Page 116 - Demo

Page 4 PHOENIX February 14,1974The Actors Company at BAM:A Light <8 Lively Chekhov;\BY CORRINE COLEMANThe Actors Company, the secondEnglish troupe to play at BAM%u2019scurrent Festival of BritishTheater, opened Jan. 30 with thefirst jnajor production (inAmerica) of %u201cThe Wood Demon%u201d,Anton Chekhov%u2019s early version ofhis masterpiece, %u201cUncle Vanya.%u201dCompleted in 1889 when theauthor was 29, %u201cThe Wood Demon%u201dsufficiently resembles the laterwork to promote expectations ofthe depth, the fullness of the%u201cVanya%u201d we%u2019ve come to know.Though names differ%u2014(UncleVanya is called George in the WoodDemon%u2014The Wood Demon himselfbecomes The Doctor in Vanya) theindolent characters in preRevoluntionary Russia are similArin both plays. And, at least until actIII the plot of %u201cThe Wood Demon%u201d,appears to parallel the line of%u201cVanya%u201d, with the charactersc o n t in u in g im m o b iliz e d ,describing and contemplating theirdown state, without hope withoutdesire to move.So we hang on until Act IIIwondering about the Englishcompany and its apparent jet setinterpretation of the Russianmaster. Here Sonia is flippant,doesn%u2019t move us%u2014The WoodDemon is hysterical rather thanRage's RoostTASTY FRIED CHICKENOpen E%u00bbety Day 11a.m. 11p.m.169 Atlantic A%u00bbe. 188 5th Ave.IA T C L IN T O N S T R U T ! I AT 39tl> ST R t H522-6100 6336362wise%u2014the Professor not reallyshaky about his approaching oldage. But the conclusion of that actclarifies. When George (Vanya)succeeds in suicide (or actionwhich the later Vanya necessarilyflubs) we flash back to earlierscenes and recognize %u201cThe WoodDemon%u201d for what it is%u2014the productof an earlier Chekhov still sketching, not yet consolidating thedouble vision%u2014still speaking in asimpler language. The fourth actresolution,%u2014akin to lightS h ak esp eare%u2014even quotingShakespeare as the happy lovercome together seems years awayfrom the more realistic tragiccomic perception of the author justa decade later.The company, at a disadvantagewith late Checkhov lovers, has agreat time with %u201c The WoodDemon%u201d,%u2014plays it light and livelyall the way under the direction ofDavid Giles, (and as it seems,according to the playwright%u2019sdesires), and keeps at least half theaudience %u201cin stitches.%u201d Robin Ellisas Theodore, an early hippie (whodoesn%u2019t appear in %u201cUncle Vanya%u201d)is particularly winning, as areTenniel Evans as George, JohnWoodvine as Orlovsky andMargery Mason as the distractedmatriarch. Ian McKellen in thetitle role, is stiff and angry in apart the visionary nature of whichis more clearly delineated in thelater play. The Wood Demon is notyet fleshed out into the multidimensional Doctor.%u201cKnots,%u201d the Actors Company'ssecond presentation in their fourplay repertory which continuesuntil Feb. 24, is an hour longdivertissement in R.D. Lainguage.TripoliRestaurantAuthentic Lebanese CuisineHomestyle Cooking forLunch, Dinner, SupperOpen Daily 160 Atlantic Ave. cor. Clintonr y v v v w ' j w w w s f l ^ w w y w w ^ v w w t f w vw w v w w va i m o n t a s e rMid-Eastern and International CuisineOPEN 11:30a.m. to Midnight,7 Days a WeekServing Lunch and Dinner 212-624-9267218 COURT STREET, BROOKLYN, N.Y.Visit thePromenadeRestaurantfor steaks, chops, seafood, soda fountain.Home-style Cooking is our specialty.With our expanded facilities,we have added a service barserving cocktails,wines, and liquors.84 M o n ta g u e St., ( C o rn e r of H ic k s ) O p e n til 2 a.m . 522-7433 / /Using the Scottish Psychiatrist%u2019sconception of the dichotomy ofearly emotional learning thatbecomes the base of an inevitabletwist, a lifelong sentence, thecompany spells out the windingsthat Laing has put into a kind ofchildhood talk. For instance: %u201cJill:You think I am stupid?Jack: I don%u2019t think you%u2019re stupidJill: I must be stupid to think youthink I%u2019m stupid if you don%u2019t: or youmust be lying I am stupid everyway. To think I%u2019m stupid (etc.)Adapted and directed by EdwardPetherbridge, (one of the actors inthe company) %u201cKnots%u201d is puttogether in British Music Hallstyle%u2014incorporated into dancing,singing, juggling%u2014with most of thegroup participating. All contributeto the kind of %u25a0 magic once encountered in such improvisationalgroups as %u201cThe Second City.%u201dThe versatile Actors Company,set up as a cooperative two yearsago %u201cto break down the barriersbetween leading and supportingactors,%u201d began its third presentation, %u201cKing Lear,%u201d last Saturday,minus sets, costumes andproperties. The disaster (the fearof which must be a recurrent actors%u2019 nightmare) caused by heavyAtlantic storms which kept thenecessaries on the high seas, wasgallently turned into a challenge%u2014and the company went on%u2014playing%u201cbare%u201d throughout the weekend.In down filled parkas,Afganistani maxis, jerseys andwork shirts, the group put on a sureand very sensitive %u201cLear.%u201dRobert Eddison as the King, gotquickly from bluster to sadness,and playing sadness best,penetrated with his hurt eyes, hissoulful speeches, his dodderinggait.Ian McKellan as Edgar theoutcast who comes through in theend, plays the mad boy and thestraight brilliantly with a glow thatcasts doubt on the company%u2019s ownconcept of equal possibility.Director David William movesthe play solidly to its terrible endthrough scenes of pomp, violenceand evil and into the inner rippingsPlymouth Steak& Lobster House78 CLARK STREET(Opp. St. George Hotel)Brooklyn Heights%u2019 OnlyFresh Fish RestaurantLobster Flown inDaily from MaineSelect Your O w nFrom O u r TankCall MA4-5263for ReservationsEstablished 1933The Triangle Parks Committee,the group behind the new FlatbushAve. tri-cornered oases whichembellish the thoroughfare fromAtlantic Ave. to Grand ArmyPlaza, sponsored a party for castand locals after last week%u2019sopening performance of the BritishActors Company%u2019s production of R.D. Laing%u2019s %u201cKnots.%u201dTaking over the Academ y%u2019snewly refurbished LePercq spaceon Jan. 30, the Committee, headedby George Michel, put on a greatbash, complete with Scotch Sours,Hot Dogs and a variety of Horsd%u2019Ouevres.Committee members and friends%u2014 BAM regulars and newcomersalike, mingled with the guests fromEngland, chatting and comparingnotes far into the night. The lavishwelcome coupled with the Committee%u2019s dinner invitations to theoverseas actors, points the way forother Brooklyn communityorganizations to make closerconnections with the borough%u2019stheatrical center.%u2014Corrine ColemanNew Traffic Light for Montague & HenrySts.The hazardous Brooklyn Heightsintersection of Montague andHenry Streets will finally be getting a new traffic signal accordingto Councilman Fred Richmond. Hereports that contracts have justbeen let by the Traffic Departmentfor the construction of a modernsignal.In a letter to Councilman Richmond last week, LawrenceKallman, Assistant to TrafficCommissioner Benjamin Ward,stated that the installation of thenew signal at Montague and Henryof some of the characters. RonaldRadd is outstanding as the illfatedEarl of Gloucester, the strongholdof the sub plot. Edward Petherbridge is a good, wise fool. Lear%u2019sevil daughters in this sad Cinderella play are properly enactedby Caroline Blakiston and SheilaReid, and the good and true sisterCordelia is sweetly and softlyplayed by Sharon Duce.Streets will begin within a month.Labor problems and the transitionof the reins of City Government hasstalled the letting of the Trafficlight construction until now.Currently a traffic signal sits onthe northeast corner of the intersection in front of the KingGeorge Coffee Shop and is hardlyvisible for motorists andpedestrians. The new signal wouldbe located over the intersectionallowing everyone to clearly knowwho has the right of way. In addition, don%u2019t walk signals will beinstalled.In another matter, Richmond ispressing the Traffic Departmentfor the installation of a three waysignal at the intersection of Middagh Street and Cadman Plaza.That signal had been promised tothe community back in August,with installation sometime lastFall. Richmond wants the light inoperation as soon as possible toeliminate that hazardous situation.( J M K %u2014 { V . t / 1 n .Eat Drink fi Be MerryA%u00bb tb. 1880 %u00ab I iv* n Bo*'v~ MillK.Tcfipn Op*%u2019*1 fr>J4r,Saturday SundayC o r\Itoe mtf%u00bb o A _ %u201e J \\J be u%u00bb H iiy