Friday, September 24, 2010

Mae West: Muscle Lads

A Washington, D.C. production of "MAE" — — based on the career of MAE WEST — — will be onstage until 2 October 2010. Several local reviews have appeared. Here is a selection from one critique.
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• • Laura and Mike Clark attended a performance on 18 September 2010. The Clarks wrote: Rachel Hardin played the star of the show Mae West. She kept the walk and talk faithfully throughout the evening. Hardin played Mae with a distance that did not allow her to get hurt often — — although she seemed to treat Mr. Mae as a kid brother. Hardin’s mannerisms and speech patterns were consistent and convincing, presenting Mae as the sex symbol she was. Mr. Mae West was played by Matthew G. Myers. Myers had the walk down pretty handily. His attempt at the Mae West accent did not go over too well and Myers kept that to a minimum. He seemed to do a lot of standing around and listening to Mae, although he grew more excited over time as he learned more about Mae from Mae. It seemed he was trying to absorb everything he could to improve his act. Mae’s parents Matilda and Jack West (played by Amy Thompson and Philip Hylton) seemed a bit stiff on stage, but that fit perfectly into the stereotype of a star performing trying to escape her strict family upbringing. Mae’s sister Beverly was played by Cate Brewster. It was interesting watching their relationship get strained and grow closer over time.
• • The Mead Theatre Lab is a black box theater which Saturday night had about 40 people and felt packed. The stage was narrow, but deep. The set never changed and there seemed to be adequate room for costume changes off stage. Sylvia Scarratt’s costumes were attractive. Mr. Mae West and Mae West stayed in pretty much the same outfit for the entire show. Pianist Danielle Hahn provided underscoring and accompanied Hardin and Myers’ songs.
• • There were a few scenes that it was dfficult to tell the scene’s time period. Mae West didn’t age, other than when we saw Mae’s first performance as Baby Mae, portrayed by Zophia Pryzby. Other than some poetic license taken in spots with the life of Mae West, this was an entertaining introduction to the life of Mae West.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Review: KatPa Productions "MAE"
• • By: Laura and Mike Clark
• • Published by: ShowBizRadio — — www.ShowBizRadio.net
• • Published on: 23 September 2010
• • PHOTO by Charlie Scarratt: Mae (Rachel Hardin) with musclemen angels (Shannon Perkins Jr., and Johnno Wilson)
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West play • • by Charlie Scarratt • •
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