The Best of Failures...

DEAR BRUTUS

by J. M. Barrie

Spotlight On Productions & A Company Of Players

by Louis Lopardi . . . February 3rd, 2002

J.M. Barrie once said: "We are all failures - at least all the best of us are." And this failure at adult sexuality ably proved his own witticism by providing the world with a body of lasting work and one of its most enduring fantasies, Peter Pan. The current play is the first of his mature plays, written about a decade after the stage version of Peter.

The set, serving here very aptly, was the venerable formal drawing room featured in most Ken Bachtold productions. The Magic Forest for Act-2 was delicately suggested - in a proper formal layout of course. Lighting by Jim Stewart helped achieve the transition to magic forest. An inspired sound design (uncredited but probably Bachtold's) and wonderful graphics (by Voutsas) rounded out the production. Costumes (Bachtold) were absolutely perfect. One longed only for stage machinery to make the cumbersome scene changes bearable.

The guests are assembled in the country home of an ageless character named Lob (perfectly drawn by Tom Johnson) - clearly the Barrie surrogate - who manages to dream them all into a magical forest outside the home for a fantasy Act-2. They are attended by a somewhat larcenous butler Matey (Brian Patrick Mooney creditably doing a thinly drawn stock character). The play's almost unbearably poignant moments happen in the fantastical Act-2, in which the cast find themselves acting-out critical moments from their pasts; yet doing it all differently this time, only to learn in Act-3 that it doesn't actually change them inside at all. ("The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in our selves.")

Stephen Voutsas, a strong and intuitive actor, was miscast as what should have been J. M. Barrie's alter-ego, Will Dearth, who finds in the woods the daughter he doesn't actually have. Mr. Voutsas was at his most convincing in the forest. Interestingly, most of the cast was more convincing there. Barrie himself was childless, yet peopled a universe with obsessive relationships with children. His sham marriage ended soon enough, and he found a real-life little Margaret (who became ‘Wendy' in Peter Pan) to fantasize about. The biggest surprise of Act-2 was Christina DeRosier playing Margaret Dearth (undoubtedly the ‘Margaret' of Barrie's dreams). She is a refreshing and total talent who acts with eyes, ears, and mind.

Peggy Queener was truly alive as Lady Caroline, despite some odd line readings. Mrs. Dearth (and especially her alter-ego) was played to razor perfection by Nikola Smith. Neil Van Kerkhove was an absolutely consistent Jack Purdie, and Jeanine Bartel - a true period piece - delighted in the rather thankless role of Mabel Purdie. A memorable Alexandra Cremer played Joanna Trout. Not all was mishap in the magic forest; John Lisanti as Mr. Coade had the distinct pleasure of falling in love with the sweetly befuddled Mrs. Coade (Connie Sheppard) all over again.

The one exception aside, director Ken Bachtold has a master's touch at casting; and clearly a true love in bringing to life some of the century's forgotten masterworks. Never-performed works by Priestley, Masters, and Segall figure prominently in his canon. However slighted one may feel by the restrictions of a black box budget, one can't help but say "Surprise us again, Mr. Bachtold!"

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