Reviewed by Judy Richter
At first one can't be sure whose
story will be told in "Lolita Roadtrip," being given its world
premiere by San Jose Stage Company as a co-presentation with PlayGround. Eventually, though, playwright Trevor
Allen connects their
stories into a reasonably understandable whole.
The
core of the story takes place in the present and belongs to Julia Martin (Chloë
Bronzan), a
Stanford University doctoral student doing her dissertation on Vladimir
Nabokov. As part
of her work, she follows the route that the author of "Lolita" and his family took in
1941when they drove from New York to his teaching job at Stanford. Joining her
on the trip is Danny (Patrick Alparone), a young runaway hustler whom she meets in the
library shortly before leaving.
Another
major part of the story belongs to Paul Drake (Julian López-Morillas), a Stanford professor teaching
a class about Nabokov and "Lolita." He also is concerned with his wife,
Mary (Stacy Ross),
who is dying of cancer at their home. Still another aspect deals with Nabokov
(López-Morillas) and his fascination with and expertise in butterflies.
The
focus shifts from one character to the next (fluid revolving set by Giulio
Cesare Perrone),
often with things up in the air but gradually revealing back stories that
answer most questions. The ending features a twist that leaves one thinking
back over the play to figure out how it fits in.
Expertly
directed by Lee Sankowich, the cast is excellent. Bronzan's Julia seems
strong-willed at first, but her vulnerabilities begin to emerge during the
trip. Likewise, Alparone makes Danny a pushy but somehow likeable punk right
away, but he becomes more multi-dimensional as more of his background is
revealed. As Drake, López-Morillas is initially pompous as he lectures his
class, but a more compassionate side is seen in his dealings with his wife.
Mary is a character that could be developed better, despite her occasional
monologues dealing with a treasured handmade quilt, which she wraps around
herself like a butterfly's wings.
Still,
Ross's considerable talents are used well as she portrays several other
characters, such as a motel night clerk, tour guide in a cave, UFO enthusiast,
Nabokov's wife and a police detective. López-Morillas also is seen as some
other minor characters. The costumes are by Michele Wynne with lighting by Maurice
Vercoutere and
sound by Cliff Caruthers.
"Lolita
Roadtrip" had its genesis about three years ago when PlayGround-San
Francisco, a playwright incubator, commissioned it from Allen and helped him
develop it. San Jose Stage subsequently became the first recipient of a grant
from PlayGround's New Play Production Fund to present the two-act play. San Jose Stage also
produced the world premiere of the Bay Area resident's "Tenders in the
Fog" in
2005. His current play still needs some work, perhaps to cut some extraneous
scenes, but already it reflects the work of an up-and-coming playwright.
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