by Terrance McNally
American Stage Theater Company
St. Petersburg, FL
June 2nd, 2011
They say that men know within the first twenty seconds of meeting if they are in love with the other person. Why not make it marriage and kids while you're at it...
American Stage Theater Company, located in downtown St. Petersburg, brings this timeless story of love and haste to the Raymond James Theatre with well designed sets and precise acting. Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune chronicles the postcoital conversation of two middle-aged New Yorkers. Set in real time over the course of one evening, Frankie and Johnny verbally combat the notions of life, love and question if their is a happily ever after.
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune begins as our eponymous characters conclude their wild and intimate evening. Nestled comfortably in their sea of blankets, harmless pillow talk elevates from what just happened to what could happen in the future. Convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has found his soul mate, Johnny emphatically emotes his feelings upon Frankie. Visibly shaken from a prior relationship, Frankie is not as assured of their ever after. Bouncing from sweet nothings to full on tongue-lashings, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune is just as up and down as a real relationship can be sometimes.
Poised in the on-stage battle of wits, American Stage cast two wonderful actors that blurred the line of acting and pretending very well. Tonia Jackson and Tom Nowicki both brought their A-game as well as an unyielding manner to their respective arguments. Nowicki's persistent, if not annoying, characterization of Johnny at first seemed unwarranted and creepy for lack of a better word. Yet, if perseverance is the hallmark of a champion, Nowicki's Johnny won the audience over just as he did Frankie. Jackson's portrayal of Frankie was tastefully done as she played her cards close to the vest not willing to completely give in to Johnny's outlandish requests. Slowly unfolding her character, over the course of the evening, we fall in love just like Johnny. Bravo.
As well as the players on stage performed, I found the narrative itself wandering aimlessly much like an actual argument between genders. One second, all is well, that is until one person says something that sets the other on edge. At first I didn't care for the "will they/won't they" direction of the show, but didn't mind after I remembered it's how most domestic arguments go.
In talking with director Bari Newport, I asked her about the challenge of working with two actors as opposed to a larger cast, "It's kind of a strange paradox, because you can imagine that with two people doing a play that is two hours total, that's a lot of weight on two people. You want two people who are compatible with each other and we cast a woman I admired for a long time in Atlanta Tonia Jackson, and we cast Tom Nowicki who probably well known all over Florida, but all over the country too for his film and TV work." Listening to Newport continue on about the prowess of the two actors was proof positive of the level of quality American Stage brings together.
All in all I enjoyed Frankie and Johnny at American Stage. I would recommend this production for those looking for a great evening of theatre. The calibre of acting is at the top of the class for the area and it has some of the best set design I've seen outside of a Broadway production.
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune plays through July 3rd at the Raymond James Theatre in Downtown St. Petersburg. For more information of the show and American Stage, click here. Be advised that this show contains mature situations and brief nudity. Don't forget to follow us on twitter and/or facebook for the latest on the performing arts community in Tampa.
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