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ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: The Retreat from Moscow (Dayton Playhouse) – The Thrill is Gone

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Retreat from Moscow Cast

(l to r): Matthew Lindsay, Chuck Larkowski and Jennifer Lockwood rehearsing The Retreat from Moscow

The Dayton Playhouse marks a refreshing return to serious drama with a beautifully commendable presentation of William Nicholson’s quietly compelling British marital study “The Retreat from Moscow.”

Nominated for three 2004 Tony Awards including Best Play, “Retreat”  depicts the heartbreaking disintegration of the 33-year marriage between Edward, a history professor obsessed with Napoleon’s 1812 retreat from Moscow, and Alice, a poetry aficionado unable to cope with reality. Jamie, Edward and Alice’s only child, is predictably caught in the emotional crossfire to assess his parents’ differing viewpoints without taking sides. Nicholson (“Shadowlands”) uses the titular history lesson as a striking metaphor for survival, particularly as Edward chooses to seek love in the arms of another woman while Alice tries her best to simply move on.

Chuck Larkowski is perfectly cast and touching as the meek, wounded Edward who never really felt comfortable with or respected by Alice. There’s no second guessing as to whether or not Edward has reached the point of no return because Larkowski never wavers in the character’s determination or desires. You may not agree with Edward’s infidelity, but there’s no denying the visceral impact stemming from understanding his point of view, which is brilliantly expressed from start to finish. At the same rate, Jennifer Lockwood doesn’t miss a beat as the fiery, bewildered Alice, who feels her marriage is “struggling to be born” after three decades when faced with its demise. Lockwood could have played her juicy, antagonistic role as a relentlessly emotional train wreck, but wisely avoids the sentimental trap. On the contrary, she fills her Alice’s distressing nature with enough underlying resilience to convey the notion that she will not be entirely defeated even as she faces living alone. Lockwood is particularly strong when addressing Alice’s shock of hearing Edward disregard the many years of marriage she helped build. Matthew Lindsay is an amiable Jamie, but could have treated the character’s prized, beloved status in the sight of his parents with more emotive velocity instead of understated indifference.

Director Dodie Lockwood, providing a seamlessly fluid experience with a slightly haunting allure and a few genuine moments of levity, never allows her cast to leave the stage. Her wonderfully astute decision effectively magnetizes the family dynamics at hand with inescapably palpable potency.

“The Retreat from Moscow” continues through April 21 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 65 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15for seniors and students. Call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.org.

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: The Importance of Being Earnest Review (Dayton Playhouse) –Wonderfully Witty Wilde

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The Importance of Being Earnest

(L to R): Matthew Glenn, Jackie Darnell, Laura Bloomingdale and Duante Beddingfield in The Importance of Being Earnest

There’s a lot of “bunburying” going on at the Dayton Playhouse as the organization delivers an admirable presentation of Oscar Wilde’s wonderfully witty 1895 comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

A prime topic of discussion in this eventful affair, “bunburying” concerns the delicate attempt to assume another identity for purposes of avoidance. Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing, the engaging, flawed friends at the heart of the breezy three-act play, revel in such behavior for laughably selfish reasons until their deception gets the best of them. But in “Earnest,” deception, fueled by mistaken identity and the folly of love, is a key ingredient to its sophisticated triviality, marvelously addressing the foolishness and hypocrisy of the upper class with such juicy lines as “he has nothing but he looks everything.” After all, Wilde, expertly dissecting the Victorian worldview of marriage and status, wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the incredibly droll and vain Algernon, a dapper cad who cannot shake a craving for cucumber sandwiches, Duante Beddingfield, benefitting from non-traditional casting, effortlessly shines in his first leading role after stealing many scenes in a featured capacity over the years. With eager assurance, Beddingfield grasps the rhythmic zingers within Wilde’s clever, tricky text, displaying sharp timing and a highbrow, sitcom-esque flair reminiscent of “Frasier.”  He also astutely inhabits Algernon’s flippant, slightly off-putting personality. In fact, his appeal, which is vital, never wanes as he walks the fine line between slick and snide, particularly scoring big laughs in unexpected moments and showcasing a tender chemistry with Laura Bloomingdale as the affably daft Cecily Cardew.

Matthew Glenn, who delivered a breakthrough performance last summer in the Playhouse’s FutureFest production of “A Political Woman,” is equally strong as Jack, who has grown accustomed to living life as Ernest in the city and is particularly mystified about his upbringing. Smoothly navigating a wave of frustrated, perplexed and elated emotions from start to finish, Glenn warmly conveys Jack’s love for Algernon’s cousin Gwendolyn Fairfax (an excellent Jackie Darnell), and shows great fortitude when he finally has the upper hand against the formidable, nitpicky Lady Augusta Bracknell, Gwendolyn’s society-driven mother haughtily portrayed by Patti King.

Matthew Lindsay (Lane), Cheryl Mellen (Miss Prism), Jim Lockwood (Canon Chasuble) and Katie Wenzel (Merriman) delightfully complete the cast, who are attractively costumed by Linda Sellers and sustain proper British accents under the fluid direction of Jennifer Lockwood.

Oddly, the production’s slapdash scenic design is a disappointment, especially since the play oozes Victorian grandeur. Even so, the sheer entertainment value compensates for the visual shortcomings.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” continues through Feb. 3 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 45 minutes; Act Two: 45 minutes; Act Three: 25 minutes. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit DaytonPlayhouse.org.

 

Dayton Playhouse Presents “Dracula”

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(left) Alex Carmichal, Dracula, and Jared Mola, Renfield, rehearsing for the Dayton Playhouse production of Dracula

The Dayton Playhouse will present Dracula, October 12-21.  This version of the well-known play was adapted by William McNulty, originally dramatized by John L. Balderston and Hamilton Deane from Bram Stoker’s novel.

The action of the play engulfs the audience as Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades must hunt down and destroy the evil Count Dracula.  However, the Count is exceedingly resourceful, employing superhuman strength and psychic powers to confound his antagonists.  The action culminates in a shocking confrontation between the King of Vampires and those who would rid the world of him.

David Shough, director of this production, and Jennifer Lockwood, assistant director, have assembled a seasoned cast including: Alex Carmichal as Count Dracula, Jared Mola as Renfield, Sara Parsons as Lucy, and Saul Caplan as Van Helsing.   Rounding out the cast are Margaret Foley, Matthew Glenn, David Hallowren, Carolyn Anne Hoogsteden, Matthew Lindsay, Heather Martin, Cari Meixner, Debra Strauss, David Thomas and Addison Paige Wheeler, Shough has incorporated many audio visual effects to heighten the drama.  According to Shough, “This is an intense and faced-paced version of the Dracula legend.  It will be a complete theatrical experience of the typoe seldom seen on this stage.  Not for the faint of heart.”

Projections for the opening narrative of this production were designed by Miamisburg artist, Chris Newman.  Some of the original pen and ink drawings will be raffled off in the lobby during the run of the play.  Proceeds from the raffle will go to the Dayton Playhouse Celebrate 25 capital campaign.  Tickets for the raffle will be $2 each, or three for $5.

Performances of Dracula will be Friday through Sunday, October 12-21.  All performances are at 8:00 p.m. except Sundays, which are at 2:00 p.m.  (see full schedule here)  Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and students.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.daytonplayhouse.org, or through the box office, 937-424-8477.  The box office is staffed Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 2-5 p.m., however messages may be left at any time.  The Dayton Playhouse is located at 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414.