Gerri Garner Entertainment File
American Radio Network, 5287 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027 (323) 464-4580

Broadcast Tape #991091
Kaleidoscope Radio Magazine: KCLA, KLAS, KPRO-AM
Air Date: Thursday, October 20, 1999

The Swan
By Ferenc Molnar

AT THE PACIFIC RESIDENT ENSEMBLE THEATRE THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO LIFE HUNGARIAN WRITER FERENC MOLNAR’s SELDOM SEEN 1920 ROMANTIC FABLE “THE SWAN”. THIS SHARP, FUNNY, SOPHISTICATED LOOK AT ARISTOCRATIC WEAKNESS AS THE PLAY EXAMINES THE CALCULATED MOTIVATIONS OF STATELY WELL BRED ROYALTY WHERE STATUS AND PRETENSION ARE BASICALLY THEIR REASON TO BE.

MARILYN FOX IS HILARIOUS IN A SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE AS BEATRICE, THE MOTHER OF AN ARROGANT DAUGHTER ALEXANDRA (SHIVA ROSE), WHO IS EMPHATICALLY SINGLE MINDED IN HER DETERMINATION TO HAVE THE GIRL MARRY A VISITING CROWN PRINCE (ROBERT LEE JACOBS), TO REGAIN THE FAMILY’S REGAL ROYAL LINEAGE. UNFORTUNATELY THE PRINCE SEEMS TO NOT TO SHOW ANY AMOROUS INTEREST IN BEATRICE’S DAUGHTER SO SHE BRAZENLY SETS OUT TO TRAP THE PRINCE BY HAVING ALEXANDRA LAVISH ATTENTION ON THE FAMILY SERVANT, THE CHILDREN’S TUTOR (ALEXANDER ENBERG).

NOW CALAMITY LOOMS WHEN THE YOUNG MALE SCHOLAR SUDDENLY EXPRESSES LOVE, AND AFFECTION FOR THIS BLUE BLOOD WELL ABOVE HIS STATION DEBUTANTE, AND STRONG EMOTIONAL FEELINGS HAVE BEEN AROUSED IN HER AS WELL.

NOW THIS LIGHT, BUT COMPELLING FAIRY TALE TAKES ON ELEMENTS OF FARCE WITH MISTAKEN SUPPOSITIONS, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRE CONSEQUENCES. NOT TO WORRY, IT TAKES THE’SAGE MINDS OF CONTROLLED MATURITY AS BEATRICE’S BROTHER A SAGE PRIEST, ORSON BEAN IN ONE OF HIS MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES, AND THE PRINCE’S SENSIBLE CIRCUMSPECT MOTHER ((DIANE HURLEY), TO SORT THIS ALL OUT.

DIRECTOR HOWARD SHANGRAW’S THEATRICAL STAGING, AND COMIC VISION IS SO IMPRESSIVE, AND ENTERTAINING WITH ITS AMIABLE CAST INCLUDING SUSAN DEXTER, AND A SHOW STOPPING PERFORMANCE BY WILLIAM LITHGOW AS CESAR THE BUTLER, VICTORIA PROFITTIS BRILLIANT SET DESIGN, AND, AUDREY EISNER’S EXQUISITE COSTUMES, FINE LIGHTING BY KEITH ENDO, AND THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION BY THIS STELLAR ENSEMBLE WITH PERSUASIVE SUBTLE PERFORMANCES MAKES “THB SWAN” ONE THE MOST ENTERTAINING, PRODUCTIONS I HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR, AND IS MY CRITIC’S PICK OF THE YEAR.

THE SWAN, AT THE PACIFIC RESIDENT ENSEMBLE THEATRE