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Jazzercise
in Hell Now we know Satan has taken on several ludicrous manifestations in literature, TV, the movies and the stage. But who would dream up the Prince of Darkness as a princess and an aerobics instructor? Well, Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant, that's who. And the local stand-up and comic writer-turned playwright unleashes it on us in her first theatrical production ever, Are We There Yet? playing at the ACE Annex.
"I used to be an aerobics instructor at the University of Texas," says Jasheway-Bryant, "and most of the kids thought of me as the devil! I tried to think of something most women envision as devilish…and aerobics came to mind. Obviously the whole idea of the devil in this play is a woman's perspective." Storm Kennedy puts in a charming performance as the red fiend, interestingly called Devin in this performance. She dances and prances around the stage, all the while conveying a snobby yet sassy attitude towards two women who have suddenly died in a car crash: the shallow and promiscuous Wanda (Kathy LaMontagne) and the prudish, cheerful Carol Ann (Sue Schroeder-White). Wanda and Carol Ann, who are strangely best friends, bicker and make up endlessly on stage as they lounge in Hell's Juice Bar, sipping wheatgrass juice and watching a JVC (called Jehovah's Visual Connection for giggles) television play back tragic moments from their childhoods. The play examines the relationship between these two women as they, at the request of Devin, reveal dark secrets to each other, including everything from killing a pet lizard to secret sexual attractions they harbored towards each other. Normally this would seem like your typical soap opera, but Jasheway-Bryant somehow turns these tragic events into one laughable gag after another. LaMontagne and Schroeder-White, who are ironically best friends in real life as well, have fantastic chemistry as they fire off bitter anger, love, jealousy and slapstick humor in the blink of an eye. Their emotions change from moment to moment and the constant back-and-forth style of speaking can be overwhelming at first. But the actors pull it off, managing to avoid being crushed by the sheer volume of words. Are We There Yet? is a silly and religiously off-kilter party that everyone will enjoy. But any woman who's ever experienced the jazzercise of yore will find the most to relate to. Are We There Yet? runs Jan. 27, 28 and Feb. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8:00 pm at the ACE Annex. Call 683-4369 for tickets.
Lives
Unlived Lord Leebrick Theatre opened Harold Pinter's provocative and smartly written Betrayal this week, a nine-act play in 90 minutes that works backwards in time to trace the long term relationship between a husband and wife and his best friend. From the title, the implication is that someone will be betrayed. Is it Jerry and Emma, both married to someone else, but involved in a seven-year affair? Robert, Emma's husband and Jerry's best friend? The children? Or, all of the above? The play opens with Jerry and Emma meeting for a drink in the spring of 2005. Although their affair ended two years earlier, Emma reveals that she and Robert have decided to separate, and that she divulged their affair to Robert during an emotional all-night heart-to-heart. In the next scene, Jerry and Robert meet. Expecting a nasty confrontation, Jerry is instead visibly upset to learn that Robert knew about Jerry's affair with his wife, Emma, yet doesn't seem to care. From this point on, the scenes move backward chronologically recounting the lovers' secret afternoon meetings at a loft they've rented and decorated; Robert and Emma's 2001 holiday in Venice, in which Robert learns of his wife's infidelity with Jerry, his friend; and back to 1997 when the affair first began. I went away feeling rather unsettled about this play. Did I like it or not? The characters seemed entirely too civil and devoid of emotion, but the acting was first-rate. The dialogue was clever and engaging, yet the play seemed to lack depth. Pinter's literary device of moving backward in time to tell the story served as a powerful means of conveying the abject emptiness of the characters. Rather than moving forward, allowing for character development and a chance for the audience to connect and empathize with the characters and fill in the blanks, we instead see the result of the choices they've made. The affair itself is trivial. The characters are betrayed by their own lack of emotion and failure to act. Civility and a desire to keep up appearances deter Emma and Jerry from ever acknowledging or acting upon their love for each other, and deter Robert from not demanding that they do so. Indeed, just as the characters are stripped of all emotion, the minimal set design reflects the same sort of detachment. In a play like this, the audience must rely on facial expression and body language to communicate emotion. But the seating-in-the round arrangement often made it difficult to read the dynamics of the interactions when the actors weren't directly facing you. Still, the implication of empty houses; empty lives and the tragedy of not living fully, resonate through the strong performances of Dan Pegoda (Jerry), Susan Tate (Emma) and Barry Shaw (Robert), who do a brilliant job of hiding behind pretense. Betrayal continues Jan. 19-22, 26-29 and Feb. 3-4. Call 465-1506 or e-mail boxoffice@lordleebrick.com for tickets.
OPENING NIGHTS Amadeus at The Very Little Theatre Opens Friday, Jan. 20 The Very Little Theatre opens Amadeus, the Tony Award-winning play by Peter Shaffer that explores the relationship between the young musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his envious and conniving mentor, Antonio Salieri. Performances are Jan. 20-22 and 26-29, Feb. 2-5 and 10-11. Call 344-7751 for tickets.
Cyrano at Willamette Repertory Theatre Opens Friday, Jan. 27 Opening at the Hult Center's Soreng Theatre is Willamette Rep's Oregon premiere of Cyrano, based on the classic love story about a 17th-century French cavalier, poet and swordsman who falls madly in love with the beautiful Roxanne. He assumes that she'd never love him back because of his rather gargantuan nose. Performance dates are Jan. 27-28 and Feb. 2-5 and 9-12. Call the Hult Center box office at 682-5000 or log on to www.hultcenter.org for tickets.
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