Theatre Ventoux

Tonight marked the opening of Theatre Ventoux’s fourth show in the form of a madman named LEAR. An adaptation of Shakespeare’s KING LEAR, this play attacks the language and numerous plot lines with a hunger that is infectious to the audience. At the beginning of the play there is no doubt that Theatre Ventoux intends to tell you a story, which they accomplish with flair.

The tale of a powerful king that relies on the ‘blood is thicker than water’ mentality, who allows his power and ego to blind him to the truth, flies across the stage at the Cal Arts Academy, Severance stage. With a modern feel that is both here and now and classical, a theme Ventoux has perfected in this author’s humble opinion, this old tale is brought up to date with music, costumes and lighting. An almost bare stage allows the actors the opportunity to tell the story through actions and words. The director, Greg Taber, is to be applauded for the attention to detail in each actor expressing intent whether it be through an all cast chaotic movement or a cold glare from one of Lear’s daughters.

Sinister and sexy versus innocence and truth. The game board, that is present on stage throughout the production, serves as a potent tool for those characters who truly play a game with Lear. This cast is talented in handling the language and the emotional complexities this story demands. The story is tragic, and not because of the high body count at the end of the play, but because the deceit and the hunger for power causes more than one character to go into a state of disillusion and madness.

I, for one, greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication these actors put out there on that stage tonight. Seeing new depths to actors that I have not seen before was exciting and inspiring.

The show will be performing thru April 11th. Friday and Saturday night at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Please support our local theatre community and see this enjoyable production.

As I was talking about how much I enjoyed Theatre Ventoux’s production of King Lear, someone asked if it was a period piece or set in the present day. The answer is both and neither. True to the original language, the production is laced with “Art thous” and other expected Shakespearean what have yous. The dress is of the present-day variety, but not distractingly so. The actors’ basic white dress shirts and neckties mirror the timelessness of Shakespeare’s themes (I concede that Shakespeare’s themes are even more timeless than neckties, but you get the idea). The deep sorrows and the arguments between family and friends are phenomena that everyone has experienced at some time, in some capacity.

The play starts as The Boy (Joshua Taber) requests, “Tell me a story.” The story at hand begins with King Lear (powerfully and emotionally played by Tom Janecek) giving out land to his three daughters: Goneril (the eldest, smirkily played by Lisa Taber), Regan (the middle-child, a femme fatal-ish Michelle Bonanno), and Cordelia (a youthfully innocent Melissa Geston). The eldest two are married to Albany (Michael Roberston) and Cornwall (Ricci Mazzuca), while the young Cordelia has yet to choose from her two suitors, Edmond and Edgar (two of the most intriguing characters in the play, I thought, as played by Evan Ericsen and Steve Torres, respectively), sons of Gloucester (a heartbreakingly betrayed Hal H. Bolen, II). The eldest daughter Gonderil is assisted by her servant Oswald. Though Oswald is traditionally a man’s role, Carolyn Robertson offers an Oswald whose trustworthy guise sinisterly fades into ruthless dedication. I think what I like most about this play was the way Theatre Ventoux amplified the fact that some of the most dangerous people in the play are those who seemed to be just part of the background in the beginning. That said, King Lear’s problems don’t get lost in the shuffle. The ensemble of characters spends much of the play choosing sides, back stabbing, et cetera in an escapade in which, just as you think you have a handle on who everyone is and what all their motivations and loyalties are, they start dying off… Fortunately, the dark entanglement is balanced by a wise Fool (Jessica Reedy). Part Harpo Marx, part philosophy professor, Reedy offers a Fool that comforts and motivates both the King and the audience itself.Theatre Ventoux has honed a polished artistic style characterized by entrancing lighting, well-chosen mood music, and fantastic acting. Director Greg Taber has helped Theatre Ventoux remain true to this style throughout King Lear. “I cannot be who I was then,” the song played at the beginning of the play professed. This is obviously true for the characters in the play, but I couldn’t help feeling as though, after seeing this show, I wasn’t quite the same as I was then (before the show, that is), too - in a very good way. Be sure to experience Theatre Ventoux’s King Lear at the California Arts Academy/Severance Building (in the Tower District - 1401 N Wishon, at Floradora) on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through April 12, and on Sunday, April 6 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors.

In its short tenure, Theatre Ventoux has elevated the Fresno theater scene by producing challenging fare. From the alluring depravity of “This Flattering Glass” (a heavily reworked adaptation of “Richard II”) to the cerebral antics of “Childe Byron” (told from the point of view of the poet’s daughter), the productions have been insightful, provocative and — most important — distinctively bold examples of storytelling.

The company’s current production, “Lear,” does not reach this level. It struggles not only in terms of voice and vision but also in just the basics of conveying the storyline of Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” The heavily truncated text (the show is over in little more than a brisk two hours, including an intermission) leaves big gaps in the narrative that, frankly, left the remaining plot extremely hard for me to follow.

And while the production tries for a taste of decadence — one of Lear’s daughters, Regan, walks around in leatherlike tights and knee-high black boots in a look that could be described as trollop meets princess — I can’t help but feel that this “Lear” would like to be a great deal bloodier, sexier and stormier than it turns out.Director Gregory Taber envisions the production as a literal storytelling exercise. In a prologue, what appears to be a kindly grandfather figure (Tom Janecek, who will go on to play Lear), prepares to tell a tale to a young boy. Suddenly the entire cast appears, each one pacing about the room in circles and chanting, “Tell us a story.” It is an interesting device, and at least it is strongly theatrical, but the concept in relation to the play is lost on me. Couldn’t any of Shakespeare’s plays start in such a way? Couldn’t any play start in such a way?Janecek is well-cast physically as Lear, and there are times that you can really connect to this old man’s frustrations and mental deterioration. (The moment when he glimpses his beloved daughter Cordelia late in the play and thinks her a ghost has a lot of emotional pull — one of the few times in this production when the words and action on stage really leap to life.) But the character’s descent into madness is never very affecting, and Janecek comes across more as listless than anguished.It’s obvious that Taber likes to mix things up a bit, as evidenced by casting Carolyn Robertson against type and gender as the devious Oswald, a steward that roughs people up. (It didn’t really work for me; Robertson still seems too nice.) Lisa Taber and Michelle Bonanno, as Lear’s two “bad” daughters, have some strong moments, and David P. Otero’s Kent is a solid depiction of loyalty. Curiously, the play’s subplot involving fueding brothers (a vigorous Steve Torres as the good-boy Edgar and a scowling Evan Ericsen as the aggressively nasty Edmund) has a lot more narrative punch in Gregory Taber’s truncated script than the main story of Lear and his three daughters, of whom Cordelia remains very sketchy in this version. (I never figured out where the King of France went: Doesn’t that character play a crucial role in Cordelia’s story?)Visually, the production needs a jolt. On the positive side, Chris Campbell’s lighting design in the Severance space evokes an appropriately stormy feel. But the beige carpet and rudimentary set, combined with the cast’s eclectic modern dress, does little to give us a sense of setting or attitude. This is the story of a community torn apart by war and back stabbing, yet very little in the production design accentuates this theme.Again, Theatre Ventoux is constantly stretching, and that’s a good thing. It gets credit for tackling a tough play head-on, to be sure, and there are some fine individual moments, but this will not go down in my book as one of company’s more successful productions.

1. Who are you?

My name is Tom Janecek, and when pronounced correctly, it sounds
something like “Ya-nah-check.”

2. What’s your background?

Being orphaned at an early age, I spent a lot of time in the imaginary worlds of literature and of my own making. Although I tried to be practical and resist the allure of theatre as I was going through school, I simply loved everything about it. I majored in it in college (CSUF) and taught it at Clovis High School before receiving a fellowship to continue on at the University of Illinois, where I received a M.A. and Ph.D. Since then, and all along the way, I have acted, directed, and taught in the field for a variety of schools and theatres. In the past few years, I have appeared locally in 45 Seconds from Broadway, Morning’s at Seven, and Bus Stop at Good Company Player’s 2nd Space Theatre and in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Roger Rocka’s. I also appeared in Midsummer Night’s Dream  at the Woodward Shakespeare Festival and in The Tempest for the Actor’s Repertory Theatre.

3. What draws you to theatre?

I find the creative process of theatre personally compelling. It is a magical experience for me to see a whole world of people, ideas, and things brought into life on the stage from nothing more than mere words on a page. As an actor in this process, I strive to do everything I can to bring the character I am playing to life to the fullest possible extent that fulfills the playwright’s intentions and tells the story in a superior manner. The reward comes not with the applause, but in how close I have personally come to that kind of perfection.

4. What draws you to work with Theatre Ventoux?

I have wanted to work with Theatre Ventoux from the beginning, for their desire to do excellent theatre matches mine. They are providing needed opportunities for   talented artists in the local community to practice their art, and they have gathered an outstanding company together.

5. What draws you to this production?

I didn’t get a chance to appear in a Theatre Ventoux production until A Muse of Fire at last year’s (2007) Rogue Festival. When Greg Taber asked me to be in King Lear, I jumped at the chance. Why? Are you kidding? King Lear is considered by many to be Shakespeare’s finest play.

6. Who do you play and what do you have to say about your character?

I play King Lear, an actor’s dream and nightmare all rolled into one character. It challenges with an astonishing range of emotions to be presented from the heights of passion to the depths of despair. I think about him all the time. But I don’t want to talk about him too much. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed if you see the play. I’m going to give it all I have. I consider it to be the role of a lifetime.

Who are you?

I’m a corporate/tax/real estate lawyer by training and trade, in private practice for 32 years. The last 21 of those years, I’ve been one of the founding partners of my own firm. It has been a great run and it’s hard for me to believe that I have more years behind me that lie ahead. I’ve lived in Fresno for over 40 years. Before that, we moved around the Country extensively, but Fresno is my home now. Three years and three months ago my life was given its first real meaning and significance when the beautiful and talented Debora Crockett became the beautiful and talented Debora Crockett Bolen. Too few of us are fortunate enough actually to find the love of our lives. Fewer yet find it after having given up looking. I am the luckiest of all. Regardless of what the great adventure of life holds next for me, Debora has fulfilled my dreams and dreams new ones with me. Oh, one other great thing. Debora and I have never been parents together, but are grandparents. I got all the joys of being grandpa without the angst of being a parent! Skipped the teenage years entirely!

What draws you to theatre?

I don’t know. My colleagues are better at expressing it than I. I just feel like it’s something I should be doing. I like to make people laugh, think, smile and cry. Sounds like I’m just a ham. That’s probably it. I have no formal theatre training, which leaves me in a jealous awe of my fellow gifted and trained cast members. Whatever I know about acting comes from watching others and learning from the great directors that I’ve been fortunate enough to work with: Frank Mosier, Greg Taber, J.J. Cobb, S. Eric Day and others.

What draws you to Theatre Ventoux?

Greg. And his vision. And the casts that he assembles. And his appreciation of the actors and their time. As a lawyer, my time is my inventory. It’s all I have to sell. Greg understands how valuable it is to my clients and to me. I learned from my mom to work as hard as you can at everything you do. I learned from my dad to have as much fun as you can at everything you do. Greg gets that. This cast and crew gets that. It’s a joy to be with them. Their combination of talent and work ethic is truly inspirational.

What draws you to this production?

Greg. Frankly, I was looking forward to doing something other than Shakespeare. For a person with no training and a limited acting resume, oddly, most of my work has been in Shakespearean productions. I thought a little comedy might be fun for a change. But if Greg wants me in one of his shows, and my schedule permits it, I’m there. Having said that, as noted above, this particular cast and crew are phenomenal. They’re the cherry on the soda of working for TV. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a small part of it.

Who do you play?

Gloucester is my character. I like him. I wouldn’t be offended if people think that I am like him. He’s old school. He’s loyal to the King. It costs him his life and that’s ok with him. He understands that’s his role. He’s comfortable with it. He is probably a little naïve because he believes all the world should be like him, loyal and true. He struggles as the world as he knows it crumbles around him. Palace intrigue is not his long suit. But he has the courage of his convictions and accepts the consequences. His greatest failure is what he perceives as a horrible wrong he has done to his son Edgar. In true Shakespearean style, his greatest asset, his blind loyalty, becomes his undoing in the most ironic of ways. I hope I can do this great character justice.

Who are you and what is your background?

I am Michelle Bonanno and I have lived in Fresno for a little over two years. Before working and playing in Fresno, I was a student at UC Berkeley, where I received two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theater/Performance Studies and Mass Communications. Thanks to Anne Baxter in The Ten Commandments, I was able to saunter around my seventh grade classroom for a school project as Cleopatra, and a lasting passion was ignited. However, it wasn’t until a broken ankle kept me from participating in my high school sports that I was forced into trying something new…so I tried out for my first play, a tiny one-act called A New York Minute. I never looked back!

What draws you to Theater?

Theater is a way to experience life in anyone’s shoes. Participation in one play is a lesson in psychology, history, sociology, English, and communications. Theater is also a way to bring to attention controversial issues of the time and present them to a willing, active audience. Theater cannot be a passive medium…it is too full of magic.

What draws you to work for Theater Ventoux?

The dedication, commitment, and spirit I find in the directors and members of Theater Ventoux bursts to life in all of their productions, and I itched to be a part of that.

What draws you to this production?

This production is a chance to be a part of one of Shakespeare’s most voluptuous dramas. Manipulation, jealousy, power, control, greed, and vanity are characteristics that live inside all humans, but are  bottled up within. How far will one child go for the acceptance and love of a Father? Of a kingdom?

Who do you play and what do you have to say about your character?

I play Lear’s middle daughter, Regan. She is my chance to delve into the heart of an extremely insecure, lonely woman. Regan wants attention and love from her father, but she craves an affectionate, endearing love. One that is gentle and unconditional. Somehow Regan has become lost in the mix of her father’s busy, boisterous life, and her way of making herself visible is a heightened sexuality, loud, abrasive nature, and a stone encasement around her heart. She has married a man as distant as her father, though for different reasons. Regan has not been taught to respect herself, and she does not believe she deserves to be treated with kindness or tenderness. She is only comfortable in dominating, forceful, fleeting emotions.

….until “lear” opens.

We are very lucky this time around to have two weeks to tech. Last night was the first night at Severance, and it went surprisingly well. Adjusting to a new space always involves some retooling, and it was our first experience with light cues.

It was one of the most productive tech rehearsals I’ve been involved in. As actors, tech can be deadly dull; we used the time to play and refine and start to cement our characters.

Christine Mitchell and Marcel joined us last night. We always ask them to watch a rehearsal and give us their feedback. Everyone involved with a show: director, actor, stage manager, gets so close to the production that it’s difficult to have an objective eye. Bringing in an outsider, so to speak, gives us valuable input about what’s working and what needs to be tweaked. We appreciate both of them so much.

So, 10 days. Usually, by this time, I’m burned-out emotionally and psychologically, ready for it to be over. Not so with this show.

“Lear” has been the most positive and fun theatre experience I have had since “Blithe Spirit” in 1985. It’s been nice to work with such a positive, professional group of people.

Thanks to all of you.

Lisa

Who are you and what’s your background?

Hello all, I am Evan Ericsen. I am currently a full-time person, part-time actor, and in my spare time I work to earn a living. I have done several productions with Fresno High School, Modesto Junior College, and an independent company. This is my first production with Theatre Ventoux.

What draws you to theatre? 

Theatre is just great! Have you ever asked someone, “Hey, lets go to the theater!”, and they said, “Hell no, I don’t want to go to the theater”? No. Everybody loves the theater. What draws me the most is that Theatre is actually a craft. It needs to be a talent acquired and skills honed. 

What draws you to work with Theatre Ventoux?

These people offer something that no other aspect of life can…I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.

What draws you to this production?

Shakespeare has a way of writing that we don’t use anymore. He wrote as he did. Lear, whether it is fictional or not, is a fine example of deep tragedy. Only Shakespeare could write pain this way, making it real. In addition, only our actors could portray pain this way. If you don’t feel the agony of this show, then you must be “men of stones”.

Who do you play and what do you have to say about your character? 

I play Edmund. My character is not exactly the nicest guy, but he has his moments. Not nice moments, but still they’re moments. Plotting, calculating, and Pimp-ish, if the cast of this production were the sun, Edmund would be the moon; waiting in the shadows, ready to shine when the world is at its darkest. 

Enjoy the Show!