New theater company opens with promise
By ANN BENNETT - Sentinel correspondent
Posted: 10/01/2009 01:30:18 AM PDT
One of the nicest things about reviewing theater is the occasional surprise -- the show that suddenly appears out of nowhere and knocks your socks off. A new theater company in Santa Cruz -- with the piquant name Someone Else's Clothes -- pulled off that trick last weekend with an engaging and absorbing drama that captivated a small crowd at the Broadway Playhouse at the Santa Cruz Art League.
Working in association with West Performing Arts, the company chose a small gem for its inaugural show -- but one that requires an unusually dramatic dedication by a cast of only two performers. The play, "Seascape with Sharks and Dancer," by Don Nigro, is a beautiful and evocative look at an unlikely relationship that develops between two young people of strikingly different backgrounds who meet under unusual circumstances -- and confront and comfort each other despite their conflicting views of life and commitment. It's a poignant drama that is taut with tension and sprinkled with delightful unexpected comedy.
Chris Arias is Ben, a serious 28-year-old aspiring novelist who supports himself by working as a librarian; Annie Sell is the 20-year-old Tracy, a lost and emotionally fragile drifter who crashes into Ben's life and changes his world.
Arias and Sell take to the stage with effortless ease, readily establishing the companionable magnetism of two actors who are able to work together with extraordinary comfort. Each establishes a richly believable character and never strays from that persona, giving the play an extraordinarily fine depth of emotion.
As Ben, Arias is a gentle romantic who finds the confrontational Tracy both appealing and frightening; his portrayal is rich and endearing as he tries to cope with the unexpected drama in his life and offer traditional comfort in a non-traditional situation. Arias is warmly restrained and shyly determined, and his occasional indulgence in humorous observation provides wonderfully funny and unanticipated comedy.
It is Annie Sell's splendid performance, however, that propels the play. Sell captures Tracy's deep unhappiness and frenetic energy with beautiful conviction, and projects the young woman's pain and defensiveness relentlessly. From Tracy's coy and flirtatious attempts at control to her angry dismissals and rejections, Sell has the character nailed. Her vulnerable Tracy is on an emotional teeter-totter that could easily slide into a caricature of hysteria, and Sell keeps her in check with elegant control.
The couple is directed by Manuel Yoro with perfect timing and emphasis; the drama flows and cascades through the pair's tentatively developing trust -- and erupts spectacularly at intervals along the way.
The set no designer named is rich with detail and costumes by Amanda James are nicely appropriate.
"Seascape with Sharks and Dancer" is a fine script; playwright Nigro makes use of excellent dialogue to develop his story, and the comedy provides an unusually satisfying counterpoint to the drama. The play is powerful and touching, and Arias and Sell bring the characters to life with stark and compelling skill. It's a grand introduction for this new theater company -- let's hope that Someone Else's Clothes continues to offer such a great fit.
What's on tap for 2010? More writing, more directing, more producing and maybe a film? Keep following this blog throughout the year to keep updated on "Someone Else's Clothes" future productions and anything else that tickles my fancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment