Displaying items by tag: Mark David Kaplan

It’s hard to believe that Fiddler on the Roof turns 60 this year. It’s even harder to believe that the show, which opened on Broadway in 1964, can still take an audience by surprise. In continuous production around the globe, and with brides continuously walking down the aisle to “Sunrise, Sunset,” Drury Lane Theatre’s new version proves Fiddler’s mettle once again.

Director Elizabeth Margolius and choreographer Rommy Sandhu dispense with some of the standard staging choices, mostly without disturbing the spirit that animates the musical. Evocative tableaux replace folky dances right from the opening number. After Tevye (Mark David Kaplan) ushers us into Anatevka, lights come up on the townspeople in rows that initially suggest a church choir or a Greek chorus.

“Tradition” proceeds in that linear formation, bringing the village to life in a cluster rather than filling the full stage. Then, as Tevye narrates the action, the cast begins to sway and bob, the movement not of Christians or Hellenes but of worshipping Jews. Each group – the papas, the mamas, the sons, the daughters – has its verse, standing upright and illuminated while the others crouch. Roles are specified, expectations declared. Whether expressing the closeness of the community, fear of what lays beyond the shtetl or just the cold Russian climate, these people function as a bickering, intertwined unit.

At least, it starts that way. Jack McGaw’s set puts the flat façade of a house center stage, a piece of scenery that disappears, panel by panel, as the story progresses. With every personal encounter, traditions break down and push everyone towards the empty space of the future. Tevye tells Golde, “it’s a new world.” How comfortable was the old world? Projections, designed by Mike Tutaj, appear on screens throughout the show, and an historic photograph of a shabby shack reminds us that a poor man like Tevye had little in the way of comfort.

There are no props – no dairy cart beside Tevye during “If I Were a Rich Man” or a book for his daughter Chava to exchange with her non-Jewish suitor Fyedka. Though odd at first, it works especially well during “Sabbath Prayer” when the family gathers to light the shabbas candles. Instead of candlesticks, the screens that frame the action fill with images of flames. In group scenes such as this, the use of projections is stirring. During more intimate moments, when the faces of the characters are projected onto the screens, they seem less of an enrichment and more of a distraction.

Several cast members bring new attention to smaller roles, such as Joel Gelman as Lazar Wolf, the widowed butcher who sets his sights on Tevye’s first born Tzeitel. Yes, Lazar Wolf is too old and unrefined for the girl. But Gelman exudes such heartfelt joy at the prospect of marrying her, he inspires sympathy when the deal falls through. In the hands of Janet Ulrich Brooks, Yente the Matchmaker lands the laugh lines that have turned “yente” into a synonym for meddlesome gossip. But Brooks also conveys the loneliness of a woman who has no one to call her own.

What do the inhabitants of Anatevka have to call their own by the end? Not much. Their bickering, intertwined unit scatters in all directions as the Russian authorities confiscate their property. We know these people after 60 years of imagining that fiddler trying to keep his balance on a shaky roof. At Drury Lane Theatre, we meet them once again as tableaux of memory that reach through time and space.  

Fiddler on the Roof is playing now through March 24^th at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook. Tickets are available at www.drurylanetheatre.com

Following the lives of Charlotte and Jonny, The Mystery of Love and Sex cleverly explores a variety of subjects including sexual identity, race, political correctness and family undercurrents. Charlotte and Jonny have grown up together and have become the very best of friends. Charlotte is a white girl who had lived with her parents, her father Jewish and her mother converted, while Jonny, an African American had lived with his mother just next door. 

The story starts off with Charlotte and Jonny living together while attending college. They wonder if their longtime friendship can develop into something more. The two are stressed when Charlotte’s parents, Howard and Lucinda, come by for dinner unsure of what they might think of their living relationship and their possible future together. Howard, a  successful crime novelist accused of writing with racist and sexist overtones by Jonny ("Why are all black men able to dance? Why are most found victims women with no clothes on?"), is direct, concerned and, at times, a bit skeptical. “What is this? Like Bohemian?” He says referring to the couple’s table setting. It doesn’t help matters that Charlotte and Jonny are serving just salad and bread. But we quickly see how much Howard cares for both his daughter Charlotte and Jonny, who he considers his son, despite his oft coarse exterior. 

As the story progresses, Charlotte and Jonny show trepidation in pursuing a future together even questioning their own sexuality. Howard and Lucinda, who consider themselves liberal parents, just want their daughter to be happy. We are then taken on several plot twists and turns in both Howard and Lucinda’s marriage and the lives of Jonny and Charlotte that keep the story highly engaging.

Keenly directed by Marti Lyons and smartly written by Bathsheba Doran, The Mystery of Love and Sex provides four main characters that are each appealing in their own ways. The interactions between the four is fulfilling, as it is humorous, touching and true to life. Doran’s story is that of love, whether it be unconditional or the lengths taken to find it. It is a journey into life’s most sought after desire and a tribute to accepting those for who they are.  

"I have had the pleasure of following the impressive rising careers of playwright Bash Doran and Director Marti Lyons for the past few years and I am delighted to find a project that suited both their considerable talents so perfectly," says Artistic Director Michael Halberstam.

Hayley Burgess leads the way as Charlotte with a bold performance in her Writers Theatre debut. Charlotte has many layers that are revealed throughout the play and Burgess gently takes the audience by the hand into her character’s depth one step at a time. Best friend and confidant Jonny is well-played by Travis Turner who is also able to play up to the complexities in his role with much aplomb. Lia Mortensen is just fantastic as Lucinda, delivering her witty lines to perfection and getting several laughs in the way her character struggles to quit smoking. Cast in the role of Howard is Keith Kupferer. However, Kupferer had taken ill and was unavailable for the performance I had attended thrusting Mark David Kaplan into the role, who is simply remarkable. Kaplan steers his role with grit and finesse offering the clear predictability of Howard’s stereotype, but is also able to throw in a handful of surprising moments filled with a genuineness than can catch us off guard. Kaplan and Mortensen are terrific as Charlotte’s parents, bringing forth plenty of funny exchanges and throwing several well-timed darts at each other.

There is a lot to like in Doran’s The Mystery of Love and Sex from its tantalizing script to its well-executed performances. The play delivers a solid message in a uniquely crafty way that is entertaining from beginning to end. 

Recommended. 

The Mystery of Love and Sex is currently running at Writers Theatre (325 Tudor Court, Glenview) through July 2nd. For tickets and/or more show information click here. 

*This play contains frontal nudity.