The Mystery of Edwin Drood

a kate west review
book, music, lyrics by Rupert Holmes
directed by Scott Ellis
musical direction by Paul Gemignani
choreographed by Warren Carlyle
a Roundabout Theatre Company production
at Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, New York, NY, 10019
running  November 13, 2012 - March 10, 2013
contact (212) 719-1300 or click here

Charles Dickens never finished writing "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". He died instead. So of course the only thing to do was to turn it into a musical and have the audience guess the ending. Right? That was the idea behind Rupert Holmes' vision anyway. Who better for the job than Roundabout Theatre, who sure do like to put on some fun productions (see previous review here). "Drood" (in grand old music hall tradition no less)  is no exception. And what's even more fun? To perform at the most famous former night club in the world, Studio 54. So now you'll want to see the show so you'll be able to say you were there too, just like Andy Warhol. Can't get hipper than that.

Edwin Drood (Stephanie J. Block of "Wicked" fame) is a Victorian gentleman (yep, played by a woman to stir up more mystery) who suddenly disappears. Is he dead? Who killed him? His fiance Rosa (Betsy Wolfe) or his rival John Jasper (Will Chase) or the suspicious eastern foreigners, Helena and Neville Landless (Jessie Mueller and Andy Karl)? The possibilities are endless and there is no shortage of audience participation in figuring it all out, so be forewarned. But don't worry, there is a narrator, the Chairman (Jim Norton), who guides us in the plot and in our reactions, occasionally jumping in and out of characters (as do most of the cast). A cheery Master of Ceremonies, fitting for a raucously bawdy-lite evening.

In this particular production, Chita Rivera was supposed to play Princess Puffer, madame of an underground opium den, but was substituted with Alison Cimmet, who was just fine (her normal role of Violet Balfour went to Jenifer Foote). In fact, the entire ensemble shows us a romping good time and sing some rowdy songs, including "There You Are", "Moonfall", "Ceylon" and "Off to the Races". The first act might drag a bit but the second act involves the spectators even more directly so that will definitely rouse you. The actors are all pros of course, and laughter abounds (unlike the dreary notes of the original novel). Block does a great disgruntled diva.

It's a play-within-a-play, with actors playing actors playing Dickens characters, but mostly talking to us. Some of them will run about the aisles and yes, might drag up an unsuspecting patron of the arts right there on stage. But everyone seems so earnest and of such enthusiastic good cheer that you can't help but be drawn into the fun, especially with all the asides and winks going on. Plus you get to choose the ending. And maybe sing a few notes yourself. A charming production, "Drood" delivers the fun, if not all the answers. But what fun would life be without a little mystery? Read more!

Anything Goes

a kate west review
music and lyrics by Cole Porter
directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall
a Roundabout Theatre Company Production
at the Ahmanson Theatre/Center Theatre Group/L.A. Music Center
135 North Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90012
contact 213-628-2772 or Center Theatre Group
running November 27, 2012 - January 6, 2013

In the spirit of retro glam so popular these days, the Roundabout Theatre of New York brings the 1930's Cole Porter musical, "Anything Goes" to Los Angeles, home of Hollywood glitz. A match made in Heaven. Hey, if you're in the mood for fast-talking molls and tap dancing, well, everyone, this is the holiday show for you. And yes, Cole Porter's famously romantic music holds up quite well in setting the mood for this fun little jaunt overseas.

Reno (the impossibly perfect Rachel York) has the hots for Billy (smoothly portrayed by Erich Bergen) who pines for Hope (Alex Finke). Throw in the odd gangster (Fred Applegate as the gruffly fun Moonface Martin) and you have madcap misunderstandings and mistaken identities galore. When they all chase each other onto a luxury ship, appropriate hijinks ensue. Guaranteed.

The set design by Derek McLane puts us all right on top of a smooth sailing ocean, with mini cabin scenes and majestic ballrooms and Martin Pakledinaz gives us lovely old time costuming, all of which will have you yearning for the nostalgic. Then there's the music. Each song is more famous than the last, including the title song "Anything Goes", as well as "I Get a Kick Out of You", "Blow, Gabriel, Blow", "It's De-lovely" and "Friendship". And right again, you will leave the theater humming at least one of the above. Good singing and even greater dancing transports us to just the right amount of escape, thanks to Kathleen Marshall's professional directing. 

Granted, you may not be completely immersed, but even as you are aware you are watching a show, you'll give in to the broad style and occasional silliness, in spite of yourself. Some of you may even remember the grand Broadway Dame Ethel Merman's turn as Reno, immortalizing many of the tunes. This show is certainly a classic. And there is not much to complain about in this impeccable production. Edward Staudenmayer might be a bit much with his way-over-the-top Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, but then again his character is supposed to be ridiculous. The dancing however, is impeccable and as pictured above, awfully fun to watch. And it just flies by. Entertainment for the whole family. Promise.

So be sure to catch the next voyage, if it happens to land at a theater near you. Read more!

War Horse

a kate west review

by Michael Morpurgo

adapted by Nick Stafford

directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris

and by Bijan Sheibani (U.S. tour)

at the Ahmanson Theatre/Center Theatre Group 

135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 90012

running June 14 - July 29, 2012

contact  213-628-2772 or  www.centertheatregroup.org 

The innovative British production of "War Horse" finally makes it way from Broadway to the Los Angeles stage. Originally a book by Michael Morpurgo, the story was adapted for theater by Nick Stafford and brought to life by The Handspring Puppet Company. This South African troupe uses puppetry to illustrate storytelling, a more and more popular approach to modern theater (we all remember Julie Taymor's fabulous version of "The Lion King", right?)

The essential story is of a beautiful horse, Joey, born to be a hunter, but raised as a farm horse by the young Albert Narracott (Andrew Veenstra). Both are soon drafted to the army unfortunately, for the first World War (the war to end all wars), and lose each other in the ensuing chaotic madness of battle. Both endure terrible hardships and are forced to grow up faster than they wanted to, before finding each other again. 

The play seems to tell us, that yes, war is hell. Especially when a hunter learns to be a draft horse, then a war horse, then a draft horse again. The core innocence of the horse with many masters (Michael Stewart Allen as Captain Friedrich Muller is a particularly strong and poignant owner) mirrors the boy's fragile hope in finding his beloved companion once more. There is no mercy during wartime and the only thing that can keep you going is to hold on fiercely to whatever you believe in. Men, women, children and animals die during war - there is no discrimination with death. And as far as the plot goes, that is pretty much it. But a powerful message, to be sure.

Steven Spielberg jumped at the chance to show these images on the big screen and made his award-nominated film "War Horse" while the theatrical productions were still going strong. It is hard to imagine missing out on the creativity of the staging, however. Each horse is masterfully manipulated by three actors. They make the sounds and movements so very realistic, while maintaining a lovely stylized version of that truth. This must have taken a great amount of rehearsal (in fact, the Ahmanson postponed its opening in order to perfect the carefully synchronized choreography). Each animal is crafted with mechanical precision (a bit more complicated than the horses of "Equus") and delights audiences by drawing them into the personalities of the animals. We forget there are humans behind the masks. 

As a sorrowful background chorus, John Milosich sweetly sings ballads during much of the action, giving us a local flavor of Devon, England, in a time gone by. Above the village is a large torn sheet of paper where shadows, drawings and pictures flash across its screen during key moments in the play. There are explosions and (warning) gunshots too, spooking both horse and audience. A simple and poetic story, rather reminiscent of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty", Joey the War Horse shows us the dimensions of mankind, in moments of kindness and cruelty. It's a nice story, elevated by the incredible stagecraft spectacle of the puppets. (Oh, there's a tank too). 

Worth seeing for the imagery, so don't spoil it by seeing the move first. And you might want to skip the film altogether after this. But that's up to you since ... a horse is a horse of course.

 

To read Black Beauty:
Black Beauty 

To see the movie:
War Horse Read more!

Our Town

a kate west review
directed by David Cromer
by Thornton Wilder
at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
running January 13 - February 12
contact http://thebroadstage.com/Our-Town or 310-434-3200

You can't get much more small town America than Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. In 1938, Thornton Wilder captured our reverence for nostalgia so very well in his Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Our Town", set in the fictional East coast town, more or less around the first World War. And aspiring acting students have been rehearsing it for ages since. Director David Cromer brings the latest adaptation straight from the Big Apple, with his modern Broadway take on this American classic. It's easy to dismiss the work you were force-fed in school, but read it again as an adult and you might come to appreciate its profound message about life, love, aging and of course, the inevitability of death.

Helen Hunt ("Mad About You", "As Good As It Gets") plays the Stage Manager, usually reserved for a folksy older Mark Twain-ish fellow (think Hal Holbrook). While that role does not necessarily have to be gender specific, it is traditionally depicted as a wise and kindly all-knowing observer. Hunt is matter of fact, which is fine, despite her tendency towards mannerisms, but she does lack some warmth. However, she works well with the rest of the cast and you can't go wrong with excellent dialogue so she does keep our interest.

Grover's Corners is a typical happy little village with typical gossip and neighbors. Emily Webb (played sweetly by Jennifer Grace) marries her next-door-neighbor George Gibbs (the amusing James McMenamin) and generations happen. Scenes of soda fountains and sports at school and the local choir are all played out under a subtle shadow of war. Mothers and Fathers fret and argue, Milkmen and Paper Boys comment on the goings on while Hunt's Stage Manager fills us in behind the scenes. Wilder's general message is that life can be sweet and good, but is too often marred by tragedy and therefore should be all the more precious to most of us. Some of his clever devices include the audience being lectured by various townspeople like Professor Willard (David LM McIntyre) and Editor Webb (Tim Curtis) who regale us with the town facts, while the Stage Manager prompts the audience to answer prepared questions. A complete picture of the town is set up quite nicely in this charming fashion.

The stage itself initially has minimal props, essentially a couple of tables and chairs, and in this production the dress is modern, even though it is set in the early 1900's, the idea being to give us a sense of timelessness. However, seeing a teenager discuss a fifty cent raise with his father can be jarring when he's wearing jeans and sneakers. Director David Cromer does use the space quite well, until one of the last scenes when Emily goes back to visit her family and a true set is revealed, way in the back of the theater, with a fully functioning kitchen. One generally wears rose-colored glasses when looking into the past but it would be nice to be able to fully hear and see properly as well. The most famous monologue of the entire play takes place upstage, far away from the audience and you can barely make it out. The shadows of the past should be a bit more metaphorical in favor of giving us a satisfying ending.

Still, much of the staging works great. The wedding scene is nice and emotional, with poignant turns from Mothers Webb and Gibbs (Ronete Levenson and Lori Myers). Normally portrayed as the height of romantic fulfillment, this wedding shows us the reality of growing older and the fear of leaving youth behind. Hunt comments that one minute you are happily in your twenties and then suddenly you are seventy. It happens so very fast. The final act is done very well (with the exception of the kitchen scene) with stoic actors reflecting on the way the living don't see what's right in front of them and never take the time to fully enjoy and appreciate life while they are in it. Choir Director Simon Stimson (the sharp Jonathan Mastro) especially captures the bitterness of this realization.

All in all, the production will leave you with much to reflect upon. The actors are strong and there is even the occasional dramatic score (courtesy Jonathan Mastro), which adds a nice touch. Thornton Wilder is too often dismissed as a sentimentalist but this play has a lot of hard truths, which are far from sentimental. You will find despair and hope, love and anger and eventual acceptance, like much of life. Cromer is to be commended for a slightly modern take on an overdone piece of theater, but also needs to be careful not to undersell the more important parts of the play.

So do any of us figure out any of this life stuff before it's too late? According to Wilder, "The saints and poets, maybe - they do some." Take heed, folks - slow it down a little. And since we're being all modern - be your own Ferris Bueller.

Get your own copy here:
Our Town

Read more about it:

www.thorntonwilder.com

Read more!

Stuffed and Unstrung - The Tour

by Henson Alternative
a kate west review
on tour now! http://www.stuffedandunstrung.com/ 
check here for local dates: http://www.stuffedandunstrung.com/tickets.php

The Jim Henson Company sprung into being from one of the most endearingly creative minds in entertainment and son Brian Henson beautifully carries on Jim Henson's talented legacy (for several years now) with "Stuffed and Unstrung", an improv show with puppets. Formerly "Puppet Up", this run of unscripted delight continues to impress fans, now embarking on a nationwide tour (check the website to see if it's coming to you). 

Like many improv shows, it is heavy on audience suggestion, so be prepared to shout out fun ideas for scenes. Host Patrick Bristow impeccably moderates and fields the most appealing leads. Just so you know, some of the very brave seated in the orchestra may get “volunteered”. But don’t worry, everyone is there to support and love you – the puppeteers are anyway (you can never be sure about puppets). If you don’t believe it, click the link below for one of the sweetest moments on stage.

This amazingly professional cast can improvise the heck out of any suggestion so part of the fun is watching their wild and crazy characters act out scenarios as if they happen every day. Like Brian himself says, “It can be a little disturbing to see unrequited love between a goat and a fish, but we find it delicious and surprising ….” And audiences cannot agree more. You don’t have to be a fan of  Henson’s beloved “The Muppet Show” or even “Sesame Street” to enjoy the antics, but it is awfully nice to see some vintage pieces incorporated into the show (you may recognize some early Jim Henson). The best part is finally being able to watch what the puppeteers have to do in order to create the magic. As in all live shows, not every night goes 100% smoothly, but that's the secret joy of improv. And the lovely nostalgia factor (along with the talent) is always there. Guaranteed.

In short, there are two shows – one you can watch on the monitors which show the actual puppets acting out a screen on video (like you are used to with Kermit and Miss Piggy) and the other is on stage, where you can watch the dark-clothed puppeteers maneuvering their puppet characters. If you don’t think puppeteering is hard, try holding your arm up for an entire scene and training your brain to move right in order to have a character move left on screen. Fascinating. You’ll also get to see a truly multimedia interactive scene from the patented Henson Digital Puppetry Studio with a robotic version of a puppet (needs to be seen to be understood).

Although Henson has added many new features since 2005 (previous reviews of the gentle silliness here  and here), the essential joy and puppet artistry is definitely still present and stuffed people and animals on sticks make for a remarkably real and touching evening. Squirrels might be foster children, hot dogs may need intervention and James Bond may even appear (anything goes with puppets!) And none of the puppetry magic would even be possible without the supremely fantastic cast (listed below). Rotating different casts for different tour dates works well for them since everyone goes through the same rigorous training process. If you weren’t in awe of this company before (and really, who isn’t?) you will be after they take your town by storm. Once you experience this uniquely delightful show, you’ll want to come back and bring a friend. Or two. Enjoy!

p.s. There is a reason the above is billed as “adult” so if you don’t appreciate strong language, stay home. But come on, you know you really want to see a puppet swear.

Like Father, like son ....

Catch them on YouTube here
(includes the best audience participation scene: http://youtu.be/S7c25whalgQ)


Previous reviews here:

http://www.katewestreviews.com/2009/03/puppet-up.html

http://www.katewestreviews.com/2007/10/puppet-up.html

Brian Henson (Creator, Producer, Performer) is Chairman of The Jim Henson Company and an award-winning director, producer, writer and performer. In recent years, Henson served as Executive Producer on the television projects It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Muppet Wizard of Oz, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (which he also directed) and Jim Henson’s Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (which he also co-wrote and directed). Previous television projects that Henson produced include Farscape, Bear in the Big Blue House, Gulliver’s Travels, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Muppets Tonight and Dinosaurs. Henson’s long list of film credits includes The Great Muppet Caper, Labyrinth,The Witches, Little Shop of Horrors, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island.

 Henson also oversees the groundbreaking work at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent character building, digital and physical visual effects facilities. Henson was part of the team that first created and utilized the Henson Performance Control System, a powerful custom-based interface for puppeteers, which won an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science Scientific and Engineering Award in 1992. Recently, he has been leading the Shop’s work with its revolutionary puppeteered animation system. He recently directed Battleground, an episode for TNT’s anthology series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.

Patrick Bristow (Co-Creator/ Director/ Host) is best known for his numerous television appearances most notably as Peter on the groundbreaking ABC series Ellen. Other television credits include, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and others. Film credits include Twilight Of The Golds, The Longest Yard, as well as the first Austin Powers, So I Married An Ax Murderer, and the accidental comedy Showgirls.  Bristow is also an alum of The Groundlings Main Company where he has performed, taught, and directed. He won a Garland Award for his performance in The Break-Up Notebook and though nominated for an Ovation award for the same role, didn't manage to snag that one. 

Direction credits include Hot Dog TV for the Cartoon Network, IronSink.com 's Freakdom Of Speech, Improvatorium's current hit show, Zombience!  He has served as an improv consultant for The WB, Bravo's Significant Others, Disneyland, Fox TV, and others.

He lives in L.A. with his wonderful partner of 16 years, Andrew Nicastro.
He sincerely hopes you enjoy Stuffed And Unstrung.

Grant Baciocco is the producer and host of the Henson.com Podcast, the official podcast of The Jim Henson Company. He is also the creator of several other award winning, family friendly podcasts including The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, Did This Happen? and Grant's Advent Calendar Video Podcast. His comedy music act, Throwing Toasters, has toured clubs and colleges across the country, played a sold out show at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, had several #1 hits on the Dr. Demento show and opened for "Weird Al" Yankovic. He is also an Associate Producer on Joel Hodgson's Cinematic Titanic. Find out more at www.MrGrant.com. "What I enjoy most is not what the puppets are saying or doing that makes the audience laugh; it’s if the audience knows what the puppets are thinking and they laugh…then I know it’s funny.”

Jennifer Barnhart is a performer with one foot in the human world and one in the puppet world; she enjoys when those worlds intersect, as in her recent appearance in Jim Henson's Emmet Otter up at Goodspeed. She is an original cast member (Outer Critics Circle Award) of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q. Favorite stage roles includeThe Angel in Angels in America, Olivia in Twelfth Night, and Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods. She has appeared on Law & Order: SVU and As the World Turns; puppeteering credits include Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Lomax: the Hound of Music, Johnny and the Sprites, and Bear in the Big Blue House. 

Bill Barretta began his twenty-year relationship with The Jim Henson Company playing “Earl” on the hit series Dinosaurs.  In addition to creating Muppet characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear and Johnny Fiama, he has gratefully taken over Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef and Dr. Teeth, characters originally created by the late great Jim Henson. Performer, writer, producer and consultant credits include Muppets Treasure Island, Muppets Tonight, Muppets From Space, It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas, Muppets Wizard of Oz, and Jack and the Beanstalk:  The Real Story (co-writer and “Thunderdell the giant”). 

Julianne Buescher is an actor, writer, Second City alum, and founding member of Stuffed & Unstrung. Stage credits include Velma Kelly in Chicago, Kate in Old Times, and Helen in Baby with the Bathwater. TV/Film credits include The Middle, Criminal Minds, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 24, Supernatural, The Simpsons, Pirates of the Caribbean, Robot Chicken, Mr & Mrs Smith, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and E! (narrator/host). She also created and starred in the award-winning film Resculpting Venus: a Comedy about Breast Cancer, and created many of the puppets featured in Stuffed and Unstrung. “Nothing says 'Love' like a dog puppet humping your arm."

Tyler Bunch has been working as an actor/puppeteer in the NYC area for eighteen years. In addition to performing such characters as Parris in The Crucible, Bottom in Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pooh Bah in The Mikado, he may also be recognized by youngsters (or the young at heart) for his performances as Pop, Treelo and Doc Hogg (Bear in the Big Blue House), or Grampu, Dr. Nitwhite, Winslow or Baby Cookie Monster (OOBI, Between The Lions, It’s a Big, Big World, Sesame Beginnings). “I am surprised at how amazed the audience is to see how we do what we do. Working with puppets for a long time, I forget that the audience hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to see behind the magic. The fact that we’re throwing that all out there in this show is a really new thing.”

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is an Emmy-nominated puppeteer and multi-faceted entertainer whose stage credits range from the Beggar Woman in Sweeny Todd to the numerous characters in Lilly Tomlin's Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe. TV / film credits include Sesame Street, Johnny and the Sprites, Muppets Tonight, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Suess, The Simpsons, and Nickelodeon's Tough Puppy. She created The Wahoo Wagon, a stage show for Disney's El Capitan Theater and will be premiering her new musical “Wake up Your Weird” at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek this September. 

“I find it comforting that in this show a cavewoman can go on a blind date with an alien that her beaver buddy set up with a mutual ferret friend who is married to a punk rock monkey with a fish fetish. I feel like I fit in."

Brian Clark co-produced, co-storied and starred in Sizzle (an improvised Borat-style comedy about global warming).  A member of the Groundlings, he later discovered puppetry, a helpful skill when he was cast in Puppet Up! and as a puppet panelist on  the Game Show Network’s Late Night Liars.   Writing credits include That Gay Ghost, In the Club, Yokies, Baydogs and The Children of Toromiro. Brian co-founded the sketch comedy group The Deviants and though he regularly fails at relationships, he currently employs himself by giving sex advice to women from the male perspective as a contributing writer for Betty Confidential.com. “Performing in Stuffed and Unstrung is like being possessed by multiple demons at the same time. Only these demons are made of felt and when they make you say something bad, technically it's still your fault.”

Stephanie DAbruzzo is a Tony and Drama Desk-nominated performer best known for originating her roles in Broadways Avenue Q (Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award). NYC stage includes Dont Say Another Word, Plaisir DAmour, Austentatious, Kiss and Makeup, I Love You Because, If You Give a Mouse A Cookie & Other Storybooks, and Gravid Water at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Other cities have seen her in [title of show], The Guys, and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical. TV includes Sesame Street (17 seasons), Oobi, The Wonder Pets!, Jacks Big Music Show, Sheep in the Big City, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, I Love the 70s Part II/80s 3D, and Scrubs. Go U Northwestern.

James Godwin Puppeteer credits include: Book of Pooh, Bear in the Big Blue House, Between the Lions, Oobi, Blue’s Room, Saturday Night Live, Chapelle’s Show, the Spike Lee-directed commercial for iam.com, and  It’s A Big, Big World for PBS where he plays the character BOB. James also co-founded the puppet company The Elementals. The Elementals have performed at P.S. 122, Dance Theater Workshop, HERE, the Walker Art Center, and in the Henson International Festival of Puppetry.

Drew Massey is an actor, puppeteer, and voice-over artist whose film credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Hangover, Men In Black, Muppets From Space, The Producers, Doctor Dolittle, and Team America: World Police, among others.  Drew has also performed in TV shows such as: Angel, Greg the Bunny, Warren The Ape, Malcolm in the Middle, Muppets Tonight, and Crank Yankers.  He is nice to the elderly, loves animals, and is convinced that dairy products are bad for him.  He also helped create some of the many puppets featured in Stuffed And Unstrung. 

Ted Michaels is an alum of the performing company at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles where he was featured in their main stage shows. He also performed with Eddie Izzard in Mr. Izzard's One Word Improv stage show in Los Angeles. Recently, he puppeteered characters for MTV's spinoff of Greg the Bunny, called Warren The Ape. In addition to many commercial appearances, his television credits include roles on The Comeback, Campus Ladies, According to Jim, Girlfriends and Mad TV. “My favorite moments in the show are when we strike on an absurd idea and everyone goes nuts with it- piling on nonsense from every angle until that absurd idea somehow begins to make perfect sense.”

Michael Oosterom is an actor whose stage credits include the American Conservatory Theater, The California Shakespeare Festival, The San Francisco Mime Troupe and the national tour of Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile. TV credits include Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, The District, and Help Me Help You. Recent puppet credits include Where The Wild Things Are, Pushing Daisies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Dante's Inferno. He is an alumni of The Groundlings Sunday Company. “I love the warthog puppet. So ugly and yet so beautiful.”

Paul Rugg, a founding member of the ACME Comedy Group in Hollywood and an award winning writer for TV animation, has lent his vocal talent to shows such as Animaniacs, Pinky and The Brain, Histeria, Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command, Dave The Barbarian, Toonsylvania, American Dragon, and Catscratch. Paul also wrote, produced and starred in Freakazoid as well as the Manny The Uncanny segments for ABC’s One Saturday Morning. Recently he also performed Ditch in the animated web series for PBS KIDS GO!, Wilson & Ditch: Digging America.

Colleen Smith is a Groundlings Sunday Company alum and currently teaches improv at the Groundlings school. She is a correspondent on The Showbiz Show with David Spade. Her other television credits include The Office, World Cup Comedy, The Singles Table, Carpoolers, and King of the Hill. She is the co-creator of an original series called Danger Force Five. She is also the co-creator of DateGarden.com, a fictional dating website, and of The Smith Brown Project, a two woman show which ran at The Comedy Central Stage and UCB. 

Allan Trautman began his performing career as an actor, noted for his portrayal of “Tarman” in the cult classics Return of the Living Dead: Parts One and Two. He has gone on to puppeteer in such features as Muppets From Space, Cats & Dogs, Babe, the Men in Black  films, and Dr. Dolittle (for which he was also performance coordinator). His television puppeteering credits include Greg the Bunny, Unhappily Ever After, Muppets Tonight and Dinosaurs, and he was nominated for two Emmys for his work on D.C. Follies. He is currently featured in the web series, Lost Untangled, which can be seen at abc.com. “With television, you only get to see half the fun we have. Now you can see what happens when the cameras stop rolling."

Victor Yerrid is an actor and puppeteer who likes calling people “Hank” regardless of their name. His credits include The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Team America, Men In Black II, Robot Chicken, The Sarah Silverman Program, Warren The Ape, Crank Yankers, Angel, Greg The Bunny, Sid The Science Kid, and Sesame Street. Victor enjoys most berry-based smoothies and adores his wife Janet. “The best part of my night is when somebody comes up to me after the show and says ‘Wow, you were fantastic! How do you come up with all of that ridiculous stuff?’ Then they usually say ‘Wait…you’re not Ted Michaels."

Jen Schriever – Lighting Designer

Recent Designs:  Hairspray (Oasis of the Seas), An Evening Without Monty Python (L.A. & Town Hall), A Streetcar Named Desire, The Winter's Tale (Berlind Theatre), Kaboom (Cherry Lane), The Epic of Sunjata (Loft), Lend me a Tenor, Other People's Money (Engeman), As Far As We Know (Flamboyan). Upcoming Design: Pearl Fishers (ENO), Premiers: Inner Voices Solo Musicals (59E59). Recent Associate Design - Broadway: Fences, A Behanding in Spokane, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, You’re Welcome America, American Buffalo, 13 - A New Musical, A Catered Affair, Cymbeline, The Vertical Hour, The Color Purple, The Threepenny Opera.  First foray into puppets: Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas (Goodspeed).  BFA: Purchase College.

Kerry McDonald – Sound Designer
Kerry has produced live and recorded sound across the globe for the past 8 years. He has made sonorous contributions to listeners’ ears as a record producer at his studio Viva La Fuzz! and as a live sound Audio Engineer for Eddie Izzard, Camera Obscura, Passion Pit, The Vaselines, Isobel Campbell, Frightened Rabbit, Rogue Wave, Matt Nathanson, and Pinback. He has designed, repaired, and teched systems for The Eddie Izzard Stripped tour, The NYC Fringe festival, Memphis band shell, and NASCAR. He currently resides in NYC and is the Audio Production Manager for Bentley Meeker lighting and staging. He is also an advocate of the theory that Mexican food improves ones hearing.

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Stones in His Pockets

a kate west review
by Marie Jones
directed by Zeljko Djukic
a TUTA Theatre West Production
at The Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
August 19 - September 17, 2001
contact (323) 960-7822 or Plays411

Olivier-award winning "Stones in His Pockets" originally premiered in Ireland in 1996, depicting a small Irish town taken over by a Hollywood film crew and the resulting conflicts that would inevitably arise. The latest version, actually showcased in Hollywood, remains true to the original story.

Andrew Friedman and Jerry Richardson play multiple characters, zipping through personalities and accents at a break-neck speed, reminiscent of a similar two-person show, "Greater Tuna" (set in the American South). While "Tuna" has more defined transitions, "Stones" runs through its plots of characters so fast that at first it is a bit difficult to follow. Once you get the hang of it, however, (watch the changing handkerchiefs), the story makes much more sense. It helps that Marie Jones wrote some compelling dialogue, with convincing drama between the characters. Although it would be awfully nice if more time could be spent on some of the characters, especially the ones with significant life changing events. It's still interesting, but would be even more so if we were able to invest just that much more.

That said, Friedman and Richardson do an excellent job of keeping it all together. They handle the accents fine and are able to switch back and forth between a dizzying amount of personalities (young, old, male, female, you name it) like the seasoned professionals they are. Their range of emotions in such quick changes is impressive as well, so kudos to them both for a great display of versatility. They are definitely a good team and work terrifically well with each other. And the obvious comfort level and chemistry between them is really nice to see. Director Zeljko Djukic must have worked long hours getting all those characters straightened out for everyone. Natasha Djukic’s minimalist set works with the quick mood and scene changes, as that seems to be the most utilitarian, and the same can be said for costuming. There is virtually no time for set or costume changing within the manic piece, so that’s that.

The essential story is that of Charlie and Jake, two Irish extras on location in their home town during an American film shoot and all the variety of people they interact with, from all walks of life. Of course there are some cultural misunderstandings and always the underlying Irish national weariness of being the constant underdog. Again, it is initially tricky to follow what's going on until you understand the transitions between all the people. Sad Irish laments happen, with some flashes of American disdain. Some of the characters are more dimensional than others, and again could really use some fleshing out. The behind-the-scenes drama of a play-within-a-play is always catchy though and it's fun to kind of see the inner workings of a big budget studio set. From the standpoint of a play anyway. The film terminology is fairly correct, and as an added bonus, they talk about cows a lot too.

Do these two countries finally come together in united understanding at the end? Well, that wouldn’t be very realistic, would it? So no, things pretty much continue as they are, but the plight of the little people, the extras and underdogs, gets a little spotlight. Big pictures are made of up of tiny points of view, literally and figuratively, and “Stones” attempts to capture this, from the other side of the screen. Good acting and lyrical writing help that along and the audience seems to respond well to the onstage energy. It’s running one more weekend, so be sure and catch it at the Zephyr in good ‘ol Hollywood. Nice job, guys - there's a reason you're Ovation recommended.

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