I just got back from an absolutely riveting night at the theater seeing Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues” at Carthage. . . and this play has wiped out every other thought in my head. All I can think about is what unfolded on that stage tonight and what a remarkable spell it cast over all of us lucky enough to be in the audience. And it proved to be a tremendously potent reminder that there is nothing more powerful than live theater- when it’s done this superbly.
First of all, this play is my favorite kind of play because it is a flawless blend of funny and serious. To be sure, it’s mostly funny- and hilariously so- but there are certain scenes that are shatteringly poignant and moving, during which you could have heard a pin drop. Mr. Simon gets a great deal of credit for crafting his play so expertly, but the the rest of the credit goes to this superb cast and their very capable (student) director, Tommy Novak. They performed this play like it had been written for them- and even though I knew several of the actors on that stage quite well, it didn’t take long for me to shake off any conscious awareness that I was watching Dan or Wes or Kaylee – and for that matter, I lost all sense that I was watching Carthage theater students at all. No, for all intents and purposes they were six raw Army recruits, their tough-as nails sergeant, and the women they went after on shore leave. I’ve never seen a theatrical performance here or at any other college for that matter where the actors so profoundly became their characters, utterly immersed in them down to the subtlest matters of posture and voice and facial expression. Another way to say it is that this was magnificent theater because it wasn’t at all “theatrical” – it was completely authentic in a way that precious few performances ever manage to be.
We spend most of the evening in the presence of six new army recruits- and I loved how they were six distinct characters without being caricatures. The man charged with whipping them into shape, Sergeant Toomey, was played with thundering authority by the chair of the theater department, Herschel Kruger. Throw in an alluring prostitute and a morally upright young Catholic woman and you have the makings of an incredibly rich and enthralling story. At the talk-back after the performance (this was opening night) Tommy Novak asked if anyone gathered there was a veteran. One older gentleman raised his hand and said that the play was an all-too-truthful depiction of what it was like to be a recruit in the army – which was neat to hear. One of the coolest things about the play is that you couldn’t help but find your opinion of certain characters evolve and grow- in much the same way it happens in real life when we form certain quick impressions of people and then come to realize that there is so much more to them than meets the eye. But on top of that, people can’t help but be changed by these kind of intense experiences, and following these already interesting characters through their respective transformative journeys is as compelling as theater gets.
The themes are many and varied- but they include the pain of being the brunt of bigotry – as directed both at jews and at gays. The play also explores the importance of discipline and obedience and whether or not they are worth any cost. Finally, the play offers up a very moving and thought-provoking examination of what it means to fall in love. . . and to become a man. . . especially under the extraordinary circumstances of wartime. How one play can touch on all that without being a dizzying mishmash is beyond me – but there it is. Neil Simon is a genius and that’s all there is to it.
But the most wonderful play ever written can only be as powerful as the actors who bring it to life, and I can’t imagine this play receiving finer performances than it received tonight. The two women, Denise Wargowksky and Kaylee Annable, were superbly convincing as the prostitute and young Catholic woman, respectively – in roles which are especially challenging to bring to life since there isn’t all that much on the page to fill in all the blanks. They had to do much of that themselves, and did. The smallest role among the recruits, James Hennessey, also includes one of the play’s most powerful and difficult moments, which Slim Simonini brought off beautifully. Wes Anderson, one of the most cultured students at Carthage, shed that persona completely to play the rough-hewn, tough-talking Roy Selridge so convincingly. The even more formidable, fearsome figure of private Joseph Wykowski – a recruit who frightens and repulses us at first and eventually earns our understanding and even affection, was impressively portrayed by a talented freshman named Andrew Stachurski. Another freshman, Mack Folkert, bowled me over in the complicated role of Arnold Epstein, a highly cerebral young Jewish man for whom life in the army was ill-fitting in almost every way. His character made us both laugh and cry and Mr. Folkert’s excellence made that possible. A gifted voice student of mine, Dan Ermel, has had leading roles in so many musicals since coming to Carthage – but I had never seen him in a straight play before, and his beautiful, nuanced performance of Donald Carney impressed me to no end. (My only complaint is that it was hard to watch Dan smoke a cigarette onstage; I think I wouldn’t be much of a voice teacher if the sight of that hadn’t bothered me a bit. But otherwise, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about Dan’s assured performance… not even the comedically poor singing which his character has to do at several points.) Last but by no means least was the superlative performance of a brilliantly talented junior named Derek Nelson who has just transferred to Carthage. He played the crucial role of the play’s narrator, private Eugene Jerome, upon which so much of this play depends for its life and heart.
I could say much more, but I think I’ll leave it with this one observation: I don’t know that I have ever experienced a performance of a play where the audience laughed so uproariously at one turn – and then was struck absolutely dumb. . . . in the utterly still silence that only comes when an audience is completely transfixed by what is before them. It was a privilege to be in the audience tonight and to have experienced the very best that live theater can be.
pictured above: the curtain call. There are more performances of Biloxi Blues to come – Sat. and Sun. this weekend, and Thurs., Sat. and Sun. of next weekend. I recommend it highly. It’s the best college theatrical production I have ever seen.