Cambodian Ghosts Haunt Los Angeles Stages

There are two very fine plays playing in Los Angeles right now that have Cambodian-themed plots. Both deal with the remnants of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia - one set in the Long Beach Cambodian immigrant community circa 2003, and the other set in Phnom Penh in 2008.

"Year Zero" at the Colony Theater in Burbank is the play situated in Long Beach, California. It focuses on a teen brother and twenty-something sister, both dealing with the recent death of their Cambodian-born mother who immigrated to the US after fleeing the ravages of the Khmer Rouge. The sister is a student at Berkeley, and returns home after her mother's death to pack up her things and find a home for her brother. She reunites with a neighbor boy (skillfully played by actor Tim Chiou), which leads to problems with her Berkeley based boyfriend. Much of the tension in this well written drama flows from the unseen mother's scars from her time in Cambodia, and her attempts to protect her children from the tragedies that befell her. Penned by young playwright Michael Golamco, this production displays the considerable talents of this promising scribe and is trenchant and moving. I could note some faults in the direction - scene transitions are too clunky and more urban-sounding music between scenes would be much more appropriate and energetic- but there are so many worthwhile things to be gained from seeing this show that the best I can do is recommend catching it before it closes on July 3.

Coincidentally, another great new play with a Cambodian theme has set up shop (also playing through July 3) at the intimate Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse. Entitled "Extraordinary Chambers," by David Wiener, this Cambodian-set drama examines an American husband and wife couple who visit Phnom Penh to enable the husband to close a business deal with a Cambodian businessman with lots of questionable behavior in his past. The plotting is intricate and intriguing, although the dialogue is too earth-bound and could use more lyrical flourishes. Nevertheless, the production put together here by director Pam MacKinnon is top-notch and stunning, and the acting is superb.

Seeing both works in close proximity to one another enables one to compare and contrast the plays and obtain deeper meaning from each. In both works, the viewer is forced to confront the dangers that result from suppressing a tragedy laced past. But neither work offers up easy answers to avoid those dangers, and both playwrights display a yearning for their characters to find some form of equilibrium to make life in Long Beach and Phnom Penh endurable in the face tragic past events.

These two terrific plays are among the best works seen on Los Angels stages in recent times. Do yourself a favor and see both.

Finally, a short note on Austin, Texas based troupe Rude Mechs' "The Method Gun" now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theater. This meta-theater exercise had me completely befuddled for the first 75 minutes of its running time. But strangely, almost magically, everything fused together in the beautifully choreographed final minutes of this unique work. This non-linear, at times silly, at times absurd, unique work, is worth catching if you have patience and an open mind on what theater should be.

Tony Awards Musings

This year's Tony Awards broadcast was much better than last year's snore-fest. Returning after a year off as host, Neil Patrick Harris was fantastic again, starting and ending the show with very funny and witty segments.

As for the musical show numbers, "Book of Mormon" and "Anything Goes" came off best, but nothing was amazing. Musical show excerpts that looked awful on television were "Catch Me If You Can" and that dreadful "Spiderman" number (excuse me, why was that number on the show given that the show still has not opened after over 7 unbearable months of previews).

Best acceptance speech of the night - Sutton Foster. Worst acceptance speeches of the night- John Larroquette and all of the War Horse winners (what ever happened to eloquent and classy acceptance speeches from winners from the UK?). Chris Rock was very funny presenting the best musical award.

No huge surprises in terms of winners. I correctly predicted 23 of 26 awards, better than in recent years. The winners list lacking drama, NPH's hosting triumph was all the more critical to the success of the show.

2011 Tony Award Predictions

Here are my Tony Award predictions for this year's awards which will be announced on the June 12 broadcast:

Play: War Horse
Musical: Book of Mormon
Play Revival: The Normal Heart
Musical Revival: Anything Goes

Actor, Play: Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Actress, Play: Frances McDormand, Good People
Actor, Musical: Josh Gad, Book of Mormon
Actress, Musical: Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Featured Actor, Play: John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Featured Actress, Play: Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Featured Actor, Musical: John Laroquette, How To Succeed
Featured Actress, Musical: Laura Benanti, Women On The Verge

Book of a Musical: Book of Mormon
Score: Book of Mormon
Orchestrations: Book of Mormon
Choreogrpahy: Anything Goes

Director, Play: The Normal Heart
Director, Musical: Book of Mormon

Scenic Design, Play: War Horse
Scenic Design, Musical: Book of Mormon
Costume Design, Play: Importance of Being Earnest
Costume Design, Musical: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Lighting, Play: War Horse
Lighting, Musical: Book of Mormon
Sound, Play: War Horse
Sound, Musical: Book of Mormon

If I were choosing the winners, the choices above would differ largely in that I would prefer The Scottsboro Boys to win for Best Musical, Director, Score, Orchestrations, Choreography, Sound and Lighting. But I do not think Scottsboro will win any of those awards, although it has a chance of winning for Score over the Mormon juggernaut. I would probably also give the Best Actor, Play award to Joe Montello for The Normal Heart, although all of the actors in that extremely strong and competitive category deserve to be winners this year. Otherwise, my personal choices largely mirror the above predictions.