Renegade Theatre Experiment: Skyscraper

Not a comedy, not a drama, not a romance, but still a touching story that offers a slightly satirical glance at those who build, those who tear down, and those who would preserve great architecture. RTE's current offering, "Skyscraper", is a gentle fiction joined by six characters, each complex and independent, yet interwoven into a satisfying whole. From the pen of David Auburn, author of "Proof", the award winning play and now a newly released movie, "Skyscraper" divides, subdivides, and then brings together six people of different backgrounds but who are all connected to the condemned building.

It was a dark and stormy night (I always wanted to write that) as a man and woman, each nattily attired, struggled silently against the other to hail a cab in order to find protection from the rain. Concurrent to their flight, a female photographer is knocked down on the sidewalk by a young man of charm, accompanied by his own distractions. Lastly, a man of senior years is taken by the curious attentions of a beautiful woman. All this happens in front of a building condemned to destruction.

We learn to care about the characters, flawed though they may be. Louis (John Baldwin) is a young but forgetful 110 years old. At that age he's allowed. His uncle was one of the original designers of the building. Vivian (Jean Naughton) is a gal intent on leaping from the top floor of the building. Louis is determined for that not to happen. Jessica (Sarah Eismann), having broken her arm trying to photograph a special floor mosaic about to be torn down, is entreated by her sister Jane (Julie Fogh) to remain safe. After all, they're suing the demolition company for damages. Raymond (Peter K. Owen) and Joseph (Seth Kane) are brothers and employer/employee, responsible for the building's demise. All the players, for their own reasons, connect to the decaying building.

The ensemble is wonderful. Yet, the playwright directs the audience to Louis, the linchpin of the tale. Around him each character is drawn and completely linked. Baldwin is a treasured delight as the centenarian plus ten who lives his memories and looses them just as fast. He switches between the now and then with equal appeal and even reminiscences about being a pilot and flying a B25 into the Empire State Building in 1945; the cause being a consensual dalliance with his wife. The characters surround him, support him, and key off him.

Vivian is a vivacious damsel in distress and twice rescued from jumping off the building by Louis. Unfortunately, she made three attempts. She presented a wonderful, soft innocence that is not understood until the second act.

Eismann played the journal photographer with a driven determined zeal to save the ruins from loss, if only through her lens. She has her druthers and is quite vocal about their achievement. Fogh, as her sister Jane, was the proverbial lawyer joke whose skirt would fly up at every man who offered even the most modest of interest. Her strength and wisdom lay in playing the part straight instead for laughs. Her list of...well, never mind. Let's just say, she's completely open about her many relationships. Owen is the tried and true older brother/boss. His corporate facade isn't the bottom line at all costs, just mostly. He's smitten by Jessica before realizing that litigation is involved. Kane, the younger brother, recently released from submarine service, is unable to cope with the real world and so is fired from the most simple and secure jobs.

The characters in subplot have their own interesting stories that we are allowed a simple glance. But for this juncture, we remain centered on Louis. The story touches all of us and our memories and what is important to remember and what isn't.

Director Chris Tann has a talented cast and uses them to the full enjoyment of the audience. The stage, set design, et al, worked well in bringing about the belief that the action was taking place on the roof of an old abandoned and condemned building. Consider the play as PG13 for language.

The RTE is staging "Skyscraper" through October 01 at the Historic Hoover Theater. The theater is located at 1635 Park Avenue, San Jose. Call 351-4440 for more information.

* * *

W. Fred Crow is a local music director and frequent attendee of the arts. Contact him atwfredcrow@yahoo.com .