David Ives x 2, and Some Other Catching Up From This Lazy Boy

I've been distracted/lazy lately (take your pick, though I think it's a combination of the two), though that doesn't mean I've been slouching on my theatregoing. So here's a quick roundup of everything I can remember seeing, hopefully not leaving anything important out:

David Ives seems to be an awfully busy playwright right around now. His adaptation of Mark Twain's "Is He Dead?" opened earlier this month, and then today was the first preview of his new play, "New Jerusalem."

First "New Jerusalem," because I just saw it and so it's freshest in my mind. "New Jerusalem" sits firmly in the category of 'educational theatre.' As far as I'm concerned, it's a very lively lecture on the philosophy of Baruch de Espinoza. Not that that's a bad thing. I went in knowing absolutely nothing about Espinoza, and I left having been very much entertained, and interested in learning more about him... though if the interview with Ives in the lobby is to believed (and I suspect it is), I probably wouldn't much enjoy slogging through Espinoza's writings. Thanks to clear and unpretentious writing from Ives, and a lively performance David Garrison in the role of Espinoza, I actually think I understood what was going on. The other characters, even though played by greats such as Richard Easton (who, since it was the first preview, was having some trouble with his lines in the first act) and Fyvush Finkel (!!!), seemed just sort of thrown into the mix because they were historically necessary (the play is set at the trial of Espinoza, where it was decided whether he would be excommunicated from the Jewish community), and because this had to be a play and not just a lecture on philosophy. They aren't given much interesting to do until the end, and really there isn't much of what I would call dramatic tension (even less if you read the previously mentioned interview pamphlet in the lobby, where the outcome of the trial is given away, for such non-history buffs as myself). There is one character - Espinoza's sister - played by Jenn Harris (who seemed to be channeling Jackie Hoffman), who I think must have just been thrown in for comic relief, because her schtick seemed totally out of place in what was otherwise a totally serious and perhaps stuffy drama. It was like she wandered in from another play. Those caveats aside, I was actually riveted much of the time, because Espinoza's philosophy is so interesting - and thankfully colorfully and interestingly presented. As a piece of drama, perhaps "New Jerusalem" isn't the greatest, but as a piece of educational entertainment it's a resounding success. It's like the audience is all a bunch of little kids, and Ives puts a piece of spinach (Espinoza's philosophy) on a spoon and moves it towards the audience saying "woosh.... open wide... here comes the plane in for a landing," and the audience obligingly opens and accepts it, and actually enjoys it. Go figure.

"Is He Dead?," on the other hand, requires so trickery on Ives' part in order to entertain the audience, because it is pure, delicious, tooth rotting, sugar rush inducing, junk food. It's really just a ridiculous hoot. The cast, led by the hilarious Norbert Leo Butz (who finally found a proper role for himself after impressing me in "Thou Shalt Not" and "Last Five Years," and then irritating me with his obnoxious characters in "Wicked" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), is absolute perfection. The whole thing is just turn your brain off, sit back and relax, perfectly executed, stupid fun.

Less perfectly executed, but still fun to a degree is David Mamet's "November." I will note that I went to the first preview last week, and it's supposedly undergoing changes. I plan to go back sometime just before or after opening, so hopefully the kinks will be worked out, if that is possibly. The play - about a rather desperate president with pitiful ratings and very little time left in office (though it may sound like him, it really has nothing to do with Bush) - is just a bunch of silly fluff, at least in the first act. Mamet tries to get more serious in the second act, and things slogged down a bit, until a not all that satisfactory ending. Still, I did laugh quite a bit and I did enjoy myself. Anyone expecting some deep biting political satire will probably be rather disappointed. Anyway, I think there's promise there, but I reserve full judgment until I see it a second time.

Another play with a fun first act, and less satisfying second is David Henry Hwang's "Yellow Face." The first act was sort of fun, but the second, which turn serious, was absolutely interminable. It extended its run, but I think it still closes in two weeks or so. There are better options out there.

"August: Osage County" is as good as everything you've heard. Three and a half hours just fly by. I've seen it twice already, and could easily go back for a third helping. It's so funny, you almost forget how depressing the whole thing is... at least until the end. Terrific ensemble acting. A play that's longer than three hours than isn't a pretentious (Tom Stoppard) bore. I'd forgotten that was possible.

"The Homecoming" is just really bizarre. I'm not really a Pinter fan - he usually sits down there with Stoppard on my list of most overrated playwrights - though I think this is the closest I've come to actually enjoying one of his plays. I just sort of sat there jaw dropped for most of the second act. I don't know what to say. I'm still speechless all these weeks after seeing it. I will say that the acting - especially from Eve Best, who it's pretty much impossible to tear your eyes away from when she's onstage - is excellent. It's certainly a good season not just for plays on Broadway, but for extremely fine ensemble acting in plays on Broadway ("The Seafarer" also falls into this category. As does "Rock N Roll," though only for ensemble acting, not for being a good play).

I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but I think that covers pretty much everything important.

Oh. Maybe I should mention the movie of "Sweeney Todd"? I've been twice already - once to an opening night midnight screening, and then again during daylight hours. Hurrah for Tim Burton not just making a work of art, but one that's extremely faithful to its source material. All of that chatter about Pirelli rapping or "Epiphany" being cut turned out to be bunk. No, Johnny Depp and HB Cater aren't the world's greatest singers, but I though their singing worked well. Carter's voice especially needs to be heard along with the visuals - listening to her on the soundtrack I was cringing a bit, but seeing her whole performance on film, I found her wacky voice just added to the bizarreness of her Mrs. Lovett. Oh, and for the record, it's even better the second time :O)

NOW, I think I've covered everything important. And hopefully I'll remember what I missed between now and my next entry.