Off Broadway West presents Nilo Cruz's Beauty of the Father

Off Broadway West Company, established in 2006 by a group of theatre professionals, is presenting the little known work of Nilo Cruz, Beauty of the Father.   It is a nice little slice of life of an artist in Andalusia, Spain, his daughter, his housekeeper, a young Moroccan boy, and the ghost of Federico Garcia Lorca.

Emiliano (Durand Garcia) had not seen his estranged daughter for 11 years.   Paquita (Jeanette Sarmiento) is coming from America to reunite with her father.   The artist's household includes housekeeper Marina (Natasha Chacon), who has married a very young Moroccan Karim (Chris Holland) so he can stay in Spain.   And Karim has become a reluctant boy toy to Emiliano.   Also floating around the household is dead poet Federico Garcia Lorca (Michael Carlisi) who talks in lyrical poetry.

Beauty of the Father consists of only 49 pages of dialogue so director Richard Harder opens the drama with a flamenco dance by Shannon Botts to set the mood of the play. On opening night several actors were not projecting to the audience in the small theatre. However, I am sure this has been rectified in later presentations.

Beauty of the Father's second act is better constructed, with some confrontations between father and daughter.   The war of words between Emiliano and Karim, who wants to run off with Paquita, is beautifully accomplished.

Durand Garcia gives a fervent performance as the ardent Emiliano. Jeanette Sarmiento is fetching as Paquita.   Michael Carlisi as Lorca comes into his own with some lovely lyrical poetry in the second act. His last speech to the audience is passionate.   Natasha Chacon is effective as Marina. Outstanding is the new young actor Chris Holland playing Karim.   He is currently in the arts program at Dartmouth University and has great charisma on the stage.

Richard Harder's direction is solid, especially in the second act with the war of words between the actors. Brett Hope has designed an outside patio of an Andalusia home with a grass front where much of the action takes place in the second act. Barbara Michelson-Harder's costumes are helpful to the scenes.   Richard Harder also did the sound design, with sounds of waves and birds chirping in the background in some of the season.

Beauty of the Father runs through March 13th at The Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason Street, San Francisco.   For tickets call 800-838-3006 or on line at www.offbroadwaywest.org.

John Patrick Shanley's Doubt at the New Conservatory Theatre

It seems every regional theatre in the area is now presenting John Patrick Shanley's Tony Award winning drama Doubt.   I have seen this play three times since I saw it in New York with Cherry Jones and Brían F. O'Byrne.   Being raised in grade school by nuns, I am always interested in how each of the productions presents Sister Aloysius Beauvier and Father Brendan Flynn.

Director Ben Randle has put a different spin on the play in this very fast-paced production.   The opening scenes are done at such a fast pace that many in the audience probably do not get an idea of what the play is about. It becomes a confrontation between sister and priest without any meaning.

Doubt is an actor's play and it needs superior actors. Scarlett Hepworth is a good actress and she certainly looks like my 6th grade nun.   Her confrontations with Andrew Nance's Father Flynn are good, but the only one that has fire is their last confrontation. Her final scene when tending the small scraggly bush is well done. However, I wish she would slow down the pace of her dialogue at the beginning.

Andrew Nance uses a New York accent to great effect, and the priest's speech on doubt at the beginning of the play is well done.   His confrontation with the nun is also firey at the end of the production.   Pamela Smith is very good in the one scene at the boy's mother. She slides effortlessly and engagingly into the part. Roselyn Hallett gives a creditable performance as young Sister James who really loves the children.

Staging by Mike Paul Fink is sparse and includes a desk, a chair and a glazed door where the actors enter and exit. Lighting by John Kelly is good.   This whole production runs exactly 1 hour and 20 minutes with no intermission.

Doubt was extended through March 6 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave.   The Sugar Witch by Nathan Sanders is running through April 4th.   Master Class also opens at the center on March 26th and runs through May 2nd. For tickets call 415-861-8972 or visit www.nctcsf.org.

A Lovely Afternoon with Sutton Foster

Broadway's Sutton Foster made her one and only appearance at the Empire Room of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on Sunday February 14th, thanks to the Bay Area Cabaret.   It was a wonderful Valentine for the sold out crowd. Her soprano voice is sweet and she is totally relaxed on the stage. Aided by her wonderful pianist Michael Rafter, she gave a comforting performance.

Sutton Foster always reminds me of Nellie Forbush because she is so perky and lovable. She is a gal from Georgia who made good on Broadway.   I first saw her when she replaced the star in Thoroughly Modern Millie in La Jolla. Over the years I have seen her in The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women and the pre-Broadway run of Young Frankenstein in Seattle.

She opened her 60-minute show with "Something's Coming" from West Side Story and then went into "Not For The Life of Me," "NYC" and "Astonishing." She talked about her 14 years living in New York and then sang the cool blues number "Up on the Roof." There were songs from her Broadway shows Thoroughly Modern Millie like "Gimme Gimme" and the comic "Show Off" from The Drowsy Chaperone. During that number she showed off some Mel Brooks yodeling and the death scene from Les Miserables. She even brought a prop of her own, her Tony award for Millie. There were pop songs "My Heart Was Set on You" and the up-tempo and bright "On My Way." She was very dramatic singing Stephen Sondheim's "Being Alive" and warm and bouncy on "Late Late Show." In the space of a little over an hour she sang seventeen songs with some very outgoing patter about her life.

The Bay Area Cabaret will be presenting Karen Mason on March 28th, Amanda McBroom on April 16 and Christine Ebersole on April 25 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Powell Street, San Francisco.   For tickets call 415-392-4400 or visit www.bayareacabaret.com.

- Richard Connema