Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Stratford Festival, Day 4: PRIVATE LIVES & LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

• By drediman
• August 21, 2019
• No Comments

If the previous day at the festival was a day of extremities, my fourth day of theatergoing at Stratford was notable for its levity, despite some unorthodox subject matters (i.e., divorce, man-eating plants). Here are my ongoing thoughts …

Saturday, 17 August 2019

Geraint Wyn Davies and Lucy Peacock in Noël Coward’s “Private Lives” at the Avon Theatre.

After the oppressive drama of The Crucible last night, I was relieved to lighten up the mood by attending a production of Private Lives (RECOMMENDED), Noël Coward’s delectable comedy of manners, at the Avon Theatre. Underneath the play’s indisputable wit and sophisticated humor is a critique of the institution of marriage and the rules that define romantic relationships. In the play, a divorced couple – Elyot and Amanda, both strong, stubborn personalities – inadvertently run into each other after five years apart and reassess (and redefine) their relationship. The play is a sort of antithesis of Edward Albee’s lacerating Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which is to say that Elyot and Amanda constructively work through the hole(s) they’ve dug for themselves, despite their frequent skirmishes. The production is led by beloved Stratford veterans Geraint Wyn Davies and Lucy Peacock as Elyot and Amanda, respectively (both also appear together this season in the less successful The Merry Wives of Windsor). Any good production of Private Lives hinges on the believability of these characters’ urbane world-weariness and strong chemistry with each other, which both performers marvelously exude. The younger supporting cast is also very good, particularly Mike Shara, who has in the festival proven time and time again to be quite a gifted, natural comedic actor. The production has been suavely directed by Carey Perloff. And although I missed the detailed specificity of previous versions of the play I’ve seen – the designs here are more stylized, even cartoonish – it’s all a mere matter of preference. More or less, this Private Lives was a delight from start to finish.

Gabi Epstein and André Morin in Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Avon Theatre.

Up next, after a wonderfully atmospheric dining experience at the Revival House (a former church turned restaurant), I ventured once again to the Avon Theatre to catch a revival of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman’s now-classic, perfectly-scored musical Little Shop of Horrors (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Before Mr. Menken and Mr. Ashman became household names as the masterminds behind some of Disney’s biggest animated feature hits (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast), they created a little show called Little Shop of Horrors based on the 1960 B-movie of the same name about a man-eating plant from outer space who seduces a nerdy florists assistant and the rest of the world. I’m happy to report that the staging by Donna Feore was ecstatic, fast-paced, and lovable. It’s also unafraid to embrace the musical’s brash, subversive elements, which are sprinkled throughout, giving the musical and production unexpected bite. André Morin’s strong-voiced Seymour was just about perfect, displaying the necessary geekiness, charm, and a touch of sex appeal. Gabi Epstein and the busy and versatile Dan Chameroy also fared beautifully as Audrey and Orin (and others, hilariously), respectively, creating characters that managed to mine some depth from arguably two-dimensional characters. This Little Shop of Horrors is one of the flashier physical productions of the festival, which is an impressive accomplishment considering that it shares the Avon stage with three other shows (!).

THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL
Regional, Plays/Musicals
Festival Theatre / Avon Theatre / Studio Theatre
Various productions in repertory through October