Actors Lab presents Retreat from Moscow
By Murray Kamelhar, June 29, 2007

Theater
Retreat from Moscow
Thurs–Sat, July 5–7, 8pm
Sun, July 8, 5pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A
50 pesos

Most plays that make it to Broadway are written and designed with Broadway in mind, and so they should be.

Now, what do you do with a play that reads like eavesdropping on a very private family matter? Rewrite comes to mind. Cut out the stuff that hurts too much, make it sound like it was written for the audience. Make it more exciting, more humorous, less real.

Once my mother confronted my father in a moment that has stayed with me to this day: the pleading, the accusations, the love, the anger, the despair, the whole meaning of life pathetically thrown into that moment, and the humor that slipped out of that sad confrontation. It was drama, unrehearsed. It was theater, too strong for Broadway.

That Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson did make it to Broadway to rave critiques, tells me that I was wrong, that flat-out reality, voyeurism, if you will, can play well on Broadway. More than that, Retreat from Moscow gives thought to the hateful things we do to loved ones, gives understanding to the lies husbands and wives tell each other, gives insight to the betrayal of ones we love and finally, embraces us with forgiveness.

We don’t have John Lithgow, Eileen Atkins or Ben Chaplin to present the play, but we do have our own fine talent: Geoff Hargreaves, Cleo Stevens-Kamelhar and Seth Sharp to stage their Retreat from Moscow.

This well-rehearsed staged reading of Retreat from Moscow is presented at the Biblioteca’s Teatro Santa Ana.

Tickets at 50 pesos available are at the theater from 4 to 7pm. Tickets may be available the nights of performance.