potrero view

October 2009

Brief Encounter Now Boarding at American Conservatory Theater

By Jim Van Buskirk

The show begins even before the curtain goes up on Brief Encounter. The cast, costumed as British movie ushers, is spotted in the boxes singing pre-war songs like “Sweet Georgia Brown.”  The buskers descend into the orchestra and move through the theatre singing music hall songs, interacting with audience members as they take their seats.  An entertaining atmosphere is established before the players take to the stage to announce the piece.

The American Conservatory Theater has been transformed into the Palladium Cinema as the audience watches the projected titles of Kneehigh Theatre’s production of Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter. With an imaginative mix of cinematic and theatrical magic, Emma Rice has recreated David Lean’s 1945 film version – which starred Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard – with a screenplay by Sir Noël based on his original 1935 short play Still Life.

Familiarity with the classic film adds to the fun, but isn’t necessary to enjoy this theatrical delight.  Onscreen we see first the exterior, then the living room, of Laura’s suburban home in 1938. Laura is sitting in the front row of the theatre with Alec, who professes his love to her. She confesses that she feels the same, even as she insists that they must be sensible and not endanger their comfortable lives and respective marriages. In the projection onstage Laura’s husband, Fred, stands by two empty armchairs calling out to his wife.  After hesitating, Laura enters the screen and appears in one of the armchairs. The image of a train rushes by and we’re suddenly in the Milford Junction train station tearoom.

Much of the action takes place in the tearoom as Beryl flirts with station hand Stanley instead of tending to her duties as her boss, Myrtle, pretends to rebuff the advances of ticket inspector Albert. Laura gets a piece of grit lodged in her eye, and Alec, a doctor, removes it for her. After thanks and goodbyes, Stanley reenters to serenade Beryl with Coward’s 1930 “Any Little Fish”. This is the first of many musical interludes in which vintage Coward songs are used to comment on the action. Better known numbers like “Mad about the Boy,” “A Room with a View” and “World Weary” are juxtaposed with more obscure numbers, such as “Alice is at it Again,” “Go Slow, Johnny,” and “Bora Bora.”

Projected menus quickly establish settings of the tearoom, the Kardomah restaurant and other venues.  The theatrical effects are convincingly conceived and executed, as actors step into and out of projections, supported by top-notch lighting, costumes, performances, sound effects and staging.  The small ensemble cast is uniformly excellent, squeezing every bit of comedy and pathos from each scene. Hannah Yelland and Milo Twomey embody the serious star-crossed lovers, while Beryl and Myrtle are comically played by Beverly Rudd and Annette McLaughlin. Their respective suitors are Stuart McLoughlin, as Stanley, and Joseph Alessi, as Albert. Alessi also appears as Laura’s husband, Fred, and Alec’s friend, Stephen

ACT is to be applauded for launching its 2009/10 season with the runaway U.K. hit. The production also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ornate theater, which was previously known as the Columbia and the Geary, a movie house that hosted the world premiere of Orson Welle’s Citizen Kane and the Northern California premiere of Disney’s Fantasia.

As entertaining as the proceedings are it seems churlish to ask why reinterpret or reenact this romantic film in 2009. Surely not to mock its depictions of pre-war austerity and morality in Britain. This nagging question aside, run, walk or take the MUNI to enjoy Brief Encounter before October 11, when it’s scheduled to depart from Track 15.

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