Sunday schedule (April 27) included two closely scheduled productions, both wordy in the extreme. Attention was required; dues were paid.
The world-premiere production, to be seen through May 17 only, was Claudio Raygoza’s “La Gaviota,” based on and inspired by Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” and set in Veracruz, Mexico, circa 1910 and 1914.
To one whose cultural context includes corridos, Victor Villasenor and Emiliano Zapata, it makes a lot of sense to transfer the action from rural Russia to a working farm in this hemisphere at that time, when revolutionary insurgents roamed the countryside stealing horses and burning haciendas, when young women became soldatas, when other young women ran away with cads.
As with “The Seagull,” the company required is enormous, in this case 12, comprising Bernard Baldan, Linda Castro, Estrella Esparza-Johnson, Matthew Evan-off, John Garcia, Trina Kaplan, Steven Lone, Catalina Maynard, Sara Beth Morgan, John Padilla, Raygoza and Matt Scott. Seen well into the run, all performed admirably on Raygoza and Scott’s brilliant, sandy set, dominated by the arms of a gigantic Ceiba tree, with a ranch house on the right and a sand berm on the left. Judy Watson’s period costume designs are especially enjoyable.
Individual performances could be singled out and expounded upon; suffice it to say that many of these actors, whose work has been seen on local stages over recent decades, outdo themselves in subtlety and restraint. Others are a bit out of tune in so small a space.
It is particularly gratifying to see Baldan, Chavez and Padilla once again. One is ever more impressed with the depth of the San Diego acting pool and the many fine performances elicited by director Glenn Paris. As always, it is a joy to observe the development of Raygoza’s work as an artist, writer and actor.
Those familiar with Chekhov’s play will find Raygoza’s adaptation amusing, evocative of country and region, and tragic. Those unacquainted with the Russian play need not withhold themselves. There is common ground in these relationships no matter the backdrop.
“La Gaviota” continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays through May 17 at The Lab at the Academy of Performing Arts, 4580-B Alvarado Canyon Road. For information, visit www.iontheatre.com or call (619) 374-6894.
Sunday afternoon the writer attended Common Ground Theatre’s production of Rev. Art Cribbs’ “Awaiting Judgment,” originally staged by the late Dr. Floyd Gaffney, who was associated with UCSD and founded Common Ground Theatre.
Cribbs’ play, seen at Dr. Gaffneys home church, Bayview Baptist, imagines a meeting between imprisoned pacifists Dr. Martin Luther King (1929-1968) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), during which they discuss nonviolent protest. They argue over Bonhoeffer’s involvement in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. I don’t know how strictly Cribbs adhered to the great men’s actual words, but it seems that much more could be made of the idea of a violent act ridding the world of greater evil. What and who condemns, and what people, what nations are evil, are hot topics right now.
In his program note, Cribbs said the play was inspired by a rewriting of King’s prophetic sermon April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York, in which he challenged America to rethink foreign policies and aggressive actions against the people of Vietnam.
The play is particularly timely, juxtaposed with the contentious race for Democratic presidential nominee, surrounding discussions of prophetic ministry as pertains to Rev. Jeremiah Wright and whatever personal hopes one may have for the beginning of long-delayed racial dialogue in this country.
“Awaiting Judgment” will be seen at First United Methodist Church June 29. For further information, go to www.commongroundtheatre.org or phone (619) 263-7911.
