THEATRE REVIEW: "Zoot Suit" at San Diego REP

San Diego REP Boasts a Colorful and Vibrant “Suit”:

Professional actors team up with students at The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts to bring “Zoot Suit” back in a splashy (if a bit scattered) revival

By Donnie Matsuda

Raul Cardona as El Pachuco.  Photo credit: Daren Scott.

There’s a lot going on in San Diego REP’s 37^th Season opener, Zoot Suit.  

First, there’s the concept of the “zoot suit” as an iconic means of dress and the uniform of choice for Chicano gangs on the streets of Los Angeles in the early 1940s.  The colorful and outrageously patterned long jackets, high-waisted and tightly belted pants, and short ties - all with snazzy fedoras to match - are nicely re-created here by costume designer Mary Larson.   

L-R Alex Monge as Cub Reporter, Herbert Siguenza as The Press, Joanne Glover as Alice Bloomfield.  Photo credit: Daren Scott.

Then, there’s the specific story of the “Zoot Suiters” – a gang of twenty-one Mexican American men who were tried and wrongly accused of killing a young Chicano boy in the infamous Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942.  Here, their story is told through the play’s central character, Henry Rayna (a compelling Lakin Valdez, former artistic director of El Teatro Campesino) and three featured men in his gang: Smiley Torres (Spencer Smith), Joey Castro (Steven Lone), and Tommy Roberts (Kevin Koppman-Gue).  

There are also some overarching thematic digs at the sensationalized yet sympathetic nature of the media from a flashbulb happy reporter named Press (an engaging Herbert Siguenza) and a passionate journalist named Alice Bloomfield (a smart and savvy Jo Anne Glover) who becomes one of Henry’s most ardent supporters both during and after the trial.  And, of course, the play makes a mockery of our American justice system in a few scenes that expose the circus-like atmosphere, sleazy no-good lawyers, and ultimate injustice that are all too common in courtrooms across our country.  All of this plays out amidst the backdrop of World War II, as the war in the Pacific rages on and young people are dancing up a storm (thanks to the frantic and frenzied stylings of choreographer Javier Velasco) amid the big band beat of Latin jazz (delivered with plenty of pizzazz from music director Bill Doyle and his nine-piece onstage band).  

L-R Parnia Ayari as Bertha Villareal and Steven Lone as Joey Castro.  Photo credit: Daren Scott.

With so much going on, and so little of it grounded in any sort of narrative framework, it is a miracle that director Kirsten Brandt is able to make any sense of the madness that is Zoot Suit.  An explosion of powerful thematic arcs, a random mish-mash of roustabout characters, propulsive and electrifying fantasy sequences interwoven with dance interludes, and a bunch of slick technical wizardry (splashy sets, evocative lighting, and vibrant projections designed by Brandt’s husband, David Lee Cuthbert) all seems like it might be too much for one production to handle.  But, somehow Brandt is able to work her magic here and she does what she can to organize and stage it all so that the nearly three hour production powers through with plenty of style and plenty of sass.  

The Company of "Zoot Suit."  Photo credit: Daren Scott.

In the end, what we’re left with at the end of this scattered and somewhat schizophrenic journey (which jarringly shifts back and forth between staid book scenes and bursting-at-the-seams exuberant dance breaks that come out of nowhere) is the look and feel of that mystical figure of “El Pachuco,” personified to perfection by Raul Cardona, as he struts downstage with his head up, his lips smugly pursed, and his hands in his pockets, saying nary a word but saying so much about the suave, slick air that characterized an entire subgroup of Latinos in America. 

Things to know before you go: ZOOT SUIT presented by San Diego REP plays on the Lyceum Stage at Lyceum Theatre through August 12, 2012.  Running time is 2 hours 50 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.  Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm; performances are also scheduled on selected Saturdays at 2pm and selected Sundays, Tuesday, and Wednesdays at 7pm.  Ticket prices are $31-$57 with discounts available for groups, seniors, and military.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call (619) 544-1000 or visit www.sdrep.org.

THEATRE REVIEW: "THIS" at North Coast Repertory Theatre

The Game of “This”

North Coast REP mines the heart and humanity in Melissa James Gibson’s candid examination of middle age

By Donnie Matsuda

Jane is lonely and vulnerable.

Tom and Marrell are unhappy in their marriage and overwhelmed and exhausted with the demands of their infant son.

Alan is ready to change his name, change his lifestyle, and change his career.

And Jean-Pierre is….well….French. And a doctor. Without borders.

And then there’s This, the witty and insightful play penned by playwright Melissa James Gibson, which unites all five of these utterly urbane thirtysomethings and follows them as they re-examine their lives, question the choices they’ve made along the way, and search for the sources of their present-day unhappiness. You could certainly call it a mish-mash of five mid-life crises and the play even describes their collective condition as “a sudden sense of urgency mixed with intense exhaustion,” but in the hands of its gifted Canadian playwright, This becomes much greater than the sum of all its delicate and dysfunctional parts.

(L to R) Andrew Ableson, Courtney Corey, and Judith Scott. Photo courtesy of Aaron Rumley.

Originally produced in 2009 at Playwrights Horizons in New York, This received mixed reviews following its Off-Broadway opening. Some critics accused the play of being too scattered in its fast-paced, fractured style of storytelling while others were disappointed with the lack of dimension in its somewhat overly stereotyped characters. While it is true that Gibson’s language is idiosyncratic and her cast tends to substitute pithy remarks for emotionally deep reactions, the play actually achieves a great deal of authenticity and affection in the capable hands of North Coast REP’s top notch creative team and stellar five member cast. Here, in its San Diego premiere, This tries incredibly hard (and mostly succeeds) in bringing the delicate state of middle age to the forefront of our collective consciousness.

With razor sharp wit and intellectual insight, Gibson has crafted a quirky quintet of self-absorbed urban discontents. We watch with equal parts pity and glee as four of the five contemporary New Yorkers grapple with their feelings and faults as middle age looms on the horizon. First, there’s Jane (a thoroughly natural and heartfelt Courtney Corey). She’s an emotionally complex character who hides her grief at her husband’s untimely death and has subsequently neglected herself, her career (“I’m an aMAZing standardized test proctor”), and her 10 year old daughter. Meanwhile, Tom and Marrell’s (a laid back Richard Baird balanced by a nagging Judith Scott) marriage is very clearly on the rocks as they constantly bicker about not getting enough sleep, not getting enough sex, and desperately wanting to see - and sleep with - other people. And then there is Alan (a delightfully droll Andrew Ableson), who fits the classic stereotype of the bitchy, flamboyant gay Jew. As he describes one of his many predicaments to his dear friend Jane, “Not a laughing matter Jane. Outfits are important when you can’t rely on other things. I mean you’re lucky You still have two or three years left when you can attract people By Looks Alone. Whereas I’m not that fortunate…I’ve always had to reel them in with my humor and intellect that together work to obscure my physical shortcomings and it’s Completely Exhausting.”

And last but certainly not least there is the debonair French Doctor without Borders, Jean-Pierre (a slick and suave Matt Thompson) who grounds the piece with his fetching accent and his visions for improving the life and health of Africans though nonviolent humanitarian missions. Interestingly, and probably intentionally, his global concerns put the petty mid-life quibbles of the other four into perspective. As we see him through the eyes of others (Marrell lusts “Someone should have sex with him I mean he’s Someone Who Should Be Slept With I mean he Should Not Be Left Unslept With” and Alan quips “He can’t be a Doctor Without Borders Without A Television. It’s too goddamned much.”), we soon realize that he’s in a different mindset - and not just working on a different continent - than the rest of the Upper West Side gang.

(L to R) Richard Baird, Courtney Corey, Matt Thompson, and Judith Scott. Photo courtesy of Aaron Rumley.

Through it all, director Kirsten Brandt has her finger firmly on the eclectic pulse of Gibson’s choppy writing and pushes the fragmented dialogue forward at a comfortable pace. She keenly balances the poetic puns (is their water filter a Britta or a Breeta?) with the more serious back-and-forth banter so that they weave together seamlessly to effect some compelling and comedic, yet ultimately confounding, truths.

The sleek and sophisticated set by Marty Burnett is not only impressive with its spinning turntable and multifunctional furniture, but it is also an accurate replica of a fully furnished New York apartment. Add to that Matt Novotny’s complex lighting grid, which shifts dramatically from bright group scenes to dimly-lit performance sequences, Alina Bokovikova’s trendy costumes, and Paul Peterson’s slick sound design, and you have the perfect backdrop for this contemporary, cutting comedy.

While we never get to the bottom of This – what the enigmatic title of the play refers to – it doesn’t really matter. That’s because This is about the very indefinable and indescribable experience of life itself and hence, it means something different to each one of us. Regardless of our life trajectory, our profession, or our age, we can all consider it an important wake up call to examine where we stand, what’s truly important to us, and how we plan to forge ahead through the hilarious and heartfelt game that we call "life."

Things to know before you go: This plays at North Coast Repertory Theatre through April 29, 2012. Running time is 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 7pm, Thursdays – Saturdays at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm and Sunday evenings at 7pm. Tickets are $32-$49 with discounts available for students and military. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (858) 481-1055 or visit www.northcoastrep.org.