Lemmings to the Sea at Planet Earth Multi-cultural Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 6/30/97
(out of )Chistopher McPherson, former theatre critic of the Phoenix Gazette, has written a political rant claiming to be a play. In this "play," devious female Senator Ashleigh Ford puts forth an unbelievable offer to take one homeless person from the streets, dress them up, and give them a chance to be a staffer in her office, hoping this will begin a trend to get corporations to help the homeless. In reality, she doesn't care about anything more than becoming president, but she does have her staffers pick up Andrea, an idealistic woman who has recently had a patch of bad luck. The experiment works, and sets the Senator firmly on the road to the White House. As Andrea sees more of the sleazy political machinations that Senator Ford attempts, it makes her wonder if perhaps she shouldn't do something to stop Ford's inevitable march toward the White House.
This script is many things, but a play is not one of them. It adds elements of oral interpretation, voice-overs, melodrama, and lopsided debate together in an unflattering way, and then proceeds to cram oft-repeated leftist political ideals into the unsuspecting ears of the audience. Unending scenes of static, pointed debate are followed by reactions to voice overs that are straight out of the days of villains tying women to railroad tracks and sneering. Even those who agree with Mr. McPherson's politics will grow weary of the lopsided rhetoric. It's all been said before, and in many other, much more imaginative ways.
To make matters all the worse, Planet Earth's production of this soapbox-soaper is at times half-hearted and others, half-baked. Actors fighting furiously to remember their political-rants-called-monologues lecture to each other while standing for several moments in the same position, or occasionally tripping over the litter strewn over half the stage. Joy Bingham Strimple's direction is nearly non-existent, although there does seem to be little action available to her via the script.
It must be noted that the best performance of the evening came from Talia Grey, a 6 year old Italian Greyhound that can actually be considered one of the main characters of the piece. After her inspired (and silent) performance, the rest of the cast seemed better suited for a lecture hall or an 1860's melodrama. As Andrea, Lishia Pajor has the unenviable task of spouting half of the rhetoric in the show, and her heart never seems in it. After her first few minutes of speaking like Tonto after she's found in a pile of garbage, she cleans up nicely, but never tries to imbue any kind of life into her politics. As fellow staffers Conrad (the Gay aide) and Wilma (the ill-defined female black aide), Jim Yue and Shella Chamberlain give brilliant puppet shows, mouthing their appropriate pro- or anti- sentiments, and doing so-so imitations of human beings throughout. The worst part in the show, Senator Ford, is a mustache-twirling villain from start to finish, a sandwich board of rightist attitudes set up to be easily knocked over, and Mitzi Olivere's performance is as flat as her character. She even speaks at times in a halting way that is eerily reminiscent to an automaton, while at other times, she laughs at her accomplishments like a villain about to strike the damsel-in-distress.
Peter Cirino and Joy Strimple's set is simple and unimpressive, and Minerva Jordan's light design adequate. Christopher Nelson's sound design got quite a workout, being used for long stretches to explain situations, and withstood the test. The cast and Jasmine William's costumes were actually pretty good, save for Ms. Olivere's consistently wrong senatorial choices.
It is true that many of the sentiments in the play, such as
fair government, human respect, and dignity, are worthy subjects.
A script becomes more interesting, though, when the divisions
of right and wrong are not as clearly delineated. Real life doesn't
offer obvious good guys in white and bad guys in black. There's
a lot of people wearing grey who do some good things and make
some good choices, and also do bad things and make bad choices.
If you're in the mood for a little intellectual stimulation, stay
home and watch The McLaughlin Group instead.
Production Details:
Lemmings to the Sea by Christopher McPherson
Planet Earth Multi-cultural Theatre, Phoenix
241-1828
June 27th-July 19th, 1997