Review of Appomattox at The Guthrie Theater

Quote of the Day:  No lie can live forever. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Appomattox by Christopher Hampton is a play in two acts, currently playing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The first half of the play is set during the American Civil War with all the main players of the time, President Abraham Lincoln, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, and their wives, generals, soldiers and slaves. The battle is raging to end slavery, save the union, and end oppression.

The second half of the play is set 100 years later during the Civil Rights movement with all the main players of the times, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Governor George Wallace, J. Edgar Hoover, Lee Harvey Oswald and Edgar Ray Killen, and citizens who march, protest, and die.  The battle rages on to end oppression through desegration of schools, elimination of Jim Crow laws, and voting equality.

I expected this show to be filled with strong scenes of war, racism, and fight for justice. I prepared myself for an intense night of theater where history would come alive. I got glimpses of it. For the most part, though, it was all exposition. If I wasn't leaning forward, trying to catch all the lengthy dialogue, I was sitting back, wondering how late it was getting. The show runs two hours and 55 minutes, on a good night. We did not get a good night. The stage "broke" towards the end of Act I, and they halted the action. They pulled the curtain and gave us an early intermission. After we finally saw that scene, we wondered if they couldn't have acted around the set moving glitch and finished Act I. But, who knows. It might have messed up all sorts of blocking and prop/set moving. Either way, it added at least 35 minutes to an already long night. Since we had over two hours drive back north when it was done, and I'd brought my 14-year-old son, I was cringing. He had been interested in seeing this play. He's interested in history and politics and has dreams of becoming a lawyer. He said the show was hard to follow and was annoyed with President Johnson, calling him obnoxious. He said, "After the stage broke, I kind of wanted to go home because I wasn't following it very well." Although, we agreed that the second Act was better.

The play consists of scenes pulled out of history. What I like is that Hampton brings us into the intimate settings and conversations of those main players. We see their struggles with decisions about the wars, Civil and Vietnam, and the people who fought them, and why. We see them trying to make the right decision regarding people of other races. We see them as flawed human beings who were placed in positions of power.  I really liked the scene between Generals Grant and Lee. They show great respect for each other and compassion for the soldiers. Grant knows that in order to heal the nation, he needs to show the Confederate soldiers that they can go back to their farms and businesses with their horses and their dignity. Lee says something like, oh, we could pull back and hide in the hills and continue this fight through gorilla warfare, but for how long? And, to what end? Our men are starving, now. What will they do? So, they sign their treaty at Appomattox, hoping for a peace-filled future.

Act 2 starts out with a video clip of President John F. Kennedy on television stating that it is time to end oppression and give full freedom for voting, education, and job opportunities for all people, black, white or otherwise. At the same time, we see Lee Harvey Oswald spewing out obscenities towards the president and his N-loving ways. (We heard the N-word and the F-word many times in this play.)

The language is harsh in this play, coming from some hate-filled people, as well as those trying to sound powerful. I expected intense drama, scenes acted out that would cause an emotional reaction. What I got was more exposition and a telling of what happened. This play lacks action. Maybe they were trying too hard to make it look good and forgot to give the actors power to tell the story through their characters. Moving the set pieces off and on, while the actors rode on them, limited the action even more. We heard about Lincoln's death. We heard about Kennedy's assassination. We heard about the killings of the civil rights workers. In the final scene, we had to listen to two hard-hearted bigots talk of their killings and how they didn't even see them as crimes, even though they were in jail for committing them. It leaves you with a bleak picture of human beings, especially Americans, who live and die with hate. That no matter how many wars are fought, marches made, or laws enforced, hate lives on.

I did have a few favorites scenes, however. One was when the slaves learned that they'd been freed. They walked on singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." They saw President Lincoln, called him "Father Abraham" and kissed his hand in gratitude.

 

Photos from the Guthrie media page.

 

The other scene that really drew me in was when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is speaking to a crowd before the March from Selma to Montgomery. The actor Shawn Hamilton became Dr. King. I felt the energy in the room rise. I had goosebumps on my arms all the way down to my toes, and we clapped along with the cast when he was done saying, "No lie can live forever. Truth crushed down to earth will rise again. We shall overcome...Mine eyes have seen the glory!" Oh, ya. I caught the connection. The battle rages, and we will march on. It is worth going to the show to see that performance in person.

 

 

I also enjoyed performances by Harry Groener as both President Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B. Johnson, and Mark Benninghofen was excellent as General Grant and Nicholas Katzenbach, Johnson's attorney general. He actually had some stage movement and his face and body language helped to tell the story.

 

The female characters are horribly under-represented. They seem like just extensions of their husbands and have few lines. Perhaps Hamilton is trying to show how voiceless women were then. Even President Lincoln blows off the idea of women's right to vote. I'd like to see a play about Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Sojourner Truth. I love her famous line, "Ain't I a woman." Hampton touched on that for about one second of his play.

 

Appomattox is playing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis through November 11, 2012. Go to their website for more information. Also to note, tickets are now on sale for A Christmas Carol, a great play for the family, but not the youngest ones. Appomattox is definitely for an older audience, as is Tales from Hollywood, which I enjoyed much more.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  What main players from history would you like to see come to life on stage?

The Diary of Anne Frank at CLC in Brainerd, MN

Quote of the Day:  Words spoken (written) by Anne Frank
I want to be a real writer some day.
I want to bring enjoyment to people, even those I haven't even met. I want my words to live on even after I die.

And, of course, they did. She tells Peter, "If I didn't write, I'd explode." I know how that feels. And, because of her need to write, her gift is shared with millions, years and years after her cruel and senseless death at age 15 in a concentration camp. I have felt a connection with Anne and her love of writing ever since I read the play for the first time when I was an 8th grader. I've seen the play performed several times, and this production at the local college/Brainerd community theatre was different. It is a newer adaptation of Anne's diary. I had a stronger sense of their religion and customs in this version. Anne speaks more openly about her body and sexuality, though not overtly, rather as most girls do as they're growing up and curious about their bodies and who they will fall in love with. I felt more of a tenderness between Anne and her mom towards the end of this production than I've ever felt. Usually, Edith Frank is portrayed as strict and critical. This Edith had a softer side. I understood better what her fears were and that Anne pushes her mom away, as many young teens do, and feels a closer connection to her father.

Another scene, new to me, was when the group pauses and listens at the end of the day. Anne is lying on the floor, writing in her diary, and puts her ear to the floor. We can hear the noises of people saying good-bye and closing the door. The people in the annex breath a sigh, then get up and move around. They find their shoes, start cooking dinner, and race to use the WC (bathroom).

I hear those words again, that Anne wrote, "I want my words to live on even after I die." I think of how many times and in so many places that this play has been produced. How many girls have played Anne and kept her alive through their portrayal of this young, energetic girl who wanted so desperately to see the good in all people. For more details on publication of her diary and productions of the play and film, start here at Wikipedia's Anne Frank entry.

Photo by Kelly Humphrey, The Brainerd Dispatch

 

I thought that Linda Nichols looked and sounded the way I picture Anne Frank. With her wide, beautiful, expressive eyes and sweet voice, you are drawn into her personality. She's innocent and honest and so wise beyond her years. Kevin Yeager played Otto Frank with the caring heart of a dad. I know he has daughters and the tears at the end felt real as he says, "My whole family is gone."

 

I missed seeing the scene from the older version where Otto holds Anne's diary and says, "Not Anne, too." The line, the action, the caressing of her words gets me every time. How painful it is to know you couldn't protect and save your family. Dear Mr. Frank, you kept them alive by sharing Anne's diary and giving us her story to experience again again so that we don't forget what hate and greed can do to people.

 

Thanks, Erik Steen for such a great performance. You directed a fine cast for this important story, one that has always touched my heart.

 

“The Diary of Anne Frank” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13. There are two matinees at 2 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 14.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students, with general admission seating. For tickets and information about the show, contact the CLC Theatre box office at 855-8199 or by email at clctheatre@clcmn.edu. Tickets can also be purchased online at clctickets.com. (from The Brainerd Dispatch.)

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  What historical story do you keep feeling drawn to?

Review of The Cat in the Hat at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis

Quote of the Day: 
I know it is wet
And the sun is not sunny.
But we can have
Lots of good fun that is funny!

Sally played by Elise Langer, Boy played by Douglas Neithercott

Photos by Dan Norman

Said the Cat in the Hat, as he entered the house. From the book by Dr. Seuss, originally produced by The National Theatre of Great Britain, playing at The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, September 25 - December 2, 2012, Tickets $10-$67. 

Photos by Dan Norman, Children's Theatre Company

 

Cat in the Hat played by Dean Holt

 

Well, they let him in, and now they seem rather suspicious, don't they? I was wondering how he'd be able to balance all those things!

 

Fish played by Gerald Drake.

I thought he was so great as a puppet and how he looked, dressed, and his facial expressions. He is exactly how I pictured the fish to look if he were in human form!

 

 

The Cat in the Hat plots to bring in more characters to make more fun that is funny! Or, is it? Ask the fish and he'd say, "They should not be here when your mother is not!"

 

With the Cat in the house and Thing One (Elaine Patterson) and Thing Two (Noah Crandell) out of the box, the energy really picked up as the house fell apart! The Cat held up these kites, and Thing One and Thing Two licked their chops with eager anticipation.

 

After they'd torn up the house with all their running and kite-flying, the Boy got his net and caught them, telling the Cat, "Now you do as I say. You pack us those Things. And you take them away!"

 

At that point, the little girl in front of us started sobbing for poor Thing One and Thing Two. Her daddy had to take her out for a minute. The girl behind us said, "It's okay. It's only a show. They can come out later if they want to." Those kiddos are right there, fully engaged, and feeling sympathy for those naughty Things.

 

 

The twin girls we brought to the show were licking their own lips in anticipation of seeing The Cat in the Hat. They stood up and watched. They giggled. They put their hands to their mouths with worry, and they gave the show four thumbs up, saying "We loved it!"

 

Come back tomorrow to see all the fun we had after the show.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever felt like Thing One and Thing Two had been let loose in your house?

 

Review of Measure for Measure by Ten Thousand Things Theater

Quote of the Day:  The Tempter or the Tempted, who is more to blame?  Angelo, in William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure performed by Ten Thousand Things Theater at The Open Book in Minneapolis through October 21 (except the Oct. 18 performance which will be at the Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis).

I would like to thank Michelle Woster for inviting me to view and review Measure for Measure, by Ten Thousand Things Theater. They are a theater company that takes the show on the road, performing at prisons, shelters, housing projects, remote rural locations, and accessible venues. (They have hopes of coming to the Brainerd area next year.) They keep the set and props simple and representative, making it easy to set up their "stage" wherever they go. We walked into the performance space at The Open Book where the chairs were set for theater in the round. A few seats were reserved for the actors and just before it was time to start the show, the actors filled in those seats. They use this same set-up in all their venues, being quite intimate with the inmates and other patrons. You feel like you're part of the show, inside the prison, in the judgement seat, on the streets, and in the minds of the characters as they are standing or sitting right next to you.

The director Michelle Hensley greeted us and shared some of the amazing successes they'd had performing Measure for Measure at correctional facilities. You see, this show is about justice, or the lack of it, power, and the abuse of it, and the people who get trapped in a system led by corrupt and sinister people. One person had said it was like an episode of Undercover Bosses, and by the end, I saw it, too.

The Duke, brilliantly played by Suzanne Warmanen who opens the show with a strong voice and commanding presence, calls in her second-in-comand, Angelo, and commissions him to take over the judicial affairs of Vienna while she is away. She then disguises herself as a friar and hears and sees the truth behind the actions and words of the citizens and the people who try to govern them. The Duke (dressed as a friar) becomes a confessor and a confidant to those needing to unburden themselves from their own wrongs and the wrongs done unto them. She overhears conversations, in the jail and in the courts, that shed light on the true character of those she placed in authority.

You might wonder why anyone would perform or watch Shakespeare's plays. Aren't these old stories of times gone by? Let's see, in this play, people are being judged and condemned for whom they love, for acts of love that lead to "public disgrace." Someone who should do right by another person, turns on her and away from her and thinks only of himself and his rise to power. Another wants to marry, but isn't allowed to and is sentenced to death because of his acts of love. Angelo, the person with the power to judge and pardon, condemns Claudio for his immorality, while Angelo is lusting for and demanding worse from Claudio's sister. The plot gets complicated and twisted. At one point Isabella, Claudio's sister, cries out, "Who will I tell of this?  Who will listen to me?" The person who has wronged her has all the power and notoriety. Angelo even says it, "Who will believe you over me?" Shakespeare gave us the first stories with these twisted and sinister plots: greed, power, helplessness for the average citizen, outcry for justice, political corruption, and moral judgements. Perhaps the creators of Undercover Bosses were influenced by this play.

Afterwards, we attended a Meet & Greet with the cast, director, and creative team of Ten Thousand Things Theater.

 

I asked director Michelle Hensley what it was like performing in the prisons. She said they set it up the same way as they did here at the Open Book, and it is very well received. In fact, they connect with this play, and sometimes get comments from the audience after the scene where Isabella wonders who will help her. Someone said, "That's exactly how it is."

 

 

I'll admit that I was a little shy about talking with the actors, but I did sit down with Suzanne Warmanen for a couple minutes to ask about her character, the Duke. I was wondering if the Duke suspected something about Angelo when she set him up to take charge. She said her main reason for turning over the power was to see if someone else would be stronger and firmer. What she found was that power can quickly go to someone's head!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed attending Measure for Measure at The Open Book. What an inspiring location for a remarkable performance!

 

This was the Biker Chef's first time attending a Shakespeare play. Here he is embracing a new experience and grabbing the dragon by the tail. He said his motto is "Expanding my horizons." I asked him how he felt after seeing the play. "I've been speared," he said. (Shakespeared, that is!) I heard him chuckling at times. Many characters and lines are quite funny, and Shakespeare is known for being bawdy. Measure for Measure is entertaining and thought-provoking.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever been aware of a time when someone let their power go to their head to cover up their own guilt or try to control someone else?