The critic speaks: BTF's "Miss Julie" the year's best

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One learns to become philosophical after having been a critic for some twenty years. If you go to see everything that is being produced in a season, the odds are that you will be very lucky if a third of the material is exemplary, and you should consider yourself blessed if even one play merits a return visit. Usually one can expect to hate another third of what one sees and to relegate the rest to a middle ground of shows that would not have ruined one’s life had they been missed. These odds of catching a production that excites a craving for more theater are not good enough in the present time when financial support for the arts (in grants and donations) is drying up. Despite some wonderful hits, the balance of the 2002 season was not good enough to raise the excitement of casual theater patrons for sustained attendance in 2003. Much of it was not exciting enough to make me want drive more than a half hour to see it; like my colleagues at The Berkshire Eagle and The Pittsfield Gazette, I have suffered my share of empty promises but have grown less tolerant than they of wasting an evening of my life. And I love theater. So if this was on the balance a mundane or even ordinary season, that is not good enough. Times are hard and there is nothing better at killing support than a bad production. Or repeated ones at the same venue. In this light, one would have thought that Oldcastle was trying to commit suicide. Of my reviews of the dreck that passed for drama there, several benighted fools complained I was too tough. It would be a far greater disservice to that theater, to theater in general and to any readers who trust my reviews, to be anything less than honest. I wonder if such people would implore doctors to go easy on infections or malignancies. This is, of course, another problem theater in this area suffers, a dearth of discerning critics. While I may not always agree with them, only Jeffrey Borak and Jonathan Levine (of the above mentioned papers) are consistently worth my time. The majority of other “reviewers” who cover the area are little more than cheerleaders or dilettantes who in the end do more damage with false praise or ignorance than the toughest critic will inflict with a passionate review. And I am not only referring to the print media. Listen to the local NPR channel to hear the one of the worst buffoons who calls himself a critic. May our theater companies resolve in the coming year to create more productions like Miss Julie, Where’s Charley?, God of Vengeance, The Foreigner and Lackawanna Blues. Best Production: Miss Julie — Berkshire Theatre Festival. A revelation as directed by Anders Cato and performed by Marin Hinkle who is a genius. After seeing her triumph with the near impossible part of Miss Julie, I want to see her play every great role in the theater. Other Notable Productions: 1. Where’s Charley? — Williamstown Theatre Festival. A lost musical gem, lovingly restored by Nicholas Martin and a winning cast headed by the irrepressible Christopher Fitzgerald. 2. God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Another lost treasure thrillingly revived with the WTF’s stunning production values, powerful cast (Diane Venora and Marin Hinkle being standouts) and astute direction of Gordon Edelstein. 3. The Foreigner — Berkshire Theatre Festival. One of the funniest plays of contemporary theater, it was given an all-stops-out production that left one giddy from laughter and smiling at the play’s humanistic core. 4. Lackawanna Blues — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Lacking nothing, Ruben Santiago Hudson defined tour-de-force as he singlehandedly peopled the stage with unforgettable characters in this delicate and gutsy tribute to the woman who brought him up. 5. Dimetos — Berkshire Theatre Festival. True to the mission of the Unicorn Theatre, Peter Wallace’s production was a rich, complex tragedy that demanded much and rewarded more. Eric Hill was devastatingly dynamic. 6. Quartet — Berkshire Theatre Festival. In retrospect, Ronald Harwood’s new play had some flaws, but they were small prices to pay for the play’s good humor, worthy subject and delightful performances of Robert Vaughn and Kaye Ballard. 7. Holiday Memories — Berkshire Theatre Festival. Proof of what miracles can be done with a handful of talented actors, clever direction (E. Gray Simons) and good writing on a near-bare stage. 8. Brownstone — Berkshire Theatre Festival. This high energy production of a little seen chamber-sized pop opera about life in the four small apartments of a New York City brownstone ended up being a touching tribute to common folks’ survival and the great city. 9. Without Walls — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Written and acted with dignity and truthfulness, the best production on the otherwise lackluster Nikos Stage was about tearing down walls and the expression of pure love. 10. Loot — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Although Jeffrey Jones’ erratic performance robbed Joe Orton’s black comedy a bit, there was enough loot left to satisfy and some of the most trenchant laughter of the season. More Orton! Worst Productions: A tie. Macbeth — Shakespeare & Company. A titanic, drably mounted bore alleviated only by the jaw-dropping inanity of the direction and actors “moments” — as when Macbeth, that mighty warrior, whimpers and whines like Mary Beth. Nor am I sold on the Founders Theater, a space more suited to conferences. And No Cure in Sight — Oldcastle Theatre Company. Lobotomized on arrival, there actually was a cure for this, the nadir of Oldcastle’s abysmal anniversary season: euthanasia. It smelled of a vanity production all the way. Other Failures: 1. A Complete History of America (abridged) — Oldcastle Theatre Company. The thing about these small-cast-playing-multiple-roles-comedies is that they have to be quick, versatile and inspired — not slow, infantile and perspired. Humor would also help. 2. The Apple Tree — Oldcastle Theatre Company. Witnessing the wretched leads wend their ways through different playlets and characters was the dramatic equivalent of watching worms wriggle out of rotten apples to be periodically devoured by squawking birds. 3. For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again — Williamstown Theatre Festival. An exercise in patience-testing. This claptrap, in harridan Olympia Dukakis’ hands and mouth, seemed like garbage being spewed from an overloaded kitchen sink disposal. 4. A Distant Country Called Youth — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Director Steve Lawson’s dramatically moribund adaptation of The Selected Letters of Tennessee Williams, Vol. 1: 1920 -1945 was a distant cousin to a play, an audiobook. 5. A Moon for the Misbegotten — Oldcastle Theatre Company. The best of Oldcastle’s efforts was still among the worst of the season with playwright Eugene O’Neill getting mooned while his poetry was upstaged by Robert Zanfini’s clumping feet and, in a role he was never meant to play, Richard Howe’s lip contortions. 6. Red Angel — Williamstown Theatre Festival. A case of diminishing returns; the play grew more flaccid as it developed and climaxed prematurely. 7. Moving Image — Williamstown Theatre Festival. Unmoving in image or content. The characters soon faded to black along with whatever compelled Dan O’Brien to write the play. 8. A Saint She Ain’t — Berkshire Theatre Festival. Some things seem worse in retrospect, and this is one in which a decent production and valiant direction cloaked the emptiness of the material. A Broadway musical it wasn’t. Worst Concept: Henry V — Shakespeare & Company. Having seen Macbeth, which seemed to have no concept, I steered clear of Henry when I heard that, among other things, it was being performed with clown noses. Best Performance: Marin Hinkle (Miss Julie — Berkshire Theatre Festival). Seeing her excel in this formidable role, would have satisfied all my theatrical cravings for the entire season. Other Notable Performances: 1. Ruben Santiago Hudson (Lackawanna Blues — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 2. Diane Venora (God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 3. Marin Hinkle (God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 4. Christopher Fitzgerald (Where’s Charley? — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 5. Eric Hill (Dimetos — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 6. Mark Feuerstein (Miss Julie — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 7. Peter Scolari (The Foreigner — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 8. Robert Vaughn (Quartet — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 9. Kaye Ballard (Quartet — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 10. Tara Franklin (Dimetos — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 11. Charles Keating (Loot — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 12. Ron Leibman (God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 13. Jessica Stone (Where’s Charley? — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 14. Rebecca Creskoff (Miss Julie — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 15. Joe Morton (Without Walls — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 16. Sarah Avery (The Foreigner —Berkshire Theatre Festival) 17. Stephanie Girard (Brownstone — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 18. Thom Christopher (Zorba — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 19. Kevin Calhoon (The Foreigner — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 20. Paxton Whitehead (Where’s Charley? — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 21. Maree Johnson (Zorba — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 22. Vera Farmiga (Under the Blue Sky — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 23. Justina Trova (Holiday Memories — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 24. James Barry (Holiday Memories — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 25. Peter Frechette (Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 26. Emily Bergl (Once in a Lifetime —Williamstown Theatre Festival) 27. Erin Gorski (Holiday Memories — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 28. Christy Meyer (God of Vengeance and Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 29. P.J. Benjamin (A Saint She Ain’t — Berkshire Theatre Festival) Worst Performances: 1. Melissa Leo (No Cure in Sight — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 2. Dan McCleary (Macbeth — Shakespeare and Company) 3. Pamela Blair (The Apple Tree — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 4. Jason Asprey (Macbeth — Shakespeare and Company) 5. Olympia Dukakis (For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 6. Matthew Lopez (A Complete History of America (abridged) — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 7. Lewis Black (Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 8. Richard Howe (A Moon for the Misbegotten — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 9. Clayton LeBouef (No Cure in Sight — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 10. Sheila Vasan (Brownstone — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 11. Willy Jones (A Complete History of America (abridged) — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 12. Elizabeth Seal (Quartet — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 13. Richard Howe (A Moon for the Misbegotten — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 14. Kristine Nielsen (Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 15. Mark Irish (The Apple Tree — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 16. Andrew McCarthy (A Distant Country Called Youth — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 17. Jake Goodman (Insurrection: Holding History — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 18. Jordan Charney (Moving Image — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 19. Robert Zanfini (A Moon for the Misbegotten — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 20. Erik Parillo (No Cure in Sight — Oldcastle Theatre Company) 21. Lauren Graham (Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 22. Tim Foley (A Complete History of America (abridged) — Oldcastle Theatre Company) Best Direction: 1. Anders Cato (Miss Julie — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 2. Nicholas Martin (Where’s Charley? — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 3. Gordon Edelstein (God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 4. Loretta Greco (Lackawanna Blues — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 5. Scott Schwartz (The Foreigner — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 6. E. Gray Simons (Holiday Memories — Berkshire Theatre Festival) 7. Peter Wallace (Dimetos — Berkshire Theatre Festival) Worst Direction: 1. Eric Peterson (No Cure in Sight, A Complete History of America (abridged), A Moon for the Misbegotten — all at Oldcastle Theatre Company) 2. Tina Packer (Macbeth — Shakespeare and Company) 3. Carleton Carpenter (The Apple Tree —Oldcastle Theatre Company) 4. Carey Perloff (For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 5. Steve Lawson (A Distant Country Called Youth — Williamstown Theatre Festival) 6. Tony Simotes (Associate Director and Fight Choreographer for Macbeth — Shakespeare and Company) Best Design: 1. God of Vengeance — Williamstown Theatre Festival: Neil Patel (set), Candice Donnelly (costumes) and Rui Rita (lighting). 2. Miss Julie — John McDermott (set), Olivera Gajic (costumes), Matthew E. Adelson (lighting) and Scott Killian (sound) 3. The Foreigner — Berkshire Theatre Festival: Anna Louizos (set), David Murin (costumes) and Patricia Collins (lighting) 4. Once in a Lifetime — Williamstown Theatre Festival: Allen Moyer (sets), Linda Cho (costumes) 5. Lackawanna Blues — Williamstown Theatre Festival: Michael Carnahan (set) and Jeff Nellis (lighting) 6. Where’s Charley?— Williamstown Theatre Festival: James Noone (the garden set) 7. Brownstone — Carl Sprague (set) Worst Design: 1. Macbeth — Shakespeare and Company: Judy Galen (set), Govanne Lohbauer (costumes), Karen Perlow (lighting) 2. A Saint She Ain’t — Berkshire Theatre Festival: Troy Hourie (set) Worst Production Values: No Cure in Sight, The Apple Tree, A Moon for the Misbegotten, A Complete History of America (abridged) — Oldcastle Theatre Company. Ralph Hammann is The Advocate’s chief theater critic and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association.
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McCann Recognizes Superintendent Award Recipient

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Landon LeClair and Superintendent James Brosnan with Landon's parents Eric and Susan LeClair, who is a teacher at McCann. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award has been presented to Landon LeClair, a senior in McCann Technical School's advanced manufacturing course. 
 
The presentation was made last Thursday by Superintendent Jame Brosnan after Principal Justin Kratz read from teachers' letters extolling LeClair's school work, leadership and dedication. 
 
"He's become somewhat legendary at the Fall State Leadership Conference for trying to be a leader at his dinner table, getting an entire plate of cookies for him and all his friends," read Kratz to chuckles from the School Committee. "Landon was always a dedicated student and a quiet leader who cared about mastering the content."
 
LeClair was also recognized for his participation on the school's golf team and for mentoring younger teammates. 
 
"Landon jumped in tutoring the student so thoroughly that the freshman was able to demonstrate proficiency on an assessment despite the missed class time for golf matches," read Kratz.
 
The principal noted that the school also received feedback from LeClair's co-op employer, who rated him with all fours.
 
"This week, we sent Landon to our other machine shop to help load and run parts in the CNC mill," his employer wrote to the school. LeClair was so competent the supervisor advised the central shop might not get him back. 
 
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