By Sandy Yang
Daily Bruin Staff
Human nature is a typical topic in just about any English
class.
The Pasadena Playhouse’s “The Good Doctor,”
written by 19th-century Russian writer Anton Chekov and adapted by
American playwright Neil Simon, seems ideal fodder for another
rousing discussion on the human themes that transcend time and
place.
And it is.
But take a closer look at this collection of 10 narrative
sketches, and you’ll find human nature at its worst, its most
absurd and definitely at its funniest.
Within the 10 stories, characters range from a man who drowns
for a living in “The Drowned Man” to a self-proclaimed
seducer of other men’s wives in “The
Seduction.”
And 70 years before “The Three Stooges,” Chekov
wrote about an eager dentist sadistically pulling out a
priest’s tooth in “Surgery.” Back before TV and
slapstick comedy, Chekov knew audiences would laugh at this
fellow’s misery.
“It’s human nature, but it’s not an admirable
trait. Our first impulse is to laugh at somebody who’s
tripped and fallen ““ the absurdity at a body in a crumpled
heap on the floor,” said director Stephanie Shroyer.
“We are the only creatures who can think and laugh, but when
you think about what we laugh at ““ someone’s pain
““ we’re really odd ducks.”
That may explain the story where an injured man sensitive to
noise is subjected to an angry and loud wife who only wants to
collect what’s owed to her husband in “A Defenseless
Creature,” or the awkward boy whose father buys him a
prostitute for his 19th birthday in, “The
Arrangement.”
Then there’s the guy who sneezed at his boss, and would
not let anyone forget what a horrible faux pas it was in “The
Sneeze.”
So with the creativity and insight of literary greats backing
these stories, Shroyer wants to let the material breathe on its own
volition. Without taking away its identity as stories set in Russia
during the 19th century, Shroyer set out to show that human nature
““ both good and bad ““ has survived even in the face of
major technological changes and differences in culture and
generations.
“The brilliance of Chekov ““ he’s able to
capture a core of human thought,” Shroyer said.
“We’re so influenced by technology, but at our core,
we’re happy with the same things our grandparents are happy
about and their grandparents (are happy about).”
One hundred years later, we’re laughing at the same
things. Chekov’s stories could translate easily into modern
sitcoms, screwball comedies and witty banter. The story about the
seducer of other men’s wives could easily be a
“Friends” episode. The neurotic sneezer sounds like a
character from “Seinfeld.”
In these accounts, the characters resort to various extreme
measures of which Chekov, a tortured writer, was no stranger. His
craft subjected him to such solitude that his own mother could not
bear to bother him.
Some of the actors were not able to relate to the colorful
characters in the play.
“I don’t feel tortured (about acting) the way he
was,” said Harry Groener, who plays Chekov as a stern and
quick-witted man. “It’s a joy to do this. For many
writers, the pressure to write is unbearable. With an actor, you go
up for something, you rehearse and work with other people, memorize
your lines, and go up there.”
Then sometimes, the situations are presented so outrageously
it’s hard to discern truths about the human condition from
these wacky characters and circumstances.
Michael Learned, who plays a cruel matriarch in “The
Governess,” and the angry wife in “A Defenseless
Creature,” among other characters, says she sees the themes
play out in today’s time and society. Under the veneer of
slapstick and absurdity, there are truths that pose serious issues
in today’s world.
“People today really can’t stand up for
themselves,” Learned said, referring to the title character
in “The Governess,” who was cheated by her
employer.
“There are classes of people who are taken advantage of,
like people who are new in this country or illegal immigrants who
have no choice. Every single story is very timely.”
Originally short stories and articles written by Chekov, the
connective theme in this collection of plays is the writer’s
imagination and his interest in stories, Shroyer said.
Pressed to pick a favorite story, neither Shroyer nor the actors
could choose. The stories speak differently to different people
““ in the audience and on the stage.
“It’s a very interesting evening for me because
there are many different roles,” Groener said. “You are
playing a drowned man to a young boy, and the governess becomes a
hooker at the end. It celebrates both the actor’s craft and
the writer’s craft.”
THEATER: Neil Simon’s “The Good Doctor” plays
through August 20 at the Pasadena Playhouse. Tickets are
$15″“$42.50 and are available by calling 1-800-233-3123. For
more information, log on at www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.