Well! The Revolution Stage Company is open, and its co-debut show, Not in Front of the Children, shows the theater is destined to become an important part of our local performing scene.
James Owens, one of the founding producers, talked to me about how he and Gary Powers started the organization and took over the space most recently occupied by Desert Rose Playhouse. Owens was performing in Mid-Century Moderns with Powers, which debuted at Desert Rose before later moving to Oscar’s, and during its run, they kept talking about their visions for a different kind of theater. They found the private seed money they needed—some of the investment was their own, of course—and after a lot of work (during the summer without air conditioning!), Revolution Stage Company was born. (Read more in Haleemon Anderson’s recent story.)
The future for Revolution seems bright, but so far, only half of the season is set. Mid-Century Moderns is alternating with Not in Front of the Children until the end of October, and then Off the Street will take the place of Children on Nov. 6.
“We plan to have lots of things happening, such as cabaret performances, staged readings featuring works by local playwrights, and classical plays that have been re-thought,” Owens said.
The result of all their hard work is a spacious comfortable audience area, with high ceilings and lots of elbow room. A full bar occupies the wall to the audience’s right (and yes, the seats DO have drink holders!), and tucked away on the left is—guess what?—an ice cream service! The proscenium stage is well equipped with everything from exotic lighting to a real curtain to a stage-left orchestra space.
That brings us to Not in Front of the Children, a one-man show making its world premiere—and Gary Powers is that one man. His multiple talents are immediately obvious when one reads the program. He not only wrote the script, but created the music and lyrics as well! A trio of excellent live musicians—led by Denis Moreen on piano, with Linny Smith playing flute and Teresa DiPietro on cello—warms us up with a medley of the show’s tunes. I had expected background tapes would be played—and was floored by the use of real musicians playing original music.
The curtain opens, and we are greeted by our hero. Powers, playing a man named Danny, is an average-looking guy—with incredible talent. We soon realize we are watching Danny’s coming-out tale, and learning about his journey. Powers guides us through Danny’s agonies growing up, playing not just Danny, but several other characters in his life.
It is fascinating, not just because of the story line, but because of the music. From the minute Powers begins to sing, we realize that we are hearing a very special voice. The music he has written both shows off his talents and advances the impact of his tale. He reveals Danny’s darkest secrets, using his beautiful and always-on-pitch singing talents—and you can understand every word, something that has become a rarity in many singers, alas.
James Owens’ direction has Powers moving about the stage and gobbling up all the available space. The lighting by Mariah Pryor is at times unusual, but effective. The costumes by Emma Bibo seem pretty basic at first, but as Owens plays different roles, he augments his looks with different pieces, and stage manager Gustavo Sanchez moves things along at a good pace. The sound, by Alex Danson and Kelly Maguire, is flawless and crisp—a great relief when compared to some shows at other venues.
There are two acts, and each one features five songs, a just-right combination. It would be interesting to know how long Powers labored over the manuscript to arrive at this conclusion—after which Powers was given a partial standing ovation.
The theater company’s logo, with a sword slashing through a crown, says it all: Onward and upward with the Revolution!
Not in Front of the Children will be performed at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22; Tuesday, Oct. 24; Wednesday, Oct. 25; and Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Revolution Stage Company, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $45. For tickets or more information, visit www.revolutionstagecompany.com.
