by Shirley Lorraine
Suspense fuels The Birds at SPTC

The sound of furiously flapping wings permeated the theater as the lights dimmed. Feeling appropriately claustrophobic, brief flashbacks of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film flew through my mind as I awaited the Santa Paula Theater Center’s production of The Birds by Conor McPherson, adapted from the story by Daphne DuMaurier.

McPherson’s stage play focuses on just part of the story using a technique of short scenes punctuated by inner narrative by a key character, mysterious music and the ever-present sound of birds hitting the windows in what can be described as nature exploding with rage. No one knows why the birds have gone crazy and caused mass havoc, only that their attacks seem to follow the high-tides. Protecting one’s own self from the onslaught becomes a physical as well as emotional competition leaving no clear winner. The single interior setting provides a feeling of tentative safety for both the actors and the audience. Until it doesn’t.

In watching this intense psychological thriller, one must first discard any memories of the Hitchcock film. Watch instead the smoothly chilling performances by Taylor Kasch, Kathleen Boswell, Juliana Acosta and Allen Noel as they tread across the mine-field of emotions each brings to the party.

The initial relationship which brought two strangers (Kasch and Boswell) to be taking refuge in an empty house is complicated and incomplete. Just as they are coming to terms with their seemingly inevitable mortality, a third person (Acosta) enters the scene, causing the dynamics to shift. They are wary of the man across the lake (Noel) who provides a brief and thoroughly intimidating appearance colored by his own survival agenda. The fact that they are each expendable heightens the action.

The play is performed without an intermission to break the tension which builds in what I found to be a slowly-paced choppy sequence of insights and vague references. Perhaps it was just me, but I found myself struggling to understand what was happening beyond the obvious. And there apparently was a lot going on with all the characters, either unspoken or assumed, which I just didn’t get from the script itself. Acosta’s character in particular took a while to gel for me as she seemed to fluctuate between childlike innocence and conniving maturity, sometimes within the same sentence. She often spoke quickly and with low tone so I had some difficulty hearing her sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong. The performances are solid and unnerving. However, do not compare this version to the movie taken from the same tale. Treated as a short story piece standing on its own merit, the staged The Birds is a taut thriller capturing a snapshot of a disastrous time, albeit with some plot holes requiring the audience to fill in the gaps with shifting sands.

The play continues its chilling run with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings. NOTE that the curtain rises on Sunday matinees for this show at 4 p.m. instead of the regular 2:30.

www.santapaulatheatercenter.org/805-525-4625
Friday & Saturday eves 8 PM, Sundays 4 PM through July 30
Adults $24, Students and Seniors $22

Wonder Woman review (3 of 4)
by Manuel Reynoso

Wonder Woman is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is directed by Patty Jenkins, with a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and a story by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, and Jason Fuchs, and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

The summer blockbusters continue to roll out, and I continue being unimpressed. The same jokes, the same explosions, and the same juiced up male heroes. But seeing a successful superhero movie featuring a woman superhero, directed by an accomplished woman director, now that definitely peaks my interest. Patty Jenkins really hit a homerun in comparison to the last, abysmal superhero movies coming out of Warner Brothers. While I do believe there were some missteps along the way, Wonder Woman had fantastic acting, strong visuals, and stellar directing.

I really feel the need to express Patty Jenkins’s role in making Wonder Woman into the success that it is. Big Hollywood blockbusters are still primarily directed by male directors, with a male audience in mind. Time and time again do you see actress’s hip dominate the screen more so than anything else. But Patty did a fantastic job of having Wonder Woman dominate the screen without the use of over sexualization. Outside that, Patty’s directorial style seems to be very effective at creating and maintaining a set tone for the movie, and tying that in with the films visuals to complement that.

Patty heavily relied on slow motion to create striking visuals throughout the film. This created great scenes that felt like they were ripped straight from a comic book, but admittedly they can be a little hit and miss. But don’t fret, it’s definitely a lot more satisfy than it is distracting. Also like any high budget blockbusters, the film looked great. The set pieces were intricate, the costume design immaculate, and special effects were solid.

I know I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but the screenplay was definitely where Wonder Woman lacks. Way too much screen time early in the movie is spent with bad jokes as opposed to any form of character development. Characters are two dimensional, which absolutely betrays the great acting prowess of Chris Pine and Gal Gadot. It’s really just another typical hero’s journey tale with a unneeded romantic subplot.

However, the biggest missed opportunity of Wonder Woman was how much Wonder Woman herself lacks agency. I see plenty of headliners proclaiming Wonder Woman as a kick butt, strong woman character, but I honestly don’t see it. Too often does she take the passenger seat in her own story to Steve. It’s too bad, but I can’t help but feel that Hollywood still didn’t want to have a truly strong woman character with her own agency. Whether you consider this a nit-pick or a serious issue, Wonder Woman was at least engaging and fun to watch. Hopefully Patty Jenkins can get more work directing in Hollywood. She deserves it. PG13 2h 21m

by Shirley Lorraine

A Chorus Line kicks it on High Street

With an energetic 5,6,7,8, the High Street Arts Center’s production of the acclaimed A Chorus Line kicks its way into the hearts of dancers and theater-lovers throughout the county. The 1976 Broadway show swept nine Tony awards out of twelve nominations and still holds the title of the sixth longest-running Broadway show ever.

The characters are based on personal experiences and acquaintances of famed Broadway dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett. Formulated in workshop for several years before hitting the big stage, the musical has become the quintessential behind-the-scenes look at the lives of those who entertain the rest of us. The spirited, engaging and memorable music written by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban stirs not only the pace but the emotions of the audience as well as the actors.

The story line captures seventeen hopeful gypsies (professional dancers) auditioning for eight coveted roles in a new musical. The audition experience delves into each dancer’s background, desires and motivation for their craft. Presented without an intermission, the hectic and grueling pace of a dancer’s life is examined in detail. Their individual stories are laced with humor, sarcasm, sadness and yearning.

From the opening sequence on, the audience is swept into the frenetic world of dance. We meet the gamut of humanity– from the unqualified yet starry-eyed hopeful to the seasoned professional and all types in between. The cast is large and double-casting allows a number of actors the opportunity to take on roles throughout the run.

Director Christopher Mahr has assembled quite a capable cast to fill the roles now familiar to many. Choreographers Megan Rayzor and Kendyl Yokoyama coordinate the large assembly well and follow the scripted movements to excellent effect.

As appropriately depicted in the show, this cast is consistent in their portrayals of the individual characters. The nature of the script calls for no one person to stand out – for them to “work as one person”. However, each does have their moment in the spotlight before they meld back into the chorus line to become purposely indistinguishable.

Everyone will have their favorite characters and scenes for various reasons, but all are a delight to watch. Andy Carrillo performs solidly as Larry, the assistant choreographer, leading the dancers through their paces. His dance training clearly shows. Michael Worden and Jessica Bell have a ball with their duet “Sing” as a married couple finishing each other’s sentences. The entire cast handles the choreography with grace and ease.

In a critical subplot, the key role of Cassie is played with skill by Dawn Notagiacomo. She dances and sings beautifully as she imbues Cassie with pathos and the sincere desire to fit in, even though her chorus days are behind her. A previous relationship with Zach (John Tedrick), the director, colors her audition in myriad touching ways.

The entire company is on stage most of the show, dancing in the background as they prepare, rehearse, and finally, perform. The grand finale is an exciting spectacle of gold glitter and precision footwork.

A Chorus Line continues through July 2 at the High Street Arts Center
Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. $20, seniors $18, 12 and under $16 (contains mature language and content). 45 E. High Street, Moorpark. 529-8700 or www.HighStreetArtsCenter.com

Lost genius revealed at Rubicon
by Shirley Lorraine

The Rubicon Theater’s current offering, The Other Mozart, presents a side of history that has heretofore been sequestered. A one-woman show presented in one fluid act, the production is a study in language, music, movement and pure artistry.

Living in the shadow of another is never easy. Being a woman in the eighteenth century, Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart fought an uphill battle for most of her life. The older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus, Nannerl was herself a musical prodigy. Inspired by Austrian musician Marianna Martines for much of her life, sister Mozart’s musical virtuosity reached heights early and remained constant. Sadly, her natural talents at the harpsichord and composing music were diminished as soon as her younger brother began to show his talents.

As was the custom of the times, the focus was put on the boy’s skills while she was relegated to the background.  And, although the children toured Europe to great acclaim showcasing their keyboard acumen, as she grew older Nannerl frequently found herself in Wolfgang’s shadow.

By the age of 18, Nannerl’s touring career had come to an end. She was encouraged to continue to acquire housekeeping, embroidery and child-rearing skills while Wolfgang pursued court appointments and concert bookings.

Primarily through a collection of letters, the story of the wickedly talented older sister Nannerl has come to light. Conceived, written and brilliantly portrayed by Sylvia Milo, The Other Mozart is a stunning piece of theater.  In a compelling and thoroughly engrossing performance, Milo brings forth Nannerl’s passion for her music as well as for her brother, family and life itself.

The simply staged production is highly complex in its orchestrations of movement, props and emotional range. Original music by Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen composed specifically for the stage show provides exemplary highlights at just the right places, amplified by many of Wolfgang’s writings.

The period piece showcases the challenges faced by a talented young girl in an age where women were subservient in all ways and “must be careful not to become too accomplished…” Struggling to break out of the societal mold, Nannerl nonetheless was forced to accede as she became of marriageable age. Her talents, hidden behind motherhood and the business of being the wife of a magistrate, eventually were lost to the world. Apparently, no written record of her compositions exists, at least none under her name. What a shame.

Ms. Milo has been touring with the production for several years now, garnering accolades all along the way. We are honored to usher her into and beyond her 100th performance of The Other Mozart at the Rubicon Theater.  Through June 18 Ventura County audiences are treated to a rare performance of sheer electrifying beauty.

This play will doubtless inspire many to seek out more information on Nannerl and others of the time who possessed unrecognized talents. Through explorative works such as this it is hoped that more of the extraordinary woman who have blazed trails in all fields will become more than mere footnotes in the history books.

The Other Mozart  plays Wednesdays to Sundays through June 18, at the Rubicon Theatre Company. Matinees: 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Evening performances at 8 p.m., except 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, which features a post-show talk back with the cast. Tickets: $30-$55.  The box office is open 7 days a week. There is 24-hour ticketing and seat selection online at www.rubicontheatre.org.  667-2900.

Alien: Covenant
by Manuel Reynoso
2 Palm trees out of 4

Alien: Covenant is a 2017 American sci-fi horror film and sequel to Prometheus. Directed by Ridley Scott and written by John Logan and Dante Harper, with story by Michael Green and Jack Paglen.

I have to admit I came into Alien: Covenant with no idea that it was a sequel to Prometheus, which itself was a prequel to Alien. I’ve heard plenty of mixed reactions about Prometheus but truthfully I came into Alien: Covenant pretty blind. I’ve heard from plenty of self-proclaimed, die-hard Alien fans that this film isn’t for “real Alien fans” or it’s only good if you’re “not an Alien fan” and other such nonsense. But to be blunt, I found Alien: Covenant to be a mess, albeit a very pretty one.

From start to finish, Alien: Covenant did not feel very cohesive. Each act felt as if it was a separate genre all its own. Alien: Covenant starts of as a fairly entertaining space odyssey, becomes a bit of a slow horror in the second act, and decides to finish as a uninspired action flick in the last act. While this in itself was not a huge problem, it just left the film feeling off and without a strong sense of direction. Alien: Covenant’s art direction and effects were so strong, it was a shame that there was no cohesive theme to back them up.

And there is no way to exaggerate how strong the art direction of Alien: Covenant really is. Most of the set pieces were amazing and intricate; truly practical effects at its finest. It’s almost a shame that they had to use computer effects at all, but that’s just me being unreasonable. I would say that the movie would be worth seeing for this alone, but Alien: Covenant is mostly held back by poor writing.

Alien: Covenant’s writing wasn’t bad at a personal level between the characters, character interactions felt genuine and helped bond the characters to one another. The writing issue was mostly with the plot. At no point do these highly trained scientists and pilots ever feel like one. Decisions come off as nonsensical and it’s these decisions that propel the entire plot along. The writing of this film simply does not feel well thought out. Clearly a lot of care was put into creating a world and backstory for the events leading up to Alien, but quite frankly it feels unnecessary. At least 30 minutes of exposition and backstory could have been removed and Alien: Covenant would have felt more cohesive as a result. Instead I found myself getting bored during the slower parts of the film.

It’s a shame that Alien: Covenant was a bit of a letdown for me. It’s not really bad but more so painfully mediocre. Strong acting performances and great set design was enough to keep Alien: Covenant from falling flat, but I left wanting more. There will likely be better summer blockbuster movies on the horizon, so maybe just go on discount day. Rated R 2h 2m

Spelling Bee in Ojai Lively and Fresh
by Shirley Lorraine

How good is your spelling? Could you compete with the “kids” in the 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee now onstage at the Ojai Arts Center Theater?  A winner of both a Tony and Drama Desk award for Best Book, this charmingly engaging musical will delight all ages.

Director Gai Jones has assembled a fully capable cast and embellished the show with additional background characters, giving many an opportunity to participate in this summer musical. In addition, four audience members are asked to volunteer each performance as contestants, resulting in an ever-changing footprint for some creative improvisation. The cast all handle the variables quite well.

The scene is a junior high gymnasium complete with mascot notes and posters. As each contestant trickles in to sit on the bleachers, the audience glimpses their unique personalities. Each has familiar and recognizable traits. There is the nerd, the smart one, the Boy Scout, the over-achiever, the second runner up who participates by default, and the confused tween with two daddies.

Standout characterizations are given by all six of the contestants – Jake Ayers, Hayley Silvers, Steven Silvers, Hayden Miller, Ava Burge and Arden Smith. Additional major contributors are Suzy
Thatcher, Nelson Fox and Laura Ring all turning in solid performances.

Be ready to listen – the action moves quickly and the keyboard accompaniment by Greg Spaulding can at times overwhelm the voices. The well written book clearly is deserving of its awards and produces numerous laughs. The musical score, although pleasant, is less memorable.

The first act is where most of the real action is, while the second bogs down some in the backstories.  Each character is given the platform to tell their story in song with varying results. Delivery quality is uneven in both tone and clarity. A highlight was Denise Heller’s cameo as Olive’s mom. All sing with heartfelt enthusiasm throughout.

While I consistently applaud the Ojai Art Center Theater for the excellent community inclusion they always bring to their productions, I have one serious request.   Throughout the production Friday evening, the tech crew at the back of the house carried on conversations that were quite distracting to my guest and me. A loud audience member would be shushed or escorted out of the theater for such behavior. Between trying to filter that out and hear over the keyboard, I, at least, had a hard time hearing the lyrics. Perhaps others were not bothered, but I would caution the crew to remember that once the show opens, the audience is the customer. Tech problems should not be ironed out while paid patrons are in the theater.

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fun, funny and lively musical filled with vivid characters and well worth catching. Sit toward the front.

Ojai Art Center Theater, 113 S. Montgomery Street, (805) 640-8797  www.OjaiACT.org

All seats $18, Seniors/Students/Art Center Members $15  Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2:00 p.m. through June 4.   NOTE summertime early curtain time.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2.5 Palms trees out of 4
by Manuel Reynoso

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 superhero film based on superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios. The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker.

When tasked by The Sovereignty to protect an energy source from an intergalactic terror, the team finds themselves being hunted down by the same group when Rocket decides to steal the energy source for himself. After being rescued by a mysterious man, Peter Quill, Drax, and Gamora travel with this man to learn more about Peter’s origins.

School’s out, the days are getting longer, and Hollywood is starting to pump out their quarter of a billion dollar movies again. It’s summer blockbuster time and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is ready to print money like it’s nobody’s business, but if you were to ask me if it was worth your money, I would say… maybe. The movie checks all the boxes of a good summer blockbuster: huge set pieces, great acting performances, and some genuinely good laughs. But there was also a lot of missteps along the way. From overly expository dialogue, some questionable green screen work, and just way, way too many jokes. However, you are bound to have a great time with GotG 2. It really is one of those movies that makes you want to have Home Cinema Installers in your house so you can sit down and witness this kind of epic action we’ve come to expect from Marvel whenever we please.

Don’t get me wrong, I had lot of genuine laughs throughout the film, I can’t take that away from the film. But Guardians 2 went overboard with the amount of jokes they threw at you. For every good joke, at least 2 fell flat. It’s pretty painful when a movie makes a joke that you can tell they really banked on being funny, and the crowd just stays dead silent from start to finish. But the main issue is how badly it clashes with the rest of the films dialogue.

Guardians 2 was pretty good at poking jabs even at itself, but the film was painfully unaware of how expository it gets. I could feel the movie’s writers really want me to care about the emotional turmoil these characters are experiencing on the inside. But when you have a cast of 6 or 7 characters and every single member just has to have their somber, emotional scene, it gets a little old. I’m sorry wise cracking raccoon, but when I just had to sit through 20 minutes of your friends “opening up”, I kinda stopped caring about all of your feelings and just want to see things blow up.

But I have to say, The Guardians definitely know how to blow stuff up. Huge battles, unique fight scenes, and a great soundtrack did not disappoint. This movie is fun. The action made up for any downtime I felt during the movie’s slower moments. Battles ranged from hand to raccoon-paw combat, huge space battles, and everything in-between. This is what will likely be the deciding factor on whether you think it’s worth your money. If you’re in the mood to start your summer with a bit of action, then I think Guardians is worth the watch in theaters. But if you are looking for something a bit more rounded and well written, you really aren’t missing anything too special. You’ll get some laughs. You’ll have some fun. You won’t get anything more than that.

PG-13 2h 18m

The Circle
Review: by Manuel Reynoso

The Circle is a 2017 thriller film directed by James Ponsoldt and written by Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers, based on Eggers’ 2013 novel of the same name. The film stars Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega.

Mae Holland lands an entry level position at the largest tech company in the world, The Circle, but soons finds herself working on some of the most privacy intrusive technology ever devised.

I always feel guilty for ogling at car wrecks on the side of the road, but we all know that we humans tend to be drawn to disasters. That little bit of mayhem and chaos that seems to feel satisfying at almost a deep, primal level. So when I turned to my girlfriend 30 minutes into The Circle just to remark how much of a train wreck this film is, we both knew we had to see this through to the end. And much like a freeway pileup, It’s kind of amazing how this disaster just stretches on and on.

The Circle is a flawed film in many different ways, it’s funny where it shouldn’t be, has shoddy visuals, and has acting performances that felt completely phoned in. But Ignoring all that, this movie has a fundamentally flawed script and terrible editing. If contrived character motivation, poorly written characters, and being built on a foundation of conflicting morals wasn’t the nail in the coffin for this film, broken continuity and random jump cuts destroys this film.

It’s really difficult to write good dialogue. Even in some of the best films, characters can come off as a bit stilted or over expository. But The Circle’s dialogue was so unnatural and so overly preachy, I’m still not even sure if this was intentional or not. Characters seemed to only communicate to each other in plot dumps or irrelevant quirky banter. There is no subtlety, and no natural rapport being built between the characters during the film. It’s like watching robots come on screen, regurgitate their lines, then walk off once the job is done. Some of the most important characters in this film get no time to build relationships and grow, but instead serve to be nothing more than plot to move the film along.

The poor writing doesn’t just end at the characters, no, it runs deep in this film’s screenplay. The trailer portrays The Circle to be a high concept piece about the dangers of one corporation having too much information on its users. There was so much potential for effective social commentary about the dangers of losing one’s privacy to a single mega corporation. Instead, I walked away from that film with absolutely no idea whether the writer believed a lack of privacy was a good or bad thing. It’s one thing to have a stance I don’t agree with, it’s another to have no stance on the issue your film was based around. At no point do we get the payoff of reaching some epiphany on what the writer of trying to convey. I walked out asking myself what the point of the movie even was.

I wish I could stop bad mouthing this movie here, but even the physical act of watching the film itself was a chore. Dozens of times throughout the film the editing breaks basic continuity. Scenes change with no warning, and the positions of the characters would change seemingly at random. This film’s over use of the jump cut was also very jarring. Multiple camera angles and cuts for something as simple as a character speaking felt jarring and unnatural. This films only saving grace is it might be an interesting study on bad editing, but unless that sounds interesting to you, move along and ignore this train wreck. PG 13 1

Family Bonds Prevail in Mullingar
by Shirley Lorraine

The Irish countryside provides a lush and laid-back setting for this play about family ties, love, persistence and obligation in Outside Mullingar now on the main stage at Santa Paula Theater Center.

Oscar, Pulitzer and Tony award winning author John Patrick Stanley of Doubt and Moonstruck fame penned this charming and introspective work full of wisdom and true-to-life situations. He has created characters who plow through many of life’s little regrets to find the fertile soil that remains, proving that it is never too late to bare your soul and bury any hatchets that may hinder the next generation. They cover misgivings, misunderstandings and even love with blame, blather and blarney, resulting in sharp repartee delivered with a twinkle of the eye.

At the stories’ center are Anthony (Ron Feltner) and Rosemary (Jessie May Stevenson), neighbors since children, who are reluctant to recognize their mutual long-standing attraction. Anthony’s father, Tony (Cecil Sutton), and Rosemary’s mother, Aoife (Rosalee Calvillo) fuel a long-standing feud through wry wit and Irish wiles.

The four seasoned actors, under the expert guiding hand of SPTC Artistic Director David Ralphe are relatable and authentic. Sutton and Calvillo as the two elders, play off each other with the practiced ease of old friends. Feltner and Stevenson, a couple in real life, deliver strong and determined characterizations as the offspring left to cope with myriad issues stemming from the past. Ultimately time erases the years gone by as a new beginning is forged. While actions and reactions between Feltner and Stevenson are particularly mesmerizing, the performances and portrayals from all are riveting.

The Irish accents vary ever so slightly and all the actors carry theirs well. Slowing the pace in the opening scenes may help the audience acclimate to the verbal rhythms so that clarity is maximized. In a few sections, additional volume would assist the audience in catching all the lyrical nuances in the poetic piece. The verbal lilt is so compelling and charming throughout that one might find themselves unconsciously searching for their own inner leprechaun on the way home.

Adding to the visual beauty are vintage appliances and set pieces such as an old country home may still use. The first act setting emphasizes the state the widower and the bachelor endure as they struggle to hold their farm together, while the second act reveals a Spartan but definite woman’s touch to the neighboring home.  Subtle lighting changes and incidental music heighten the effects required, particularly in the quiet moments of reflection.

Outside Mullingar is a well presented and important piece of theater. Filled with truly human characters, the work offers glimpses of many people we may know in various stages of life. There is recognition in every situation, reminding us all that our struggles, inner and outer, are universal and timeless.

www.santapaulatheatercenter.org/805-525-4625
Friday & Saturday eves 8 PM, Sundays 2:30 PM through May 28
Adults $24, Students and Seniors $22