1988 THE YEAR IN REVIEW : Theater

W as 1988 the year of the dead in the Orange County arts scene? Well, it was the year Pacific Symphony conductor Keith Clark was termed “a dead fish,” the year William Shakespeare was nearly a dead duck in Garden Grove and the year the rock zanies in Oingo Boingo held yet another “Dead Man’s Party” at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.

Jokes notwithstanding, there were encouraging signs of life locally. South Coast Repertory Theatre won major national recognition with the 1988 Tony Award as best regional theater in the country. The Grove Theatre Co. triumphed over considerable civic adversity that threatened for a time to shut down the county’s only annual Shakespeare festival. The Pacific Symphony demonstrated new enthusiasm , with concerts led by guest conductors vying for the soon-to-be-vacated music director post.

Local rock bands seemed to flourish, live and on record, despite a paucity of clubs in the county that would book them or radio stations that would air their music. The Improv in Irvine paved the way for a significant increase in the quantity and quality of stand-up comedy in the county.

With that in mind, in the following four pages critics for The Times Orange County Edition offer compendiums of the best--and in some cases, the worst and the silliest--that the county had to offer during the year in art, music, dance, theater, pop and comedy.

PROFESSIONAL:

*”The Crucible,” South Coast Repertory. This production was a critical hit with just about everyone, mainly by remaining faithful to Arthur Miller’s vision without being subservient to it.

*”School for Scandal,” South Coast Repertory--Tilting at the comic elegance of Richard Sheridan was another bright idea. Punked-out parvenus and all the rest made for an often-invigorating experience.

*”Mark Twain Tonight!” at Orange County Performing Arts Center--Hal Holbrook has been doing this for a really long time. Some say too long, but it’s hard to argue when Holbrook starts spouting all those wonderful Twain irreverences. Still a charmed evening.

Also worth mentioning: “Me and My Girl” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

SMALLER AND COMMUNITY THEATERS:

*”Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Garden Grove Community Theatre--The brave decision to bring Edward Albee’s incendiary domestic drama to Garden Grove was matched by potent, uncompromising staging.

--”How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” Laguna Playhouse--A lively tickle and jab at corporate ladder-climbing that featured some colorful performances, including rubbery John Huntington.

*--”Monday After the Miracle,” Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse--Taut, unsentimental direction by resident South Coast Repertory actor Howard Shangraw and fine portrayals by Deeana Pampena and Susan Adams marked this look at an older Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan.

Also worth mentioning: “Little Shop of Horrors,” at the Harlequin Dinner Playhouse.

COLLEGES:

*--”The Dresser,” Saddleback College--There are several layers to this intriguing drama about a has-been actor and his man Friday, and Saddleback did a remarkable job peeling them back for us.

*”Cloud 9,” Cal State Fullerton--Caryl Churchill’s goofy, discursive, surrealistic play was met head-on by director Alvin Keller and his able cast in a frank, dangerous and valuable production.

*--”Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Cypress College--This traveling show by Cal State Dominguez Hills sensitively handled August Wilson’s exploration of racism and the black psyche in the mid-1920s.

Also worth mentioning: “HOT TKTS!” at UC Irvine.