Ashland, Oregon
at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

The only question being debated among the audience departing after Faustus is whether the evening is disappointing because of the insensitive direction of James Edmonson or whether the performance was doomed as soon as Artistic Director Libby Appel selected this 16th Century version of the classic make-a-bargain-with-the-devil fable.  No one argues that Faustus is a great – or even good – theatrical experience.

Perhaps only because Faustus is still performed by many different companies, I come down on the blame-the-director side.  Moreover, even if it were a stinky play, the director has given no help with his demand for broad, broader, broadest possible over-acting.

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Ashland, Oregon
at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Napoli Milionaria! by Eduardo De Filippo, new translation by Linda Alper & Beatrice Basso

Set in Naples during and immediately after World War II, De Filippo’s play chronicles the evolution of a law-abiding, religious family into a group of survivors.  No, they’re more than simply survivors. The mother’s black-market sale of rationed foodstuffs and luxuries eventually provides her and her family millions of lire which both stuff the mattress and move the family away from their traditional life and makes them a success story.

But, this black comedy was written to allow only a partial wealth-induced happiness. The story is full of nagging morality and murky details.  While the mother, Dona Amalia played by OSF infallible veteran Linda Alper, wheels and deals coffee, flour, and more, her husband, Gennaro (Richard Elmore) worries about getting caught and worries about the rightness and wrongness of the black-market dealings. 
Details on the play and the actors

Ashland, Oregon
at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Room Service by J.R. Sullivan

Grade B fluff.  Pure and simple farce done well that offers no redeeming social value or entertaining special spark.

This revival of a 1937 work continues Oregon Shakespeare’s puzzling determination to have an annual comedy about a play within a play. This year’s offering is well executed, but hasn’t the timing fun of Noises Off  and is otherwise pedestrian and predictable. At least it isn’t as leaden as last year’s The Royal Family.

The cast is credible and does a fine job.  Chris DuVal as the young playwright gets to bounce on the furniture — as he seems destined to do whenever he’s cast in a light role — but that’s just a personal annoyance of mine.

This play will be a hit with audiences.  Ho, ho, ho! 

There’s just not much to say about it… or recommend it over a re-run of Seinfeld or other comedy about nothing.

Ozdachs rating: ** out of  *****

You can’t get creepier or more intentionally evil than James Newcomb’s Richard III.  In the audience you sit in your comfortable chair, secure inside the upper-class white-bread theater, and still shiver when his dangerous glance comes your way. 

The full review

Oregon Shakespeare Festival is at its best when they do an old chestnut in a way that makes you wonder if they haven’t rewritten it to make it more contemporary.  Their production of George Bernard Shaw’s 1893 The Philanderer has me downloading the play from Project Gutenberg.  It’s a pleasant task.

The full review