Back
in 1972, Dobama Theatre mounted a musical revue called Mother Earth, which earnestly sought to alert people, through
songs and skits, to the damage being done to our home planet. Indeed, the
composer and lyricist of the revue, Ron Thronson, planted an ominous thought in
the program notes. He said, “The future of man on the face of this Earth will
be determined by our actions in the next five or ten years.”
Well,
the decade Thronson referenced blew past us 30 years ago and, considering
everything, he may have been right. We may indeed be screwed. Still, even back
then his show was criticized for being simplistic and stale. One wag left his
opinion on the wall of a stall in the Dobama men’s room, noting succinctly that
“There is no gravity, Mother Earth sucks.”
The
fact is, it’s hard telling people “inconvenient truths,” even when you’re
trying to accomplish it with humor, drama and grace. Most people reject being
lectured to in a theater, as they should.
Which
brings us to a new version of the old anti-pollution message in Earth Plays (Part Two of the Elements Cycle)
at Cleveland Public Theatre. This
assemblage of short pieces, conceived and directed by nine people and then
further developed by nineteen cast members, addresses different aspects of our
clusterfucked environment.
This
is part two of CPT’s Elements Cycle, which began last month with the stunning Water Ways and will continue in the
future. While not as consistently
enthralling as Water Ways, Earth Plays offers a number of memorable
moments and only goes theatrically awry when it insists on delivering its
worthwhile messages wrapped around a rock and repeatedly thumped on the
audience’s head.
The
parts that work are small gems: Chris Seibert mulling her relationship with her
earth mothers in one small room (in a scene she created and directed), and Val
Kozlenko as a sperm donor/biologist who explains theories and talks to tennis
balls in another isolated space (conceived and directed by Jeremy Paul).
The
rest of the action in this 2½ hour adventure happens in the spacious Gordon Square
Theatre, where the large cast can stretch out and develop some interesting
dynamics ranging from the literal to the surreal. These include a ballet of
blue plastic bags that look like protozoa sliding and twitching under a
microscope.
When
the movements are big and the mosquito-netted ensemble is fully engaged, moving and at times softly
chanting, Earth Plays is often
transfixing. Unfortunately, several of the scenes featuring dialogue are
hampered by poor projection by some actors and challenging acoustics.
An
attempt to alter this space by having the audience move around and reseat
itself in different configurations during Act One is a valiant effort. And this cast-aided
choreography, as they usher the unsuspecting patrons hither and yon, is
impressive. But it often just amounts to a group exercise that doesn’t substantially
enhance the proceedings.
Audience
activity aside, what works best in this production is the physicality of the
performers who dance and move with purpose and elegance. But some of the
parodies are lame and dated, such as a trio combining Smokey the Bear, the
crying Indian from the old PSA on TV, and easy-target do-gooder Bono.
If
you’re a pessimist about the environment at this day and time, you’re not alone
and your darkest views are represented in CPT’s work. Many heads will be
nodding in agreement as the company, under the smoothly-calibrated overall
direction of Raymond Bobgan, pokes holes in our complacency about the
environment.
Trouble
is, that complacency has long since been eroded. And one wonders how activist,
issue-oriented theater needs to fashion itself for the 21st century.
It ain’t 1972 anymore and it may be too late for many things—including earnest skits,
soft chants and interesting dances.
Earth
Plays (Part Two of the Elements Cycle)
Through
March 9 at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Avenue, 216-631-2727
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