Review of Zastrozzi
JULY 20 - AUGUST 11 @ Carolina Actors Studio Theater
http://www.nccast.com/performance/zastrozzi/
Saturday I went to Carolina Actors Studio Theater to see Zastrozzi, The Master Of Discipline. I wasn't familiar with the show and all I was expecting was sword fighting and revenge. I got that, and let me say that I love the script, it's right up my ally. The production at CAST was well executed and I'm glad it's performance was my introduction to the story.
Tony Wright (Zastrozzi) portrayal of he master criminal didn't overwhelm me. I mean that in a good way. He may have been a monster, but he was not a beast. He was a serpent and not a bear. There's so much intelligence and madness for Tony to drag along with him into every scene, it would have been easy to loose the empathy.
There were a couple of monologues, and then the monologues continue, but as conversations. I became worried. There was a disconnect I didn't understand. I wasn't buying that any of these characters were so self absorbed that they could talk to their scene partner and yet pretty much be talking to themselves. That was bothering me. Brian Willard, Victor the tutor, was talking at Colby Davis, Verezzi, the artist. Verezzi was talking around him to the ethereal. The first few scenes seemed to continue this way with the other characters, but then the stakes began to become clear.
These walls began to dissolve. Victor was speaking of his obligation, Verezzi. Verezzi was speaking of his destiny, an act that could only be indulged in due to the efforts of Victor. There wasn't any need for these familiars to pretend to be friendly in front of us. That was a good thing. There was syrupy connections made soon enough. Zastrozzi too, in his relationships with Matilda, played by Karina Roberts-Caporino, and Bernardo, Lamar Wilson, was that of a master instructing. Rightly so. I more mean a supposed master of self than any specialized vocation, as Bernardo and Matilda's worlds are in orbit around him.
Matilda, master seductress, and Bernardo, friend of Zastrozzi, were played big. I have seen Lamar (Bernardo) play leaders, and bullies, but I have never seen him do a henchman. He didn't play it stupid. He played it simple. That worked out very well. Even though he gave me a Beebop and Rocksteady feeling (see-TMNT) he was a vivid and textured man, immoral and doomed. He never took a back seat in presence, he never needed too either, his character is the thug. As an audience member I knew to keep an eye on him because of Lamar's raw reckless tone. Karina too, sounded like a fire cracker. She sizzled, I didn't know what was going to happen next, but she consistently shook the audiences comfort seductress or not. You knew to keep an eye on her. The show isn't written to showcase the madness of the second bananas, but these two forced you to keep an eye on them, and wonder what they were up to.
Julia the aristocrat, played by Michelle Busiek appears, and she is the reason you start to give a damn about Verezzi. He was a machine of nonsense, that was suddenly searching Julia for rational connection. He probed her. At this point I had a theory of how this piece was going to work, between the actor's efforts, and Tony's direction, and wasn't concerned that Julia would continue to seem static. Though her introduction seemed designed that way. Way later Michelle made me very happy with a surprising set of line deliveries that were wonderfully comedic, and the long joke started at her introduction. She was the master evolving, or exposing, character in this piece, and I think it's written that way. I think Michelle knew all too well though who her Julia was, and how to use the frustration, and exasperation.
That was what I liked about this show. The actors had a show that was going to be very tightly woven by the end, and put much priority into establishing to everyone who they were, so that who they became, what the show became, was the apex of all of their personal stakes. I wondered why Brian was taking to Victor with such measured leisure. He was so relaxed, almost dry and consistently melancholy. There was reason, and it came. Not only that, but as soon as Colby turned his head out to the audience, eyes as wide and naive as a plush toy, the purpose of this dynamic was a bit more clear. Verezzi (Davis) is a mad clown, and Victor (Willard) is not only a straight man in their conversations, he is a wrapped surprise. I credit Brian to ride the story in this way consistently until the right time. Colby also kept much in reserve and increased the tension with the amount of joy he expressed in his ideas as Verezzi. No matter how insane he seemed he never made me feel tense by sounding ominous or scary, it was because of how much joy he expressed in his own delusion. While Zastrozzi's nightmares kept him calculating, sharp, and uneasy. The contrast of these two bookend characters was clear and near parallel.
I saved these things for last. It's because these are such complimentary things to the casting, these things that will not change throughout the run are a playground for the elements I described above. The first lighting effect is a flash of lightning. You immediately recognise that, but the same can be said for the rest of the show. The cracks of light through an inn ceiling, the music played from a locket. I wouldn't call any of these effects subtle, but I will call them intimate and effective. These were lures and they drew me in a little closer. I saw Lamar lean back from a halted walk, back into his light. I wanted to say out loud "no need to find your light!" I'm sure he was running on instinct, but things like the darkness in which Zastrozzi brooded and diatribes, and those cracks of light, they were poignant images. The shadow on Bernardo's face, and Zastrozzi's voice coming from the dark, these things were powerful.
The sword fighting was exciting and expressed the different characterizations, and I wonder how much thought was put into that. I'll just pretend it's the same as how I feel about singing in musicals, you are delivering lines, song or sword. The purpose is obvious and for the sake of the story, but nuances that are influenced by their own personal characterizations seemed present. The ruin brick set looked simple, but it hearkened the end of the century, and transitioned organically. This is a credit to the lighting, and keeping things simple. You knew where you were supposed to be, but nothing looked out of place as the locations changed.
These are some of the first things I was going to mention, which I now find less important. After the first monologue I wish something was happening on the floor to distract me from the only light on set, which was Lamar's exit light. I thought that a few things that could have been or were already expressed or implied, were telegraphed unnecessarily, even moments I enjoyed, for the sake of humor. I'm over it. Zastrozzi shows us three levels of himself at the beginning of the show: "He is powerful and scary", "no, that's all a show", then the master he portrays for the rest of the show. The "that's all a show" element, was a mouse. It only lasted for a few intimate moments when he was alone speaking almost weak and neurotic, mousy. That disappears. I've thought about it. Maybe it didn't disappear at all. I think this was a solid, engrossing show because of being so deeply involved and concerned with the stakes from start to finish.
--
James Lee Walker II
ROAR!
www.jamesleewalkerii.weebly.com
Tony Wright (Zastrozzi) portrayal of he master criminal didn't overwhelm me. I mean that in a good way. He may have been a monster, but he was not a beast. He was a serpent and not a bear. There's so much intelligence and madness for Tony to drag along with him into every scene, it would have been easy to loose the empathy.
There were a couple of monologues, and then the monologues continue, but as conversations. I became worried. There was a disconnect I didn't understand. I wasn't buying that any of these characters were so self absorbed that they could talk to their scene partner and yet pretty much be talking to themselves. That was bothering me. Brian Willard, Victor the tutor, was talking at Colby Davis, Verezzi, the artist. Verezzi was talking around him to the ethereal. The first few scenes seemed to continue this way with the other characters, but then the stakes began to become clear.
These walls began to dissolve. Victor was speaking of his obligation, Verezzi. Verezzi was speaking of his destiny, an act that could only be indulged in due to the efforts of Victor. There wasn't any need for these familiars to pretend to be friendly in front of us. That was a good thing. There was syrupy connections made soon enough. Zastrozzi too, in his relationships with Matilda, played by Karina Roberts-Caporino, and Bernardo, Lamar Wilson, was that of a master instructing. Rightly so. I more mean a supposed master of self than any specialized vocation, as Bernardo and Matilda's worlds are in orbit around him.
Matilda, master seductress, and Bernardo, friend of Zastrozzi, were played big. I have seen Lamar (Bernardo) play leaders, and bullies, but I have never seen him do a henchman. He didn't play it stupid. He played it simple. That worked out very well. Even though he gave me a Beebop and Rocksteady feeling (see-TMNT) he was a vivid and textured man, immoral and doomed. He never took a back seat in presence, he never needed too either, his character is the thug. As an audience member I knew to keep an eye on him because of Lamar's raw reckless tone. Karina too, sounded like a fire cracker. She sizzled, I didn't know what was going to happen next, but she consistently shook the audiences comfort seductress or not. You knew to keep an eye on her. The show isn't written to showcase the madness of the second bananas, but these two forced you to keep an eye on them, and wonder what they were up to.
Julia the aristocrat, played by Michelle Busiek appears, and she is the reason you start to give a damn about Verezzi. He was a machine of nonsense, that was suddenly searching Julia for rational connection. He probed her. At this point I had a theory of how this piece was going to work, between the actor's efforts, and Tony's direction, and wasn't concerned that Julia would continue to seem static. Though her introduction seemed designed that way. Way later Michelle made me very happy with a surprising set of line deliveries that were wonderfully comedic, and the long joke started at her introduction. She was the master evolving, or exposing, character in this piece, and I think it's written that way. I think Michelle knew all too well though who her Julia was, and how to use the frustration, and exasperation.
That was what I liked about this show. The actors had a show that was going to be very tightly woven by the end, and put much priority into establishing to everyone who they were, so that who they became, what the show became, was the apex of all of their personal stakes. I wondered why Brian was taking to Victor with such measured leisure. He was so relaxed, almost dry and consistently melancholy. There was reason, and it came. Not only that, but as soon as Colby turned his head out to the audience, eyes as wide and naive as a plush toy, the purpose of this dynamic was a bit more clear. Verezzi (Davis) is a mad clown, and Victor (Willard) is not only a straight man in their conversations, he is a wrapped surprise. I credit Brian to ride the story in this way consistently until the right time. Colby also kept much in reserve and increased the tension with the amount of joy he expressed in his ideas as Verezzi. No matter how insane he seemed he never made me feel tense by sounding ominous or scary, it was because of how much joy he expressed in his own delusion. While Zastrozzi's nightmares kept him calculating, sharp, and uneasy. The contrast of these two bookend characters was clear and near parallel.
I saved these things for last. It's because these are such complimentary things to the casting, these things that will not change throughout the run are a playground for the elements I described above. The first lighting effect is a flash of lightning. You immediately recognise that, but the same can be said for the rest of the show. The cracks of light through an inn ceiling, the music played from a locket. I wouldn't call any of these effects subtle, but I will call them intimate and effective. These were lures and they drew me in a little closer. I saw Lamar lean back from a halted walk, back into his light. I wanted to say out loud "no need to find your light!" I'm sure he was running on instinct, but things like the darkness in which Zastrozzi brooded and diatribes, and those cracks of light, they were poignant images. The shadow on Bernardo's face, and Zastrozzi's voice coming from the dark, these things were powerful.
The sword fighting was exciting and expressed the different characterizations, and I wonder how much thought was put into that. I'll just pretend it's the same as how I feel about singing in musicals, you are delivering lines, song or sword. The purpose is obvious and for the sake of the story, but nuances that are influenced by their own personal characterizations seemed present. The ruin brick set looked simple, but it hearkened the end of the century, and transitioned organically. This is a credit to the lighting, and keeping things simple. You knew where you were supposed to be, but nothing looked out of place as the locations changed.
These are some of the first things I was going to mention, which I now find less important. After the first monologue I wish something was happening on the floor to distract me from the only light on set, which was Lamar's exit light. I thought that a few things that could have been or were already expressed or implied, were telegraphed unnecessarily, even moments I enjoyed, for the sake of humor. I'm over it. Zastrozzi shows us three levels of himself at the beginning of the show: "He is powerful and scary", "no, that's all a show", then the master he portrays for the rest of the show. The "that's all a show" element, was a mouse. It only lasted for a few intimate moments when he was alone speaking almost weak and neurotic, mousy. That disappears. I've thought about it. Maybe it didn't disappear at all. I think this was a solid, engrossing show because of being so deeply involved and concerned with the stakes from start to finish.
--
James Lee Walker II
ROAR!
www.jamesleewalkerii.weebly.com