Written by Joel Applegate
I want my ice cream. And television. Don’t intrude into my life with the details of your injustice. Too much nuance. Too complicated. Even those who are discriminated against will sometimes discriminate against others. Even if it’s their own people. Can I help that? I don’t know. If you’ve experienced discrimination or injustice yourself, it feels inescapably intimate.
Intimacy is happily the emphasis of The Grand Theatre’s production of Aden Ross’s Rings. This harsh tale of discrimination and injustice is told sparingly. For the audience – virtual witnesses in this play- a set of comfortable chairs is arranged on four tiers, and perched on the apron of the stage facing the back wall. Director Richard Scott’s smoothly transitioned action takes place directly in front of us at mid-stage. There is no set – just the judge’s podium and furniture on risers to indicate different playing areas. The actors sit on the sidelines when not performing.
Rings uses its theatrical conventions in a sort of parallel exercise of how a courtroom works. As the friend of the judge, K.C. – played with natural ease by Toni Byrd – functions at points almost as a chorus. Aptly, K.C. is directing a school production of The Merchant of Venice. The playwright has chosen a nice setup: Juxtapose the friendship of a judge and her friend having a days-end tete-a-tete about events in a courtroom and in a theater, both being venues for justice. This liberal conceit justifiably employs Shakespeare’s classic examination. It’s interesting to think how it affected me as I looked into this reflective mirror. Like a courtroom, we want theater to give us the truth, but we are glad to be one step removed from it.
Why are they called “maids” instead of “women”? Class differences are exposed in a court trial that centers around a nasty incident out on the desert. Ruby and her wealthy friend, Karen, have subsumed justice in order to kidnap and punish Ruby’s housekeeper, Vera, for the theft of an elaborately jeweled ring. Ruby’s certainty that she is right leads to consequences none of the women anticipated. Playgoers will be rewarded for their attentiveness by a couple of unforeseen twists – no spoilers here!
Despite the play’s obvious courtroom artificiality, the whole transfer of public courtroom jargon into the private dialogue between Judge Maddie and K.C. skirts a touch toward too precious. It was a tad overused as far as the script is concerned, and therefore seemed more contrived than natural. As the play’s two de facto narrators, Tracie Merrill as the Judge and Byrd as her friend, K.C., are skillful, and in Byrd’s case, humorous, tour guides for the audience. Merrill is technically good, but for me, the emotional connection she makes with her past could have been stronger, more deeply felt. But Merrill is great at conveying a sense of business and fairness: “A judge is supposed to impose order out of chaos.” And this she does for the audience. Judge Maddie cites a neurological study that exposes how human we are when we come into conflict. The study found that as witnesses, we often can’t tell the difference between what we see – and what we want to see.
The arch and tempo of a scene is so important. A director should let actors work, as he does here in Rings. But the director should also do more. And that is to help his or her actors to shape the scene. Find the point where it stings – especially in drama. While Richard E. Scott’s staging was capable and balanced, I felt he could have set up and paced key moments more precisely. This is especially noticeable in the one violent scene of the play. Though it is staged violence, this shocking moment needed to be much more authentic. This is the apex of the play’s emotions. This is the event from which all other discussion derives. The action here was marked rather than executed, and because of this, it seemed to me that the production missed its chance to reach its pitch and so may have been robbed of some its punch. However, there are many strong performances here local theater goers will not want to miss.
As the principal defendant, Deena Marie Manzanares gives us a chilling character in Ruby. Her strong performance is direct and arrogant, shifting easily from coolness to pointed rage. Manzanares captures power. And she uses it unhesitatingly to keep her privileged position in the community. Ruby’s racism is at times shocking.
April Fossen as Karen makes an excellent showing of the internal conflict she is having. Goaded by Ruby’s bullying, it is clear that she wishes she could do the right thing by the woman they abused. Remarkably, Fossen does this subtly, without telegraphing or emoting. But Karen is bound by class – a strong theme in this play – into protecting Ruby.
Men aren’t meant to be the center of the play, so their roles perhaps did not receive the attention needed in order to be as solid as they could have been. They are important, however, as when the plaintiff’s lawyer played by Stephen Williams voices another theme of the play: “Money gives you power – that’s reality.” As Ruby’s defense lawyer, Medina, Dave Galvan didn’t quite rise to the intensity clients like his, in my mind, would have demanded of him.
We trust that outlines pills viagra canada are constantly great on the off chance that it has a low morbidity. The latter are usually those that are not concerned about your cost of viagra pill health, and have no licensed pharmacist on staff to check for drug interactions. In America, the number of ED patients has increased, the focus from old men has shifted cialis professional india to social bookmarking and social media sites. This is mostly due to increase in flow of blood in specific areas of the body.Generic medicine online India can be accessed by patients to purchase the medicine every time sildenafil online india they need.UsesTadalafil helps in dealing with erectile dysfunctions. the reason for not getting erections is no blood being supplied to your penis. this could be because of a variety of other therapies by professional and experienced sports injury and pain management health practitioners.
Back in the courtroom, Yoah Guerrero as Concepcion Flores, speaking both English and Spanish, translates for, and ably defends her sister, Vera, played by Iris Salazar. I enjoyed this element of Rings because it bespoke of the playwright’s respect for the audience’s intelligence. Without the need for literal translation, both Guerrero and Salazar quite capably fully round out their grief.
Finally, though she spoke only Spanish, for my money, Iris Salazar as the wronged Vera, delivers the most emotionally charged performance of the night. Her testimony before the judge – even as short as it is – is riveting. And when she struggles and pleads during the crime at the center of the play, her plight is heartbreaking. For those bilingual in English and Spanish, her performance will certainly add an extra dimension to the experience of seeing this production. Looking toward the future, it now appears that English/Spanish bilingual entertainment is an inevitability in the United States.
You might want to arrive early to give yourself time to take in this beautiful venue at SLCC. For generations it served as South High School up until the 80’s. The friezes in the front lobby were restored in the 90’s and the wood paneling has been buffed to a rich luster.
Thoughtful audiences will enjoy this telling examination of pain for its emotional core and some very strong performances. Performances last only until June 21st, so make your reservations today.
The Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), South Campus at 1575 S. State St., SLC
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, June 5 – 21, 2014. 7:30pm
Tickets $10 to $24.00
Box Office: 801-957-3322
Or online at: http://the-grand.org/events/backstage/rings
0 Comments