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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Chris Honoré: 'Black Lives Matter' — the context ... Darkly comedic 'Divine Lunacy' gives insight into mental illness ... 60-second stories sort through tragedies ... Chris Honoré: 'Black Lives Matter' — the context ... Darkly comedic 'Divine Lunacy' gives insight into mental illness ... 60-second stories sort through tragedies ... THEATER REVIEW Camelot Theatre stages a winning 'Manchurian Candidate' Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Oct. 18, 2015 at 10:21 AM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Oct. 18, 2015 at 10:21 AM 'The Manchurian Candidate' --> Camelot Theatre's production of playwright John Lahr's "The Manchurian Candidate" runs through Nov. 8. A pay-what-you-can performance will be offered Wednesday, Oct. 21. Curtain is at 8 p.m. T... » Read more X 'The Manchurian Candidate' Camelot Theatre's production of playwright John Lahr's "The Manchurian Candidate" runs through Nov. 8. A pay-what-you-can performance will be offered Wednesday, Oct. 21. Curtain is at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $27, $25 for students and seniors (except for Sunday matinees). The theater is at 101 Talent Ave., Talent. Tickets and information available at www.camelottheatre.org or 541-535-5250. » Social News "Try imagining a state of being where reality and fantasy are indiscernible from each other; where the most solid truth is no more valid to you than the most fantastical fiction." So begin director Roy Von Rains's notes on Camelot Theatre's new production of "The Manchurian Candidate," a play by John Lahr, based on the novel by Richard Condon. Such a description sets up a challenge to the viewer as to what sort of stagecraft might follow and, while opening night of the play might have confused some who are not familiar with the concepts set out in the novel, the overall presentation was fresh and compelling. While the original novel was set during the Cold War, this time we're somewhere in the early 2000s, with Japan as the enemy. Aaron Garber, in his first turn at Camelot since transplanting from California, plays Raymond Shaw, the mind-controlled central character of the piece. At once a hero and a villain, he is embedded into the Washington political establishment as the MKUltra-style puppet of enemies of the United States. Garber presented a worthwhile first night performance; his all-American, corn-fed likability makes him a good fit for the role, and Shaw's more sinister moments are that much more chilling as a result. Shaw's handler is his mother, a starkly ambitious and wildly manipulative Senator's wife, played with aplomb and professionalism by Presila Quinby. She and her husband, played by Jeff Golden, are two of the highlights of the production; their hilarious scenes together are a pitch-perfect send up of the jingoistic and racist political maneuvering that is more pronounced these days in presidential politics than it has been for quite some time. The other strong showing of the production came from Mark Schneider, as Ben Marco, Shaw's war buddy and fellow victim in the mind control programming. Schneider is a real gem; his reading of a broken but somehow optimistic man back from the war was as moving a performance as this critic has yet seen at Camelot. In many ways, Marco is the conscience of the piece; the picture of a a man so broken and conflicted, yet somehow steering this ship of fools back towards the shore, is not lost on Schneider, who gives an excellent and nuanced performance. Stephanie Jones as Jocie Jordan, Shaw's love interest, also gave a strong turn during the short time she had on stage. Bob Clark as her stoic father and Tim Kelly as an autocratic general were competent supporting players. The rest of the cast also did well within the pace and context of the principal action. Production design by Don Zastoupil and Brian M. O'Connor is deft. The action plays out cleverly between the main stage itself and a projector screen behind it, perhaps an allusion to the fact that the novel has also been on the receiving end of screen treatment twice, in 1962 and 2004. In addition, the style of the production provokes the audience to stay engaged with the rapidly changing sets and suggests to the viewer that they are inside the mind of a madman. Overall the production feels ambitious and risky, in a good way; there is a healthy dollop of R-Rated language from the military men, and the themes are intended for intelligent adults. It's nice to see a piece of theater done in a raw, non-pandering way, a rarity in semi-professional theater, and also in Southern Oregon. All in all, "Manchurian Candidate" should be a solid evening out for anyone in the mood for an interesting interpretation of a taut political thriller. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Tidings columnist and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Oct. 18, 2015 at 10:21 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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