FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM by Carol Kaufman Segal

           

Fifteen Men In A Smoke-Filled Room is about Warren G. Harding, our country’s 29^th President and written by Colin Speer Crowley.  In 1899, prior to his becoming President, Harding was elected to the Ohio State Senate and was the most popular Republican in Ohio.  He became the lieutenant governor of the state, but failed to win the governorship.  However, in 1915 he became a United States Senator from Ohio    

            

The play takes place in Chicago Illinois at The Congress Hotel (elegant design by Jeff G. Rack).  It is Friday, June 11, 1920, during the time of the Republican National Convention  We find Warren G. Harding (David Hunt Stafford) being cajoled  into becoming the presidential nominee of the Republican Party by his ambitious campaign manager, Harry M. Daugherty (John Combs).  Harding has no interest at all in running for the office.  His thoughts are more embedded into being able to spend more time with his mistress, Nan Britton (Sarah Walker) and their young daughter, who he never sees.

            

Harding and his wife, Florence Kling Harding (Roslyn Cohn) seem rather cool with one another, but we discover more about her when she makes arrangements to meet with Daugherty in order to convince him not to try to force her husband into accepting the nomination.  Florence insists that she has received an omen from a psychic alleging that he will die if he is elected.  In her strong and pleading request to Daugherty, it is obvious that she loves her husband and, strongly, believes in the warning.  Daugherty shows zero concern for Florence’s pleading. 

            

We meet Nan when she shows up at the hotel to see Harding.  When he tells her he is not interested in becoming the President of the United States and that he wants to give up the life he has in order to spend it with her and their daughter, she insists that he should run.  There is no doubt that it is more important to her that he is a man of high rank and position.

            

The outcome of course, as we all know, is that Warren G. Harding did become the 29^th President of the United States on March 4, 1921.  He died of a heart attack on August 2, 1923, just 881 days after taking office!  During his time in office he was quite popular, but he is actually considered one of the worst presidents in our country’s history, mostly for the fact that there were so many scandals during his tenure, including The Depot Dome. During the play a clever way of going through periods of Harding’s rein are divulged by a radio announcer (Roger K. Weiss)

           

Fifteen Men In A Smoke-Filled Room is directed flawlessly by Jules Aaron.  A superb cast brings these historic characters to life.  Roslyn Cohen is especially outstanding in her scene of angst that she shares with John Combs.  An additional actor in the play is Kevin Dulude who plays two minor roles (Newspaper Editor/Waiter). 

            

Fifteen Men In A Smoke-Filled Room is playing at Theatre 40, located in the Reuben Cordova Theatre at the Beverly Hills High School, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills.  It plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM, through December 15 (dark November 28 and 29).  Tickets are available online at www.theatre40.org, or by calling (310) 364-0535.               

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE GREAT LEAP by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

The Pasadena Playhouse, in association with The East West Players, presents the Los Angeles premiere of Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap.  The play is directed by Tony Award winner BD Wong who starred in the New York off-Broadway Atlantic Theatre and San Francisco American Conservatory Theatre productions of the play. 

           

It is 1989 and Manford (Justin Chien), a high-school senior in San Francisco is longing to join the American team going to Beijing to compete with the Beijing University basketball team in an exhibition game considered a “friendly match”.  He sneaks into The San Francisco University during a practice period to plead with Coach Saul (James Eckhouse) to be placed on the team.  Coach Saul is not convinced by him since he is not out of high school yet and also because he is too self-assured about his ability.  But when Saul discovers that his ability is everything he says it is, he acquiesces.

            

The plot then turns back to 1971 when we find Saul in Beijing who is there at the request of the government to help train the Beijing University team and, perhaps, looking for them to become more competitive. There he works with Coach Wen Chang  (Grant Chang) who also narrates the story.   In Saul’s attempt to explain the crux of the game to Wen Chang in order to win, we learn the differences in the mind-set of the games played by American athletes as opposed to those played by the Chinese and why the difference.

            

Returning to 1989, Manford’s mother has recently died and his cousin Connie (Christine Lin) has taken it upon herself to look out for him.  When he tells her about his plans to go to Beijing to play in the “friendly match”, she is against his going there, but he eventually convinces her that he should go even though she has concerns.

           

When Saul and his team, along with Manford, arrive in Beijing, the heart of the story begins to untangle.  After 18 years, Saul and Wen Chang meet once again, only this time as adversaries, and the understanding of each character becomes an important part of the entire story.  Bo Won’s direction is flawless and the four actors are brilliant in their roles.  This is a very different and worthwhile production that gives us insight into an otherwise different culture.

            

The Great Leap continues at the Pantages Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Ave., Pasadena, through December, 1, 2019.  Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM.  Tickets are available online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org, by phone at (626) 356-7529, or in person at the Playhouse Box Office at their site.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDB

           

THE SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER FEATURING TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS

THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS:  STANLEY KUBRICK PHOTOGRAPHS  by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was a renowned filmmaker known for films such as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining.  I was surprised to learn that, years ago, as I perused one of my favorite magazines, I was seeing photographs by a very young Stanley Kubrick.

           

Kubrick was only 17 seventeen years old when he sold his first photograph to the illustrative Look magazine and became a regular staff member of the periodical.  As he captured scenes of everyday life, Kubrick’s work appeared to be far advanced for his age, but undoubtedly, had a strong affect throughout his creative life.

            

Through A Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs is an exhibition on view at the Skirball Cultural Center through March 8, 2020, where more than 130 photographs reveal his talent that led to his success as one of Hollywood’s great directors of memorable movies.  The Skirball offers docent-led tours of the exhibit Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 PM to 2 PM, and Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, at 1 PM to 2 PM, and 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

             

EL SUENO AMERICANO/THE AMERICAN DREAM:  PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM KIEFER  by Carol Kaufman Segal

            

The Skirball Cultural Center is featuring the first major museum presentation of El Sueno Americano/The American Dream:  Photographs by Tom Kiefer.  The exhibition features over 100 photographs of items that once belonged to migrants that were confiscated and discarded by United Sates border officials in Arizona.

           

Kiefer worked as a janitor at a Custom and Border station in Ajo, Arizona from 2003 to 2014.  He requested  permission to donate discarded food items to a local pantry, and while rummaging through the bins, he found a great deal of personal items being trashed every day, such as clothing, toys, medication, toiletries, letters, tooth brushes, water bottles, bibles, even money that was confiscated from migrants every day. 

           

Kiefer documented and, with fine art photography, put together the more than 100 portraits of objects that are on display at the Skirball Cultural Center.  It is difficult to express my feelings as I perused this exhibition.  I spoke to Tom Kiefer, personally, and could see how distraught he felt over the manner in which the immigrants were regarded. 

            

The exhibition includes newly recorded interviews with Kiefer and with migrants who have crossed the border.  He generated it to prove the hardships put upon migrants and to hope for better understanding and treatment of others.  It will be on view at the Skirball Cultural Center through March 8, 2020.

            

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For further information calL (310) 440-4500, or go online at www.skirball.org.

LOVE IN BLOOM by Carol Kaufman Segal

           

In May of 2010, The Santa Monica Theatre celebrated 50 years of bringing continuous theatrical entertainment to the community.  As Chris DeCarlo surmises, that is 2600 weeks, with not one dark week during the entire time.  During the years they have created entertainment paying tribute to artists who have influenced them in their work such as William Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan,and Marcel Marceau.  In May, 2020, the Santa Monica Playhouse will celebrate its 60^th anniversary, and to celebrate the coming event, they are presenting their very successful 10^th anniversary production, Love In Bloom.

            

This charming musical production was written by the two stars and Co-Artistic Directors Evelyn Rudie and Chris DeCarlo.  Words and music are by Evelyn Rudie and Matthew Wrather.  Like everything created at the Playhouse, everything is created entirely by the company.  This light-hearted, charming, and humorous musical comedy is all about wanting true love, romance, fairies, magic, and lots of confusion.  

           

When Prince Hamelot (Patrick Censoplano is subject to a marriage to someone he does not know and desires to marry for love, it takes the “magic” of Orion (Chris DeCrlo) and Talia (Evelyn Rudie), the King and Queen of the Faeries, to take control of the situation and make certain that those who find love are those who were destined to be together in the first place making “all’s well that ends well.” 

            

The original songs and lyrics are lively and charming and the entire cast proves their acting and musical talent.  The other cast members include Tara Brown (Constance/Onesto), Rachel (Lady Merrymount), Zane Garcia (Calabasas/Mother Frisbe), Graham Silbert (Frivolio/Father Pyramid), and Cynthia Zitter (Cortina/Portico).  The production is a perfect presentation for this holiday-filled time of year. 

           

Love In Bloom plays Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:30 PM, through November 24, in The Other Space at the Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4^th Street, Santa Monica.  Tickets are available by calling (310) 394-9779, Ex. 1, or online at theatre@santamonicaplayhouse.com.

            

RECOMMENDED            

1984  by Carol Kaufman Segal

George Orwell (June 25, 1903 – January 21, 1950) was an English novelist, essayist, and journalist, best known for his novel 1984 that was written towards the end of his life, in 1949. The novel was made into a film three times, in 1945, 1956, and lastly in 1989.  Michael Gene Sullivan, an actor, writer, director, and teacher adapted the novel for the stage and it opened at The Actors’ Gang under the direction of Academy Award winning actor Tim Robbins, Artistic Director of the theatre.  It has been repeated there and is, once again, playing at the theatre in Culver City.

Winston Smith (Will Thomas McFadden) is a citizen of Oceana where everyone is under the rule, and the eyes, of the Party led by the ever-knowing leader known as Big Brother.  We find him in the middle of a sparse room where, obviously, he has been held for some time as he is being watched through screens surrounding the room and interrogated by four Party Members.   They include Party Member No. 1 (Tom Szymanski), Party Member No. 2 (Guebri VanOver), Party Member No. 3 (Bob Turton), and Party Member No. 4 (Ethan Corn).   

           

It appears that Winston has had difficulty living under the oppression of the Party and Big Brother, and has fallen in love with a girl named Julia (Guebri VanOver).  Time passes as the Party members continue their questioning of Winston who never gives in.  Finally, O’Brien appears in the room to take over the interrogation (Tim Robbins, who undoubtedly is Big Brother).  He begins to question Winston and when his answers don’t suit O’Brien, he tortures him.  Over time Winston finally breaks down and accepts his fate.  The power of Big Brother persists.

            

This play is quite a challenge, and under the judicious direction of Tim Robbins and performed by an able cast, it is something very unusual and thought provoking at the same time.  It will continue through December 7^th at the Actors’ Gang located at 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City.  For a schedule and/or for tickets, call (310) 838-4264, or go online at theactorsgang.com.