Ark Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
If Oscar Wilde were alive today...well, he would be really, really old! But he would also be writing plays like Capsized Flotsam, a new comedy receiving its West Coast premiere at the Ark this summer. Local L.A. playwright Donaco Smyth meshes the wit of Wilde with the fantastic worlds of H.G. Wells, then throws in some of the outlandish zaniness of Monty Python for good measure.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Saturday August 16, 2008 / 8:00pm. (view all dates)
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One of the worst plays we have seen in years. We kept squirming in our seats, wanting to leave but we had seats too close to the stage. Finally, at intermission we left. We hope we are never subjected to such a performance again.
An excellent play by a local playwright who also stars in the production. All of the performances were first rate. Oscar Wilde would have loved it.
Inspired by (among other things) The Importance of Being Earnest, this Wildean romp has many fun and funny moments to offer. Unfortunately, the script needs editing (running time 2.5 hrs) as playwright Smyth fails to choose judiciously from among the many things that might go into a single play and the number of times devices can be employed to positive effect (the guest who just won't leave). While Wilde is pretty successfully aped, Lewis Carroll is much less so, with some drawn out scenes that produce fidgeting in the audience. Smyth does better with quick allusions to Wizard of Oz, G & S, and Fay Wray (one a tickler, one brilliant for its comic timing and stealth). In short, though the play works, the viewer is left wishing that more focus had been put on developing ways to riff on Wilde, making the style fresh for the new century, while spending less time collecting bits of things for this stew: some jokes are simply stale (village idiot), some opportunities are clearly missed (scenes where Granata and Johnson vie for the affection of Smyth would benefit greatly from a bawdier treatment). Finally, although I suspect that Capsized Flotsam was written before Violet Hour (creating an irony for the record books), why treat the latter like an elephant in the living room if you're going to make a campy stew? Other: Casting is spot on with many fine performances, though one or two need a bit more time with the dialect coach. The set is well done and facilitates movement that makes the production seem bigger than it is. Sound and lighting are just right. Free street parking after 7p right in front.
Gay Edwardian Theatre crossed with Monty Python....more of the first, less of the latter. Okay show, i quite enjoyed the "fading" actress...don't get fooled by the picture though, there's no nudity =o\
"Capsized Flotsam" is a fairly new play and the first by actor and playwright Donoco Smyth. It is receiving it's west coast premier at the Ark Theatre in Los Angeles (http://www.arktheatre.com) and is well worth seeing as I suspect it may eventually get enough attention to go on to something much better.
The play is a comedy and a very funny one at that. It's a delightful blend of Oscar Wilde and Lewis Carroll with some risqué farce thrown in. The story concerns a famous Victorian writer (played by Smyth) who just can't seem to come up with the inspiration to finish his new book. Even his butler, who is in actuality his live-in lover, can't seem to do anything to get him over his writer's block. But then circumstances point him in the direction of a strange otherworldly library where he just might find what he needs to get himself back on track.
To say more would be a disservice to the funny surprises this script presents to its audience. The writing is sharp, original and constantly amusing. The actors are all top notch, with great comic timing. This is a wonderful first play and will hopefully lead to much more from Mr. Smyth.
Well, It was entertaining to a degree, very wordy, but the story line was convoluted and many of the actors were severely "over acting". I held out and stayed for Act II however, that proved to be a mistake. I think the play will need a lot of work in order to be ready for Broadway! LOL
It didn't help that the several people were clearly friends of one of the actors and did their level best to Laugh OUT LOUD every time their friend did ANYTHING, it almost became laughable if it weren't for the fact that they were actually stepping on someone else's lines in the process, and instead clearly annoyed everyone else! (including some of the other cast members.
Clever concept though. with perhaps different direction and staging it could be a delightful play.
Very entertaining play. We laughed through the whole thing. Loved the librarians!
Its hard to follow in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde and this play proves it. Skip this and go see an actual Oscar Wilde play. Even though we went during one of the last performances, there were missed cues and lost lines. We were disappointed and left during intermission.
Ambitious Play - Two Leads & "Astral Librarians" very competent - Rest of cast not so - I salute Mr. Mr Smyth for writing an original work!
Dispite a few weaknesses in the play's plot and character development, it was a very enjoyable production. The costumes were excellent. The set was better than in most equity-waiver theaters. Lighting and sound served the production well. Real kudos go to the talented and hard-working cast.
The performances were good, I thought it was a little slow, and writing a little weak, not as clever or witty as I had expected.
This was a very entertaining show. I don't go to many local plays (usually only the big-production ones) so this was a treat. The first act built on the second act - which really stole the show! Stylistically the show definitely gave you the feel of early 1900's London (and a little bit of Jules Verne). This is a show I probably would not have considered except that I recently joined Goldstar to be able to attend more shows like this - so thanks, Goldstar!
This is a delightful play, well written, well acted ... very creative sets and costumes. It was a little long but well worth it. It made for a very enjoyable evening. I wish the Ark Theater was further north on La Cienega and had better parking than just street parking ... but as before, the play itself made up for those slight disadvantages and inconveniences.
The storied titans of Edwardian comedy will find new company on June 26th when the Ark Theatre presents Donaco Smyth’s “Capsized Flotsam.” In the spirit of past Edwardian legends, from Oscar Wilde to George Bernard Shaw to P.G. Wodehouse, Los Angeles playwright Smyth has concocted an outrageous mix of wit, manners and fantasy.
In 1904 London, a troubled novelist must juggle his mounting debt, plagiarism and the occasional hassle of an ill-timed out-of-body experience while struggling to keep his sexuality a secret and to prevent his irritated lover from marching out the door. This tsunami of threats and pressure mounts from all sides as the desperate writer strains valiantly, and hilariously, to hold it all together. Smyth brilliantly meshes the wit of Wilde and Wodehouse with the fantasy worlds of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and fuels it all with pure silliness.
“Capsized Flotsam,” which previously met with popular and critical success in Florida and New York (The Village Voice called it “a raucous romp”), is the second of Smyth’s plays to romp across L.A. stages. His comedy, “Annoyed by Life” appeared at the Hudson Guild Theatre in 2004 and was directed by Ark Theatre member Douglas Leal, who is back to direct “Capsized Flotsam.”
The cast includes Smyth, Scot Carlisle, Catherine Cronin, Julie Granata, Kenn Johnson, Michael Merton, Anna Quirino Miranda, Peter Ross Stephens and Dee Amerio Sudik. Technical design is provided by Krystyna Loboda (set), Jennifer Fulmer (costumes), Kyle Kensrue (lighting), James Esposito (sound) and Misty Lee (special magic effects).
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