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Home » Entertainment » Stage: ‘Heart of a Dog’ howls at Soviet, scientific hypocrisy
Stage: ‘Heart of a Dog’ howls at Soviet, scientific hypocrisy
By Jennifer Deseo | February 24, 2009
REVIEW: The previously banned political satire takes a hilarious look at a not-so-hilarious place and time.
Back in the day, there was this cold, bleak place called the Soviet Union.
It was a funny place in a not-so-funny way. The people who lived there were all about equality. Each comrade (as they were called) ate an equally stingy slice of bread, slept in equally cramped apartments, used equally scruffy sheets of toilet paper, and lived equally dismal lives. They all loved this Soviet lifestyle with equal zeal — or at least, that’s what they were supposed to do.
It’s just that this one guy — playwright Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) — wasn’t heavy with the Bolsheviks. He spells this out in “Heart of a Dog”, a novella and play banned in the Soviet Union for 60 years. It rocks Montgomery College’s Black Box Theatre, Takoma Park, through early March.
While some of the political satire may be dated, hypocrisy — and the need to slice and dice it like a potato — never dies. And while the play doesn’t fall into the slapstick category, its physical performances (under the careful direction of Patrick Torres) carry the comedy into the 21st century.
About the play: Scientist Philip Philipovich Preobrajensky (let’s call him Doc) saves Sharik the Dog from a life on Moscow’s brutal streets, only to use him in a bizarre experiment. With a nip here and a tuck there, Doc transforms the dog into a man.
Only this man isn’t like one of those strapping, half-man, half-beast Wolverine types. Instead, the dog becomes Homer Simpson, a belching, farting, inarticulate jackass who turns Doc’s household upside down. Things only get worse when the dog-man learns of his “rights” under the Soviet system. Hilarity ensues.
The actors in this Spooky Action Theater production do a great job at punctuating Bulgakov’s satire. James Gagne is great as the street-wise, road-weary Sharik the Dog, and transitions with skill into the obnoxious Sharikov the Man. Carter Jahncke is hilarious as Doc, who scoffs at Bolshevik hypocrisy before recognizing his own arrogance.
Major kudos also go to Karen Novack and Joshua Singer, both supporting actors who hop from one role to the next without missing a beat. After all, timing is everything in comedy.
The play kicks it on weekends until March 8. Tickets for the general-seating setup run at $15 each.
“Heart of a Dog”, written by Mikhail Bulgakov, directed by Patrick Torres for the Spooky Action Theater Company. Performed at Montgomery College’s Black Box Theatre (Philadelphia and Chicago Ave, Takoma Park).
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PotomacStages.com
http://potomacstages.com/SpookyAction.htm
Heart of a Dog
February 13 - March 8, 2009
Fri - Sat at 7:30 pm; Sat - Sun at 2:00 pm
Reviewed February 21 by David Siegel |
A brisk sweet charmer that amusingly attacks political excesses with a soft touch
Running Time: 2:05 - one intermission
Price range: $5 - $15 |
Click here to buy the script
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A mischievous, cheerful production of a droll, diminutive piece of early Soviet theater is an unexpected little pleasure. And Mikhail Bulgakov’s 1925 barrage is just that, not a dusty old relic that has only an historic interest. Bulgakov did not aim to be seen by the snotty classes, but rather by those who have to withstand the whims, wishes and arrogant requests of the newly minted powerful. This is an easily digestible work that softly lands humorous punches against Communist excesses. The charm starts from lights down and in each act there is a crescendo of hilarity that washes over what could have been a way too serious work. Under Patrick Torres' appealing direction, the cuteness factor is highlighted with almost exaggerated movements, faux manners and idiotic but forgiving behavior. Torres does not allow the production to take itself too seriously as the cast take little bites out of the powerful to make them look foolish and silly. The script goes well beyond politics, comically delving into issues of cosmetic surgery which underpin much of the entire venture. James Gagne is an unruly but appealing curmudgeon of a dog turned man turned dog. His hatred for cats is a hoot. Carter Jahncke, as a professor who experiments with all things medicinal, presents the necessary aura of authority along with a comedic cadence of physical movements as he stands ram rod straight to fight against political whims, and is usually victorious. Yet he cannot make his disobedient, unruly experimental dog-man follow the rules of society including using a toilet and eating with utensils.
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Storyline: Using transplants, a great Professor performs a surgical miracle, transforming a stray dog into a human. Dog, now man, runs riot in the Professor’s household and becomes a rising communist apparatchik, extending his antic rampage to the world outside, at least for a period of time.
Michail Bulgakov (1891-1940) was a playwright and novelist active in the early decades of the 20th Century, best known for his critical masterpiece The Master and the Margarita. Both Master and Heart of the Dog are critiques of early Soviet society that were risk taking ventures for which he paid a price. By the late 1920’s his career had taken a downward spiral and censorship prevented further publication or staging of his plays even though some research indicates that Stalin tried to be of some assistance by letting him live. This is a prescient script about how some people will do anything, pay any price, and take any medical risk to look younger or be sexier, including taking medical risks not unlike contemporary standards vanity liposuction, Botox, Viagra and procedures to implant or reduce the contours of a figure that may have withered over the decades. Director Patrick Torres is the Associate Director of Young Playwrights’ Theater and a freelance director. In his director’s notes, he writes of Bulgakov’s “biting satire” in taking on the Bolsheviks, but what an audience will see more is not so much biting as the magic of humor to skewer. He has some fine visual touches that give the proceedings a sense of enjoyable movement in the most unlikely of scenes. His cast has few lapses so that the audience has a good time. Torres keeps the play spinning even during the dimmed light scene changes as the actors quietly move furniture and objects as the audience gazes.
The work of the cast is lively, never static. There is a joie de vivre feel as the principals and the ensemble don’t take themselves seriously. The ensemble take on characters in this multiple scene adventure including servants, leaders of a housing cooperative, Soviet soldiers, pregnant women, old men with a new sense of virility and just very competent stage hands. They are a well drilled group. First among them is Joshua Drew as a young doctor under the tutelage of Jahncke with a key role to link comedy with the serious in both Acts. He performs the task with fluidity so that there are no rips and tears as he moves between the alpha and omega of the role. At the top of Act II Drew has 10 minutes completely in a spotlight reading from a diary to describe events that happened over the months and years between the two Acts. He accomplishes this with a notable natural non-theatrical inflection and rhythm. When asked to make a fool of himself chasing a dog on the floor, or being the second set of hands in howlingly directed medical procedures, he does it well. The ensemble members, including D. Grant Cloyd, Ivan Kovatchev, Karen Novack, Janey Richards and Joshua Singer, each adding a soupcon of characterizations and voice work to successfully fill out the production.
What begins as just a black curtain across the stage with a door at audience right, takes on the visage of a dining room, operating room or even a derelict general play area focused by open off-kilter 2x4 wooden framing to give a sense of an unhinged world. Dominating from the rear is a large scenic painting of a heroic Soviet era statute atop a massive building, but at a most precipitous angle. The lighting design includes touches of spotlight along with a fine filtering that changes the scenic painting from pale orange to a fiery red. The dog costume is scraps of fur. Sound used for scene changes include Russian military choruses to instrumentals, each with an aura and echo.
Written by Mikhail Bulgakov. Adapted by Frank Galati. Directed by Patrick Torres. Design: Kaitlin Eckenroth (set) Alisa Mandel (costumes) Cory Ryan Frank (lights) David Crandall (sound) and Casey Kaleba (fight direction). Cast: D. Grant Cloyd, Joshua Drew, James Gagne, Carter Jahncke, Ivan Kovatchev, Karen Novack, Janey Richards and Joshua Singer. |
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Spooky Action's "Heart of a Dog" at the Black Box Theater (thru Mar. 8)
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February 16, 5:41 PM
by Doug Krentzlin, DC Classic Media and Performing Arts Examiner
Carter Jahncke & James Gagne in Heart of a Dog
It’s amusing that whenever a famous American actor or musician is criticized for political opinions they have publicly expressed, they whine about how their freedom of speech is being imperiled. Try telling that to a Russian author like Mikhail Bulgakov most of whose work was banned by the Soviet authorities during his lifetime. (He died in 1940 at the age of 49.)
For example, Bulgakov’s 1927 play Heart of a Dog, based on his novella, wasn’t allowed to be published in Russia until 60 years later. Looking at Spooky Action Theatre’s splendidly funny revival of this scathing satire on Communism, it’s easy to see why it so offended the Soviet hardliners.The premise of Heart of a Dog resembles a comedy version of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. Dr. Philipovich Prebrajensky (Carter Jahncke) adopts a stray dog (James Gagne) with the intention of vivisecting it and transplanting human organs in hope of achieving rejuvenation.Instead, the result is a human being with the feral instincts of a dog that takes the name of Sharikov. The joke is that Sharikov’s lack of sophistication and refinement makes him the perfect Communist Party apparatchik. Prebrajensky, who has used his political influence to maintain a pre-revolution lifestyle, is appalled, especially when Sharikov wreaks havoc in his luxurious apartment with his fanatical devotion to the Bolshevik cause.Director Patrick Torres’ staging allows for some memorable visual imagery and elicits terrific comic turns from the entire acting ensemble. Particular credit is due to David Crandall’s remarkable sound designs. Heart of a Dog may well be the best show Spooky Action has done to date.
Spooky Action’s Heart of a Dog runs through March 8. Tickets are $5 to $15. For tickets and info, call 301-920-1414 or visit www.spookyaction.org.
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AllArtsReview4U.com
February 22, 2009
http://allartsreview4u.com/
Drama and Dance
I was somewhat embarrassed as I laughed so heartily enjoying Spooky Action Theater's production of Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog". (To 3//8) It was superbly comically acted and directed by all of the production members. The story is a satire about changes in government and so it is so topical now since we are being promised so many major changes by the Obama government. But the "lobbyists wolves are still hungry at the door!" Fortunately we can at least criticize, but the citizens of the USSR couldn't even see this sparkling farce as it was condemned by the government. This story is about a doctor scientist who transplants male genitalia and a pituitary gland into a street mongrel. The resulting monster is a sex fiend and sociopolitical monster. James Gagne as the dog-turned-human is excellent with a wide range of character business. Carter Jahncke has never been better as the mad experimenting doctor. And Joshua Drew as a sidekick doctor is near perfection as the dramatic "second banana". His one monologue is precious. Patrick Torres directed this joyful production and Kaitlin Eckenroth did wonders for this low budget theater with her appropriate skeletal set reflecting the poverty Boshevik take-over of the government. David Crandall provided excellent Russian music. This is a highly recommended comedy that is so satisfying as one particulary wonders about our trying to force democracy on Middle Eastern countries...why???...even Marx always postulated that communism could only work in a advanced system with a strong middle class...it would never work with a two level society of only rich and poor. The other most competent players...some doing triple roles...are D. Grant Cloyd, Janey Richards, Karen Novack, Joshua Singer and Ivan Kovatchev. (Reviewed by Bob Anthony)
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The Montgomery County Sentinel
Review of “The Heart of a Dog” at Spooky Theater in Takoma Park
Right now at local theaters are a number of shows by lesser known artists. Perhaps the biggest surprise is down at Spooky Action Theater at the Black Box Theater on the Takoma Park campus of Montgomery College. “The Heart of a Dog” is a delightfully imaginative romp covering a pointedly satirical theme in its center.
“Heart” is by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, best known for his novel “The Master and Margarita.” Both works were long suppressed by the Soviet government, and with reason. In the novel, Bulgakov has a field day deconstructing the Faust legend in modern Moscow. In “Heart of a Dog” he is in the territory of those old Universal horror films, especially Frankenstein.
Our hero, as promised in the title, is a dog named Sharik, wonderfully played by James Gagne with a minimum of makeup and costumes. Sharik has a rough life on the streets but is befriended by Dr. Preobrajensky, who takes him home. The doctor is being kind to the dog for a reason, and before you can say “mad doctor on the loose” the dog has been operated on and is made human.
But Bulgakov is not writing science fiction but social satire. Sharik the man becomes all that is bad in the current social order. While the doctor has a running feud with the local housing authorities, Sharik gleefully becomes one of them. The more of a dictatorial bully Sharik becomes, the funnier the script, but what the Soviet censors couldn’t understand is that Bulgakov is just as critical of the scientists (they called their field “eugenics” back then) as with the little canine thug he created.
Patrick Torres directed this sarcastic gem with verve and insight, and Kaitlin Eckenroth’s set design is richly detailed given the constraints of the black box theater space. This work requires the proper tone, with tongue firmly in cheek though not blatantly obvious. David Crandall also has a great sound design to capture the period Russian mood and carnival atmosphere.
The two leads really carry this show. Gagne has some hilarious stage business as the dog Sharik and manages to retain vestiges of those antics even when marching across the stage on two legs. Watch his etiquette at the dinner table for a great comic sequence. Just as good is Carter Jahncke as the mad scientist who goes from morally above it all to the slow burn of watching his creation run amok.
The supporting roles are also well cast, whether they play skittish house servants, overbearing comical authority figures, or just people on the street. Joshua Drew is particularly enjoyable as the doctor’s assistant who knows he is in over his head.
On one hand, this is a small play, a delightful comic romp. Seeing it now one can laugh at the comical attacks on authority Bulgakov embeds in this script. But look a little closer and this is not just a period piece. Whether it be science, genetics, politics or just plain human nature, this play still has a lot to say to modern audiences, and many targets to poke fun at.
“The Heart of a Dog” continues down at Spooky Action Theater on the Takoma Park campus of Montgomery College through March 8. For tickets, call 1-800.494.TIXS.
3 stars
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