By Tom Scanlon
tickets 269-1900 web site
But that almost is a big one: A glaringly, even repulsively unenlightened casting. This production employs nine actors, only one of which is a minority; and he, an African American, plays a "Lackey."
Clearly, Intiman -- and the rest of the big houses in Seattle, just don't get it. If it's not a "black play," or if a play doesn't specifically call for an actor of color, it's just white, white, white . . .
And there is plenty of room in this show for diverse casting. True, the casting of Broadway/Off-Broadway vet David Cromwell, as playwright Sandor Turai, and Seattle's marvelous Clayton Corazatte, as a servant, are beyond reproach; these two are extraordinarily gifted actors with impeccable timing and delivery, and their scenes together are sublime -- so much going on in-between their lines!
Laurence Ballard is quite good as Mansky, Sandor's writing partner, but surely he could have been by-passed just this once for a capable actor of color. The same goes for the roles of the young lovers, played strongly by Heather Guiles (best known for her Book-It work) and flacidly by Quinlan Corbett; could Intiman not lure any talented minority actors to take these roles?
Director John Michael Higgins, best known for acting in "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show," manages this three-act farce with a superior whip, a sizzling pace that rarely wavers (save for some questionable business with a wall moving). Though it's certainly on the light, silly side, this is a wonderfully written comedy with quick, confident acting and a lavish, applause-getting -- literally -- set.
Yet how dull are the minds who cast this. How sad it must be to believe that only white people can play roles that are traditionally played by white people. How repressive to have a big bag of money, and only dole it out to people who are the same color as you.
And how tiresome it is, to watch a monochromatic show.
Then again -- we did get our Lackey!
