OLD ACTORS NEVER DIE…

GEORGE IS DEAD
Written and Directed by Elaine May
Arizona Theatre Company
Herberger Theater Center
Nov.12 – Dec. 6, 2009
602-256-6995

     Old actors never die…they just use an old headshot! As you read the program for the ATC’s latest production, you may feel that you are reliving your youth. There are the bios for Don Murray and Marlo Thomas each of them looking just as they did in the 70’s when they were top notch stars of movies and TV. And then the curtain rises and they appear on stage – old, frail yet full of spunk (well at least a little bit). Murray in the title role of George, a very rich, staid and dyed in the wool Republican, seems to be shaky especially when he croons old songs to his “butterfly “ of a wife, but he is lovable enough. Thomas, as Doreen, the sweet, spoiled ditzy wife whose sole chore for the first half of the show is to roll over in bed, groan and wave her hand goodbye, does come on strong in the second half as she runs to her childhood pal, Carla (always relegated to second best as the child of Doreen’s nanny), and cries helplessly that her husband (George) is dead in a skiing accident. Along the way to Aspen, George has met and discussed the state of the world with a young limousine driver who represents the wayward youth of our times, before flying to Colorado to meet his demise. Does this sound like a bit of a contrived plot to carry the witticisms and satire of none other than comedian Elaine May?  Right you are! And while there are some pleasant comic moments, overall, the script falls short and leaves you wanting more as you exit the theater.

     GEORGE IS DEAD is a vehicle for May’s commentary on life in the 21st Century and while many of those comments are right on the mark, somehow the characters who say the lines and make those comments do not ring true. Carla (very well enacted by Julia Brothers who in my opinion runs away with the show) and Michael (played by Reese Madigan) are very poor. He teaches history to high school students who could not care less and puts all his faith in Amnesty International ( a group which turns on him when he writes about abuse of women in the Muslim world because it might be offensive to something in the Koran). Carla is herself torn between shoring up her husband, taking care of her 90 year old mother (a cameo for Elizabeth Shepherd) who cannot figure out how to use the TIVO, helping her drug addicted brother and trying to earn a living as a physical therapist. And in comes Doreen, with her inane comments and refusal to take any responsibility for her own life and decisions, imploring Carla to again become her personal assistant. Michael comes home to find Carla once again enmeshed with someone other than himself and leaves in a huff. Hardly a realistic scenario! In the other world encompassed by this complex plot, George has a deep philosophical conversation with Freddie (well played by Carmen Lacivita) a hip Latino who knows nothing about Hitler or the Cold War  or the axis of evil but recognizes Reagan as “the President who had Alzheimers”. He states clearly, “Give me a paycheck, something to eat and some salsa and I’m a happy guy!” Of course George thinks salsa is something to eat not a dance but Freddie sets him straight. And of course they ARE both Republicans. May’s acerbic wit is evident throughout the play but nowhere as much as in this scene as they drive to the airport. And so much of what she has to say about the chasm between  the generations or between liberals and conservatives is very true. The ignorance of youth is rampant – have you watched Jaywalking with Jay Leno lately?  Duty, honor, responsibility – it’s the last gasp of a dying breed. And there May is correct.

     But is one of the products of the older generation much better? Marlo Thomas, in her role, is the epitome of the shallow upper class when she says things like, “I don’t have the depth to feel this bad.” or “Would you rub the salt off these crackers?” We watch Carla become more and more agitated at the selfishness of this user yet at the same time she does take over all the funeral arrangements even as she is left bereft by her husband. And the piece de resistance occurs when at the funeral even Doreen abandons her (I will spoil the surprise if I tell you why) and her final line of the play is – “I don’t care what you do with the body.” Everything is gone and we are left with an empty feeling. Is this the message May wanted us to get. The world is a mess, we are all alone because the users have discarded us and the next generation doesn’t care so there is not much to live for. That is a bitter pill to swallow which is why, I believe the audience left feeling un fulfilled. And when you consider that this message is all delivered in a comedy, you wonder even more.