| Actress |
Karen Clarke |
| Professor |
Mike Venner |
| Ball Player |
Ben Farr |
| Senator |
Malcolm George |
| Heavy |
Niall O'Higgins |
|
|
| Director |
Wendela Rosenberg
Polak |
| Set Design |
Veronique Gerber |
2007
'Insignificance' by Terry Johnson
Beehive
Theatre Company's new production, Insignificance by Terry Johnson, opened to
a standing ovation at its first performance. The characters, named Professor,
Senator, Actress, and Ball Player, intersect variously in a New York hotel room
in 1953. Representing Albert Einstein, Senator Joe McCarthy, Marilyn Monroe
and her husband Joe DiMaggio, the characters carry a weight of history into
the play. The play opens with a sinister and sleazy Malcolm George as the Senator,
his body language moving unnervingly between a steeliness and a loose 'good-old-boy'
camaraderie that no one would trust. Mike Venner's Einstein embodies a resigned
wisdom, his economical gestures -a touch to the arm, a dawning realisation on
his face - serve to make the Professor human. It is difficult to imagine that
hearing the theory of relativity on stage can be entertaining, but in Beehive's
production, Karen Clarke as Marilyn Monroe makes it fascinating and charming
at the same time. Dressed in the famous halter dress from The Seven Year Itch,
she is startlingly like Monroe, conveying a seeking intelligence whilst never
once losing an awareness of her own sexiness. Ben Farr's vivid portrayal of
the Ball Player combines rage and sorrow to perfection. Insignificance moves
in turn from strong emotion to humour, balancing each. It is a satisfying play
and Beehive's current production under the direction of Wendela Rosenberg Polak
brings the play vividly to life. The audience, after the standing ovation, went
out into the night, energized by this fine production. Sandra Landers.