Murphys has its act together again

By LISA MILLEGAN
Modesto Bee, July 5, 2006

MURPHYS — Whatever was broken at Murphys Creek Theatre has been fixed.

After a disappointing season last year, the company has regrouped and opened its summer Theatre Under the Stars Festival with two strong comedies.

Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" is the standout because of its highly creative 1950s staging. But there's also plenty to praise in Paul Rudnick's "I Hate Hamlet," including its pointed one-liners.

The shows, both directed by Artistic Director Graham Scott Green, feature some of the same cast members and are running in rotation outdoors at Stevenot Winery's lovely wooded amphitheater.

"Twelfth Night"

"Twelfth Night" is designed to change the minds of those who view Shakespeare as medicine — something that's not enjoyable but should be endured because it's good for you.

This joyous production offers plenty of fun diversions from jazz and early rock music to tango dancing, beat poetry and a knife fight lifted from "West Side Story."

While some of these bits could be shortened, they provide a welcome spoonful of sugar to make the 400-year-old show more accessible to modern audiences.

A comic tale of mistaken identities and confusion, the play follows shipwrecked twins who find adventure and unexpected love in Illyria.

They meet an eclectic group of people, including free spirits in berets, black garb and leather jackets and stylish aristocrats who could pass for Hollywood stars.

Looking like Clark Kent, spirited Tara Kayton uses a banana to good advantage as Viola, the female twin who must dress like a man.

Beautiful Lara Ford uses her devastating charm and physical assets to get what she wants as Olivia, and multitalented Misty Day uses her juggling, singing and dancing talents to amuse everyone around her as Feste.

Jack Souza, the artistic director of Modesto's Prospect Theater Project, commands attention as the debonair, music-loving duke.

Stephen Daly is sympathetic as the much-abused servant Malvolio and Josh Gren is appropriately brash and loud as Sir Toby.

Kyle Gundlach has less to do as Viola's twin, Sebastian, but makes the most of his part.

"I Hate Hamlet"

The ghost of the great Shakespearean actor John Barrymore provides coaching and encouragement to a self-loathing TV star in the 1991 play "I Hate Hamlet."

Andrew Rally is well aware that his TV success is largely due to his looks ("If I didn't show up, they could just use the poster") and needs all the help he can get in his daunting role as Hamlet in New York.

The most entertaining thing about the play is listening to the very funny running debate about Shakespeare's value. Barrymore and Andrew's girlfriend sees the Bard's work as inspirational, while Andrew's other friends see it as "algebra on stage." Andrew's real-estate broker hopes he is good at Hamlet, but she doesn't know what that might mean. "With Shakespeare," she says, "how can you tell?"

Suave Allen Pontes is a fitting choice as Barrymore — definitely worthy of the titles of "actor, legend, seducer." A college student who looks young enough to be in high school, Gundlach is a little awkward and stilted as Andrew in the beginning, but warms up as he gets going.

Three of Gundlach's castmates from "Twelfth Night" join him in this play. Kayton is wildly passionate as Andrew's theater-fanatic girlfriend, Deirdre, and Gren once again plays a believable blowhard as Andrew's L.A. collaborator. Day offers a cute but a bit over-the-top impression of Fran Drescher in "The Nanny" in her role as the real-estate broker. Sheila Doyle is effective in her small role as Andrew's agent.

It's impressive to see what a dramatic improvement this company has made since last summer. Last year's productions ranged from excruciating to tolerable. Congratulations are due to Green, the director, for getting MCT back on track.

Bee arts writer Lisa Millegan can be reached at lmillegan@modbee.com or 578-2313.

'Twelfth Night'
Rating: ***½

'I Hate Hamlet'
Rating: ***

**** Excellent; *** Good; ** Fair; * Poor