The 2009 Tony Award-winning play God Of Carnage opened at the Morgan Hill Playhouse on April 8 and raised the bar on South Valley Civic Theatre presentations. We have talent here in our little town and it’s really good.
Peter Mandel, Beth Harnett, Doug Doughty, and Karyn Rondeau give energetic, well timed performances as parents who start out civilly trying to settle a problem between their sons. (One broke two teeth of the other.) French playwright Yasmina Reza’s story starts out calm and works up into a near-physical battle that makes Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf look like a picnic in the park.
Well translated by Christopher Hampton and skillfully directed by Bryan Freeman, the play gives an inside look at adults taking up a challenge, with each putting their spin on the subject. Marriages, morality and sanity are tested on the merry-go-round of their lives.
Freeman moves his actors like prize fighters coming out of their corners, with a space shuttle’s timing. He carefully jostles the scenes so at times the story becomes a humorous, emotional battleground.
God Of Carnage brings scenic and lighting designers Freeman and Matthew Hendrickson along with costumer Mary Dokter together to complete this production.
For an evening of enjoyable theatre be prepared to be shaken and tickled for 90 minutes.
South Valley Civic Theatre presents ‘God Of Carnage’
Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, Fifth and Monterey streets, Morgan Hill
Performances through April 30
Tickets: $22; Seniors $18; Students $15
Reservations and information: (408) 842-7469 or visit svct.org.
Camille Bounds is the Theatre, Arts and Travel columnist for the Morgan Hill Times and the Gilroy Dispatch. Contact her at bo******@co********.net.
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