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BACKSTAGE WEST
LULU Reviewed by Scott
Proudfit at Pacific Resident Theatre
At the circus, not every act is going to
be a center-ring contender. Then again, that's why they have
three rings. For every ferocious lion performing spectacular
feats, there are a few aging speckled horses doing laps. But
to enjoy variety, you must expect variety. So it is with director
Jessica Kubzansky's production of Lulu at Pacific Resident Theatre,
aptly set in a carnival atmosphere. Occasionally a trick or trickster
fails to win an appreciative gasp from the audience, but by the
evening's close, the main attractions are well worth the price
of the popcorn. Kubzansky's lion--or lioness, rather--is Valerie
Dillman in the title role. Lulu, as conceived in the Frank Wedekind
plays and re-made in the Peter Barnes adaptation, is a ravenous
incarnation of the human libido. In a man's world--turn-of-century
Europe--her pure desire is destined for manipulation, misunderstanding,
and punishment. Dillman's smart, physical take on the often coy
mistress is a strong and successful choice. Robert Bailey as
the father figure who has adopted the lustful waif Lulu and attempts
to bring her into "polite" society is similarly winning,
finding humor in a script that oscillates between slapstick and
pathos. Likewise, Lulu's biological father/ lover--a twisted
variation on the Alfred P. Doolittle type--is portrayed with
wit and dirty charm by Frank Collison. These three performers
center-ring ignite the true fireworks of the evening. Scott Conte
as the Ringmaster and Jack, Lulu's final carnal encounter, is
the black sky against which the others glow. He sets the menacing,
sexy tone for the evening, with just the right touch of wicked
humor. Set designer's Michael Marlowe's tattered, gaudy tent
and revolving mirrors and Audrey Eisner's playful, sinful costumes
of wool and lace are a feat of small theatre ingenuity and craft.
And Patrick Welborn's creative lighting design deserves particular
mention. Too often lighting designers wish to make a play "shadowy,"
and end up plunging their performers into murky darkness. Welborn
makes sure the audience doesn't miss a single pelvic thrust or
murderous stab, yet the cloudy, carnival atmosphere is maintained
throughout. Barnes' adaptation has not contained the sprawl of
Wedekind's original plays, and Kubzansky's production doesn't
either. With more than 25 characters, not every actor (or scene)
is a revelation. Alexander Enberg as Lulu's literary, naïve
step-brother/lover, Dougald Park as the masochistic Prince Escerny,
Wayne Grace as the faltering strongman, and Rebecca Gray as the
desperate aristocrat with a daughter to sell make the most of
their smaller roles. Kubzansky's direction is occasionally lackluster--for
example, some of the early uninspired choreographed tussles between
Lulu and her suitors. However, when it counts, this director's
vision is very powerful. The striking stage images she sets up--particularly
in the final moments of the play--are as rich and disturbing
as any this critic has experienced on the West Coast. PRT has
proven yet again, by successfully taking on this difficult text,
that its fearless tightrope act as a small Southland theatre
producing challenging, Off-Broadway-quality, entertainment is
still second to none. "Lulu," presented by and at Pacific
Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice.
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