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'On The Open Road'

teve Tesich's comedy of
ideas On the Open Road,
running at The Theatre
Company through April 28,
is Waiting for Godot II or, perhaps,
Godot: The Prequel. In all truth, it
can stand on its own as a small,
funny play that is willing to take
on big ideas.
Tesich, who must have spent
time in a bar frequented by
philosophers or, just as likely, get-
ting trained by Jesuits, does give
us an answer to who killed Christ:
Al and Angel,
played respectively
THEATER
by Danny Jacobs
and David Regal. And they're cru-
cified for it — as they should be.
Even though they didn't really do
it. Unless, for example, you believe
that inciting a riot in which peo-
ple are killed makes you as cul-
pable as if you shot them down.
Tesich's play is a good deal more
entertaining, more antic than the
above might lead you to believe.
Unlike Godot, which is all hunch
and randomness, On the Open
Road has a beginning (repeated
at the opening of Act II), a lot of
middle, and a fine, funny, touch-
ing ending.
Al, educated and cultured—he
can hum the major themes of an
amazing number of classical
pieces — becomes the mentor for
Angel, a streetwise lout saved
from hanging. It is in an era of civ-
il war. Christ has been reborn,
plays the cello (Bach, Unaccom-
panied Suite No. 1), and there is,
of course, havoc. Al and Angel are
trying to escape to freedom, just
across the border. They escape, all
right, to another life; but it ain't
on earth.
As Al tells us, when Angel asks,
the government policy on hanging
people is it provides the gallows,
and the victims provide the guilt.
Al also applauds Angel's realiza-
tion: "What's the point of progress
if we're all going to die?" — the
philosophical underpinning of all

S

Abelard and Heloise is the true story of lovers who sacrifice their souls for passion.

'Abelard and Heloise'

DE TR OIT J EWISH NEW S

H

w

80

During much of this to-ing Peter write letters to each other
eloise was a 16-year-
old girl. Peter, the and fro-ing — should I, should from their respective religious
Abelard of Abelard we, might we, ought I — the di- retreats, which is how we know
and Heloise by rector Anthony Schmitt has so much about them.
Clearly, some far-thinking let-
Ronald Millar, was a 27-year-old made very pretty stage pictures.
ter-keeper saw a future
cleric — which is not quite a There are lots of nuns in
for epistles, much like
priest, but if he keeps his sex formations, or monks in
THEATER
compendiums of Hints
kind of discreet, he can still rows, and plenty of at-
from Heloise (definitely
make bishop or something high tractive stage candles. I
thought for sure they were go- NOT the same lady). They each
up in the Church.
Did I mention that the play, ing to be credited with discover- lived to a ripe old age — in their
ing aromatherapy.
60s — a long time in the 12th
which runs through
But, no. Against both century. The play is 2 1/2 hours,
May 11 and closes
their wishes and lots of which also seems like a long
out Hilberry's sea-
carnal desire, he becomes time, even in the 20th century.
son, is set in France
a monk and she a nun.
In 1814, their remains were
in the 12th century?
She gives away her son united in the cemetery of Pere
It's also based on the
(they were secretly mar- Lachaise in Paris, marked by a
lives of real people,
ried after his birth). Oh stone with the inscription,
like Eleanor and
yes, her uncle hired a cou- "Abelard: Heloise — Forever
Franklin or Bonnie
MICHAEL H.
ple of thugs to castrate Pe- One" — except, you notice, he's
and Clyde.
MARGOL IN
ter, which was very first. Then again, maybe they'd
SPECIAL T 0 THE
Abelard is sort of a
JEWISH NE WS
tastefully done with no be more at home on "Jenny
big man on campus
blood, all under his duvet. Jones."
to all the students in
Dwight Tolar is Peter
Paris, especially Robert who has
a real big crush on him — defi- Abelard. He's very nice-looking
tO 1 /2
nitely not religious. Abelard and earnest and said his lines in
starts tutoring Heloise at her a very straightforward, unfussy
Uncle Fulbert's request. And you way. Heloise was Antoinette Do-
know there's trouble ahead: Sex herty and, unlike Diana Rigg
who played the part on Broad-
pops up.
These days, of course, they'd way, did not take off her clothes.
Outstanding
go on "Oprah," find a new age Heloise is a lot like Agnes in
ministry, maybe start a radio Agnes of God, a bit hysterical but
O c„) c
„ „).
Very Good
talk show. But back then his op- willing to stand by her man.
I noticed that all the women
tions were limited: get married,
Good
give up your career. Hers were had one name while the men
even worse: become a nun or a had two. I don't know if this
Fair
prostitute. Talk about a glass proves anything except that rm
observant. Oh yes, Heloise and
ceiling.

civilized life. Ask and ye shall de-
ceive.
Much of the action is in the re-
lationship between these two char-
acters. They talk and twist each
other's meanings into parody. For
this you need two actors who can
hold onto lifelines of di alogue with
their hands tied behind their
backs and their necks in nooses.
Literally.
Regal and Jacobs are those two.
Regal has a sweet, brash, in-your-
face quality—like Lenny from Of
Mice and Men, with the canniness
of a homicide detective. Regal is
smooth. Jacobs — wonderful in
Purple Rose's recent Beast on the
Moon — gives a taut, self-suffi-
cient performance. He uses his
voice very well and keeps the char-
acter Al tightly furled in intellec-
tual conceit, even in the face of
defeat. Naivete may be a blessing
— even if the second coming of
Christ is not — to Tesich's way of
thinking.
I believe I will remember most
from Yolanda Fleischer's deft di-
rection the brief moments when
Al sings Beethoven's "Ode to Joy,"
and Angel mock-strums Christ's
cello while humming the bass line.
Flashes of directorial wit illumi-
nate this production.
The scenic design is somewhat
disheveled. Melinda Pacha's apoc-
alyptic set is functionally good. The
deep stage now available to the
company in their newly acquired
auditorium on the Outer Drive
Campus of U of D-Mercy, howev-
er, is cut offby movable towers so
that most of the action takes place
center stage and on the apron. It
feels boxed in.
This play, though, will not be
contained so easily, and with two
top-notch performances at the cen-
ter, it will spill over into your
thoughts for days to come. And be
careful what you wish for, it may
come true.
—Michael H. Margolin

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Bagel Barometer
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Danny Jacobs, left, and David Regal, right, are Al and Angel in The Theatre
Company's (U of D-Mercy) production, running through April 28.