Monday, January 17, 2011

Theater Review DADDY


DADDY plays at the Hudson Theater, Main Stage located at
6539 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, CA. January 8th to February 13th. This play is written my Dan Via and directed by Rick Sparks stars Gerald McCullouch from CSI fame. Ian Verdun and Dan Via. Jeffrey Patrick Olson, Nik Roybal & Rene Ruiz make up the rest of the cast. Curtin is 8 PM, Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays and 7 PM Sundays.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with my friends that a recommendation to see Daddy would not only disappoint for any serious theater aficionado, but also less frequent attendees.
The only scene where I became enraptured by the cast… was the curtain call. At that point, their smiles radiated a genuine humanity that was missing from the previous 90 minutes.
I can’t point out any outrageous flaws with the book / script, other ten the proscenium was breached at one scene and they had out dated repetitive baseball coverage looped over and over. I have to call it a one-trick-pony which is pretty much true. Outside of typical relationship squabbles that weren’t particularly interesting (and a few light giggles), the play relies on “the revelation” near the end. I’m a little slow on the uptake, but I received the telegraph loud and clear before the delivery men showed up.
The “intense emotional” segments seemed to accelerate from zero to sixty within seconds. Suddenly, a shouting match! That’s partly the script and partly the fault of the director. I believe that all of the principals could do a slow burn that explodes, but little of that came across. There was a developing tension between the characters, but it seemed so forced and scripted that I couldn’t enter into “their world”.
That is, perhaps, the biggest sin of this production: I NEVER forgot that I was watching a play. I didn’t become emotionally committed to any of the characters and I usually have tons of empathy to spare. (One the extras – nice beard and nice butt – provided eye-candy now and then, but that’s not nearly enough to build a show upon.)
I felt I was watching a production a good two weeks away from opening night. I have seen high school productions that grabbed me more then this performance did.
The staging? Fine. I wasn’t really bothered – or actually aware of – the actors moving from mark to mark most of the time.
Gratuitous nudity? It wouldn’t hurt, but I don’t think it would save the production.
I love to love plays. But this one falls significantly short of some of the “classic” plays I’ve seen produced by a good amateur Troupe.
DADDY plays at the Hudson Theater, Main Stage located at
6539 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, CA. January 8th to February 13th. for tickets call 323-960-7738 or go to www.plays411.com/daddy

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