Reviewed by Judy Richter
After directing Oscar Wilde's "Salome" for Aurora Theatre
Company in 2006,
Mark Jackson has
returned to Aurora to stage the world premiere of his "Salomania." This two-act play was
reportedly inspired by Jackson's research for "Salome." In the
process, he learned that a former San Francisco resident, Maud Allan, had
become internationally known for her version of Salome's dance in the early
1900s.
When
Noel Pemberton-Billing, a member of the British Parliament, said in his
magazine that she and others were listed in a black book of German sympathizers
during World War I, she sued him for criminal libel. Jackson saw parallels
between her experience and that of Wilde, who had sued the father of his
purported male lover for libel. Jackson sets his play in 1918 as the war was
nearing its end. The action takes place in England and France, the latter
mostly in the war zone.
Except
for Madeline H.D. Brown, who plays Maud, the play's seven actors portray a variety of
characters ranging from English soldiers to principals in Maud's trial and
Oscar Wilde himself (even though he had been dead for 18 years).
Pemberton-Billing
(Mark Anderson Phillips) was a fervid right-winger who believed in the existence of a black
book listing thousands of English citizens whom the Germans were blackmailing,
presumably for homosexuality. (One can't help being reminded of Wisconsin Sen.
Joseph McCarthy, who conducted a witch hunt against purported communists in
government and entertainment in the 1950s.)
Maud
sued the MP for writing in his magazine that she was involved in "the cult
of the clitoris," presumably an allusion to lesbianism. At the time,
"clitoris" was not a widely known term. The article alleged that only
medical professionals and perverts knew its meaning. Indeed, Judge Darling (Kevin
Clarke), who
presided over Pemberton-Billing's trial, assumed that it was some Greek fellow.
Besides
Brown, Clark and Phillips, the cast includes Alex Moggridge, Anthony
Nemirovsky , Marilee Talkington and Liam Vincent. All clearly delineate their various characters
thanks to their own abilities as well as quick changes of costumes designed by Callie
Floor .However,
their accents are sometimes difficult to understand, even in Aurora's intimate
setting. Moreover, Jackson needs to tone down Phillips, who becomes so
histrionic and loud during some of the trial scenes that he's difficult to
understand.
Nina
Ball's set,
which resembles a wartime trench and which is lit by Heather Basarab, easily accommodates different
settings. The sound is by Matt Stines while the somewhat minimalist choreography is by Chris
Black.
Although
Jackson weaves a number of relevant themes into the play, it's sometimes too
densely packed. Some judicious trimming seems in order, especially in the
second act, when I found myself looking at my watch. I also noticed that a few
people left during intermission. Still, "Salome" has the makings of
an intriguing drama.
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