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“Smote This” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Smote This,
A Comedy About God …and Other Serious $H*T

Created and performed by Rodney Gardiner
Directed by Raz Golden

Ashland, OR at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival March 22 – May 12, 2024

SMOTE This masthead

 

This one-person show by OSF veteran Rodney Gardiner is intense, personal, real, and not to be missed (and like all of the one-person shows the run is too short, so go now).

I am struggling to figure out which level of the show I should tell about. On the top-level, the physical story starts out with Rodney at his father’s funeral which leads to a discussion of his family and how he came to the United States. That leads to dealing with his father’s long-term health issues, his mother’s life and how she parented. We learn about isolated events in young Rodney’s life, the “miracles” that touch him, and eventually his life with a wife and two Blewish children.

This show is billed as a comedy, and Rodney has very witty, fun lines. He is physically humorous, energetic, and a happy ball of energy on stage.

Except the jokey story is actually about the struggle of undocumented refugees living in a poor community among drug dealers and other distractions. The family has issues, and we spend a lot of time giggling at the “funny” lines about things like his father dying alone under the photograph of a blond white Jesus. Or, about how as a child he woke up from a dream because his mother started beating him and his two brothers while they were sound asleep in bed. Very funny scene, except …

Rodney Gardier in Smote This

Rodney Gardier in Smote This. Photo by Jenny Graham

The first time I saw the show I was very bothered by all the humor. I guess the second time I knew what was coming, and Rodney is a great comic. But, still, we are laughing at awful stuff.

Throughout the show there is a genuine tension between the organized religion Rodney’s been taught and the spirituality of his community and family. “What to believe” is a central issue which strengthens the story, but really isn’t reinforced as the dilemma to consider when seeing the performance.

This new show was a great 50 minutes. And like many new works of art, we spent a lot of time afterwards reflecting and considering how we would improve it. For one thing, we didn’t like “Smote This…” as a title. I object mainly because I am not sure Rodney comes down on the side smiting anything, certainly he’s not throwing away all of the religion he’s been exposed to.

A lot of the humor and emphasis compares feeling-rich, family-rich, religious-rich Black Caribbean community with the dominant white world. His perspective is revelatory and sharp. But, his struggles with what to believe, family, and religion are more widespread. When he rewrites the show for its second incarnation (not planned, that I know of), I hope he projects his personal experiences into a more universal dilemma. His perspective and insight are spectacular, but his observations apply to a wider scope of experiences.

Thank you, Rodney, for sharing so much of your background and life. Thank you for sharing your comedic talent. Now, let’s figure out how to get me released from my guilt at laughing at tragedy and also make your pointed themes apply more broadly.

This excellent performace rates Rating: 4 and 1/2 Syntaxes out of 5

By |2024-04-27T11:48:17-07:00April 24, 2024|osf, plays|0 Comments
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“Born with Teeth” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Born with Teeth

OSF Presents the Alley Theatre Production
By Liz Duffy Adams
Directed by Rob Melrose

Ashland, OR at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Born with Teeth masthead
This two-person show is good entertainment. Witty, quick, well-acted.

The plot has contemporary playwrights William Shakespeare (Bradley James Tejeda) and Christopher “Kit” Marlowe (Alex Purcell) sparring over words, personal behavior, and sex. In talks the director has said that academics who have read the script say that nothing in the plot couldn’t have happened. However, warning! That doesn’t mean any of the interactions on stage actually happened.

The plot explores relatively recent research into Marlowe’s life. The current theory, I have been told, is that Marlowe didn’t die in a random bar fight as history has previously said. Instead, he was targeted and killed because he was involved in palace intrigue, spying and turning over innocent people to the authorities, and blatant homosexuality.

Marlowe was allowed to be known homosexual only because his lovers included powerful people but in the end powerful people were uncomfortable with what Marlowe knew and did. In the final scene Marlowe and Shakespeare say good-bye as Marlowe knows that assassins are waiting for him.

Alex Purcell Bradley and James Tejeda

Alex Purcell Bradley and James Tejeda. Photo by Jenny Graham

On stage we see Shakespeare and Marlowe flirt, a couple times very physically. Marlowe is also chronically trying to recruit Shakespeare into his spy ring, but Will refuses and insists on sticking to writing… until Shakespeare commits an out-of-character act at the end which helps end the play. (I am still shaking my head saying, “Tsk, tsk!” at Shakespeare’s uncharacteristic political deed which is best left unspecified but which makes the performance a short one-act.)

The dialogue is fast, fun, and full of the lovely feel of Shakespeare… probably because some of Shakespeare’s lines are used to illustrate the writing happening on stage.
Overall, the scenes fly by. There are a good number of good one-liners. There is sincere laughter from the audience. It’s fun. We were amused to watch the actors and we enjoyed the language, especially the words from the 17th Century.

Born with Teeth is especially engaging for Shakespeare fans who are up on the latest AI that shows which acts of which Shakespeare plays are more stylistically Marlowe and were probably written by Kit not Will.

On the whole this was simply fun to watch and hear. That’s not a bad thing, but we don’t really learn anything about their collaboration or how the possible flirtation influenced their writing or made anyone’s lives different in real life.

I am happy to have seen this theater-goers mental masturbation show which was well done but fails the “so what” test. Go see it if you’re in town.  It’s  a good    Play Rating 3 out of 5 Syntaxes

By |2024-04-24T13:44:41-07:00April 24, 2024|osf, plays|0 Comments
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“My Home on the Moon” at San Francisco Playhouse

written by Minna Lee
directed by Mei Ann Teo

San Francisco, CA
at San Francisco Playhouse

The surface story is straight-forward: a failing Vietnamese pho noodle restaurant owner  applies to a corporation’s community support program for help. Her application is selected and she and the shop’s cook are completely supported. They achieve financial and critical success, and there’s some positive emotional experiences thrown in, too.

The actors, the characterizaitons, THE SET!, all are top quality and make My Home on the Moon feel comfortable. It’s a worthwhile story to enjoy. It never presents at all as a new effort by a virgin playwright… which this production is.

The plot develops smoothly, quickly, and with intense humor. An example: at one point a restaurant critic (Will Dao) appears to talk about the food with his camera operator recording every twitch and bit of wisdom he spews. The critic is hammily all about his looks and voice on the video being made of his comments. It’s a quick amusing scene that both tells about the positive progress of the restuarnt while at the same time zinging the social influencer phenomenon so powerful in the world of 2024.

L-R) A food critic (Will Dao) samples cuisine, watched by Lan (Sharon Omi), Mai (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) and a camera person (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) in San Francisco Playhouse's World Premiere Play "My Home on the Moon," performing January 25 - February 24.

(L-R) A food critic (Will Dao) samples cuisine, watched by Lan (Sharon Omi), Mai (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) and a camera person (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) in San Francisco Playhouse’s World Premiere Play “My Home on the Moon,” performing January 25 – February 24.
SF Playhouse photo by Jessica Palopoli.

That’s the power and focus of this production. There’s a story progressing nicely while we deal with more and more complex aspects of today’s world and technology.

Most of the onstage activity concerns the interaction between restaurant ower Lan (Sharon Omi), the cook Mai (Jenny Nguyen Nelson), and the corporation’s helpful consultant Vera (Rinabeth Apostol). As Vera listens to what the other two want and dream of, she marshals the resources to make things perfect. 

An early accomplishment of Vera was to make the interior walls orange, something Lan thought would improve the atmosphere. Vera then took on publicty with textbook techniques like giving the food dishes punny names. Her actions are great successes!

Lan (Sharon Omi - center) celebrates the new year with lion dancers (left - Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, right- Will Dao). SF Playhouse photo by Jessica Palopoli.

Lan (Sharon Omi – center) celebrates the new year with lion dancers (left – Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, right- Will Dao)
SF Playhouse photo by Jessica Palopoli..

The popularity of the shop grows and the culinary variety and entertainment accoutrements dazzle.

The description of some of the custom dishes that Mai creates bothered one of my Vietnamese friends because, he says, you’d never put those ingredients together in Vietname. But, that’s the inventiveness of this newly successful pho spot.  And, its focus is making the characters happy. Happy with the financial success, happy with the culinary innovation and recognition… my friend’s traditional taste be damned.

Vera, too, is benefiting from the experience. Her focus initially is on the objective actions to take to improve the finances and occupancy of the restaurant. She has knowledge but not hands-on experience. But as the relationships progress she finds herself looking to learn and enjoy new things.

Like any substantial play, there is a considerable, “Yes, but…!” to the uplifting story of incredible accomplishement of the turnaround. 

Other reviews go into detail of what they think the issue the characters face is. I am not going to do that because you should come to your own realization when you’re ready.

Surfice to say that by the time a former restaurant employe (also played by Will Dao) disrupts the corporation’s shareholding meeting to complain about what they’ve done to the restaurant, most of us in the audience understand his point and probably agree with him.

CEO Gigi (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) leads an investor's report protested by Beau (Will Dao)

CEO Gigi (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) leads an investor’s report protested by Beau (Will Dao)
SF Playhouse photo by Jessica Palopoli.

The whole show is comic, clear, fun, but with a huge point to think about on the way home and the next day and … 

The show deals with issues we are hearing about in the news. Still, this production is witty, enjoyable, terrifically acted, clever, and on target.

Many moments deserve special shout-outs. Will Dao has some excellent shakes in physical comedy for two of his roles. The restaurant set changes and grows as its own character. Vera is a perfect learner at times and a perfect planner at others. Lan and Mai each are focused, different, and spectacular.

The writing is extremely careful, too. You know the saying that if they show a gun at the beginning of the play it better be used by the final curtain? Even small things that My Home on the Moon presents to the audience have meaning and deepen the story… even if it takes a day or two for the revelation about the relevancy to get into your consciousness. I’m thinking of contents of gift baskets, salmon, and strawberries among other objects that pistol whipped us.

There were a few new-play moments that need to be worked out. The most noticable was that at the end of the final scene the lights go out, but the audience isn’t sure they should clap until the actors come back on stage for the curtain call. No one I talked to thought that there could have been another scene in the play. It was complete! Still folks weren’t sure it was over. Maybe a sound effect or someting needs to queue the applause.

Overall My Home on the Moon is an excellent new play, brilliantly produced and performed. 

Now I’m off to eat a biscotti and think about seeing it again with the inevitable revisions. I am also looking to see what Minna Lee does next!

Ozdachs rating:  Rating: 4 and 1/2 Syntaxes out of 5

 

By |2024-02-10T09:48:29-08:00February 9, 2024|plays|0 Comments
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“A Guide for the Homesick” at Theatre Rhinoceros

written by Ken Urban
directed by Alan Quismorio

San Francisco, CA
at Theatre Rhinoceros

I have stared at the computer screen for too long, trying to come up with a description of A Guide for the Homesick which is as positive-sounding as I feel about the production. I give up.

So, I will join The Rhino itself and other reviewers that make the storyline sound too gay, too implausible, and too simple: it’s a story about two men who pick each other up in a hotel bar. Sprinkle in social concerns about American missionaries invading Africa, unclear gender attraction, and mental illness. Stir and you have the play!

Except that when you’re at the theater you feel no patina of the show being either trite or being good for you. Instead you’re drawn into the personalities, the logical surprises, and surprisingly wonderful production values.

(Pictured l. to r.) Ian Brady plays “Jeremy” and Jordan Covington plays “Teddy” in the Theatre Rhinoceros production of A Guide for the Homesick by Ken Urban, directed by Alan S. Quismorio. Photo by Vince Thomas.

(Pictured l. to r.) Ian Brady plays Jeremy/Ed and Jordan Covington plays Teddy/Nicholas.
Photo by Vince Thomas.

First, Jordan Covington (Teddy/Nicholas) and Ian Brady (Jeremy/Ed) are spectacular young actors. They shift between their two roles flawlessly, and Jordan in particular has a feeling of contained power that he displays at decisive moments. I swear he had tears in his eyes in a scene as Nicholas when 10 seconds previously he was chattering on blithely as Teddy. 

Each character plays two characters and action occurs in Africa and Amsterdam. The swapping of identities and locations occurs instantaneously and clearly. Kudos to Director Alan Quismorio and the technical staff that make the changes in lighting and sound at just the right moment with just the right intensity. 

The stories of the characters reveal themselves at slowly and with emotional pain which is point of the 90-minute performance. Ken Urban makes us want to know more and more, even when we fear what may happen.

So, another shout-out to Theatre Rhino for its play selection. It’s a gay-themed story that doesn’t have tired campiness or appeal to only the over 65 crowd. This show is serious and set in current times with modern youthful characters. 

The final triumph to mention is The Rhino’s overcoming its current small space and making excellent choices in design. The audience sits in two rows of folding chairs about three feet from “the stage”. The stage is just the floor of a room that is a small commercial space. But, I saw the hotel room and the African clinic. The actors and technical staff made it easy for me to believe.

Jordan Covington and Ian Brady. Photo by Vince Thomas

Jordan Covington and Ian Brady. Photo by Vince Thomas

Of course, I would do some things differently. The most notable change I’d make is to the [spoiler alert] sex scene. The Rhino delivers it with on stage nudity — the actors are under the bedding, but their nakedness is pointed. We watch the actors dress the next morning and Jordan has a beautiful bare butt while Ian keeps the covers in front of him while he grabs underwear and puts it on. Instead of stripping under the covers and dressing again, I would have done a simple bedtime black out. I understand the gay demographic of The Rhino’s core audience likes naked men. Still, I felt the in-your-face nudity added nothing and would make me hesitate to recommend the play to some of my friends.

However, the bottom line is that the overall quality of the play, the performances, and the production earns A Guide to the Homesick 5 stars. Go see it, now through March 19th.

Ozdachs rating: 5 out of 5 Syntaxes

 

By |2023-03-03T09:02:59-08:00March 2, 2023|plays, Theatre Rhino|3 Comments
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