Shakespeare References in The Arrangement

Elia Kazan’s novel The Arrangement contains several Shakespeare references, a lot of them being to Shakespeare himself, as the main character’s father often calls him Shakespeare. The first time that happens is when the main character is discussing his different names: “in one job I was Eddie Anderson, in the other, Evans Arness; my wife called me ‘Ev,’ my mother called me ‘E,’ my father called me ‘Evangeleh!’ when he didn’t call me ‘Shakespeare’” (p. 31). And then Kazan writes, “When I was this way in my high school days, my father used to look at me and say ‘Hey, Shakespeare! Wake up!’” (p. 65). The next reference is to Macbeth, with Kazan writing, “But now it was being poured all over me, the milk of human kindness” (p. 111). That refers to Lady Macbeth’s line about her husband, in which she worries that his nature “is too full o’ the milk of human kindness/To catch the nearest way.” Kazan make the same reference just a few pages later: “And this stream of visitors, one after the other, coming down full of the milk of human kindness” (p. 114). The next few references come when the father calls the main character Shakespeare. Kazan writers: “Shakespeare, yes, but shorthand, nothing! Shakespeare going to support me my old age?” (p. 223). And then: “Don’t worry, my boy, I expect nothing from you, Shakespeare!” (p. 224). And then: “I used to beg you, remember, learn the goods, Evangeleh, don’t go Shakespeare college” (p. 235).

The next reference is also to Shakespeare, but not from the father calling his son by that name. Kazan writes, “and my father was given to addressing long Shakespearean soliloquies, richly vituperative, to its president” (p. 321). And then the father mentions Shakespeare to the character Gwen: “not waste time like American boys, with that Shakespeare foolishness and so forth” (p. 376). Soon after that, the father says, “I lose my whole life’s business, and she steal money grocery bills to send my good-for-nothing son, Shakespeare and so forth, not coming to store to help his father” (p. 377). The main character says to his father, “And don’t give me that Shakespeare shit any more, ever again, you corrupt and selfish old man” (p. 377). The next time is in an old letter the main character had written to his father, which he signed, “Your loving son, Shakespeare, ha-ha” (p. 435). And then in a second letter, signed “Your loving son, Evangelos ex-Shakespeare, ha-ha!” (p. 436). There is then a reference to King Lear: “Arnold Teitelbaum sat panting on his bed like a pocket Lear. He looked at the attendant with regal scorn” (p. 458). The final reference comes when the father again refers to him as Shakespeare: “Come, come close, big shot, Shakespeare, come so I don’t have to whisper” (p. 487).

The Arrangement was published in 1967.

The Tragedy Of Hamlet (Shakespeare By The Sea 2023 Production) Theatre Review

Hamlet set

Often in productions of Hamlet, the Ghost of Hamlet’s father feels distant, for the otherworldly aspect is emphasized to the point where his other qualities are diminished. He is regal and frightening, commanding, but somehow remote. That is not the case in the current production of The Tragedy Of Hamlet put on by Shakespeare By The Sea, one of two plays the company has been performing this summer in various parks throughout Los Angeles. The Ghost (Cylan Brown) is present at the beginning of the performance, an observer at his own funeral, a moment added for this production. As Gertrude (Tara Donovan) breaks down, the Ghost goes to comfort her, and seems almost surprised that he cannot. The audience feels for the Ghost before the play has even truly begun. The audience also feels for Gertrude in that moment, Tara Donovan giving us a very human Gertrude. The other relationship that is highlighted by this added scene is that between Hamlet and Ophelia, another important relationship that is sometimes not given the attention it requires. As Hamlet (Brendan Robert Kane) breaks down in grief, Ophelia (Melissa Booey) takes his hand. This opening scene, which again is not in the text, is brief, but gives a strong sense of the relationships, and of the overall atmosphere in which the action will take place.

Then during the first scene of the text, the Ghost walks among the audience, as if feeling his way in his new surroundings, getting a sense of what he can do and what he cannot, something that must be difficult for someone who was up until very recently a king. He approaches the stage from the audience, and then exits around the back. He seems curious to be there, surprised perhaps by this sort of afterlife, and attempting to find his place, which is interesting and sad. As the second scene begins, Hamlet enters alone and sits at the edge of the stage. The others enter behind him, and Claudius (Patrick Vest) and Gertrude kiss as she places the crown upon his head. Whatever one might feel about their hasty marriage and the dubious way their relationship began, it is clear that there is physical attraction between them and affection even from these early moments. Because of the staging, it is Hamlet who is closest to the audience, the action happening behind him, almost as if he is not there. And he must feel that way, that his presence is of little consequence. How strange for him, for of course he should have been in line for the throne, though in that moment he is immersed in grief, and while the others at first pay him no mind, he, with his back to them, likewise pays little mind to what is occurring. It is a powerful stage image, and the audience cannot help but focus on Hamlet, who is using all his strength just to hold himself together. He doesn’t speak until he has to, until he is addressed by the new king. Claudius gets close to Hamlet when he says “‘tis unmanly grief,” delivered one on one, as if not to embarrass Hamlet, which is a nice touch. And it is clear that Ophelia worries about him, and when Gertrude goes to Claudius, she goes to Hamlet until her father leads her away.

When finally alone, Hamlet allows himself to wail, to let it out before going into his first soliloquy. He gives a powerful and compelling delivery, at the edge of tears, putting those of us in the audience into a similar state. What a remarkable performance by Brendan Robert Kane, who just the night before was hilarious as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. This is someone to pay attention to. On “But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue,” he pulls himself together. It is that moment when we first see that he must pretend to be what he is not, something that of course recurs throughout the play. However, he is truly glad to see Horatio (Peter Green). When Hamlet says “methinks I see my father,” both Marcellus (Melissa Ortiz) and Bernardo (Alec Yamartino) look out, fully expecting to see the Ghost, but Horatio’s focus remains on Hamlet, which is great, since Horatio knows him better. The line “he wore his beaver up” is cut, because the Ghost in this production is without a helmet. When the Ghost next appears, there is an excellent moment when Hamlet says to him, “I’ll call thee Hamlet/King, father.” And it is upon hearing the word “father” that the Ghost stops and turns back to him. That is the designation that means the most to him now, that is the relationship that connects them. Soon after that, there is a beautiful moment when Hamlet tentatively reaches out to the Ghost, and then embraces him. And they sit together, as we sense they did in life. What we see then isn’t a murdered king and a man who must revenge that murder, but rather a father and son. It isn’t until after the mention of murder that they stand again. The Ghost’s delivery of “by a brother’s hand” is striking because it is clear he is still astonished by this betrayal. The Ghost embraces Hamlet again before leaving, and his “Remember me” comes from a place of need rather than delivered as a command. This entire performance is excellent, but the scenes between Hamlet and the Ghost of his father are probably the best I’ve ever seen. And when Hamlet tells the others, “It is an honest ghost,” it is a pointed and certain delivery. The Ghost’s “Swear” occurs only once in this production, leading to Hamlet’s “Rest, rest perturbed spirit.”

Laertes (Mateo Mpinduzi-Mott) clearly cares for his sister, and his advice to her comes from that, even if it ends up not being the best advice. This production takes great care to make the relationships believable and human, and as a result the audience admires and feels closer to more characters than is sometimes the case. Flowers are a part of Ophelia’s costume, an interesting touch. Laertes is ready to leave, but Polonius (Gregory Mason Dodds) stops him to give him his famous words of advice. When he begins, Laertes sits down. He and Ophelia, by their expressions, have heard this speech before, or something like it. But again, Polonius loves his son. Polonius gets more upset with Ophelia, which is interesting, as he charges her not to talk to Hamlet. There is an added bit with Hamlet coming and wordlessly giving a note to Ophelia, and another added moment later of Hamlet with Ophelia, where Polonius takes the note Hamlet has given her and leads her away. Where he leads her to, of course, is to Claudius and Gertrude, and in their presence Polonius hands Ophelia the note for her to read aloud, which she does (in the text, it is Polonius who reads the letter).

After Hamlet’s first “except my life” to Polonius, he pulls out his dagger, holding it on his second “except my life.” Polonius exits by the third “except my life,” which is then aimed more at himself. There is a bit of re-ordering of scenes in this production, and the “except my life” moment leads straight into the “To be or not to be” soliloquy, so he has the dagger in hand as he begins it, the “bare bodkin.” Interestingly, he is seated for much of this famous speech, emphasizing the intimacy of the moment, and the honesty. He stands on “dread of something after death,” and here how can he help but think of his father? When Ophelia enters, Hamlet is first going to leave, until she speaks to him. And here he is hurt, not wanting his letters back. A noise alerts Hamlet to their being overheard, leading to his “Where’s your father?” Interestingly, he does not hesitate, and looks behind the curtains. His “all but one” is directed upstage to where he believes his surveillants to be. There is a nice moment after Hamlet exits, when Polonius clearly intends to comfort Ophelia, but stops because Claudius speaks to him, and he feels duty-bound to respond to the king first. Ophelia uses the moment to exit. This production then goes back to Act II Scene ii for the entrance of Rosencrantz (Trevor Guyton) and Guildenstern (Savannah Moffat). It does not take Hamlet long to realize their presence is no coincidence, and that might be partly due to the reordering of scenes. After all, he just experienced Ophelia turning against him to some degree, so what would lead him to trust these two? Trevor Guyton is particularly good when asking “To what end, my lord?” He obviously doesn’t want to admit that they were sent to spy on Hamlet, and tries to weasel out of answering by asking a question himself (and we can’t help but think he’d make a good politician). And when Hamlet turns on him again after he laughs at his “Man delights not me,” he is clearly glad to have answer for him this time, telling him the players are coming.

The players are momentarily caught off guard when Hamlet immediately requests a speech from them. In a wonderful bit of casting, Cylan Brown, who plays the Ghost, also plays the main Player, which essentially means he is poisoned twice, and of course for Claudius, the resemblance must add to his discomfort at the performance. After the “rogue and peasant slave” speech, this production goes straight to Hamlet’s instructions to Horatio to watch Claudius during the performance. Hamlet’s instructions to the players are cut, as is the bawdy “country” joke with Ophelia. When Hamlet says to Gertrude, “O, but she’ll keep her word,” he stresses the word “her,” implying that Gertrude has broken hers. The players are confused when their performance is suddenly interrupted, which is great, for sometimes they just seem to accept it as a normal thing. Hamlet retrieves the player’s crown just before he says “We shall obey, were she ten times our mother,” a line in which he uses the royal “we.” Hamlet does not much contain his anger with Guildenstern during the moment with the pipe, and his “Leave me, friends” is delivered with sharp sarcasm.

Claudius is nervous as he begins his “O my offence is rank” speech. Patrick Vest is particularly good here. He moves downstage, as if to get sympathy from the audience, and then Hamlet enters upstage center, so for a moment it is nearly a reverse of the second scene of the play. Hamlet here is very close to killing him before stopping himself. It is obvious he is not looking for a reason to hesitate or to put off doing what he’s been charged to do, but truly feels he would not be following his father’s will in sending Claudius to heaven. When Hamlet goes to Gertrude, he looks behind one curtain and is about to look behind the other, where Polonius has concealed himself, until Gertrude stops him with her line, “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.” The Ghost’s “Speak to her, Hamlet” is moving. In that line, we hear how he still cares for her. Does he wish to speak to her himself, but can’t? That is the sense we get. He needs Hamlet to do what he cannot. And though Gertrude is afraid at times in this scene, she embraces Hamlet when she sees his pain. Brendan Robert Kane, who is fantastic throughout the performance, is particularly compelling in the scene where he talks of the “politic worms” and confronts Claudius to a degree, at least in words. Gertrude watches from above when Hamlet leaves with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. When Ophelia enters with flowers, Laertes sits with her, a touching moment. And Ophelia’s delivery of “And will he not come again?” is heartrending. When Ophelia exits, Gertrude follows her. When she returns with word of Ophelia’s death, Tara Donovan is particularly good.

Part of the second scene of Act V is moved to the beginning of the first scene, when Hamlet tells Horatio about the fates of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Horatio’s response is to take a step or two back from Hamlet, surprised by this action of his friend. And then the Gravedigger enters, and while Hamlet takes some delight in his conversation with him, Horatio remains apart, still clearly shaken by the fact that Hamlet signed the death warrant for two of his old friends. He seems worried about Hamlet’s state. And so all of Horatio’s lines here are cut. The funeral procession enters, and Hamlet and Horatio move up stage to watch. On Laertes’ “my sister,” Hamlet is overcome, and Horatio comforts him, which is wonderful. Though Horatio seems to not agree with what Hamlet has done regarding Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he is still Hamlet’s friend, and is there for him. Osric (Alec Yamartino) has a somewhat expanded role in this production, and is often seen with Claudius before that interaction with Hamlet in the fifth act. On Horatio’s “You will lose this wager, my lord,” the Ghost enters above and watches Hamlet. But Hamlet is faced downstage and does not see him. So the Ghost is present for the “fall of a sparrow” speech, and exits on “leave betimes.”

When choosing the blades, Hamlet is the first to grab one, and does so without the slightest hesitation or care for which blade it is. Then Laertes takes one and has the line about it being too heavy. Interestingly, Hamlet hands him the one he has chosen, so the two exchange blades before the fight has begun. Hamlet then offers this observation, about the blade that Laertes has rejected: “This likes me well.” It is so interesting that Hamlet happened to choose the envenomed blade, and willingly (though of course unknowingly) hands it to Laertes, giving him the instrument of his own death. The Ghost enters again after Hamlet wrests the cup from Horatio’s hands, looking down at Hamlet as he dies. But after Hamlet’s death, the Ghost’s focus rises, perhaps watching Hamlet’s soul rise. Fortinbras is cut from this production, and so Horatio speaks the play’s final lines, which are re-ordered a bit so that the final line in this performance is “And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

This production of The Tragedy Of Hamlet was directed by Stephanie Coltrin. She directed a different production of the play back in 2014, and interestingly in that one Hamlet was played by Cylan Brown. So he went from son to father. There are only a few performances left, so check the Shakespeare By The Sea website for the schedule. There is one fifteen-minute intermission, which comes at the end of Act III Scene ii.

Twelfth Night (Shakespeare By The Sea 2023 Production) Theatre Review

Twelfth Night set

Each summer Shakespeare By The Sea, which is based in San Pedro, takes two Shakespeare plays on the road, performing them in various parks throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. This year, which is the company’s twenty-sixth season, the two plays chosen are Twelfth Night and Hamlet. Last night, the company put on Twelfth Night at Sepulveda Garden Center in Encino, the first time performing at that location. It was a nice park, with trees helping keep the entire audience shaded, something important in the valley at the end of July. The set was a little different than normal, with only the top level allowed to be put up because of some regulation at the park. So some of the action was played on the grass in front of the set, which worked just fine. The set itself is in the general shape of a boat, which keeps the shipwreck that separates the siblings in the minds of the audience throughout the performance.

This production begins with an added brief moment of Viola (Barbara Urich) and Sebastian (Mateo Mpinduzi-Mott) on the boat, reaching for each other and then going overboard off the back of the set, while we hear the sounds of a storm. Then, as is often done, Scene 2 is placed before Scene 1, so that we are introduced to Viola before Orsino. What is interesting about this opening is that while Scene 2 is playing out stage right, the first scene of Act II, with Sebastian and Antonio (Ranier Acosta) is performed stage left, so that we see the similar fates of the siblings occurring simultaneously. It makes for an interesting and moving stage image, of both brother and sister sad, each thinking of the other drowned, and each holding an item belonging to the other. It is also effective in making the audience care about Sebastian as much as about Viola, which is generally not the case. This production then moves to the third scene of Act I, with Sir Toby (Patrick Vest) and Maria (Tara Donovan), who enter through the audience, Toby carrying a drink. On Maria’s “drunk nightly in your company,” she wrests the cup from his grasp. Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Brendan Robert Kane) likewise enters through the audience, and immediately receives laughs from the crowd. Brendan Robert Kane was excellent as Henry VI in last year’s Henry VI Part 2, and he delivers one of this production’s best performances, often approaching the top but never going over. Toby in this scene helps decorate the stage, making it more festive, by hanging several theatrical masks, while Sir Andrew says that he will stay a month longer, adding, “I delight in masques.” He then turns around to see the masks, and exclaims in joy.

Then we meet Orsino (Trevor Guyton), who delivers what is the first line of the text, “If music be the food of love, play on!” Here that first moment is combined with the fourth scene of the play, the first to feature Viola as Cesario. Viola’s expressions when Orsino says “That say thou art a man” and “a woman’s part” are hilarious. Feste (Peter Green) wears a variation of a traditional fool’s outfit, and carries a banjo, which he then uses to accompany his singing. Olivia (Nneka) wears a black shawl over her grey dress to signify mourning for her brother. Malvolio (Jonathan Fisher) is dressed in black to match his lady’s mourning clothes, and has a serious countenance. Jonathan Fisher gave a fantastic performance as King Henry V in 2019’s production of Henry V, and likewise shines as Malvolio. There is an excellent moment as he tries to be funny, to amuse his lady, after the fool has exited, hinting that Malvolio wishes to be all things to Olivia. You get the sense that if he could, he would send everyone else away. There is another great moment when Olivia begins to become interested in Cesario, the change in her expression, and a slight change in the way she holds herself, this new attraction coming as a surprise even to herself. And later this new attraction will cause her to discard her mourning shawl, telling in itself.

Perhaps in part because the first scene of Act II was moved earlier, this production contains an added bit of business where Malvolio tries to give the ring to Sebastian, mistaking him for Cesario. This happens in the spot where Act II Scene i would normally be. He is unable to catch up to Sebastian, and then sees Viola, and Act II Scene ii proceeds from there. The problem here, and throughout the production, is that the actors playing Viola and Sebastian look absolutely nothing alike. And not only Malvolio, but Olivia, Antonio, Andrew, Toby and even Feste mistake one for the other. Of course, there is always a little suspension of disbelief necessary to accept that Olivia, who is in love with Cesario, wouldn’t notice the difference, even when the two actors greatly resemble each other. But here it is ludicrous. They are wearing the same clothes, true, and are roughly the same height, but there the similarities end. But both give such good performances, and the production is so much fun that we do our best to ignore this troublesome aspect.

Feste’s delivery of “O Mistress Mine” contains no sadness, and Sir Andrew dances around in joy while it is performed. And when Malvolio enters to put an end to their fun, Toby, Feste and Andrew take great joy in their play with him. Patrick Vest was excellent as Leontes in the company’s 2018 production of The Winter’s Tale and as Iago in the 2016 production of Othello, and it is wonderful to get to see him shine in this comedic role. And when Maria enters, things become even more fun, for it is she who decides to take their plot against Malvolio to another level. Tara Donovan gave a remarkable performance as Eleanor in Henry VI Part 2, and likewise delivered a distinctive Tamora in 2020’s Titus Andronicus. And she is a delight here as Maria. During Feste’s next song, Viola sits just beneath Orsino, and glances at him with adoration, which he does not notice, a nice touch. And it is on this song that Feste becomes more serious. The gulling of Malvolio is a completely fun scene, as you’d expect from these talented actors. Toby and Andrew conceal themselves upstage of Malvolio (Fabian is cut from this production), and when Malvolio mentions Toby, Toby rises behind him with anger. And when Malvolio mentions a “foolish knight,” Andrew declares proudly and joyfully, “That’s me, I warrant you,” which is hilarious, showing just what a sad character this is, that he is thrilled to be referred to at all, to be thought of at all.  As Malvolio delivers the famous lines about “greatness,” he spins around, creating a funny bit of stage business where Toby and Andrew have to keep ducking down. Malvolio is particularly funny here, and he nearly dances off the stage with the letter. And of course he is also funny when appearing in the yellow stockings. There is a nice moment when Feste, caught off guard by the sight of Malvolio, laughs before continuing with his business. And Feste takes great delight is pretending to be Sir Topas, particularly when going back and forth between Topas and himself. There is also some funny business with Melissa Ortiz as the Officer who has arrested Antonio for Orsino. This production moves at a quick pace, and focuses on the comedy. For example, we in the audience never really feel bad for Malvolio, even when he is mistreated, for we are too busy laughing. Orsino has the last word here, for Feste’s final song is cut.

This production of Twelfth Night was directed by Patrick Vest. There are only a few more performances, so check the Shakespeare By The Sea website for the schedule. There is one brief intermission, which comes at the end of Act III Scene ii. There is a delightful bit of business when Andrew is caught still on stage when the intermission announcement occurs over the speakers, and he looks around, frightened by the unexpected voice.

A Perfect Ganesh (Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum 2023 Production) Theatre Review

production photo by Kevin Hudnell

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum continues to celebrate its fiftieth year with a production of Terrence McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh. While this company is perhaps best known for its Shakespeare productions, each season delivers at least one non-Shakespearean work. And Shakespeare fans, do not fear, for this play does contain a bit of Henry The Fifth. The main draw of this production, however, is being able to see two of the company’s most talented performers in a more intimate story with a small cast. Ellen Geer (who is directing this season’s Macbeth and Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses) and Melora Marshall (who gives an incredible performance as Margaret in Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses) are magnificent in their roles as Katharine and Margaret, two close friends who travel to India together, each looking for some kind of healing.

Though the text of the play calls for only four actors, productions sometimes add other parts, and this production begins with Shivani Thakkar as an apsara, a female spirit that entertains the gods through dance. And here it is the audience that is entertained by Shivani Thakkar’s graceful movements, as she performs with joy a wonderful solo dance, which combines spiritual and earthly elements, perfect for the story of two women who at times seem lost between those two realms. As her dance ends, she moves through the audience, naturally leading theatre patrons to turn their heads to follow her movement, and it is then that Ganesha (Mueen Jahan) enters behind and above the crowd. What a wonderful way of introducing this god, having the apsara lead the audience to him, and having him begin opposite the area where the mortals will engage in most of their action. There is also a delightful and playful aspect to this god. And then he soon moves down to join the mortals. For this god will play many roles in the play, functioning as a tourist guide for Katharine and Margaret, and for the audience as well. As the scene shifts to an airport, and he tells the audience to imagine it more bustling, this production introduces several people to help with our imaginations, or perhaps as products of our imaginations (played by Sam Brock, Jessica Libero Edwards, Craig “Line” Lincoln, Liza Rash and Anthony Soliz).

Rajiv Shah plays multiple roles as well, beginning with an employee of the airline that has to deal with a testy Margaret, who says she will not get on the plane if she doesn’t have an aisle seat (something I completely understand). Both Rajiv Shaw and Melora Marshall are hilarious in this scene. And when Ellen Geer enters as Katharine, her first line is “O for a muse of fire,” the first words the Chorus speaks at the beginning of Shakespeare’s Henry The Fifth. It is a line she will repeat several times throughout the play. And Ganesha at one point quotes Puck, “Lord, what fools these mortals be.” That is when Ganesha is seated on the wing of the plane. He is there joined by Walter, Katharine’s son, who was murdered by a group of gay-hating hoodlums. As funny as this play often is, there are several heartrending moments, such as when Katharine and Walter talk on the plane and she worries he’ll catch cold without a scarf. Katharine is not only trying to deal with an incredible loss, but with her own unspeakable guilt over the way she treated her son. This play was originally produced in 1993, when the AIDS epidemic was nearing its peak, and anti-gay violence was on the rise. Of course, today, sadly, anti-gay feelings are still prevalent among certain sections of the population, including members of Congress, one of several elements that make this play still pertinent. Walter plays a key part in the story, as Katharine tries to come to terms with her past, though first seeming to look outward rather than inward. And so she sees Walter in many of her interactions, especially in the young gay man she meets in India with whom she shares a passion for Shakespeare, and who joins her in reciting that opening speech from Henry The Fifth. That’s actually a beautiful and moving moment, one of many that could bring tears to your eyes.

As it turns out, Margaret has suffered a similar loss, though in silence. And she has something else she has been keeping from her friend. Both characters seek a healing, and in their search and in their need, they are both compelling and endearing. Who in the audience could fail to relate to these women? Whatever it is in our own individual pasts, it seems that we are all in need of some healing, and some self-forgiveness. And to avoid the pain of looking inward, we first try to find answers and solace by looking outward. As one of the many characters played by Ganesha asks at one point, Why India? Ganesha lists a few alternatives that are closer to home. But those of us in the audience dismiss those alternatives just as the character does. We know somehow that we must go some distance outward in order to fix what is broken inside. The main destination is, of course, the Taj Mahal, which does transform them. But by then, they are clearly ready. And though they’ve referred to themselves as best friends all along, it is then that their friendship really deepens and strengthens. And the special use of lighting in that moment seems to include the entire audience in the transformation as well. Perhaps the healing we need can be found in the theatre itself. We share Katharine’s enthusiasm when she says she is in paradise and calls it a dream.

This production of A Perfect Ganesh was directed by Mary Jo DuPrey. It runs through October 7, 2023, being performed in repertory with Macbeth, Queen Margaret’s Version Of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is one intermission. Visit the theatre’s web site for the complete schedule. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., in Topanga, California.