Maternal love persists in ‘Mother of the Maid’

Isabelle Arc (Sherman Fracher, left) visits her daughter, Joan (Rosie Hallett), in the court of the Dauphin.

The story of Joan of Arc, who was called the Maid of Orleans, is fairly well known, but what about her family?

That’s the question playwright Jane Anderson addresses in “Mother of the Maid,” presented by Marin Theatre Company.

Set in France in 1429, the story begins in the family home in the village of Domrémy. Isabelle Arc (Sherman Fracher) talks about herself in the third person, describing a woman who can’t read or write and whose clothes are modest, to say the least.

She’s the mother of 14-year-old Joan (Rosie Hallett), who says she hears and sees  St. Catherine. Naturally Isabelle is skeptical, but Joan insists she’s telling the truth. She says St. Catherine is telling her to command the French army to oust the occupying English.

Joan’s father, the even more skeptical and unyielding Jacques (Scott Coopwood), beats her to get her to disavow her visions, but he doesn’t succeed.

However, she’s believed by her brother, Pierre (Brennan Pickman-Thoon), and the village priest, Father Gilbert (Robert Sicular).

Joan (Rosie Hallett, left) readies for battle as her parents, Isabelle (Sherman Fracher) and Jacques (Scott Coopwood), look on.

His vouching for her sends her to the court of the Dauphin, where she’s outfitted in armor and successfully leads the French army against the English, who have laid siege to the city of Orléans.

Later, the English capture her, try her, find her guilty of heresy and sentence her to death by burning at the stake.

Isabelle prays for Joan.

Much of this history is related through Isabelle, who follows Joan to the court and then to prison in Rouen, where Joan is kept in deplorable conditions.

Near the end of Act 1, Isabelle has walked 300 miles to see Joan at the court. Before she’s allowed to see her, though, she’s greeted by the elegant Lady of the Court (Liz Sklar).

Although she does her best to try to make Isabelle welcome and to capitalize on their shared bond of motherhood, she winds up offending her guest because the class differences between them are too great. It’s a fascinating scene.

Another memorable scene occurs near the end of Act 2 when the gruff, rough Jacques movingly describes the spectacle of Joan’s death.

Sensitively directed by MTC artistic director Jasson Minadakis, Fracher’s performance as Isabelle is gripping as her character experiences a range of sometimes wrenching emotions but never deviates from love for Joan.

Coopwood, Pickman-Thoon, Sklar and Sicular also are outstanding. Hallett as Joan is less successful, especially during much of the first act when Joan seems like a hysterical teenager. She’s better in the second act as she faces her fate.

Speaking on opening night, Minadakis said that a five-day power outage in October meant that the cast had to rehearse in the lobby during daylight hours because the rest of the theater was too dark.

Likewise, the artistic staff had to overcome obstacles in building the set and making other preparations.

These difficulties weren’t apparent in the finished product. Besides the polished acting, design elements complemented the production.

Credit goes to Sean Fanning for the set; Chris Lundahl, lighting; Sarah Smith, costumes; Sara Huddleston, sound, and their crews along with composer Chris Houston and vocalist-cellist Penina Biddle-Gottesman.

Running about two hours with one intermission, “Mother of the Maid” has been extended through Dec. 15 at Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave. Mill Valley.

For tickets and information, call (415) 388-5208 or visit www.marintheatre.org.

Photos by Kevin Berne

'Bull in a China Shop' honors pioneering woman educator

Mary (Stacy Ross, left) articulates her vision for Mount Holyoke to her lover, Jeannette (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong).

When Mary Woolley became president of Mount Holyoke College in 1901, it was a women’s seminary designed to train women to become wives and homemakers.

Her efforts to change that emphasis to education for the wider world are chronicled in Bryna Turner’s “Bull in a China Shop,” presented by Aurora Theatre Company.

As portrayed by Stacy Ross, Mary declares, “I’m interested in revolution,” early in the play. However, she had to weigh her ideals against the need to keep the school financially viable by not upsetting big donors and alumnae too much.

Moreover, she had a committed relationship with a former student, Jeannette Marks (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong), whom she named to a teaching post in the English department.

Hence, she had to navigate the inevitable differences that arise during what was to become a romance that lasted for more than 45 years until her death in 1947.

Dean Welsh (Mia Tagano, right) with Mary.

Standing in the way of her efforts was her nemesis, Dean Welsh (Mia Tagano), who often was the bearer of bad news about the loss of donors.

At first Jeannette lived in faculty housing, which she hated, but Mary promised that eventually they would live together in the president’s house, which took years to fund and construct.

In the meantime, Jeannette got a room in the home of another faculty member, Felicity (Rebecca Schweitzer), who was aware of and sympathetic to the relationship.

Besides living arrangements, an early source of conflict between Mary and Jeannette was the suffrage movement. Both Jeannette and Felicity were strong  supporters of the cause, but Mary was hesitant, afraid of moving too far too fast.

Eventually she joined the cause and became such an avid supporter that she spent six months with an official delegation to China to promote women’s rights there.

During her absence, Jeannette had a fling with a star-struck student, Pearl (Jasmine Milan Williams), but she assured both Pearl and Mary that she had never stopped loving Mary.

Playwright Turner, a Mount Holyoke graduate, bases much of the play on the eloquent letters between Mary and Jeannette.

Even though the script is laced with contemporary profanities, it nevertheless compactly conveys the arc of Mary’s professional and personal life over several decades.

The one scene that goes astray comes when Pearl tosses rocks at Jeannette’s window and launches into a diatribe about feeling betrayed. It goes on too long.

On the whole, though, this is a fascinating look at a brave woman who was willing to defy convention in order to advance her deeply held convictions.

Directed by Dawn Monique Williams, the acting is fine, but Ross as Mary and Mbele-Mbong as Jeannette deserve special mention.

Costumes by Ulises Alcala chronicle changes in fashion over the years. The simple but effective set is by Nina Ball with lighting by Kurt Landisman and sound by Lana Palmer.

Running about 85 minutes without intermission, “Bull in a China Shop” will continue through Dec. 8 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley.

For tickets and information, call (510) 843-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org.

Photos by David Allen

Palo Alto Players stages musical version of 'A Christmas Story'

Ralphie (Joshua Parecki) can't believe his aunt sent him these pink bunny PJ's for Christmas. With him are, from left, Randy (Antonio Elias), Mother (Gwyneth Price Panos) and The Old Man (Michael Rhone).

Palo Alto Players is staging a musical version of a perennial favorite holiday film, “A Christmas Story.”

It chronicles the strategies that 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Joshua Parecki) employs in hopes of getting a longed-for Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas in Hohman, Ind., in 1940. Every time adults learn of his wish, though, they intone, “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out.”

 Along the way, he has other adventures involving the rest of his family, his schoolmates and his teacher.

The Old Man and Ralphie admire the major award.

One of the most hilarious scenes comes as his father, known as The Old Man (Michael Rhone), enters a contest and wins “A Major Award.” It’s a lamp, but not just any lamp. It’s the leg of a woman in high heels with a light bulb and lampshade on top.

He’s enormously proud of it, but Mother (Gwyneth Price Panos) is appalled. After she breaks it accidentally on purpose, she declares it to be “the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Then there’s Ralphie’s younger brother, Randy (Antonio Elias), who refuses to eat like a normal person. Instead Mother gets him to eat by asking, “How does the little piggy eat?” With that, he lowers his head and gobbles his food with his tongue and mouth.

There are several other memorable scenes. Among them are the time Ralphie’s friend Flick (Neal Sampson) responds to a dare and winds up with his tongue frozen to the flagpole at school.

Then, among others, there are Ralphie’s visit to a curmudgeonly Santa Claus (Joey McDaniel), the outcome of his helping The Old Man fix a flat tire and of course the pink bunny PJs from Aunt Clara, who thinks Ralphie is a 4-year-old girl.

Much of the story is told by Jean Shepherd, the Narrator (Shawn Bender), as it is in the film, which is based on Shepherd’s book, “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.”

Shepherd grew up in Hammond, Ind., but calls it Hohman. Named after an early settler, it was first called Hohmanville but soon became known as Hammond after another early settler. Other names such as Cleveland Street, where the Parker family lives, and Warren G. Harding School, attended by Ralphie and friends, are real.

Shepherd changed the name of Goldblatt’s, the department store with the Christmas window display and Santa, to Higbee’s. (Full disclosure: I grew up in Hammond.)

Music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, with a book by Joseph Robinette, work quite well in this adaptation of the film.

PAP’s artistic team of director and choreographer Janie Scott, music director Amanda Ku, scenic designer Patrick Klein (the company’s artistic director), costume designer Naomi Arnst and lighting designer Rick Amerson combine to make this a highly enjoyable production.

The only artistic drawback is Brandie Larkin’s too loud sound design. Even after an adjustment during the first act of the Nov. 10 matinee, it was still too loud, especially for the youngsters’ piping voices.

It's "Ralphie to the Rescue!" as he fantasizes the brave deeds he can do with a Red Ryder BB gun.

Scott has come up with some show-stopping choreography, especially in “Ralphie to the Rescue!” when he imagines using his Red Ryder BB gun to foil an assortment of villains.

Besides the principals already named, another standout in the large cast is Juliet Green as Miss Shields, Ralphie’s teacher.

In short, it’s great, family-focused fun.

Running just under two and a half hours with one intermission, “A Christmas Story, The Musical” will continue through Nov. 24 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

For tickets and information, call (650) 329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org.

Photos by Joyce Goldschmid

Magic is missing in BBB's 'Into the Woods'

The cast of Broadway By the Bay's "Into the Woods."

The woods are a magical place in composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”

Unfortunately, some of that magic is missing in Broadway By the Bay’s uneven production.

In this show, Sondheim and book writer James Lapine blend several fairy tale characters into a story of wishes.

Thus Cinderella (Jennifer Mitchell), Little Red Ridinghood (Jenni Chapman), Jack of beanstalk fame (Kamren Mahaney), Rapunzel (Chloë Angst) and even a few brief allusions to Snow White (Amanda Plant) and Sleeping Beauty (Gabby Wylie-Chaney) all are included. 

Then the creators added the new tale of a childless baker (Sam Faustine) and his wife (Juliana Lustenader) along with a witch (Jen Brooks).

The characters all have wishes that take them “Into the Woods” for fulfillment.

During the first act, their wishes are granted, and they seem destined for a happy “Ever After.”

During the second act, however, they face a new challenge: The giant (voice of Jennifer Martinelli) that made its way to earth via Jack’s beanstalk is wreaking havoc in search of the lad, Jack, who slew her husband.

They also face another challenge: reality, the realization that getting what you wish for isn’t necessarily the path to happiness.

Selfishness and betrayal intervene. Some people die, leaving their loved ones behind, but somehow the survivors find the courage to keep on going because they realize “No One Is Alone.”

Despite its fairy tale basis, this is a show that’s more suited for adults and teenagers, not young children.

Cinderella (Jennifer Mitchell, left) and the Baker's Wife (Juliana Lustenader).

On the plus side in BBB’s production is the singing, especially by Chapman as Little Red Ridinghood, Mitchell as Cinderella, Melissa Costa as Jack’s mother and John Melis as Cinderella’s prince and the wolf.

Some other roles are marred by stray pitches and less than perfect articulation of the fast-paced, witty lyrics.

The acting is mostly good except for David Blackburn in drag as Cinderella’s stepmother. It’s a good idea, but his interpretation is too campy, sometimes distracting as he flips his wig when the focus should be on other characters.

Director Jasen Jeffrey should have done more to rein in such excesses.

Jeffrey and set designer Kelly James Tighe also could have done more to enhance the magic. There’s no attempt to show the beanstalk, and the woods are mostly a suggestion. Scene transitions are less than fluid, interrupting the story’s flow and making it less effective.

It’s likely that some audience members who aren’t familiar with the show might not always realize what’s happening.

Running about two and a half hours with one intermission, “Into the Woods” will continue through Nov. 24 at the Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway St., Redwood City.

For tickets and information, call (650) 579-5565 or visit www.broadwaybythebay.org.

Photos by Tracy Martin, Mark & Tracy Photography