Read Her Lips

From now through July 30, 59E59 Theaters is presenting East to Edinburgh, a series of American plays that — as the title suggests — will be heading off to the Edinburgh Festival later this summer. Kicking off the series is Christine Jorgensen Reveals, starring Bradford Louryk, a talented actor and lip-synch artist who does an impeccable job of mouthing this famous American’s words.

Jorgensen became famous as America’s first transsexual. A former G.I. named George, he went to Denmark for the necessary operations and returned to America in 1952 as Christine. When she came home, arriving at a New York airport, she was greeted by 300 reporters. A worldwide sensation, Jorgensen went into show business and her notoriety continues throughout her lifetime. (She died of cancer in 1989.)

As the show begins, Jorgensen — all done-up in a gown and fur — is ready for an interview with a young Nipsey Russell, played on an old-fashioned TV screen by actor Rob Grace. The actor, who feeds Louryk/Jorgensen questions, almost steals the show in his videotaped performance. His facial expressions and side glances are full of hilarious attitude.

Louryk is so natural in his performance that the result is something completely unexpected. Rather than a camp send-up of unenlightened people dealing with what they considered a “freak,” the show quickly settles into a genuine appreciation of Jorgensen as a pioneer. She was a remarkably poised and articulate woman who was able to deal with the world on her own terms; looking back at Christine Jorgensen, one can’t help but be impressed with her courage and fortitude. The play, which returns July 26-28, is an entertaining and fascinating testament to an amazing human being.

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Primo is Primo

Like a surgeon using a knife to cut directly into a malignancy, the play Primo uses its author’s words to expose and dissect the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. The true story of the late chemist Primo Levi’s time at Auschwitz, derived from his book If This Is a Man, the play was adapted for the stage by Sir Antony Sher, who also stars in this stunningly restrained one-man show. Sher’s work on stage is the quintessence of subtlety; he manages in the course of a 90 minute, intermissionless piece to quietly recount, in meticulous detail, man’s inhumanity to man. His restraint throughout is remarkable.

This is the only major Holocaust play, movie, or book in our rather extensive experience of the genre for which you won’t need a pack of tissues, but that’s not because it fails to move you. It’s because the play doesn’t want you blinded by tears; it wants your eyes wide open and your emotions in check because it wants you to listen and absorb the facts.

Richard Wilson’s direction is unfailingly focused. Sher is stock still much of the time, and when he does move it never seems arbitrary. The original lighting design by Paul Pyant (recreated here by David Howe) provides the story’s literal shadings, while sound design by Rich Walsh and music composed by Jonathan Goldstein underscore the play’s emotional content. Primo Levi was one of the lucky ones; he might have perished many times, but fate, sometimes in the form of human kindness, kept him alive so that he might survive and tell of the madness.

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As We Don’t Like It

Tedious, thy name is Shakespeare. That man can sure run a plot into the ground! It’s too late to get him a good editor, but modern-day directors can whip his stories into shape if they get out their hatchets and cut. After that, it’s all about casting.

For this summer’s first of two Shakespeare in the Park productions at the Delacorte, director Mark Lamos tackles As You Like It — or, rather, it tackles him. The second act seems like it goes on all night. On a balmy evening, you may not especially mind this, but it seems to take forever to get the play’s four pair of lovers sorted out.

Part of the problem is, in fact, the casting. Whenever James Waterston is on stage in the pivotal role of Orlando, you kind of wish that a plane would fly overhead to distract you from his charmless performance. Lynn Collins, who plays Rosalind, has to act for the both of them, and the effort causes her to spin over the top.

The production’s major saving grace, and the reason to stand on line for free tickets this weekend (the play closes on Sunday), is the opportunity to see the great Brian Bedford play the melancholy philosopher Jaques. His famous speech about the seven ages of man is brilliantly reconceived by the actor, who begins it as a series of questions. In another star turn, Richard Thomas plays the fool Touchstone with clean wit. Jennifer Dundas, arriving late in the play, is perfect as Phoebe — but what kind of costuming monstrosity is she forced to wear on her head in her opening scene?

Michael Esper gives a sweetly comic performance as Phoebe’s forlorn lover, Silvius. Herb Foster also distinguishes himself as Orlando’s old servant, Adam. The best new addition to the age-old work is the music of William Finn and Vadim Feichtner, sung by Bob Stillman. Otherwise, it’s a slippery slope down to mediocrity or worse, and this particular Shakespeare play can’t withstand the slide.

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[To contact the Siegels directly, e-mail them at siegels@theatermania.com.]