The Callers
I’m not exactly sure what has happened at the Washington Ensemble Theatre (WET). The tiny, neighborhood playhouse that was started by graduate students from the University of Washington School of Drama used to offer some of the most innovative, progressive and critically informed productions in Seattle. However, as of late, all of that has changed, and I’m not sure why.
Perhaps there has been a change in administration. Perhaps those original founding members have moved on to more lucrative and ambitious artistic endeavors. Whatever the reason, this once theatrical gem of the Seattle theatre scene has lost its luster.
Gone are the edgy, mature, and intellectually challenging shows of seasons past with their professional quality actors, daring directors, and well-crafted writers. They have all been replaced with a predominantly "under-30-something" company whose idea of "quality theatre" is seemingly based on the shallow format of a TV sitcom, replete with two-dimensional characters, vulgar language, and uninteresting scenarios.
In any case, it has been a season of disappointment thus far at WET, and their latest production, "The Callers" is no exception.
Co-written by first-time playwright, Ella Dorband, and the co-Artistic Director of WET, Ali el-Gasseir, (who also plays one of the lead roles in the show), "The Callers" is the first musical ever to be staged at the theatre.
According to the company’s press release, the play is about: "Phone sex, phone psychics, and the love they spread. In a world of tangled phone cords and dial tones, everybody’s just hoping they don’t get a busy signal. These callers are looking so hard that they might just find ... something."
Personally, I found nothing in this hodgepodge world of 1-900 numbers and conversations with the dead. The storyline was trite and diffused. The characters had about as much depth and substance as an episode of "Glee." And the music was, at best, forgettable on the whole.
I wasn’t exactly sure what point, if any, the playwrights were trying to make. It seemed as if they were, perhaps, trying to say something about themes of loneliness, connection with others, dealing with loss, and the contradictory emotions that one can have simultaneously.
But these ideas were never fully articulated and dealt with on a mature level, and were, in fact, undermined by the ending, which was weak and confusing.
To be fair, there were some redeeming qualities in the show. Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako, who played the lead character "Bea," demonstrated a rare level of emotional depth in her portrayal of a woman who had just lost her fiancé. (We never learn why he died). Nako had a beautiful voice and managed to give substance to the character despite the material she had been given to work with by the playwrights.
Equally, Richard Andriessen, who also wrote the music for the show, gave an honest performance in his role as "Kevin." He, too, managed to give some depth to the otherwise two-dimensional character. Plus, it was nice to see an actor actually play the music he was singing on the piano rather than mime it, which is so often the case.
Finally, Ali el-Gasseir, who played the psychic "Viktor" also performed a few good musical numbers, and provided some much needed comic relief. He came on with lots of energy and maintained it throughout the show.
And although this review may seem a bit harsh, there is some potential here. The script itself needs some major reworking and "tightening up" -- again, especially the ending! And it would behoove WET to branch out in their casting.
As it stands, WET seems to be a bit too incestuous at the moment, with many of the same actors appearing over and over again in their productions, and particularly, with some of the major roles being played by the artistic director and playwright’s friends.
I say this because, on the whole, the acting and singing were weak, especially the numbers involving the chorus. The voices often clashed with each other, and were surprisingly overpowered by the musical instruments, which only consisted of a guitar and piano.
There are many talented performers in the Puget Sound area, and so WET would do well to expand its company by tapping into this wealth of talent that is here, instead of being exclusive.
"The Callers" runs through February 6 at Washington Ensemble Theatre on Capitol Hill, 608 19th Ave. E. For info or tickets visit www.washingtonensemble.org.
