‘The War to End War’ shoots blanks at UCI

Tom Titus

It undoubtedly seemed like a great idea at the time -- the

opportunity for UC Irvine officials to stage a world premiere by a

playwright they were familiar with. What could be the downside?

Well, when the result is 90 minutes of incomprehensible,

allegorical posturing, the downside amounts to several patrons

leaving the theater midway through the performance, despite the

absence of an intermission. “The War to End War” could better be

titled “The War to End Insomnia.”

Playwright Charles Mee -- whose “Big Love” was a big hit at UCI

last season -- has attempted to condense a century of armed conflict

into a fuzzy treatise that begins encouragingly as World War I comes

to a close, segues into a collection of mindless performance art in

its center and concludes with a poker game involving the people

behind the Manhattan Project, which unleashed the atomic bomb on

Japan.

At UCI, Annie Loui has taken on some daunting directorial duties,

the most pressing of which is to render some sense of involvement --

or some sense, period -- to Mee’s meandering and muddy premise. She

succeeds somewhat in the play’s first and third sequences, but the

lengthy middle segment, which she terms “the meat of the production,”

is a complete mishmash of Dada ballet/opera that sent the

aforementioned patrons to the exits. If this is meat, I’ll take the

vegetable plate.

The lowlight of this section arrives when a robotic comedian

(Darren Herbert) takes the spotlight to render a series of

nonsensical, monosyllabic noises in a scene that seems to run for 15

minutes, but probably lasts only five. A dance sequence follows with

the hoofers periodically stepping in the substance that could

accurately define the entire play.

Mee obviously has a considerably knowledgeable background in world

history, peopling his initial act with the likes of Clemenceau (a

stellar monologue by Patrick Sabongui and the only real highlight of

the show) and others involved in the Treaty of Versailles.

Intellectual arguments are espoused with considerable vigor while

dancer Isadora Duncan (Emily Rogge) floats through the hall, scarf

fluttering in the breeze.

The concluding segment contains some merit as the A-bomb pioneers

-- Robert Oppenheimer, John Von Neumann, Edward Teller and Enrico

Fermi -- gather at Los Alamos for a few hands of draw poker. Yet even

this potentially satirical scene is diluted by the droning monologue

of Fermi (actress Rogge again) as playgoers consult their watches.

Backing all these efforts is a pit orchestra under the baton of

Stephen Tucker, which acquits itself admirably under the

circumstances. Those attending the closing performances this weekend

should check the inside front cover page of their programs. If they

can comprehend this chronicle, there’s hope for enjoyment of the

play; if not, they should be prepared for the longest hour and a half

they’ve ever spent in a theater.

Juilliard student spreads ‘Mr. Marmalade’

Noah Haidle, 25, the youngest playwright to be produced at South

Coast Repertory, will have his first project, “Mr. Marmalade,”

unveiled this weekend on the repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage.

Haidle, who is completing his second year at the Juilliard School

in New York City, graduated from high school in 1997. While still in

school, he read Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and

Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” as assignments in his sophomore

English class and decided what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Although he admittedly, “didn’t know a thing about theater or

playwriting,” Haidle set his course for a playwright’s career. He’s

been honing his craft for the past seven years, writing “eight or

nine plays” and working toward this, his first full production.

“Mr. Marmalade” is about as visible on stage as another title

character, “Harvey.” He’s the imaginary playmate of a 4-year-old girl

who’s left alone a lot.

The play is directed by Ethan McSweeny and features Guilford

Adams, Larry Bates, Heidi Dippold, Eliza Pryor Nagel, Marc Vietor and

Glenn Fleshler in the title role. “Mr. Marmalade” opens Saturday and

runs through May 16. Call (714) 708-5555 for ticket information.

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

appear Fridays.