Hello sailor
Anchors
Written by Tony Zertuche
Directed by Eliza Beckwith
Living Image Arts (www.livingimagearts.org)
Kirk Theater at Theatre Row,
Equity showcase (
Review by Michael D. Jackson
Tony Zertuche’s new play, Anchors, is part comedy and part drama,
depicting one man’s personal evolution from going nowhere to finding his
purpose in life. That seems to be the
goal, but the protagonist, Michael Goliad (Renaldy
Smith) never really comes to a conclusion about what he wants, for many of
his problems are left unresolved.
However, after spending the first half of the story trying to find a way
out of the Navy, he eventually decides to see it through––to finish what he’s
started as far as the military is concerned.
Goliad’s options of getting discharged from the Navy are limited: he must
either be on drugs or be homosexual. His
lame attempts to find a way out of the Navy are thwarted by his superiors Chief
Pusser (Helen Coxe) and Chief Diaz (Andrew Eisenman), revealing in comic
tones an authentic sense of boot camp military life (Zertuche served in the
Navy from 1991-95).
Although there are many good
scenes that are completely engaging, few seem to be brought to full
potential. Many scenes come to an end
suddenly as if the idea has been dropped.
It takes a blackout to tell the audience that a scene is over. There is nothing in the writing that gives a
natural button to the ends of scenes, nor do they have little
cliffhangers––something to keep our interest going with an expectation for what
will happen next. The worst moments of
this kind are when it takes the house lights coming up to signal the audience
that it is time to applaud for the end of act one and the start of the cast
bowing to signal the end of the second act.
There was not much director Eliza Beckwith could do about this problem,
for it needs to be worked out in the writing.
Otherwise, Beckwith handled the scenes with a clean, straight forward
staging that was focused on the telling of the story.
Fine performances are given
by everyone in the cast of nine. Smith
seems perfect as Goliad, who can’t seem to commit to anything. He managed to make an ambiguous character
likable and interesting enough to want to follow through the story. Banaue
Miclat as Goliad’s girlfriend Grace, in the second act, had an infectious
sweetness to her and is equally convincing in the more demanding fights with
Goliad over whether or not the two should be married. Bryan
Close made an amiable best friend who is our chief guide to Navy life in
the
Elisha Schaefer’s
simple setting gives just the right feel of military life in a limited space,
though she and the director might have worked together to smooth out the
transitions from scene to scene. The
costumes by Kim Walker were just
what they needed to be in every case, mostly depicting military uniforms. Wilburn
Bonnell’s lights and Geoffrey
Roecker’s sound created the appropriate mood and atmosphere throughout.
The play is strangely
engaging and possesses enough detail about military life and several key
characters that are interesting enough to demand attention. However, the feel of the play is choppy and
as indecisive as its leading character.
For the future, hopefully Zertuche will follow his theme and see the
play through to the end, for as of now it is not finished.
Writing: 1
Directing: 1
Acting: 2
Sets: 2
Costumes: 2
Lighting/Sound: 2
Copyright 2008 by Michael D.
Jackson
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