San Diego Theatre Scene

COMMUNITY THEATRE BEAT
by Hitch and Kathleen Downs

The Norman Conquests challenge San Diego Audiences

Cygnet Theatre has taken on the task of presenting Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy The Norman Conquests. The three plays, Table Manners, Living Together, and Round and Round the Garden play though November 7, 2010 on a rotational schedule. The plays all take place on a weekend (Saturday through Monday) in the dining room, the sitting room, and the garden at different times of the day. On several occasions a character exit from one play corresponds with an entrance in another play and some scenes overlap from one play to another. The playwright has authored over 70 plays. The trilogy was his 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th plays.

The plays do not have to be seen in the order as shown above. Each play stands alone. We saw Round and Round the Garden first and will attend at least one more of the plays.

Norman (Albert Dayan) is the central character, who is married to Ruth (Frances Anita Rivera). Her brother Reg (Ron Choularton) is married Sarah (Sandy Campbell). Finally there is Annie (Jo Anne Glover), Ruth's sister, and Tom (Danny Campbell), a veterinarian who is much more comfortable with animals than humans.

Here are a couple of teasers: Tom is easily confused by everybody, especially Ruth. Sarah disapproves of Reg's outdoor sport of rolling on the grass. The production provides fodder for quite a few laughs.

The cast, without exception, gave outstanding performances. While Ayckbourn is a prolific playwright, The Norman Conquests is a rather bland set of plays. Each player brought more to the production than did the playwright.

Thus, when you see the play you will be entertained by actors who have drawn every ounce of life they could out of the writing. Directors Sean Murray and Francis Gercke should also be highly commended for their interpretation of the work.

Sean Fanning's set is both complex in design and simple in that it offers the greatest amount of playing space for the actors. Michelle Caron's costumes helped define the characters. The other designers added a high degree of professionalism. Annie Hinton, as Dialect Coach, gives the actors and the play a very authentic feel.

The Norman Conquests runs through November 7, 2010. Please call the theatre, at 619 337-1525, for the dates and times for each of the three plays. Cygnet Theatre is located in Old Town. There are lots of very good restaurants nearby for those who want to make a full evening.

Cygnet Theatre has three classics on their season: "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," November 26 thru December 31^st; "Cabaret," March 17^th thru May 15^th, and "Our Town," June 9^th thru July 10^th. January 20^th thru February 20^th, the theatre is presenting the world premiere of "The Tragedy of the Commons," is a new play about a retired school teacher and his wife whose new neighbor is bent on disrupting their lovely view.