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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews The Curious Savage
by John Patrick Reviewed by Sherry Deatrick
The Curious Savage is one of those reliable chestnuts often performed by community theaters and high schools. It debuted on Broadway in 1950 with Lillian Gish in the lead role. Playwright John Patrick, a Louisville native, went on to write The Teahouse of the August Moon, Three Coins in the Fountain, and episodes of the TV show Leave it to Beaver, among others. In this postwar drama, Ethel Savage (Grace Poganski) is a widow whose wicked stepchildren commit her to The Cloisters, an upscale asylum, because she wants to use her wealthy late husband's money to set up a "Happiness Fund" to benefit society's dreamers. The other residents of The Cloisters are gentle souls who, for various reasons, can't cope with the changes of the postmodern world. Jeffrey (Michael Guillen) was a pilot who bailed out of his plane during the war and has the scars to prove it (or so he believes). Hannibal (Neil Brewer) is an anxious ex-statistician. We're never told why Fairy May (Magdalen Hartman) and Mrs. Paddy (Faith Hoover) are there, but from their odd behavior, it's obvious they can't fend for themselves outside The Cloisters. Florence (Janet Morris) is a June Cleaver-ish housewife with an unspeakable secret tragedy. The play is filled with puns, bon mots, and witticisms so lacking in the current theater. Fairy reminisces about a former resident, a magician's wife who was "all nerves from being sawed in half so much," and can't recall the woman's name. Hannibal responds, "It was something hyphenated," while fiddling with the dart board. This sophisticated, understated humor is seldom seen in plays written today. The playwright's instructions indicate the characters are supposed to be played with "warmth and dignity." He said that exaggeration of their roles would rob the play of meaning at the expense of cheap laughs. Unfortunately, not all the actors heeded these instructions. Fairy May is described as "gay and sanguine," which could mean manic, I suppose. However, Hartman plays Fairy May as an over-the-top narcissist, often to the point of annoyance. She stretches and hops about the stage, shrieking her lines like a whiny brat, all in an effort to draw attention to herself. Also, Fairy May is described as wearing an "unimaginative" dress, yet when she first appears, her wildly-striped dress fought with the drapes for attention. Janet Morris allows us to glimpse Florence's raging storm peeking out from her sweet façade. Michael Guillen plays Jeffrey with a quiet desperation that elicits empathy from the audience. Neil Brewer is outstanding as Hannibal, the nervous statistician. He commands the audience's attention without resorting to histrionics. When doing jumping jacks, his shooting "star sparks" draw all eyes to him even though other actors are speaking. He probably isn't even aware he's doing this because he's such a natural actor. Faith Hoover is a marvel to behold as Mrs. Paddy, who doesn't speak except to enumerate things she hates. She comes close to taking her character a bit too far, but doesn't. Both Hoover and Brewer seem to have sprung from the Marlon Brando style of method acting. Joey Arena and Dennis Blake are perfectly understated as the conniving stepsons, Titus and Samuel, but Kathy Todd Chaney is a bit too wooden as the slatternly stepdaughter. Her black and white striped A-line dress with white pumps and a white hat and gloves is perfectly suited to the time period and very tasteful. Poganski is charming as Ethel, the original "red hat lady." She doesn't play Ethel as a mere victim of her relatives, but lets her strength shine through. Ethel's no angel, however, and Poganski grins with evil satisfaction while plotting revenge on her tormentors. The first act is a bit taxing because it contains Acts One and Two of the original three-act play, and it runs at around an hour and fifteen minutes. The action really picks up after intermission, though. There are moments of rapturous delight in this act. To describe them would rob the audience of the experience, however. The emotional ending is a gratifying payoff, making this play a sure-fire crowd pleaser and is well worth the price of admission. Imaginative use of lighting adds to the experience.
The Curious Savage 812-283-6522 www.clarksvillelittletheatre.org/ November 7 - 15, 2008 Featuring Grace Poganski, Magdalen Hartman, Janet Morris, Neil Brewer, Michael Guillen, Faith Hoover, Gabriel Colley, Joey Arena, Dennis Blake, Kathy Todd Chaney, Susan Crocker, and Hy Stein.
Posted Nov. 10, 2008
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