The St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas Neenan, will celebrate the conclusion of its 20th-anniversary season with two performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor and the world premiere performances of a new work for choir and orchestra by renowned choral composer Gerald Near. The concert takes place at Corpus Christi Church, 887 Toyopa Dr., Pacific Palisades on June 3 at 8 p.m. and will be repeated at Pasadena First United Methodist Church, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., on Sunday, June 5 at 4 p.m. The choir of St. Matthew’s Parish will be joined by the Bel Canto Chorale of Whittier and choir of Pasadena First United Methodist Church, under the direction of Claremont professor of music, Stephen Gothold. The combined choirs will number more than 150 singers. Palisadian Louis Lebherz will be the featured bass soloist. Other vocal soloists are Diane Plaster, soprano, Sara Campbell, mezzo-soprano, and Tim DeWitt, tenor. Composed specifically as a companion piece to the Beethoven symphony, Gerald Near’s ‘The Spacious Firmament on High’ for soprano, choir and orchestra takes as its text the ode by Joseph Addison. Thomas Neenan, commenting on Near’s piece, says, ‘Addison’s beautiful paraphrase of the beginning of Psalm 19 was selected by Gerald Near specifically as a companion to the Schiller/Beethoven ‘Ode to Joy.’ Addison’s Ode extols the creator of the universe with beautiful, evocative language and perfectly complements Beethoven’s adoration of the God of nature. It is a 12-minute work written in a contemporary but conservative musical language and, rather than attempting to compete with the Beethoven’which would be impossible’adds another, rather quiet and humble dimension to the program.’ Admission is $22. Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert (no advance sales or reservations).
Kulla to Resign as Council Chair and Join Rosendahl
Norman Kulla, chairman of the Palisades Community Council, has announced that he will resign his position June 30 to work on July l for City Councilman-elect Bill Rosendahl. ”’I will have a senior position on Bill”’s staff in the downtown office,”’ Kulla told the Palisadian-Post Tuesday, just a week after Rosendahl defeated Flora Gil Krisiloff in the election to replace Cindy Miscikowski. ”’Although Bill has announced my hiring as senior counsel, that”’s just a working title for now,”’ Kulla said, noting that Rosendahl is on a 10-day vacation. ”’He has asked me to be his numbers guy for budget and tax-policy decisions, and be responsible for his pledged district-wide citizen empowerment conferences, transportation, and special assignments.”’ Kulla, an attorney and certified financial analyst who has lived in the Palisades Highlands since 1995, said he will also resign his job with Morton Capital Management in Calabasas on June 30. It appears that vice-chairman Kurt Toppel, a former Citizen of the Year honoree, will succeed Kulla as chairman of the Palisades Community Council. ”’Before Kurt left on a trip to Germany we discussed what might happen if Rosendahl won and I went on his staff, as I indicated I intended to do,”’ Kulla told the Post last Friday. ”’When the nominating committee asked me to be chair [for a second year beginning July l], I explained my intentions. Kurt agreed to be chairman for a year. Now I must find a vice-chair to recommend, although of course that”’s not my decision.”’ This week, Kulla explained that ”’Toppel will have to be nominated by a board member, and the election for new officers will take place at the June 9 meeting, per the bylaws. Nominations are open until closed by the presiding officer (me) at that meeting. Candidates must be past or present board members.”’ Kulla has been an active Rosendahl supporter since late March 2004 when, after meeting with both candidates, he told friends he was joining Rosendahl”’s team. ”’After a two-hour lunch with him at Tivoli”’s just a few weeks ago I realized he had the same passion and commitment as me,”’ Kulla said in an e-mail. ”’Here”’s a guy who wants to stir up the pot, as I do. I was looking to hook up with someone like him.”’ Now that he”’s going to be a paid staffer for Rosendahl, Kulla reiterated Tuesday why the decision was easy to make. ”’My reasons for jumping into politics go way back. Since I was a little boy I listened to people argue and could immediately hear what each side was not hearing from the other side that could be a basis for agreement. There are real differences where there must be a winner and a loser. But they are less in number than people think. I think Rosendahl has the ability to think clearly, bring people with differing interests together, and begin to rebuild credibility and trust into the process. We shall see. I shall see.”’ Kulla”’s wife, Katherine Mader, a member of the famous Class of ”’65 at Palisades High and now a Superior Court judge, will swear Rosendahl into office on July 1 at City Hall. Meanwhile, Rosendahl has made three other early staff appointments. Mike Bonin, his campaign manager, will become his City Hall chief of staff and direct his transition team. Margaret Hasheminejad, Rosendahl”’s longtime television producer, will join him as his executive assistant and scheduler. And Aaron Gross, whose last job was in City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo”’s office, will be his deputy chief. Rosendahl will retain the District 11 office on Corinth in West L.A., but Westside staff decisions have yet to be made. ”’We have had discussions about structure and personnel but nothing will be considered until after May 31 when Bill and Mike return,”’ Kulla said. All scheduling requests are being handled by Hasheminejad, who can be reached at Rosendahl”’s transition office in Venice: 398-4890. Job applicants should send a resume and cover letter via e-mail to rosendahl2005@yahoo.com.c
Canyon Service Station Gains Monument Status
Canyon Service Station in Santa Monica Canyon gained historic-cultural monument status yesterday after the Los Angeles City Council voted to preserve it as a local landmark. This designation recognizes the structure as important to the history of the City, state or nation, and requires Cultural Heritage Commission review for proposed exterior and interior alterations. It also prevents the demolition of the station for one year. ”’The City Council approved the landmarking by a unanimous vote,”’ said George Wolfberg, president of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. The SMCCA, which represents neighbors and residents, has been tirelessly pursuing the preservation of the 80-year-old station since learning that the property was going to be sold last November. At that time, owner Monica Queen closed the station, which sits on a small portion of the 17,000-sq.-ft. lot on Entrada Drive. Queen is a descendant of the Marquez family, the original holders of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant. The SMCCA, fearing that there would be nothing to stop the new owner from demolishing the station, appealed to the L.A. Cultural Heritage Commission to designate Canyon Service as a historic-cultural monument. With approval from the Commission, the proposal then went to the City Council”’s Planning and Land-Use Management Committee, which voted last week to preserve the station as a landmark. Wolfberg said that he assumed that there would be a positive outcome since Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski was supporting it. The designation has also been backed by the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, the Palisades Community Council, the Society for Commercial Archeology and the Route 66 Association. In a strange and complicated twist, Queen officially closed escrow just two days before the PLUM Committee”’s vote. The new owner, Santa Monica Canyon resident Chris Hoffmann, purchased the property for $2.1 million. ”’I just hope that he will be a person the advocates can have a fruitful discussion with,”’ Wolfberg said, emphasizing that the community goal is to save the station. ”’We”’re assuming he”’s not a developer.”’ Local homeowners and businessmen such as realtor Mike Deasy, who is also on the SMCCA board, had expressed interest in buying the station to preserve it on site if Hoffmann had not proceeded with the sale. They considered a joint venture between Brian Clark, who operated the station from 1995 to 2004, and neighbors/investors. ”’The councilwoman was pleased that the [Queen] family was able to reach a sale with the designation in place,”’ Kevin Keller, chief planning deputy for Councilwoman Miscikowski, told the Palisadian-Post. ”’I think everyone”’s indicated a real willingness to work together and move forward from this step.”’ Wolfberg said that the SMCCA is soliciting ideas from anyone who might have input about the future of Canyon Service Station. Contact: www.smcca.org.i
FEMA Grants $2.6 Million for Via de las Olas Repair
People who have been concerned for many years about the stability of Via de las Olas, especially the supporting bluff between Swarthmore and Friends St., received some unexpected good news Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security”’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a $2.6 million Public Assistance grant to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works for necessary repairs to Via de las Olas for damages incurred following the storms of December 27-January 11. ”’In our commitment to keeping communities safe from mud flows, floods and landslides, we awarded this grant to repair Via de las Olas Highway,”’ Federal Coordinating Officer David Fukutomi said in a press release. The total amount of the project is $3.4 million, with the state paying 18.75 percent and the City of L.A. contributing the remaining 6.25 percent. On February 4, at the request of Governor Schwarzenegger, President Bush declared Los Angeles County eligible for public and individual assistance for damages that occurred during the storms. The weather caused roadway subsoil to become super-saturated, resulting in a loss of lateral support for 500 feet of Via de las Olas. According to Fukutomi, in order to protect against similar damages, a soldier-pile wall will be constructed downslope and guard rails will be installed along the damaged portion of the roadway. ”’The more than $637,000 in state funding approved for repairs to Via de las Olas Highway, combined with the federal reimbursements announced today, will help ease some of the burden the storms have placed on the City”’s budget by reducing its share of eligible costs to 6.25 percent,”’ said Henry Renteria, Director of the Governor”’s Office of Emergency Services. ”’This is a great first step,”’ said Regina McConahay, a Via de las Olas resident who has been spearheading a neighborhood campaign for emergency action by the City since February. ”’I called FEMA and requested funding following a Community Council meeting,”’ McConahay told the Palisadian-Post. ”’I also contacted Congressman Waxman”’s office at the advice of my daughter, Hailey, who successfully petitioned him to allocate 1994 earthquake funds for sewer repair of our street, and Fran Diamond, who has a relationship with Congressman Waxman”’s office. ”’I want to stress this is a group effort. Via de las Olas neighbors have been resolute in their determination to consistently support restoration of our street. And Louise Rishoff of Assemblywoman Fran Pavley”’s office has been enormously helpful in strategic advice. Rob Glushon, a professional in community land-use issues advised us to alert Public Works Commissioner Ron Low, who was tremendously responsive, and the City of Los Angeles Engineers have been as helpful as possible.”’ However, as McConahay warned: ”’This is a first step only and will take us only to pre-disaster conditions. One of our neighbors is conducting an empirical study to determine what long-term mitigation must take place.”’ Fran Diamond and her husband Roger were in Mexico when they heard about FEMA”’s grant in an e-mail from McConahay. Fran wrote back: ”’I am reading this in Oaxaca, Mexico, and cannnot tell you all how thrilled I am by the news.”’
Tom Patterson to Discuss His Cyber Security Book June 2
About 18 months ago, Tom Patterson e-mailed the Palisadian-Post from Germany, looking for copies of the newspaper so he and his wife could begin their search for a home in the town they planned to adopt. A partner at Deloitte and Touche, where he led the company”’s Securities Services Practice across Europe, Patterson said he was moving to Los Angeles in order to write a book. Skip ahead to early January 2005, when Patterson sent another e-mail to announce that his book, ”’Mapping Security: The Corporate Security Sourcebook for Today”’s Global Economy,”’ was about to be published and that he was working on an author”’s appearance at Village Books on Swarthmore. ””’Mapping Security””’ is a business book, focused on helping companies around the world better understand their risks,”’ Patterson says, ”’so the hometown angle for your paper would be that it was written here in the Palisades, including from my home office at the top of Monument (great view), Mort”’s (great sandwiches), and the Starbucks on Swarthmore (great connectivity).”’ Patterson, a bright and amiable fellow, is finally coming to Village Books next Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m., as part of his nationwide publicity tour for publishers Addison-Wesley and Symantec Press, the publishing arm of Symantec Corporation, a global leader in information security. ”’Mapping Security”’ (co-authored with Scott Gleeson Blue) examines how technology has allowed businesses to grow internationally almost overnight, and the information security risks and challenges that accompany such rapid, multinational growth. Drawing on interviews with more than 100 CEO”’s in over 30 countries, the book lays out an approach business executives can take to develop the necessary precautions to secure their cyber infrastructure on an international basis. ”’I wrote this book based on the actual business experience of companies struggling to manage the risks of supply chains in Asia, customers in Europe, outsourcing in India, and extended workforces around the globe,”’ Patterson says. ”’To succeed in business today, every part of the company must understand what rules, regulations, best practices and customs are in each country where the company operates. ””’Mapping Security”’ demystifies this global mosaic and presents the facts as clear and compelling business reading for people that need to understand the risks and rewards of working around the globe.”’ A native of Baltimore, Patterson entered the University of Maryland in 1978 and later lived in Europe for a few years before ”’moving back to the States to start a real career. I had my wanderlust under control and I”’ve been in the corporate security business ever since,”’ working as an executive at KPMG, IBM, MCC (America”’s leading R&D consortium) and Deloitte. Patterson met his wife, Deirdre Skolfield, in 1994, when she was managing a billion-dollar portfolio for Freddie Mac in Washington, D.C. ”’We knew that night,”’ he recalls. ”’It was a pretty intense relationship”’the best kind. We met around Christmas and got married in the fall.”’ They now have a 6-year-old son, Will, who attends first grade at Palisades Elementary and is already an all-around athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball. Patterson coaches all three sports at the Palisades YMCA and says, ”’It”’s pretty much all-year round, but I have a blast.”’ While living in Germany, Patterson attended meetings for a company in Marina del Rey. ”’One day I rented a car and somebody told me about Mort”’s. They don”’t have American-style delis in Europe, so I came over, had a meal and discovered the Palisades. When we decided to move here, we found realtor Laura Burkett [of DBL, now Sotheby”’s] on the Internet and told her we wanted to find a home in the Palisades, hopefully within walking distance of the village. She was great.”’ Patterson”’s eventual home at the top of Monument presented a daunting uphill hike at first, but now, he says, ”’we never miss walking down to the farmers”’ market every Sunday, and I carry all of the produce back up the hill.”’.
The Eye Never Forgets
Story and Photos By DAVID RUSSELL Setting up a shot through a camera lens does two things: It helps make for a better photo. But, it also registers that image on a file somewhere in one’s brain, so the scene can be recaptured time and again. Here are some flashes I love to relive from my 40-plus years of travel: ”In Israel, zooming in on the cave opening where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. ”Crossing from Pakistan into China at 17,000 feet in a creaky Russian bus, where the driver’s wife, from her ‘kitchen’ in the back, made blinis for us slathered with local farmer cheese and jam, served with hot tea. ”Driving the road from Dubrovnik to Zagreb on a gorgeous fall day, with the Swiss Alps above, a crystal river below, surrounded by golden foliage, we stopped at a small roadside restaurant where a goat was being spit-roasted. Parking our Yugo, we met the owner, indicating we wanted some. His wife rushed out, took the knife from her husband and cut us select portions, then invited us into her kitchen, where we helped to make a salad with veggies from her garden. As we ate, wife and husband brought a local wine to toast our friendship. All without one spoken word understood between us. ”A similar incident at the Fisherman’s Caf’ in Palermo: The owner was about to close. Spotting a framed U.S. $5 bill on the wall, I took one out and held it up. The owner smiled, seated us and dished out a wonderful calamari, then invited us into his spotless kitchen to select a swordfish steak that yesterday had been in the Mediterranean. He, too, toasted us with a local wine while collecting our $5 bill. ”My wife and I had read a Gourmet Magazine story about a special Sunday brunch at the Palumbo Hotel in Ravello, four winding miles up above our Amalfi hotel. We soon found the magnificent town square and hotel only to discover that William Styron and Gore Vidal had already taken the table we coveted, overlooking Le Mer. ”Enjoying Notre Dame’s magnificent stained-glass windows while listening to the grand organ at Vespers. The same glory viewing the magnificent Chagall Windows in the Synagogue of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel. ”Being treated to turtle soup while boating down the Li River in China, with the turtle still in its shell. Also in China, one of our travelmates, a U.S. airline stewardess, couldn’t resist taking pictures inside our China Airliner which instead of overhead bins, had overhead racks, stacked with two-by-four boards and cages with chickens and snakes. ”Sharing a beer with 250,000 close friends at the Munich Oktoberfest. ”At Russia’s St. Petersburg airport, an anxious bus driver off-loaded us in the middle of the airfield at the stairway of an Aeroflot Jet, which wasn’t quite ready for us. There we were, wandering under the wings while huge jets passed us on all sides. When we finally boarded, the only ‘official’ was an elderly Babushka-clad woman with a feather duster. ”Duplicating Teddy Roosevelt’s charge up Cuba’s San Juan Hill to find only a caretaker and the cutest little boy you’ve ever seen, wondering who we crazy people were. ”’Following’ Van Gogh from Arles to Paris. Seeing all the places replicated on his magnificent canvases. Ditto the Lilies and the Bridge at Giverney when the light approximated what Monet saw. ”Sharing the Thai president’s unused ‘sofa’ seat during the rehearsal of an annual sound and light show, accompanied by one million mosquitoes ”Amidst hundreds of monkeys, climbing 365 stairs to reach a magnificent temple in Nepal. And then having to walk back down. At sunrise, photographing a fog-filled jungle before mounting an elephant for a photo tiger hunt. ”In a jeep, being five feet from a boulder in Tanzania where three lions slept. In Masai Mara, at predawn, spotting 18 lions on the horizon. Returning to camp through an elephant herd numbering 45. Stopping under a tree where a sleeping leopard was draped over a branch next to the remains of a Thompson gazelle. ”Reveling in a Venice sunset from the roof of the Daniella hotel. Slogging through a typical Venice ‘flood’ along with the locals. ”Finally, a ‘not-ready-for-prime-time’ Cook Islands tour, so poorly organized we actually spent three half-days learning how to open a coconut! The Post requested only 800 words for this article. But, my brain’s photo drawer is so filled with wonderful memory pictures, it could fill an entire Travel Tales issue. (Editor’s note: David Russell, who has had a long career as a writer/producer in radio, television, advertising and production, is currently a Mexican political creative consultant. He and his wife, Claryce, have been married 49 years and have lived in Pacific Palisades since 1974. Their three daughters all graduated from Palisades High.)
PaliHi Presents ‘The Pajama Game’
This spring, Palisades High School takes on the challenge of performing the full-scale classic Broadway musical, ‘The Pajama Game,’ on May 27 and 28, and June 2, 3, and 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Mercer Hall on the school campus, 15777 Bowdoin. In addition to its artistic value, this play has an immense sentimental value to the community. Palisadian John Raitt, who passed away earlier this year, originated the lead role of Sid Sorokin in the Broadway production of ‘The Pajama Game’ in 1954. PaliHi is proud to announce that the second performance, Saturday, May 28, will serve as a tribute to John Raitt honoring his artistic contribution to the Broadway community, with several of his family members in attendance. ‘The Pajama Game,’ by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, takes place in the Sleep Tite pajama factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It chronicles the love story between Sid Sorokin (played by Eric Rosenstein) and Babe Williams (Gilli Messer) who are surrounded by the conflict of the traditional battle of the union workers versus the management in the Union’s quest to acquire a 7-cent raise. Many hilarious characters are found at Sleep Tite, including the humorous Hineszie (Adam McCrory), his seductive secretary Gladys (Taylor Fisher), the lovable secretary Mabel (Tia Lebherz), the childish president of the Union, Prez (Jeremy Ungar), the quintessential angry boss Mr. Hasler (Jake Weingarten), and the hysterical factory worker Mae (Annie Tippe), to name a few. The play also includes many impressive ensemble scenes and numbers with Bob Fosse-reminiscent choreography, and the memorable tunes by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. This musical marks the culmination of Monica Iannessa’s first year as Pali’s new and enthusiastic drama department director. Monique Smith returns as choreographer and Dwight Stone, PaliHi’s new choir teacher, is the music director. Terry Henderson will conduct the Pali orchestra. General admission is $10 and reserved luxury seating is $20. Tickets are available at the door but for reservations call 454-0611.
Canyon Service Station Gains Monument Status
Canyon Service Station in Santa Monica Canyon gained historic-cultural monument status yesterday after the Los Angeles City Council voted to preserve it as a local landmark. This designation recognizes the structure as important to the history of the City, state or nation, and requires Cultural Heritage Commission review for proposed exterior and interior alterations. It also prevents the demolition of the station for one year. “The City Council approved the landmarking by a unanimous vote,” said George Wolfberg, president of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. The SMCCA, which represents neighbors and residents, has been tirelessly pursuing the preservation of the 80-year-old station since learning that the property was going to be sold last November. At that time, owner Monica Queen closed the station, which sits on a small portion of the 17,000-sq.-ft. lot on Entrada Drive. Queen is a descendant of the Marquez family, the original holders of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant. The SMCCA, fearing that there would be nothing to stop the new owner from demolishing the station, appealed to the L.A. Cultural Heritage Commission to designate Canyon Service as a historic-cultural monument. With approval from the Commission, the proposal then went to the City Council’s Planning and Land-Use Management Committee, which voted last week to preserve the station as a landmark. Wolfberg said that he assumed that there would be a positive outcome since Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski was supporting it. The designation has also been backed by the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, the Palisades Community Council, the Society for Commercial Archeology and the Route 66 Association. In a strange and complicated twist, Queen officially closed escrow just two days before the PLUM Committee’s vote. The new owner, Santa Monica Canyon resident Chris Hoffmann, purchased the property for $2.1 million. “I just hope that he will be a person the advocates can have a fruitful discussion with,” Wolfberg said, emphasizing that the community goal is to save the station. “We’re assuming he’s not a developer.” Local homeowners and businessmen such as realtor Mike Deasy, who is also on the SMCCA board, had expressed interest in buying the station to preserve it on site if Hoffmann had not proceeded with the sale. They considered a joint venture between Brian Clark, who operated the station from 1995 to 2004, and neighbors/investors. “The councilwoman was pleased that the [Queen] family was able to reach a sale with the designation in place,” Kevin Keller, chief planning deputy for Councilwoman Miscikowski, told the Palisadian-Post. “I think everyone’s indicated a real willingness to work together and move forward from this step.” Wolfberg said that the SMCCA is soliciting ideas from anyone who might have input about the future of Canyon Service Station. Contact: www.smcca.org.
Canyon Service Station Gains Monument Status
Canyon Service Station in Santa Monica Canyon gained historic-cultural monument status yesterday after the Los Angeles City Council voted to preserve it as a local landmark. This designation recognizes the structure as important to the history of the City, state or nation, and requires Cultural Heritage Commission review for proposed exterior and interior alterations. It also prevents the demolition of the station for one year. “The City Council approved the landmarking by a unanimous vote,” said George Wolfberg, president of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. The SMCCA, which represents neighbors and residents, has been tirelessly pursuing the preservation of the 80-year-old station since learning that the property was going to be sold last November. At that time, owner Monica Queen closed the station, which sits on a small portion of the 17,000-sq.-ft. lot on Entrada Drive. Queen is a descendant of the Marquez family, the original holders of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant. The SMCCA, fearing that there would be nothing to stop the new owner from demolishing the station, appealed to the L.A. Cultural Heritage Commission to designate Canyon Service as a historic-cultural monument. With approval from the Commission, the proposal then went to the City Council’s Planning and Land-Use Management Committee, which voted last week to preserve the station as a landmark. Wolfberg said that he assumed that there would be a positive outcome since Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski was supporting it. The designation has also been backed by the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, the Palisades Community Council, the Society for Commercial Archeology and the Route 66 Association. In a strange and complicated twist, Queen officially closed escrow just two days before the PLUM Committee’s vote. The new owner, Santa Monica Canyon resident Chris Hoffmann, purchased the property for $2.1 million. “I just hope that he will be a person the advocates can have a fruitful discussion with,” Wolfberg said, emphasizing that the community goal is to save the station. “We’re assuming he’s not a developer.” Local homeowners and businessmen such as realtor Mike Deasy, who is also on the SMCCA board, had expressed interest in buying the station to preserve it on site if Hoffmann had not proceeded with the sale. They considered a joint venture between Brian Clark, who operated the station from 1995 to 2004, and neighbors/investors. “The councilwoman was pleased that the [Queen] family was able to reach a sale with the designation in place,” Kevin Keller, chief planning deputy for Councilwoman Miscikowski, told the Palisadian-Post. “I think everyone’s indicated a real willingness to work together and move forward from this step.” Wolfberg said that the SMCCA is soliciting ideas from anyone who might have input about the future of Canyon Service Station. Contact: www.smcca.org.
Prospero’s Island: Tempestuous, Indeed
Theater Review
With the help of a fairy and a monster, one man manipulates the strange events that occur on an enchanted island in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest,’ on stage at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. Prospero, a former duke-turned-magician, punishes his usurping brother, arranges his daughter’s marriage and finds release from the spirit-infested isle, all with the wave of his magic staff. Most remarkably, Prospero orchestrates everything with hardly any questions asked. And when his daughter Miranda does pipe up to question her father’s reason for raising the sea storm that sinks a ship of ‘precious souls,’ he quickly puts her to sleep so as not to disturb his crafty plan. Directed by Lewis Stout and produced by Polly Petersen and Saul Saladow, ‘The Tempest’ raises more than just a storm; it asks the audience to consider whether one creature’s struggle for power is more worthy than another’s. It also poses the question of whether Prospero abuses his power for noble or selfish means. The intriguing Santa Monica Theatre Guild production, which runs through May 28, has a distinctly modern tone. Think ‘Gilligan’s Island’ meets ‘Survivor.’ Women play four of the roles written as and traditionally performed by men: Alonsa, Queen of Naples; Sabatini, her sister; the Abbess Gonzala and servant Trincula have strange, moody and kooky personalities that clash when they arrive, sea-blown, on the island. The preliminary scene of their ship caught in the storm is particularly well-directed’the characters stand in pairs across the multi-level stage, their swaying bodies moved by the powerful winds. However, it’s a bit difficult to make out exactly what is being shouted as the ship sinks. The relationships between characters and their manner of speech also seem geared towards a more contemporary audience. For example, the servant Stephano (Jon Monastero) at times speaks in modern, street-slang rhythms as he initiates drunken revelry with his companion Trincula (Courtney Fine). Miranda sounds very much like a lovelorn teenager when she pleads with her father to be gentle on Prince Ferdinand (John Fabricant), Alonsa’s son and the second man Miranda’s ever seen. Prospero (Jack Winnick) is, on the one hand, a desperate father struggling to give his daughter a good life, which means reaffirming her royal status and freeing them from the island they’ve been stranded on since she was a baby. On the other hand, he is a scheming magician seeking revenge on his brother Antonio (Donald Heath) and Queen Alonsa (Susan Stangl) who, 12 years earlier, set them on a boat to die. Prospero’s appearance in a fall-colored patchwork robe, shawl of shells and sparkling staff is much less threatening than some of his actions on the island. His harsh treatment of Caliban (Andrew Wei Lin), the ape-like monster whom he shuts away in a cell within his cave dwelling and uses as a slave, reflects his desire to maintain some form of control and hierarchy. In the role of Prospero, Winnick is convincing as both a protective, controlling father and a pathetic but vengeful ex-leader. His scenes with Raegan Payne, who plays Miranda, are humorous in revealing his character’s inner conflict between protecting his daughter from her past and telling her the truth about her origins. Payne gives a strong performance as the innocent and curious Miranda, whose free-spirited girlish nature makes her lovable though naive in her quick commitment to Ferdinand. One of the best performances is by Juliette Storace in the role of Ariel, the cunning sprite who finds pleasure in creating chaos for Prospero, though what she really wants is freedom from any master. A vision in gold and chocolate bronze, Storace charms us with her lovely voice when she is not leaping around the stage, luring the shipwrecked characters here and there. Two visually enticing scenes occur back to back’a haunting banquet that fools and frightens Prospero’s oppressors, and a glorious masque, or pageant, that features local opera and dance talent. Kudos to the creators of the giant, purple winged monster that storms the stage during the banquet, a fiery vision and amazing technical feat. These scenes are probably juxtaposed to emphasize the contrast between the punishment of Antonio and Alonsa and the happy, impending marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand, though arranging them so close together is a bit of a sensory overdose. The masque is written and directed by Tara Redepenning, with original music and musical direction by Darin Goulet. It is truly a treat to see the young Rainbow Messenger Ballet Dancers perform (choreography by Richard Culler) and to experience the sweet sound of the Masque Character Chorus, decked in sparkling masks and shimmering gowns (costumes by Anne Gesling). This mystical production of ‘The Tempest’ also has a permanent backdrop that changes color throughout the show, which enhances the dream-like atmosphere (lighting by Kate Barrett and set design by Lewis Stout). When all is said and done, Prospero relinquishes his staff as a sign that he is stepping down from his position of power on the island. However, it also feels as if he is an impresario, saying goodbye to his audience after conducting his own empowering and enchanting vision. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. For reservations call 828-7519.
