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From The Virginian Pilot February 12, 2009
Same Sex Marriage on Trial in Love v. Duty
Love v. Duty is a "what if" drama that goes to, and beyond, the Supreme Court in our consciousness and perhaps, our conscience. Written by Norfolk resident Frankie Little Hardin, it is recieving its world premiere presentation at the 40th Street Stage on weekends through Feb 28.
With at least two, perhaps three shocking plot twists and a good deal of moral probing, it is worth a visit. Hardin has concocted a behind-the-scenes scenario that concerns the first same-sex marriage case to be heard by the Supreme Court (It's fictional).
The script condenses the legal proceedings into a wonderfully written sequence of "rehearsals" for the hearing. It stoops, briefly, into sermonizing. The script is more successful as a legal suspense piece than it is as a personal drama.
The central character is David Simmons, a young lawyer played with charisma and virility by Charlton J. Vogt. His wife had died of cancer, and he has been passed over for his firm's big cases. His assignment to attempt to get a same-sex marriage case heard by the Supreme Court is both his big break and perhaps, his downfall.
To the playwright's credit, she doesn't turn this into a 'cause' drama. The expert pushing the 'cause' is played by LaToya Morris as a mixture of obsession and manipulation. Interestingly, these people behind the scenes know the obstacles ahead and plan their attacks carefully. They are no head-in-the-clouds fools. Morris, initially, comes across as a bit too all-knowing and sanctimonious, but she soon convinces us that she knows the odds and is a tough opponent.
Cliff Hoffman, a local theatre veteran... has the rather thankless job of playing the veteran lawyer whose job it is to goad, question and challenge the team as it plans its Supreme Court presentation.
After considering several possible candidates, the team chooses a lesbian couple, Jennifer and Sarah, as the subjects. Jennifer is played with no-nonsense toughness by Holly Elliott in what amounts to a showcase role that even includes a seizure. Give an actress a chance to play a seizure, and you can only hope that she brings it off as believably as here.
Denise Hughes plays Sarah, who is required to make big changes in the course of the play. She avoids all the pitfalls of melodrama - and there are several.
The best scene is one in which the lawyers and the participants rehearse the pros and cons of their case... The pros and cons are like a verbal tennis match and played concisely and quickly.
Love v. Duty is winning as outright entertainment that requires no political or sexual choices before entering. With the suspense, though, comes a bit of thoughtful probing. If other theatres get a look at this script, it will get produced elsewhere.
Mal Vincent
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From Port Folio magazine October 14, 2008
Caligari a Need-to-See
An eerie violin and spectral violinist introduce an especially interesting, and perhaps important, piece of local theater.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, adapted by Philip Odango from the classic 1919 film of the same name, is a mixed media phantasmagoria melding components as disparate as a freak show and serial killings with the nature of reality itself.
It possesses a rare and compelling theatricality, exploring performing space and visual and aural and emotional avenues of expression, in ways that may not break totally new ground, but which are sufficiently uncommon to serve as novel. Caligari also manages to be genuinely entertaining, no small feat for youthfully generated avant garde theatre.
The Caligari production team, most notably lighting, sound and video designer Ben Fuglaar and Odango, as director and scenic designer, have brought to fruition a remarkably coherent vision deserving serious attention and discussion.
Costumer Debi McGill, hair and makeup designer Grace Swiney, mask designers Christie Whiting and Anna Sosa, propsperson and production manager Donna Dickerson and film lighting designer Phil Duffy, along with composers Matti Paalanen and Teemu Vehkala, all deserve praise for their important contributions.
The show's coherence makes overlooking its low budget, painted plywood superficialities easy. Some of the acting has something like that same quality, the actor showing through the character. Again, that's forgivable in this context. Yet Ashley Christopher Leach, as the fortune telling sleep-walking Cesare, gives a remarkably compelling, almost wordless performance - Don't sit front and center if you are easily unnerved! Anna Sosa is consistently sharp as the victimized romantic lead Jane.
Caligari is exactly the sort of production for which small, risk taking theatres such as 40th Street Stage exist. When the gamble works, as it certainly does here, it's also the sort of show that local audiences need to see.
Montague Gammon III
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From The Virginian Pilot August 21, 2008
Snake Eyes
The world premiere of Terrance Afer-Anderson's spiritual thriller, Snake Eyes, unveils a taut, clean and concise drama that explores the very core of evil.
The play, which one hopes will have a life beyond its present debut at Norfolk's 40th Street Stage, reveals the local playwright's gift for dialogue.
The two character drama centers on a serial killer called Lee Jean, sometimes known as 'The Tribesman', who has been convicted of murdering 21 people. He carves tribal symbols into the skin of his victims. Outwardly, he is evil personified. No time is wasted for protestations of innocence - either by him or by the psychiatrist who investigates him. We are present for what appears to be a routine psychological exam before his sentencing.
Audiences are held in thrall by the threatening killer and his multiple personalities - some good, some evil, all vulnerable.
The author, who also plays the role, or roles of Lee, has created an acting tour de force for himself as the murderer veers into varied characters that take over his conscious being.
The role of the psychiatrist is played with an air of quietly aggressive curiosity by Rodney Suitor, who also directs. The script gives him direct, pointed inquiries that often are exactly what we would ask in the same situation. Suitor and Afer-Anderson have a fine-tuned match of thrust and counter-thrust as they attempt to get to the psychological center. The cast is completed by Mark Rawlison as the guard with deep voice, adding to the spare set's illusion of crushing isolation.
Snake Eyes is a theatre adventure that provides an intriguing evening.
Mal Vincent
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From The Virginian Pilot March 20, 2008
The Greater Love
Frankie Little Hardin avoids pitfalls that usually afflict 'historical' drama with The Greater Love, her play that is having its world premiere run at 40th Street Stage through March 29. Ostensibly, the play is about the life of Frederick Douglass....
Hardin has wisely chosen to be a playwright rather than a historian, and she weaves a compelling and involving drama around the famous man's private life.
The eternal triangle formula never fails when it comes to persuading audiences, as well as the characters, to choose sides. It works better than usual here. In her very first scene, Hardin has a confrontation after their deaths between two women in Douglass's life (at least, his life as she depicts it).
Anna Murray is the wife and mother of his five children...she is uneducated and practical. The other woman is Ottilie Assing, his mistress, a white woman from Germany he claims "has long been my rock".
Hardin's play is best for what it is not. It is not a play about a cardboard historic figure. It is not 'about' race. It is not "about" an interracial affair.
The Greater Love is, more accurately, about two women and how both live in the shadow of a famous man - each loyal and loving in different ways. Because Hardin has focused on the personal level, she has turned out a play that may well have a life of its own.
On the other side of the ledger, we are asked to take Douglass's greatness at face value. Terrance Afer-Anderson, a local theatre veteran and writer of repute, plays Douglass as a noble and honored man who keeps his distance. He does it well. This Douglass is quiet and introspective rather than fiery. There is a suggestion that his long battles against oppression have left him famed yet weary.
The real conflict at the center of the play is between the two women. It is also understated. The audience perks up like canines panting for a bone when the German journalist finally blows her top at the realization that she's not going to have the famous man permanently. Beth Pivirotto is intriguingly multifaceted as the 'independent' woman who may, from the first, have been intent upon breaking up the marriage. The well-structured script drops little hints like bread crumbs on the way to the gingerbread house. Is the journalist a conniving Jezebel home-wrecker or a woman in love trapped in an unfortunately adulterous situation? The women in the audience have no doubt...they seemed to have to restrain themselves from storming the stage and throwing her into the wings.
LaToya Morris is wonderfully natural and exuberant as the wife, a woman who knows the score but has few weapons with which to fight the worldly challenger who is travelling around the world with her husband. No less effective is the voice of youth who completes the cast of four.... Joy White as Rosetta, Douglass's daughter.
The 40th Street Stage has unveiled a worthy drama that is blessed with logical, well-structured characterizations ...no browsing through dusty history books, the play is focused on basic character conflict. Such is the stuff of good drama.
Mal Vincent
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From PortFolio Magazine October 9, 2007
Pillowman
I have to admit I approached Martin McDonah's The Pillowman with some reservations. The night before, I had overheard two women discussing their weekend plans. One said that if the 40th Street show, directed by Melissa Blue, was about hurting children, she just couldn't do that. Well, I'm not fond of the topic either. I don't usually enjoy being harrowed.
As the play began, I had a physical reaction of wincing and shrinking away from the loud angry voices. But then the play proved to be funny, which I didn't expect. Nor did I expect to find it..what can I say? Optimistic? Hopeful? I think it is both, in a weird way.
At rise, the blindfolded Katurian waits to be interrogated. In this unnamed totalitarian society, police officers Tupolski and Ariel may question, torture and execute at will. They don't even pretend to protect a suspect's rights. Katurian first guesses that the charge must be something political - something inadvertent- because he declares his life is blameless. All he does, he says, is write stories, and take care of his brain damaged brother Michal. But the political angle is only the first misleading indication of this complex piece.
Katurian writes short stories, and the play is structured like a collection of short stories. Just when you think you understand it, a new story begins and everything changes.
Katurian's stories are sick. They really are. That's because he himself is sick at heart, and he uses the writing to medicate himself and Michal.
What's the optimism or hopefulness in all this? I'm not sure. Maybe it's in the power of writing to heal both writer and reader.
Logan Bennett plays Katurian with verve and sincerity. Jon Ward plays second banana investigator Ariel with frightening aggression and anger, and just once in a while a softer emotion. In this admirable cast, I would point out two actors whose characters struck me as being dyed in the wool: Russ Staggs as Tupolski, and Brian Wrestler as Michal.
If you've enjoyed previous 'dangerous" productions such as Chesapeake, Duranged or Reckless at 40th Street Stage, I recommend you check this one out.
Jean Laidig
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From onhamptonroads.com July 11, 2007
Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds may have been one of the greatest theatrical events that Hampton Roads has had in the last year. This production was created by Bruce Hanson and students from Granby High School and performed at 40th Street Stage.
Pet Sounds is a musical which uses the music of Petula Clark and is weaved together with monologues and dialogue to help tell the story of Nigel - who explores and discovers his own sexuality. However, the show doesn't stop there; it also explores the difficulties of growing up a teenager in today's world, from sexual abuse to relationships.
Jeff Corriveau | 
