The REP Heats Up the Stage with New Production

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) deliver suspense, intrigue, and stage magic with John Ball’s In the Heat of the Night. Adapted by Matt Pelfrey from the book that inspired the 1967 Oscar-winning film, In the Heat of the Night is compelling theater with themes that often touch on modern ones.

Detective Tibbs and Officer Sam Wood driving to the scene
of the crime. Photo courtesy of The REP.

Set in the early 1960s, the piece tells the story of a white man is discovered dead in tiny Argo, Alabama. Local police arrest the only stranger in town — a black man named Virgil Tibbs (Hassan El-Amin). Little do they know that their suspect is an expert homicide detective from California. Left with no witnesses, no motives, and no clues, Detective Tibbs becomes this racially tense community’s only hope of solving the brutal murder.

El-Amin is excellent in portraying Tibbs as thoughtful and strong in a setting where the color of his skin can (and does) lead to dehumanizing actions by those around him. Tibbs is always trying to be the bigger man, upholding the honor of his person and race despite overt attacks against both. (Be prepared for onstage violence and strong language which includes racist, antisemitic, and homophobic slurs.)

Chief Gillespie (Lee E. Ernst) is a key antagonist to Tibbs. He dislikes both the situation and the race of the man who’s been tasked to help him solve the murder. But with each passing day, a modicum of respect creeps into the Chief’s interactions with Tibbs. Ernst does well as an often-flustered man who should control more than he does but is always being told otherwise. Ultimately, even after Tibbs “starting to grow” on him, Gillespie can’t bring himself to shake the man’s hand whose respect he’s earned.

While this story hits all the checkboxes for an entertaining detective story, it’s also an undeniable social commentary. Director Cameron Knight said, “We are at a moment in our country, with our art, politics, and even our interactions, where we operate in extremes: extreme rage, patriotism, protesting, etc.”

“For many, it makes any conversation of our history; our journey to this moment and how we deal with each other a delicate subject and often avoided. I believe we must be able to go towards difficult, uncomfortable conversations and at times, actions, in order to grow positively. We are fractured as a society and if we don’t begin to confront our past and the needs of our future, we are on a path towards despair.”

“This play offers a glimpse into the many levels of corruption that exist within our culture and institutions, shows the harsh and firm mindsets that are at odds, and invites us to examine who we want to be. Do we want to grow, or do we merely want to win?”

Hats off to the creative team for making the production a multimedia feast for the senses with articulating stage parts, 3-D dynamic curtains, and graphic video enhancements. Britton Mauk (Scenic Designer), Dawn Chiang (Lighting Designer), and Patrick W. Lord (Projection Designer) took the collective vision of Director Knight plus Interim Producing Artistic Director Steve Tague and did an amazing job.

Standout performers include Michael Gotch as conflicted policeman Sam Wood and Stephen Pelinski as both defiant Harvey Oberst and eerily protective Mr. Purdy. If this were a classic melodrama, we’d all boo and hiss at Mic Matarrese for his strong work as Pete — a cop and Klansman whose segregationist beliefs are pungently strong.

Performances of In the Heat of the Night run through November 19 in the Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus. Tickets prices are $30-39 with discounts available for students, seniors, and University of Delaware faculty and staff. 

Tickets can be purchased online at rep.udel.edu; by contacting the REP box office at 302.831.2204; or visiting in person at 110 Orchard Road Tuesdays through Fridays from 12:00 to 5:00pm. The show runs approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

The Thompson Theatre in the Roselle Center for the Arts is ADA-compliant and is equipped with a hearing loop system, which works with hearing aid t-coils, cochlear implants, and in-house hearing devices. Wheelchair and other seating requests can be made prior to the performance by calling the number above or emailing cfa-boxoffice@udel.edu.

Theater Review: Medea | Resident Ensemble Players

By Steve Lanahan
Theater reviewer Steve Lanahan was born, raised, and lives in north Wilmington. He is a nerd, mead enthusiast, and servant to his cats.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) brings the ancient Greek tragedy Medea to the stage at the Roselle Center for the Arts. First produced in 431 B.C.E., this play asks important questions that remain relevant, even in this modern day. What is the role of a woman in society? How far is too far? Are the Fates truly so cruel?

Medea’s (Elizabeth Heflin) nurse (Kathleen Pirkl Tague) opens the performance with the tale of how they came to be in the kingdom of Corinth. She tells of how Jason (Stephen Pelinski) came to Medea’s home of Colchis, how she fell madly in love with him, and her terrible acts on his behalf. They were wed, she bore him two children, and they made a life together in Corinth. Now Jason has betrayed her and intends to marry Princess Creusa, daughter of King Creon (Hassan El-Amin). The nurse does not hold back her anger at Jason or her fear of what Medea will do.

This betrayal leaves Medea heartbroken, ashamed, and furious, and she vows revenge. Her despair and rage are so great that King Creon, fearing for his life as well as his daughter’s, banishes her from his kingdom. She begs him for a single day to prepare for her travels, pointing out that her sons (Nicholas Farrel and James Muzzi), Jason’s sons, would suffer. The king relents and grants her a single day.

Medea only needs one day to plan and take her revenge. Though she struggles with what she feels she must do, Jason helps by coming to chastise her for ruining his plan to give her and their children a better life by marrying this young princess. He feels his betrayal of their marriage is justified by his goals. She names him an oath breaker, and he counters that she got the better end of this deal. After all, he brought her from her barbarian home to civilization, and now she speaks to kings and gods.

In the end, Medea’s revenge takes everything from Jason, even his children. All throughout this chilling tale, the Chorus speaks in despairing tones, taking on the voices of the women of Corinth. They speak in disjointed patterns, sometimes from the sides of the stage, other times on the stage, and later among the crowd. They never hesitate to add context for their reactions nor show horror at what is happening.

Elizabeth Heflin's stunning performance as Medea embodies the range of her suffering. Despair, rage, and grief are plain and raw. Every time Medea steps on to the stage, there is a feeling of dread, because the tragic end is coming. Heflin ensures that none can look away from the wrath of Medea's revenge.

Kathleen Pirkl Tague, as Medea's nurse, sets the tone for the play and leaves dread hanging in her wake. The first to take the stage, her anger at Jason's actions is palpable, eclipsed only by her fear at what Medea might do. In the final lines, she leaves no question that what is to come will be spoken of in horror for all the ages. The performance is powerful, a fitting opening and final note that leaves no choice but to stare this tragedy head on and think about it for days to come.

The simple stage setting focuses attention on Medea’s suffering, King Creon’s fear, and Jason’s unrepentant pride. Theatrical fog hangs about the stage, giving everything a gloomy edge, a feeling intensified by the haunting music. Strobe lights are used in concert with the soundscape to highlight thunder and Medea’s escape.

This tragedy has withstood the test of time, and the REP’s excellent adaption shows that it will continue to endure. The ending is not a happy one, but it is cathartic. The questions this play will raise will continue to haunt us through the ages.

Medea will run Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm, with an additional show on Sundays at 2pm, until April 30. The run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. The Roselle Center for the Arts is located at 110 Orchard Road, Newark, DE 19716. Visit the REP's website or call the box office at 302.831.2204 for details.

Ebbie's Top Theater Performances of 2014!

2014 was another wonderful year for the theater in Delaware! I was excited that a Delaware-based theater company, in this case the Wilmington Drama League (WDL), was producing the coming of age show, 13, The Musical. I had taken my nephew to see the musical on Broadway about five years ago and I thought, "what a fantastic show to introduce young teens to the theater!" The WDL's production was highlighted by the rousing performances of its young cast members. The production was such a success that it was transferred to a professional theater company in Pennsylvania!

I was floored by Kathleen Pirkl Tague's performance in The University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players' production of Margaret Edson's play Wit. Tague perfectly captured the emotions and struggles a person goes through while not just fighting, but coming to terms with advanced stage cancer. This play doesn't just land on my top for 2014, but my top for the decade!

 

I always love spending a summer evening outside watching a performance and the Delaware Shakespeare Festival's exhilarating production of Hamlet did not disappoint. Sipping wine while watching one of the Bard's best tragedies with a great friend made for delightful summer evening. From the stellar cast to the amazing set, the production was absolutely mesmerizing! 

 It was a great treat to see two veteran TV actors (Michael Learned and Daniel Davis) star in A.R. Gurney's sentimental two-character play Love Letters at The Delaware Theatre Company (DTC). I hadn't seen the play since I was in high school when Colleen Dewhurst and E.G. Marshall portrayed the parts at The DuPont Theatre, then The Playhouse. The DTC production immediately reminded me why I fell in love with this charming play so many years ago about a relationship between two people over the course of their lives.

I look forward to seeing more great theater in 2015!

The Wit (and Will) of an Astounding Performance

“How are you feeling today?” This question is asked repeatedly during the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players’ production of Margaret Edson’s tour-de-force play, Wit. If Kathleen Pirkl Tague — who portrays the plays central character Vivian Bearing, Ph.D. — would answer, I hope she would say, "I accomplished greatness."  Because, under the superb direction of Sanford Robbins, Ms. Tague gives one of the best, if not the best, performances I have seen this theater season.

Vivian, a well-respected, 50-year-old university professor of 17^th Century poetry, is diagnosed with stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer at the beginning of the 100-minute play. Once she receives the diagnosis, her intellect takes over and she begins analyzing each term spoken by her doctor (Harvey Kelekian, M.D. played by Lee E. Ernst) and researching the disease. Vivian is a strong-willed, independent person, and through flashbacks we see her match wits with everyone — from her father when she was a child to her college professor when she was a young lady to the present with her oncologist and his clinical fellow (Jason Posner, M.D., played by Michael Gotch). Posner also happens to be one of her former students. 

Vivian’s parents are deceased and she never married or had children. Her marriage is to her career, which leaves her without any human support while enduring an experimental chemotherapy treatment. However, she does develop a friendship with an unlikely person — her nurse (Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N., played by Jasmine Bracey) — who doesn’t know anything about poetry, but does know about being kind and respecting her patient’s wishes.

Wit doesn't promise its audience a happy ending; it doesn't sugarcoat the struggles of battling cancer. It’s a rough play, but the playwright managed to weave a great deal of humor into her text. The humor helps to alleviate the tension and sadness you feel as you follow the lead character on her dour journey.  

Ms. Tague’s performance is astonishing. She creates this complex character, evolving from an in-control professor passionate about research to a person dependent on others and becoming the subject of her doctor’s research. She tires of being asked, “How do you feel today,” by her medical team. (She's dealing with cancer, how do they expect her to feel?) Her usual is“Fine.” However, she knows she’s not fine and there is only one outcome for her.

Mr. Gotch gives a stellar performance as Posner, who is uncomfortable having to examine his former professor, but is willing to go against her do not resuscitate wishes  to continue researching the experimental treatment Vivian is receiving. Bracey’s character Susie stops Posner from resuscitating Vivian during one of the most traumatic scenes during the play. Ms Bracey is astounding as Susie. She and Mr. Gotch’s performances during the final scene are as intense as riding in a car when the brakes give out.

Don’t miss this production. It’s rare when you see such a satisfying, thought-provoking play that keeps your interest from beginning to end!

Wit plays at the Roselle Center for the Arts until May 10^th. Visit www.rep.udel.edu or call 302.831.2204 for tickets.