Saturday, June 14, 2014
Review: STONEFACE Gets a New Life at Pasadena Playhouse
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| L-R: Jake Broder, French Stewart, Tegan Ashton Cohan and Rena Strober. Photos by Jim Cox. |
Vanessa Claire Stewart’s Stoneface, the Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton, first produced at Sacred Fools Theatre Company in 2012, finds fresh life in a newly remounted production simply titled Stoneface at Pasadena Playhouse. With a bigger budget, more space in which to play, and clearly enhanced with an eye to continuing its life beyond Los Angeles, it should be set for a rousing success. The behind-the-scenes story of a comic genius whose own human failings caused him much pain throughout his life is the kind of Hollywood drama the public can’t get enough of and beautifully captures the deep sadness that accompanied his great success.
Two Buster Keatons exist in this tale which is told from the perspective of the older Keaton portrayed with astounding physical eloquence by French Stewart. Joe Fria plays Keaton’s younger self with inspired efficiency appearing like a ghost from the past to accuse, taunt and otherwise facilitate the catharsis of his mature self. This duality stands at the core of the play.
As scenes jump back and forth in time, we see Keaton’s relationships with his wives: the annoying Mae Scriven (Daisy Eagan), self-centered Natalie Talmadge (Tegan Ashton Cohan) and lovely Eleanor Norris (Rena Strober), the woman who would eventually help Keaton find some quiet joy in his later years. We watch as famous clips are brought to life like the “one-room house” sequence in which he and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle (Scott Leggett) pass objects back and forth across a table using a complicated system of pulleys, sandbags and exact movements. But mostly we feel for this man, who held a world in the stillness of his face.
I fell in love with Stoneface at Sacred Fools and as much as I wanted to see it revealed bigger and better in all its glory at the Playhouse, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gotten lost in translation. Jokes, sight gags, and stage business that had the audience roaring the first time around left theatregoers strangely silent at the Playhouse.
Though well-executed, there is a draftiness that seems to have taken hold, most obvious in Act I where the actors have become louder, more stylized, and are either working so hard that the drama feels forced or are taking so much time that it kills the humor. In either case, it obstructs the flow and distances the audience. Seated close to the stage you might feel more connected to what they are doing because you can see their eyes but from elsewhere in the theater you’ll miss the subtleties that were so beautifully rendered in its initial outing.
From a technical standpoint, the production has flourished with set design (Joel Daavid), lighting (Jeremy Pivnick) and video projections (Ben Rock and Anthony Backman) ramping up the vintage visual impact of the early cinematic period. Ryan Johnson plays his original score live as he would have done had this been a silent film set back in the day and Cricket S. Myers’ sound design brings it all together. Costumes by Jessica Olson are period specific and, for the most part functional, however the “spite marriage” sequence felt choreographed by the numbers and encumbered with tear-away clothing that didn’t always give at first tug.
You can tell that this new work has been lovingly created by all involved and, with so much already going for it, one hopes that the company will continue to shape it for a long life ahead. What they learn from its expansion into a larger theater like the Playhouse will certainly help with that success going forward.
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| Daisy Eagan and French Stewart |
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| L-R: Jake Broder, Joe Fria (laying), French Stewart, Tegan Ashton Cohan (background), Scott Leggett and Pat Towne |
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| French Stewart as Buster Keaton |
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| L-R: French Stewart, Rena Strober, Jake Broder and Tegan Ashton Cohan |
STONEFACE
June 3 - 29, 2014
Pasadena Playhouse
39 South El Molino Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
www.pasadenaplayhouse.org
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Monday, April 30, 2012
Sacred Fools’ STONEFACE To Star French Stewart as Buster Keaton
Writer Vanessa Claire Stewart (formerly Vanessa Claire Smith) starred in and penned the multiple award-winning Louis and Keely Live at the Sahara, which had a record-breaking run at the Geffen Playhouse in 2009 after originating at Sacred Fools.
French Stewart, best known for six seasons on the NBC Emmy-nominated hit 3rd Rock From The Sun, most recently appeared at Sacred Fools Theater in the award-winning production of Watson and Justin Tanner’s Voice Lessons. In 2011, Stewart received three Ovation Award nominations for his work in both plays, and an L.A. Weekly Award nomination for Watson.
Stoneface will also reunite Stewart with Watson director, Jaime Robledo, who won an L.A. Weekly Award and an Ovation Award nomination for the production.
The complete cast will feature:
French Stewart as Buster Keaton
Joe Fria as Young Buster
Scott Leggett as Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Erin Parks as Mae Scriven
Tegan Ashton Cohan as Natalie Talmadge
Rena Strober as Eleanor Norris / Norma Talmadge
Jake Broder as Joseph Schenk
Conor Duffy as Edward Sedgwick
Pat Towne as Louis B. Mayer
Guy Picot as Charlie Chaplin
Music is by Ryan Johnson, choreography by Natasha Norman, stunt choreography by Andrew Amani, and projection design is by Ben Rock & Anthony Backman.
Stoneface runs May 25 - June 30, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, and Sunday matinees at 2pm Tickets are $25, group rates available; visit www.sacredfools.org or call the box office at 310-281-8337. Sacred Fools Theater is located at 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., Hollywood, CA 90004.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton
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| The Two Buster Keatons, French Stewart and Joe Fria Photos by Shaela Cook |
Extended: Must close August 26.
Yes, I was blown away by Sacred Fools’ production of Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton and it has raced to the top of my list of most recommended theatrical productions to see this summer. From the moment you enter the theater you can feel the undercurrent of anticipation. A film screen sits center stage showing black & white Keaton film clips, effectively re-setting the clock and erasing today’s advanced world of high-tech media. Surrounding it is a detail-rich vintage backstage studio set (the work of Joel Daavid), lit by Jeremy Pivnick (who has outdone himself) with cascading shadows that fade in and out as the light spills across the exposed rigging, props and familiar studio gear.
A piano sits downstage in a small pool of light, awaiting Ryan Johnson, the musical director/pianist who will accompany the play’s action. Live music was so essential to silent films that it was often played on the set during filming to help the actors achieve the right tone of a scene. For Stoneface, Johnson’s live music adds an expressive layer of authenticity that is among the production’s many fine attributes.
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| Scott Leggett. Photo by Jaime Robledo |
Robledo, stunt/fight choreographer Andrew Amani, and dance choreographer Natasha Norman have crafted sequences that require killer precision. Hilarious chase scenes through free-standing doorways, trampoline runs at breakneck speed, and all manner of physical comedy play out with cunning style and choreographed perfection. One particular chase scene between Keaton (French Stewart in the performance of a lifetime) and his younger self (a sly and dynamic Joe Fria) turns into an ironic soft shoe routine with canes, and later, a boxing match between the pair is classic slapstick.
Events from his personal and professional life are presented like moving snapshots interspersed with fantasy recreations of some of his most well-known film sequences. We see him escape from a straightjacket while institutionalized, confront his old boss Louis B. Mayer (Pat Towne), and marry and divorce his first wife Natalie Talmadge (Tegan Ashton Cohen)…but not before witnessing a hilarious ‘spite marriage’ sequence with the couple tearing each other’s clothes off to a dissonantly altered version of “Ain’t She Sweet.”
He defies a wind storm reminiscent of Steamboat Bill, Jr., and turns down a partnership in United Artists when Charlie Chaplin (Guy Picot) tries to convince him it’s the only way to control their futures. And he plays poker with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle (Scott Leggett) who poignantly reminds him that, “One day we fill up a screen bigger than anyone, and then we’re gone.” Best of all he and Fatty recreate their famous "one-room house" scene from The Scarecrow. In it, the two comedians ingeniously pass objects back and forth across a table using a complicated system of pulleys, sandbags and exact movements – swinging salt to each other overhead, landing a tomato with a plop on Arbuckle’s fork, and flying a bottle of whiskey out of a closed cabinet and back again, delivering a juicy payoff for what had to be hours of practice to perfect the timing.
Comedy is all about the timing, “set-up, 2 clicks – joke, 3 clicks,” says Keaton, but the arrival of the talkies meant the clicks were taken away, and that played havoc with his ability to time his jokes. He was not a happy man.
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| Jake Broder and Rena Strober Photo by Jaime Robledo |
Playwright Vanessa Claire Stewart (formerly Vanessa Claire Smith) wrote and starred in the award-winning Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara, which also originated at Sacred Fools before transferring to the Geffen Playhouse several years ago. It was at the Geffen that she first met French Stewart, the man who was to later become her husband and the inspiration for Stoneface. The two hit it off and when he confided that he had given up his lifelong dream to play Buster Keaton due to his age, Vanessa secretly started researching the comedian and subsequently wrote him a part that may well become his signature role. Best known as Harry on the television series 3rd Rock From The Sun, he plays the older Buster Keaton with such physical dexterity and grace that one wonders he’s never been given an opportunity like this before. His motionless face and deep, sad eyes fit the man so perfectly. In many ways Stoneface is also a love letter to their own personal and creative collaboration as well.
The cast is an exceptionally talented group of actors. In addition to those mentioned previously, Erin Parks plays Mae Scriven, the nurse Keaton married while in an alcoholic blackout, Conor Duffy does a double turn as Edward Sedgwick and George Jessel, and Jake Broder gives a fascinating portrayal of producer Joseph Schenk.
This is one night at the theater you don't want to miss. Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton has already been extended and will run through August 5th at Sacred Fools Theater Company, 660 N. Heliotrope, Los Angeles, CA 90004. www.sacredfools.org
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Thursday, November 14, 2013
Musical News for Thursday November 14, 2013
MUSICALS: The Tony Award-winning musical NEWSIES will play an exclusive 4-week premiere engagement at Hollywood Pantages during the 2014-15 season. NEWSIES is inspired by the real-life ‘Newsboy Strike of 1899,’ when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers. The stage version introduces seven brand-new songs by the original team of Menken and Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” “King of New York” and “Santa Fe.” Information regarding engagement dates and how to purchase 2014-2015 season tickets, single tickets and groups will be announced at a later time. For information or to register for advance ticket access notifications, visit www.NEWSIESTheMusical.com/Tour.
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The GLEE Season 5 Christmas episode will air Thursday, December 5 on FOX. Check out this video footage of Rachel (Lea Michele), Kurt (Chris Colfer), and Santana (Naya Rivera) performing “Here Comes Santa Claus” at the Burbank Town Center mall in L.A. on November 7.
MUSICAL THEATRE WRITERS: The 2014 ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop directed by Stephen Schwartz will takes place in Los Angeles February 11, 12, 13, 2014 at DreamWorks Studios. Please submit the following: (Submissions will not be returned):
* CD of four (4) songs from your musical
* Lyric sheets for each of the 4 songs
* A brief description of each song as to its plot placement
* A brief synopsis of the musical.
* Biographical information for each composer, lyricist & book writer.
* Contact information (Email address, phone number, and mailing address)
Send your package to:
Michael A. Kerker , ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop, ASCAP, 1 Lincoln Plaza, New York, NY 10023. Submissions must be received in the ASCAP office by Tuesday, November 26, 2013. PLEASE NOTE:
1) Submit 4 songs only. If you send us a full recording, we will only listen to the first 4 songs.
2) Submissions do not need to be produced in a studio. We are looking for talent and potential, not production values.
3) If your musical is selected, you will need to present 50 consecutive minutes from the musical at the workshop. The 50-minute selection must include book and songs.
4) Those who have been accepted to present material in the workshop will receive a phone call by Friday, January 3rd, 2014.
5) Those who will be invited to audit the workshop will receive an email invitation.
6) Please do not call to ask if you have been selected.
QUESTIONS: Call 212-621-6264. Note: The workshop is being held in Los Angeles, but submissions are sent to the New York Address.
OPEN HOUSE: LA Stage Alliance is holding an Open House, Saturday, December from 2 - 5pm at its brand new LA Stage Space. This spring, LA Stage Alliance moved its offices from Downtown LA to Atwater Village in order to create LA STAGE Space - a collaborative center for performing artists in Southern California and this is the official opening. There’s a parking lot to the west of the building and ample free street parking. The event is free but RSVPs are encouraged Here. Come celebrate, mingle, snack, and toast. And learn more about LA Stage Space, the Warehouse Co-Op partnership. LA Stage Space, 4200 W. Chevy Chase Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039.
Save the Date for STAGE Goes to the Movies, a benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles, Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. S.T.A.G.E. is the longest-running benefit for AIDS worldwide. In its decades-long history, more than 300 stars of Broadway, film, and television have performed music from the Great White Way while raising millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS organizations in the Los Angeles area. This year’s 30th Anniversary Spectacular will present music from the world of cinema performed by an All Star Cast.
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Thursday, January 24, 2013
LADCC Announces 2012 Nominations and Special Awards
Scheduled host French Stewart is a 25-year mainstay of the Los Angeles theatre scene and a notable star of TV and film. Best known for his six seasons co-starring on NBC’s 3rd Rock From the Sun, he is a member of Sacred Fools and played the title role in that company’s 2012 production of Stoneface, The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton, which has received two LADCC nominations.
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Labels: ladcc