Reviewed by Judy Richter
Laughter abounds as the very
human characters in Alan Ayckbourn's "Round and Round the Garden" try to get what they want.
American Conservatory Theater brings them to life thanks to a terrific ensemble cast
and the skilled direction of John Rando.
This
play is part of a trilogy, "The Norman Conquests," that takes place at an
English home during one summer weekend. While "Round and Round the
Garden" obviously takes place in the garden, or back yard, the other two
-- "Table Manners" and "Living Together" -- take place in the dining room and
sitting room, respectively, during the same time frame. Each play can stand on
its own, but seeing all three expands and enriches the experience. Berkeley
Repertory Theatre treated
its audiences to the trilogy in the summer of 1981.
The
garden play tends to establish the basic situation, then wrap it up when the
weekend is over. The premise is that Norman (Manoel Felciano) has invited his unmarried
sister-in-law, Annie (Delia MacDougall), to spend a weekend with him at the seashore.
Annie lives in the family home and cares for her aging mother, who remains
unseen. To facilitate her tryst with Norman, she has asked her brother, Reg (Anthony
Fusco), and his
wife, Sarah (Marcia Pizzo), to stay with their mother while she takes a short
holiday -- supposedly alone. She doesn't want to tell anyone about her plans
because Norman is married to her sister, Ruth (René Augesen). In the meantime, her neighbor,
Tom (Dan Hiatt),
a veterinarian, carries a torch for her, but he's too shy to let her know.
Complications arise as all the relatives and spouses show up, and Norman and
Annie scrap their plans. In the meantime, the libidinous Norman tries to seduce
not only Annie but also Sarah and even his own wife.
One
of the real pleasures of this production is seeing how well the cast blends.
All six are veterans of the Bay Area theater scene. In addition, Felciano,
Fusco and Augesen are part of ACT's core acting company. Therefore, they've all
worked together before, making for good chemistry. Director Rando takes
advantage of their experience to elicit richly nuanced performances.
The
Act II scene between Hiatt's Tom and Augesen's Ruth is hilarious as these two
gifted comic actors play out a scene of misunderstood meanings and balky
folding lawn chairs. Felciano's Norman is a scamp, but he's mostly like a
naughty but lovable puppy. He just wants to be loved, it seems. MacDougall's
Annie wants to be loved, too, but she'd rather be loved by the clueless Tom.
Fusco's Reg is a jolly good fellow who seems to have a less than ideal marriage
to Pizzo's uptight, domineering Sarah.
Ralph
Funicello's
overgrown garden set reflects the messiness of the characters' situations,
while lighting by Alexander V. Nichols gives clues about the passing time and what's
happening inside. Lydia Tanji's '70s costumes reflect the characters' personalities
without some of the extreme fashions of the era. The sound design by Jake
Rodriguez is
notable for the meows of Annie's cat, which has taken refuge in a tree.
There's
nothing deeply philosophical or political about "Round and Round the
Garden," yet it provides some interesting insights into how people behave.
It's also very funny.
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