Witty, cynical, broad humor off-beat Privates on Parade is for you
Privates on Parade
The Studio Theatre
1333 P Street N.W (at 14th)
Washington, DC
202-332-3300
http://studiotheatre.org/
Review by Rich See,
dcmdva-arts.org reviewer
If you like witty, cynical,
broad humor that’s more slapstick than politically correct, then Studio
Theatre’s mounting of Peter Nichols’ off-beat Privates on Parade is for
you. This is a show that will have you laughing every few minutes with double
entendres, askew glances, and men in uniform wearing high heels! Set in 1948
Singapore, just as the British Empire was becoming less of an empire and simply
more of an island nation, Privates on Parade centers on a misfit, rag tag
entertainment squad of enlisted men. Think “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” puts on a
show.
The action begins when
Steven Flowers (played by Jon Cohn), a new recruit trained in intelligence,
arrives at the base for his first assignment. He is immediately greeted by
Corporal Len Bonny (David Bryan Jackson), who provides young Steven with his
uniform, mascara, and munitions. While outfitting Flowers – and I do mean
outfitting - he also explains the way of life within the small company and
suggests that the straight, young man get used to the idea of living in a gay
environment. The young Flowers doesn’t seem to quite understand what the older
man is implying until he meets Acting Captain Terri Dennis. Captain Dennis
(superbly portrayed by Floyd King in a role he seems to be having a great deal
of fun in playing) arrives looking more like a 1930’s movie director than a
British officer and soon christens Private Steven as Stephanie. You see,
Captain Dennis is a flamboyant “bum boy” and enjoys finding female equivalents
to his men’s names. And with this begins the “blooming” of Private Flowers as
he learns about the horrors of war, the pleasures of sex, the pressures of
societal norms, the culture of gay men, the limits of his own inner strength,
the pains of love, and the devastation of loss.
Studio’s kickoff
production for the 2002-2003 season includes fine work by the entire cast. Will
Gartshore is the handsome Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright who has yet to
experience a white woman. Jim Ferris is Lance Corporal Charles Bishop, Len
Bonny’s dedicated and protective lover. Tom Gualtieri is Leading Aircraftman
Eric Young-Love, who shows how hard it is to be an effeminate straight male.
Sunita Param is half-caste Sylvia Morgan, brought to Malaya as Captain Terri
Dennis’ dance partner, she seems destined to go from one war torn country to the
next in her attempts to escape to England. Michael Tolaydo’s Sergeant-Major Reg
Drummond, shows that all of Britain’s enemies weren’t hiding in the jungle. And
J. Fred Shiffman’s delusional Major Giles Flack tragically highlights why
Britain had to give back its empire.
All in all, Privates
is an enjoyable, energetic evening of theatre. The musical, written and first
produced in the late 1970’s, is surprisingly fresh in subtext,
characterizations, and feel. Nichols’ book and lyrics, which are somewhat based
upon his own experiences in Southeast Asia, move the action along quickly.
Denis King’s music will make you want to tap your toe. Robert Biedermann’s
choreography adds to the overall humor of the production.
While the official running
time is stated as two and a half hours, the evening I saw it, Privates
ran closer to three hours. And although it is a long comedy, the material and
cast’s quick deliveries keep the production running extremely quickly. It’s a
fun romp on a fall evening. Two things though…remember to take a sweater since
the theatre’s temperature seems to be set on cold and arrive early to read the
background history on the Malayan Emergency and the glossary of British slang
terms provided in your program. You’ll enjoy your evening of Privates
much more if you do!
