☰

JadeW

Next in Line

This adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story about an American couple visiting Mexico stumbles in its journey from page to stage. While the acting is fine, the haunting tension that is so evident in Bradbury's stories is missing here.

This adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s short story about an American couple visiting Mexico stumbles in its journey from page to stage. While the acting is fine, the haunting tension that is so evident in Bradbury’s stories is missing here.

Art dealer Joseph Elliot (Peter Mark Richman) and his writer wife Marie (Nancy Dussault) arrive in a Mexican village as traditional Day of the Dead celebrations begin.

She is intoxicated with the spirit of Mexican culture and the exhilaration of finally selling her first book, while her husband is bitter about her success and full of complaints about everything from Mexican food to the hotel’s beds.

Much of the play is devoted to an unraveling of the emotional tangle between the long-suffering wife and her petty, controlling husband.

Related Stories

Photo collage that includes stills from the movie "Joker: Folie à Deux" as well as the TV show "The Penguin" VIP+

Despite ‘Joker’ Folly and ‘The Penguin’ Success, DC Studios Still Untested

Sabrina and Shaboozey

Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song' Makes It to 13 Weeks at No. 1; Sabrina Carpenter's Trio of Hits Keep Making Chart History

While Dussault is excellent in capturing the dilemma of a woman trapped in a marriage that has died and Richman is steadfast and unflinching in his portrayal of a man who has become the spiteful tyrant of his home, the script never reaches an emotionally penetrating level.

Popular on Variety

By the time a powerful scene set in the village catacombs pops up in the Act Two, it is too late to rescue the piece from the predictable exchanges between the characters. Even the play’s ending is robbed of much of its power because it’s expected from early in the evening.

Certainly the Bradbury spirit is there, from the first sighting of a child’s coffin in a procession on the main street to the recounting of the tale of each mummified remains of the village citizenry deep in the catacombs. But the true drama of the piece, much of which seems to take place inside the heroine’s head, is never fully revealed.

The play features solid performances by Rodney Rincon as the hotel manager, Nathan Holland and Patrick Montes in multiple roles, and Bert Rosario as the sad-eyed caretaker of the catacombs.

Charles Rome Smith, who directed and co-authored the play with S.L. Stebel, shows his skill in honing the fine performances. However, he is operating under tough conditions in the shakedown cruise of newly reopened but barely renovated New Ivar Theatre.

Michael Shere’s sets are ill-advised for this modest production, which would be better served with more minimal, suggestive settings. Marilyn Donadt’s sound design, while evocative in parts, provides an annoyingly constant accompaniment to virtually every scene.

Jump to Comments

Next in Line

(New Ivar Theatre; 220 seats; $ 28.50 top)

  • Production: The Pandemonium Theatre Co. presents a play in two acts by S.L. Stebel and Charles Rome Smith. Directed by Smith.
  • Crew: Sets, Michael Shere; sound, Marilyn Donadt. Reviewed May 5, 1992.
  • Cast: Patron ... Rodney Rincon Marie Elliot ... Nancy Dussault Joseph Elliot ... Peter Mark Richman Calderon/Vendor ... Nathan Holland Dr. Alvarez/Chef ... Patrick Montes The Caretaker ... Bert Rosario

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9mhnp%2BjqWcoKGkZL%2BmwsierqxnnprFtXnIp2SloZ6aenJ%2Bj2lra3FmZ39w

Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-07-11

<< Harambe Is Forever Memorialized By Stoners

I Met Him Before I Met My Husband: Brandi Rhodes Details Her First EncounterWith Dusty Rhodes >>