Ubu the King
Reviewed by Terry Morgan
The Actors’ Gang
Through November 19
When the young artists of the newly formed company The Actors’ Gang did a midnight show of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu the King in 1982, informed by punk rock and an anger against the Reagan administration, I doubt that any of their number imagined that the troupe would be doing a fortieth anniversary production of it. And yet here we are — the Gang still exists and, if anything, the political situation has gotten even worse. The story of a power-mad, delusional tyrant running a country into the ground is unfortunately still relevant. The current production is energetic and full of rude fun, if a bit uneven in a few of its actors’ performances.
In turn of the twentieth century Poland, Pa Ubu (Chas Harvey) is the captain of dragoons for King Wenceslas (Scott Harris). His wife, Ma Ubu (Dora Kiss), urges her husband to murder the king and seize power for himself. They meet with Captain MacNure (Bob Turton) to plan the overthrow, and then they assassinate the king. Pa Ubu is crowned, but Queen Rosamund (Guebri VanOver) and her 14-year-old son Boggerlas (Adam J. Jefferis) escape. As Pa Ubu destroys Poland to satisfy his every horrible whim, his enemies gather strength to declare war upon him.
Harvey is good as Pa Ubu but his performance unfortunately lacks that extra edge of lunacy or charisma to really make it memorable. Kiss brings a nicely exaggerated physicality to her role as Ma Ubu, but her enunciation is sometimes unclear. Jefferis is very funny as Boggerlas, his voice a pinched mix that falls somewhere between Pee-Wee Herman and Morty, while Turton excels as MacNure, giving the show the broad cartoony vigor it requires. Harris is skilled and amusing in several roles, and Vanover is quite good as the elaborately mannered Queen.
Director Tim Robbins brings plenty of clever and effective ideas to play, including a comically oversized sword, a regularly updated body-count chalkboard, a battle represented by MacNure knocking over army men toys, and an impressive array of performer-engendered bathroom noises. He also stages the show with panache, using the large ensemble to create or inhabit various settings, and in one number vividly displays the chaos of a battle scene with strobe lighting and the appropriate musical selection of punk band Fear’s “Let’s Have a War.” I’m not sure if Jarry’s play is shocking anymore — we’re all very aware that awful people in power will do awful things – but it’s still a crude and satisfying kick in the pants to conformity, and that’s always a good thing.
The Actors’ Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City; Fri.- Sat. 9 p.m.; through November 19. www.TheActorsGang.com. Running time: approximately one hour and thirty-five minutes.
