Theater Review -- Tom Titus

UC Irvine’s drama department has been pushing the envelope of

experimental theater this season, from the sublime (“Love of Three

Oranges”) to the ridiculous (“Fortenbras Gets Drunk”). The university’s

current offering falls somewhere in between.

“Promenade,” an Obie (off-Broadway award) winner nearly four decades

ago when theater was undergoing a seismic shift to the more avant garde

offerings, isn’t quite as satisfying as the elegant “Oranges,” but

certainly comes off as more enjoyable than “Fortenbras” -- even though it

rivals that play in resounding insignificance.

This 1964 confection from Cuban playwright Marie Irene Fornes -- so

popular at the time that the theater housing it was re-christened the

Promenade -- doesn’t make any pretense of significance; it’s just

unstructured playtime. Forget such mundane considerations as plot and

character development; just sit back and enjoy its inspired lunacy.

Director Colette Searls has given her imagination -- and her actors

-- free rein. Costume designer Julienne Hastings has a field day

creating outfits seemingly intended for a parallel-universe version of

“Laugh-in,” particularly the gown worn by Lisa Clayton as “Miss Cake.”

The dress consists of a number of fake breasts, which are plucked off and

employed by other female members of the company.

Chris Smith is your guide to this psychedelic Wonderland as its mayor

(you can’t miss his title; it’s emblazoned on his hat and coat, and he

reminds you of it periodically), and his character is a cross between

Joel Grey’s Emcee in “Cabaret” and Tim Curry’s transsexual Transylvanian

in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

The nominal heroes of this wild and wacky adventure are a pair of

prisoners (Kevin Keiler and Martin Swoverland, known only as 105 and

106), who tunnel out of jail to join this ‘60s version of the Mad

Hatter’s Tea Party, pursued by a muscular lawman who appears to have

just stepped out of “Cool Hand Luke” (Will Shanklin).

They crash a social event for the idle rich where most of the guests

are identified by letters (I, O, U, R, S, T) and one particularly comely

lass is labeled “servant,” but Stephanie Linn is much more than that, as

she demonstrates with some superior showmanship. Offering smooth support

are Shawna Ferris, April Garton, Laurel Hatfield, Ryan Jensen, PJ Wagner

and Estrom Jenkins.

This being the mid-’60s, we are given a scorching antiwar message

courtesy of two wounded soldiers (Stephen Penner and Martin Giannini)

thrust into the action, as a robotic tank (operated, on one occasion, by

an audience member) tracks down a platoon of plastic military men.

Finally, there’s a grieving mother (Amanda Loomer) searching for her lost

babies in a plot device, which makes about as much sense as the rest of

the script. Somehow, all these characters mesh together in a musical

maelstrom presided over by music director Dennis Castellano and his

five-piece combo.

“Promenade” is two and a half hours of sound and fury, signifying very

little, but somehow we don’t mind because it’s all so much mindless fun.

And for those who remember the mid to late 1960s, it’s a whirling

nostalgia trip with out benefit of hallucinogens.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

* What: “Promenade”

* Where: UC Irvine Studio Theater. UCI is at the corner of Campus and

University drives.

* When: Closing performances 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday and 2

p.m., Sunday

* Cost: $7-$10

* Call: (949) 824-2787