Steadstyle Chicago
	May 2010 Theatre Review by Joe Stead
	A Leading Woman "We can't keep dishing out the same drivel and calling it theatre!"  No, I haven't gotten back up on my soap box about contemporary theatre, although God knows I have echoed some of the same sentiments of Joanne Koch's new play "A Leading Woman," which is currently in a two-week World Premiere at the Waukegan Community Players.  Koch has given us a fascinating and well crafted theatre time capsule that takes a look at the notorious Actors Equity Association strike that shut down Broadway for four weeks in 1919. There were clearly two divided camps - the all powerful producers who fought valiantly to hold onto their properties and profits, and the actors who simply wanted a fair chance to earn a living wage in their chosen profession.  In the old days, contracts were rarely invoked or even heard of.  A gentleman's handshake or a pat on the fanny if the actor happened to be female were all that anyone knew or expected.  The indomitable showman George M. Cohan knew both sides of show business, having been his own producer, composer and star.  He believed that actors needed to be entrepreneurs, the successful ones at least, and few knew the kind of success Cohan enjoyed.  To this day it is Cohan's statue in Times Square that greets visitors to Broadway and instills in all that vibrant American "can do" spirit. Cohan is one of four real life people that our playwright Joanne Koch has resurrected for this informative and occasionally thought-provoking play.  There are a number of other characters based on historical accounts and personal narratives who provide a colorful look at American theatre as it was nearly 100 years ago.  Times were changing and audiences were tiring of seeing the same creaky old melodramas and hackneyed comedies.  Actors were expected to embrace the new acting styles of pioneers such as Stanislavsky, and the more natural playwriting of Chekhov, Ibsen and O'Neill.  At the same time, suffragettes were championing women's rights and everyone was fighting just to survive.  Sound familiar? In case you thought the star system on Broadway originated with Barry and Fran Weissler, take heed from the producer Robert Shermer depicted here.  Audiences demand stars in order for a show to sell tickets, and according to Shermer, what is good enough for Baltimore doesn't sell in New York.  Grace Partridge is the experienced leading lady whose name is not quite big enough to light up Shermer's marquee, and she finds herself on the wrong side of a contract that isn't worth the paper it is written on.  Variety newspaper founder Sime Silverman feels that as long as Shermer is raking in the cash, why not spread the wealth a little to the underpaid actors who are struggling to keep their heads above water? Among the characters we meet here are Mendel Lebidov, a Russian actor who emigrated to the U.S. after his family was murdered in a pogrom; the great actress Mrs. Fiske, a true survivor more renowned for her talents on stage than in business; an aspiring director named Benjamin Brookings who longs to bring a revolution to the theatre; and Fiona Lovelace, actress and women's rights crusader determined to bring about her own social changes.  And then there is good old George M, Broadway's original "Yankee Doodle" and a true red white and blue American as there was any.  Both sides of the labor and management debate want Mr. Cohan on their side, and his immortal "Give My Regards to Broadway" tune becomes the center of a dramatic debate.  The Equity members want to employ a "harmless parody" of the Cohan song to help raise money for their striking efforts.  The producer Shermer believes that "songs can be dangerous" and fears the radical troublemakers need to be stopped.  Cohan historically sided with Shermer, claiming "I truly believe they are killing the golden goose".  Cohan proposed his own rival union, which would be called Actors Fidelity League, and boast members faithful to the producers.  In his own way, Cohan wanted to put the country back to work, but to do it in a way that served his best interests as well.  The threat of that new motion picture fad also looms large over the theatre community.  Mendel believes that movies will eventually replace live theatre with pure visual emotion.  Grace argues that "only in theatre do we experience those emotions together" and remarks that Charlie Chaplin cannot hear the applause on a screen.  Cohan warns that if the union drives the expenses up, people will stop coming to the theatre altogether.  His words today certainly have a foreboding ring to them.  "A Leading Woman" is given an entertaining if uneven premiere production by the venerable Waukegan Community Players.  This troupe has certainly seen its high and low points and has emerged a bit like the phoenix rising from the ashes.  As with most community theatres, this one is a mixed bag of performances ranging from the truly first-class to downright embarrassing.  Audra Yokley and Nicholas Hamel certainly belong to the former category.  Their performances as up and coming actors Grace Partridge and Mendel Lebidov, respectively, are fresh and authentic.  Jason Clark is a fine Cohan, Beth Schenkel brings some guts and spirit to the fiery Suffragette Fiona Lovelace, and Jennifer Poiry and Nicholas Ryan Lamb are effective in supporting roles. Tom Reeves' stumbling delivery in the key role of producer Robert Shermer was a serious liability to the production on opening night.  One hesitates to be cruel in assessing the work of dedicated volunteers, but there is no excuse for not knowing your lines, professional or amateur.  For that matter, a more colorful and creative set really would have benefited this production and given audiences something appealing to look at.  The suggested period costumes are well chosen and appropriate, but the drab multi-level set is functional at best. There is no small irony in seeing a play championing the professional Actors Equity union's efforts to win its members a living wage being performed by an all-volunteer company for the pure love of doing theatre.  It is that abiding love and passion that I believe makes groups like the Waukegan Community Players a valuable and vital asset to the community.  Bravo to them for having the courage to tackle this delightful original work in frightfully unstable economic times.  And here's hoping that this long standing company continues to thrive and flourish.    The Waukegan Community Players presents "A Leading Woman" through May 15, 2010 at Bowen Park Theatre, located at 39 Jack Benny Drive, Bowen Park, in Waukegan, IL.  The play runs 2 hours with intermission.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday May 9 at 3:00 p.m.  Tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for seniors, students and military with ID.  Call  (847) 263-8447 for reservations.   About Joe Stead Joe Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for the past twenty-five years.  He served as founder, producer and Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida.  Favorite productions have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap," "The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Godspell".  He has also performed leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin," "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for Waukegan Community Players.  Joe holds a degree in Commercial Art from Tampa Technical Institute.  As a critic, he has reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.  Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America.  He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers.  He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene.  Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays.  His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).