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Who stole my wallet?
Brecht's "Arturo Ui' in Delaware (2nd review)
Director Heinz-Uwe Haus tried to understand how such a lowlife with genocidal intentions could even get a foot in the door with the German public, let alone become their führer. I, conversely, have never understood the man's alleged charisma. Carine Montbertrand's performance, however, might provide the clue: Our discomfort, astonishment, and dismissal at this creature known as Arturo Ui blinds us and prevents us from acting.
Either out of fear or embarrassment, we watch helplessly as Ui just stares silently for uncomfortably long periods, daring us to call his bluff. It's an "emperor has no clothes moment" and we know it, but we say nothing.
The rest of the ensemble was equally as adept, although the other performers had a bit less to work with: Cameron Knight (as Ernesto Roma), Erik Matthew (as Givola), and Jasmine Bracey (as Betty Dullfeet) were first among equals in this regard.
The ensemble really came to life in the small vignettes that served as transitions between scenes. Some of these vignettes worked; others seemed a bit overdrawn.
One stood out: the game of "whisper down the lane" that most of us recall from our elementary school years: A phrase whispered into the ear of one person and gets passed down the line and changes into something unimaginable. The ensemble applied this exercise to contemporary headlines ranging from health care to presidential politics introduced by color-coded threat levels (amber, orange, red).
It was simple and a bit pedestrian: When they started with a headline about Osama bin Laden, you knew it was would transform into a miscommunication about Barack Obama. But it was delivered with impeccable timing and, in the end, it worked: It did make you think about how fear and miscommunication can lead to surprising consequences, if not disastrous ones.
Amid all the Teutonic heaviness, the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players delivered a powerful message with a staggering degree of finesse. As you marvel at their skill, you won't even notice that they've stolen your wallet, your cauliflower and your political soul. Resistance is futile.
To read another review by Norman Roessler, click here.
Either out of fear or embarrassment, we watch helplessly as Ui just stares silently for uncomfortably long periods, daring us to call his bluff. It's an "emperor has no clothes moment" and we know it, but we say nothing.
The rest of the ensemble was equally as adept, although the other performers had a bit less to work with: Cameron Knight (as Ernesto Roma), Erik Matthew (as Givola), and Jasmine Bracey (as Betty Dullfeet) were first among equals in this regard.
The ensemble really came to life in the small vignettes that served as transitions between scenes. Some of these vignettes worked; others seemed a bit overdrawn.
One stood out: the game of "whisper down the lane" that most of us recall from our elementary school years: A phrase whispered into the ear of one person and gets passed down the line and changes into something unimaginable. The ensemble applied this exercise to contemporary headlines ranging from health care to presidential politics introduced by color-coded threat levels (amber, orange, red).
It was simple and a bit pedestrian: When they started with a headline about Osama bin Laden, you knew it was would transform into a miscommunication about Barack Obama. But it was delivered with impeccable timing and, in the end, it worked: It did make you think about how fear and miscommunication can lead to surprising consequences, if not disastrous ones.
Amid all the Teutonic heaviness, the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players delivered a powerful message with a staggering degree of finesse. As you marvel at their skill, you won't even notice that they've stolen your wallet, your cauliflower and your political soul. Resistance is futile.
To read another review by Norman Roessler, click here.
What, When, Where
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, by Bertolt Brecht; directed by Heinz-Uwe Haus. Resident Ensemble Players production through May 16, 2010 at Thompson Theatre, Roselle Center for the Arts, University of Delaware, 110 Orchard St., Newark, Del. (302) 831-2204 or www.rep.udel.edu/Arturo.html.
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