'The Hot L Baltimore'

j

PHOTO BY DANNA DOWSETT SEGREST

Joseph Albright and Kate Peckham in Hot L
Baltimore. Due to sold-out houses, the Purple Rose

eff Daniels, executive director ten at a feverish pitch and in over-
of the Purple Rose Theatre, lapping conversations.
Not to worry: Jeff Daniels keeps
could have chosen an easier,
less-in-your-face kind of play the action clean and clear. It turns
for his first directing effort. The out the actor's a genius with tim-
Hot L Baltimore is about a trip ing. He's darn good, too, with
of prostitutes and assorted mis- rhythm — the small quiet spots
fits sliding down the banister of amid the push and pull of Wilson's
the American Dream into obliv- fervid "dramaturgy."
Just about everyone in this play
ion in a seedy Baltimore
— set in the hotel's lobby
hotel. As one of them,
— gets on everyone else's
April, says of this dive,
THEATER
nerves. There's enough
"The hot water's coming
grating going on to make
down with hepatitis."
But the 15 or so character potato pancakes. But Daniels and
parts juicily written by Lanford Wilson both know how to pull us
Wilson make up a play of divine back from the brink, give us a
comedy and kindred feeling. punch(line), then stop our laugh
Among these losers are an op- with a bit of human anguish or
timist or two, those willing to sadness.
As usual, the Rose has a smash-
take on another's problem, of-
ing set, designed here by Daniel C.
Michael Margolin writes Walker. He has the full support of
about the arts.

Dana White's light design and
Mary K. Copenhagen's fine
costumes: One look at Suzy's lady-
of-the-evening pumps and you just
know Ms. Copenhagen would hit
it off with RuPaul.
I have saved the actors for last,
partly out of embarrassment.
When there are at least 10 who
surpass expectations, how to name
just a few in this tight space? If I
have to: Suzi Regan, Ryan Carl-
son, Sandra Birch (who, as April,
refers to her "co-whoret" as a
"tramp-o-line"), Bee Vary and Kate
Peckham. The rest: Bravo.
In one month we have been gift-
ed with Arcadia at Meadow Brook
and Baltimore at Purple Rose. Life
could not be sweeter.

— Michael Margolin

Theatre production is extended to May 31.

'Grosse Pointe Blank'

Rated R

ether you become who your high- Blank inches forward
school yearbook pigeonholed you like a rerun of "Who's
to be, or, say, a professional hit the Boss?" Snip 15
man, 10-year reunions tend to be minutes, and right
traumatic. Even more troubling when you away you'd have a
are a professional hit man facing a girl you crisper movie. Aside
left sitting in her prom dress, a hit that's from a cast of terrific
been put out on you and second thoughts actors, novel treat-
ment and some gen-
about your profession altogether.
"I don't think what a person does for a uinely funny lines,
living is necessarily a reflection on him," you notice Blank's
comments Martin Q. Blank, the epony- deficiencies because
mous character of the locally based movie its pacing gives you
time to.
Grosse Pointe Blank.
And sticklers may
Played with characteristic affability by
argue that
John Cusack, Blank first tries to side-
while
step the evening entirely. But after
MOVIES
Grosse Pointe Blank bills itself
his assistant (played by his real-life
as a black comedy, it probably
sister Joan Cusack) conveniently books
him for a hit in Detroit the same weekend should have been working harder to be a
as the reunion and he gets something akin satire: Former acquaintances don't flinch
to a blessing from his traumatized thera- at Blank's habitual confession to being a
pist (Alan Arkin), Blank begins to see the professional killer; the thug who aims to
reunion weekend as a way to break out of kill Blank at his Pointes High reunion
ends up being killed by Blank with a bor-
the killing business and begin life anew.
That means finally patching things up rowed pen — a standard school imple-
with old girlfriend Debi (Minnie Driver), ment; and uttering his therapist's mantra
the date he stood up on prom night. Am- to keep calm, "This is me, breathing,"
bitious weekend fare for most people, sure, Blank snaps on the magazine of his gun.
With more of these satirical pieces pep-
but somehow manageable for Blank.
Unfortunately, with recent "embar- pered amidst the comic banter, Grosse
rassing overlaps" in eradicating scumbags Pointe Blank might have been a better
due to a glut of hit men, former employ- movie.
Blank's former high-school teacher mus-
er and arch-rival Grocer (Dan Aykroyd)
decides Blank's weekend at home is the es over where Blank's been hiding these
10 years, whether Harvard or Princeton
perfect time to ice Blank himself.
Instead of crackling with the rapid-fire finally snagged him. Blank tells her he
pacing the film aspires to, Grosse Pointe went the hit-man route. The teacher, like
everyone else, doesn't seem fazed. She
still sees the potential Martin Blank,
Susan Zweig recently attended her 10-year
reunion. She is not a hit man.

W

118

what he could have been.
As an audience, we understand her
frustration.
Given the proper tweaking, it's hard not
to see what Grosse Pointe Blank could
have turned out to be, too.

John Cusack is a hired gun who returns to his
hometown and meets up with former girlfriend,
Minnie Driver, in Grosse Pointe Blank.

1/2

— Susan Zweig

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