Seven deadly wordsThe Last Days of Lenny BruceBy Jonathan A. GoldbergDirected by Mark A. Klimko Little Gem Productions The Living Room at the Gershwin Hotel 7 E. 27th St. (Sun. & Mon. at 8 p.m. only; E-mail [email protected] for reservations) Closes Dec. 16 Review by Jade Esteban Estrada One of the things to be most relished about the New York theatre scene is the group of actors who band together and put up a show just about anywhere -- and do it well. Such is the case with the Little Gem Production of The Last Days of Lenny Bruce. Give a couple of AMDA grads free range in a central New York location and they will give you back the world and ... Lenny Bruce. Most people are not aware of the groundbreaking work of "sick comic" Lenny Bruce, who spent much of his career fighting authorities for the right to perform. History tells that he was the first standup comic to use profanity onstage as part of his act, and that he strove to defuse the violence of bigoted language by constant repetition. This spiel landed the rebel in jail on numerous occasions in the '60s. Playwright Jonathan A. Goldberg has successfully taken plenty of researched information and created an entertaining evening of revealing and very funny anecdotes of the performer's life and career. Although the piece could be cut immensely, the core is superb. Under the steady direction of Mark A. Klimko, Ron Palais ambitiously took on the title role and was charming and sexy. He immediately broke the fourth wall and searched the audience for a list of minorities and called out to them by their most offensive names. The majority of the play is done as a standup act, as he pours out his heart about what happened during the highlights of his career. Nicole Bischoff played the legendary Sally Marr, mother of the famed comic. Although her first-act performance was less convincing, her second act was absolutely breathtaking. Her scenes with Palais in the second act were emotionally rousing. John Magin, who was merely "featured" in the program, played dozens of characters that were each phenomenal. His portrayal of each U.S. president was priceless, while Brian Dusseau was amusing as Bruce's agent. Edgar Fox was sensitive and solid in all his roles, particularly as a student from UCLA who comes to New York to pay homage to his childhood hero. Where Act One was played entirely on a small stage built for a standup comedy routine, the second act was played in the New York apartment of the broken Bruce. Set design (not noted in the program) was simple but effective, and the sound design, by Anthony Sage and Andrew Blasenak, added musical interludes that bridged scenes effortlessly. Bischoff did excellent costume designs. Klimko deftly designed the lighting. Show-business lore often notes Lenny Bruce as the father of modern standup. This piece tells the story of how and why he came to earn his reputation, and how the conservative society of the times prevented him from doing what he did best. Fans of the unpredictable Chris Rock might find this Lenny Bruce extraordinary. Box Score: [Ratings on a scale of 0 - 2, 2 being best] Writing: 1 Directing: 2 Acting: 2 Sets: 2 Costumes: 2 Lighting/Sound: 2 Back to top |
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The Last Days of Lenny Bruce Written by Jonathan A. Goldberg Directed by Mark Klimko At The Gershwin Hotel 7 E. 27th St. (212) 583-0205 Review by Jamie Tebaldi "I love the press because they hated me�free publicity!" Well, the press may have hated Lenny Bruce, but they will love his reincarnation in Jonathan A. Goldberg�s The Last Days of Lenny Bruce. Ron Palais, one of the more talented performers in theater today, brings Lenny to life again in the most animated way. Although not strictly an autobiographical play, this production manages to leave audience members with a better understanding of this infamous "sick comic." Lenny Bruce devoted much of his life trying to change the way people viewed words. According to Palais� Lenny, "suppression gives [dirty words] the power, the violence, the viciousness" and his art was meant to support the rights given to the public by the First Amendment (and, actually, every amendment that follows). The first act focuses mostly on Bruce�s comedy, the controversy he caused and the barriers he broke in the years when he was famous. We get to meet Arty Silver (John Magin), Bruce�s agent and ladies� man. Magin is wonderfully offensive in this role, as well as in the role of the judge who indicts Bruce on charges of obscenity. Bruce�s mother, Sally Marr, currently being played by Nicole Bischoff, is hilariously embarrassing to her son and enables audience members to see a more human side of Bruce. Goldberg and director Mark Klimko�s way of demonstrating many of Bruce�s comedic messages through dance skits, presidential impersonations and even a light-up marquee sign glowing with one of Bruce�s more commonly used phrases, keeps audience members laughing while expressing several important aspects of his life and beliefs. What happens to a drug addict born to a stripper, married to a stripper and completely bankrupt? This play not only shows us Bruce�s inevitable death, but also chronicles his entire decline, physically and emotionally. Watching Palais yelling at his reflection in the mirror (ironically represented by the audience) is heartbreaking; listening to him cry to his mother about having a "real" family leaves audience members feeling his desperation. One of the more intense moments comes in the second act, when a young fan (Edgar Fox) travels from UCLA to visit the now down-trodden Bruce in his home. Bruce starts out suspicious, convinced that the man is a narcotics officer; once assured that he truly is a fan, Bruce then propositions him for marijuana (since he has no way of supplying himself with it otherwise). The marijuana does not help his paranoia, and when he makes a mistake while reciting the amendments that he has so dutifully memorized, he completely turns on the young man, throws his last dollar at him and screams at him to leave his apartment and never return. His confusion and frustration is so extreme that you can�t help but feel his pain. The small space provided at the Gershwin Hotel does not leave the performers with much room, but they make the most out of the sparsely decorated stage (the entire first act is performed with a platform, a microphone and a telephone), and each change of scenery is accomplished without ever even moving the props on stage. Ron Palais� ability to animatedly perform lengthy monologues, as well as the energy shown by every actor on stage, turns what could be a potentially boring play (much of the play is a monologue) into an exciting evening of four-letter fun. Back to top |