Daily Bruin

Band past its prime bores Roxy’s crowd

By Brian Remick

Though they present themselves as an "escape from grunge," the
Lightning Seeds’ on-stage presence lacks so much excitement that
Alice In Chains seems intoxicating by comparison.

Promoting its new album, Jollification, the Lightning Seeds
played last Wednesday to a diverse Roxy crowd, ranging from eternal
fans who knew the words to every song to people who just came off
Sunset Boulevard to see what all the noise was inside.

The music of the Lightning Seeds simply does not sound good
live, mostly due to the band’s dull and mediocre on-stage presence.
This is not to say that they are not excellent musicians, but
rather that they do not have the charisma to hold the attention of
an audience.

The band opened with the classic "All I Want," bringing back the
traditional sound that made the band sort-of well-known. Ian
Broudie’s guitar melodies still sounded great, five years after the
band started.

Broudie continued the set with a few songs from the new album,
and a new song called "How," which combines a powerful bass line
with great chord progressions.

The crowd at the Roxy seemed very mellow. There were a few
people right in front of the stage who cheered and danced through
every song, but most either bobbed their heads in unison or sat at
the tables in the back.

"If you feel the urge to move around a little bit, feel free,"
Broudie said in his tenor British accent. But, his futile plea had
no impact on the stubborn crowd.

Broudie ended the set with the hit "Pure," which seemed to
lighten up the crowd a little bit ­ enough, anyway, to produce
sufficient applause for an encore. The show concluded with
"Marvelous," another classic tune that shows the power of their
synth-pop style.

The Lightning Seeds didn’t seem too excited about being at the
Roxy. Broudie mostly stood on stage and played his guitar, while
the other members of the band were a bit more lively. The
performance was still solid and well-done but definitely not very
memorable.

The show opened with a new acoustic band called the Murmurs, who
seemingly were not used to playing in front of people. "OK ­
nobody get nervous," said the lead vocalist and guitarist, as the
duo took the stage. The band’s fresh acoustic sound is becoming
more popular, but its performance was just really bad.

After the guitarist’s string broke, they stared at each other in
shock; things were pretty much over. "What ­ are you havin’ a
cup of tea or somethin’?!?" the vocalist screamed at the guitarist
after their worst nightmare came to life. "My string broke," she
replied. How’s that for spontaneity?

The problem with the Lightning Seeds is that the synth-pop scene
is just not appealing anymore to the majority of music fans. The
music itself hasn’t changed, but the listeners have matured. Groups
like Depeche Mode, New Order and the like that were huge in the
early ’80s have dropped in popularity, leaving bands like the
Lightning Seeds, who were never very popular to begin with, in the
dust. They had their best shot at success a few years ago with the
release of CloudCuckooland, but for some reason, the success never
came.

On Wednesday night, the Lightning Seeds showed a certain loyalty
to its style that is quite admirable, if not a little hopeless.

‘Pants’ tells of woman’s love, loss

By Barbara Hernandez

Daily Bruin Staff

In "Pants on Fire," a thirtysomething married woman contemplates
an affair with her daughter’s preschool teacher. Meditating on why
she would be unfaithful to her controlling and guilty husband she
says, "Maybe I think I want sex because I used to want it."

Written from a woman’s point of view, Jane Brucker’s clever
script of an unnamed woman, played by herself, works wonders.
Brucker’s woman, torn by desire, fidelity and marriage, takes on a
journey of insecurity, loss and renewal.

Long ignored by David, her often-angry husband, she’s ceased
trying to engage his interest in her, in sex, even in their
marriage. "I hate you hating me," she tells him, as their
relationship seems too far gone to both of them. Instead, she
starts looking at her daughter’s young handsome teacher, Reggie
Adcock, in a new light.

Aware of her vulnerability to an affair, she hires Adcock to
pose for a series of historical paintings. She ends up having sex
with him while he’s costumed as historical figures like Abraham
Lincoln, Christopher Columbus and Wyatt Earp.

While having her affair, she ignores her husband, only briefly
telling him Adcock is gay.

When she finds another woman’s shoe in Adcock’s apartment, she
begins to envision all the women in his life, all perfect and
having something she lacks. Her acute insecurity deems the other
woman someone better. They’re either younger, smarter, more
spiritual or sexier.

There’s her daughter’s babysitter Harvest, 18, with perky
breasts and, some woman in a Louise Brooks haircut with a degree in
physics, who makes documentaries and writes books. Maybe she’s a
New Age woman attuned to nature and her feelings, intuitive and
omniscient. Or possibly she’s that Hustler centerfold whose down
home advice rings true. "I never met a man who thought he had bad
legs, and there’s no free clitoral stimulation."

Her obsession with Adcock’s infidelity really masks her
insecurity about David’s fidelity. "I knew he was cheating on me by
the way his shampoo wasn’t being used." The six-month bottle of
shampoo only started to empty when she became pregnant. Although
she never talked about it again, her resentment is still as
fresh.

When David finally finds out about the affair, there’s a
confrontation, somewhat hopeful and open-ended and a lot like
life.

Brucker’s play isn’t a morality tale. It’s about being lost in a
sea of unease, about the hopelessness of the person pledged to love
you ac like he hates you. Her character is neither bad nor good,
just very unhappy.

Fueled with intelligent dialogue and rounded characters, even
though most are unseen, Brucker manages to convey a humanity to all
the people in her play. David isn’t merely a jerk, he’s allowed a
little vulnerability. Reggie, her lover, shows this as well. This
isn’t male-bashing, but a woman’s life, and her story isn’t made to
alienate men.

Brucker, clad in red and black against a full white set,
commands attention, her dramatic looks and presence making it
impossible for an audience not to be enthralled. Her script, full
of honesty and life humor, make her play easy to absorb and admire.
Combined with Beatts’ comic direction and Brucker’s great timing,
"Pants on Fire" is excellent. A great story told in a hilarious and
sometimes thoughtful way, "Pants on Fire" should be savored and
enjoyed.

THEATER: "Pants on Fire" by Jane Brucker. Directed by Anne
Beatts. Starring Jane Brucker. Now playing in "Downstairs at the
Met" Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Running through Nov.
19. TIX: $12. For more info, call (213) 957-1752.

‘Hamlet’ departs from traditional production

L.A. Repertory ‘s actors prove to be mainstays of play

By Jennifer Richmond

Daily Bruin Staff

When William Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet" he probably didn’t have
the Los Angeles Repertory’s production in mind.

Shakespeare’s classic, currently at the L.A. Theatre Center,
follows Hamlet (David Ellenstein) on his quest to avenge his
murdered father.

But although this performance follows the classic tragedy of
Oedipal obsession closely, Director Robert Ellenstein chose to
stage the production very differently from traditional ideas. With
only six actors portraying all parts, no set, no props and no
elaborate costumes, Ellenstein’s production surprises with
masterful performances that prove acting is still what makes a
play.

Even though the younger Ellenstein plays Hamlet in the
traditional all black, he still has to share the line load with the
much smaller part of Francisco. This shows he isn’t any different
from the other actors. Ellenstein must prove his abilities just
like everyone else. And prove them he does.

He astonishes in the same role he played seven years ago. During
his monologues, he looks at the audience with such intensity, it’s
impossible to play with the notion that Ellenstein’s simply acting.
There’s no doubt he is Hamlet.

Because there are no props, he proves his amazing skill at
pantomiming as well. During the final scene when Hamlet duels with
Laertes (Brendan Ford), the choreography is so precise the audience
can practically hear the swords as they crash against each other.
They lunge and thrust like trained fencers. When one hits the
other, traces of blood practically appear from the mimed scratch.
This scene alone makes the entire production worthwhile.

But Ellenstein isn’t the only actor with talent. Both Susan
Angelo and Ford mesmerize in their own right.

While Angelo starts off a little shaky in Ophelia’s role, acting
more like a child of 13 rather than a 17-year-old, her performance
improves over the length of the production. Switching quickly
between the deep-throated Horatio and the young feminine Ophelia,
Angelo entrances in her "mad scene" giving the audience another
treat.

She pushes the limit, creating a feeling of pity toward the girl
and the torture she’s apparently going through. Her sudden tantrums
shock the audience just as much as they shock Hamlet’s mother,
Gertrude (Janet MacLachlan). Switching back and forth between total
hysteria and innocent playfulness, there’s no doubt that she’s
insane.

Ford, although not a repeat performance, still manages to have a
different stance and attitude for every one of his five parts.
While all the parts are performed to Royal Shakespeare
Company-quality, it’s his Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that deserve
praise.

Although he plays both the bumbling fools, each character has a
totally different attitude. From his stance alone, Ford makes it
clear that Guildenstern is the brains in this duo. Because of his
character work, Ford’s conversations with himself are believable,
but suggest a Shakespearean take on Harvey. His master performance
comes early in the production.

During a talk with Hamlet, Rosencrantz stands on one side of
Hamlet while Guildenstern takes his position on the other. When
Hamlet makes a joke causing the characters to laugh, Ford not only
changes position to become the other character, he changes his
laugh as well. While proving he’s a new character, this laugh also
proves his immense talent, creating just one of a line of
entrancing scenes.

By staging a play devoid of today’s electronic embellishments,
director Ellenstein believes this production "affords an
opportunity to prove again that the actor and the author … are
the essentials of the theater." Indeed, it does.

STAGE: "Hamlet." Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by
Robert Ellenstein. Starring David Ellenstein, William Bassett,
Brendan Ford and Susan Angelo. Running through Nov. 13 at the Los
Angeles Theater Center. Performs Thursday through Saturday at 8
p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. TIX: $18-25. Tuesdays and
Sundays there’s a $5 discount with a student ID. For more info.
call (213) 485-1681.

Dahl’s latest ‘seduction’

With Last Seduction director Dahl takes noir from cable to big
screen

By Mike Horowitz

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

John Dahl’s second feature film, Red Rock West, was released on
video nationally and he hoped no one would watch it.

The director’s third feature film, Last Seduction, played on
HBO, and he prayed no one would see it.

He seems to be making a habit out of crossing his fingers and
wishing for low viewership. But no masochistic career moves or
reverse psychology are behind his desires, he simply wants his
movies to get their due on the big screen.

In a town where films traditionally journey from theatrical
release to video and finally trickle down to cable, Dahl is
somewhat of an anomaly. His meagerly budgeted film noir works its
way up due to persistence and quality.

Last Seduction, coming out Wednesday and screening at Melnitz
tonight, had its rights sold to HBO before he could send it to
festivals to test its acceptance. Due to the critical splash that
Red Rock West made at the beginning of the year, he feared the new
picture would be reviewed for television. In that case, it would
never get press even if it could make it to the theatres.

"We were going, ‘geez, I hope nobody notices or watches,’" says
Dahl, before being sure not to step on cable’s toes. "HBO’s a great
thing; they make a lot of their own projects; they make a lot of
their own films, and a lot of their stuff is really terrific."

But HBO did miss a good thing when they quietly slipped
Seduction on and off the air, After a contractual six-week
blackout, October films grabbed the theatrical rights to his
film.

"It’s not a bad thing to be released on HBO," he acknowledges,
"but it’s always nice to be released in a movie theatre."

On Wednesday, he will get his wish. Not that he’s stressing out
over it. It takes him two guesses to remember the release date.
That’s because Dahl has always been more concerned with working
again and filming a new film, than worrying about his last movie’s
medium. It’s tough to pull him away from his new screenplay
revision he’s working on now, but he sits down with The Bruin at
the Hamlet Gardens to discuss his three films and his
characters.

"An executive at a studio gave me Last Seduction," says Dahl,
"and said ‘maybe this would be something you’d be interested in.’"
The screenplay by Steve Barancik deals with a classic femme fatale
stealing from and screwing over men in New York. "I read it and I
couldn’t tell first of all whether it was really funny or really
stupid," says Dahl, smiling. "In fact, I remember giving it to my
brother and he said ‘it’s either really good or really bad.’ It
could go either way. I think that’s kind of the mark of good
material."

Seduction walks the same high wire act as Dahl’s acclaimed Red
Rock West, a picture he wrote with his brother. The two films do a
remarkable job presenting quick plot twists and calculated
knives-in-the-back in a way that never seems gimmicked or staged.
"With Red Rock," says Dahl, "we were concerned that this could be a
really absurdly stupid series of dumb coincidences that the
audiences says ‘forget this!’"

Red Rock begins its tightly-wound ball in intrigue when a
disgruntled Nic Cage sits down at a bar to enjoy a cheap cup of
coffee. The bartender strolls up and mistakes him for a hitman from
Texas. "You’re here for the job aren’t you?" the bartender (J.T.
Walsh) asks.

Cage looks up at him without denying the proposition. Big
mistake.

The main character in Seduction, Bridget Gregory (Linda
Fiorentino) is much less sympathetic. She begins the film robbing
and leaving her husband and repentance is out of the question. "The
fun thing about her is that she’s the exact same character in the
beginning of the movie as she is in the end," jokes Dahl. "Her arc
goes from worse to awful. Normally you have to somehow redeem with
a story, like her child needed an eye operation or something like
that, and everything is okay. No, she’s just rotten."

Of course, this one dimensional take on Bridget’s character has
gotten Dahl a little flak from audiences. "We just screened the
movie at the Mill Valley film festival," he says, "and there was
this woman walking out of the movie saying ‘God, that’s so
misogynist!’"

"I wonder, ‘is it misogynistic because we make all the men in
this film so terrific?’ They’re all idiots!" laughs Dahl. "Yes,
there is one bad woman, but there are three or four bad guys."

Seduction is hardly a movie about good samaritans, regardless of
gender. Bridget’s husband Clay (Bill Pullman) is a drug dealer, her
lover (Peter Berg) is a small-town moron, and they’re the ones you
feel for. Yet Dahl finds the accusation gives him food for thought.
"At the same time I can understand her perspective," he nods.

Tonight at Melnitz, viewers will get a chance to decide for
themselves. They can debate the portrayal of her character, but
it’s tough to refute the fun of Dahl’s film noir.

And no matter what, Last Seduction is finally headed for the big
screen.

FILM: Last Seduction. Screens at Melnitz Theater tonight at 7:30
p.m. Free tickets starting at 11 a.m. or at 6:30 p.m. before the
screening. Info: (310) 825-2345.

Beatts directs ‘Pants on Fire’

Former ‘SNL’ writer chooses a new path in one-woman play

By Barbara Hernandez

Daily Bruin Staff

Former "Saturday Night Live" writer Anne Beatts finds it hard
not to be homesick.

Originally from New York, Beatts grew up in various parts of the
East Coast, but something always called her back to her native
ground.

In 1975, when "Saturday Night Live" first started, Beatts was
one of its founding mothers.

"The good thing about ‘Saturday Night Live’ was you didn’t have
to get up early, got the summers off and lived in New York," she
says, living her dream of a glamorous New York life. (It wasn’t
until the last two years she was willing to give up her New York
status for Los Angeles. Previously she just said she worked in
L.A., disregarding her Hollywood apartment).

She lasted there until 1979, with one short stint in 1985 as a
guest writer. Instead of merely writing she created her critically
acclaimed series "Square Pegs" in 1982-83 season. "It’s really hard
to sell a series about young girls," she says. "But there’s a new
show on that’s kind of Square Peggian. Have you seen it, ‘My
So-Called Life’?"

"It’s 86 in the rankings," she says, adding that at Thursday at
8 it seems as if ABC is just throwing it away. "I was really
wishing it well. If it fails it just makes it harder to sell the
next time."

Now she’s working on Jane Brucker’s one-woman play "Pants on
Fire", in which she directs. "The most challenging aspect was
trying to find a place to rehearse while the theater was under
construction," she laughs. They managed to escape the noise and
activity by rehearsing on the fire escape next to the XXX Adult
Theater.

The other challenge was directing a one-woman play. "It’s a
play, not just a show," Beatts says. "We really tried to construct
it as a play, even though there’s only one person on stage."
Working on the expression and interpretation was very time
consuming, where both Beatts and playwright Drucker finding they
could work a half-hour on one line of text.

Both met through Judy Belushi in New York. "We always wanted to
work together, I really wanted to work with her," she says. "There
I was, 1:00 and reading pages on a bar stool."

Taking a chance on each other, they decided to work on it with
Drucker moving to Los Angeles last year. "We wanted to make it a
female voice and a female point of view ­ without alienating
men," says Beatts, and after a dry run at the Melrose theater for
friends, which pointed out the flaws they decided to make a go of
it. After a showcase presentation at the Tiffany Theater, they
started looking at the incidentals.

"I tried to honor the text and to bring out everything in the
text that shouls be brought out," says Beatts, a self-described
tough critic. "Every night some scene will be better than
others….There will be fluctuation, that’s life. If it was all the
same it would be dead."

Often some lines would afffect different audiences differently,
and both Brucker and Beatts had to prepare for no laughs and some
laughs where there was no real joke. "’Step on over to this fern
and pull my labia apart’ is pretty much a guaranteed," she
laughs.

Any helpful hints for SNL? Beatts sighs. "There’s this article
in Newsweek ‘Dear Saturday Night, it’s over. Please die’ and they
quoted me as saying (I said this years ago!) ‘A show can only be
avant-garde for so long before it becomes garde.’" Regardless of
the statement, Beatts hopes it stays on. "I feel there isn’t enough
social comment or satire on television–even if 60 percent of the
show isn’t good," she says. "It feels like some spoiled white boy
sensibility that I just don’t get behind…it all seems from one
position or one attitude and it’s not diverse enough."

She quickly orders a water. "Until something on TV gets better
I’m watching cop shows."