MAY - JUNE 2000 ----------------------------In this issue--------------------------------------- Voices in Contemporary Theatre: Voices off-Broadway and in the regionals, and in University Drama Departments...Harriet Tubman comes to New York, Theatre Lore and the Mailbag The Play's the Thing: Tom Stoppard and Spotlight on The Real Thing Techie's Corner: Third Part in Michael Powers series on Platforms CyberTheatre Monthly : Internet Theatre Database, A new web resource - Arts power to Heal, Broadway & Broadband Rubin's Corner: Broadway & Off-broadway, Hansen's Cab and Spotlight on The Music Man Letter from London: Trevor Nunn, Richard Eyre, RSC, Stage-Fight and West End Players Non-archived (continuously updated) features: News, Gossip, Awards-Watch: Tony Awards, Obie Winners, Drama Desk Winners, Outer Critics Circle Winners, Astaire Awards; TRE Gallery (Norman's Theatre) and Entertainment StockWatch -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Play's the Thing: How Tom Stoppard Gets Us to 'Get It' but not without thinking first How could it be that 18 years ago The Real Thing first shook up theatre audiences by taking them inside the desire and deviousness that can shatter a marriage? This was just about the time many baby boomers had just settled into marital comfort and the pursuit of long-lasting happiness. How dare he? they said. How dare Stoppard make us think so hard to get this-and make us leave the theatre more uncertain about the certainty we had only just confirmed? We knew this play could not be about us, that love and marriage were simple, not ever that complicated. Almost two decades later, the statistics are in and those realities in Stoppard's play seem more real than ever. How did he know and how did tell it so eloquently then and now-although none of us wanted to listen. The Real Thing, just revived in London last year and now on Broadway, had its way with us then, so it seems appropriate that it's back.. Then, the play was at once affirming and unsettling. Now, in the age of abstinence for the single and monogamy for the married, and safe sex for everyone, The Real Thing is back. We're on Henry's intellectualized emotional journey once more. Along for the ride are his mate and his lover and her husband. They dance and struggle in a double pas de deux of love, friendship and the search for purpose in love and life. Stoppard's art, as also demonstrated so cunningly in his other plays, is derived from his ferocious love of language, passion for wit, and irresistible urge to initially confuse in order to inform. Shake off those shackles of spoon-fed TV scripts and sound bytes and think for change, he seems to urge. And, as we experience Stoppard, we are teased and taunted into figuring it out. Getting "it" is his goal, but Stoppard doesn't take give us a simple path to our realizations. He delights in taking us there through twists and turns. But those of us who like to think won't mind a bit. In The Real Thing, we meet two couples and immediately are figure out who's with whom only to question what appears too obvious. Henry is a writer, not unlike Stoppard, who loves words. Annie is his love, perhaps soulmate, and it is their love affairs that rocks us to the familiar strains of romance and passion while jarring us with the pain and agitation that is the torture of infidelity. On this ride, Stoppard plies us with lots to think about along with Henry's insistence that what we say and what we read matters. In the end, we are sent off to the happy, yet ironic lyrics of the same Monkees' song, "I'm a Believer," that was featured in a happy romantic sequence in the latest Austin Powers movie. Of course, Stoppard threw in the song in the original production of his play, but it has the effect of bringing us full circle. Have we finally grown up? Was that first "real thing" the real love or did it take experiencing that love to learn what real is? What have we lost on the trip and what did we gain that is truly the real thing? This play now has the effect of a memory play, covering much territory with us as we hang on tightly. What's terrific about Stoppard is that he has never failed to work in various media, bringing his craft to TV, film, and even the concert stage when collaborating with Andre Previn on Every Good Boy Deserves Favor. His contribution to the film Shakespeare in Love was unmistakable for its ironic wit and twists on the usual interpretations of such almost archetypal lines as those from Romeo and Juliet. We would expect him-after Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Real Inspector Hound-to always ply his craft with a wink and plot conventions to keep us on our toes. What it always seems to boil down to, however, is something that rings of truth and of simplicity. A vivid moment for me in Stoppard's Arcadia (as staged at Lincoln Center in New York) was one in which two characters who existed in the same room in different centuries almost brushed past one another on stage. Hannah from the late 1990s, had placed an apple on a table. When she left the stage, Septimus, who lived at the beginning of the 19th century, entered and deftly plucked it up and took a bite. For him, that apple was real, while we wondered how it really got there. Then we caught our breath at the beauty of that apple. That's what Stoppard urges us to do: take a moment, take a bite, but don't miss a beat. Stoppard reminds us in his plays that life is indeed too short to lose that chance. Recommended Reading: Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. Paperback (January 1996) Conversations With Stoppard by Mel Gussow. Hardcover (September 1995) Paperback (August 1996) Indian Ink by Tom Stoppard. Paperback (October 1995) Real Thing by Tom Stoppard. Paperback (April 2000) Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, Henry Popkin (Editor). Paperback (May 1991) Shakespeare in Love : A Screenplay by Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard. Paperback (March 1999) The Theatre of Tom Stoppard by Anthony Jenkins. Paperback (May 1989) Tom Stoppard's Stagecraft (American University Studies. Series Iv, English Language and Literature, Vol 78) by Stephen Hu. Hardcover (March 1989) Critical Essays on Tom Stoppard by Anthony Jenkins(Editor). Hardcover (October 1990) Back Ordered Tom Stoppard : A Faber Critical Guide--Arcadia, Jumpers, Travesties, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Jim Hunter. Paperback (August 2000) Not Yet Published -- On Order Tom Stoppard- An Analytical Study of His Plays by Richard A. Andretta. Hardcover Special Order Helpful Tom Stoppard Links Transcript of an interview with Tom Stoppard Tom Stoppard Bibliography - a comprehensive guide to the work of Tom Stoppard, including his plays for the stage, television, and radio, adaptations, screenplays, fiction, and secondary works, including the following links: Time Magazine's review of Shakespeare in Love Transcript of an interview with Tom Stoppard The Complete Review: Arcadia Sex and Complexity: Review of Arcadia by Tim Beardsley (Scientific American) The Complete Review: The Invention of Love The Complete Review: Night and Day Travesties - the stagecraft of Tom Stoppard; features a bibliography and links to many sites for Stoppard's stage and film scripts. Spotlight on www.TheRealThingBroadway.com Tony Facts Stoppard Lauded by Tony, Helen, Elizabeth and the World! Times Review Clive Barnes' review THE REAL THING has been nominated for 5 Tony Awards, including Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (STEPHEN DILLANE), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (JENNIFER EHLE), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (SARAH WOODWARD), and Best Direction of a Play (DAVID LEVEAUX). The 1984 production of THE REAL THING was nominated for Actor (JEREMY IRONS, winner), Actress (GLENN CLOSE, winner), Featured Actress (CHRISTINE BARANSKI, winner), Play (winner), Director (MIKE NICHOLS, winner), Scenic Design (TONY WALTON), and Costume Designer (ANTHEA SYLBERT). DAVID LEVEAUX was nominated for direction of A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN (1984) and for ANNA CHRISTIE (1983). JENNIFER EHLE is competing with her mother, ROSEMARY HARRIS, in the category of Best Performance by a Leading Actress. .THE REAL THING's Tom Stoppard Lauded by Tony, Helen, Elizabeth and the World!TONY: On Monday, May 8, the new Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING garnered five Tony Award nominations including Best Revival of a Play; Best Actor in a Play: Stephen Dillane; Best Actress in a Play: Jennifer Ehle; Best Featured Actress in a Play: Sarah Woodward; and, Best Director: David Leveaux -- the most nominations for any play revival this year.HELEN: In Washington, DC, Stoppard's INDIAN INK, produced by Studio Theatre, was a big winner at the Helen Hayes Awards. The show took awards for Outstanding Resident Play, Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play (June Hansen); Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production (Gil Thompson and Ronobir Lahiri); Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production (Helen Q. Huang); and, Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play (Isabel Keating).ELIZABETH: On Tuesday, May 9, Stoppard was among four new recipients of the Order of Merit, conferred by Queen Elizabeth II. The Order of Merit, founded in 1902 by Edward VII, is the highest personal award conferred by the Queen on individuals of exceptional distinction in the arts, learning, sciences and other areas. Appointments to the order are in the sovereign's personal gift and ministerial advice is not required. The latest appointments bring the number of members in the order to its full total of 24. Other members of the order include former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, actor Sir John Gielgud, actress Dame Joan Sutherland and the Duke of Edinburgh. South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela is an honorary member. THE WORLD: The two leading actors, Stephen Dillane and Jennifer Ehle, from Broadway's THE REAL THING will receive Theatre World Awards. The presentation will be made at a ceremony on May 23 at Studio 54. Here is TIME magazine's review of THE REAL THING. T H E A T E R THE REAL THING By Tom Stoppard In the first scene of this 1984 play, enjoying a somewhat premature Broadway revival, a man confronts his wife with evidence of her affair. In the second scene we learn that the two were acting in a play-- yet something very similar is going on in their own lives. The nice thing about The Real Thing is that Stoppard's penchant for trickery doesn't register as mere virtuosity but is integral to his probing exploration of betrayal and trust among married couples. Stephen Dillane heads a flawless, starless cast that has brought over David Leveaux's sharp production from London's Donmar Warehouse, and it's a winner. BY RICHARD ZOGLIN Here is Clive Barnes' review of the Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING from today's New York Post. Stoppard drama all too "Real" As Broadway gears up for its customary, who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire fiesta known as the Tony Awards, the big question is whether a show is better the second time around. Stoppard's 1982 drama is the real thing, marking the first time that England's brainiest playwright stepped out from the witty, intellectual shadows to show life as it's lived in all its steam and consequences. But the new production of "The Real Thing," with its original cast intact from last year's staging at London's Donmar Warehouse, offers something more as well: a superb lead performance by Stephen Dillane that gives us insight to the real Stoppard. Wry and painfully charming, Dillane (give that man his Tony right now!) embues the beleaguered dramatist Henry with seemingly everything we've read about Stoppard himself. He brings utter conviction, for example, to his character's love of cricket - a passion that Stoppard shares with the likes of Harold Pinter. (For many British intellectuals the game is much like basketball is to Spike Lee.) Dillane's convincing and natural performance also reminds me of a powerful irony, that Stoppard himself left his own wife for Felicity Kendal, the actress who was so marvelous as the tempting Annie in the original "Real Thing" in London. But it is not only Dillane's performance that makes this "The Real Thing" so much better on Broadway the second time around. Director David Leveaux, unlike his predecessors Peter Wood (1982) in London and Mike Nichols on Broadway (1984), brings a rueful brilliance to its theater box of plays within plays, or art within life and life within art. And he gives the play's roaring comedy a hollow after-laugh of truth. And while Dillane's Henry III is superior to the flamboyant version from Jeremy Irons (not to mention the more harried Roger Rees in London), his Cressida-like heroine is here played by the succulently sensual Jennifer Ehle, a sumptuous far cry from the sexless Glenn Close. The whole cast, including Sarah Woodward and Nigel Lindsay, is for a playwright to die for. If you have only one show to see in New York make it real and make it "The Real Thing." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Voices in Contemporary Theatre OFF-BROADWAY Thornton Wilder's Lucrece Opening May 15th at Off-Broadway's Ohio Theatre A timeless clash between virtue and violence, Thornton Wilder's Lucrece will open Monday, May 15th (7PM) at Off-Broadway's Ohio Theatre (66 Wooster Street); previews performances will begin Friday, May 12th (8PM). Emphasizing Wilder's powerful language, director Edward Berkeley gives the classic drama a modern and minimalist edge. The production features a twelve-member cast, original music by Paola Prestini, choreography by Jean Hime and is produced by The Willow Cabin Theatre Company. Lucrece reunites Edward Berkeley and Thornton Wilder - Mr. Berkely received a 1993 Tony Award Nomination for Wilder, Wilder, Wilder Three by Thornton Wilder. The rape of Lucrece has inspired three of the world's intriguing poets, Shakespeare, André Obey and Thornton Wilder. Lucrece, the personification of Roman perfection, becomes the object of Sextus Tarquin's lust and is caught in an ever-escalating tragedy. Prompted by Shakespeare's romantic poem, André Obey wrote the dramatic Le Viol De Lucrèce, which in turn was translated by Thornton Wilder. Lucrece premiered in 1932 at Broadway's Belasco Theatre and starred Katherine Cornell. Thornton Wilder garnered Pulitzer Prizes for his novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" and his plays The Skin of Our Teeth and Our Town. Mr. Thornton's play The Matchmaker is the basis for the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! In addition to a Tony nomination, director Edward Berkeley was nominated for Drama Desk Awards for Wilder, Wilder, Wilder and Anatomy of Sound; he also received Dramalogue's Director of the Year for Who Will Carry the Word? Mr. Berkeley's recent credits include L'e Toile, The Mother of Us All, and Waiting for the Parade. The cast includes Cynthia Besteman, John Bolger, Larry Gleason, Robert Harte, Charmaine Lord, David Paluck, Dede Pochos, Linda Powell, Christine Radman, Maria Radman, Atticus Rowe and Terry Schappert. Lucrece features set designs by John Kasarda, costume designs by Meganne George and lighting designs by Matthew McCarthy. Lucrece will play the following schedule between Friday, May 12th and Sunday, June 4th: Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8PM and Sunday matinee at 3PM. Opening night will be Monday, May 15th at 7PM. All tickets are $15. For information and tickets call 212.886.1889. # # # CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE World Premiere Production of Touch the Names: Letters to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial In May, the World Premiere of a music theatre piece, Touch the Names: Letters to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, opens at The Cleveland Play House, the oldest professional regional theatre in the country. Touch the Names is a musical theatre piece dramatizing the cathartic experience of visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, using actual letters left behind at the wall written by families and friends of those it honors. Hence it's claim to being "the voice of mothers, brothers, buddies, wives...the people who lost someone dear to them in Vietnam." It is also the voice of Americans who did not suffer a personal loss, but mourn for the 58,193 people represented on The Wall. The Production- Tuesday, May 9 - June 11, 2000 Conceived by Tony and Drama Desk-award Nominee, Randal Myler and Chic Street Man; with original music by Chic Street Man After great persistence, Myler received rare permission from The National Park Service, to visit the Washington warehouse where items left at The Wall are stored. Myler read through hundreds of letters over a period of several days before selecting the ones that appear in this play. Myler is a 1999 Tony Award nominee (Best Book of a Musical and Best Musical) and Drama Desk Award nominee (Best Musical Revue) for the Broadway hit, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, seen at The Cleveland Play House in 1995. Myler is also the author of last year's Cleveland Play House smash hit Love, Janis, which also rocked audiences at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago and will receive a New York run later this year. CPH is proud to have noted actress Ann Guilbert in the cast of TOUCH THE NAMES. Most recently, Ms. Guilbert held the role of 'Grandma Yetta,' in the CBS show, THE NANNY. She is most remembered for her TV role as 'Millie,' in the DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. Touch the Names Events The Cleveland Play House The Moving Wall - Tuesday, May 9 - Saturday, May 20, 2000 The half-scaled replica of The Wall in D.C. will be assembled in The Cleveland Play House parking lot. The Wall will be open 24 hours a day for viewing, at no cost. A reading of the names will take place every day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. 1. Wall Opening Ceremony Tues. May 9 at 5:30 p.m. 2. POW/MIA Ceremony Wed. May 17 at 6:30 p.m. 3. Closing Ceremony Sat. May 20 at 6:30 p.m. Radio Broadcast- Monday, May 29, 2000-(Memorial Day Observed) WCPN, 90.3 FM, the National Public Radio affiliate in Cleveland will air a production of Touch the Names, in its entirety, on the observed Memorial Day, May 29, 2000, at 7 p.m. Educational Outreach CPH will supply teachers in Cleveland area schools with study guides to help discuss the Vietnam War in their classrooms and to prepare students for their visit to the Moving Wall. A shortened version of the play, carefully produced for its young audiences, will tour Greater Cleveland schools. Buy tickets online now at Ticket Information OLD GLOBE Passion and Poignancy - Pulitzer Prize Finalist Old Wicked Songs featuring Emmy Award-Winner Daniel J. Travanti by Jon Marans directed by Richard Seer May 28 through July 2, 2000 (Previews May 24 -27) "A stomach pump is an amazing thing...If only there was a brain pump." Set in Vienna in 1986, Old Wicked Songs explores the volatile relationship between a Viennese voice teacher and a brash American piano prodigy. Brilliant American piano prodigy Stephen Hoffman is burned out at the ripe old age of 25. Aging Professor Josef Mashkan has lost his desire to live. While these two men exasperate each other, they teach each other more life lessons than arpeggios, and their mutual solution may lie in the ironically bittersweet music of Schumann. This funny and lyrical Pulitzer Prize finalist will touch your heart in surprising ways. Globe Season 2000 subscriptions are currently available by calling Old Globe Theatre Ticket Services at (619) 239-2255. Returning in Season 2000, Specialty Subscriptions include: Teacher Appreciation Series (discounted subscription for educators including a pre-show reception and seminar); and Thank Globe It¹s Friday (TGIF series with pre-show music on the plaza); Student Appreciation Series (discounted student series with pre-show music, pub specials and seminars); and new this year, Restaurant Sampler Series (save money on great San Diego restaurants and Globe theater tickets). Order Online American Conservatory Theatre Edward II, Christopher Marlowe's classic tragedy about the 14th Century king whose love for a common man cost him his thrown and his life is vividly presented at A.C. T. by director Mark Lamos as Edward 2 Spy in the secret service of Elizabeth I, accused atheist and blasphemer, disturber of the peace, and proponent of unorthodox passions, Christopher Marlowe is best remembered today as the greatest of Shakespeare's rivals. An adept chronicler of the Machiavellian politics of his day, Marlowe produced plays of poetry and passion that match those of the Bard. His shocking tragedy Edward II, which dramatizes the defeat and murder of a homosexual king by his power-hungry court, unites characters of utter conviction with actions of unspeakable horror and poetry of exquisite beauty. Marlowe exposes the tragedy of a man torn between the uncompromising demands of his crown, the unerring love of his wife, and the true desires of his heart. This masterpiece, rarely staged because of its sheer scope, marks the A.C.T. debut of director Mark Lamos, widely praised for his arresting interpretations of Shakespearean and Jacobean drama, as well as for his productions of Rigoletto and La Bohème for the San Francisco Opera. Lamos's vision brings a radically modern sensibility to the script, "what makes the play strangely sophisticated" says Lamos "is that Marlowe just immediately accepts the situation that the king has a gay lover. The problem is not that the lover is male, the problem is that the lover is a commoner and that Edward wants to give this commoner significant power." Like many a good story about power - those who have it and those who want it - Edward 2 is full of eroticism and violence, both of which this production will explore graphically. "I'm interested in exploring the male culture of physical beauty, love and violence in which Marlowe's play takes place," adds Lamos. "Edward II is about sensational things, written in a conservative period in history, and I want to recreate that experience for a contemporary audience for whom violence and sexuality are still push-button issues." Malcolm Gets (Caroline in the City, A Nwe Brain, Martin Guerre) stars. Denver Center for the Performing Arts DENVER, CO "Shut up and trust in Zeus," says one of the characters in the much-anticipated production of TANTALUS, which has begun six months of rehearsals in Denver. Under the leadership of Peter Hall, 22 actors from both sides of the Atlantic to create Tantalus, which receives its world premiere and only presentation in North America in October at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. John Barton's TANTALUS comprises 10 entirely new plays which trace the events of the Trojan War. Though the roots of the story lie in a war nearly 3,000 years ago, Barton's play recreate in vividly contemporary terms the mythical sweep of this powerful drama of war, family and destiny. Featuring some of the most timeless characters in Greek mythology, Barton's monumental piece of work seizes the pwoer and potency of greek myths while creating something entirely modern and often surprisingly humorous. "The Greek myths are not the only rattling good stories," says Peter Hall, "but they are absolutely at the center of our political and psychological thinking, our ideas about family and power, men and women, war and peace. To reunite with John Barton to create a huge piece of epic theatre is therefore the most modern gesture I can think of making. When we survey teh Greek myths, with their irony, contradiction and ambiguity, they all help us to understand our puzzling present in terms of the past. In terms of scope and insight, this could be richer than anything I have worked on." TANTALUS was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the leadership of Trevor Nunn, back in the 1980s after the huge success of Barton and Hall's collaboration on The War of the Roses. The company has nurtured its development for more than 15 years and through three artistic administrations - Nunn, Terry Hands and Adrian Noble. Over the years, Barton has immersed himself completely in his subject matter, drawing on some of the most famous stories of all time and incorporating hitherto unknown material from fragmentary sources. TANTALUS is a character in Greek myths who was punished by the Gods for stealing their secrets. He was sentenced to spend eternity with a rock hanging precariously over his head, to be forever hungry and thirsty, with food and drink in sight, but always - tantalizingly - out of reach. Barton explains why he chose this to be the title of this mammoth project: "Tantalus, the myth, is a metaphor for what happens in the cycle and, more importantly, for the world today. The rock of doom hangs over us continually; it doesn't fall, but one day it will. It's a wonderful, paradoxical, ironical metaphor for civilization and the state of the world. Tantalus is not a character in the plays, but a presence throughout." http://www.denvercenter.org/tantalus/ La Jolla playhouse will have an entirely bilingual cast in Federico Garcia Lorca's BLOOD WEDDING / BODAS DE SANGRE, the opening production of its 2000 six-play season, Anne Hamburger's first as Artistic Director. Click here to get to know Anne via the La Jolla website Directed by England's acclaimed Mark Wing-Davey, with movement by Jean Isaacs, BLOOD WEDDING will run in English May 30 through July 2 with an official opening night Sunday Jne 4th. The same cast will do two performances in the play's original Spanish on June 21 & 23. Inspired by a newspaper account wh ich the great playwright Garcia Lorca read in the 1920s, this Spanish Romeo and Juliet story of forbidden love and revenge tells of a young bride whose insatiable desire for her married lover draws her into the crossfire of two feuding families. Anne Hamburger explains: "When Mark Wing-Davey first spoke to me about the casting of BLOOD WEDDING, he said he wanted actors who can speak English and Spanish, sing and dance. A tall order, I thought. Well I'm delighted with the cast we have assembled." ALL IS WELL AND THRIVING IN UNIVERSITY DRAMA DEPARTMENTS; despite what one might here over a late night brandy at the local Bistro! The Leeds Theatre, at Brown University, Providence, RI, with only 156 seats, is an excellent venue in which to see 'Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches'. Every seat, in the house, is a good one. However, it did make tickets as valuable as hen's teeth and as just as hard to come by! Presented by the Brown University Theatre Department, the original staged version of "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches," earned the Pulitzer Prize and four Tony Awards for author Tony Kushner and he deserved every single one of them! It amazes me that no matter where I see this play staged, I come away with the same feeling -- God am I lucky, no, privileged to have been a part of this audience! The production at Brown University was no exception. Considered to be (one of) the most significant script(s) of the 20th Century, "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches," received its debut, as a workshop performance by Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum in May 1990 with Trinity Repertory's (Providence, RI) own Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis, directing it! The world premiere in April 1993 at Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre brought accolades heard "round the world." Especially supportive was New Yorker columnist, John Lahr who declared "[Tony] Kushner has made something magical and mysterious which honors the gay community." Written in Kushner's inimitable style (brilliant and humorous) "Millennium Approaches" examines the time of Ronald Reagan's Presidency -- the mid-eighties, a time of much chaos - no one had a clue as to what AIDS was or how to deal with its devastating effects; the US was in turmoil politically and philosophically and Gays and other minorities were far from being "catered" to! Liberals were hiding (in the closet) and the rest of us were out there on our own! Not shy, by any means, Kushner tells it like it was! The central character, Roy Cohn, beautifully portrayed by Harry Kellerman, is a closeted gay with AIDS. He is also a famous, conservative, attorney who announces, to anyone who will listen, that the Republicans will control the politics of this nation "right up to the new millennium." OOPS! As if that isn't enough, he tells his doctor "Homosexuals are people who know nobody and nobody knows them," "They have no clout. What I am is defined by who I am. I'm not a homosexual. I'm a heterosexual who fucks with guys." Cohn also insists he has liver cancer, not AIDS. A dysfunctional nation is only one of the themes Kushner uses, to convey his message. Evidenced from the very beginning of the play, when the Rabbi (played by Justine Williams) says, "America is the melting pot where nothing melted." There is no question about just how "dysfunctional" we (as a nation) really are! This theme, I might add, set designer Mike Brown reinforces visually by using pieces of a broken Statue of Liberty that tower over the stage, intermingled with a series of packing crates. Kushner also focuses on all too human relationships, that of Joe Pitt (Gregory Howe), a Mormon court clerk who's unsure of his sexuality and his lonely, vallium-addicted wife Harper (Miriam Silverman) whose mental health is failing rapidly. And a gay couple, trying to cope with their passions and this "kiss-of-death" called AIDS; Louis Ironson (Michael Crane) and Prior Walter (Seth Bockley) a man who loves to dress in drag and conduct hallucinatory conversations with "prior" ancestors whose deaths were caused by various plagues throughout history. Two people who make it clear that they (and we) are in for a bumpy ride. The majority of the cast was composed of Brown Drama students -- a fact which left me with the feeling that all is well and thriving in University Drama Departments, despite what one might here over a late night brandy at the local Bistro! Bravo to all who participated in this major American Theatre work of art -- I (for one) am looking forward to Part Two! and speaking of Willis Whyte... HARRIET TUBMAN GOES TO NEW YORK CITY! Animated TheatreWorks a New York production company, will produce an interactive reading of Providence playwright Willis-Whyte's historical drama "In The Footsteps of Moses" the story of Harriet Tubman, in New York City on June 19 and 20, 2000. Ms. Whyte, a New York native who is now a resident of Providence, states that "This reading is only the first step in getting the show produced. The full staged version of the script will happen February 2001 through March 2001, in celebration of Black History and Women's History Months. We've had such a great initial response to this project that there is already talk about the possibility of a move to a larger theatre and an extension of the show for an additional eight weeks." The author also says that "Harriet Tubman is the most amazing woman you can imagine and most people don't have a clue. Courage, persistence and tenacity don't even come close to describing her. Her commitment to attaining freedom for her people was unparalleled by any other man or woman in history; except for possibly "Moses" himself! I can only hope that I've done her story justice!" The reading in June is open to the public, but reservations are required --For further information call 212-757-5085 or e-mail to animated100@earthlink.net. From The Producer Elysabeth Kleinhans: Animated TheatreWorks, Inc. was born last year as a not-for-profit production company which gives members of the theater-going audience the opportunity to be part of the play development process. We ask our participants to help shape a play through a series of readings and rehearsals followed by discussions, and ending with an evaluation of the final showcase production. Last September we successfully produced Brotherly Loves to an enthusiastic response. Your comments during this process are invaluable to the playwright. As a participants we know that you will find the developmental process both interesting and rewarding as you watch the work grow in response to your direct input. We hope that you will become a part of this experience. We are starting our 2000 season with a preliminary reading of a new play which we plan to develop for future production. We invite you to meet the author, offer your comments and suggestions on the merits and shortcomings of their scripts, your thoughts and ideas about which direction they should be headed, and tell us whether or not this work has the potential to excite and delight an audience. The work entitled In the Footsteps of Moses, is a full-length play with music by Willis-Whyte. This script dramatically portrays the story of a courageous runaway slave who devoted her life to leading others to freedom in the "Promised Land." Harriet Tubman, on whose life the script is based, was the most infamous conductor on the Underground Railroad, and was also known as the "Moses" of her people. Classic Theatrelore: Tennessee Williams was in rehearsals for Streetcar Named Desire and the producers invited Thorton Wilder, THE star playwright of the day, to sit in and offer his wisdom. He watched the rehearsal and said that while the play was adequate, no one would ever believe that Stella would go for Stanley. As he left Williams offered in an audible aside, "There goes a man who's never had a good lay." From the Mailbag: From Humana festival: Anton in Show Business by Jane Martin A very funny insider piece: a theatre in San Antonio is doing Three Sisters with a television star wanting to create some legitimate chops. Satiric looks at non profits, at connections with funders, at political correctness, at off off Broadway actors, at supercilious directors, etc., etc., etc. With a terrific gimmick of having an audience member periodically stop the action to challenge what=92s going on. All female cast, several playing multiple roles and multiple genders (which causes some anguished cries from the performer in the audience). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CYBERTHEATRE MONTHLY Internet Theatre Database http://www.theatredb.com/ Our simple mission is to provide all aspects of theatre information free of charge. Beyond that, we are trying to emulate what the Internet Movie Database did for movies -- provide a comprehensive site where you could find nearly anything. But whereas movie information exists in books and videos, theatre information is much harder to come by and is in danger of being lost for good. Our goal is to make sure that this information is cataloged and is available. We've purposely started small (focusing primarily on Broadway at the moment) in order to get some of the kinks out and make sure that we don't try to do too much too soon. ITDb is a four person operation where we contribute time and effort whenever possible. We are operating on a five year plan to build a comprehensive database on all professional theatre. A New Web Resource In the aftermath of the Columbine Highschool tragedy, I had been hired by the Colorado Council on the Arts to develop, with NEA funding, a web resource dealing with the power of the arts to heal. I spent the year working on pulling together many many web resources that are otherwise difficult to find. For instance, the new website profiles SEVENTY web resources just on research into the impact of the arts on communities, individuals, and economies. Every arts discipline is covered as well as a number of topic-oriented listings. The theatre section ofters an extensive collection of annotated links profiling such resources as: Theatre resources for the deaf community, Drama therapy, Theatre for youth at risk, Theatre for the disabled community, Theatre of the oppressed, etc. (that last category is less developed at the moment) The full web resource can be explored before its official debut at http://www.artslynx.org/heal/ The theatre-specific page can be explored directly at http://www.artslynx.org/heal/theatre.htm Richard Finkelstein Head of Design, U of Colorado at Denver College of Arts and Media Department of Theatre, Film, and Video Production and site editor of Artslynx International Arts Resources Broadway & Broadband Converge TO MAKE THE BEST OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AVAILABLE TO AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE "Broadway and broadband are converging to make the American theatre's best productions available to a world-wide audience with the acquisition by Broadway Television Network (BTN) of Theatre.com Inc. the premier online theatrical portal," announced Bruce Brandwen, BTN's Founder and CEO. BTN's internet subsidiary, BroadwayOnline.com, Inc., will now be home to the official web sites of nearly 150 Broadway shows, producers and theatrical organizations. BroadwayOnline.com, Inc. will utilize the formidable assets of Theatre.com, which has been described by Variety as a "marketing powerhouse," as the core of its internet strategy. These assets include Theatre.com's award-winning news service, comprehensive Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional and London listings and extensive e-commerce activity. Broadway Television Network is the premier media company dedicated exclusively to the worldwide marketing of Broadway productions through the digital distribution of currently running musicals, "Live From Broadway, One Night Only(TM)" for wireless and cable pay-per-view (PPV) systems, direct broadest satellite (DBS) , Internet, Broadway Cinema ScreenSM and home video viewing. " With Theatre.com, BTN is now a vertically integrated multi media company capable of delivering the best of theatre to world wide audiences," said Mr. Brandwen. "Theatre.com is the single most comprehensive theatre site on the internet. As the designer, manager and online marketing portal for the majority of Broadway shows, Theatre.com has established itself as the dominant online theatre site." "This acquisition will enable Broadway Television Network to have an ongoing communication with our audience" said Susan Lee, BTN's Chief Marketing Officer, "as well as provide online programs that accompany broadband and video streaming of PPV and video on demand at any hour, to a virtual community of theatre-goers around the world." "We're excited to be part of this groundbreaking activity" said Theatre.com founder Toby Simkin. "Theatre.com has been in the forefront of moving the Broadway industry onto the Internet. Broadway Television Network's commitment to presenting high quality programming, coupled with the growing importance of the Internet, promises to deliver the best of Broadway to our online audience and to send that audience into theatres for the live experience.â€Â Coinciding with the announcement of this new relationship, Theatre.com has been selected by Tony(R) Awards Productions and The League of American Theatres & Producers to supply content to the official web site for the 2000 Tony(R) Awards (www.Tonys.org) that will launch in May. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TECHIE'S CORNER Techie's Corner Platforms #3: The Triscuit and the Texas Triscuit An Introduction to Stressed Skin Platforming Welcome to this month's Techie's Corner. The last two articles have discussed types of stock platforming that have been around for several centuries, the parallel, and for almost a century, the plywood covered 4'x8' unit. This month's article will be about a type of stock platform first developed about 1990 at the Yale School of Drama, called a "Triscuit". The Triscuit is four foot by four foot, stressskin unit 2 3/8" thick. To truly describe a triscuit, we will first have to explain just what a "stress skin" unit is. For those of you who already know, skip the next few paragraphs. Stress skin almost defines itself, i.e. a unit with a skin under stress. But what does that really mean? Actually it means a unit with two skins which oppose each other in the direction that they handle stress. Between the two skins is a core to which the skins are completely bonded. The core may be continuous, such as foam core mounting board, or open like the honeycomb construction of a hollow core door. In order for a stress skin unit to flex or bend, one skin has to stretch and the other has to compress see Illustration #1 Now let's look at the same units with a load applied. All of us confront stress skin units everyday; the most common is the hollow core door. Other examples are plywood, steel I-beams in construction and many of the tabletops in folding business tables. If you do artwork or photo mounting you may have come across a product called foam core. All of these are examples of stress skin construction. The hollow core door has a very thin skin about 1/16" to 1/8" thick on each side. The outside frame between the skins is about 2"wide on the sides with 4" extra in the doorknob position. The top and bottom frames are usually about 2" wide. The interior of the door is usually filled with CARDBOARD! The cardboard is about 1/32" thick and formed into a honeycomb with the cardboard on edge and each cell of the honeycomb is about 1" to 1 1/2" across. When the door is assembled, every edge of the honeycomb is covered with an adhesive; every edge and face of each component that comes in contact with another is coated with an adhesive. When the door is finished it is very stiff. Many of you have made drafting tables, shelves and benches with old doors. You may have noticed that even though the door can support a great deal of weight, it is lightweight and easy to handle. If you have ever lifted a solid core door, you know they are very heavy and awkward to handle. To make a comparison that will be readily understood, a common stock platform, using 2x4 for the framing members and 3/4" plywood for the lid, will sag noticeably with a 150 lb. weight in the center if it is supported only at the ends. A 4x8 stress skin unit with a 2x4 frame with 8' members on 16" centers and with a 5/8" lid and a 3/8" bottom will support almost 2,000 lbs. evenly distributed which is about 60 lbs. psf. or over 500 lbs. in the center before it deflects more than 1/4". That is the essence of stress skin construction. A very high strength to weight ratio. In the construction industry, reduced weight usually means less materiel and less materiel means reduced manufacturing costs. In theatre the reduced weight means easier handling which can result in time savings or labor savings. The Triscuit platform takes advantage of the stress skin principle to make a unit that is small enough and light enough for one person to handle yet is very strong. Because of its size and thickness, triscuits can be stored in smaller spaces. For comparison, four 4'x8' stock platforms with a 2x4 frame, require a space 4' x 8' and 17" deep. Eight triscuits (equal in floor area to the four 4x8 units) can be stored in a space 4' x 4' x 19" deep, just an inch more than half the space. Strong, light, store in less space, ...... why don't we all use triscuits? There are some drawbacks. First of all they take longer to build. Second they must be built with more care and skill than a plain stock unit. Third they rely on the studwall system or similar system of legging and other legging systems will not work. Are triscuits right for you? I can't answer that because every theatre has different needs, space and personnel. Right or wrong depends on your mix of these things. Now here's how to build a triscuit. All framing is 5/4 stock @ 2" true wide. Depending on the lumber dealers in your area, 5/4 nominal stock may be anywhere from 1" to 1 3/16" True thickness. Assembly of the frame is with one 4" drywall screw, predrilled at each joint. Note that the screws at the corners must be off set to miss the bolt down hole. All joints are glued and the end grain pieces are coated with glue. After a 3 to 5 minute wait, they are coated again and then assembled. The skin on both sides is 5/8 plywood. OSB would also work but add about 10% to the weight of the unit. The frame is completely brush coated with glue on the surface and the ply is then screwed down with 1 5/8" screws on 6" centers. The original design called for nails but I strongly advise screws. Great care must be taken at this time to insure that the unit is very flat and not skewed from corner to corner. Flip the unit over and repeat the skin attachment on the other side. When the glue has set, drill and counter bore the corners and your triscuit is done. The Texas Triscuit Due to problems with lumber supply of 5/4 stock in his region, Tim Francis, technical director at Trinity University developed what he calls a "Texas Triscuit". Although the Texas Triscuit is not a stress skin unit, I include it here because of the close similarity of the units. In fact it should be obvious that one could very easily turn it into a stress skin by merely adding the second skin on the bottom. The basic unit shares the same advantages of the triscuit. It is light, easily handled and stores in very little space. It has a few advantages over the original triscuit. It is actually lighter at about 56-lbs. total weight. It uses less material, thus cheaper. The frame is steel, thus virtually indestructible, the lid can be easily replaced when it is damaged or worn out. As might be expected there are also some disadvantages. The first is that the frame is made of steel and must be welded. If welding is beyond your means or skills, then you can not build a Texas Triscuit in your own shop. Although it will support as much weight, it is ever so slightly more "springy" under an active load. I suspect that adding a lower skin, even if it were only 1/4" or 3/8" instead of the 5/8", and both skins were attached with a continuous bead of construction adhesive, then the unit would actually be stiffer than the original triscuit. Now to the point, here is the Texas Triscuit. The frame is 1 1/2", 16 ga. square steel tube. The first step is to cut the steel to length and drill the four corner holes. Next all joints are welded with a 1/8" bead all around. The most common problem in the construction is failure to maintain a square and flat structure during the welding process. The best way to achieve this is to build a jig of 2x4 flat on top of a worktable covered with hardboard. The jig should leave all the weld joints exposed. Next a series of tack welds will help to stabilize the unit. Tack the corners, top and bottom of each joint. Next complete all fillet welds on the inside seams, welding from the center of the joint out in both directions. The reason for this is to balance the stress and expansion/contraction that welding creates in all joints. Next weld the outside of the four corners, followed by the top surface. Carefully lift the frame from the jig, reverse it and finish the welds on the other side. Note that you can not be too accurate in building the jig. Every minute you spend on it will save you time in construction and help to insure accuracy. All the welds on the top, bottom and outside are then ground flush. Be sure to file or grind the insides of the exposed open tube at the corners to prevent finger catchers. If you intend one lid to last the life of the unit the top may be fastened on with T nails and a construction adhesive. If you think you will replace the wood lid before the frame wears out, then drill point tek-screws are the answer. In either case, the fasteners should be on 6" centers all around. The construction adhesive method will result in a slightly stiffer unit, but it is very difficult and tedious to remove if you want to change the lid. As I mentioned earlier, both of these platform types are designed to be legged with a studwall system of supports. Later in this series I will be covering legging systems of many types. As with all articles, if you are reading this in the archives, the illustrations will be missing. Drop me an e-mail and I will be glad to send them to you. Until next month, keep the green side up, don't sweat the small stuff and remember ..... It's all small stuff! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RUBIN'S CORNER Rubin's Corner: Broadway & Off-Broadway Hansen's Cab Author's Note: A car pulls up to a house, a young woman is forced inside and driven away, not to return to her family. It might have been Nazi Germany, but it was 1950s Texas, and the woman had leprosy. Public fear demanded quarantine. Today we know better. So why did the Supreme Court just validate quarantine of prisoners with AIDS ? Why does resurgent tuberculosis prompt calls for segregation of the sick? Perhaps we seek alternative medicines and the healing practices of tribal cultures because we don't like the look of that car coming up the block. --Mark R. Giesser Focusing on a battle between science and spiritual belief, Hansen's Cab, a new play by Mark R. Giesser, opened on Tuesday, May 9th at Off-Broadway's Jose Quintero Theatre. Directed by Mark R. Giesser, the production features a cast including Heather Randall, Melissa Hart, John Wayne Shafer and Avrom Berel and is presented by Alces Productions. Set in the American Southwest of 1958, Hansen's Cab charts the journey of Jennifer Talavera, a young woman diagnosed with Hansen's Disease - more commonly know as leprosy. During that time, American public health policy stated that victims of the disease were to be forcibly transported to and involuntarily detained at the U.S Public Health Service Hospital in Carville, Louisiana. While stopped en route to the hospital, in an historic site in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas, Jennifer escapes her guardians and meets a mixed-blood Apache archaeologist. The mystical combination of Apache healing rituals and history embroil the characters in a battle between science and spiritual belief. Playwright mark R Giesser has also penned the plays The Night They Burned Washington, Pledge of Allegiance and Code of the West. The cast includes Heather Randall who appeared on Broadway in the National Actors Theatre production of Inherit the Wind and Three Men on a Horse. Melissa hart receive a Tony nomination for Geogy, and appeared in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Michael Pemberton most recently appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night. Avrom Berel has appeared Off-Broadway in The Night They Burned Washington. Hansen's Cab features set designs by John C. Scheffler , costume designs by Melanie Ann Schmidt and lighting designs by Aaron Meadow. The first act of the play holds the interest of the audience. We learn about the four people who have come together in the Guadalupe Mountains. We are forced to watch some bad Native American dancing that is done twice more in the second act. It is not until the second act that the production goes entirely wrong. The struggle between rituals and science is presented to the audience in such a heavy-handed manner that the audience is made to cry out, "Ok we get the message." When the medical doctor dies it is easy to understand that science has lost out to ritual medicine. The director needs to point out to the cast that it would be better to learn their lines instead of delaying while they try to remember their lines. The set is so large for this small stage that the actors must squeeze their way off the stage or exit through the audience. The production holds some interest, but actors who miss their lines and heavy-handed symbolism quickly make the audience lose interest. Hansen's Cab will play the following schedule: Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3 PM and Sundays at # PM. All tickets are $40. It closes May 28th. Some historical perspective: What is Leprosy? Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy can be treated effectively with several drugs, but if left untreated the disease can result in severe disfigurement, especially of the feet, hands and face. It is rarely fatal. Leprosy has long been one of the most feared diseases world-wide. The stigma attached to leprosy has often caused those who contracted the disease to be shunned by family, friends and society. For example, in Europe during the Middle Ages, people with leprosy were declared dead and banished after witnessing their own funeral and symbolic burial. Confined to a leprosarium or forced to wander and beg to survive, these outcasts were required to warn others of their presence with a bell or clapper. Scientists estimate that less than 5% of people who are infected with Mycobacterium leprae actually develop leprosy. In most cases, the immune system easily fights off the infection. APACHE MOUNTAIN SPIRITS In Apache healing ceremonies and in the warding off of epidemics, Mountain Gods are represented by Masked Dancers. Mountain Spirits or Mountain Gods live in the interior of Sacred Mountains, these imagined, sacred caverns, are "measureless to men" and symbolize the universe. Here is an excerpt from an Apache chant. The poem tells how their gods appear to them, and how the relationship between the gods and man is a loving one, flowing two ways - not only from man to gods, but the gods to man. Big White Mountain spirit in the west, Your spirituality hale body is made of the white mirage, Holy Mountain Spirit, leader of the Mountain Spirits; I am happy over your words, You are happy over my words. A Very Unlikely Hero!! The Texas Armadillo Mycobacterium leprae was first identified in 1873 by Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian physician. Hansen was frustrated in his work because he was unable to culture the bacterium in his laboratory - a feat that scientists have not accomplished today. Although Mycobacterium leprae cannot be grown in laboratory culture dishes, scientists have developed ways to obtain bacteria for use in scientific studies. The bacteria grows in enormous numbers throughout the body of the nine-banded armadillo, an animal that has a body temperature several degrees cooler than that of humans. In fact, recent studies have shown that, in some areas of Louisiana and Texas, one quarter of the wild population of armadillos is infected with the leprosy bacterium. Leprosy/Carville Timeline * 1552-1320 B.C. An account of a disease that could be leprosy appears in an Egyptian papyrus. * 600 BC Indian writing describe a disease that most experts agree was leprosy. Leprosy was referred to as Kushtha in the secret vedic scriptures. * 62 BC The first mention in Rome of leprosy coincides with the return of Pompey's troops from Asia Minor * 1873- Norwegian scientist Dr. Armauer Hansen discovered Mycobacterium leprae * 1894 Louisiana legislature agreed to create America's first state-run home for lepers * 1896 112 Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul arrived at Carville to take care of the victims of leprosy * 1921 Federal Government took control of Carville and began a major construction program and changed the name to U.S. Military Hospital No 66 * 1941 Carville scientists produced the most important breakthrough in treatment proving sulfone drugs could arrest the disease and reverse some of the skin lesions and other disfigurations * 1945 The Federal ban on Carville residents using telephones was lifted * 1946 Leprosy victims granted the right to vote * 1950 Hansens Disease was removed from the national list of quarantinable disease * 1957 Carville residents were finally allowed to leave, under certain conditions and hospitalization became voluntary. Certain state laws still mandated commitment. * 1980 A multi-drug therapy is introduced to treat the disease. The antibiotics - dapsone, reframpin and clofazimine are currently used to treat leprosy. * 1991 World Health Organization launched a leprosy elimination program to provide multi-drug therapy to leprosy patients all over the world. The goal of the program was to reduce the prevalence of leprosy to 1 in 10,000 in 122 countries b the year 2000. * 1996 For the first time - the number of registered cases of leprosy dropped to below one million (world-wide) * 1998 Legal Immigrants - diseases that warrant exclusion include leprosy. ### Spotlight on The Music Man www.TheMusicManBroadway.com Cast Album The Stars Susan Stroman Interview Newsday Interview with Craig Bierko Associated Press Review Hollywood Reporter Review E! Online Opening Report The new Broadway production of THE MUSIC MAN which opens this Thursday (April 27), will record its cast album on MONDAY, MAY 1 at the Edison Recording Studio in Times Square. Produced by Q Records, the new C.D. of the cast recording will be in stores on Tuesday, June 6. Advance order thru stages Or order the musical score Sound Clips on the Music Man website under MultiMedia ### Paul Benedict and Ruth Williamson Make Beloved Musical Hum Susan Stroman's new production of Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN opened at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre last week to rave critical acclaim. Two of the supporting actors in the musical, PAUL BENEDICT and RUTH WILLIAMSON, were singled out by the reviewers for their remarkable performances. Here are some of the things they were saying about the two actors: PAUL BENEDICT is perfect. RUTH WILLIAMSON is divine. TIME OUT NEW YORK, Sam Whitehead PAUL BENEDICT and RUTH WILLIAMSON are wonderfully droll as River City's bumbling mayor and his pompous wife. USA TODAY, Elysa Gardner RUTH WILLIAMSON can turn low comedy into high art. ASSOCIATED PRESS, Michael Kuchwara RUTH WILLIAMSON is a total stitch, indicating volumes with her hawk-eye stares. NEWARK STAR LEDGER, Michael Sommers PAUL BENEDICT and RUTH WILLIAMSON use expert timing and shtick for their roles as the town's befuddled mayor and his free-wheeling wife. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, Frank Scheck PAUL BENEDICT and RUTH WILLIAMSON wring every drop of comedy from Willson's glorious caricatures. DAILY NEWS, Fintan O'Toole PAUL BENEDICT (Mayor Shinn). Most recent roles, New York: Eugene O'Neill's Hughie, Circle in the Square; Ferenc Molnar's The Play's the Thing, Roundabout. Regional: O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!, Huntington, Boston; Moss Hart's Light Up the Sky, Hartford Stage; O'Neill's Hughie, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles. Favorite Films: The Freshman, The Goodbye Girl, Taking Off, The Front Page, The Addams Family, The Man With Two Brains, This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman. Directing: Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clare de Lune, MTC; The Kathy & Mo Show, Westside; Frank D. Gilroy's Any Given Day, Longacre. RUTH WILLIAMSON (Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn). Broadway: Epic Proportions, Little Me, Guys & Dolls, Smile, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 and Annie (1977). Off-Broadway: MTC's The Green Heart (Drama Desk nomination), MCC's: The English Teachers, WPA's Queen Amarantha, The Good Times Are Killing Me, The Leonard Bernstein Revue, DuBarry Was a Lady (Encores!). Regional: No Way To Treat A Lady (Coconut Grove, Carbonell Nomination), You Should Be So Lucky (Wilma Theatre, Barrymore Nomination), Merrily We Roll Along (Arena Stage), Candide (Huntington Theatre), among others. Film: Malcolm X, Foreign Student, Italian Movie, Psycho Beach Party, Family Man and Double Parked. TV: "Law & Order," "Wonderland," most NY soaps and a zillion commercials. ### The Music Woman By Patrick Pacheco WHEN DIRECTOR -choreographer Susan Stroman levels her blue eyes at you and says, "Musical theater is such a life force for me," you believe her. You believe her because Stroman has ridden that credo to the pinnacle of theatrical success. She has won Tony Awards as choreographer for "Crazy for You" (1992) and the 1994 revival of "Showboat," and last year she garnered raves from the British critics for her dances in Trevor Nunn's revival of "Oklahoma!" at the Royal National Theatre. This season, she is represented on Broadway with the smash hit dance-play "Contact" (a triptych of stories told through dance, which also marks her directorial debut) and the revival of "The Music Man," starring newcomer Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker ("The Sound of Music"), which opens Thursday at the Neil Simon Theater. But you also believe her because you sense that Stroman is holding onto the redemptive power of theater as a life raft in what has clearly been the most turbulent period in her 40 years. Last October, she was besieged by well- wishers at the opening night party of "Contact" while her husband of four years, director Mike Ockrent, was seriously ill. Two months later, he died from leukemia at age 53, robbing Broadway of a talent that had shepherded such hits as 1987's "Me and My Girl" and "Crazy for You," which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1992. It was the show on which he'd met Stroman. A few weeks before the opening of "The Music Man," Stroman sits behind a director's station in the middle of the orchestra, reassuringly calm, her trim dancer's body swathed in a silk pantsuit, her blond tresses tucked under the ubiquitous baseball cap. The theater itself is abuzz with stagehands drilling and hammering into place facades of Meredith Willson's fabled River City, Iowa, in 1912 America. Prominent is the train on which that scoundrel Professor Harold Hill rides in to try to hoodwink River City's starchy citizens with his visions of marching bands and a "spurious" think system. Crowded into the wings, aisles and even the lobby of the Neil Simon are thousands of props, including, of course, bushels of corn. Corny too, is the adjective that can readily come to mind in thinking of "The Music Man," the mainstay of community theaters and high schools since it bowed on Broadway in 1957 and went on to beat "West Side Story" for the Tony Award as Best Musical. "Sometimes these productions can make it seem cartoonish, too cute, too pink and green and yellow," says Stroman, who herself played Zaneeta, the mayor's teenage daughter, at the Candlelight Community Theatre in Wilmington, Del. "On the first day of rehearsal, I told the actors, 'Get rid of any images of the "Music Man" you've ever had. This is a real town with people with individual back stories and real relationships to each other. The comedy will come out of a real place, not out of parody.'" With a sly smile, she adds that the slow-developing relationship between frosty Marian the librarian and Professor Hill is a more mature story than one usually sees in the theater. "Remember, Harold Hill is a con man," she says, "and you're rooting for a con man to win, which isn't usual musical theater fare." The rhythm of language in music and dialogue is important in "Music Man" and was quite innovative for its day -- from the salesmen's opening "talk-song" of "Rock Island" to Hill's percussive "Trouble" (as in "Right here in River City") to the ladies art club's "Pickalittle" (as in "cheep-cheep-cheep, talk-a lot-pick-a-little-more"). "The whole show is based on pitch and the rhythm and sound of the traveling salesmen and the people of Iowa," says Stroman. "And my signature -- whether it's choreographing for the Martha Graham Company or the New York City Ballet or doing a Broadway musical -- is always rhythmic. This town of stubborn, narrow-minded Iowans comes to life with music and dance, and the show's arc is choreographic. They start out stiff and proper, and by the second act they're dancing with great abandon after Harold Hill's done with them." As she did for "Oklahoma!" Stroman received permission from the respective estates to develop new dance arrangements. Another crucial element was the casting of Harold Hill (memorably played by Robert Preston in both the 1957 stage version and 1962 film adaptation). The producers even delayed the revival for a season in hopes of snagging a Big Name, and throughout the process, such box-office draws as Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Patrick Swayze and Alec Baldwin were bandied about as prime candidates. The intimidating mantle of Preston's classic performance has fallen on the shoulders of a Craig Bierko, who is making his Broadway debut. (His credits include the 1996 film "The Long Kiss Goodnight" and occasional appearances on TV's "Ally McBeal" and "Mad About You.") "They really wanted to find a star, and we auditioned so many, but I told the producers we need to go with a guy who has the chops to get through 'Trouble in River City,"' says Stroman. "And Craig had a complete command of the language, perfect diction and pitch and power, that the others didn't have. He almost speaks 'Trouble' in a Shakespearean way. He came back three times and really earned the part." Hill, of course, is a prime purveyor of Stroman's philosophy of unlocking the blocked emotions through music and dance. That is a common theme in all her work, including the last and flashiest part of "Contact," in which Boyd Gaines, playing a suicidal advertising executive, enjoys a reversal of fortune through his late-night encounter with a mysterious, sexy woman in a yellow dress in a pool-and-dance hall. Stroman says "Contact" stemmed from her restless curiosity about the lives of people she sees on the streets and in bars and restaurants, imagining short stories in her head about them. Her inspiration for a revival of "The Music Man" came from Willson's script, namely the exchange between Hill and Winthrop, Marian's younger, speech-impaired brother, in which he asks the professor if there really is a band. And Hill, responds, "I always think there's a band." "If you're in the theater, there's always a band," says Stroman. "Music is not a relaxing entity for me, because no matter what kind of tune I hear, standard, jazz, rock and roll or classical, I always imagine hordes of people dancing. I'm a real example of sugar plum fairies dancing in my head. I'm always hearing a band. I've heard bands all my life." Stroman's background suggests that she was destined to direct and choreograph "The Music Man." Not only was her father a salesman of instruments and appliances, but he was a dedicated music lover and pianist who played at home for hours. She grew up playing underneath the grand piano in the family home, listening to the strains of Kern, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein. "All these shows are in my bones, very much a part of me," she says. "I know most of those songs from my father." STROMAN GOT THE SHOW biz bug when a touring version of "Seesaw" came to the Wilmington Playhouse and "a tall drink of water" named Tommy Tune came out in clogs and led a chorus line of girls festooned with balloons. She got her first big break when director Scott Ellis hired her to choreograph the Off-Broadway revival of Kander and Ebb's "Flora, the Red Menace" in 1987 and later the 1991 Kander and Ebb Off-Broadway revue "And the World Goes 'Round." She has since been drawn, she says, to romantic stories, particularly those that succeed against odds. "To have 'Music Man' and 'Contact' running at the same time really does expose all the various sides of me. Where does she personally locate herself between the philosophical poles of say, Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and "The Music Man"? "My nights are unbearable and my mornings are unbearable," she says, pausing in a futile effort to maintain her composure. She looks around her. "Thank God, I have this place to come to." Stroman breaks down and cries softly. "I'm sorry," she says after regaining her composure. "I loved Mike very much." She adds with a touch of bitterness: "I just don't know why he was picked. "Mike taught me so much about the theater, about life," she says. "He was so highly romantic, he really knew how to embrace life, to seize and be present in the moment, that was what he was about. To have a hit show called, 'Contact' about making contact is just so strangely peculiar because I couldn't have thought of that had I not met Mike." The couple did have a favorite song: "Nice Work If You Can Get It." And Stroman has all the work she can handle. She choreographed the new film "Center Stage," directed by Nicholas Hytner, about fledgling ballet dancers, which will be released in May. She's also developing two new musicals that she says are making her apartment a hive of activity not unlike a Moss Hart play. Next up is a musical adaptation of the comedy film classic "The Producers" with Mel Brooks writing the songs and lyrics. Plans call for a reading of the musical starring Nathan Lane in the role of the scheming Broadway producer created by Zero Mostel. She is also working on a musical based on the Emile Zola novel "Therese Raquin," with Harry Connick Jr. writing the songs for the story about an adulterous love affair that leads to murder and betrayal. The contrast to "Music Man," of course, couldn't be greater. But that's the pleasure and the challenge for Stroman. No matter the subject matter, she has never broken faith with the premise that theater can change people's lives. She saw it standing at the back of theater watching couples put their arms around each other during "Crazy for You," and she says that's much the same reaction to "Contact" at the Vivian Beaumont. "I truly believe in the power of musical theater," she says. "Theater's never let me down yet." # # # A Capital 'B,' And That Stands for Bierko By Blake Green Newsday IF BUSBY BERKELEY, that legendary king of the razzle-dazzle musical, were alive, he'd definitely take heart at what's going on at the Neil Simon Theatre these days. All the director's "you're-going-out-there-a-nobody-kid-and- coming- back-a-star" scenarios were only in the movies. This time it's happening in real life. Craig Bierko, an actor who's never been so much as a chorus boy in a Broadway musical, is the star of one: the charming, fast-talking con man Professor Harold Hill, the title guy who sets River City, Iowa, to singing and dancing in the much-anticipated revival of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." It's not that the 35-year-old Bierko has never been in a musical. "I was the B in Bolivia in 'Alphabet of Our Nations' in the third grade," he opens the story of his career as an entertainer, an unapologetic, slightly bemused tale that winds through community theater ("Gypsy") in Westchester County, where he grew up, and "lots of shows" at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where he majored in drama. Who knows? That school's Midwest location, not far from where Willson set his musical, may have been an omen of associations to come. So here Bierko is, a bit of a charmer himself with a toothy grin, saucer eyes and a jaunty air, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the star's dressing room, even if, as he points out, it's only half of the star's dressing room. ("There's not much room backstage, and they needed to make a quick-change space.") The cast had been rehearsing all afternoon, there's a preview performance that night. "I've never worked this hard or been this tired in my whole life," says the actor, who comes to Broadway and the musical-theater world from a decade of movie and television work on the other coast that included parts in "The 13th Floor" and "The Long Kiss Goodnight." Somewhat higher profiles -- Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin and Patrick Swayze, among them -- were initially rumored to be in the running for strutting in the now-immortal footsteps of Robert Preston, who starred in the 1957 Broadway musical and the 1962 movie of "The Music Man." And indeed, Susan Stroman, the show's director, says, "When I was hired, one of the stipulations by the producers was that we try to find a television or movie star." Bierko happened along at the right time: "I got an audition, was called back and then offered the part," he says, after warning that the process leading to his big break was actually "kinda boring." Stroman's version is a bit more descriptive. "What he had that the others didn't is a real command of the language. And he's an elegant comedian. He did 'Trouble' like it was a Shakespearean piece. The one thing about 'The Music Man's' success is the rhythm and the pitch. The audience has to believe he can sell anything." For his part, Bierko can't even say "The Music Man" was his favorite musical, although he's had a soft spot for it since, "I saw my brother [Scott Bierko, who writes and performs children's music, occasionally on Long Island] play Harold Hill in the fifth grade." In "Sour Grapes," a Larry David movie that "about 12 people saw, including the cast and crew," Bierko says he played the "kind of role I really like: slightly mean, a little dark, yet very funny and likable." He sees a similarity with the cagey Professor Hill, who "enjoys the con and manipulating people. The challenge has been that almost everyone is already familiar with the piece, so it's difficult to stay one step ahead of the audience, but important." Brimming with praise for the director who singled him out, Bierko says Stroman "gets you to do things you don't think you can do," and in his case, this includes "spinning a baton, dancing like I've never danced and playing the trombone." (Heads up: Look for a surprise ending.) A soccer player in school, "I've always been relatively comfortable with myself physically, but I haven't done much dancing," he confesses. Cast members were presented with a packet of background information, including photographs showing early 20th-Century small-town life (the play is set in 1912) and a glossary of some of the words Willson used -- such as that "Bevos" and "Cubebs" (mentioned in the opening train scene of a car full of traveling salesmen) were once popular brands of cigars. As everyone who's ever seen the show knows, "you gotta know the territory," and toward this end, Stroman also asked for back stories of each of the characters to be shared with the group. How the residents of River City fit into each others' lives was the purpose, but Bierko says Hill "is the outsider," so he kept his story to himself. "It's actually better they don't know where I came from," he says. # # # Harold Hill makes for a joyous MUSIC MAN by MICHAEL KUCHWARA AP Drama Critic NEW YORK (AP) -- "I always think there's a band, kid," says Professor Harold Hill, summing up his philosophy, a credo that could be the reason "The Music Man" is one of those Broadway shows that's impossible to resist. His hope, his willingness to believe has been reborn in a joyous revival of the cornfed but never corny Meredith Willson musical that opened Thursday at the Neil Simon Theater. Judging from the rapturous audience response, it won't be leaving any time soon. Credit "The Music Man's" music woman, director and choreographer Susan Stroman, with re- creating this 1957 musical with such high spirits and good cheer that it seems to float across the footlights on Willson's delightful score. Stroman displays a genuine affection for Willson's sentimental tale of a charming con man who hoodwinks the denizens of River City, Iowa, circa 1912, only to lose his heart to the starchy local librarian. Any "Music Man" worth his con has to compete with the memory of Robert Preston, the original Harold Hill, whose performance remains enshrined in Broadway legend, not to mention available for viewing in the stodgy 1962 film version. In Craig Bierko, Stroman has found a scintillating successor to the formidable Preston. Bierko, whose voice is scarily reminiscent of Preston's, possesses the charm, sly smile and wicked glint to conquer those suspicious residents of River City. What's more, he's sexy, a quality not usually associated with this opportunistic traveling salesman. No wonder Bierko's Hill attracts the attention of Marian the librarian, a part Rebecca Luker was born to play. Marian is the repressed spirit, set free by the beguiling cad. Luker sings the role beautifully, soaring through "Goodnight, My Someone," "My White Knight, "Will I Ever Tell You?" and "Till There Was You" with artful simplicity. Willson's book remains sturdy: Con man arrives in town peddling not only band instruments, but uniforms and music lessons, too. Hill's method of instruction is the celebrated think system. If you "think" it hard enough, you can do it. With the lightest of touches, Stroman keeps story and song spinning. Her choreography, for one of the youngest group of dancers on Broadway, harks back to the exuberant dancing for fun's sake that dominated Broadway in the 1950s. How else do you explain a song like "Shipoopi" -- and just what does that title mean? Willson's uptempo numbers are rhythm personified, rat-tat-tating along at a merry clip. Bierko machine-guns his way through "Trouble," with a precision that would do Preston proud. The director has shrewdly cast a superb collection of character actors in supporting roles, starting with Paul Benedict as the town's bumbling mayor and Ruth Williamson, a woman who can turn low comedy into high art, as his matriarchal wife, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. Max Casella makes a diminutive sidekick for Hill, Michael Phelan banishes thoughts of obnoxious child actors as the little, lisping Winthrop Paroo and Ralph Byers makes a credible case as the musical's nominal villain, an anvil salesman who has it in for Hill. Then there's that barbershop quartet -- here called the Hawkeye Four -- Jack Doyle, Blake Hammond, John Sloman and Michael-Leon Wolley. These guys can lift the show all by themselves, just by harmonizing their way through "Goodnight, Ladies" or "Lida Rose." The River City imagined by designer Thomas Lynch looks as if it is made of giant pastel greeting cards, depicting turn-of-the- century buildings. And the glorious costumes by William Ivey Long, including some fine feathered hats for the peckish, hen-like women in "Pickalittle," would seem to have a Tony Award sewn up, so to speak. One more thing. Don't leave before the curtain call. The show isn't over yet. One thing you can't get enough of in this show is "Seventy Six Trombones." And Stroman makes sure you won't leave the theater only humming the musical's best-known song. You will be marching to it. # # # Hollywood Reporter Review By Frank Scheck We have Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Matthew Broderick to thank. These stars all reportedly turned down the lead role of Professor Harold Hill in this lavish revival of "The Music Man," directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Their refusals paved the way for a truly star-making performance by Craig Bierko in the part immortalized by Robert Preston in the original stage and film versions. Don't feel bad if Bierko's name is unfamiliar to you; his resume to date includes guest appearances on "Ally McBeal" and "Mad About You" and forgettable films like "The 13th Floor." But rest assured, after word gets out about his dynamic turn in this splendid production, you'll be hearing about him for a long time to come. Bierko, whose stage experience is practically nonexistent, at least according to his Playbill bio, faced the difficult tasks of single-handedly fueling a big- budget production and living up the memories of Preston's unforgettable portrayal. He does so in spades, offering a performance of such powerhouse charm and charisma that he can be rightly compared with his predecessor. At times, he sounds uncannily like Preston in terms of his vocal qualities and inflections, but the performance somehow doesn't seem like a mere impression. Instead, it comes imbued with the force of the actor's own winning personality. His performance is merely one of the terrific elements in this production, staged and choreographed by current Broadway darling Stroman ("Contact") in endlessly inventive and dazzling fashion. Meredith Willson's classic show -- it actually beat out "West Side Story" for the best musical Tony Award -- is a theatrical staple, performed endlessly in productions around the world. Set in the town of River City, Iowa, it charmingly tells the tale of con man and traveling salesman extraordinaire Harold Hill, who convinces the town that there's trouble ("Starts with T, which rhymes with P, which stands for pool") afoot and that he can rectify it by teaching the town's youth to play musical instruments, which he will, of course, happily sell them. What he doesn't count on is falling in love with the town's beautiful librarian, Marian (Rebecca Luker). Beginning with the marvelously syncopated and infectious opening number "Rock Island" and continuing with such classic songs as "Trouble," "Seventy Six Trombones" and "Till There Was You," the show is a musical delight and charmingly evokes the innocent pleasures of small-town American life in the early part of the century. Willson's book is corny and has its slow patches and stereotypical characters, but it is also at times sublimely funny and it still works beautifully. Stroman has applied her usual magic to the musical numbers, which are staged with imagination and fabulous theatrical flair. From the overture, featuring the orchestra onstage in train conductor uniforms, to "Marian the Librarian," staged as a exuberant ballet, to the glorious "Seventy Six Trombones," the show hits one musical peak after another. And the post-curtain-call finale, a reprise of "Trombones" with the entire cast in marching band uniforms, is the single most joyous number to be found on Broadway. Besides Bierko's standout work, there is also Luker, applying her gorgeously sweet voice to a series of affecting ballads; Paul Benedict and Ruth Williamson, using expert comic timing and shtick for their roles as the town's befuddled mayor and his freewheeling wife; and Max Casella (finally free of his oppressive "The Lion King" costuming), who is thoroughly winning as Hill's sidekick. The rest of the large cast go through their paces with the best professionalism Broadway has to offer. Thomas Lynch's scenery is imaginative and picturesque, William Ivey Long's costumes are consistently fun to look at and Doug Besterman's orchestrations give the music a brilliant sheen. This show will be making music for a long time to come. # # # E! Online Opening Report "Music Man" Marches on Broadway Professor Harold Hill, The Music Man's fast-talking, con-loving boys' and salesman, worked his magic again last night, charming the audience and winning over the usually jaded New York theater critics. The long-awaited revival of the Broadway classic--one of the true canon-worthy musicals in American theater--bowed last night at the Neil Simon to almost universal raves. Written by Meredith Willson (it was his first show), The Music Man originally opened in 1957, starring the irrepressible Robert Preston in a legend-making performance. The show tells the story of Harold Hill, a lovable, if roguish, scam artist who descends upon a small Iowa town to sell musical instruments, instruction booklets and uniforms for a boys' band. All this without knowing a note of music himself. His "think" system simply requires each individual to think hard enough about playing and instrument and the rest will follow. The tuneful score featured a slew of great numbers, including "Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Till There Was You," "My White Knight," "Gary, Indiana," "Goodnight, My Someone" and "The Wells Fargo Wagon." The Music Man was a smash, winning the 1958 Tony for Best Musical (trumping West Side Story) and running 1,376 performances. It was even turned into an Oscar-nominated movie in 1962. The revival has been in the works for several years, with many big-name actors-- Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick-- considered to fill Preston's big shoes. Ultimately, the part fell to little-known actor Craig Bierko (The 13th Floor, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Ally McBeal). Broadway staple Rebecca Luker (late of Show Boat and The Sound of Music) plays his love interest, Marian the Librarian. Other familiar faces in the cast include Max Casella, (Doogie's pal Vinnie in Doogie Howser, M.D.) as Hill's sidekick, Marcellus, and The Jefferson's Paul Benedict as River City's Mayor Shinn. Susan Stroman, the buzz-magnet director/choreographer responsible for the lauded Contact, helms the production. By all accounts the new show--the last musical to open this season--rivals the original in its crowd-pleasing. The new Music Man scored eight nominations each from the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, including best revival, before it officially opened, and seems a lock to snag a handful of Tony nods. Even the notoriously skeptical Broadway critics were seemingly blown away, joining the audience in interrupting scenes multiple times with clapping to show their appreciation. "What we get in the performances, in Thomas Lynch's sets and in Stroman's own playful choreography, is the infectious enthusiasm of a company that actually likes the show it is presenting," New York Daly News' Fintan O'Toole says. "Stroman brings to The Music Man the sense of a community asleep, needing to be awakened and invigorated by the magic of music and movement," the New York Post's Donald Lyons opines. "Credit The Music Man's music woman, director and choreographer Susan Stroman, with re-creating this 1957 musical with such high spirits and good cheer that it seems to float across the footlights," gushes the Associated Press. "This happy, hummable, picture-book-pretty show brings the musical-theater season to a close on a sugar high, and should be a hit with summer tourist and family audiences...cynics will need to have their blood-sugar levels checked at regular intervals," Daily Variety says. About the only critic not won over was the New York Times' Ben Brantley. "It makes you feel ridiculously happy one instant and seriously sleepy the next. It certainly doesn't provide the kind of fluid, all-encompassing rejuvenation found in Trevor Nunn's London revival of Oklahoma!, which Ms. Stroman also choreographed." His view is the lone cloud on otherwise sunny notices. As USA Today says in a four-star review: "Cynics and snobs, be forewarned: This is an aggressively entertaining, unabashedly heartwarming evening of theater that will seduce audiences of all ages and sensibilities." # # # -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER FROM LONDON Trevor replies to his critics I was sitting in a Nissen hut, lit only by a flickering hurricane lamp, talking to Laurence Olivier about war. No, I wasn't dreaming, we were both awake, coping with the latest power cut during the time of Edward Heath's three-day week, and though the National Theatre was officially in operation at the Old Vic, the administrative offices were housed in a couple of temporary shelters in Aquinas Street nearby. "This feels like wartime," I said to the great man, as we sat down to discuss potential overlaps of repertoire between the National and the RSC. "It is wartime," said Larry mischievously. "Make no mistake, my boy, running a state- subsidized theatre will always be a war." In my darker moments at the South Bank, I feel I know just what he meant, but most of the time I recognize the flak for what it is: a necessary and ongoing debate about what a National Theatre ought to be. Like all publicly funded bodies, the National must be receptive and responsive to criticism, but we must recognize too that the public vote with their feet. A simple definition of the National's purpose is never going to be readily available. At any given time it will probably amount to a microcosm of the society it serves and mirrors. In its quest for excellence and its need to extend the frontiers, it must amount to more than the sum of its parts. And, while being a theatre for everyone, it must never try to be all things to all people. But there are as many views of the National's function as there are constituencies in need of recognition. The concept started a century ago when people like George Bernard Shaw and Harley Granville-Barker proposed an institution which would perpetually celebrate the genius of Shakespeare. Well, of course, we do just that - recent productions of Othello, Troilus and Cressida and The Merchant of Venice have been both eulogised and showered with awards - but with the existence of the great Royal Shakespeare Company, that initial definition is insufficient. Olivier's dramaturg Kenneth Tynan believed the National should be a treasure house of all the great works of the English tradition and of European and American theatre too. No dispute. We continue to uphold his credo in productions like Ibsen's Enemy of the People, Bulgakov's Flight, Ostrovsky's The Forest, Gorky's Summerfolk, Osborne's Look Back in Anger, Coward's Private Lives and, currently, the massively successful epic cycles of The Oresteia and The Mysteries. Neglected classics too, like The London Cuckolds, Money and Not About Nightingales, find their place in the National's repertoire. There is a clamorous lobby that the National must serve the young, with a constant flow of work for children and families. Absolutely. That is why we have done Barrie's Peter Pan, Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Philip Ridley's Sparkleshark, and the Stiles and Drewe Ugly Duckling show, Honk!, which beat The Lion King and Spend Spend Spend as the winner of the Olivier Award for the year's Best New Musical. An equally vociferous view requires the National to tour, both the country and the world, in order to be truly national. Affirmative. We are currently doubling our previous number of touring weeks, at home and abroad, culminating this week with the opening of a National Theatre coproduction with Sheffield Theatres of The Heiress. But the National, say others, should be the receiving house where the best work of the regional centres of excellence can be shown in the metropolis. Yes again. In the past two years we have showcased work from Sheffield and Birmingham, coproductions with Cornwall's Kneehigh, Liverpool's Everyman, and with the touring company Out of Joint, not to mention visitors from Dublin, Paris, Sydney and Johannesburg. So what about the strand of new writing that many would say is the most important of all? The new-play business is now less predictable than the Nasdaq exchange. But during my time at the National we have presented more than 20 new plays, many achieving approval, some failing to find favour, and some becoming international successes - indeed, the National's Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, Rose by Martin Sherman and Our Lady of Sligo by Sebastian Barry have all just opened on Broadway in the same week. Terry Johnson's Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and has recently been filmed; and Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange has just enjoyed a triumphant reception. Any look at new plays at the National must take in the work of our Studio, our laboratory for the nurturing of playwrights and directors, which enjoys universal approval. The plays developed there are often brought to a wider audience in partnership with other theatres, such as the Royal Court/ Studio season last year. The current NT Springboards initiative sees the Studio joining forces with London and regional theatres: five international plays are receiving their British premieres at the Gate this spring, and three plays by emerging writers are coming to our own Cottesloe stage. Finally, there is the argument about the National presenting works of musical theatre. Should we, shouldn't we? Well of course we should. Over the current two-year period, we are presenting 43 productions, five of which could be described as "musical", though of extremely different and contrasted natures. Latterly, the National has won the Evening Standard Best Musical Award with Oklahoma!, and for two years' running the Olivier Award for Best Musical Production, for Oklahoma! and Candide. I believe the balance here is right and I am happy to declare my determination that the National will do one major musical revival or a piece of new musical drama each and every year. With some sense of deja vu I stress one of our biggest challenges in theatre today is developing a new young audience. Our Education Department's vital work is leading the way in turning the computer- orientated generation into our audience of tomorrow. Well, we are trying. Currently, our Lloyds TSB Live! Shakespeare Unplugged production of As You Like It has been a big hit in schools throughout the UK and last month was welcomed by Washington's Kennedy Centre and the Brooklyn Academy of Music as supremely exemplary work in this field. We have introduced ££10 nights; and a generous grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation will this year create six very low price "Hamlyn Nights", attracting thousands more first- time visitors to the National. I am unashamedly proud of the success of the ensemble we created at the National last year, which helped us achieve our record-equalling nine Olivier Awards. So this year we are creating a new ensemble; we are doing more Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet with a very young company and a new Hamlet which will tour the world; more great classics like Ibsen's Peer Gynt, Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Miller's All My Sons and Synge's Playboy of the Western World; more work for young people - Alice in Wonderland; initiating touring productions such as Frayn's Noises Off; and more regional work in the metropolis with West Yorkshire's triumphant Singin' in the Rain. We shall be doing many more new plays on big and small stages, with David Edgar's Albert Speer, Alan Ayckbourn's House and Garden, plays by Tanika Gupta, Zinnie Harris, Colin Teevan and, thrillingly, Harold Pinter's version of Remembrance of Things Past. And yes, a musical play, the one with the best "book" of them all, My Fair Lady, so intelligently and magnificently adapted by Lerner and Loewe from Shaw's Pygmalion. In the medium-term future, we shall open a small fourth auditorium specifically for new writing; we shall have a teeming new youth theatre project drawn from the whole of the British Isles which will play throughout our building on the South Bank; we are staging a summer festival of street and event theatre outside in the square; we will do more late-night cabaret. A few days after my "little touch of Larry in the night", I remember that Edward Heath went on television and said, somewhat improbably, that these difficulties were "the problems of success". I hope I will never allow the National Theatre to sit on its laurels, but just at the moment, the problems of success are the ones I prefer to have. # # # The following interview ran in the May 8 Daily Telegraph in London. 'I'd like to run another theatre' Richard Eyre has regained his appetite for the stage. AS HE sits mulling over how life has been since he left the National Theatre in 1997, Sir Richard Eyre shyly avoids eye contact. But though this handsomely graying, 57-year-old man looks as though he may want to retire from the spotlight altogether, he is not someone who could ever be happy quietly marking time. He is, obviously, a highly professional public figure and august spokesman for the arts. He has serious drive and - I discover - a keen awareness of the sands of time running through his fingers. When he bade goodbye to the NT after a generally acclaimed decade as artistic director, he was looking forward to a break from managing multi-million-pound budgets and programming three auditoria year-round - responsibilities that sometimes weighed heavily on him (as he revealed in 1993 in his autobiographical book, Utopia and Other Places). Indeed Eyre's theatrical career has been pretty much on hold since then, expect for directing The Judas Kiss in 1998, his sole West End venture since going freelance. However, he is now making an eager return to stage directing with The Novice. Previewing at north London's Almeida Theatre from this week, this is Eyre's own new adaptation of Les Mains sales, Jean-Paul Sartre's 1940s drama about political extremists embroiled in power struggles and moral dilemmas, with a cast including Kenneth Cranham and Jamie Glover. Political drama is not a surprising choice. Eyre's interest in the genre can be traced back to his reign at Nottingham Playhouse (1973-78), through Tumbledown (his controversial 1988 BBC drama about the Falklands conflict) and his repeated collaborations with state-of-the-nation playwright David Hare. "I was drawn to Les Mains sales," Eyre states, "because of the resonance it had - in all its discussions about principles, pragmatism and compromise - with the Good Friday Agreement and with the Old Labour/New Labour debate." One suspects Eyre also more intimately identifies with the issue of ideals versus practicalities, having himself contrived, somehow, to balance the two when running the NT. "I understand the positions very well," he affirms. "The play is partly about growing up. As you get older you do become much more sympathetic to the business of government, it's so complicated. Butthat does not absolve you from acting on principle. I'm drawn to Sartre because I believe very strongly in his concept of good and bad faith. I try to act in good faith. If you start thinking, 'I'll do this or that play because it's going to make me a lot of money,' before you think, 'I believe it's extremely good and I can do it well,' then that's bad faith and it won't work. Or if it does, it'll just be ashes in the mouth." I ask if everything has gone smoothly between the NT and The Novice? "I do miss the National," he says candidly. "I miss being my own producer and I miss the collective enterprise." Of his successor, Trevor Nunn, he's politic, saying he doesn't want to comment. But then he volunteers: "It seems to me the things Trevor has pulled off have entirely vindicated his time there. Yes, I thought the ensemble was triumphantly successful." Maybe there is a flicker of wry regret as he says of Nunn's forthcoming NT production of My Fair Lady: "I love that show. I wish I was directing it. "I can't pretend when I first left that I didn't, to my shame, find it difficult - not having people working for me. You know, buying stamps, answering letters: pathetic really, but all that is terribly time-consuming." On the up-side, he says, "I have more of a life. My daughter, Lucy, now an economic strategist, said the other day, 'We didn't see you for a few years.' It is quite nice spending days at home, in west London. I read a lot. And," he says with a smile, "my wife [television producer Sue Birtwistle]is a very good dancer. We're one of the few couples who can dance together." On the grander scale, of course, Eyre has hardly been twiddling his thumbs. "I invented work and I've spent the last two years writing," he says. While his novel has gone on the back burner, he has been editing his National Theatre diaries. When I point out that he previously claimed he'd never follow Peter Hall down that route, Eyre laughs, "Yes, but I haven't published them! This is a fine line." He has also been busy filming a major TV series. In the autumn, BBC2 will be broadcasting a six-part history of 20th-century theatre, Changing Stages, presented and written by Eyre. Most conspicuously, of course, he has chaired the inquiry into the running of the Royal Opera House, his final report firmly criticizing the old regime and irresponsible financial management while advocating further funding for a better future. He says he did not find this a morally difficult post, though it obviously involved him straddling two worlds as a creative artist employed to investigate his fellows for the Government. "A lot of people might have been spitting blood and sticking pins into me, but I felt rather like a judge must feel," he says. "I had this big black book and when ex-board members, whom I interviewed, were telling me real porkies I'd just start to write in it and see a look of fear commute across their faces." He chortles at the memory, but his relish is rooted in a strict sense of fair play. "What was wrong with that place was that, though it is essentially a theatre like any other, they thought they were sui generis, that they occupied a different universe with different criteria." It's explosions of frankness such as that which - albeit controlled - save Eyre from being just a discreet diplomat and make him a really invaluable voice within the Establishment. Nevertheless he seems appalled at the suggestion that he might move further into politics. When I mention that some believe he should conduct further investigations of the arts and funding, he positively howls, "Oh no! Never again!" What becomes apparent is that he feels his time, since 1997, may not have been entirely well spent. Besides remarking of the ROH that, "quite a few things I recommended haven't materialized," Eyre questions his own acceptance of the job in the first place, calling it "noise to fill a vacuum". Of Changing Stages, he also observes, "I somehow didn't realize it was going to eat out such a huge continent of my life. There were awful days when I thought, 'What am I doing writing theatre history? Shouldn't I be - as it were - making it? "What I want to do is more plays, more films," he stresses, and projects are now lined up. He is to direct Judi Dench in a screenplay about Iris Murdoch, and he'll be staging Long Day's Journey into Night at Sam Mendes's Donmar Warehouse. That's not to mention nipping out of the country to stage an opera, The Marriage of Figaro, at Aix. He says he hopes he'll never retire. "And," he suddenly says, "I would like to run another theatre. A smaller one, I guess." He's clearly delighted to be back, for The Novice, in the far from lavishly funded Almeida where, he says, "people work because they believe in what they are doing." Who cares about the impracticalities of rain dripping through the roof? A rehearsal room is Eyre's ultimately ideal destination. "Oh yes," he says. "For me the theatre has got, at every level, a quixotic edge. I think that's good, don't you? In some sense here you're always tilting at windmills." # # # RSC's MacBeth US-bound In New Haven, CT, the International Festival of Arts and Ideas will present Macbeth at the Long Wharf Theatre, June 15-25. Anthony Sher stars in the Royal Shakespeare Company staging, helmed by Gregory Doran. Sher was last seen in the States as painter Stanley Spencer in Stanley, the final offering of the now defunct Circle in the Square. The production is currently playing in London. http://www.rsc.org/ Time's capsure review A THUNDERCLAP announces the start of Gregory Doran's outstanding production of the Scottish play, with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter in the leads. From their opening scene, where the prospect of regicide excites Lady M. and paralyses her spouse, through to her pitiful evisceration once the deed is done and his contrasting anguished energy, this is a production that consistently grips the mind. Set in a modern world where soldiers and witches alike are dressed in khaki combat gear, the staging is as exciting to look at as it is to hear. Banquo's ghost is at first visible only to Macbeth, so that when he is brought physically on-stage we appear to be plunged into the mad pit of Macbeth's brain. Strongly cast, with Stephen Noonan's Porter engaging the audience with "knock, knock" routines, this is the finest Macbeth for many a year. --Jeremy Kingston and the review from the Financial Times... THE ARTS: Tormented ambition falls into place There are faults in the RSC's current Macbeth, but I am loath to say so. This is the first even decent Macbeth I have seen in a decade - the first production to console those who never saw the famous Nunn-McKellen-Dench one of 1979 - and most of the time it is far more than merely decent. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are shown in new lights; the famous lines make their full impact; often overlooked lines take on a new significance; characters such as the Porter fall brilliantly into place. As directed by Gregory Doran, it is a true ensemble production. But Antony Sher and Harriet Walter lead the ensemble as the alarming couple, and everything they do is of immense interest. For Sher, this role is something of a breakthrough. I am one of those who have hitherto found Sher a brilliant surface actor, an exciting virtuoso who delivers a bravura demonstration of a role without ever disclosing its inner nervous system. Sher's very stance and voice (those too-massive pecs, that too-pushed vocal tone) are themselves artificially theatrical, not seriously convincing. But there is something in the tormented ambition of Macbeth that cuts to the core of Sher; his artifice, his intelligence, his technique all fall into place. His reading - already fine in Stratford- upon-Avon - seems now simpler, less effortful, and thereby all the more effective. This Macbeth is both fierce warrior hero and wracked insecure despot: he shows you - sometimes just in a look or a phrase - the pathos of evil, and its agony. Harriet Walter makes superb physical effect with Lady Macbeth's every entrance and exit: each time, her very posture shows you a new facet of the character. By turns and in changing amalgams, this Lady is driven, high-voltage, excited, purposeful, privately trembling, publicly cucumber-cool, elegant hostess, fearful wife, wracked soul. Vocally - though she has become considerably more contrived in the first acts since Stratford-upon-Avon, not to the role's advantage - she does marvels. Her nerves seem to rattle her voice in the mask of her face; but she has wit, pith, guts and horror too. A single quiet, mind- on-the-rack wail in her sleepwalking scene is among the most haunting and telling sounds I have ever heard in the theatre. Some Lady Macbeths are ice- cold and iron-strong; Walter's makes superb sense by showing Lady Macbeth's febrile intensity, the throbbing feminine force behind everything she does. The contrast between this quivering private woman and her commanding public persona makes for great thea tre and it is a penetrating interpretation too. If only she can now find more simplicity - if only she can now make her vocal technique transparent - this role could yet give her, too, a breakthrough: from being merely (merely!) the most consistently fascinating of our younger actresses into real greatness. Other merits include superbly dramatic lighting (now psychological, now atmospheric, sometimes spotlighting Macbeth so that his shadow seems to move like three-dimensional sculpture) by Tim Mitchell, eloquent, self-effacing designs by Stephen Brimson Lewis, and powerful, evocative music by Adrian Lee. Trevor Martin (replacing Joseph O'Conor) as Duncan and Ken Bones as Banquo are both excellent. Stephen Noonan is not just the funniest Porter I have seen; he is the only Porter who, from his very first entrance, inhabits the world of heartless devilry into which the Macbeths are moving. This, like so much in Doran's revealing production, makes one re-think the play: find new proportions in it. Though the fair/foul oxymoron is lightly delivered each time, this is the first time in the theatre I have felt it spell out from the beginning a kinship between Macbeth ("So foul and fair a day I have not seen") and the Witches. Lady Macbeth's "O, never/Shall sun that morrow see!", arriving like an announcement of crime against nature itself, seems to pave the way for Macbeth's sense that his own sleep has been murdered - and then, of course, for the "Tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech he makes after her death. This blackest of plays becomes, of all things, a satisfyingly classical construction. This production is by a mile the best Shakespeare currently to be seen in London. # # # Here is a piece from London's Evening Standard about the Almeida and Donmar theatre companies in London. Stage fight for theatres London's theatrical chatterati have a big fortnight ahead of them. On Wednesday, the first-night crowd will traipse to the Gainsborough Studios in Shoreditch to witness an Almeida Theatre production of Richard II, starring Ralph Fiennes. (Handy tip: don't wear your Manolo Blahniks: it's very muddy and the Portakabin loos are distinctly unglamorous.) The following week, a revival of Peter Nichols's Passion Play opens at the Donmar Warehouse - and, yes, Sam Mendes will be there, fresh from Oscar triumph, if a little bored with shaking people's hands and pretending, poor boy, he's known them all his life. Still, anyone who's anyone in London's theatre world will fight for tickets to these two events, if only to rub shoulders with the other anyones, and thus prove that they're definitely a somebody. Between them, the Almeida and the Donmar have got London's fashionable theatrical set sewn up. This is largely because they're both quality venues, each of them with a track record of fine, accessible and innovative productions. And it's also because they're natural expansionists, run by determined directors (Mendes at the Donmar in Covent Garden; Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid at the Almeida in Islington) intent on colonising the West End and beyond. Success is undeniably sexy. They are, however, quite different beasts. Should you wish, for example, you could divide them by average audience member. At the Almeida, the clientele is older and smarter. They might be celebrity academics or Left-leaning lawyers, arthouse types who'll eat, post-play, at one of those cosy little restaurants opposite the King's Head on Upper Street or head south to St Johns in Clerkenwell - the kind of people who can't quite bring themselves to throw out their old black polo neck. What they like about the Almeida is its intelligence, its casual - if somewhat uncomfortable - atmosphere and its proximity to their Islington town house. At the Donmar, meanwhile, the audience is much more student-like, a mixture of late twentysomething postgrads (who'll sit in a Soho coffee bar afterwards) and media-based culture vultures (who'll eat pretheatre dinner at The Ivy). They wear Levi's, liked the idea of Sam Mendes commissioning a musical from Alex James of Blur - sadly, it never materialised - and, rightly, worshipped Alan Cumming in Cabaret. Oddly, given these (admittedly broad-brush) audience profiles, the Almeida is the more artistically daring of the two venues. While the Donmar generally sticks to Anglo-American plays and musicals, the Almeida isn't afraid to stage an international repertoire. At the same time, both venues have big plans for the future - both are light on their feet and, thanks to long-term success, can afford to take the risks they might have baulked at before. If you can divide the two theatres by audience-member, you can equally divide them in terms of ambition. Fundamentally, both theatres want to run their own customised version of the National Theatre (that is, to stage more than one production at the same time, to run a mini-empire). They can do this by producing one show at headquarters and another couple at outposts in the West End. This isn't a case of simply transferring a successful play from original venue to West-End house - it means doing it all yourself, without the services of an intermediate producer. This way lies world domination. Can they both pull it off? First of all, they need to attract the box office- busting playwrights and actors who'll pay the rent, leaving respective artistic directors free to plot the next push into Lloyd Webber territory. Both venues have glamour on their side, though the Almeida is still the heavyweight in this respect, supported by the big guns of British theatre, including Diana Rigg, Harold Pinter, Michael Gambon (with whom McDiarmid, who's also an actor, recently starred in Tim Burton's spooky thriller Sleepy Hollow). The Islington duo can also count on their network of Hollywood friends: Fiennes, of course, Juliette Binoche (who adores the Almeida), Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, and Kevin Spacey, whose appearance in The Iceman Cometh proved how star-struck we really are. Spacey has since taken a place on the Old Vic's board. It's perhaps no coincidence that the Almeida will move there early next year while the Islington base undergoes minor refurbishment, adding a south London outpost to its existing network of venues. But Spacey, of course, is equally devoted to Sam Mendes. Together they made a movie, American Beauty, which won five Oscars. Mendes doesn't need to work at attracting Hollywood stars to his theatre (should he desire it), since they're lining up to work with him. And given the sensation caused by Nicole Kidman in The Blue Room, who can blame them? On the home front, the Donmar's best friends include playwrights Patrick Marber and David Hare, actors Colin Firth and Natasha Richardson, and increasingly impressive director David Leveaux. Mendes's theatre relies less upon the really big stars of British theatre (though Helen Mirren and Nicholas Hytner both feature this season), often preferring sparky young actors whose work shows potential - Stephen Dillane, for example, gave his best performance yet in the Donmar's revival of Stoppard's The Real Thing. The Almeida has the greater experience, having already run a second home at the Albery Theatre and having redeveloped the Gainsborough Studios. Indeed, the Donmar is pretty open about studying the battle plans already drawn up by its Islington cousin: staff talk about following the Almeida blueprint in a downsized form. Significantly, though, the Donmar has money on its side, thanks to what Sam Mendes calls "quite small" gifts from Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks film company and a New York theatre producer who wants first-look rights for Broadway transfers. The Almeida, meanwhile, is still wholly reliant on Arts Council funding. But it's not really a competition. There's lots of room in London theatre for rampant ambition: we're lucky like that. In any case, the more fashionable first nights the better - someone's got to keep the theatrical chatterati off the streets of an evening. # # # London Times Story on Who Owns What Who's winning at West End monopoly? London's theatres have been changing hands at a furious rate. But is this good news for audiences ? If I were to tell you that last week ATG completed its takeover of much of ACT, that the pairing of RUG and RUT is full of promise, and that SFX is being held at bay, what sort of Orwellian lingo would you suppose I was using? Am I talking about City wheeler-dealing, a computer game for teenagers or coded events in the spying world? No, my theme is the West End, where there has recently been more buying of theatres than ever before. The question is whether this presages good or bad times ahead. And the answer seems pretty positive. Agreed, there will be deep problems in breathing fresh life into playhouses that even the president of the Society of London Theatres admits to be near obsolete. But it is not mere chauvinism that makes virtually everyone in the profession grateful that Britons with a history of production as well as ownership now control so many of them. It could have been very different. Let's not demonise SFX, the vast American entertainment and sports conglomerate that recently merged with the still vaster Clear Channel, owner of hundreds of radio stations and thousands of advertising sites. If its offerings at the Hammersmith Apollo have not always radiated class, it has brought The Lion King to another of the four London theatres it owns, the Lyceum. But when it showed interest last year in acquiring the ten West End theatres that Stoll Moss was selling, and the seven that Associated Capital Theatres or ACT was shedding, Shaftesbury Avenue shivered. Would dollar-fixated Americans bother about the level of artistry in the Lyric, Apollo, Albery or Comedy? But Shaftesbury Avenue smiled when Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group (RUG) brought its total of West End theatres from three to 13 by buying Stoll Moss from its Australian owners, and Howard Panter's Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG) went from two to nine by taking over ACT's theatre division. News that Sally Greene's Old Vic Trust has raised the full £3.5 million needed to buy out the Canadian Mirvish family, and that, despite a change of landlords, her tenancy of the pretty little Criterion remains secure, has added to the relief. Aside from anything else, we no longer face the prospect of lapdancing in the theatre where Olivier and Gielgud once shone: instead, Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures is likely to be found at the Old Vic, as is the Almeida Company when its Islington headquarters are rebuilt next year. Add the formidable figure of Cameron Mackintosh, who owns the Prince Edward and Prince of Wales and will eventually take over five theatres currently on lease to others, and you have a new pattern. Two once-distinct species have merged. Producers are the theatre owners, and theatre owners will increasingly be producers. But RUG, ATG and the Mackintosh Organisation know they could never fill all or even most of their playhouses with their own work. Thanks to rising costs and the disappearance of the old "angels", or small investors, there are fewer independent producers than there were; but those that survive will still be wanted, still needed. Understandably, they are happy people. "I couldn't be more pleased," says Bill Kenwright. "We'll be talking to our own, people who use the same language, drink from the same cup. It'll be a partnership of minds." "Yes, these are people who really understand the difficulties that producers face," agrees Thelma Holt. "And why would anyone want to buy a theatre if they didn't care about it?" asks Duncan Weldon, sadly noting that maybe 75 per cent of West End productions are unprofitable. "You can't pull it down, turn it into an office block and make lots of money, because it's protected. The reason must be that you love it. In Andrew's case it's halfway to philanthropy." That's a somewhat ambivalent compliment, for both he and RUG's chief executive, Bill Taylor, believe that the expanded group can make good money. But when we spoke recently, it seemed clear what Lord Lloyd-Webber's fundamental motives were. He talked a lot about getting a chance to exploit the Internet and other technology in ticketing and marketing. "But my first love is art and architecture," he said, "and here's a legacy we have to look after. We mean to be safe custodians. These theatres will be loved." Why would anyone want to buy a theatre if they didn't care about it? You can't pull it down, because it's protected. The reason must be that you love it The advantages to producers of owning theatres are obvious. They will have more control over the fate of their shows. They can plan productions well ahead knowing where they will find homes. They should get a consistent flow of rental money into their coffers and, if there is any haggling to be done, they will in effect be haggling with themselves. They can, for instance, nurse a show in trouble rather than simply close it, as a mere landlord might do. "And we can ensure the highest standards are maintained, which hasn't always been the case in the past," adds Lloyd Webber. But is there also a downside to all this, for the new owners or for the public? Well, concentration of ownership obviously means concentration of power. If Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Panter were sharing a convivial lunch at the Ivy, I would not advise anyone to spoil it by throwing bread rolls at them, for he would risk excluding himself from no fewer than 24 of the West End's theatres. But there is no serious evidence that this power will be used irresponsibly or selfishly, for example by increasing the tilt from straight drama towards musicals, as has happened on Broadway. "That's very much not the case," promises Lloyd Webber. "Many of our new theatres are simply not musical houses. For instance, it would be hard to do a musical in the Lyric except something very small, like Five Guys Named Moe." Again, there are those who worry that venture capitalists, likely to expect a higher return than the old theatre owners brought their investors, are involved in the new purchases. This seems a relatively small problem for ATG and the Old Vic Trust, though both have borrowed money to finance their purchases, but may be a larger one for the Really Useful Group, which had to find £87.5 million to acquire Stoll Moss. RUG and NatWest Equity Partners now each own 50 per cent of Really Useful Theatres or RUT, which controls the group's theatre division. But if there are anxieties at head office they are being kept safely under the rug (or RUG). Andre Ptaszynski, RUT's incoming chief executive, admits he feels a pressure to keep the financiers happy - "but if the group is as successful in the next five years as it has been in the last ten, we'll be OK." The danger posed by such pressures is, of course, that the new theatre owners will play safe. But I don't think it is Panglossian cautiously to expect otherwise. Musicals usually cost 20 or 30 times the £200,000 now needed to mount a pretty modest play; but if they are successful in a large theatre the profits can be vast. By 1998 Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera had taken £124 million at Her Majesty's and a barely credible £1,730 million worldwide. Conversely, it is difficult for a play in a house with few seats to recoup its costs. RUG and the equally successful Cameron Mackintosh cannot, of course, be expected to subsidise failure with their musical work; but they should be able to take risks with straight plays, safe in the knowledge that this will not ruin them. Certainly Ptaszynski, until recently the president of SOLT, sounds bullish. "We've seen a re-emergence of the quality play," he says. "We've been surprised by the appetite for brave new work in the commercial audience." He and others attribute this largely to the Royal Court, which presented everything from Conor McPherson's The Weir to a revival of David Storey's Changing Room during its recent exile in the West End, and the Almeida, whose offerings at the Albery have ranged from Diana Rigg's Phedre to Michael Gambon in Nicholas Wright's new Cressida. Their impact reverberates still. We've seen Mark Ravenhill's subversive Shopping and F***ing, Patrick Marber's scathing Closer and Theatre de Complicite's surreal Street of Crocodiles on Shaftesbury Avenue itself. And though some still fear that rising costs and ticket prices will eventually reduce the West End into what Broadway now is, virtually a play-free zone, current evidence contradicts them. Cressida, Cooking with Elvis, Wit, Mother Courage, Passion Play, Side Man, The Graduate, Peggy for You, Comic Potential, Miss Julie and The Lady in the Van are now in the West End, along with the long-running Copenhagen, Art and An Inspector Calls. There are, of course, still times when the impresarios' nerve fails them: which is why Boyband instead of Simon Gray's long-expected Late Middle Classes came to Shaftesbury Avenue last year. "But actually the theatre is in a very healthy state," says Nica Burns, Stoll Moss's and now RUT's production director. "People said we wouldn't find an audience for Shopping and Effing, and we not only did that, we brought it back again, and it played to the blue rinses. There's a real hunger for exciting work out there." But there's little room for complacency, and not only because of the financial pressures. With the National, Royal Court, RSC, Hampstead and the Bush also very much in the market, commercial producers struggle to find strong new work. Indeed, seven of the productions I've just mentioned are transfers from the subsidised sector. "Some theatre owners have been too much landlords, too passive and reactive," says Martin McCallum, Cameron Mackintosh's managing director and SOLT's current president. "But when everyone is competing for a smaller number of shows, they have to be more involved, more proactive." That's certainly been happening at the New Ambassadors, where ATG's Sonia Friedman has just presented sell-out productions of David Mamet's Speed-the- Plow and John Hurt in Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape. Robert Cogo-Fawcett, the group's director of programming, hopes to transfer more work from the Royal Court as well as from the London fringe, the regions and abroad. His view is that, while producers must give audiences what they want, they must also regularly challenge them with what they didn't realise they needed, or the result will be stasis, boredom and decline. He would like one of the group's other theatres to join the New Ambassadors in staging planned seasons of plays, most running for only four to six weeks, and still another to specialise in comedy, especially alternative comedy. "We must try to create distinct personalities and therefore firm followings for our theatres," adds Howard Panter, his managing director. But again, it's easier said than done. Regional theatres are decreasingly a source of new plays, thanks to lack of subsidy and artistic cutbacks. More subtly, the lively young dramatists tend to write for small spaces, like the Bush or the Theatre Upstairs, which makes it hard to transfer their successful work even to middle-sized theatres, let alone large ones. Were they to have a West End hit, it could earn them up to £500,000 in a year; but a transition to television often seems safer and easier. And more subtly still, those Victorian and Edwardian theatres, with their proscenium arches, gilded cupids and elitist feel, are offputting to many playgoers and playwrights. So what to do? Lloyd Webber talks of initiating a prize for new playwrights, others of increasing the number of co-productions with subsidised theatres and commissioning more writers. Cogo-Fawcett muses about paying some of the more promising to learn their craft and see their work staged at regional theatres. That might help to stem the exodus of middle-aged dramatists to TV and encourage them to write larger, less intimate plays. "Other industries spend money on research and development," he says. "We haven't done enough." Similarly, McCallum would like to see more of the Anglo-American swaps that have taken The Real Thing to Broadway and Side Man to the West End. As president of SOLT, he has also commissioned a major study of the West End theatres themselves, feeling that they may be too numerous and architecturally too old and inflexible. Are there enough good shows to sustain so many? Aren't too many being slotted into aesthetically unsuitable theatres? And where is the space in those rabbit- runs to bring bars, toilets and so on up to the standards Londoners and tourists now expect? But, like others, he has his aspirations. Lloyd Webber hopes greatly to improve the catering in his theatres, and would like to launch a special magazine for his audiences. Ptaszynski favours more Sunday performances, decrying the fact that, though Covent Garden teems with people that day, they cannot drop into Drury Lane for a matinee or just a bite. McCallum dreams of an off-West End multiplex, welcoming and up-to-date enough to appeal to anyone who wanted to venture into one of its smallish theatres or hang around beside the bar, buffet and box office that could be efficiently sited between them. "It's an exciting time," he says, "There's never been so comprehensive a ]turnover of theatres. But we are going to have to grapple