News Roundup

Two pieces of good news and one very sad one:

Steppenwolf's praised production of Lisa D'Amour's Detroit is moving to Broadway in the fall. It's always good to see a new American play on Broadway, and I hope it does well. (I never got to see it, but heard great things.) Hopefully the original cast will be kept and a good play done well without stars will reach some level of Broadway success. I know, I'm an optimist.

Also in Steppenwolf news, Jon Michael Hill will appear in their production of The Hot L Baltimore. This is excellent news for two reasons: first, that Hill is a dynamic and exceptional performer, and any chance to see him onstage is a treat. Second, this indicates that, despite his role on ABC's Detroit 1-8-7, he's remaining committed to theatre and Chicago. I hope that his returns are frequent.

It's always sad to report a death, but particularly so when that death comes shockingly early. Allison Powell, an ensemble member at Filament Theatre died at the age of 28 from a sudden illness on January 2nd. There will be a memorial event for her on Friday, and Filament has announced that they are funding a gift in her memory. See the press release below for all of the details. Our profoundest thoughts and sympathies are with all of her family and friends.


*** THE FILAMENT THEATRE ENSEMBLE MOURNS THE LOSS OF ALLISON POWELL***
***Allison Powell Memorial Event and Artist's Gift***



Allison Powell of the Filament Theatre Ensemble passed away from a sudden illness on January 2, 2011 at the age of 28. In addition to serving as the company's business manager, Allison adapted Filament's most recent production, Choose Thine Own Adventure – a Shakespearean choose-your-own-adventure play which enjoyed a very successful run at the Underground Lounge through December 11, 2010.




Allison attended elementary school in Lilburn, Georgia, then moved to Maui, Hawaii, where she graduated with honors from Seabury Hall. She graduated cum laude from Colgate University in New York, majoring in religion and philosophy. She also studied at St. Andrews University, Scotland and in Melbourne, Australia, where she spent a year as an independent researcher studying Aboriginal ceremony and performance. During her college years she was active in experimental theatre and after graduation worked in the San Francisco theater community. She moved to Chicago in 2009 and joined the executive staff of the Filament Theatre Ensemble shortly thereafter. She planned on attending graduate school to study religious ritual and performance in the fall.




The Filament Theatre Ensemble is profoundly grateful for her contributions to the company, and are continuing her legacy with an annual gift to Chicago-based artists in Allison's name. Allison recognized the challenges of the lifestyle of the artist, and believed firmly that artists should be monetarily compensated for their work. The Filament Theatre Ensemble is establishing “Allie's Gift” to provide individual Chicago artists with funds to grow and support their artistic careers. This gift will be offered annually on Allison's birthday, April 26. More details will be available on the Filament Theatre Ensemble website in the coming days.




A public celebration of Allison's life will be held at 7:00pm on Friday, January 14 at the Menomonee Club located at 1535 North Dayton Street. A broadcast of her celebration event held in Marietta, GA, will be shown and will begin at 7:30, with time to share stories and memories. If you plan to attend please RSVP by emailing info@filamenttheatre.org or calling (773) 270-1660.




For more information about the service, “Allie's Gift”, or to share memories, please visit www.filamenttheatre.org or call (773) 270-1660.


--


Peter Oyloe
Filament Theatre Ensemble // Marketing Director
www.filamenttheatre.org
Till the bridge you will need, be form’d–till the ductile anchor hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.
-Walt Whitman

Goodbye, Harvey

This post isn't about Chicago or theatre (though American Splendor was adapted for the stage in a production starring Dan Castellanata in the 1980's), but please read it anyway. You should know about Harvey, and might want to check his work out.

Harvey Pekar, a comic book writer best known for American Splendor, a series based on his own life, was found dead by his wife Joyce shortly before 1 AM Monday morning. Pekar was also a jazz writer of renown, writing reviews, liner notes, and pieces for anthologies. (He also wrote at least one jazz-related comic.) He and his wife lived a few blocks from the house where I grew up in Cleveland Heights, and he was a friend.

We weren't close, and I'd mostly lost touch with him and Joyce, but I hung out in the man's living room (overflowing with books and records, of course) and wanted to share a few memories.

I met Harvey and Joyce through Danielle, their foster daughter. We went to camp together (I was 13 at the time, she was a few years younger), and I ended up spending time with the then-new family. We discussed theatre, politics, music and more. They gave me copies of several issues of the comics--which let me tell you, is heady stuff for a 13 year old to read. That kind of insight into life cuts pretty deep at any age, much less when you're a mixed-up, still-sorta-closeted, unsure of how to live out your intense artistic ambitions early-adolescent. Conversations with them had the rare combination of validating my right to hold and express artistic and political opinions (not often something granted to 13 year olds by non-relatives) with challenging me to actually understand and support them. It was exasperating at times, but it helped open my mind.

And of course there was the undeniable, possibly shallow thrill of being friends with a nationally recognized artist. I got to introduce my Uncle Lou, for whom Harvey's comics and especially his jazz writing were touchstones, to him. And for a small group of in the know people, Harvey Pekar was the coolest Cleveland celebrity one could know (Drew Carey be damned).

And of course there was the movie--the 2003 film version of American Splendor, which combined interviews with Harvey and Joyce, fictional scenes in which they were played by Paul Giamatti (some of his best work ever, his lack of an Oscar nomination was shameful) and Hope Davis, and animated sequences to tell the story of his life and work. It was shot in Cleveland, and used a bunch of local actors. Harvey and Joyce generously put my name in the front of the line to audition to be an extra. I was never able to, due to school scheduling issues, but my mother (my ride to the audition) ended up getting called twice--and now appears for 7 seconds in the background of an Oscar nominee for best screenplay. (And for once the film version of a comic book completely lives up to the source material--it's well-acted, well-adapted, funny, creative, and moving. Rent it.)

And of course he meant a lot to Cleveland, especially Cleveland Heights. Cleveland gets a lot of flak (some of it deserved and some of it from me), but his stories showed the city in a much deeper light than the "mistake on the lake" taunts that get slung at it. There's a lot of beauty in Cleveland, and especially Cleveland Heights. And just about everyone in town seemed to have met him at least once, and they all liked him.

So rest in peace, Harvey. You were a brilliant man, a good soul, and a great artist. It was a pleasure to know you as well as I did, and I wish I'd done a better job at staying in contact. My city was better for having you in it, and I'm fortunate for having read your work. You went way too soon, but I hope that more people will get to know your work now. My infinite sympathies to Joyce, Danielle, and all of your family and friends. Thank you.

If any of you have memories of Harvey personally, or were touched by his work, please put them below.

Guy Adkins, 1968-2010

I never had the privilege of seeing Guy Adkins perform onstage or meeting him, so for a tribute to his acting gifts you'll have to go to the obituary written by Chris Jones. You can also visit his personal site to learn about his career. All I can say is that he was widely respected and loved in Chicago and around the country, known as an extraordinary actor, musician, and human being. And he died of colon cancer last night at the age of 41. A death from cancer is awful at any age, but at 41, it's particularly distressing. He wrote a blog about the last months of his life. I've only read a little bit, but I bet it will make me cry.

To Guy's partner Sean and all of his family, please accept my deepest sympathies.

Those who knew Guy or saw his work, please post memories here.

To everyone, go hug your loved ones.

And to Guy, I wish I could have known you and your work, and I hope you are at peace.

Good News/Bad News

Before my longer post on How Theatre Failed America, I wanted to pass along two pieces of news, one very good and one very sad.

On a good note: the Tony Awards committee has announced that the 2010 Regional Theatre Tony will be going to the Eugene O'Neill Center in Waterford, CT. This is gratifying on a professional level--few theatres have a comparably stellar record for new works, particularly those which go on to production and acclaim elsewhere. But it's also a pleasure personally--I spent two weeks at the O'Neill in 2008 at the National Critic's Institute, which was the genesis of this blog and a major influence on my writing and career. It's a wonderful place to be and work, where you can focus on theatre while surrounded by gorgeous scenery and eating edible cafeteria food. In addition to seeing (and reviewing) at least ten shows in two weeks, I also treasure the friendships I established with the other critics and the way that members of every segment of the festival mixed and had fun. It didn't matter who were the playwrights, the actors, the critics, the interns, the National Theatre Institute students--we all hung out at Blue Gene's, the gloriously cheap bar, played cards and Mafia, and went swimming, before hopping the van to return to our dorm rooms. It was a wonderful experience, and I would love to go back some day. So congratulations to Executive Director Preston Whiteway, the heads of the various divisions, and the entire staff, and thank you to Leonard Jacobs, Dan Sullivan, Helene Goldfarb, and Mark Charney for letting me into the Critics' Institute and making my experience so wonderful.

However, in very sad news, Playbill reports that famed British actress Lynn Redgrave has died at the age of 67. It's not explicitly stated what the cause of death was, but she was treated for breast cancer in 2003, and last fall, when performing her solo show Nightingale, she announced that she was receiving treatments for Stage IV cancer at Sloan-Kettering. (She performed Nightingale seated and with a script in front of her.) She was nominated for the Tony three times and the Oscar twice, and occasionally appeared with her sister, Vanessa, and brother, Corin. Corin died only a few weeks ago, and Vanessa's daughter Natasha Richardson famously died last winter, so this has been a really horrible year for the Redgrave clan. I wish them all comfort, and hope that the family stays intact for a while.

Things I Have Yet To Comment On

I've been lax about writing, but a flurry of posts are coming in the next few days (hopefully). Here are a few things I have failed to mention recently:

The nominations for Chicago's Non-Equity Jeff Awards have been announced. You can see the full list of nominations here, but here are a few thoughts:

--Congratulations to Brian Plocharczyk, nominated for Lead Actor for his work in Stage Left's fall show, After Ashley. He was exceptional. I'm disappointed that The Day of Knowledge didn't get any nominations, but we knew that was coming when the committee failed to recommend us. Ah well, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

--David Cromer's hugely popular production of Our Town (which I never got to see) was nominated for Production and Director, but had no acting or design nominations. Given that the praise was spread pretty widely for that show, I find that pretty shocking. (Cromer now has a version of Our Town running Off-Broadway which opened to similarly rave reviews, and similarly sold-out houses, and just won the Lucille Lortel for Best Revival and Best Director.)

--An advance congratulations to Amanda Hartley of The Robber Bridegroom, the only nominee for Supporting Actress in a Musical. Work on that speech.

--Have The Hypocrites gone equity since Our Town? I'm shocked at no nominations for The Threepenny Opera, which was one of my favorites of last season.

--Congratulations to Joanie Schultz! She directed me in Saint Joan when I was an undergrad and she was getting her MFA at Northwestern, and her production of In Arabia We'd All Be Kings got nominations for Production, Director, Ensemble, Leading Actor, and Supporting Actress.

--I'm not sure what was going on in the "New Adaptation" category, but neither of the shows in that category that I saw were successful adaptations. The Picture of Dorian Gray at Lifeline was not terribly scary (though Supporting Actor nominee Paul S. Holmquist did do strong work) and generally confused. And Scoundrel Time at City Lit somehow managed to take all of the drama out of the story of Lillian Hellman and the blacklist--quite a feat, but not quite nomination-worthy.

--Overall, it reminded me of how much theatre I don't see. I don't think I made it to more than six or eight of the nominated shows. Need to get on that in the future.

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There has been shockingly little mention in the press of the death of Augusto Boal on Saturday. Boal was the legendary Brazilian director and educator who pioneered the "Theatre of the Oppressed," which used performance to engage people with their lives and political situations. Anybody who works in theatre education and creative drama has made use of his work, even if they haven't read his works. He  has left an exceptional legacy.

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The Tony nominations are tomorrow, and today the committee announced the special awards. The winners include composer Jerry Herman, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Washington DC's Signature Theatre, which won the Outstanding Regional Theatre award. Full details on Playbill.

A Small Bea Arthur Tribute

Due to my being out of town this weekend, I haven't yet been able to write on Bea Arthur's death. The NY Times has, as usual, a wonderful obit, and my friend Leonard Jacobs has put together a great series of clips of her work (which I have not yet seen in its entirety). But here's my slightly more personal tribute to this exceptional woman:

1) The Golden Girls had a pretty major influence on my life, as it did for many people. I first watched it with my grandmother when it was new, and I had no idea what was going on. I later rediscovered it in Lifetime reruns, and it has been making me laugh since. All four of the stars did wonderful work, but Arthur's Dorothy was the glue that held the show together. It was silly and cliched, sure, but what wit and fun and good acting! I only wish someone had the guts to write a really clever show for some great older character actresses today.

2) "Bosom Buddies" from Mame is priceless, period. Who else could more than hold her own opposite Angela Lansbury?

3) Perhaps my favorite of her roles, though, is as Lucy Brown in the 1954 Off-Broadway The Threepenny Opera. I'd put the disc of Marc Blitzstein's exceptional translation, also starring Lotte Lenya, Jo Sullivan, and Scott Merrill, on my list of ten cast albums to take to a desert island, and Arthur's performance is a major reason why. She sings on only two songs--the "Jealousy Duet" and the "Barbara-Song," and her performance on the latter is particularly gorgeous. Biting wit and heartbroken sincerity at the same time, all in that unforgettable baritone. She does full justice to Brecht's lyrics and intent--we are emotionally affected and aware that we are listening to a performer at the same time--while singing the hell out of Weill's music. It's a treasure--track it down. Hell, I'll even lend you the CD, just ask.

Yep, she was a treasure. We're lucky to have gotten so much exceptional work from her.

By the way, does anyone know if Maude is on in reruns? Or have DVDs of it? It was apparently wonderful, but I've never seen an episode. Can someone help me out?

Natasha Richardson Dies at 45

She suffered a skiing accident. The whole thing is confusing and distressing, and I don't have much to add. She was an extraordinary actor by any reckoning. The New York Times obituary is here.

Horton Foote Dies At Age 92

UPDATE: The New York Times times obit is here.

Horton Foote, who fit the definition of "Great American Playwright" as well as anyone, has died at the age of 92. He was writing up to the end. The New York Times has a piece on his death, I will post the full obituary when it becomes available.

Foote wrote over 50 plays and several screenplays, winning a Pulitzer for The Young Man From Atlanta and two Oscars for his screenplays to To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies. Most of his plays take place in Texas, where he grew up. He was often compared to Chekhov for his humane tone, both amused and saddened by humanity's foibles.

Many of his plays dealt with the lives of people who somehow could not adjust to modernity bearing down on them--most famously The Trip To Bountiful. I got to attend the opening night of the acclaimed revival starring Lois Smith at the Goodman, because my friend Emily appeared in the bus station scene. I saw Mr. Foote at the opening night party, though I did not go up and introduce myself. I did, however, get the chance to meet his daughter Hallie, one of his greatest stage interpreters.

Few people dug so deeply into the lives of characters that most people ignored. It's a shame he won't be writing any more, but how amazing that he wrote so much!

Eileen Boevers, 1940-2009

I am very sad to report the death at age 68 of Eileen Boevers, founder of the Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park. Chris Jones' obituary is here.

I was an intern at Apple Tree during the summer of 2006, when Eileen was already very ill. She had only recently started returning to the office, and then only a few hours a day, in the wake of therapy for breast cancer. I thought she had entered remission, but apparently complications from that cancer killed her.

What she did in her life was truly exceptional--founding a theatre and keeping it going in the face of all odds. She produced a challenging selection of plays and musicals in Highland Park, and won quite a few Jeff Awards in the process. In addition to the main season productions, Apple Tree's Theatre For Young Audiences plays were seen by thousands and the educational programs have trained several generations of people who went on to have careers in theatre in Chicago. She will be missed, and I hope that Apple Tree continues to survive and thrive.

Dale Wasserman Dies at 94

Dale Wasserman, who wrote the stage version of One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest and wrote the book for Man of La Mancha has died at 94. The obit has some very interesting tidbits about him. He lived a full life, that's for sure, and creating two of the most popular plays of the twentieth century was only part of it.

Harold Pinter, 1930-2008

Harold Pinter has died, at the age of 78, after a lengthy illness. He was first diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2002. The New York Times has an excellent obituary here. (In a macabre touch, since obituaries are often drafted long before their subject dies, this one was co-written by Times culture writer Mel Gussow--who himself died in 2005.)

The Times also has an excellent page filled with reviews of Pinter's plays and films, and a wide variety of articles about him. It's an excellent way to get a deeper view of his work, and it can be found here.

Pinter was one of the great playwrights of our time--something which was recognized by the Nobel committee, which made Pinter only the ninth playwright awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (previous ones included George Bernard Shaw, Luigi Pirandello, Eugene O'Neill, and Samuel Beckett). 

I've had a few wonderful Pinter experiences, including seeing an absolutely terrifying Old Times at Northwestern, The Hothouse, his earliest play, at London's National Theatre, and The Birthday Party, here in Chicago at Signal Ensemble Theatre. Old Times had me gasping when a woman lit a cigarette, The Hothouse, though written before Pinter had really found his voice and taking place in a theatre somewhat too large for the script's claustrophobia, was still a fascinating and frightening look into darkness, and The Birthday Party exposed my boyfriend, who didn't know Pinter's work, to one of his most disturbing and bizarre plays. I'm still not sure he's forgiven me.

I also had the opportunity to work on his plays in acting class my senior year at Northwestern. Doing the Lenny-Ruth scene from The Homecoming is about as much fun as I've ever had in acting class. As cryptic as the language is, it's incredibly alive, practically electric, and unbelievably fun to speak.

So let's remember Pinter--How many other playwrights have inspired adjectives?--insert mysterious pauses into our conversation, and look for "the weasel under the cocktail cabinet," as Pinter described his own works. There won't be another like him, but what riches he has given!

Bad News and Good

Two notable pieces of news from Playbill.

The sad news out of Canada is the death at age 64 of Richard Monette, Artistic Director of Ontario's Stratford Festival, from a pulmonary embolus. I had issues with Monette's season selection--it seemed that he stuck to a path that was too conventional, even commercial. However, he led the festival through an extraordinary 14 seasons--1994-2007--of unprecedented stability and financial success. And though I saw a few stinkers in the years I went, I also saw a number of extraordinary shows--My Fair Lady and Pericles, to name two of a half-dozen wonderful shows. He will be missed.

I am  much happier to report that the Public Theatre has announced that they are moving their Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair to Broadway. I had the great privilege of seeing it in the park at its fourth preview, and knew that if audiences and critics continued to react the way we did that night, a move was inevitable. It was already extended a full month beyond its original close date, to September 14th, so it clearly found a very appreciative public. The play and production have flaws, but it was both an extraordinarily energetic delight in the fun numbers and a real gut punch when necessary. And it was anything but dated. One of the major flaws with the staging was that too much of it was directed front and center in a theatre where the seats formed a full half-circle, a flaw that would be eliminated if it moved to a traditional proscenium theatre. No casting, dates, of theatre for the move have been announced, but I hope they will move as much of the original cast as possible. If so, don't be surprised to see Tony nominations for Jonathan Groff (Claude), Will Swenson (Berger), and Patina Renae Miller (Dionne) when announcements are made in May. Just saying...

If you are in New York ,try to get to Hair this week (and get in line really early). Otherwise, try to get seats when it moves to Midtown. It's pretty fantastic.