Empty Space Theater
April 30-June 6
tickets/info
Staging her play at the Empty Space Theatre, Gottberg at times feels like she’s really onto something. The idea of George Bush as Ubu – a sort of “Ubush” – is fascinating and quite funny (unless, of course, you’re an easily-offended Republican). The most strikingly fresh idea comes when Gottberg’s Ubush takes the Supreme Court off salary, and puts them on commission.
Jarry didn’t bother developing his ideas very much, easily bored and moving from one target to another; Gottberg tries to imitate this attention-deficit surrealism, but far less successfully than one of the fathers of absurd theater. Clearly trying to ape the scatological Jarry, Gottberg seems to suffer from diarrhea of ideas, some are funny, some just runny.
Where Jarry’s Ubu plays are certainly hit and miss (in translations, at least), they are almost always quite clever and wildly original, not just in ideas and general satire but in the punning, pompous, half-invented language.
Just for example, in “Ubu Cocu,” Ubu refuses to free his trapped Conscience: “We shall do nothing of the sort, madame. We are not submitting at the moment to the convolutions of our digestive tract. The smallest discolution of our peckeroo might destroy us in a second. In two or three hours at most our provender will consolidate.”
Where Jarry’s dialogue sings, Gottberg’s is badly out of tune, at times wince-inducing. “Shut yer yap and blow.” “Suffering succatash!” “You want some fries with that shake?”
The intentionally corny dialogue, and the campy presentation that often goes with it, has no business in a play connected with that fiendishly stereotype breaker, Alfred Jarry.
More money than wit has been thrown at this play, which has an overly lavish set, giant puppets, three (rather than one) Ma Ubu's, many sound effects . . . More becomes less, here, but at least distracts from the lazy dialogue.
Sarah Rudinoff does a nice job as the slovenly, cowardly title character, even though she has to wear a diaper for the entire play; early on, Rudinoff seems to try too hard at being a man, then settles into the role. The excellent Sarah Harlett is under-used, as one of the three Ubu-ettes.
photography by Chris Bennion