“Six Degrees of Separation”
Playwright: John Guare
Venue: Vintage Theater, Denver CO
Date of Performance: Saturday, March 24, 2012
“Six Degrees of Separation” is Vintage Theater’s final production at
their 17th Street location.
The company is moving to a new location in Aurora in the near
future. Follow them there (new
space is at 1486 Dayton Street, Aurora).
Vintage is one of the premier theater companies in the Denver area, and
you won’t be disappointed at any location where you can catch them.
Since this is the last
Vintage production in their current home, it is also Vintage’s final effort to
deal with the substantial limitations of such a small venue. I am always amazed at how well the cast
and crew use the tiny stage to great effect. “Six Degrees of
Separation” is no exception.
More limitations require more creativity, and Vintage is always
delightfully creative within their own limited space.
The plot is based on a true
story about a con man in the early 1980s who assumed the identity of Sidney
Poitier’s son. He used the ruse to
defraud some rich Manhattan residents, including Melanie Griffith, Calvin
Klein, and Gary Sinise (none of whom appears in Guare’s script). Needless to say, the guy was very good
at what he did.
If you’re not familiar with
the concept of “six degrees,” it’s pretty simple. We’re all connected, and that connection can be established
with “friend of a friend” links to six other people. Does it actually work?
Not always. Does that
really matter for this script? Not
really. What does matter is the
concept that we are ALL connected, no matter how close or how remote the
connection.
Strong performances from
Lisa DeCaro, Josh Hartwell, and Theo Wilson anchor the production. Wilson’s con man is smooth, shameless,
and clever in all the right ways. Hartwell
and DeCaro are “victims” of the con, and are also shameless in their own
right. Hartwell’s character is an
art “dealer,” whose wealth is dependent on his ability to con his buyers. That
he is a then victim of a con is both ironic and cathartic.
The set is functional, and
given the space limitations, that isn’t easy. The set included a veiled second level bedroom. It worked perfectly for the brief but
critical bedroom scene.
I quibbled, though, with
some of the director’s choices.
The opening scene, for example is so frenetically paced that it loses
some of its impact. Instead of
quickly engaging the audience in the story, I was left wondering what was going
on.
I also thought it peculiar
that a couple of props (an inkwell, a painting of a dog) were not onstage. They were planted in the audience. Each time they were used, an offstage crew
person stood up in the audience to display them. It took the focus off the actors and moved the focus into
the audience.
These are small quibbles
though. This is a marvelous
script, done by a talented cast and crew, in one of the most intimate spaces
around. I would definitely
recommend “Six Degrees of Separation”
at the Vintage Theater to any theater fan who hasn’t already seen it.
NOTE: This is not a family show. It includes adult themes, some
vulgarity, and some nudity.
This show runs through March 25, 2012.
Director: Len
Matheo
Cast: Lisa
DeCaro Ouisa
Josh
Hartwell Flan
Theo
Wilson Paul
Matt
Sheahan Geoffrey
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