Side Man
The Herndon Times Review
THEATER
Side Man scorches ESP stage
with scintillating Life drama
By Michael Birchenall
Weekender Theater Critic
In five years of writing about the local community theater scene, the boldest
area theatrical productions have come from the creative energy of Elden Street
Players (ESP).
Stretching beyond the comfortable, safe low hanging fruit of formula theater,
Elden Street and in this case director Leslie A. Kobylinski have reached out for
the best tasting food at the top of the theater tree. They have brought to
Herndon 1999 Tony Award's best play "Side Man" by Warrant Leight.
Going for the top is not without risk--and the opportunity for a snapped branch
and a sudden fall to the ground is always lurking. Elden Street always lands on
its feet and bounces back up the tree.
"Side Man" is a complicated woven life fabric of time, emotion and
music. Kobylinski takes full advantage of the black box theater of Elden Street
to envelope the audience in the musical side men of a past time, when the sounds
of big band, jazz and jam session pervaded the heart of large urban areas--in
this case the epicenter--New York City.
Side men, the backbone of musical groups, are those who are not the front
men, the solo stars. Side men moved from band to band, playing night to night
somewhere in the city. From the hey day of the '30s and '40s, the decline began
in the '50s and the emergence of the early rock and roll scene foreshadowed its
death. Elvis Presley, with a shake of the hip and an earthy wail, marked the
end.
The show is a series of dreams, memories and psychological revelations of
varying veracity told by Clifford, a 30-year-old son of a trumpet playing side
man Gene Glimmer. The semi-autobiographical story by Leight takes us inside,
around and up and down the life of Gene, his wife Terry and the fellow side men
who form the synergy for this family microcosm. The opening and closing
monologues are in the present--everything else is a mixed bag of time and
events. One scene is even played three different times by Patsy (a waitress
acquaintance of the men) and Clifford. Each time there is another variation or
reinterpretation--much like the distortion of our own memories.
The story follows the life of Gene, as he meets his wife (and Clifford's
mother) Terry, also in her alcoholic bitterness known as Crazy Terry. The play's
scope is intricate, compelling and rewarding. It's not a great play--but as good
as you're going to see this year in the circle of fresh contemporary theater.
Kobylinski boldly paints the stage with emotionally charged scenes of despair
and bitterness from the mother to the oddly disengaged husband who withdraws
within his music for every crisis.
Laura Russell's intensity and her vivid portrayal of Terry offer some of the
season's best acting. Russell frames the play's turmoil with an edge that
prevents the play from going over the top into a dive within cheap melodrama.
Kevin Adams plays the side man Gene with such removed interpretation, that he
appears to fade from some scenes. Ellen Young as the waitress is convincing,
involved and surrounds her scenes with a clear professional acting sensibility.
The other three side men Tony Foresta, Larry Daniele and Jake Call form a strong
trio of support for the story and accents to the musical legitimacy of the era.
Sun King Davis, as the son Clifford, appears as subdued as the father--as he
tries to justify the move away from home at 30--not quite what Leight had in
mind. Davis doesn't establish his character nearly as strong as the others.
Special praise goes to artistic and production designer Deanne Forkey. The
set's backdrops are stunning--enrobing the well-crafted vision into one of the
season's best works. If you ever wonder what it takes to produce a show, look at
the help in the behind-the-scene building process--40 or so.
"Side Man" strikes a chord for an introspective look into what
motivates the key changes in directions in our lives. When you've got it figured
out, write the sequel to this thoughtful start of the intellectual and emotional
process.
Side Man
Elden Street Players
Industrial Strength Theatre, 269 Sunset Business Park, Herndon
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 seniors and students
Performances: April 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. April 8 and 15 on
Sunday at 7 p.m.
Call 703-481-5930
Note: The language is strong, often profanity laced, but certainly a mirror
of life-- avoid if you find forthright depiction of life personally offensive.
ŠArcom Publishing Inc. - Times Community Newspapers 2001
