Show #65 "Annie" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Most people would find this very annoying, but I don't.

No, I'm NOT implying that the musical "Annie" is annoying, although some might say so. What I'm saying is that some folks would be driven crazy by the phenomenon that occurs after you see a musical with catchy songs. Yes, the songs keep playing over and over in your head for the rest of the evening. Argghhhhh.....

Luckily, I am one of those types that love the songs from this musical. I don't mind a bit. I might be driving my husband Randy bonkers right now with my "belting" of my favorite tunes from "Annie," but he can take it. He has to. It was part of our marriage vows, you know, for better or for worse.

I first heard the soundtrack for the original Broadway production back in 1977. That was the year I moved from my life-long home in Seattle down to Los Angeles to attend USC. I had a rough time adjusting. It was hard being away from my family and friends. I felt like an orphan.

On a plane ride home to visit family for Christmas, I listened to "Annie" on the airplane's music system. I fell in love instantly. This was the musical that spoke to the "orphaned" part of me. Annie's optimism and spunk was (okay, so this is really corny) actually inspiring.

Other people call the music from "Annie" schmaltzy. I call it toe-tapping fun.

Thankfully, I no longer feel like that orphan. I have my family around me, a wonderful husband by my side and two extraordinary sons nearby. Now "Annie" speaks to the little girl in me who dreamed of singing and dancing in a musical. The same little girl whose eyes were glued to the television as Shirley Temple tap danced and the Mouseketeers sang.

I'm middle-aged now, but still dream those same dreams. No, I haven't got the talent to actually pull off what these performers did tonight at Tacoma Little Theatre. I could never do that as well as they did. That's why I still dream. In my dreams, I can do all that....and more.

That's why Annie's optimism and dreams inspire me even today. That's why I can't help but drive my husband crazy by singing those schmaltzy songs. Try it. It really helps.

Everyone, sing! "The sun will come out tomorrow...."

Photo courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #62 "The Transylvanian Clockworks" by The Outfit Theatre Project

I guess everybody loves a good vampire. Or at least they all seem to love a good vampire story. This is what the folks with The Outfit Theatre Project are counting on, especially this time of year.

Yes, Halloween has come and gone, but The Outfit's run of "The Transylvanian Clockworks" lives on, until Nov. 14th, that is. And it is quite an entertaining tale. It should be, it's the story of Dracula.

Although this play was written by Don Nigro, it is essentially a new and different take on Bram Stoker's classic story. Most of the main characters are the same. Whether this was written in the script, or was the invention of the director's vision, "Clockworks" takes on a steam punk look to it.

Hmmmm...there seems to be a trend here. This past week I watched both a staged reading and a fully-staged show with the steam punk and clockwork themes. A coincidence? Yes. A significant trend? Maybe.

I got to admit, before this year, I didn't even know what "steam punk" was. I had never heard that expression before. Had I seen stories/movies that incorporated such themes? Probably. Did I think I was witnessing something within the sci-fi genre that qualifies as a "movement"? No.

But, after googling the term and seeing what the internet gurus had to say about this phenomenon, it told me that it is considered closely connected to the sci-fi and fantasy genres. So, it makes sense that this "out look" would be employed for Maggie Lee's "The Clockwork Professor." This is sci-fi!

But to employ this with the Dracula tale is surprising. Surprising and refreshing, and probably an appropriate way for a new generation to view this old horror tale. In my opinion, Dracula's story can easily become campy for today's audiences, especially in live theatre. But to make this vampire's story a bit of an anachronism, that might sell it to me.

The only problem I had last evening with "Clockworks" was the late night hour. The show was part two of a double feature at Tacoma LIttle Theatre. After enjoying "Eleemosynary" we stayed to watch "Clockworks" at 10pm.

It was too late for this sleepyhead to think real hard. But not too late for me to appreciate the entertainment value of this show.

Photography courtesy of Scott Campbell of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #61 "Eleemosynary" at Tacoma Little Theatre

The world of theatre is certainly no respecter of persons. What I mean by that is: no matter how "deserving" or "talented" or "well-respected" you are as an actor, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be showered with opportunity for meaty, challenging roles in theatre.

If you're a female, that usually is the case. If you're a female of a certain age (translation: OLD), that DEFINITELY is the case.

With the majority of coveted roles in theatre belonging to men, it is refreshing to see a play with substance and humor that contradicts this trend. "Eleemosynary" is one such play.

This show calls for 3 females. One of the characters is a teenager, the other is her middle-aged mom, and the third is her grandmother. All three roles are intriguing, unique and filled with wonder. What a gem of an opportunity for some talented actresses.

Tacoma Little Theatre has followed up their season opener "Sleuth" (a show requiring 2 males) with a show that requires 3 females. That's playing fair....I like that.

And these three actresses' "playing" is more than fair. Their acting is terrific. How do I know this? Let me tell you....

First, this is a show about grandmother/mother/daughter relationships. But, in this eccentric family, there really are no genuine relationships. There is mostly controlled chaos and estrangement. How these actresses could keep a show like this together and keep us in the audience engaged in the story is a testament to their craft as actors. Somehow in the midst of relational (and life in general) chaos, we chose to care about these remarkable women.

Secondly, this show has a lot of exposition. The actors speak directly to the audience in long, detailed speeches. In fact, they speak to US more often than they speak to one another. We who are seated in the cushy seats in the auditorium become the unwitting confidantes for these women. If that doesn't make us uncomfortable, it should actually bore us after a while. But it didn't. If anything, I found myself wanting to hear MORE of what these actresses told me.

And finally, I came out of the show feeling as though I had just met 3 new friends. Each character was complete...and I considered each to be someone I knew and (at least to a certain extent) understood. That is remarkable. Hats off to not only the playwright Lee Blessing, but to the well-rounded performers who brought these women to life.

Photograph courtesy of Elliot Weiner

Show #51 "Under the Circumstances" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Nowadays I get pretty excited about the simple phrase "A World Premier." It means, something brand new. Something never done before. Something original.

When I see those words in regard to a theatrical production, it gets my blood pumping. You see, Randy and I also are in the process of collaborating with local playwrights to create new stories for the stage. Our community has loads of talent that are, for the most part, undiscovered. We want to help remedy that. Fortunately, so does Tacoma Little Theatre.

"Under the Circumstances" is a collaboration between TLT, the Northwest Playwright Alliance and Tacoma playwright C. Rosalind Bell. It is a deeply moving and relevant story about friendship, race, culture and the power of words.

Two brave actresses (Julie Novak Weinberger and LaNita Hudson) play writers who carry on a long-distance friendship between New Orleans and Tacoma. Yes! Tacoma!

Both women share their lives, their work and their writing with the other. Their differences in age, religion and race never stand in the way of great sistership. That is, until one of them writes a novel that, unintentionally, wounds the other.

This is a story about the power of our speech. It is also an honest, but artfully worded discussion around the issue of race. Rosalind Bell's poetic script invited us to think, feel and remember alongside these two remarkable women. We listened with rapt attention as they shared their innermost thoughts with the audience; things they, tragically, couldn't seem to share with one another.

But this is not the first discussion on race that I engaged in this past week. The evening before my son Tim and I attended a "Conversations on Race" gathering at our church, Trinity Presbyterian. This is part of an on-going conversation between four churches in the Tacoma/Hilltop neighborhood, attended by Christians of different races and denominations.

I praise God for meetings such as these. What a marvelous way to begin understanding and enjoying one another: to have a open conversation coupled with good food, fellowship and prayer.

But, there is also another way: theater. An engaging but powerful story brought to life by two actors can also spark conversation. And last evening at Tacoma Little Theatre, it did just that.

We held a post-play discussion in the auditorium. We continued the discussion out in the lobby. And several of us (including the playwright and one of the actors) took our discussion to a local restaurant which continued well into the night.

Imagine that, a play that started at 7:30pm that gave birth to an honest (but bridge-building) conversation that lasted until after midnight.

That is one powerful play. Don't miss it. It runs at TLT through Oct. 10. But, I suspect the conversation will run long past that.

Graphics courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #46 "Sleuth" at Tacoma Little Theatre

This is the opening show of the new season for Tacoma Little Theatre. Randy and I missed their opening weekend (August 27-29) as we were elsewhere that weekend, cruising through the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.

If I sound like I'm bragging about visiting such exotic sights during our vacation, I guess I am (a bit). But I really missed live theatre, believe it or not, and it feels good to be back in action once again, witnessing the wonders of the theatre.

So, we wasted no time in coming to our neighborhood playhouse, Tacoma Little Theatre, to enjoy an evening of the actor's craft.

Part of the overall experience of world travel is the symptoms you exhibit afterwards. I am speaking of that dreaded ailment: jet lag. On top of that, I developed a whopping case of vertigo due to a neck strain I received on the airplane trip home. (You all know how "comfortable" it is to sleep in an airplane seat......not!)

So, between jet lag sleepiness and vertigo's whooziness, I was a mess. Randy was in a bit better shape than I, but not by much. In other words, we founds ourselves snoozing during the show.

I was thoroughly ashamed of myself! Even during shows where any reasonable person would be nodding off, I have managed to stay awake and as engaged as possible. I mean, I kept my eyes wide open during Whitworth University's production of "Antigone" a couple of years ago, and have lived to tell about it.

But, I am afraid to admit that I missed some of "Sleuth." I take it on faith that it was a pretty good show. At least that's what I hear through the theatre grapevine. But, while I was sitting there in my seat, I wasn't really there.

At least I have an excuse. We "world travelers" live a whirlwind life of jet planes, cruise ships, international cuisine and endless shopping. It's a tough life, and quite exhausting. But, someone has to do it.......

Show #31 "Brunch" at Tacoma Little Theatre

It's a good thing, to showcase new works by local playwrights. That's one of the mission statements of the production company that Randy and I have started. It's a good thing to see that other theatrical entities have the same idea.

"Brunch" is the work of a local guy, Elliot Weiner. In addition to writing plays, he is also an actor and director. Randy and I stage managed a show he directed last year. It was good to see a Tacoma writer get a venue for his talent.

Unfortunately, the audience was pretty small last evening. I don't know if this is a reflection of the play itself, or of the fact that no one has ever heard of this show. After all, it's not famous like "The Odd Couple" or "The Sound of Music."

If it's the former, then I guess you can say that these performances are a useful tool for the playwright. In Theatre World, we call this "the workshop process." This is when you put together a production of the play (in its latest draft form) and give it a test run before an audience. Then, you wait and see what their reactions are. Do they like it? What do they like/dislike? How would they like to see it re-written or adapted?

But, if the modest-sized crowd was a reflection of the unknown name of the play, then that dismays me greatly. New and unknown should not be a handicap at the box office. If we only put on plays that were famous, then theatres would be constantly re-cycling the same titles year after year. How boring would that be?

I genuinely hope that Tacoma is ready for new and unknown theatre. I don't want to think that we are so culturally behind other cities that we are only going to accept the familiar and "safe."

Or perhaps we in the theatre community need to learn how to woo our audiences more effectively. New is not bad, but our audiences need to know what they're in for. We need to do a better job of telling them.

Here's our challenge: Let's woo the people of Tacoma with good art, good humor, good relationships and great outreach. "Outreach"? Yes, WE must first approach the folks in Tacoma, not the other way around. We need much more than posters and ads in the News Tribune. We need to be where the potential audiences are: at street fairs, community festivals, on the email, on Facebook and at their places of business and leisure.

We can do it. We have to.

Show #23 "Major Barbara" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Ah....Shaw. What can be said for an evening spent listening to the copious words of Nobel Prize-winning author and noted socialist George Bernard Shaw?

At the start of the evening, knowing the general storyline for "Major Barbara," I had braced myself for an on-stage debate between disparate philosophies. Andrew Undershaft, millionaire industrialist/arms manufacturer, does verbal and ideological battle with his elder daughter Barbara Undershaft, Salvation Army worker and Christian moralist.

And being a wee bit familiar with some of Shaw's beliefs, I also girded my loins for the onslaught of poisoned arrows that might ensue from a man critical of religion but who knew very little (if anything) about real faith.

This was not a play where the audience could enjoy some catchy tunes sung by lovely ladies in tap shoes, or a slapstick evening complete with banana peels on the floor.

No, this was war. But not the kind I expected.

On one side, you could hear High British. You know, the "I cawn't" and all that....

On the other side, I heard some lover-ly Cockney. "Moy nime's Bill Walker..."

Then, there were the in-betweeners, such as the character played by my friend Darrel Shephard. Not high English or working class Cockney. Something in between.

In other words, an evening of dueling accents.

Some wars are fought with cannons, such as the ones supplied by Undershaft. Other wars are fought with words and precise pronunciation.

So, this all begs a question in my mind.

In a world where most audience dollars go toward battles involving baseballs or soccer balls, is there a place for ideological or dialectical contests?

I would venture to say, yes. But, please make it entertaining. With all due respects to George Bernard Shaw, his dramatic verbiage plays about as well (in this day and age) as a scoreless baseball game that goes into extra innings. A lot of bats swinging but no hits in sight.

But, ultimately that doesn't stop us from coming back to the baseball stadium. We always live in hope that the next game will bring us more excitement. So it is with the theatre. There's always next time.

So....batter up.

Production photo courtesy of Leischen Moore

Show #20 "Endgame" at Tacoma Little Theatre

This genre they call "absurdist theatre" really messes with your mind.

You sit in your theater seat with several other brave and adventurous souls and look for anything that resembles a play. I think we saw one tonight...?

I searched for a plot. It really wasn't there.

I listened for a profound thought or moral to take home with me. If there was one, I missed it.

I waited for a twist ending. I later realized the entire play was twisted.

I tried to find sense in the whole thing. I was told, "no, this doesn't make any sense. It's absurdist theatre." Silly me.

So, without any theatrical conventions (or reasonable writing conventions, for that matter) to hang my hat on, my mind had to fill in the blanks. Boy, was my mind busy tonight!

I pondered whether playwright Samuel Beckett inspired Oscar the Grouch. I asked myself if the end of the world is appropriate fodder for a comedy. I wondered if "absurdity" was even related to "comedy."

I cringed when I saw how the lead actor reminded me of an old college boyfriend. I sighed as I discovered that the 3-legged stuffed dog on stage looked almost like "Rudy," my son's stuffed dog from his childhood.

So, with my head swirling in a tale of Rudy and my old college boyfriend facing the apocalypse on Sesame Street in a rather non-comedic fashion, it caused me to ponder the Big Question: how the heck did Beckett win the Nobel Prize for writing stuff like this?

Evidently, I am not an intellectual. I don't "get" absurdist theatre.

But I do "get" Oscar the Grouch. And the apocalypse. And Rudy.

But let's not mention that old college boyfriend, please........

Graphics courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #16 "Noises Off" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Underwear, underwear....everywhere there is underwear.

What is it about underwear that makes the Brits want to put it front and center into their comedies? It seems to be a recurring theme in their farcical literature.

As I viewed TLT's production of "Noises Off" last evening, I noticed that the underwear count was quite high. A character named Brooke spends a good part of the show running about in nothing but her corset and panties. Before the show began, I jokingly referred to her as "Underwear Girl." Ahhhh...little did I know.

There is also Underwear Boy. He's a wimpy fellow named Fredrick, who is the guy-who-drops-his-pants character that seems to be a required part of all self-respecting British farces.

Then, to my surprise, a couple of bonus underwear folks showed up in the story. Selsdon the bumbling burglar flashed his boxers underneath his open bathrobe in Act 1. And poor Poppy suffered a minor strip-down when it looked as though she would be needed on stage in Brooke's place.

Fortunately for all actors (and audience) involved, these underwear models were, shall we say, in good health, and had nothing to be ashamed of in showing off their bodies on stage. Lucky them.

I, for one, am elated that I am never cast in such parts as these. As I see it, there is definite comic potential in seeing a middle aged woman skipping around in her control top panties and shapewear. Just don't offer me that role.

One of my plus-sized friends once compared her body to a situation comedy. I compare my body more to a Shakespearean tragedy. In other words, I have no sense of humor about my shape.

Thankfully, there are actors who can view their bodies less seriously. In this genre of theatre, the British farce, a successful production needs very talented performers with razor sharp comic timing, excellent physical skills and personalities that don't mind exhibiting their skivvies.

For this, I can rejoice. If they're willing to do the dirty work in their undies, then I will never be called upon to do it myself.

So, if you're an actor who desires to do farce, keep this in mind. Stay in good health, keep your weight within a healthy range and lose some of your excess modesty. You never know when you and your BVDs will be pressed into service.

Photo courtesy of Brynne Garman

Show #8 "6 Dance Lessons in 6 Weeks" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Nobody ever said that life had to be fair.

And certainly, nobody has ever said that theatre must be fair. But, when I see a show whose playwright obviously has a political or social axe to grind, I can't help but notice if there is any sense at all of "fair play" in his/her writing.

Tacoma Little Theatre just closed one of their second stage productions of Richard Alfieri's "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks." The reasons why this show was produced was obvious.

First, this seemed like a tailor-made vehicle for actors Sharry O'Hare and husband Micheal O'Hara. And second, this was a perfect way to celebrate and honor Sharry O'Hare's 50 years performing in Tacoma theatre.

But what was also obvious were the attempts Alfieri makes to vigorously tug at the audience's heartstrings. It was also as plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face what his social views were on prejudice and intolerance.

Mind you, I am not a big fan of prejudice and intolerance, either. But when a writer creates a character who climbs up on his soap box to tell us how he has suffered due to negative stereotypes about gay people (he is gay) but spends the rest of the play indulging in his own negative stereotypes about "his oppressors" (in this case, a deceased Baptist minister), I cry foul.

And as a Christian who has spent much of her adult life attending Baptist churches, I do not appreciate the playwright's angry suggestions that Christian ministers are bible-thumping, bigoted homophobes. I cry foul enough times to make an entire NBA team foul out of the game.

I love the LORD Jesus Christ and I do not judge members of the gay community, nor does any other member of my congregation. I vote my conscience, not simply along party lines, I never listen to conservative talk radio, and I count among my friends persons who are gay, lesbian and bi-sexual.

I am sorry, Mr. Alfieri, but "tolerance" is a two-way street. A stereotype is a stereotype.

And as for the fine folks at the Tacoma Little Theatre, this show was not my cup of tea, but I applaud you for putting on such a tender and otherwise uplifting story. I only wish Mr. Alfieri's bitter intolerance wasn't so sugar-coated.

But that isn't your fault. You didn't know I am giving up sugar for Lent.

Graphics courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #2 "Over the River & Through the Woods" at Tacoma Little Theatre

Let me say this up front: I really love watching my husband Randy on stage.

Now, let me also say this: I really don't like it when he has to grow a beard as part of a role he is playing on the stage (he's so much more handsome clean-shaven). I'm also not a real big fan of smearing white make-up in your hair in order to look older and grayer (I also had to do that for my last role on stage), but alas....some things must be endured for the sake of art.

Last night, the Tacoma Little Theatre opened the delightful comedy "Over the River & Through the Woods" to an enthusiastic and welcoming crowd. At intermission and after the show, I heard such comments as, "I haven't had a show tug at my heart strings like that in a long time!"

Wow...!

The audience was right. This is a show that will have you laughing 'til you cry, and will move your heart 'til you cry. Believe me, there was a whole lot of crying going on. And I mean that in a good way.

"Over the River" is a story about a young Italian-American man, Nick, who has Sunday dinner every week with both sets of grandparents. The audience roared with laughter as everyone recognized their own family squabbles within the story ("Why haven't you gotten married yet, Nick?"). Watching the four grandparents hover over their grandson probably conjured up memories of their own family...or gave them a glimpse into their own future.

A glimpse into my own future....ah yes. That is what tore up my heart more than anything else. Here was my bearded husband, all made-up to look like a man in his late seventies. I painfully watched him as he laboriously shuffled about the stage, saw him rise from the living room sofa with great effort, and witnessed his physical weakness and growing infirmity. Yes, I saw a glimpse of the man he will become one day, and the elderly wife I will soon be.

Thus explains my aversion to white beards and to white special effects make up smeared into the hair. During the show I was in last year, "The Theory of Everything," I stole a look at myself as an old woman. Last night, I saw Old Age in Randy.

It amused me, it moved me, but it also frightened me a bit. But, guess what? It really wasn't a "downer" at all. It was beautiful.

I look forward to growing old with Randy. I look forward to the day I can say that we've had a good, long life together with no regrets. I looked at Randy, and the actress who played his wife, the wonderful Syra Beth Puett, and I saw a beautiful future for us both. Instead of fearing old age, I felt I could welcome it one day.

Wow...can seeing live theatre be that powerful? Can it do all that for my heart?

Yes, it can.

Photo courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre