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Review
Mister Roberts
by Rich See
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Good night Mr. Roberts.
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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts adds to its A New America; The 1940's and the Arts festival with a remount of the 1948 Tony Award-winning show about a gung-ho navy officer itching for battle but sidelined on a cargo ship in the Pacific while the "real war" passes him by. Written by Joshua Logan and Thomas Heggen, Mister Roberts won two Tony Awards (Best Authors and Best Play) and was adapted from Heggen's autobiographical novel of the same name. The Broadway production featured Henry Fonda, Murray Hamilton, and Jocelyn Brando in a run that lasted 1,157 performances. Sadly Mr. Heggen died in a freak drowning accident in 1949 and never saw the acclaimed 1955 movie version, which again featured Henry Fonda as Mr. Roberts and James Cagney, Betsy Palmer, William Powell and Jack Lemmon as the supporting players.
In this revival, director Robert Longbottom seems to be going for the over seventy ticket buyer since the production is a straight forward remounting of the comedy-drama. Nothing has been especially pulled from the writing to make us ponder anything new. After almost 60 years, the show itself comes across as somewhat dated, the most interesting aspect of it being the generational differences that become immediately apparent between "then" and "now." Its bittersweet ending seems contrived, manipulative, and artificial. What once may have stunned crowds now simply seems a calculated way to wring applause and add depth to a fun, screwball comedy about a bored cargo crew balancing tedium, raging hormones and a sadistic captain.
However, as a time capsule to observe the thinking patterns of men and women of that generation, it is quite charming in its telling naiveté about the sexes. Mr. Roberts wants to go to battle -- because he is certain of what makes a hero and how he can make a difference in the world. He is completely uncomplicated and has no doubts about his duty to himself, his country, his family, or his friends. This is a view that is completely opposite of what we normally see or discuss within the military actions occurring since World War II. The Second World War seems to have been one of only a few in this country where complete solidarity reigned and moral ambiguity was removed as the collective focus was maintained. Perhaps the reason so many look back to that time period with fond memories, nostalgia, or wishes for its return as a "simpler time."
In scenes like the eyeglass wielding sailors watching nurses showering, we see how far (for better or worse) our post-MTV world has journeyed. When Mr. Roberts, Doc, and Ensign Pulver make whiskey, the only similarities between then and today is the brand: Johnny Walker's Red Label -- which (unlike the show) is still going strong after all these years.
Part of the problem with this production may be the disconnect between the main character and the audience. Perhaps it was Director Longbottom's idea, but Michael Dempsey seems to be a Lt. Roberts who has been drafted to perform -- he never seems completely convinced of the role's worth. Duty replaces warmth, which is odd for a character who is the glue holding the ship together. It's Mr. Roberts who is the backbone of the crew: the morale builder, mentor and trusted confidante of the 167 men aboard the "Reluctant." Mr. Dempsey's performance creates a Doug Roberts who is somewhat Teflon -- lovely to look at, sounds very nice, and yet curiously nothing ever seems to stick to him. The crew loves him; he thinks they're very nice. Thus when the fateful letter arrives, you are less stunned than simply thankful the end is near. None of it ever seemed completely authentic and you were never really emotionally invested in any of it. (Though you may be moved to yell out the ending, as an audience member did at the performance I attended.)
Interestingly, as Ensign Frank Pulver, Hunter Foster shines in a highly comedic role. You connect to him and his silliness. When he emerges from a laundry room filled with soap suds, you believe he could be so goofy as to be making fire crackers on a ship at sea. (To Mr. Dempsey's defense, Lt. Doug Roberts is a pretty staid straight man to roommate Pulver; it would take a highly charismatic actor to generate real depth from the lines.)
In the roles of Doc and Lt. Ann Girard, Stephen Kunken and Beth Hylton fit the bill. Mr. Kunken comes across as a laid-back, break the rules kind of officer. (Funny how this character has been recreated over and over again. M.A.S.H., Love Boat, E.R... Apparently we can never get enough of a lackadaisical doctor who shuffles through life breaking the rules.) Ms. Girard looks and sounds like she just stepped out of a 1940's W.A.V.E.S. recruitment ad. A hint of sexiness wrapped up in a uniform of propriety, she is quite aware that she is the only woman on board a ship of navy men who have been at sea for a prolonged period of time. However, she really wants to go to Ensign Pulver's bunk for a drink -- and just a drink.
In the role of The Captain, Frank Deal looks like he would have been at home in a golden age MGM film. All brawn and no brains, The Captain seems determined to make life miserable for the men on his ship and especially for Doug Roberts. Mr. Deal takes the role and runs with it, creating a Captain who is comically grotesque. Inane and funny in a disturbing way.
At $300,000 the Andrew Jackness set, featuring a moving ship's deck and a beautiful cloudscape backdrop, is the most expensive the center has ever created. The backdrop is quite stunning. It almost looks real. The same can't be said about the rest of the production, but the backdrop of clouds...one wishes they'd sell that backdrop on E-Bay because I'd love to have it hanging in my living room. You need more than glitz to create a great play and Disney-fying something with a huge sum of money doesn't make for good theatre, but it does tend to create great spectacle. And although the expansive set is very realistic and nice, all in all, you wish the play had a bit of a kick to it -- like the whiskey the men manufacture to help Ensign Pulver snare a nurse.
This Mister Roberts is a cute, one-dimensional comedy about hijinks on the high seas -- a feel-good play for seniors and conservatives that may gel and bloom as the run continues. Its uncomplicated humor harkens to a wistfully nostalgic, simpler life where men and women's roles, and right and wrong, were well-defined. This of course is an illusion, just ask an American of Japanese descent how they felt during the war and you may get a very different story. However, as the centerpiece of the KC festival, Mister Roberts serves its duty well, since the festival is less an examination of the times than a celebration of a way of life.
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Mister Roberts by Joshua Logan and Thomas Heggen Directed by Robert Longbottom with Field Blauvelt, Clinton Brandhagen, Kathleen Coons, Jeff Cusimano, Frank Deal, Michael Dempsey, Ted Feldman, Hunter Foster, Andrew Honeycutt, Beth Hylton, David Johnson, Nehal Joshi, Stephen Kunken, Robert Michael McClure, Thomas Nunan, Kip Pierson, Michael Vitaly Sazonov, Tom Scofield, Stephen Thomas, Jacob Michael Thornhill, Craig Wallace, Timothy Warmen, Peter Wylie, Jim Zidar Scenic Design: Andrew Jackness Costume Design: Suzy Benzinger Lighting Design: Ken Billington Sound Design: John Gromada Fight Choreographer: Brad Walker Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with 1 intermission The Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater Telephone: 202-467-4600 or 1-800-444-1324 TUE - SUN @7:30, SAT - SUN @1:30; $25 - $78 Opening 03/12/05, closing 04/03/05 Reviewed by Rich See based on 03/17/05 performance |
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Retold by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Co.
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