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Regional Reviews: Los Angeles
The story begins in the early 1860s, when Dodgson (Leo Marks), a mathematics professor at Oxford, befriended Dean Henry Liddell (Time Winters) and his family. Dodgson took photographs of the family and entertained the three daughters with stories, one starring 10-year-old Alice (Corryn Cummins) in particular. Dodgson wrote the story down and had it published under the pen name of Lewis Carroll, and became ever more intrigued with Alice, now taking her picture alone. Years later, Dodgson defends himself to the White Rabbit (Jeff Marlow), saying he never did anything improper, but the Rabbit points out that several pages are missing from his diary, and in those pages Dodgson will find the truth he's been running from. Marks gives good stutter as Dodgson, and his portrayal seems more balanced and fair minded than the play it's in. Cummins is amusingly bratty and self-centered as the young Alice, which makes her sober and condemnatory appearance as the adult Alice at the play's conclusion an effective contrast. Winters doesn't get much to do except to seem oblivious in a blustery Victorian sort of way, but he is wonderfully understated in a scene where he finally asks Dodgson to leave his family alone. Director Abigail Deser's staging makes the dream sequences seem visually unfocused, with actors simply marching in circles around Dodgson, each shouting lines from a different piece of Carroll's fiction in a confusing cacophony. Stephen Gifford's set is initially handsome and surprising, but quickly comes to feel as bland as the rest of the piece. Keith Skretch's video projections seem muddy and uncompelling, and Garry Lennon's costumes feel timid, considering the possibilities offered by Carroll's wild imagination. The main problem is Blau's play, which seems to really want to accuse Dodgson of molesting Alice but also wants to say maybe he only thought about it, which isn't a whole lot better. Regardless of whether or not this viewpoint is accurate, Blau has every right to write about it, but she's done so in a very colorless, repetitive way. Other artists have covered this same territory with significantly more success, such as Dennis Potter's Dreamchild, and in a way that included Carroll's vivid literary creations. The fact that a play can use the White Rabbit as a recurring character and somehow make it boring speaks strongly of the chances missed with this show. The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll plays at the Theatre @ Boston Court, 70 North Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, through March 1, 2015. For tickets and information, see www.BostonCourt.org. The Theatre @ Boston Court presents The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll by Lily Blau. Directed by Abigail Deser. Scenic Design Stephen Gifford; Lighting Design Jaymi Lee Smith; Sound Design John Ballinger; Costume Design Garry Lennon; Production Stage Manager Alyssa Escalante. Cast: Photo - Ed Krieger - Terry Morgan |
