Powerful and emotional Whipping Man

The Whipping Man takes a different look at the Civil War.  Matthew Lopez’s play receiving it’s Boston premier at New Rep focuses on a Confederate soldier just back at the end of the war and two of his now freed slaves, however the three are Jewish.       Caleb stumbles back in his family’s home – a wonder wonderful and grand home now showing its own battle scars.  Caleb crawls into the house unable to walk as his leg was hit by a bullet and has turned gangrenous and is discovered by Simon is (now former) slave who has stayed in the house waiting for the return of his wife and daughter.  Soon we meet John, another of Caleb’s former slaves who has been in hiding in and around the various houses in town.  Over the course of the next 2+ hours the audience is taken on an intense emotional journey learning what has brought these three men together.  Weaved through the story is the fact that Caleb’s family is Jewish and has raised their slaves in the Jewish faith and customs.  It’s an interesting twist on the tale but one that on occasion has the parallels between Jewish slavery and the Civil War struggle overemphasized, especially during the Passover scene – it’s powerful stuff but doesn’t need to be beaten over the audience’s head.  There were many powerful moments opening night where the audience sat in rapt silence taken in by the story, acting, and directing. 

Benny Santo Ambush masterfully directs this well crafted production.  Jesse Hinson does a wonderful job as Caleb and although he spends almost the entire play either on the floor or in a chair is able to provide depth and draw in the audience.  Johnny Lee Davenport gives an amazing performance as Simon showing great depth and variety of emotion in this role.  It’s always great to see such good acting.  It seemed that Keith Mascoll took a few minutes to settle in as John, but once he did he delivered a solid performance.  Kudos should be given to the entire design team for the beautiful set and the very cool rain effect.  There were some moments that were tough to sit through (and not because of the acting of directing!) watching the characters go through some of the scenes was tough – but that’s the intent – to make the audience feel uncomfortable at times and this production succeeded – and it was well worth it to be able to experience this production.   

~ Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer 

Why it's Worth Spending a Little Time with Bernie Madoff

I was somewhat reluctant to spend an evening with the repellant Bernie Madoff. Perhaps I was suspicious of the playwright’s motives. How could one tolerate Madoff’s slimy company? What could the play be other than an effort to help me understand a person whose actions have put him at the outer edge of the circle of people whose actions I wish to make the effort to understand. But Deborah Margolin’s brilliant play is titled Imagining Madoff, not Understanding Madoff, and she imagines brilliantly.

Jeremiah Kissel’s Bernie Madoff is indeed reptilian and cruel, repellant but also dazzling, charismatic, funny. As he talks with his friend, the Jewish poet, Holocaust survivor and scholar, Solomon Galkin, we believe entirely in his ability to fascinate and charm this good man. As the play opens, Galkin sits in his study surrounded by books. (It’s worth a ticket and a trip to Watertown just to see the great Hokusai-like wave of books that sweeps from behind Galkin’s comfortable library chair, tumbling over his head and down the ceiling of the stage to the other end where Bernie sits in a prison, also constructed of books, but orderly, rigid, a cell with bars built from what appear to be leather-bound law books. (I must admit that the wave of books was distracting: like any worshipper of print I was worried by the numbers of books that were destroyed to construct the set and spent too much time myopically peering at spines and chapter headings.)

Bernie thinks back to an evening spent with Sol, perhaps the only person he feels any admiration for. He tells us that he resisted involving Sol in his Ponzi scheme, but the old man, intrigued by what he could do for his shul and for charity with so much money, keeps urging Bernie to take him on as a client. The conversation between the two men is wide-ranging, with the older man assuming an interest in moral questions and niceties which Bernie only pretends to share. Sol has the wisdom conferred by scholarship and horrific experience, but he also has a terrible naiveté which leads him to make dangerous assumptions about the snake of a man before him. Much whiskey is consumed. At one chilling moment the old man pulls out one of his greatest treasures, his tefillin, which he teaches a reluctant Bernie to wrap around his arm. Bernie can scarcely contain his instinct to recoil from such holiness.

Sol’s conversation fascinates us as well as it does Madoff, who seems to be looking back from a great distance at a religious and cultural identity which should have great meaning for him, but clearly does not.

Gaps in their conversation belong to Mr. Madoff’s secretary who seems to be answering questions from an investigator, explaining her long relationship with Madoff and the walls he created to distance her from the realities of his business. Despite their long association he is an enigma to this woman whose sense of guilt highlights his complete lack of it.

I was reminded of Shakespeare’s treatment of Richard III, as a man who is evil but entirely human. I’m not sure what human instinct allows us to be fascinated by such villains, but fascinated and entertained we are. I would strongly recommend that you take this opportunity to imagine Bernie Madoff.

~ Johanna Ettin, with Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewers

A Complex Tale of Good v. Evil

“Imagining Madoff” reveals three very different conversations about the collapse of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme: the secretary pleading her ignorance, the victim extending his trust, and the culprit humanizing his actions to an invisible biographer.

Jeremiah Kissel portrays Bernard Madoff richly, capturing the magnetic appeal of a salesman and the vulgarity of a manipulator.  He is a man at times too crass to be likeable and at times sympathetic as his guilt briefly overcomes him.  He brags about his ability to lie, lasciviously describes killing and eating a salmon, calls his sons “soft,” and then smiles with his whole face, the corners of his eyes crinkling in joy as he tells another off-color joke.  The fundamental complexity and success of the character hinges on the actor’s ability to appear both amoral and trustworthy; Kissel does both perfectly.

Joel Colodner as Solomon Galkin, a Holocaust-survivor and poet, with his stoicism and passion for literature and religion complements Kissel’s Madoff.  Though ultimately framed as a good versus evil discussion, Galkin’s character is also appropriately multi-dimensional.  He shares passages from the Torah, modestly discusses his own flaws and his belief that purely moral men do exist, but ultimately begs Madoff to take him on as a client.  Playwright Deborah Margolin gives the audience many gestures to appreciate in Galkin.  At one point, for example, he spills some scotch on the table and comments that good scotch should be left to evaporate; it should not be wiped up.

Adrianne Krstansky, as Madoff’s nameless secretary, plays a necessary, but obvious, role.  Her character reminds the audience of the non-abstract: the trial and the legal implications of Madoff’s guilt.  Her role serves to break-up the heavy, philosophical discussions led by Galkin. 

New Rep’s Black Box Theater lends intimacy to the performance.  Set designer Jon Savage creates a canopy of books, spilling over onto the floor behind Galkin’s study.  The books reinforce Galkin’s presence, the overbearing company of spirituality and history, the weight of truth hanging over all of the characters, tapering out over Madoff’s cell.

In addition to the skill of the cast, “Imagining Madoff” is successful because of its lack of answers, its lack of redemption or accusations for Madoff.  The performance instead raises the complex narrative of questions and history lying beneath the surface of a trial.  

--Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

Compelling Characters in "Camelot"

Unlike my fellow New Rep Reviewers, I was not familiar with the original production of Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot,” and I was actually (quite wrongly) expecting a campy rendition of the tale of the round table.   I was pleasantly surprised, then, when the musical exposed a beautiful love story between Arthur and Guenevere, painful questions of fidelity, the sorrows of watching a dream die, and the excitement born from a glimmer of hope.

The performance is humorous, and there are subtleties and innuendo within that humor that add complexities and enjoyment to the production.  In particular, Lancelot (Marc Koeck) is excellent with his sober expression and naïve piousness.  He is both the greatest white knight and the ultimate villain, and he plays both roles with an earnest likeability.  Also notable is Pellinore (Robert D. Murphy), a wizened, marginally batty King on a quest to find the infamous “Questing Beast,” who thankfully agrees to stop in Camelot and provide sarcastic wisecracks for the rest of the performance.

There are also a few lighthearted moments in the performance that are purely enjoyable, though they do little to further the plotlines.  Guenevere (Erica Spyres) leads the Knights of the Round Table and the ladies in waiting in a jaunty May Day dance scene.  Spyres previously performed at New Rep in Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little, where she had the opportunity to play the violin as accompaniment during the performance.  I was happy that “Camelot” afforded that same possibility.

The costume choices are a bit odd and at times distracting.  Merlin’s shirt looks like it is covered in fake blood, for example.  In addition, while some of the knights wear traditional leggings and tunics, others don hipster grey skinny jeans and glittery knit wool scarves.  It is not heavy-handed enough to make a statement about the universality or timelessness of the themes in “Camelot,” which might have redeemed some of the choices, but it is also not subtle enough to add uniqueness to the wardrobe.

The principal actors were universally strong in the New Rep’s performance of “Camelot” and the supporting cast is delightfully expressive, resulting in an exceptional night out at the theater.

--Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

A Beautiful Camelot

The Lerner & Lowe classic, Camelot is one of those shows brimming with great tunes that many people know.  I grew up listening to the original cast recording and it has always been a favorite.  Thankfully New Rep's production did not disappoint with the stellar cast that was assembled for this production.  My favorite is Erica Spyers and her portrayal of Guenevere; I can hardly say enough good things about her in this production.  I've seen her in several roles including appearing in New Rep's Master Class and Marry Me A Little, but in this role she truly shines from when we first hear her clear lovely voice singing of the simple joys of maidenhood.  Benjamin Evett is great as King Arthur and well matched with Spyers.  The two sound great together and have some great chemistry on stage.  Marc Coeck's Lancelot is played a little differently than I've pictured it, but his funny, hammy C'est Moi easily wins over the audience.  The rest of the cast is great with strong voice as solid direction by Russell Garrett.  

Costume designer Rafael Jaen had a grand task of creating many costumes for a large cast, but the results were spectacular.  Each of the many costumes looked great with lovely detail.  While mentioning all that I liked of this production, I must mention the piece that was certainly lacking was the sound and the orchestra.  At the beginning of the performance the orchestra was not fully together and the quality of the sound was rather tinny.  My companion commented to me that because of the sound she initially feared that it was a recorded orchestra, but then realize that they were live.  Such a classic musical with wonderful singers deserve a big strong sounding orchestra to match and hopefully many of the sound issues will be resolved. 

Camelot is not your traditional holiday musical, but it is definitely a treat and even though it clocks in around three hours it is a very enjoyable time.  This is a piece that doesn’t seem to get performed as often as it should, but it is certainly a joy to be able to see it on stage with such a talented cast.

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer 

"Camelot" Shines

I admit to being a bit skeptical that New Rep’s Camelot could live up to the memories so many people hold of the original. And isn’t the plot a bit dated? I was completely won over. This is a really lovely production, just right for kicking off the holiday season. As with so many of the musicals of the sixties, the comedy and beautiful music are off-set by a very dark undertone. 

The actors playing Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot have a difficult line to walk. They must transition from the idealistic and somewhat silly people they are at the beginning of the play to people with whom we identify and sympathize, people whose tragic dilemmas touch us deeply.

Benjamin Evett gives us a very young at heart Arthur with an immature but ambitious vision of a peaceful and “civilized” society. He has more human frailties than the average king, but a sweetness that appeals to Erica Spyres’ Guinevere , overcoming her silly ambition to be the occasion of knightly combat. Marc Koeck is perfect as the handsome Lancelot who is vain of his virtue and somewhat oblivious to the impression he makes on Arthur and Guinevere. His entrance with “C’est Moi” is a great comic turn.

The show contains more beautiful Lerner and Lowe tunes than I remembered, and the singing of the three principals (and indeed everyone in the cast) is absolutely lovely, pure in tone and unforced, totally without the strained shouting that mars so much musical theater performance. Kudos to the invisible orchestra which manages to sound twice its size and provides perfect accompaniment, not an easy task when you are behind the scenery instead of in an orchestra pit.

The scenery is cleverly suggestive, a particular virtue of staging at New Rep. Costumes, however --especially for the female characters -- and choreography are serviceable but not up to New Rep’s usual very high standards.  (For example, Merlin's costume is really a shame, and gets in the way of the actor's good work.  Same with Guinevere's odd sari-type shawls.)

For those of us who are old enough to remember John F. Kennedy, “Camelot” is always particularly poignant, but even without the bittersweet sauce of those memories, this performance provides a charming and highly entertaining evening in the theater.

 ~ Johanna Ettin, with Shauna Shames

Rancho Mirage in a Season of Illusion

The season theme for the New Rep is always in the back of my mind for each new production.  It is interesting to me how different time periods, forms, and characters can still have the same core themes and ideas.  Illusion comes quickly to mind when thinking of both “Rancho Mirage” and “The Elephant Man.”  In “Rancho Mirage” the couples are under the illusion that their lives can, in fact, be perfect.

The Rancho Mirage is the aptly named development where two of the three couples reside.  The name is apt not for the abundance of ranches, but for the mirage of security that comes from living in a gated community and the residents’ adherence to “keeping up appearances.”  In the production, two Rancho Mirage residents Diane (Tamara Hickey) and Nick (Lewis D. Wheeler) host two other couples for a dinner party.  Despite their bankruptcy, they serve the expensive wine and offer to order food when dinner is ruined.  As the night progresses (and the bottles of wine empty), the truth pours out.

Scene designer John Howell Hood models the stage into a living room that is warmly lit and provides the illusion of comfort: overstuffed pillows rest on micro-suede couches, two fireplaces frame an expanse of earth-tone tile, artificial plants add purpose to staggered end tables.  Every object falls into the same color palette: dull green, desert yellow, clay red.  The effect creates a space that is inviting and comforting, but also suggestive that the couple is afraid of standing out too much.  Whether through painting the walls the wrong color, or buying the wrong type of wine, it matters, to them, what other people think.

The first scene in particular reveals that theme of blending in.  Diane recites a list of items that Nick is forbidden to mention during dinner.  Her message is clear: by ignoring the “taboo subjects” they can be the perfect hosts.  Everyone will feel comfortable at the party, conversation will be pleasant, and they will communicate without providing additional information on their situation to their friends.  Nick, quite predictably, brings up all of them in the first 15 minutes of the party. 

It’s tempting to draw conclusions about the characters based on gender.  The men trust each other more easily, but the women are more honest.  The women’s honesty may actually be their barrier to trust, since they use facts as weapons against one another.  I wish the production had done more to counteract these stereotypes.

Although I found the story-lines to be a bit exaggerated, the hyperbole is usually redeemed by comedy, and the character-driven production features strong performances by the cast.  Cate Damon, as soft-spoken, pious Pam, delivers several of the most humorous lines of the show.  Abigail Killeen, as Type-A Louise, is a wonderful paradox of a boisterous personality keeping her own secrets.  John Kooi as Charlie is the only noticeably drunk character after two hours of drinking and no food, which helps to ground some of the revelations. 

  -- Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer