"Red Velvet" at SF Playhouse

Third play in as many nights, all at different theaters. I tell you, when you're aiming for "too much theater," you have to go to extremes sometimes. On the plus side, my wife invited me to a lovely dinner at Boulevard before the show, so I dressed up for the occasion. It's kind of fun walking across town in a suit with a backpack slung across your back. But I digress.

Quick Summary

The famed 19th Century British Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean has fallen ill, and the acting company needs to find a substitute to play the lead in Othello. They turn to an African American named Ira Aldridge. This would make him the first African American to play Othello on the British stage. Needless to say, there is controversy, both within the acting company and without.

It's an interesting portrait of racial and class struggles in Britain in the 1800s, as well as a glimpse at the theater of the time. Did I mention that this is all based on history? It's a pivotal time in the history of race relations, slavery, and the theater, so that seems ripe for a play.

Things I Liked

I should start off by saying I'm a big fan of Carl Lumbly. I tend to think that I'm more about the plays than the particular actors (although I do have my favorites!). But I became aware of Carl Lumbly when he had a recurring, though relatively small, role on "L.A. Law" back in the 80s/90s. His intensity really came through the screen, and when I learned that he was a Bay Area resident and actor in the local scene, I was quite delighted. I think I've seen at least four plays with him in the lead in the last couple of years, and he was terrific in all of them.

So, number one: Carl Lumbly.

Number two: The design. Loved the staging. They did a really nice job of suggesting the large, ornate Covent Garden  theater. Both Gary English's set design and Kurt Landisman's lighting and projections were lovely. Combined with Abra Berman's costumes, it was all quite evocative of the period.

Number three: The set-ups. The first act has a bunch of really good scenes, clearly designed to set up some later drama. From the opening scene that creates a frame we return to at the end, through the "Guess Who's Coming to the Theater?" scene where Aldridge is introduced to the company, we get lots of indications of what is to come.

Number four: The cast. I thought everyone did a good job. Special shout-outs for Britney Frazier, who pulls off a very credible Jamaican servant, and Elena Wright, who gets to juggle three roles with three different accents. (You'll recall from my Treasure Island post the other night that accents are very important to my crowd.)

Little Disappointments

There were a few things that came up a little short for me. I want to preface this with a note that it's been a long and busy week, and I'd just had a large dinner and split a bottle of wine, so maybe not the best set-up for a heavy play. But, here goes (they aren't serious or numerous):

• Follow-ups. Remember all those cool set-ups in the opening act? Not all of them get followed up. OK, I know the playwright is supposed to surprise me sometimes. I don't insist that the follow-through be the thing I was expecting. But I was expecting something. And in several cases, I just didn't see it. Sometimes we just hear about things that happened offstage, but hey, you've set us up for some confrontations between (for example) Aldridge and Charles Kean (Tim Kniffin), and we don't get to see it.
• The sacking. The scene where Aldridge is inevitably sacked from the production is not well written. There is a long scene between Aldridge and the company manager (who is rather inexplicably French...maybe I missed that explanation), but it doesn't really settle anything. You're fired. But, but, but... No, you're fired. Repeat a few times. Kind of a let down there.
• The whole second act, really. I went out at intermission feeling quite good about the play as a whole (for all the reasons listed above), and looking forward to seeing how it all played out. And then, it didn't, really. Aldridge had a good scene with his wife, and then she is gone. There is some chemistry with his leading lady (Susi Damilano), and it's implied that there are allegations of impropriety, but we only hear about them indirectly. They spend the whole first act setting up the dynamite, attaching a fuse, showing us the matches, and then they kind of tell us that it blew up. Over there. It's not my fault.

So that's a little disappointing, but on the whole, it's a good show, well acted, well designed and produced. Mostly the script is a bit disappointing for what it promised to be. Still, a good night at the theater, and worth seeing.