DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING? // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "THE IRON HEEL"

BY MATEO MORENO

To make a theatrical evening out of a Jack London novel takes all sorts of bravery. For starters, his writing can be dense. It’s sometimes hard to image it translated to another medium. And his work is already beloved, so how to adapt it? Well, Untitled Theatre Company #61 have never backed down from what has seemed like an uphill battle before, and so they continue to charge ahead here, with splendid results. THE IRON HEEL, written in 1908 and considered by many to be “the earliest of the modern Dystopian,” imagines (or predicts) an alternate future, a future where the working class triumph. It correctly predicted several things to come, such as the rise of the socialist party and the shrinking of the middle class. Edward Einhorn’s adaption here stages the events in a nontraditional way, and in nontraditional venues (my evening was presented in The Great Room at South Oxford Place in Brooklyn). The evening begins as the cast strum along to acoustic guitars, singing songs of the working man, of fighting for your rights. Songbooks are passed out so that the audience may sing along (and in my evening, many did). And away we go to the 27^th century.

Part musical, part play, and part Brecht-ian fantasia, THE IRON HEEL succeed on almost all levels because of its earnest and un-ironic nature. The straight forward storytelling draws you in, a refreshing change from today’s usual offerings of wink-wink irony. A unique thing about THE IRON HEEL novel was that it was rare for a male writer to have a female protagonist. And so Einhorn continues that with Yvonne Roen being our voice in. She functions as the narrator, a historian who (along with a group of actors) re-enact the events of America's working and middle class battled against those with an "iron heel" some hundreds of years ago. The purposely loose-knitted plot revolves around the Everhard Manuscript, detailing the events of the socialist hero, Ernest Everhard (played by Charles J. Ouda), and his wife Avis, played by Victoria Rulle. The cast acts out the story, breaking character often and questioning what certain things mean and if it's actually what they themselves fully believe. It's a play full of ideas, both powerful, humorous, and adventurous.

Yvette Roen is great as our window into the world of their past, of the world of the working man's struggles. As is the rest of the cast/musicians, notably a lively Trav SD, a commanding Victoria Rulle, a powerful Charles J. Ouda, and an ensemble that is always present and alluring. It's a thought provoking night of theatre, one that I hope Einhorn and his merry group of travelers will bring back from time to time.

GRADE: B+

Based on the novel by Jack London Adapted and Directed by Edward Einhorn Starring Craig Anderson, Kevin Argus, Charles Ouda, Yvonne Roen, Victoria Rulle and Trav SD. Now closed but most recently played at: South Oxford Space, 138 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn and various locations

is an actor, writer, and a playwright. His plays Happily After Tonight,  Within Our Walls, Bohemian Valentine and Paper Airplanes have been produced in NY and beyond. He is currently workshopping his new play Fairground Attraction as part of Athena Theatre's 2016 Playwrighting Group. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "THE VELVET ORATORIO"

REVIEWED BY MATEO MORENO

In 1989, just a mere eight days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the beginning seeds of The Velvet Revolution began in Prague. It was the beginning of the end of their communist reign and the beginning of a new era. It would be an era that would force the entire party to relinquish power in Czechoslovakia, see the resignation of Gustáv Husák as president (after he appointed the first non-communist government in 40 years), and the election of Václav Havel as their new leader. It was a non violent, powerful revolution that brought about a sudden and dramatic change. The Untitled Theatre Company No. 61 has worked on several Czech history pieces over the years, and now they are presenting their first fully staged production of THE VELVET ORATORIO, an operatic/play hybrid telling the story of the revolution seen through the eyes of Havel's signature character, Ferdinand Vaněk.

We begin with news of the falling of the Berlin Wall given to us by the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Shirley Temple Black (yes, THAT Shirley Temple), played by Andrea Gallo. Then we’re off to an interrogation room where Ferdinand Vaněk (Matthew Trumbull) is being held by a police officer (Ross DeGraw). He toys with Vaněk, trying to get information from him; information regarding a march the officer thinks Vaněk may be a part of and states he only wants to keep things from getting “out of hand.” Sure enough, they do, and a rumor that a student is killed in the melee spreads like wildfire, enraging everyone around. From there we go from “found text” scenes (partly based, according to press notes, on recently released U.S. State Department documents and corresponding Czechoslovakian / Soviet documents and interviews with journalists, diplomats, and ordinary people who were in the streets of Prague during the revolution), opera chorus numbers, and powerful scenes with Havel’s character Ferdinand Vaněk piecing together the revolution, the removal of power, and the aftermath. It may seem like a large mixture to swallow, but it’s a powerful structure that goes off with a bang.

Librettist Edward Einhorn and Composer/Director Henry Akona have crafted a delicate, layered, and powerful retelling of the Velvet Revolution, keeping it informative for all but simple enough for an audience member without much prior knowledge of the event to grab on for the ride. The production is structured into pieces. There are the “Found Text” speeches, gathering the facts of the day to day movement of the Revolution. There are the opera choruses, beautifully sung by a large ensemble including the lovely voices of Moira Stone, Terence Stone, John Gallop, & Jenny Lee Mitchell. Then there are the Vaněk scenes, played with confusion and firecracker dead pan timing by Matthew Trumbull. Trumbell is fantastic here, showcasing our own face into the fray with bewilderment, humor, and a take charge performance. However he’s not up there alone in those scenes, and there are plenty of scene stealing moments from Ross DeGraw as a conniving officer, Mick O’Brien & Yvonne Roen as two pushy old friends, and an almost Albott and Costello routine by Mike Maloney & Michael Villastrigo comically describing the Martin Šmíd story (my favorite scene of the night occurred between Trumbell and DeGraw in a bar, which brimmed to a near perfection from the two talented actors). Akona stages it simply, never allowing busy bodies to distract from the central story, but leaving way for striking and powerful images. He also projects the English lyrics to the Opera as they’re sung (which are sung also in English). And Einhorn really achieves a nail biting rhythm, especially in his writing of the Vaněk scenes. They’re a beauty to behold.

Of course, not everything runs perfectly, this being only the second performance that I attended. There were a few flubbed lines, the Martin Šmíd comedy scene definitely needs tightening, and the Opera solos were so wonderful I could have definitely spent more time hearing their wonder. But I feel by the next round of performances (they perform on and off again in November, December, and January) they’ll have a true rhythm and grace. Even with a few hiccups, it’s filled with beautiful moments to witness. Perhaps I was a bit more emotional, as I attended Velvet on the anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall, or perhaps simply between the strings, the opera graces, and the stirring dialogue, acting, and direction, this wonderful ensemble truly moves you. It definitely moved me.

MATEO’S GRADE: A-

Liberetto by: Edward Einhorn Music and Direction by Henry Akona Original Dramaturge Karen Lee Ott Starring: Matthew Trumbull, Ross DeGraw, Craig Anderson, Andrea Gallo, John Gallop, Jonathan Kline, Jillian Kuhl, Mike Maloney, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Mick O'Brien, Eric B. Oleson, Yvonne Roen, Anna Marie Sell, Emily Shankman, Phoebe Silva, Moira Stone, Terence Stone, Michael Villastrigo Content Advisory: Some Language Playing at: Bohemian National Hall (321 East 73rd Street) Dec 12-13 & Jan 13-14 For Tickets: http://www.untitledtheater.com/

FINAL THOUGHTS: An original, beautiful evening of Opera, drama, and history. More evenings should be so bold.

MATEO MORENO is an actor, playwright, and director in New York City. He owns and runs TheArtsWireWeekly.com and has had four of his plays produced, including BOHEMIAN VALENTINE, HAPPILY AFTER TONIGHT, WITHIN OUR WALLS, & LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK. He is currently working with Boomerang Theatre on a short play piece and spends his days working on the Broadway hit MATILDA.