Art by Zee

Josh Smyth, Eric Riedmann , Emily Fairbrook and Steve West in Charley’s Aunt at Taproot (photo by Erik Stuhaug)

[repost]

Jack Chesney and his Oxford schoolmate Charles Wykeham have a problem: they’re in love. Jack (Eric Reidmann) longs for the love of the charming Kitty Verdun (Anne Kennedy) while Charley (Josh Smyth) pines for pretty Amy Spettigue (Emily Fairbrook). Standing in their way is the complicated etiquette of Victorian England’s middle class morality – they can’t even invite the young ladies to lunch without a proper chaperon in attendance. Hope rises when the millionaire aunt supporting his education telegraphs Charley to announce her imminent arrival. Hope falls when a second telegram announces her cancellation.

What are the lovelorn lads to do? Why, convince their pal Lord Fancourt Babberly (Steve West) to put on the costume he bought for his theatrical group and impersonate the aunt no one’s ever seen, of course. Thus begins a madcap afternoon of mistaken identity, romantic confusion and the riotously funny results of well-intentioned lies in Charley’s Aunt, now playing at Taproot Theater.

Lord Fancourt – “Babbs”, to his pals – makes a spectacularly awful Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez, the widow from Brazil, “where the nuts come from”, but people see what they want to see to great comic effect.

Jack’s father, Sir Francis (Andrew Litzky), finds “Donna Lucia” appalling, but attempts to woo her for the sake of his son who will be forced to work for a living after graduation since their family title comes with no money attached. Misses Verdun and Spettigue seem far more interested in fussing over Charley’s “aunt” than being wooed by their would-be suitors, much to Babbs’ delight and his friends’ great dismay. Stern Stephen Spettigue (Nolan Palmer), uncle of Amy and guardian of Kitty, first disdains then desires “Donna Lucia”. Just when it seems things can’t possibly get any more out of hand, the real Donna Lucia (Llysa Holland) arrives with a young woman (Samie Dietzer) who has a history tied to more than one “Charley’s Aunt”.

First performed in 1892, Charley’s Aunt delighted its early audiences with its gentle satire of stuffy manners; while modern theatergoers will find the antiquated ettiquette even more ridiculous, the romantic comedy has aged very well by being at its heart a simple spoof of the silly lengths people to go for the sake of love, a theme that never really gets old. Director Karen Lund keeps the three-act play moving at an energetic pace and, as always, the Taproot production staff does an excellent job of transforming a simple stage into a thoroughly convincing set.

Among the cast, Steve West deserves special praise for making Charley’s false aunt so convincingly unconvincing. Don Brady is delightful as Jack’s put upon valet Brassett whose disbelieving asides at the madness going around him are uniformly amusing.

Charley’s Aunt continues at Taproot Theater through June 12. Tickets available in person at the box office, over the phone at 206.781.9707 or online.

As a special bonus, Taproot Improv Comedy returns to the stage on Friday nights following mainstage performances. Tickets are $10 or $8 with a ticket to Charley’s Aunt.

“No matter what we do, is it really going to make a difference?”

That’s the question behind ReGeneration.

Director Philip Montgomery and producer Matt DeRoss were in town to discuss their recently finished documentary about the causes of social and political apathy in youth and young adults and what can be done to get them more inspired. Featuring well known figures like Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman, ReGeneration‘s real focus is on young people, taking a look at the activities of a musical collective called STS9, a young conservative family, and a group of high school students.

The genesis of the project came back in the time period shortly after the Katrina disaster when Montgomery and DeRoss started having conversations about what was going on in the world. Montgomery considered himself politically and socially aware, but realized he had a tendency toward apathy and that really bothered him. With economic disaster and two wars affecting the US, why wasn’t he doing more? Why wasn’t his whole generation doing more?

Montgomery feels it is important to differentiate between apathy and cynicism, but makes it clear that one leads to the other. Specifically, one of the reasons there’s so much apathy is that there’s so much cynicism. Why care when you just expect bad things to happen. He references the political activism back in the 1960s by the “Baby Boomers”: “[They] were just learning that governments weren’t looking out for the best interests of the people…this inspired them to go out and fight.”

Generations since, he says, assume that “Of course the government’s corrupt. What can I do about it?”

Apathy, then, isn’t really about disinterest, it’s about feeling disenfranchised. Both he and DeRoss feel a contributing factor to this disengagement is how little time we spend with nature. It’s easy to feel disconnected from the world when you’re not engaging with it directly. Additionally, isolation leads to distorted perspectives. Every day he gets e-mail petitions for one cause or another, just like many others are, and yet, really, how much influence does an e-mail petition or a Facebook group really have? (Not much, actually.) Consumer habits are another factor to consider – there are many sponsored products that one can buy that donate to one cause or another, but “Why can’t we just give our time for the sake of doing it” or cutting out the middleman to make direct donations.

Says DeRoss: “The big message we’d like to get across is the disinterest from nature. You say you care about the environment, but how much do you care when you’re looking an iMac screen all day?”

The filmmakers hope to move people from simple interest to empathy. “You understand more and start to care more and then you start to be part of the solution.”

As they started to put them film together, they began by making a “wish list” of people they wanted involved, people who had inspired them, and discovered that they were far from the only people thinking about these issues. “About 99 percent [of the people they contacted] said yes.”

Making the film took considerable time – neither was able to work on it full time so the film had to put together in bits and pieces on nights and weekends. It took about a year and a half for them to get the money and it wasn’t until 2007 that they were able to start filming. Their first SIFF screening really was their first screening and the film wasn’t finished in post until about a week ago. The film doesn’t yet have distribution, but Montgomery and DeRoss have already witnessed its power on an audience. They took it up to Everett to screen for students there and were overwhelmed by the response, getting a standing ovation from a thousand high school students.

Harvey Fierstein and cast of Fiddler in the Roof photo ©2010 Carol Rosegg

Tradition is very important to Tevye, an impoverished milkman living in the Russian village of Anatevka in 1905. Tradition is how Tevye, his family, and his fellow villagers keep order in their lives. Tevye fantasizes about how much easier his life would be if he were a rich man, but despite all the grumbling he does, Tevye is generally happy with the status quo. Tradition works for him.

His children, on the other hand, aren’t exactly thrilled with tradition. His three oldest daughters have all reached the age to consider marriage. Tradition dictates that marriages be arranged but first Tevye’s oldest daughter Tzeitel successfully begs her father to free her from her arranged marriage so she can marry the man she truly loves. Next his second daughter, Hodel, tells him she is marrying young radical Perchik and they are asking for a blessing, not permission. Underneath his bluff, blustery exterior is a man who dearly loves his children and wants them to be happy, so Tevye forces himself to consider that there may be times when it’s okay to make a new tradition. Third daughter Chava, however, pushes him too far by defying his orders to stay away from the gentile she loves and running off to secretly marry him. Although it breaks his heart, Tevye insists on casting her from their family.

Soon after, word comes to the village that the Tsar is ordering all Jews out of the village in three days’ time. With heavy hearts, Tevye, his family and friends all must leave their home and scatter to the winds. Knowing that she may never see her family again, Chava returns to tell them goodbye and let them know that she and her husband Fyedka are leaving the village themselves, unable to live in a place so cruel. Tevye then must make one final choice between tradition and his love for his daughters.

Harvey Fierstein stars as Tevye. His is a warm, funny Tevye – you can’t help but like him, even when he’s being cranky or conceited, which he is quite often. He is completely believable as a man willing to bend from the tradition he values for the sake of the children he values even more. Fierstein puts the distinctively gravelly voice he’s so well known for to good use throughout his dialogue, making the funny parts just that much more funny. However, his voice is a limitation in a play with so many notable songs – here he is adequate, at best.

The rest of the cast is mostly strong. Susan Cella has the thankless task of playing Tevye’s wife Golde who spends most of the play being a shrew. Cella manages to inject enough humanity into Golde to make her emotions believable, a task considerably more impressive than it might sound. All three of the women portraying Tevye’s oldest daughters – Kaitlin Stilwell as Tzeitel, Jamie Davis as Hodel, and Deborah Grausman as Chava – are outstanding. Less thrilling were the actors playing the men each of these young women breaks tradition for: Colby Foytik’s Perchik is so appealing it’s easy to understand why Hodel would be willing to leave the home she loves for the bitter cold of Siberia to be with him but Zal Owen’s Motel the Tailor is far too passive, particularly in what’s meant to be his shining moment of bravery leading up to “Miracle of Miracles”. As Fyedka, Matthew Marks seems almost a stereotype of bland niceness.

Two of the strongest performances were from minor characters: Mary Stout’s Yente is adorably funny every time she’s on stage and Stephen Lee Anderson infuses the Constable with enough life to make his betrayals of Tevye and the villagers truly painful.

Fiddler on the Roof continues at the Paramount through May 30.

The Pacific Science Center is offering a great new exhibit this summer. Circus! Science Under the Big Top offers visitors a chance to discover the important tie between science and the circus.

The exhibit allows visitors to experience first-hand different circus stunts. They might safely strap into a harness and walk on a high wire that is suspended eight feet off the ground; or safely practice aerodynamic aerobics. There are also dress-up areas for everyone that will entertain the youngest visitors. Other areas of the exhibit explore sword swallowing, contortion, animal communication and circus sounds.

After making its premiere at the Ontario Science Center in Canada back in June 2001, the exhibit started traveling in 2002. It makes its way here in June, opening June 12 and running through September 6.

The Mayor’s office released this today:

Construction bids to rebuild the troubled Mercer Street corridor were far less than originally anticipated, Seattle Department of Transportation Director Peter Hahn told the City Council Transportation Committee today.

“Taking advantage of the favorable construction climate, we’re ready to move forward on this important project,” said Hahn. “After decades of delay, we will fix the Mercer Mess, and create a wonderful new corridor for motorists, freight, bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Gary Merlino Construction Company, the apparent low bidder on the east phase of the Mercer Corridor Improvements Project, submitted a proposal that came in at about $47,850,000, well under the engineer’s estimate. Overall, there is a bid savings of approximately 23 percent on demolition and construction from earlier estimates, which the project relied on as part of its funding plan. The city is further reviewing the bids for completeness and responsiveness.

The funding plan for the project is now complete, said Hahn. SDOT is requesting the City Council lift budget restrictions on Mercer funding, allowing construction to begin in July or early August. The project is expected to be completed in 2013.

The project is scheduled to improve traffic conditions by improving access to Seattle Center and Uptown, as well as the traffic route to Fremont and Interbay. The plan should ease congestion by making the traffic flow from I-5 smoother, as well as giving better access to

SIFF‘s first Face the Music feature in this year’s festival is tonight at the Triple Door where at 7:00 and 9:30 pm, The Maldives will be performing an original live score for the silent film Riders of the Purple Sage, starring Tom Mix, the mold on whom all future cowboy stars was cast. Mix had a busy career – he made over 300 films in just 25 years – and here you’ll have a great chance to discover why he was so popular, highlighted by excellent live music.

Actor Rob Benedict director Michael Weithorn, actor Daniel Yelsky, and actor Jenna Fischer from A Little Help pose with SIFF artistic director Carl Spence at the film’s premiere. All photos this page by April Brimer

Writer/director Michael Weithorn (“The King of Queens”, “Ned and Stacey”) successfully makes the leap from television to the big screen with his debut feature, A Little Help , a sympathetic portrayal of a woman whose life is already a wreck when her cheating husband unexpectedly dies, leading her to anguish and indecision, but also offering her a chance to get things right, finally, if only she can get herself together. Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) stars as Laura, the Long Island dental hygienist whose unhappy marriage gets an unhappy resolution. Aimless and self-absorbed in the way the miserable often are, Laura spends much of her time drinking beer and smoking the cigarettes that her son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) scolds her for smoking. After her husband dies, Laura has no choice but to step up to her responsibilities, like finally taking on more hours at work, but it’s far from easy.

Laura’s overbearing sister strong-arms her into suing the doctor who misdiagnosed her husband (even though the husband was lying to the doctor to cover up his cheating) and Laura’s overbearing mother successfully pressures her into sending Dennis to ritzy private school where, in order to fit in and make some friends, he tells his schoolmates that his father was a 9/11 hero. In the meantime, Laura finds genuine sympathy from her brother-in-law Paul (Rob Benedict, “Supernatural”) but even he has expectations for her that weigh her down. Ultimately, Laura must find her own path out of her quicksand, but will she be able to find the strength?

Director Michael Weithorn and actor Jenna Fischer were in town for their film’s premiere. Read after the jump for what they had to say about it.

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By Mike Caccioppoli

Cyrus

Directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass

John C. Reilly is a busy man lately but I don’t think he’s been any better than in the Duplass brothers new film Cyrus. He plays John, a guy who just found out that his ex-wife is getting remarried which makes him even more depressed than he already is.  John hasn’t had much luck dating until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) and unlike the other women he meets, Molly loves the fact that he’s so eager to open up and be deep right off the bat.

Things seem to be going well until Molly’s almost 22 year old still lives at home son enters the picture. That would be Cyrus (Jonah Hill, creepy and perfectly cast) and we get the feeling from when we first meet him that something isn’t quite right. There’s something odd going on behind that round, boyish face and odd sense of humor (“I’m so glad to have a new dad” he says to John before adding “just kidding”). Not only is he not looking for a dad he also doesn’t want anyone getting between him and his mom. Ever.

As John becomes aware that Cyrus is  a psychologically unstable yet also extremely crafty boy who will do what’s necessary to turn his mom off to him, he begins to fight back. Jonah fakes anxiety attacks, John tells a phony story about having them as well BUT he was STRONG enough to get over them and move on with his life. So on and so forth tit for tat.  Who will win?

Cyrus is one of those rare films that gets everything right. From the uncomfortable conversations between mom, son and boyfriend to the deep seeded need to protect one’s territory. The Duplass brothers could have been satisfied with playing up the ensuing battle of wits between John and Cyrus but they want their film to be much more than that and it is.  Why does Molly allow Cyrus to still live at home and cling to her? (He uses the bathroom while she’s in the shower). What the hell is wrong with this kid anyway and why does John have such a problem dealing with it head on?

These are the questions that the Duplass brothers delve into in a way that’s so subtle and crafty and downright funny that we hardly know what they’re getting at until it really hits us. Their “message” if you will is simply this… no matter how screwed up we might be we should be genuine at all costs. And if you’re nearly 22, get out of the damn house!

Holy Rollers

Directed by Kevin Asch

The houses where the Hasidic boys live in Holy Rollers are only a few blocks away from where I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Never would I have thought that these kids could be involved in a drug smuggling ring but that’s exactly what happened in the late 90′s. The drug was ecstasy and over one million pills were moved between New York and Amsterdam before they were all busted.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Sam Gold, a 20 year old Hasidic boy who is drafted into the smuggling ring by his lifelong friend Yosef (Justin Bartha). Sam works for his father and wants to make some extra money. He is told the drugs are for people who need medical help but he’s smart enough to figure it what they are really for, even if he won’t admit it at first. As he gets deeper and deeper into the operation he begins to forget what the Rabbis have taught him his entire life.

Holy Rollers isn’t your typical “drug” film because of its cast of characters but it does go in some of the same directions. We know that Sam will begin to use those drugs and that he will get paranoid at some point. Of course the shit will hit the fan and everything will crumble. We can accept these genre traps because the subject matter is so compelling due in large part to Eisenberg who carries the film. While Sam may be getting involved with the wrong people and even enjoying his new found freedom and money, Eisenberg never lets us forget that this is a good Jewish boy with a kind heart who has just gone astray. He may be Hasidic but he’s also only 20 and no religion or background is immune to the power of the almighty dollar. While we might already know this, Eisenberg makes that reality feel even more heartbreaking.

The Penitent Man

Directed by Nicholas Gyeney

A man walks into a psychologists office and tells him that he’s from the future and that he wants to confess something. At first the doctor thinks he’s crazy but as the man continues to talk he becomes more and more involved in what he’s saying. He goes on to say that he invented some kind of time travel device and that he’s witnessed the beginnings of mankind and he’s also seen the end of it. He says that the government got involved with his discovery, paid him tons of money and that’s when everything went awry.

As we watch the man, played by Lance Henriksen, tell his story we can’t help but believe every word he’s saying. The doctor despite what science tells him, feels the same way. Why is this man talking to him about this? What does he want to achieve? Why can’t the doctor put the conversation out of his mind? His best friend (Andrew Keegan) thinks he needs to spends more time with his pregnant wife (Melissa Roberts) and less time obsessing with the man’s story.

The Penitent Man is very much an actors film because it’s all about dialogue. While it may be interested in “science fiction” of sorts there are no real special effects. Most of the film is Henriksen talking to the doctor (played by Lathrop Walker) about his life and his discovery. Henriksen is such a great story teller that we hang on every word, wondering where he will go next. We begin to visualize in our mind’s eye the world he’s creating. While we’ve seen numerous films involving time travel (Time After Time, Back to the Future, The Terminator) they have all used special effects and action sequences to push their stories across. Director Nicholas Gyeney is more interested in words and characters. He allows the complexities and complications of his story to develop slowly but develop they do and we find ourselves thinking more and more about the consequences of Henriksen’s actions.

If you have a short attention span then this film isn’t for you. While some of the scenes may carry on a bit too long (tighter editing may have helped) this is a small quibble with a film that rewards us for our patience. And with the casting of sci-fi cult hero Henriksen, director Gyeney hit a home run. With his piercing eyes and hypnotic voice it’s very possible that we’ve been listening to him since time immemorial.

Mao’s Last Dancer at SIFF 2010 May 27, 29, 31

ReGeneration : Director Philip Montgomery gives a sharp look at today’s apathetic youth and what it might take to get them more involved with the world around them, featuring such well known figures as Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Mos Def, and Talib Kwell as well as a young musical collective, a young conservative family and a group of high school students trying to find their place in the world. May 24 6:30 pm – Egyptian, May 26 4:30 pm – SIFF Cinema [zee grega]

The Owls : Four middle-aged lesbians cover up the murder of a much younger friend in a film by Cheryl Dunye (My Baby’s Daddy, The Watermelon Woman) that uses flashback, split-screen, still photos and documentary-style techniques. The first film by The Parliament Film Collective, an association of lesbian and queer activist-artists. May 24 7:00 pm – SIFF Cinema, May 28 5:00 pm – Egyptian [zee grega]

Farsan : Josef Fares directed SIFF faves, like Jalla! Jalla!, Kopps and now Farsan. While I haven’t seen his last two films, this was was full of emotion. One of those laugh and cry flicks, the movie revolves around a middle-eastern Swedish immigrant and the people surrounding him. Whether he’s looking for love, helping men be men or finding happiness in unexpected places this heartwarming piece of cinema has shining moments that you’ll talk about long after the movie is over. May 25 4:30 pm – Pacific Place Cinema [barrie arliss]

Excited : Kevin is the owner of a successful golf course who hasn’t been as lucky in love as he has in business until he meets Hayam. She’s a lovely, lively woman who just might be the perfect partner if Kevin can get over his issues – both in the bedroom and outside of it as he deals with his ne’er-do-well brother and his overinvolved mother. Strong performances from a thoughtful cast who breathe real life into their characters and a deft hand from director Bruce Sweeney keep this dramatic comedy so honest you’ll sometimes cringe in second-hand embarassment for Kevin’s sake. May 25 7:00 pm – Pacific Place, May 26 4:00 pm – Pacific Place [zee grega]

Chihuly Fire & Light : Over the years glass artist Dale Chihuly has become more than just a local legend, not bad for a Tacoma boy. This documentary takes a look at Chihuly’s use of neon lights to amp up his complex glass sculptures, illuminating his collaborative approach to creating his well-known works. If you’ve ever wondered what the fuss is about, this film will give you some insight. May 26 7:00 pm – SIFF Cinema, May 29 1:00 pm – Everett [zee grega]

Night Catches Us : Two former Black Panthers return to Philadelphia in 1976 to try to come to terms with the decisions they’ve made in this strong debut from director Tanya Hamilton. Night Catches Us features smart, incisive script and strong performances from a solid cast, including a breakout performance by Jamara Griffin as a wiser-than-she-ought-to-be child and presents an important piece of American history in without relying on the usual cliches about looking backwards while trying to move ahead. May 26 7:00 pm – Egyptian, May 27 4:30 pm – Egyptian, May 29 3:00 pm – Everett [zee grega]

Mao’s Last Dancer : Bruce Beseford might have been famous for his direction in Driving Miss Daisy, but it’s Mao’s Last Dancer that takes him in a whole new world. This true story, set in the early 80s depicts the china-born ballet star, Li Cunxin, and his dilema between his forced career, his first love and his Communist home. While some of the acting could’ve showed a bit more emotion, it was the dancing that’s the true star of this film. May 27 7:00 pm – Everett Performing Arts Center [barrie arliss]

It’s almost silly how excited I am to read that Mark Hamill is going to direct a film based on his comic book series, but excited I am. I loved his Comic BooK: the Movie which was a fun, light-hearted spoof of the madness of comic fans made by someone who has been a comic fan pretty much all of his life, and I’m sure Black Pearl will be no less great.