Marie Antoinette is famous for the saying, “Let them eat cake!”

Whether she actually said it or not doesn’t really matter in the face of history or the minds of the people whose rumor-mill worked overtime and managed to get her head in the guillotine anyway.

Cake (written by Felipe Ossa and directed by Leah Bonvissuto) helps us to imagine what would happen approximately 200 years later if  - instead of a monarch – we get someone like Dana Dunnigan (Ramona Floyd) who lives on the conservative right and has a radio talk show where her celebrity and the power of her notoriety among her detractors very well might lead to her beheading too.  It’s the glorification by an adoring fan-base, determined to save her,  that helps keep her around.

We enter the story as Dana replies to people calling into her radio show. Dana seems to have a barb for all – friend and foe alike. We get the impression that, to her, it’s more important to be notorious than well-liked.  Not to mention the fact that she always knows how right she is about everything. Regardless of whether people love her or hate her, she seems in her element and in control.

Dana believes all the wrong things for all the right reasons and aggressively grates against all of our revolutionaries-in-training: Emily Richardson (played by Erin Leigh Schmoyer), William Devita (Dan Shaked) and John Mulcahey (Samuel Adams) among others.

Cake is about a similar transformation as that of Alice In Wonderland who ate cake and was able to then leave the purgatory of the bottom of the rabbit hole – finally able to enter Wonderland itself.   Throughout Cake Dana’s path follows a similar coarse as she finds herself wanting to actually do something in the world rather than just continuing to be the pundit she has always been, at the end after she falls through her own rabbit hole of being abducted.

Ramona Floyd, Samuel Adams, Dan Shaked, & Erin Leigh Schmoyer

On the opposite side of the fence, but with a similar journey,  Emily and her cohorts also change from being caricatures of the standard “socialist proletariat revolutionary” wannabe that can be found on any college campus into true adventurers ready to take their special talents and make a difference.

First we meet Emily, who tells us she goes into Corporate America with her camouflage of a smart pant suit and blouse, and that her training as an actress has always stopped anyone from believing she was anything else than what she appeared.  “It’s what I do.”she says.  She has a strong dislike for Dana which makes her personally invested to lead the kidnapping of Dana for the plans of her group.  Schmoyer as Emily artfully acts a character within a character able to convince Dana as well as the audience that she really is “one of them”.

Then we meet John Mulcahey (Samuel Adams) who is trying to compile all the philosophies of all the great (but terribly obscure) revolutionary writers of the 20th century into his “late, great” polemic. Late because “All the great {socialist} writers wrote their first polemics by the time they were 22…and I’m 24″. Great because he believes by doing such large amounts of time researching the obscure foreign books of as many of the brightest social theorists as possible, he could produce such a compelling argument against the old system that no one of any sense would be able to resist it and…as Marx would say the “State will fall away” at last.

And William Devita (Dan Shaked) seems at first simple: he wants John, and more importantly he wants John to want him in return.“I just want to jump your bones…Texts for sex has always been our contract”. He reads and translates aloud (“Always first in the mother tongue,” John insists) page after page and book after book of those obscure texts in Spanish, in French, in Italian, in Portuguese. William is definitely a polyglot among other things, but doesn’t seem to have the marketable skills as John and Emily have. Clearly William is the symbol of the noble proletariat, the everyman that everyone can aspire to be. He always smooths things over by being the least extreme but most capable of the bunch.

Leading this band of activists is a man referred to as “Che”(real name: Patrick Strife played by Arthur Aulisi) who is not as together as he seems.  His style of leadership is actually quite subtle, and he skillfully gets what he wants by making people think that what he is getting them to do was their idea all along.  It is he who comes up with the plan to abduct Dana Dunnigan . . . we find out the “why” later on in the play and it doesn’t quite match up with what we’ve been lead to believe.

In the end everything turns out for the “better” for everyone, just not what any of the characters would have expected at the beginning.

The twists and turns of this play will keep you riveted not just to find out what is coming next, but how it will happen.  Set in the 1990s, scene changes and climactic scenes are often accompanied by driving house music.  That and the unique flavor of those times at the end of the millennium are artfully captured by both the writer Felipe Ossa as well as the set designer (Dan Soule), stage manager (Megan Jupin) and fight choreographer (Ian Roettger) and others work together to make a really exciting play that will make you want to talk about the good old days “before the bubble burst” if that’s your cup of tea — or your piece of cake.

~~~

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My husband’s home town in Michigan is so small that, to them, the word “theatre” is 1) spelled “theater” and 2) always preceded by the word “movie”. And if you want to get to that “movie theater” you’ll need a car — because the closest one is 13 miles away in the next town over. Growing up, if he wanted a theatre experience of ANY kind he needed to head to Chicago.

Meanwhile, New York is so rife with theatre space that you can’t go to a Starbuck’s without being within a stone’s throw of one. Heck … there’s one in the building where I work. There was even a theatre connected to the restaurant I had dinner in last night. If you climb on any mailbox and squint, you can see independent theatre going on everywhere in New York.

I’m particularly fond of theatre companies who put on well crafted plays written by up and coming writers. Johnna Adam’s Angel Eater’s Trilogy is just such a work, and FLUX Theatre Ensemble is just such a company.

I went to see the first installment of the trilogy, Angel Eaters (directed by Jessi D. Hill) this past Saturday, and am looking forward to seeing the second, Rattlers (directed by Jerry Ruiz) later this week. The trilogy wraps up, both for me, as well as for its run, on November 22nd with 8 Little Antichrists. For those who are interested it’s not too late — you can catch any one of the shows before then or, if you’re really up for a full-day theatre experience, you can see the whole trilogy play out before your eyes in one jam-packed day this Saturday. (For more information go to the Flux site).

Angel Eaters, the first play of the trilogy, concerns itself with a poor, depression-era Oklahoma family and their particular take on the circle of life. On one end there’s Death (patriarch Herbert has been “stinking up the living room for three days now”) and on the other end, Life — in the form of an unwanted pregnancy (nothing a little swallow of turpentine couldn’t cure.).

In between these two guideposts lies everything else from faith, to regret, to good ole fashioned hoodwinking. Each character has a different swagger on their walk through life, be it Joann’s (Marnie Schulenburg) religious devotion that swings from babbling innocence to full blow transformation, her sister Nola’s (Tiffany Clementi) caustic cynicism (she’s raised her skirt once too often and hasn’t found salvation in it yet) … or their mother Myrtle (Catherine Michele Porter) who is so blindly bent on resurrecting her husband that she allows herself to believe two sweet-talking carnies (“Resurrection Boy” and his “uncle” Fortune Clay played by Isaiah Tanenbaum and Gregory Waller respectively).

When they claim they can bring back the dead … for the unheard of sum of 50 depression-era dollars … she’s quick to hand over the money, though she holds them to their claim in a rather unorthodox way. Weaving through the story is Doc O’Malley (Ken Glickfeld) whose education of Joann runs the gamut from teaching her to identify and imitate bird calls … right up to teaching her about such bird-related “games” as “A Bird in the Hand” … or its cousin, the one in the bush. Doc is kind enough to reward Joann with some chocolate every time she “wins”.

In between all these characters are links which begin to reveal themselves, and secrets which come to light in the most unusual ways. Let’s just say, it ain’t called Angel Eaters for nuthin’. Overall, it’s a spellbinding piece, full of strange humor, and thoughtful, heartbreaking moments of desperation. The final tableau of the play is both haunting as well as disturbing.

I sat down with Kelly O’Donnell of the Flux Theatre Ensemble who is also the director of the 3rd show in the series, 8 Little Antichrists, to talk about the Trilogy.

KTL: Right now your company is doing the Angel Eater’s Trilogy. What attracted you to this project?
KO’D: We were initially attracted to the project the first time we met Johnna Adams. She brought the first 2 scenes of Angel Eaters to our weekly workshop, which we call “Flux Sunday” and I remember saying “Wow, this seems like the type of play that Flux is drawn to.” It was unique, theatrical and magical. From there, we invited Johnna to our annual retreat where the ensemble worked together with her on the play. After some intense discussions on whether or not we should take on such a massively ambitious project, we decided to just go for it.

KTL: Is this the first trilogy your company has ever taken on? Were there any unexpected challenges?
KO’D: Yes, this is the first trilogy we have ever produced and there were a lot of challenges. The #1 challenge for us was finding a way to maintain our high standards in production value for three separate shows but within the budget of what is normally one show. This was tricky and we had to be creative. There were lots of logistical challenges as well. For example, we often needed three separate rehearsal spaces for each show because they would be rehearsing at the same time.

KTL: You’re director of the 3rd play in this Angel Eater’s Trilogy – 8 Little Antichrists. It’s the longest, as well as the last of the series. While each play can stand on it’s own, is there any added pressure knowing yours is the one that wraps up the whole theme?
KO’D: Not really any added pressure. Each director has had their own challenges with this project and I’m amazed at their work. Jessi Hill and Jerry Ruiz have done a remarkable job with Angel Eaters and Rattlers, respectively. For me personally, the big challenges were “How do we create a gelatenous sustaining foam birthing vat with such a small budget?” and “What is the best way to turn someone into bubble wrap with a nanossaulter?”. When you see 8 Little Antichrists, you’ll know what I mean!

KTL: I’ve enjoyed the first play, Angel Eaters, and look forward to seeing the rest of the arc. Without giving away too much of the plot, what can I expect from these next two plays?
KO’D: Well, you can expect 2 very different plays. Rattlers takes place about 40 years after Angel Eaters and it is a much more intimate and personal play that explores how several people are dealing with the mysterious and brutal death of one woman. 8 Little Antichrists is a futuristic film-noir thriller about the apocalypse that often borders on the absurd. However, both plays follow the same family that you saw in Angel Eaters but in different generations.

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• American Buffalo

You know you’re at a David Mamet play when, before the show even starts, you’re asked to turn off your fucking cell phones.

While the play was first produced in the seventies, the subject matter is hardly dated; nothing gives away the time period (except for John Leguizamo’s crazy-patterned shirt — which could easily be more of a nod toward his character’s thrift-store-shopping-habits than the decade); even in the program “The Time” is listed only as “One Friday”.

And really, do we need to know more?  Almost unfolding in real time, this slice-of-life drama takes us through one random Friday when three guys, passing in and out of Don’s Junk Shop, decide to steal back an American Buffalo nickel after they come to the realization that it was sold for a fraction of its worth.  Honestly, the nickel has very little to do with this two hour drama … what you’re really there to see is the way men interact with each other when trust, pride, reputation, and money are at stake.

Language is very important to Mamet.  His rapid-fire dialog is to theatre what the Andy Warhol soup can is to art … immediately recognizable, hypnotically repetitive, and a little colorful at first … but once you fall into the rhythm the magic can start.

For the first few minutes of this production of American Buffalo it’s very difficult to let go of the “I’m watching a play” feeling. Cedric the Entertainer, as Don, delivers his lines with a natural cadence, and a believable conviction, but for the most part Haley Joel Osment fires back his lines not so much in response, but more in a desperate attempt to keep the ball in play.  You can literally hear him thinking “My turn! … (bam) …. pause … my turn! … (pow) … pause … my turn! … (thwack) … move to the chair … Oh, my turn again?“  His character is supposed to be a little angsty, but there are moments when Osment’s brow-furrowing doesn’t seem like acting, but more like confusion as to how his face should look in order to match what his mouth is saying.  At times he speeds up the rhythm to an unnatural pace, stepping on the previous line (thwack) … but Cedric volleys back like a pro, as if he was speaking from his heart, not his script.

Once John Leguizamo comes on the scene all bets are off; he quickly becomes the focal point and here’s where it starts getting interesting.  From his opening rant he’s immediately enjoyable  “Fucking Ruthie … Fucking Ruthie! … Fucking Ruthie …” It’s amusing just to see how many ways he can skew the same two words.  You can hear an audible click as the rhythm of the back and forth now becomes something more; not just a one / two / one / two back beat, but a beat you can dance to.   Here’s when you sit back and get sucked in.  Suddenly, it seems like you’re listening in on something very private.

It’s no wonder — both John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer are seasoned comedians, their bread and butter is in the timing.  Both men understand how to work an audience by twisting a line just so in order to get the desired effect.  This isn’t something you learn, this comes from years of being in front of a live audience delivering well crafted jokes spoken as though they were spontaneously thought up on the spot.  Leguizamo and C the E earned their stripes in front of a live audience.  Just as Teach tells Don, “One thing makes all the difference.  Knowing what the fuck you’re talking about …“  These guys know what they’re talking about.  (Don’t worry, little Haley Joel … just as Bob needs to be put through his paces before he can play with the big boys, so will you learn how to master this acting thing.  We all know that first Oscar Nomination was for the cute factor.  Luckily … you don’t have to worry about that anymore).

It can’t be easy though, reviving a play with men who are best known for comedy.  While no one can deny that Leguizamo and C the E can deftly handle the corners when moving from comic to tragic moments, there seemed to be some inappropriate laughter at certain moments from the audience … laughing in spots where they may not have laughed at, say, Robert Duvall in the 1977 production or Al Pacino in the 1983 revival.

Laughter’s a hard thing to account for … aside from applause it’s really the only way an audience has to communicate back to the actors.  It’s sometimes just as often a way of saying “Yeah, I’m with you” or “Hey, I appreciate that” as it is of saying “Boy, was that funny …”.  That can be both the blessing and the curse of casting men well known for a specific style.  Celebrities of any kind bring their whole history on stage with them, and often an audience goes to gawk, deride, or pander to a “name” as much as to watch a show.  Casting Madonna in Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow  … need I say more?  The minute these men of comedy command the stage, the audience is ready, and willing, to laugh.  This is a particular deterrent when Teach’s complete dismissal of an injured Bob comes off as cluelessness as opposed to steely indifference or even just an anxious need to get on with the matters at hand.  And yet, maybe that’s the unexpected benefit of using a less traditional cast for this production.  New layers are allowed to unfold, nuances can be explored, shades of meaning arise where they hadn’t been before.

Speaking of diversity … this is the first time that American Buffalo has been cast with men of color; the producers were looking to bring an “urban identity” to the project.  I think one of the joys of watching great performers, however, is being so drawn into the story that race becomes just a footnote.  After all, American Buffalo deals with bravado, suspicion, and honor … themes that cross all races.  Honestly, I didn’t see the cast as “diverse” as much as I saw them as “talented”.  Still, it’s a great day when we can witness color-blind casting.

Ultimately, this is a great revival of a strong play … the new cast is exciting, and the junk shop set (which looks like eBay exploded) is fun to stare at while you wait for the show to start.  Definitely try and catch this limited run while it’s still around.

American Buffalo by David Mamet opens at the Belasco Theatre on Monday, November 17th and stars John Leguizamo as Teach, Cedric the Entertainer as Don, and a  much-taller-than-I-remember-him Haley Joel Osment as Bob. Tickets can be purchased through TeleCharge.

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