Dinner with Friends shakes up the Mad Cow Theater.

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Mad Cow Theater (54 W Church St, Orlando, Fl) presents Donald Margulies‘ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Dinner
with Friends which travels through space and time to paint two pictures of
contemporary marriage. Gabe (Brian Brightman) and Karen (Ame Livingston) are happily married while their
friends Tom (Cameron Francis) and Beth (Becky Eck) are on the verge of divorce. As Tom and Beth fight
for the support of their seemingly happy counterparts, Gabe and Karen
begin to question the stability of their own relationship. A portrait of
interconnected love and loss, Dinner with Friends
beautifully depicts the burdens we build out of our most intimate
relationships.

In the opening scene, Beth is having dinner with Gabe and Karen who are the consummate hosts. They are undeniably foodies who prepared a delicious Italian dinner. One chair remained mysteriously empty. When they moved to the living room, Beth broke into tears confiding that Tom was going to leave her. Unfortunately I couldn’t see the revelation because it was staged in a corner of the set that I couldn’t see.

Tom was leaving Beth because he met a travel agent and
fell in love. 12 years of marriage and children were a thought of the
past. When a flight is canceled he returned home to Beth and they have a
huge fight. He was furious that Beth told their friends about the looming divorce he wanted to tell them the news as a couple. He never actually believed in Beth’s artistic talents and
he let her know this in his rage. This fight almost escalated to blows
but then, in the midst of their fury, they kissed and fell into bed
while ripping off each others clothes.

The next act flashed back to Martha’s Vinyard where Gabe and Karen introduced Tom to Beth. I identified with Beth since she was an artist. I was rather surprised that she refused to show Tom her sketchbook. Why create art if you aren’t willing to share it? When I was first dating Terry, I showed her my sketches, but when she asked for one to keep, I refused. That surprised her, but I am a professional. You don’t give it away when you know what it is worth.

Beth quickly met another man and is ready for another committed relationship. Karen thinks this is a bad idea, feeling that Beth might be better of taking time to be alone. This results in a fight between friends. Beth feels that Karen always wants her to be an emotional mess. The men have a similar fall out since Gabe can’t understand how Tom could throw away 12 years of marriage. Tom confided that he did a test to see how often Beth touched him. Hy realized he never experienced her touch unless he initiated the embrace. Gabe and Karen start experiencing trouble and examine their own marriage. Karen shares a dream and Gabe doesn’t share enough of himself when they talk about it. “I need you to talk to me!” she shouts at him.

Directed by Denise Gillman, the play is an emotional roller coaster. One couple seemed so much happier when they separate but hope remained that the other couple can remain committed.  They cling to each other as if abandoned in a life raft in a raging sea. As I left the theater I had to wait as a woman hugged all her friend in my row. I was the only person in the row that wasn’t one of her friends. “You want a hug as well?” She asked me. “Sure” I replied, laughing as I opened my arms. I probably flushed as we embraced, but darn it, I needed that hug.

Mad Cow Theater 54 W Church St, Orlando, Fl

Zehngebot-Stonerock Theatre  (Mad Cow Black Box)

Dinner With Friends runs June 19 – July 19
Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm

Special Discount Performances on Saturday, July 4 (6:30pm) and Wednesday, July 15 (8:00pm)

33 Variations

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On February 25th I went to the Winter Garden Theatre ballroom ( 160 West Plant Street, Winter Garden, Florida) for a Designer Run of the show, 33 Variations, a play written by Moises Kaufman. Stage Manager Jay Ferrence was the first person I met when I entered the ballroom. He informed me that the purple tape marked the front of the stage. Actress Becky Eck entered soon afterwards and introduced herself. She had played Jane in “Alice Lost in Wonderland” and she did an amazing job grounding that production. A designer run is a full run through of the show that gives the set designer an idea of where characters will be blocked during the production. Producer Beth Marshall and director Aradhana Tiwari sat behind a folding table to watch the show. Pianist Julian Bond will be performing Beethoven‘s 33 Variations live on stage in the final production, but for now a recording was used and Julian watched to see how the performers would be moving on the set.

This was a dress rehearsal so some actors were in period outfits from Beethoven’s era and the rest of the cast was wearing modern clothing. Photographer Kristen Wheeler was shooting the show this night and she set up two lights to illuminate the actors. Beth warned her not to shoot the feet of some of the period costumed actors since they didn’t have the right shoes yet.  During the show, Kristen had total access to the stage and she moved around the actors catching every emotional moment while also switching on and off lights to get the shots. It was an impressive ballet that didn’t once phase the actors.

The plot examines the creative process of Beethoven’s obsessive variations build from a rather plane and uninspired composition by Diabelli (Brett P. Carson). At the same time, the play follows musicologist Katherine Brandt (played by Peg O’Keef) who yearns to understand Beethoven’s obsession. Brandt’s relationship with her daughter (Becky Eck) is strained as she succumbs to a disabling Sclerosis and at the same time Beethoven (Chris Gibson) goes deaf. I had watched a number of performers audition for the part of Beethoven and I must say Chris is compelling as the anger driven compulsive composer.

 The musicologist traveled to Vienna to inspect Beethoven’s original sketchbooks. By flipping through the pages she could see his every thought as he composed. She wondered if he might be mocking Diabelli’s composition with his variations or perhaps he just wanted to one-up Bach who had 32 variations. Beethoven’s loss of hearing may have actually helped him break new ground as he reinvented the very process of creation. Though cloaked in anger and bitterness, he found an amazing joy in the process even as the world grew silent. Minor composers like Diabelli could be satisfied and complacent with their insignificant contributions.

One moment in the rehearsal was absolute magic. I stopped sketching and was drawn in to the moment. Katherine Brandt disrobed as if in a doctors office. I imagined she was preparing for an MRI full body scan. She stood in a spotlight facing the audience with her arms out in a Christ like gesture. Beethoven stood behind her and they leaned back to back. His head leaned back on her shoulder and her head leaned back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and shuddered with quick breaths of ecstasy. I noticed Becky Eck off stage began to cry, and my eyes welled up as well. There is a certain magic that happens when actors are no longer reciting lines, but they are emotionally invested in every moment.

Mark Your Calendars! The show runs from March 14-30, 2014
Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm,
PLUS Monday, March 24 at 8pm- INDUSTRY NITE

 Tickets: $25 ($21 students/seniors) BethMarshallPresents.com or GardenTheatre.org

Alice Lost in Wonderland Dress Rehearsal

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Alice Lost in Wonderland written and directed by Rob Winn Anderson had its original world premiere at the Garden Theatre (160 West Plant Street, Winter Garden FL.). The show marks Beth Marshall Presents’ 9th production in partnership with The Garden Theatre. The first thing that struck me was the wonderful Steam punk mental asylum set by Tom Mangieri. It was vaguely reminiscent of the set for Wicked.

Actors gathered for a group photo and then ran through a fight sequence choreographed by Bill Warriner. Becky Eck, who played Jane stood on stage alone as other actors got into place.  I assumed from the title that I should look to sketch Alice, but it became quite clear that Jane was the lead character. I had sketched auditions and heard several dozen actresses read for the part of Jane. When I saw the monologue performed by Becky in the context of the play, I was floored, astonished at the meaning and implied emotion in her performance.

  Alice Lost in Wonderland, uses Lewis Carroll’s classic book to inspire
the story of Jane’s frantic search for what she has lost. Years
of falling in and out of mental institutions have broken her and now she
finds herself in a terrifying situation where chances are final and
journeys into dark places are both wonderful and haunting. This
whimsical psychological thriller steps out of reality and into a
shattered mind to create a classically creepy and intriguingly creative
journey through wonderland.

In one compelling moment Jane is stripped of her cheerful childhood clothes by grey institution patients. She stands bare for a moment in her bra and panties and then the patients slip the dingy grey institution uniform over her head. It becomes clear that her Wonderland quest makes her one of them. I was delighted to see Tod Caviness as the Caterpillar. He gave the character a hip 60’s flair that only a poet could perform.

Jane’s search for Alice in Wonderland is actually a way for her to avoid horrible memories from her past. As these memories surface, the play takes a dark sinister turn to face the worst in human nature. This is NOT a kids show. Issues and horrors faced are all too real. The show is quick witted and light when in the Wonderland fantasy then grey and sinister when facing the realities of doctors who consider electroshock therapy an enlightened practical approach to mental health. This show is a perfect addition to the Halloween season.

Mark Your Calendar! This show runs through November 3rd. Show times are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $25 for adults ($21 for seniors/students). There will also be an Industry Night on Monday, October 28 at 8pm. This show is open to the public with $15 tickets for those in the theatre industry. Pilars Bar next door will be open and offering drink specials for patrons on Industry Nite Monday Oct. 28th.

Get your tickets now at BethMarshallPresents.com or GardenTheatre.org!