Start with Simon

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Sep 23, 2007 by Bill Blankenship

By Bill Blankenship

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The 2007-08 season at Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy offers its patrons everything from shivers to Shakespeare.

If the hobbling scene made you wince when you first read it in Stephen King's "Misery" or saw it in the film adaptation, you can relive that chill live in TCT's Sheffel Theatre this season.

That also is where one of the greatest works of English literature will unfold when "Macbeth" is staged.

If your preferred reason for going to theater is to laugh, you can still catch the season-opening Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs," the film noir comedy "Red Herring" or the classic farce "Noises Off."

Then there are the musicals: "Scrooge," the retelling of the Dickensian tale; "Cabaret," a now classic bit of theater history but still a show with an edge; and "The Secret Garden," a lush staging of a classic of children's literature.

Building a season is never an easy task, said Shannon J. Reilly, TCT's artistic director.

Each year he and the play selection committee read dozens of scripts then try to build a season that not only will appeal to audience members but also entice actors and directors to stage the shows.

The mainstage series at TCT already is under way, with four performances remaining of "Brighton Beach Memoirs," the first of Simon's trilogy of semi-autobiographical plays.

Because the opening of a new TCT season coincides on the calendar with the startup of football season, Reilly said the theater tries to fill the slot with a well-known entity, such as "Steel Magnolias" or "On Golden Pond," or a work by an equally notable playwright, such as Simon.

Football is still going strong during the second play slot, so Reilly said the play-selection panel also likes to go with a well- known title, which was part of the reason for choosing "Misery" for the Oct. 19-Nov. 3 run.

Stephen King's psychological thriller was a best-seller, and the 1990 film adaptation earned Kathy Bates an Oscar.

"It is very true to the novel, and it is engaging and psychologically twisted," Reilly said. "It will cause you to shiver and hold on tight to whoever you take to the theater with you."

The fear factor makes "Misery" a good fit for the time period that includes Halloween, and equally seasonal will be this year's holiday show, "Scrooge."

Reilly said "Scrooge" has great personal meaning for him. He first saw it when he was 6 years old. Reilly's father had died that summer, and his mother bundled up the family to drive them to see the film version starring Albert Finney in the title role.

"It was our first Christmas without Dad," Reilly said.

While he has long wanted to see TCT stage "Scrooge," the musical retelling of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Story" requires a huge cast, not something easily pulled together during the busy holiday season.

However, the play-selection committee was enthusiastic about "Scrooge," which also will be involve TCT's youth academy program to cast some of the younger roles. "Scrooge" runs Nov. 23 to Dec. 23.

The new year will bring a lesser known play to the Sheffel Theatre, but it is one Reilly said is certain to make audiences laugh.

Michael Hollinger's "Red Herring" is set during the Red Scare of the 1950s. Reilly said "Red Herring" is a comic spoof of film noir and involves a female gumshoe trying to solve a murder without upsetting her police detective boyfriend.

Oh yeah, the plot also involves a Soviet spy who happens to be engaged to Sen. Joe McCarthy's daughter.

"It is hilarious," Reilly said of "Red Herring," which opens Jan. 18 and closes Feb. 9.

The next show in the season, "Cabaret," was supposed to be part of the 2002-03 season. However, the Topeka Performing Arts Center booked a touring production of the musical about a month before TCT's version was to open.

Then TCT learned it could get the rights to do "Chicago," so rather than giving Topeka theater-goers two "Cabarets" they substituted "Chicago."

However, actors, dancers and audience members have been clamoring for "Cabaret," Reilly said, which remains edgy although it is now firmly part of the American musical repertoire.

"Cabaret," which was a career-maker for both Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, runs Feb. 29 through March 29.

Shakespeare returns to TCT when "Macbeth" has an April 18-May 3 run. The Bard has proved popular with TCT audiences, as well as its acting community.

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's best works, Reilly said.

"It is a tale of greed and lust and betrayal and violence and bawdiness and witches, so you can't go wrong," he said.

Once again, TCT will offer matinee performances of the play to area high schools, where the play may be studied.

The season moves from tragedy to comedy when Michael Frayn's outrageous farce, "Noises Off," hits the Sheffel stage from May 23 to June 14.

Reilly said some consider "Noises Off" the funniest farce ever written, which is why the late Dale Easton wanted to direct the play the last time TCT staged it.

It was the second-to-last play Easton directed at TCT.

"He did a marvelous job, but I'm so glad I have my turn at it," Reilly said.