Empire Stage

1140 N. Flagler Dr., Ft. Lauderdale

(954) 678-1496

islandcitystage.org, empirestage.com smarttix.com

Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 5:00pm, through April 7.

$30.00

It’s been a long time since I was blown away by an evening of theater. Empire Stage’s production of the 2009 Drama Desk Award-winning “Body Awareness” is a perfect storm of excellent writing, a strong ensemble, and adept direction. Even the set design is perfect.

The play is set in the fictional small town of Shirley, Vermont, where Phyllis, a college professor organizes Body Awareness Week (with topics that range from a dance troupe of refugee Palestinian children to an eating disorder
seminar). She lives with her partner Joyce, a high school social studies teacher, and Joyce’s 21-year-old son Jarod, from a prior marriage. Jarod, a self-described autodidact, shows several symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), but he refuses to seek treatment.

The family hosts Frank, one of the artists who is in town for the event. Frank is a middle-aged photographer whose artistic photos of nude women offend Phyllis. His presence exacerbates the already existing tension between the three family members, and when Joyce contemplates posing for one of Frank’s pictures, it threatens her relationship with Phyllis. Meanwhile, Jarod asks Frank for advice on how to attract women. In a climactic scene, his misinterpretation of Frank’s advice puts the family on the edge of crisis.

Clay Cartland is exceptional as Jarod the man-child. His spot-on interpretation of a young man struggling to cope in a society he doesn’t completely comprehend is nothing short of breathtaking. Janet Weakly takes the role of Joyce, a familiar mother/wife who is trying to keep all the roles in her life spinning, and adds an inner strength and depth of character that a lesser actor might have over-looked. Merry Jo Cortada does an excellent job of adding a layer of vulnerability to her interpretation of Phyllis, a feminist lesbian college professor. A scene late in the play, in which she shares a snack with her damaged stepson, is almost heartbreaking as you catch a glimpse into the woman she hides from others. David Gordon as the visiting artist Frank, who triggers Jarod’s life-changing decision, avoids the cliché of playing the role as a macho outsider. By taking the character in a subtler direction, Gordon opens up the interpretation of the other characters in the play.

The Tony Award-nominated Michael Leeds’ direction is phenomenal, allowing each character to unfold like a flower, while keeping the action moving forward. Michael McClain’s set design is spot-on and makes excellent use of the small space.

One of the themes in the play is how the artist as an outsider interprets his or her subject and how we, as the viewer, interpret the subject of an artist’s work. “Body Awareness” also reflects this. The characters to which you most relate will affect how you relate to the play. Playwright Annie Baker is an outsider observing these characters in a world she has created. It is a testament to her success in constructing this world that we as outsiders can relate to each character.

The small theater seats maybe 30 people and if this production isn’t sold out every night there’s something wrong in this world.

Andrews Living Arts Studio

23 NW 5 St.

(954) 556-1143

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, “Doubt” is a study in faith versus proof. John Patrick Shanley’s play is set in 1964, at St. Nicolas Elementary School in the Bronx, one year after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Sister Aloysius, the strict school principal, has convinced herself that Father Flynn is molesting the school’s only African- American student, and she is determined to have Flynn removed from the school, enlisting the innocent novitiate nun, Sister James, in her campaign to expose the priest.

Are her suspicions of Father Flynn based in fact, or are they an extension of her dislike for his more “humanistic” approach to education? Shanley demonstrates his belief that “doubt requires more courage than conviction does” by having Sister Aloysius represent unwavering faith (and, by extension, religion), while Sister James and Father Flynn represent honest doubt and questioning the status quo.

The success of the play is in its avoidance of presenting any one “truth.” Sister Aloysius’ accusations against Father Flynn are never truly resolved. And the “evil of banality” is demonstrated in the attitude of the mother of the purported victim, Donald Muller: Does it even matter? Mrs. Muller recognizes that education is her son’s only hope for a better life. She has come to terms with the fact that her boy is “that way,” and is more concerned with keeping him safe from the bullying he suffered in public school than she is of Father Flynn’ intentions. As Shanley writes in the preface, “There is no last word. That’s the silence under the chatter of our time.”

As proof that great writing holds up, Shanley’s script shines through the earnest, if less than stellar performances by the cast. Lory Reyes’ almost breaks through the stern veneer of Sister Aloysius, and we see glimmers of a performance that might have been. Yanina Aranes shines as Sister James, as we see her innocence stripped away layer by layer until she finally exhibits the strength to disagree with her martinet superior and voice support of Father Flynn. Shani Louis’ performance as the mother is strong, but would have been improved if she let us see more of her character’s ambivalence.

The weak link in this production is Edward Otto Zielke’s interpretation of Father Flynn. His overwrought histrionics ruin the performance. He would do well to rent the DVD of the movie and watch Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s effective use of restraint in the same role. In more adept hands, the part is played for ambiguity, with the audience left to wonder if Father Flynn is innocent and protecting himself from false accusations or a self-serving predator who is trying to hide what he has done. Zielke’s performance is that of a man racked by guilt for his misdeeds.

The set makes effective use of the small space. Annoyingly, a few anachronisms (Father Flynn’s highlighted hair and goatee, the use of what appears to be a modern MP3 player used in place of a transistor radio) pull us out of the world of the play. And really, they couldn’t find a vintage dress for Mrs. Muller? The day after we saw the play, we saw at least six at Out of the Closet that were era appropriate and would have fit Ms. Louis much better. Although flawed, it’s a valiant effort for this small company.

“Doubt” is showing at Andrews Living Arts Studio (23 NW 5 St., Fort Lauderdale), with a schedule that has been extended through Sunday, March 3. For more information, visit andrewslivingarts.com. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com, use discount code “GuyMag” or “Agenda” for $2.00 off per ticket.