I'm Okie, You're Okie.
The Actor's Groupšs "The Grapes of Wrath" at Herberger Theater
***1/2 (out of *****)
Mark S.P. Turvin
(w) 965-1021  (h) 894-5443
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@asu.edu

	Transferring classics across media's, such as the recent 
spate of 17th and 18th century novels being pitched in film 
producer's offices, is a hit-and-miss proposition. Some find 
themselves easily pruned and flower under the watchful eyes of a 
great director and screenwriter, as with "Sense and Sensibility," 
but others wither and die from lack of nourishment, as was the 
case with "The Scarlet Letter." 
	When approaching a giant modern classic as hefty as 
Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," the author has the unenviable 
task of finding a way to carry all of the pertinent themes and 
memorable action while adding a new life that will give it a 
reason for its movement to a theatre production. On top of all of 
that difficult work, the adaptation also must not become a play 
version of the movie, which, while wonderful, altered many scenes 
and the ending of the book. With all of the kudos that must go to 
the production staff and cast of The Actor's Group's production of 
Frank Galati's adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath, ultimately, the 
greatest praise, and the most damning criticism must be leveled at 
the script itself, which successfully manages, for good and for 
bad, to transfer the novel to the stage. 
	Directors Matthew Mazuroski and Wanda McHatton manage this 
unwieldy epic with deft precision. The times when the script does 
drag (and there are a few of them) are generally the fault of the 
material, and not of their many interesting attempts to keep up 
the pace and plot. The tone for the Joad's exodus from the dying 
lands of Oklahoma to the idyllic and treacherous fields of 
California is set by musical interludes, period songs, and a 
sparse set that effectively allows individual interpretation.  If 
there is anything that the directors can be criticized for, it is 
for their pacing of the actors speech, which presents "Okie" 
speech patterns at a breakneck speed. Unfortunately, though, 
without this technique, which makes some of the actors delivering 
their loquacious though eloquent monologues difficult to 
understand at times, the show might well have run much longer than 
it's current two-and-a-half hours. 
	Standouts in this cast of thirty five include Richard Blake 
and Laura Durant as Ma and Pa Joad, who are bundling their rapidly 
disintegrating family on this trip to a place where they can find 
decent work and self-respect. Both of them portray their 
characters with consistency and conviction. Another great 
performance comes from Jim Driskill as Uncle John, who portrays 
the disintegration of his own character in a balanced and 
commendable way. Above par in a wonderful ensemble cast is Robert 
L. Harper, who gives a stirring and prophetic monologue about the 
terror that awaits the Joad family on their arrival in California. 
	The only two disappointments to an otherwise well-acted 
evening were the two central characters, Jason Kuykendall as Tom 
Joad and Kerry Ellis as Casy. While part of their problem comes 
from a script which makes these characters more symbols than 
breathing people, the breakneck speed at which several crucial 
monologues were presented by Mr. Ellis, and the lack of a 
discernible character arc in Mr. Kuykendall's performance made 
these two important parts weaker than the performances around 
them.
	 Michael Smith's original music and Robert Harper's 
choreography were well-placed and entertaining, keeping this 
dialogue-filled show moving and interesting, although some of the 
onstage music (harmonica, guitar and fiddle) was also used as 
soundtrack over dialogue, which, at times, gave the play an 
inappropriate filmic quality that took away from the scene being 
played. 
	Visually, the shows minimalistic set design by M. Derek 
Cromer in addition to the lush and effective lighting design by 
Randall Emery and accurate and representational costume design by 
Rebecca Powell gave the production its professional and mystical 
feel. Of special note is the very effective use of the one 
consistent set piece, the Joads' aging pickup truck. Nothing 
better represented the family's fierce determination against 
insurmountable odds as that rickety truck.
	As a sophomore production by Rusty Ferracane's company, the 
play has all of the professional quality of their first, much 
smaller production this season, "Bent." While it is commendable 
for Mr. Ferracane to take on such a Herculean task, especially of 
a show that would ordinarily have never been seen in Phoenix, the 
production has skirted dangerously near the same problem the 
playwright had when adapting this work; taking on too much in one 
evening. The difference between Mr. Ferracane and Mr. Galati, 
though, is that the production is not swamped by such an effort as 
the script is. For its flaws, "The Grapes of Wrath" is worth 
watching just for seeing the talent and professionalism possible 
by this fledgling group.

Production Details:
"The Grapes of Wrath" Based on the novel by John Steinbeck, 
Adapted by Frank Galati
The Actor's Group
Herberger Theatre, Phoenix
252-8497
August 1-August 18, 1996

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