Palo Alto Players: A Day In Hollywood/A Night In The Ukraine

Left to right: Patty Reinhart, Andrew Ceglio, Mohammed Ismail. Photo courtesy Joyce Goldschmid and Palo Alto Players.

One of the long-forgotten traditions of the American theatre is the vaudeville circuit, where you could watch music and comedy on a local stage for dirt cheap. No group was more notable for vaudeville than the legendary Marx Brothers, whose hilarious and incredibly-crafted wordplay informs comedy writers to this day. Palo Alto Players’ performance of the 1979 adaptation A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine hearkens back to the vaudeville stage, first with several musical numbers from an outstanding ensemble cast, then with a Marx Brothers performance that packs their hallmark brand of comedy into a tight hour of Chekhov-inspired comedy.

The first hour of Hollywood/Ukraine is a musical revue presented under the thin veneer of ushers at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre attempting to distract the audience while the projectionist tries to get the movie going. The most fun one, “I Love a Film Cliché,” collects the premiere lines of 1930s cinema at a rapid pace and making use of the numerous balconies and corridors of the Lucie Stern theatre. Other numbers include a tap dance accompanied by a verbatim reading of the 1930 Motion Picture Production Code and a tribute medley to composer Richard Whiting, best known for the classic song “Good Ship Lollipop.” The Day in Hollywood section is hilarious, of course, but it also evokes the more innocent, straightforward films of the early 20^th century in a way that’s almost nostalgic.

Night at the Ukraine features three Marx Brothers impersonators stumbling, in a fashion unique to the Marxes, through the obscure Chekhov one-act play The Bear. When performing a Marx Brothers show, strict adherence to the character is key, and all of the actors do a bang-up job. Andrew Ceglio’s Groucho is almost a perfect reenactment, flawlessly accomplishing the rapid-fire wordplay and acrobatic pratfalls necessitated by the role. Chico, played by Mohammed Ismail, is a little lower-energy than Groucho but neatly balances the mix of cleverness and stupidity that every Chico character requires. Last but not least, Patty Reinhart delivers Harpo’s series of physical gags without missing a beat. Reinhart is significantly shorter than her partners in crime (and the actual Harpo), which actually works well for her role – high-energy comedy is especially funny when delivered by someone smaller than everyone else.

Also of note in Night at the Ukraine is Sarah Cook as Mrs. Pavlenko, the resident high-class large woman present in every Marx Brothers comedy. Pavlenko acts as the play’s straight performer, mirroring Groucho’s wordplay and Chico’s props with equal amounts of horror, and helps both ground the play in some semblance of reality and present the small amount of plot the Marx Brothers need to get away with making a series of jokes for an hour. Cook mirrors the energy of Ceglio, Ismail, and Reinhart so they don’t run away with the show while not overshadowing the comedy – an excellent performance.

Some of the play’s technical work is more functional than spectacular (as necessary for comedy), but there are several small touches that deserve attention. The ensemble, dressed as ushers, welcomes in the audience at the start of the production; this touch of metatheatre blends the performance of Palo Alto Players with the dreamy cinematic reality of old Hollywood. Patrick Klein’s set during the first act captures much of the same feeling; the famous sidewalk outside Grauman’s is set very high on the stage, twisting around dimensions that might be familiar to moviegoers. Piano work by Katie Coleman and Lauren F. Bevilacqua ties the production together and allows the vocal performers to shine.

While there are a lot of excellent dramas present in the American theatre today, a good comedy is hard to find. A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine is one of those good comedies, capturing the best wordplay and physical humor of the era of vaudeville. If you want to have a fun night out with the Marx Brothers, stop by Palo Alto Players – they’re always better live.

Santa Clara University: The Good Doctor

Left to right: Cameron Wells, Kalina Venugopal, Michael Standifer, Nick Medal, Claire Parchem. Photo courtesy Santa Clara University. 

One might not think of the works of Anton Chekhov as being rich material for comedy. However, the Russian author and playwright had a wit that was sadly overshadowed by early dour productions of his work. In the 1970’s, Neil Simon adapted some of Chekhov’s short stories into The Good Doctor, effectively Chekhov-turned-sketch-comedy. Santa Clara University’s current production, helmed by director Aldo Billingslea, makes the Chekhov/Simon duet shine brightly.

Some of the scenes are straightforward: “Surgery” features a vaudeville duo – an incompetent doctor (Drew Descourouez) and a priest with a toothache (Elahdio Aliaga), while in “A Defenseless Creature,” a loud woman (Kalina Venugopal) torments a bank manager and his assistant (Aliaga and Descourouez again – all of the actors play a handful of characters). These are scenarios common to old comedy, but Simon’s framing structure – using a nameless writer (Cameron Wells) to open and close each scene – provides a level of metahumor.

Later scenes have more complex structure and unusual jokes. My personal favorite was the late scene “A Quiet War,” where Nick Medal and Claire Parchem assume the roles of retired high officers who have a formal, strategized argument over what makes the perfect lunch. Despite the characters’ similarities, the actors interpreted them differently: Medal’s Army officer is loud and brash, while Parchem’s Navy is sly and willing to bend the rules of their argument. They might be at each other’s throats, but one can get a sense of their deep friendship.

The SCU production combines the sophistication of Chekhov’s characters and scenarios with the fundamentals of mid-20^th-century comedy. Jerald Enos’ set hints at the more elaborate, realistic sets commonly used for Chekhov’s plays, but all of the larger elements are moved to the back, allowing ample room for Simonesque slapstick. Billingslea’s flexible direction both makes use of the empty space for slapstick and what set elements exist for scenes like “The Drowned Man”.

Featuring a funny, versatile cast and the unique combination of Chekhov/Simon comedy, Santa Clara University’s The Good Doctor makes a great evening. Most likely, you will find that some of the scenes are funnier or more appealing to you than others, but it’s never a dull moment. This testifies to the wide diversity of the material, as well as the breadth and imagination of the SCU production.