THE BASICS: LONDON CALLING, a unified series of six one-acts by six local playwrights inspired by post-punk music pioneers, The Clash, directed by Catherine Burkhart and Mariangela Mercurio, starring Stephanie Bax, Sarah Emmerling, Brooke Goergen, Kaylie Horowitz, Jamie Moore, Danette Pawlowski, Justin Pope, Isabella Ruof and Andrew Zuccari, presented by American Repertory Theater opened on 2/8 and runs through 2/24 Thu – Fri 7:30, Sat 5:00 at the Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Avenue (716) 697-0837 artofwny.org Tickets $25 General/$20 Student or Military Vets, Thursdays are pay-what-you-can.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: The American Repertory Theater of Western New York has had considerable success for several years assembling pieces or scenes by a variety of local playwrights all connected by a common plot and a common theme, usually music by a certain artist or group (e.g. Tom Waits, The Pogues, etc.). Here it’s The Clash with their punk rock sound being adapted into 1940s era styles of Swing and Boogie Woogie because the “Should I stay or should I go” narrative will take place during the Battle of Britain. Each story centers on the identities of individuals chased into the London “tubes” (subways) during the infamous 1941 London Blitz (aerial bombings by the Nazis). Plays are by Justin Karcher, Ellen Falank, Monish Bhattacharyya, James Marzo, Mark Humphrey, and j Snodgrass. Adult Language, Adult Situations.
Runtime: Under two hours with one intermission
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: First off, this is NOT a “jukebox musical” in the sense of, say, Mamma Mia, Beautiful, or Jersey Boys, where the show is an evening of covers all forced into the service of a made-up plot. Instead, it’s what we call a “straight play” with moments of music interjected here and there.
I went on opening night (as it turned out, the day after “International Clash Day”) with my friend Brian, a longtime fan of The Clash, who enjoyed the play, but agreed that it’s not always obvious which song applies to which scene. On the American Repertory Theatre of WNY Facebook page you can read about some of the scenes as several playwrights are interviewed.
The play opens with the scene titled “Persephone Becomes a Punk in the City of the Dead” by Justin Karcher in which three Americans, mom and her two girls, distract themselves by putting on a dramatization of the myth of Persephone who was taken by Hades and ended up living for six months underground (fall and winter) and through the gods’ intervention living six months above ground (spring and summer). It’s a story that might be familiar to fans of HADESTOWN. They also amuse themselves by singing, appropriately enough for this World War II play, in the style of the Andrews Sisters (think “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”).
The second scene by Ellen Scherer-Falank called “Necessary Fraternizing” according to the playwright, was inspired by the Clash’s “The Prisoner” which “makes sense for this play because my characters are trapped underground, of course. But they’re also trapped by gender expectations, financial circumstances, and their expectations for themselves.”
About the third scene, “Should I Stay or Should I Shoot,” playwright Monish Bhattacharyya wrote: “The idea of a war within a war appealed to me so that was the genesis of my creative process. The title for my piece is obviously a variation of ‘Should I stay, Or should I go?’ But to be honest, the story is more inspired by ‘Train in Vain.’ That idea that love can be its own war with its own casualties—and just because a person says they love you doesn’t mean they’ll stand by you.” In this scene, we meet a British officer who has been charged with ferreting out Irish rebels as he talks with his Irish girlfriend, the owner of an Irish pub. Sparks will fly.
It’s true that, from an audience standpoint, LONDON CALLING, like most plays, is “better in the second act than the first” not because of the writing or on-stage talent, but only because, in the first act, we’re learning about most of the characters. We have a confined space, in this case the London Tubes (subways) which during the blitz housed a variety of individuals, each with a different backstory, hopes, and dreams. Once we learn a little about who’s who and what’s what, then the second act can start cookin’.
In the second act we have “The Visit” by Mark Humphrey; “Love of One’s Country” by James Marzo, ending with “The Clash” by j Snodgrass which is a real all-cast donnybrook and a very satisfying conclusion to the evening. I thought that the set and lighting by Matthew LaChiusa were very effective, giving us the claustrophobic sense of being confined in the subway while still giving the characters space to move. The costumes by Rebecca Mutchock were appropriate and stage management by Monica Morrisey was crisp and efficient.
I’m giving LONDON CALLING three and a half Buffalos, combining “a pretty darn good night at the theater if you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased” with “if the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.”
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!