Daddy Long Legs, Sunlight and A Round-Heeled Woman
Jean Webster's bestseller was about the spirited orphan Jerusha (Megan McGinnis), who was tapped by a mysterious benefactor, Jervis Pendleton (Robert Adelman Hancock), for an all expense paid college education. The only thing required of Jerusha was to write a monthly letter telling of her experiences. The musical's book goes to great lengths to make Jervis a perfectly suitable match for Jerusha, and he finally meets her, using the fictitious name of John Smith. He tries to keep his romantic thoughts in check and when she suffers setback and doubts, he tortures himself with guilt over not being man enough to reveal himself to her. Daddy Long Legs was a popular theme for silent movies; MGM made a film version of the story starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. The current production is still a work in progress, running two hours and thirty minutes, a little long for a two-person musical that consists mostly of the characters reading letters back and forth. It is almost like Love Letters with music. John Caird's direction is somewhat stilted, since Robert Adelman Hancock as Jervis Pendleton (aka Daddy Long Legs) is mostly on an upper tier of the stage while Megan McGinnis' actions as Jerusha are front stage. There are scenes in which Adelman goes stage-front for one on one singing and acting scenes. There are twenty-three songs and five reprises. Sometimes the songs are more like mood music, especially when the letters are sung. I like some of the songs like "The Secret of Happiness" and "Charity," but others are undistinguished. Unfortunately, the masquerade quandary tends to bog down in the second act and I wish the two would just get on with it. There is too much reprising of numbers in the first act. Megan McGinnis (appeared on Broadway as Eponine in Les Miserables and a one-year run as Belle in Beauty and the Beast) is charming as the orphan Jerusha. She excellently evolves from a naïve orphan to a spirited independent young lady. She has angelic tones in her voice and gives the lyrics marvelous, poignant shadings. Robert Adelman Hancock (Sky on the Mamma Mia!) tour) is very good as Jervis. He has admirable vocal cords when singing ballads such as "Like Other Girls" and "I Couldn't Know Someone Less." David Farley has designed a massive library set on the upper right tier that looks like it came from Henry Higgins' library, while the area where Jerusha is acting is simple. Farley also designed the turn of the century costumes which are very authentic. Lighting by Paul Toben and sound by Cliff Caruthers are effective. The small chamber orchestra under the direction of Laura Bergquist adds to the amiable mood. This Pygmalion-like tale is audience friendly and could find fans in regional theatre. Daddy Long Legs has been extended to February 21 at the Mountain View Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View. Tickets can be obtain by calling 650-463-1960 or online at www.theatreworks.org. Their next production will be Sunsets and Margaritas opening at the Lucie Stern Theatre on March 10th and running through April 4th. Photo: Tracy Martin
Marin Theatre presents the political thriller and Sky Cooper New American Play Prize winner Sunlight, a new play by Sharr White running though February 14th. This world premiere has a brilliant cast of four actors plus outstanding direction of Jasson Minadakis that rises above the mechanical structure of the drama. Sunlight takes place in the living room of a small New England university president's residence, just after 9/11. Matthew Gibbon (Charles Dean) is the university president and he is on the extreme left of the political spectrum. He is in a battle with his son-in-law Vincent (Kevin Rolston), who is head of the law library and on the extreme political right. It's possible Matthew has gone too far to get rid of Vincent since the whole school is up in arms against the president. Caught in this battle of political wills are Matthew's daughter and Vincent's wife Charlotte (Carrie Paff) and Midge (Wanda McCaddon), the university president's salty longtime personal assistant. Sunlight's first act includes scenes of confusion, since the audience does not know the main reason for the battle—that is not brought out clearly until the second act. This may have been the intention of the playwright in order to build up the suspense for the second act. The second act shows excellent writing and clearly tells how America is being split into two camps over 9/11. Sunlight is thinking man's theatre with hidden meanings. Matthew compares Vincent to Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi filmmaker who made the epic German film Triumph of the Will. He also sublimely describes Vincent as a modern-day Hitler, since the president firmly believes Vincent is destroying the true meaning of a free America. There is much ranting in this play as they discuss such things as torturing both guilty and innocent suspects under the Security Act. You hate Vincent for what he is and yet you sympathize with him since his wife was nearly killed in one of the buildings at the World Trade Center. The brilliant cast of favorite Bay actors rise above the writing of the play. Charles Dean is superb as Matthew the university president. There is something wretched about his roars of non-cooperation and constant bullying. Kevin Rolston adds humanity to the role of the young demigod for the extreme right. Carrie Paff gives a wonderfully intense performance as the deeply troubled lawyer who becomes the focal point of the two scholars' confrontation. Wanda McCaddon as the no-nonsense Midge is terrific. She has the best one-liners and keeps the play from being too much like a harangue of screaming people. J.B. Wilson has designed an attractive set of the living room of a university president, and Michael Palumbo's lighting is excellent, especially on the snow falling outside the window of the living room. Director Jasson Minadakis' staging is excellent. Sunlight plays through February 14 th at the Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. For tickets, call (415-388-5208) or visit www.marintheatre.org. Marin Theatre's next production will be Equivocation opening on March 25th and running through April 18th.
Jane Prowse's adaptation is a provocative 90-minute tale of Juska, a 66-year-old former English teacher with an interest in Anthony Trollope novels and looking for sex at her late age. After a 30-year drought, she wants to have sex without romance before it's too late. She advertises in a prestigious New York book magazine thinking this will be high class sexual encounter. The play skips around in time going back to Juska's early life, her marriage with Tom (Stephen Macht) and her rebel foul-mouthed son Andy (Ian Scott McGregor), who uses the f-word quite a lot, almost screaming it out to his mother, saying "f you mother" oh so many times. The playwright also throws into the mix a character out of a Trollope novel, Miss Mackenzie, played very stodgily by Stacy Ross. While this talented actress makes an enthralling literary heroine, the subplot never feels very convincing. Round-Heeled Woman contains many brilliant scenes, including those with a group of widow women played very conveniently by Stacy Ross and Anne Darragh talking about Internet sex, and the meeting of Juska's sexual partners from the Internet, played beautifully by Ray Reinhardt, Stephen Macht and Ian Scott McGregor. These are provocative scenes with witty conversations between Juska and her "gentlemen callers." Stephen Macht was wonderful as a "shaky" ex Irish Catholic priest trying to make out. That scene could be longer, since it is a terrific comedy skit. Ray Reinhardt was captivating as sexual predator Sidney who reminded me of a Hollywood studio head I once worked for. His opening line to Juska at a restaurant, "put your breasts on the table," was a real hoot. What follows that line is hilarious. Ian Scott McGregor gave an inspiring performance as Graham, a 32-year-old literary man who wants a Harold and Maude relationship with the 62-year-old woman. Sharon Gless certainly showed pizzazz in this challenging role. She gave a wonderful, heartfelt performance as a woman wanting to have sex before she completely dries up. She broke the fourth wall, talking directly to the audience. Chris Smith's direction was crisp and solid, especially the sexual encounter scenes between Juska and the men. John Mayne's set designs were minimal but effective. A Round-Heeled Woman played at Z Space at Theatre Artaud, Florida Street, San Francisco. Photo: Cheryl Mazak
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