Much falls flat in Janus' Brecht review
There are so many things wrong with Janus Theatre's "The Greatest Story eBertolt: A Brecht Review" that they obscure the good intentions of Sarafina Vecchio, the show's director and creator.
No doubt Vecchio wants to make more people aware of Bertolt Brecht, the brilliant, yet prickly 20th-century German poet and playwright. Yet this poorly performed and haphazardly hemmed revue mostly confounds rather than celebrates the genius of Brecht.
Brecht was known for his biting sarcasm and pessimistic world view -- something out of sync with Janus' cutesy punned show title. That winking preciousness along with an unflattering strain of self-importance extends to the whole performance.
Vecchio alternates random quotes from English translations of Brecht poems, plays, epigrams and songs (co-written with composer Kurt Weill) in between Brecht's testimony in 1947 before the House Un-American Activities Committee. (It's ironic since the Nazi menace forced Brecht to find refuge in America, only to be made unwelcome when he was accused of being a communist agitator in cahoots with blacklisted Hollywood writers).
On the plus side, Vecchio finds issues of immigration, abortion and science versus religion in Brecht's writing that mirror current social battles today. Her selections also include Brecht's defiant material criticizing anti-Semitism in the face of rising Nazism (though Vecchio glaringly omits the fact that Brecht opted to live out his life running the Berliner Ensemble in communist East Germany rather than settle in democratic West Germany).
But most of the time, Vecchio's scattershot structure and odd textual selections are baffling (especially an uncomfortably sexual discussion from "Baal").
Also strange is the inclusion of songs like "Pirate Jenny," "Barbara Song" and "Mack the Knife" from "The Threepenny Opera" or "Surabaya Johnny" from "Happy End," which all don't jibe with the political bent of the rest of the material. (The fact that these brilliant songs are performed so poorly with missed high notes and wrong-headed interpretations doesn't help).
Vecchio's direction is questionable since scenes don't always flow together seamlessly, even with text projections explaining the context. The stage tricks like marching during anti-war poems or the faux emotions on display during a scene from "The Jewish Wife" are all cloying.
The cast, oddly costumed in a mix of glamorous evening-wear and period 1940s suits, lacks the ability to perform Brecht's difficult material with the stylistic authority needed (save perhaps Steve Macarus' enduring turn as Brecht giving testimony to the gravely voiced Jim Pierce barking out accusations).
All told, it seems odd that the estates of Brecht, Weill and the litany of English translators would give their permission for their material to be used in "The Greatest Story eBertolt." Janus might do better next time to perform an entire Brecht work to show off his dark brilliance rather than serving up a slew of unsatisfying snippets.
"The Greatest Story eBertolt: A Brecht Review"
1 star out of four
Location: Janus Theatre at Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin
Times: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays; through May 18
Running time: 85 minutes with no intermission
Parking: On the street
Tickets: $12-$15
Box office: (847) 931-0637 or www.janustheatre.org
Rating: Some frank sex talk