Dumbed Down at Plan-B Theatre

During my last few years teaching at Hunter High School I was lucky enough to have Darryl Stamp in the classroom across the hall from mine. He was an exceptional teacher and a wonderful colleague (he talked me down from the roof on more than one occasion). We retired at about the same time and, while I channeled my energies into a rigorous schedule of reading and napping, Darryl used his experiences at Hunter and other schools to write the play Dumbed Down which is currently having its world premiere with the Plan-B Theatre Company. I had the opportunity to see this play last night with my friend Angela, another former colleague in the English department at Hunter, and we both could definitely relate to the material (we were often the only ones in the audience laughing out loud). Kevin Simon (Danor Gerald) is an English teacher in a tough urban high school who is about to retire. Even though he must deal with endless interruptions from the office and counseling center and students who fall asleep, are on their phones, and request the hall pass multiple times, his lessons are engaging and he is able to get the students thinking about the material because he makes it relevant to them, especially Malcolm Thomas (Jacob Barnes) and Craig Wilson (Alex Smith). Isaiah Rogers (Chad Brown), one of Mr. Simon's former students, doesn't see the point of school because he has been labeled as learning disabled (despite an encyclopedic knowledge of movies) and is always in trouble (as a Black male he often makes his current English teacher feel unsafe and is therefore punished for minor infractions which usually involves picking up trash after school). Mr. Simon eventually retires but finds it difficult to stay away so he takes a job teaching in the prison system where he encounters both Isaiah and Craig who are happy for the opportunity to learn from him again. This is the most realistic portrayal of the teaching profession that I have seen on stage or film and I was particularly struck by a scene where Mr. Simon is praised for being engaging but is also reminded to work harder to prepare the students for an upcoming standardized test during his evaluation by the administrator (Jacob Barnes). This perfectly represents how education as an institution fails so many students by refusing to see them as individuals. I also loved a powerful monologue in which Mr. Simon compares teaching to Tylenol because it is time-released. This is an incredible reminder of the impact that one good teacher can have on the future lives of their students if given the proper support. I loved Gerald's performance because he absolutely nails all of the highs (it is thrilling when a student makes a connection) and lows (it is absolutely exhausting to find ways to facilitate those connections) of teaching. I also loved Brown's performance because he reminded me of so many of my students. Finally, I found it ironic that the minimal set works for both a school and a prison because I often referred to Hunter High as a prison because it is so sterile! This is authentic, thought-provoking, and surprisingly funny, especially if you are an educator or former educator, and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the Studio Theatre at the Rose on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through March 1.

Note:  The line that got the biggest laugh from both me and Angela was when Mr. Simon referred to teaching high school as teen daycare because that was a signature line from Mr. Stamp!

Bitter Lemon at Plan-B Theatre

I loved Melissa Leilani Larson's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice so I was very excited to see her take on a minor character from Macbeth (one of my favorite Shakespeare plays) in Plan-B Theatre's production of Bitter Lemon last night. It is absolutely brilliant and I loved it just as much as the earlier play. Lady Helen Macduff (Yolanda Stange) has been alone for an indeterminate amount of time in a liminal space between life and the afterlife longing to be reunited with her children. She is suddenly joined by Finlay Macbeth (Bobby Cody), the man she holds responsible for her death and the death of her children, and she is justifiably angry. At first he doesn't remember her or the circumstances of his death but, when his memories do return, they are of their romantic relationship from long ago. As more memories return, they engage in a tense back and forth as they try to figure out why they have both been left in purgatory together and what they can do to escape. As Helen lashes out at Finlay, he blames her for turning him into who he became by deserting him and pushing him into the arms of the ambitious Marion and then he blames her husband Andrew Macduff (I love that all of the characters now have first names) for betraying him before he finally takes responsibility for his actions and begs her to forgive him. It is very intriguing when marginalized characters from literature are reimagined and given some agency and this play presents Lady Macduff as not just a strong character but one that is integral to the whole narrative. Stange is outstanding at portraying her righteous anger and her grief but I also enjoyed seeing her eventually come to the realization that she must forgive her enemy for her own sake (the final moment is so dramatic). Cody plays Macbeth as a charismatic leader who was justified in doing what he did because he believed that would be a better king and it is fascinating to see that facade break down bit by bit as the play progresses. The moment he asks for forgiveness is so affecting. The minimal set, featuring a series of neutral panels as a backdrop and randomly placed stone blocks which are used as seating, makes the subtle changes in the lighting even more dramatic and the sound design, which reminded me of white noise, is quite unsettling. I wish that the costumes were period rather than contemporary but this did not detract from my enjoyment in the least. This is an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking piece about the nature of forgiveness and I highly recommend getting a ticket. It runs in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts through April 28 with Thursday and Friday evening performances and Saturday and Sunday matinee performances (go here).

Balthazar at Plan-B Theatre

Last night I went to see Plan-B Theatre's production of Balthazar, a new play by Debora Threedy which reimagines the story of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice from the perspective of Portia. Since The Merchant of Venice is one of my favorite plays (I wrote my senior thesis in college on it), I was really excited to see this and I enjoyed it very much! Portia (Lily Hye Soo Dixon), a noblewoman in Venice, consults with her cousin Bellario (Jason Bowcutt), a lawyer in Padua, after the reading of her father's will because she objects to the stipulation that she must marry the suitor who correctly chooses from three caskets, made of gold, silver, and lead, respectively. She finds it unfair and wishes to challenge the will but he argues that is it valid in the eyes of the law. This piques her interest in studying the law but Bellario refuses to teach her because she is a woman. Some time later a young man named Balthazar (Portia in disguise) visits Bellario in order to study the law with him and, even though he is angry when he realizes that it is Portia, he reluctantly agrees to teach her if she promises not to dress as a man again. However, she finds it necessary to become Balthazar to investigate the relationship between her suitor Bassanio and his close friend Antonio and then once again after her marriage to Bassanio to defend Antonio when he is unable to pay back a loan to Shylock taken out for Bassanio's benefit. After the trial, she confesses to Bellario that she has continued to appear in public as Balthazar, with the blessing of Bassanio, not just out of necessity but because she enjoys the freedom she feels as a man. She concludes that she is equally at home as both Portia and Balthazar. This is a quick 70 minutes, performed without an intermission, and I found it riveting. I especially enjoyed all of Bellario and Portia's spirited discussions about the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law and I also loved their discussions about gender fluidity. The most powerful scene for me is when Bellario initially refuses to break the law by recommending a woman as a lawyer but realizes that Portia is the best lawyer he has ever trained and that he would be recommending a person rather than a man or woman. Both Dixon and Bowcutt give compelling performances that showcase the journey to understanding their characters take. Even though the Studio Theatre is a small and intimate space, the set featuring Bellario's study is very elaborate and striking with a black and white checkerboard floor, red velvet curtains, a wall of Renaissance paintings, candle wall sconces, and a large wooden desk with benches. I was also impressed with the beautiful costumes featuring gorgeous fabrics and lots of embellishments. This is an interesting and thought-provoking production with an important message and it is definitely worth seeing. It runs through March 3 with evening performances on Thursdays and Fridays and matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (go here for tickets).

Go Home Come Back at Plan-B Theatre

I was so excited to see Plan-B Theatre's production of Go Home Come Back in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts last night because the playwright is my dear friend (and former colleague) Darryl Stamp. It is a heartwarming and humorous take on second chances and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will (Calbert Beck) and James (Lonzo Liggins) find themselves in a waiting room of sorts with no explanation of where they are or how they came to be there. There are flashbacks to when Will met his future wife Janice (Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin) and to an awkward encounter between James and his estranged daughter Monica (Marilyn Melissa Salguero) as well as periodic announcements (thanking them for their patience which is, rather amusingly, repeated in Spanish) over an intercom.  They are eventually directed to enter to an office where they each meet Llecenia (Kris Wing Peterson), the replacement for the retired St. Peter. It turns out that both Will and James have recently died but, in a new promotion called "Go home come back," they have each been given the opportunity to go home for an hour before they return for permanent placement. Will uses his time to make sure Janice knows how much he loves her while James attempts to make amends for being an absentee father to Monica. There is a thought-provoking twist when they once again find themselves back in the waiting room. I loved so many things about this show! Heaven is portrayed as a corporation and it is a lot of fun, especially all of the references to marketing, but I also found Llecenia's final monologue about loving her job because of all of the happy reunions she gets to witness to be especially comforting after recently losing both of my parents. I also found it hilarious that, despite some questionable behavior in his past, Will is granted a place in Heaven because he taught middle school for ten years and I found it incredibly poignant that the ne'er-do-well James is offered a chance at redemption. The cast is wonderful (I was particularly impressed with the chemistry between Beck and Darby-Duffin), the simple set in the intimate space is highly effective, and the lighting is very dramatic (especially the pillar of light as the characters move from the waiting room to the office). This is such a lovely play (my audience responded very favorably) and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket but, unfortunately, all of the remaining performances are sold out!

Note:  Darryl also curated a playlist of music for the show which can be heard before it begins.  I especially liked "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads.