Theatre Review: Murder After Hours (The Hollow)

Posted on August 17, 2024August 17, 2024 by Glamour

Agatha Christie‘s adaptation of Murder After Hours (The Hollow) is mostly a psychological thriller with instances of physical comedy. The exposition builds up the dynamic relationships and the suspense starts to take over at the end of Act One. The time is 1951 in the garden room of Sir Henry Angkatell’s house, The Hollow, near London.

Henry (John Combs) is married to Lucy (Dani Thompson). She has invited some of her relatives to visit for the weekend. Also invited is Dr. John Christow (an extraordinary Jason Culp), a dedicated doctor with a charming demeanor to seduce women. Despite his fame as a playboy, Dr. Cristow is married to Gerda (Roslyn Cohn), a rather dull woman whose relentless effort to please him creates a monotonous relationship. During Act One, Dr. Cristow becomes the center of attention. He is married to Gerda, but is also the love interest of Henrietta (Meghan Lewis). He is also romantically involved with the Angkatells’ neighbor, Veronica Craye (Gina Yates), an actress and a diva. The relationship between Dr. Cristow and Henrietta bothers Edward (Joe Clabby), who is in love with Henrietta. In turn, that bothers Midge (Rebecca Del Sesto), who is in love with Edward. At the end of Act One, there’s a murder and the Scotland Yard gets involved. Inspector Colquhoun (Chris Winfield) and Detective Sergeant Penny (Patrick Anthony) take on the job to solve the mystery.

If Dr. Cristow is the center of attention in Act One, Gerda becomes the most intriguing figure in Act Two. Cohn delivers a solid performance as a dedicated wife in Act One, but turns things around in Act Two, especially at the end, when her personality casts a darker tone to the play. When she cries, there are tears involved, no dry tears here; a true professional actress. Director Jules Aaron has assembled a fantastic cast with experienced actors and newcomers to infuse new life to a story written in 1946. The acting is excellent, both main and secondary characters are convincing. Even though it feels that the story is moving at a slow pace—it’s just the way the story was written—the actors deliver a convincing performance to keep things moving forward.

Set design. Checked. It’s full of details and the background paintings add an airy and garden-like feel to the stage. The costumes also deserve a special mention. The designs, colors, and textures are reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood, shoes and hair styles included. And we can’t forget the music. It really feels like we’re watching an old suspense movie from the 40s. All of the hard work put into this production is evident in every artistic element displayed on stage.

The Group Rep has been alternating period pieces with contemporary stories, balancing an attractive theatre offer to the local scene. Murder After Hours (The Hollow) is another delightful production to add to their catalog.

Murder After Hours (The Hollow)

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage
10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood 91601

August 2 – September 8

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm,

Tickets: thegrouprep.com

Written by Agatha Christie. Directed by Jules Aaron. Produced by Cynthia Payo.

Cast: Patrick Anthony (Sergeant Penny), Joe Clabby (Edward Angkatell), Roslyn Cohn (Gerda Cristow), John Combs (Sir Henry
Angkatell), Jason Culp (John Cristow), Megan Deford (Doris), Rebecca Del Sesto (Midge Harvey), Meghan Lewis (Henrietta Angkatell), Michael Robb (Gudgeon), Dani
Thompson (Lady Lucy Angkatell), Chris Winfield (Inspector Colquhoun) and Gina Yates (Veronica Craye).

Creative team: Chris Winfield (Set Design), Shon Le Blanc (Costume Design), Frank McKown (Lighting Design), Nick Foran (Sound Design & Effects), Linda Brennan (Dialect Coach), Judi Lewin (Make-up/Hair Design), Patrick Gallagher (Prop Master), John Ledley (Stage Manager), Doug Haverty (Graphics).

Theatre Review: A Slight Ache

Posted on September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 by Glamour

A Slight Ache is presented by Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger. Written by Harold Pinter. Directed by Jack Heller.

An apparent peaceful morning is disrupted by a wasp and a match seller. Flora (Susan Priver, Harold and Maude) is sitting with her husband Edward (Henry Olek) when a wasp decides to approach their table while they’re breakfasting in the garden. The dynamics of their relationship becomes more evident as they try to figure out how to get rid of the insect. But Edward’s biggest concern is not the wasp. Rather, it’s the disconcerting presence of an old match seller (Shelly Kurtz) who has been loitering by the gate of their home for days. Flora and Edward decide to invite the man into their home to find out who he really is.

One of most iconic elements of this play is the speechless nature of the match seller. He doesn’t utter a single world during the whole play. Yet, like in music, in Harold Pinter‘s plays, silence is as important as dialogue. In this absurdist piece, the match seller reflects not a character, but an image, an inner fear or an aspirational idea of a man, depending on who you ask. For Edward, the match seller is the unstoppable marching of time, the reflection of what Edward will become in just a few more years. Edward knows that his body is deteriorating, turning him into a frail remnant of what he once was. He is holding on for dear life to what he believes will sustain him through the dreadful ageing process, his mental capacities, as if detaching his mind from his decaying body. Edward went from writing about “the Belgian Congo” to a more philosophical and contemplative topic; he’s now writing an essay on “space and time”. This is probably a symbol of inwardness, an unconscious attempt to find the meaning of life at the last stages of his existence.

Flora sees the match seller as the man Edward could have been. In Pinter’s style, the speechless man is used as an instrument to allow the exposition of the other characters. In one of the scenes, Flora tells the match seller of the time she was raped. She also tries to explore the possibilities of the match seller as a companion, expressing her sexual frustrations and implying the lack of sexual activity with Edward. These are examples of Pinter’s use of the absurd to portray not just characters, but concepts that reflected the lives of the English society in a time of rapid changes, specially the representation of classes when England was recuperating from the difficult economic misfortunes of previous decades.

One of the highlights of Jack Heller‘s production is the collaboration with his actors to work from an internal approach, exploring the richly psychological aspects of this brilliant play. The actors dig deep into the fears, desires, and frustrations of the characters to bring a refreshing new look at one of Pinter’s earlier plays, one that delves into the often complex relationships among mind, body, and society at large. Even though Pinter wrote A Slight Ache in 1958 at a specific period in England, the fears of becoming irrelevant and the painful process of aging are topics that are timeless and universal.

In addition to the excellent acting and directing, the scenic design (Jeff G. Rack) and costumes (Michael Mullen) combine in great detail the past and the present. Flora and Edward sport a refined look in their privileged 50s home setting while the match seller wears clothes that remind us of the very familiar sight in our streets nowadays. A clever commentary on classes back in Pinter’s England and a contrast that persists in our America today.

A Slight Ache

A visiting production at the
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025

Performances: August 26 – October 1
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 14; Sept. 21; Sept. 28
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 8; Sept. 15; Sept. 22; Sept. 29
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Aug. 26 (opening); Sept. 9; Sept. 16; Sept. 23; Sept. 30
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Sept. 10; Sept. 17; Sept. 24; Oct. 1

Tickets: odysseytheatre.com

Written by Harold Pinter. Directed by Jack Heller. Starring Shelly Kurtz, Henry Olek, Susan Priver. Presented by Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger. Creative team: Scenic designer Jeff G. Rack, lighting designer Ellen Monocroussos, sound designer Christopher Moscatiello, costume designer Michael Mullen and graphic designer Kiff Scholl. The production stage manager is Sarah Dawn Lowry.

Theatre Review: Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses

Posted on June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 by Glamour

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum presents Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses. Written by William Shakespeare. Compiled, edited, and directed by Ellen Geer.

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum‘s artistic director Ellen Geer compiled Shakespeare’s best-known history plays—Henry VI Parts I, II and III, and Richard III—into a new edit of War of the Roses.

This play pays special attention to the women of the British court, Margaret of Anjou, (Melora Marshall), Dame Eleanor/Queen Elizabeth (both portrayed by Willow Geer), the Duchess of York (Cynthia Kania), and Lady Anne (Claire Simba). These women are a reflection of the tragedies and insatiable ambition for power that characterized the brutal period known as the War of the Roses, spanning from 1455 to 1487.

This historical drama is a fascinating tale of intrigue, murder, and epic battles that fragmented the relationships between the monarchy and the nobility of England. The rivalry between the Lancaster and Plantagenet dynasties created new problems and opportunities. For one, the use of violence as a political tool became a common tactic to eliminate rivals, specially among the nobles and wealthy barons. It also created a phenomenon known as bastard feudalism, a way for those wealthy landowners to access the throne without having a direct royal bloodline, like in the case of Richard III (Jon Sprik).

The story is a parade of dubious characters. One of them is Lord Suffolk (Jon Sprik), a powerful figure who exercised the power behind the throne by taking advantage of a weak royal like Henry VI (Emoria Weidner). It was Suffolk who convinced Henry VI to marry Margaret of Anjou (Melora Marshall). Lord Suffolk and Queen Margaret were lovers and manipulated Henry VI at will. Their extramarital affair was so intense that Margaret carried around his severed head when Suffolk was captured and beheaded by an angry mob. In this play, Geer features Queen Margaret conspicuously, just like Shakespeare does in his History plays. Marshall, as usual, is impressive. She convincingly portrays a manipulative, intelligent, and courageous queen consort that controls the mentally unstable Henry VI, even leading an army and personally executing the powerful Duke of York (Max Lawrence), who was also vying for the throne of England.

As the battles and conspiracies continue with riveting performances by experienced and new actors, one thespian deserves special attention: Jon Sprik. His depiction of Richard III is a superb display of passion and technique. Not only his physical appearance and movements are exceptional—Richard III had scoliosis according to a study of his bones—but his speech is also sublime. His performance remind us of Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy, the kind of character actor that crosses the fine line between fiction and reality with ease to leave a powerful and everlasting impression on the stage.

This special production is an example of Ellen Geer’s fabulous skills as a director. The meticulous attention to detail and the performances of her actors show her love and dedication for theatre.

Even though the story is based on past developments, the same virtues and shortcomings affect the relationships between government officials, political adversaries, and their constituents today. The lighting casts a red hue on the scene where a mob chases down Richard III at the end of the play; it’s the red of the pool of blood upon which the kingdom of England was built. It’s the red of danger when despotic rulers abuse their power and commit crimes against humanity. Almost like a prophecy, Shakespeare’s writings continue to reflect the state of the world in which we live.

Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290
(midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway)

June 24–October 1

Tickets and full schedule: theatricum.com

Written by William Shakespeare. Compiled, edited, and directed by Ellen Geer. Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Cast: Melora Marshall, Willow Geer, Cynthia Kania, Claire Simba, Roman Guastaferro, Emoria Weidner, Franc Ross, Max Lawrence, Jon Sprik, Tim Halligan, Gerald C. Rivers, Christopher Wallinger, Charlie Burg; Sara Carpenter; Ben Church; Rhett Curry; Cole Dechant, Emelie Dechant, Julius Geer-Polin, Dylan Greer, Colin Guthrie, Emerson Haller, Christopher Wei Fu Hernandez, Michael Kendrick, Andrew Klein, Tariq Mieres, Nations, Daniel Ramirez, Quinlynn Scheppner, Anthony Soliz, Sky Wahl, Aralyn Wilson, and Elliott Gray Wilson. Creative team: Lighting designer Zach Moore, sound designer Charles Glaudini, costume designer Shon LeBlanc, and prop master Ian Geatz. Original music is composed by Marshall McDaniel. The production stage manager is Kim Cameron.