Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: San Francisco

Sense and Sensibility, The Complete History of America (Abridged) and Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy Back In The USSR

American Premiere of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility at TheatreWorks


Jennifer Le Blanc and Thomas Gorrebeeck
TheatreWorks is presenting the American premiere of a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen's romantic classic Sense and Sensibility at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts running through September 18th. Not to be confused with Jon Jory's adaptation that premiered in the Chicago area last year, this production by the SNAP Theatre Company, adapted by Roger Parsley and Andy Graham, toured the English provinces in 1999 and will again be touring England next year.

The story has been condensed into just two and a half hours and the playwrights have pared away many of the characters familiar from both the book and its screen versions. There is a lot of weight placed on the seven talented actors who hew closely to Austen's interchange and the scenes within which they are placed. The characters spend a lot of time telling each other gossip, usually while sitting down, with dialogue straight from the novel. This makes for a rather motionless piece of theatre. Distinction, social parody and dramatic suspense get lost in this production. However, the actors all are perfectly charming in their roles.

Over the years I have seen several stage productions of Austen's works, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Pride and Prejudice last year and the musical First Impression based on that novel in New York. It is difficult to stage her work on stage since one of her great gifts was the ability to make readers care about the characters.

Sense and Sensibility's actors are all very good in their respective roles and have very good countrified British accents. New York actress Katie Fabel (Off-Broadway The Shaughraun and Ernest In Love at Irish Repertory Theatre), who is making her TheatreWorks debut as the delightfully impulsive and lively Marianne Dashwood. Jennifer Le Blanc (Eurydice and Twelfth Night at Pacific Repertory Theatre) gives a penetrating and appealing performance as the reserved sister Elinor in contrast to Fabel's exaggerated drama. Stacy Ross (many regional plays, including Mrs. Warren's Profession and Macbeth at Cal Shakes) is terrific as the meddling wannabe marriage broker Aunt Jennings. Lucy Littlewood (Hay Fever and Dial M for Murder at Broadway West Theatre Company) gives a spritely performance as Lucy Steele, Elinor's rival for the affections of Edward Ferrars. She is a thoroughly unpleasant piece of work, just as she should be. She has a voice that reminds me of Tammy Grimes.

Thomas Gorrebeeck (Eccentricities of a Nightingale at the Aurora and Dracula at Center Rep) is impressive as Edward Ferrars. He seems to have leapt straight from the pages of Austen's novel. Mark Anderson Phillips (39 Steps at TheatreWorks and Tiny Alice at the Marin Theatre Co) gives a vivid performance as the ramrod-straight enamored Colonel Brandon. Michael Scott McLean (recently performed The Rover with New York Classical Theatre) is excellent as the dashingly swaggering cad Willoughby. Alexander Lenarsky (Macbeth at Livermore Shakespeare Festival), Emily Ota (The Tavern at Foothill College Theatre) and Jeremy Ryan (The Enchanted at Foothill College Theater) make perfect servants in 19th century costumes and add elegance to the production.

Joe Ragey's set is smart and appropriate to the piece. There are expansive, cameo framed Georgian landscapes that change to London in set scenes. Lighting by Pamila Z. Gray is a great asset to the production, and Fumiko Bielefeldt's Regency-era dresses are authentic 19th century dress. William Liberatore augments the time element with popular songs from the period, most sung sweetly by Katie Fabel. There is even a roundelay sung by the cast at the beginning of the second act followed by a charming little dance of the 19th century, thanks to Shannon Preto.

Director Robert Kelley in his director notes calls it "an 'Austentatious' undertaking" and I agree it certainly is. Jane Austen devotees will love this fine-looking production.

Sense and Sensibility runs through September 18th at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, San Francisco. For tickets call 650-463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org. Their next production is the world premiere of Clementine in the Lower 9, opening on October 5th at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts.

Photo: Tracy Martin


A Hysterically Historical Production of The Complete History of America (Abridged)


Mick Mize, Darren Bridgett and Cassidy Brown
Marin Shakespeare Company is giving their younger audience a break by presenting an updated version of Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor's comical, impertinent three-man romp through the annals our country's past. This is being performed by three of the zaniest comics in the Bay area: Darren Bridget, Cassidy Brown and Mick Mize. As Darren Bridget tells the audience, "It's not the length of your history but what you do with it."

It all starts with Amerigo Vespucci preparing to discover the Americas with a nagging reluctant wife complaining that all of the new land has to have her husband's name. Through the whole two and a half hours with intermission the audience is entertained by the signers of the Constitution, Washington (Darren Bridget) at Valley Forge with his "Minutemen" represented as "small people" by Mick Mize and Cassidy Brown who sing the Munchkin song from Wizard of Oz, and a wild vaudeville skit of Lewis and Clark played hilariously by Cassidy Brown and Mick Mize with some of the corniest zingers you are likely to hear anywhere.

Complete History of America has a lot of slapstick humor, especially in the Civil War scenes. Although the show was written over 10 years ago, it has been updated to the present time, including a funny bit by Mick Maze as President Obama. The boys take aim at such celebrities as Sarah Palin, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush; even Lady Gaga gets zinged.

Darren Bridget is the master of his art. He can make even little asides to the audience sidesplitting. He uses anagrams on famous historical names in one scene. The anagram for George Washington is "gaggin wet horse" and for Spiro Agnew, "grow a penis."

Cassidy Brown and Mike Mize are no slouches, either, when it comes to putting across one line zingers. Brown is especially amusing in the film noir version of the past fifty years, and Mize with his dimples and a red wig is uproarious as Lucy Ricardo. The trio launch themselves swiftly and boldly and never let up their pace. The whole team is so versatile that they can morph instantly from one character to another, and their timing is impeccable.

Director Robert Currier has staged this tour de force extremely well, keeping the pace fast and furious. Mark Robinson's set design is a funny take on a wall of historical figures that are fun to see. Costumes by Michael Berg, lighting by Ellen Brooks and props by Joel and Toni Eis add to the enjoyment of the show.

The Complete History of America (Abridged) runs with The Tempest through September 25th at Dominican University of California, Forest Meadows Amphitheatre,1475 Grand Ave. San Rafael. For ticket please call 415-499-4488 or on line at www.marinshakespeare.org.

Photo: Eric Chazankin


An Enjoyable Evening of the Beatles Songbook with Katya

The lovely Katya Ludmilla Smirnoff-Skyy returned to the Rrazz Room in August for a two-night engagement to sing songs from the Beatles' songbook in her show Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy Back in the USSR. Backed by Tom Shaw on piano, Roberta Drake on drums, Greg Robles on guitar and John Greitzer on bass, this was a swinging evening of Beatles songs from "Eleanor Rigby" to "Hey Jude."

Katya is the invention of J. Conrad Frank and has been entertaining San Francisco audiences for the past four years. This elegant drag queen looks a little like a combination of Rosalind Russell and Rhoda Fleming with an accent that sounds like all of the Gabor sisters. She has an excellent, inventive mezzo voice when singing.

Katya came onto the stage with little introduction dressed in a gorgeous red gown and went immediately into the rousing song "Back in the U.S.S.R" followed by "Eight Days a Week." The elegant woman told her fans that she met the Beatles when she was sixteen years old on their final tour at the Olympic Theatre in Paris. She was invited to the party for the guys after the performance and it was love at first sight with Ringo. She went to a great rendition of "I've Just Seen a Face." Alas, the love was not to be and she did not hear from Ringo for twenty-five years.

Katya carried the torch for Ringo, singing a medley of songs including "All My Love," "Can't Buy Me Love" and "All You Need is Love." The Russian diva did a wonderful bouncy arrangement of "I Will" and her soft distinguished voice was sublime singing "Eleanor Rigby." She talked about meeting Paul McCartney at an airport later in life and sang several songs by this talented Beatle.

Katya spoke about taking a trip on LSD with George Harrison and went into a great "hippy trippy medley" consisting of "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds," "Octopus's Garden" and "Yellow Submarine." During this 90-minute performance there were stills of the Beatles being flashed on two giant screens.

For a complete schedule of upcoming Rrrazz Room artists visit www.therrazzroom.com.


Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area

- Richard Connema