Grove have once again produced a small-theatre ensemble gem at the Stage I at City Center of the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Assembled for this fine work are the "it" girl, Nina Arianda (Helena Altman),  the indomitable Grande Damme Kathleen Chalfant (Edda Schmidt), handsome and charming Michael Esper (Bela Hoyos) and perhaps the boldest character of them all, Tina Benko (Mutzi von Fessendorf).  Finally, making his delightful off-Broadway debut was the extremely affable Michael Goldsmith (Rudy Zuckermaier).  Truly a fine ensemble where the talent of one contrast the talents and characters of the others.

The play only really suffers from its facility.  Two intermissions are necessary in order to make the scene changes - but they are not entirely necessary and prolong the play.  The sets themselves are magnificent given the stage available - rain included!  The leading ladies all charmed the pants off the audience - and Mr. Esper, while a bit uneven in his accent (not sure what exactly he was going for but there were many), was entirely delightful in his persistence for Helena.

David Grimm's plot tries to bring up quite a few issues of historical significance, but I'm afraid
some may be lost on less than the avid history or theater buff.  World War I was quite a long time ago.  All said, the superb cast digs their teeth into a meaty subject and with three acts, proves that more than one gun can be pulled in act I when there are two more to follow.

Venus in Fur

An intellectual, interesting, and engaging play, Venus in Fur, by David Ives is now playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre at the Manhattan Theatre Club.   Featured just last season at the Classic Stage Company off-Broadway, MTC saw the potential and ushered this tension -filled twosome uptown without delay.

Staring that sexy Broadway vixen Nina Arianda and the uber-handsome Hugh Dancy - it's hard to imagine a better matched duo for this one.  Packed and dripping with sexual tension, desire, and mystery, Vanda and Thomas take us seamlessly back and forth between modern day rehearsal room and a 19th century aristocratic setting.  Genius in its construction, Mr. Ives endows the two characters with modern problems offset by deep secret desires and great talent.  He juxtaposes time, gender, and desire.  The actors are virtually perfect for the roles - mirroring the traits of the characters flawlessly.  You can't wait to hear what Vanda say or do next.  You quiver waiting for Thomas to submit to his obvious desires.

I did not see this play downtown at the Classic Stage Company, but after seeing it now in a modestly larger house I think I would have enjoyed it even more in an intimate space.  However, I make special note of John Lee Beatty's box-like set that significantly diminishes the cavernous stage at the Friedman to a more intimate size.   And of course, there's that signature Walter Bobbie directorial crispness to the pace and sharpness to the dialogue that both keep tension high and the momentum driving forward.

Cracking thunder and bursts of lighting accentuate what is already a wild and sexy storm of great theatre.  Don't miss this chance to succumb to your theatrical desires.