Document text
June 1, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 19, 2004 'Panama,' second play in twin billing, turns 'Godot' upside down By Roberta Kent Tidings Reviewer When Oregon Stage Works made the decision to open their new theater and their new season with two plays alternating in repertory, the question remained, what to do in repertory with Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"? Caroline Shaffer was already set to direct the second play. She mentioned the quandary to OSW supporter and veteran screenwriter S.S. "Paddy" Schweitzer and he told her about a new play by Mike Folie called "Panama." "When I read it, I realized 'Panama' pretty much turns 'Godot' upside down," says director Caroline Shaffer. "Godot" is introspective, an examination of the meaninglessness of life. "Panama" is a wild, satirical and nonsensical comedy. "Panama" reads like a play written by a middle-aged guy after a long night of imbibing mind-altering substances with friends. You can almost see a group of highly educated guys, overcome with the giggles, trying to top one another with one outrageous situation after another. After a disconnected prologue where a really bad Las Vegas lounge singer offers his rendition of the Frank Sinatra classic "Young at Heart," the play begins as our "hero," Dean (Peter Alzado), learns that he is going to die. It's not that he's sick. His doctor informs him that he could live at least another 35 years. "And then?," Dean asks. Well, the doctor muses, you could possibly live 10 to 15 years more. "And then?" Dean insists. "You mean I'm going to die? Me? I'm going to die?" Well, the doctor continues, we're all going to die. "You're going to die. Others are going to die. But ME. I'm going to die?" In uncontrolled rage, Dean promptly strangles the doctor. So starts the play. Dean and his 50s-clone wife (Kate Sullivan) start out for Arizona to see if perhaps his parents have survived - their good genes would be an encouraging sign. Their plan immediately goes awry when they pick up two young grunge-generation hitchhikers (Kirk McKenzie and Eve Smythe). The couple are on their way to California to become computer animators because "like the whole world is going virtual, see, so if you, like, control the virtual, you can, like control the world." Whatever. The couple also convince Dean that if there is an elixir for eternal life, it's got to be in California. And, since the elixir will undoubtedly be expensive, they all should visit Dean's parents and take possession of Dean's inheritance a bit earlier than planned. Sounds like a good idea to Dean. However, the old couple (Corey Christensen and Chris James) is not quite what the group had in mind. From here, "Panama" and director Shaffer have the characters and action going nonstop, with assorted mindless violence, mindless sex, and a visit to a "Beckett-land" theme park at Disney World where you can share bleak situations from your favorite Beckett plays with Disney animatrons. Nothing, absolutely nothing in American society is sacrosanct. Folie's language can be crude and his situations offensive. There is even a recurring character, Jesus Christ (Matthew Lawrence), who makes no pretensions to be the "real" one. He just finds it useful to look and dress like him. (It comes in handy if you're going to be a dentist or a hostage negotiator or an assistant to a Hollywood producer.) It falls to actor Jim Bowen to play all the supporting roles: the lounge singer, the doctor, the cop, the director, the Hollywood Producer and the Scientist. He manages to give each of them a distinct persona and also manages-most of the time-not to crack up with laughter. Director Shaffer also shows up on stage as a sort of silent, omnipotent stage manager-cum-special effects maven. (Shaffer is in the show for the opening weekend only. After that, the role will be played by Rico Herrera.) "Panama" can have you roaring with laughter one minute and writhing in embarrassment the next. Some of it is very good; a lot of it is just awful - the way that Monty Python can be good and awful at the same time. Unfortunately, playwright Mike Folie is no Monty Python. Also, for a play like this to work on stage, the actors have to be in complete control even though they look like they are improvising. The direction likewise has to be brisk and tight. That is not always the case with this OSW production. While there are moments here of absolute brilliance, there is also a lot of pure silliness in between. Does "Panama" work as theater? A lot of the time it does. But, frankly, it would work a lot better if it weren't in repertory with a masterpiece. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams