Review ‘The Love of the Nightingale’ at Hub Theatre Company of Boston (MA)

There are times when I walk into a production unsure of what I am about to experience and wondering if it will meet my expectations or fall short. Rarely does a show surpass my expectations, but the production of ‘The Love of the Nightingale’ I experienced this past weekend was one of those rare shows. I walked into the theatre knowing I would be seeing a darker drama, but what I didn’t expect was that it would be so compelling, thought-provoking and poignant in relation to today’s society.

‘The Love of the Nightingale’ written by Timberlake Wertenbaker and fantastically directed by Rebecca Bradshaw is a play based on Book VI of the Roman poet Ovid’s epic verse narrative Metamorphoses; which was itself adapted from earlier Greek tales of people transformed by the gods. It focuses on the lives of King Tereus, his wife Procne and her sister Philomele and is a tale about love, lies, vengeance and the cost of silence. The show included original music created by Bahar Royaee which added depth and power to the production. Strategically placed choreography, by Tyler Catanella, not only enhanced, but when combined with the original music, was a driving force within the show.

Bridgette Hayes as Procne courtesy The Hub Theatre Company

The entire cast was wonderfully unified, clearly showing just how much dedication they had for their characters and the story they were telling. My one critique is that multiple times during the performance certain actors seemed thrown off by the close proximity of the audience which resulted in them shifting their eyes and losing focus of their current scene. Nonetheless, they worked together seamlessly from the start to draw the audience into the world of the story.

One performer that never lost focus and was a fierce force to be reckoned with was Bridgette Hayes as Procne. From start to finish she was a powerhouse performer delivering a wide range of emotional depth and smart character choices. Other actors delivering notable performances were Jeff Marcus who was a cunning and deceitful Tereus and Lauren Elias as the sweet and naïve Philomele. The cast also included Liz Adams (Niobe), Aina Adler (Helen/Nurse), Rachel Belleman (Hero/Aphrodite), Blyss Cleveland (Iris/Chorus), Scot Colford (1^st Soldier/Thesaus/ Male Ensemble), Jenny Leopold (Queen/ June), Ryan MacPherson (Captain/Male Ensemble), Will Madden (2^nd Soldier/ Hippolytus/Male Ensemble), Eric McGowan (Greek Chorus/Male Ensemble), George Page (King Pandion/Male Ensemble), Shanie Schwartzman (Echo/Phaedre/ Servant), and Edan Zinn (Itys).

Overall, this production was well put on by a consistently connected cast. The message about the high cost of silence and the need to find the power of one’s voice was clearly portrayed by this talented group of actors. The 90 minute, thought-provoking play ‘The Love of the Nightingale’ is being performed through November 21^st at First Church Boston located at 66 Marlborough Street, Boston, MA.  For more information and tickets visit http://www.hubtheatreboston.org/. Due to the complex and adult subject matter it is a play for a mature audience. Tickets for all shows are set as “pay-what-you-can”; therefore there is no reason not to go see this production!

From Left to Right in the foreground of the photo: Jeff Marcus (Tereus) & Will Madden (2nd Soldier/ Hippolytus/Male Ensemble) courtesy The Hub Theatre Company

Review of ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ at Bay Players (Duxbury, MA)

Comedy, even with a solid script, is not the easiest genre to perform. There’s a fine line between allowing the comedy of the script to shine and pushing for laughs. Oddly enough both can occur within a production based on the performances of each actor; at least that was my observation from the performance of ‘Laughter on the 23^rd Floor’ that I viewed this past weekend.

‘Laughter on the 23^rd Floor’ by Neil Simon was written as a tribute to his colleagues in the writers’ room on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows. The show ran every Saturday night on NBC in the early 1950’s; similar to the Saturday Night Live program we have today.

This production by Bay Players with direction by Michael Pevzner was an admirable attempt that had the audience chuckling throughout. The small set transported the audience in the intimate space back to the writer’s room of the fictional Max Prince Show in 1953. It opens with newcomer to the writing team Lucas (Chris Tilden) setting the scene for the audience and as the play progresses various characters, all with their own quirks, enter the room and engage in friendly banter.

The show though running a bit over 2 hours moved along and kept the audience engaged throughout. However, a few things diminished the overall quality of the production. Firstly and I know this can happen with any show, lines were dropped or were being jumped by the actors. Ordinarily, this isn’t noticeable by most audience members unless they have a theatre background and the show continues as if nothing happened. Unfortunately, however, it occurred a few too many times and though covered well by the cast I could tell it had an effect on them.

The more mistakes that were made the more certain actors tried to cover it up by pushing the comedic line past humorous into the area of overdone leaning towards farce. Secondly, character accents went in and out making it difficult at times to understand what was being said.

That being said there were a few stand out performers who gave a consistent, solid performance. Firstly, was James Koonce as Kenny who was believable throughout offering many witty one-liners. Secondly, was David Giagrando who portrayed Max Prince. His comedic timing was right on the money and he pushed the comedic line without going too far. Other cast members include: Chris Tilden (Lucas), Ed Krasnow (Milt), Stephen Doherty (Val), Brian Hurley (Brian), Jennifer Walsh (Carol), Sarah Wall (Helen), and Paul Antico (Ira).

Overall, this production was a fun night out and the audience clearly enjoyed themselves. One note to the cast is this: don’t try so hard to be funny; you already have a great script that contains ample humor so let it guide your characters.  

‘Laughter on the 23^rd Floor’ plays for 2 more performances this coming weekend Friday November 13^th & Saturday November 14^th both at 8pm. Performances are at 842 Tremont St. (Rte. 3A) Duxbury, MA. For more information and to reserve tickets visit http://www.bayplayers.org/