#Jewel Winant

[larryland]

REVIEW: "The Chalk Garden" at the Ghent Playhouse

REVIEW: “The Chalk Garden” at the Ghent Playhouse

[356mission]

List of individuals and groups who have participated in an event at 356 Mission

LeanThe New Dreamz (Rose Luardo and Andrew Jeffrey Wright)

Andre Hyland

Whitmer Thomas

Jessica Ciocci

Michael Webster

Asha Schechter

Gabu Heindl & Drehli Robnik (screening)

Rachel Kushner (with parts read by Barry Johnston, Gale Harold, Karen Adelman, Paul Gellman, Stuart Krimko, Stanya Kahn, Alex Israel, Milena Muzquiz)

Mina Stone

Ken Ehrlich & Emily Joyce

Flora Wiegmann with Alexa Wier

James Lee Byars (screening)

Trisha Brown (screening)

Ei Arakawa (screening)

Jennifer Phiffer

Euan MacDonald and Henri Lucas

Fundación Alumnos47

ForYourArt

Derek Boshier

Alex Kitnick

Cherry Pop

De Porres

Aaron Dilloway

Jason Lescalleet

John Wiese

Final Party (Barry Johnston)

Crazy Band

Aram Moshayedi

Bruce Hainley

Gary Dauphin

Kathryn Garcia

Leland de la Durantaye

Sohrab Mohebbi

Tala Madani

Tiffany Malakooti

Negar Azimi

Barbara T. Smith

LeRoy Stevens

Joe Sola and Michael Webster

Math Bass and Lauren Davis Fisher

Angel Diez Alvarez (screening)

Hedi El Kholti

K8 Hardy

Anna Sew Hoy

L.A. Fog

Trinie Dalton

Rita Gonzalez

Alex Klein

Mark Owens

Tanya Rubbak

AL Steiner

C.R.A.S.H.

Lao

Mexican Jihad

Zak-Matic

Laura Poitras (screening)

Parker Higgins

Domenick Ammirati

John Seal

John Tain

Bruce Hainley

Lisa Lapinski

Kate Stewart

Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer

Ian Svenonius

Entrance Band

Allison Wolfe

Geneva Jacuzzi

Chain & the Gang

Shivas

Hunx

Jimi Hey

69

Tim Lokiec

Scott & Tyson Reeder

Total Freedom

Prince William

Kingdom

SFV Acid

Jesse Fleming

William Leavitt

Lucas Blalock

Oliver Payne

Meredith Monk

Jessica Espeleta

Rollo Jackson (screening)

Jack Smith (screening)

Noura Wedell

Sylvère Lotringer

Jesse Benson

Zoe Crosher

Alex Cecchetti

Patricia Fernandez

Jeff Khonsary

Ben Lord

Shana Lutker

Joseph Mosconi

Suzy Newbury

Scott Oshima

Kim Schoen

Clarissa Tossin

Mark Verabioff

Brica Wilcox

Michael Clark

Ben Brunnemer

Ted Byrnes / Corey Fogel

Kirsty Bell

Johnston Marklee

Emily Sundblad & Matt Sweeney

Kevin Salatino

Wooster Group (screening)

Shannon Ebner

East of Borneo

Sue Tompkins

Alexis Taylor

Leslie Buchbinder (screening)

Odwalla88

Dean Spunt

Bebe Whypz

Saman Moghadam (screening)

J Cush

Hive Dwellers

Bouquet

Dream Boys

Jen Smith

Thee Oh Sees

Jack Name

Alex Waterman and Will Holder

Jonathan Horowitz

Ali Subotnick

Brian Calvin

Dean Wareham

Gracie DeVito

Indah Datau

Jake DeVito

Sara Gomez

Luke Harris

Sarah Johnson

Julia Leonard

Jillian Risigari-Gai

Joseph Tran

George Kuchar (screening)

Andrew Lampert

Reach LA

Oscar Tuazon

Black Dice

Danny Perez

Avey Tare

Shinzen Young

Jesse Fleming and Lewis Pesacov

Mecca Vazie Andrews

Mira Billotte

Julian Ceccaldi

Oldest (Brooks Headley & Mick Barr)

DJ Andy Coronado

François Ceysson

Amanda Ross-Ho

Raphael Rubinstein

Wallace Whitney

Bradford Nordeen

Chris Kraus

Samuel Dunscombe & Curt Miller

Jay Chung

Lev Kalman & Whitney Horn (screening)

Maricón Collective

The Shhh 

Alice Bag 

Martin Sorrondeguy

Sex Stains

Kevin Hegge (screening)

Rhonda Lieberman

Lisa Anne Auerbach

David Benjamin Sherry

Eric Wesley

Tamara Shopsin, Jason Fulford, and Brooks Headley

Deborah Hay

Becky Edmunds (screening)

Kath Bloom

Erin Durant

Ben Vida

Charles Atlas

Laurie Weeks

Kerry Tribe

Renée Green

Fred Moten

The Office of Culture and Design / Hardworking Goodlooking

YUK, MNDSGN, and AHNUU

PATAO

Michael Biel

Mark Von Schlegell

Graham Lambkin

Lex Brown

Jibade-Khalil Huffman

Dan Levenson

Sarah Mattes

Carmen Winant

Gloria Sutton

John Musilli (screening)

Pieter Schoolwerth and Alexandra Lerman (screening)

Nate Young

Safe Crackers

Frances Stark

Liliana Porter (screening)

Adam Linder

Corazon del Sol

Gary Cannone

Ben Caldwell

Jacqueline Frazier

Jan-Christopher Horak

Haile Gerima (screening)

Barbara McCullough (screening)

Jon Pestoni

Andrew Cannon

David Fenster

Dick Pics

Seth Bogart

Lonnie Holley

Rudy Garcia

Dynasty Handbag

Christine Stormberg

Anthony Valdez

Kate Mosher Hall

JJ Stratford

Diana Adzhaketov

DJs Cole MGN and Nite Jewel

Casey Jane Ellison

Gary Indiana + Walter Steding

Kate Durbin

Michael Silverblatt

Hamza Walker

Wynne Greenwood

Robert Morris

Maggie Lee (screening)

Brendan Fowler

Susan Cianciolo

Aaron Rose

John Boskovich (screening)

Michel Auder (screening)

Lauren Campedelli, Leo Marks, and Jan Munroe

Klang Association feat. Anna Homler (Breadwoman), Jorge Martin, Jeff Schwartz

sodapop

Hoseh

Miles Cooper Seaton & Heather McIntosh

Drip City

Geologist

Deaken

Brian Degraw

$3.33

Angela Seo

George Jensen

Carole Kim & Jesse Gilbert & Friends

Aledandra Pelly

dublab

Mariko Munro

Emily Jane Rosen

Lana Rosen

Max Syron

Mark Morrisroe (screening)

Ramsey McPhillips

Stuart Comer

Jordan Wolfson

Kiva Motnyk

Samara Golden

Sam Ashley

John Krausbauer

Kate Valk

Elizabeth LeCompte

Lewis Klahr

Barbara Kasten

Martine Syms

Margo Victor

Studioo Manueel Raaeder

Mary Farley

Wayne Koestenbaum

Jibz Cameron

Sean Daly

Kendra Sullivan

Trinh T. Minh-ha

Johanna Breiding + Jennifer Moon

Tisa Bryant

Cog•nate Collective (Misael G Diaz + Amy Y Sanchez-Arteaga)

Bridget Cooks

Michelle Dizon

Anne Ellegood

Shoghig Halajian

Katherine Hubbard

Simon Leung

Amanda McGough + Tyler Matthew Oyer

Dylan Mira

Litia Perta

Eden’s Herbals

Matt Connors

Flat Worms

Susan

Lucky Dragons

Dos Mega

David Korty

Monica Majoli

Forrest Nash

Sophie von Olfers

Rudolf Eb.er

dave phillips

Joke Lanz

The Dog Star Orchestra

The Edge of Forever (Elizabeth Cline + Lewis Pesacov)

Lutz Bacher (screening)

Agnes Martin (screening)

Marisa Takal

Moyra Davey (screening)

Suzanna Zak

Wu Tsang, boychild and Patrick Belaga

Snake Jé

VIP

Fictitious Business DBA The Geminis

DJ M.Suarez

Asmara

Weirdo Dave

Mission Chinese

Veronica Gonzalez Peña

Thomas Bayrle

Bernhard Schreiner

Bob Nickas

The Cactus Store / Christian Herman Cummings

Atelier E.B

Iman Issa

Diana Nawi

Sqirl

Downtown Women’s Center

Earthjustice

Juvenile Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School

Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic

N.eed O.rganize W.ork

Planned Parenthood

SoCal 350 Climate Action

St. Athanasius

WriteGirl

Sean/Milan

John Santos

Thomas Davis

Twisted Mindz

Adrienne Adams

Evan Kent 

Jasmine McCloud 

Gia Banks

Ace Farren Ford

Dennis Mehaffey

Fredrik Nilsen

Paul McCarthy

Joe Potts

Rick Potts

Tom Recchion

Vetza

Oliver Hall

Rigo 23

Gil Kenan & Vice Cooler (screening)

Cassie Griffin

Clara Cakes

Clay Tatum + Whitmer Thomas (Power Violence)

DJ AshTreJinkins

DJs Protectme

Crush

Sara Knox Hunter

Dodie Bellamy

Miranda July

Alexander Keefe

Thomas Keenan

Kevin Killian

Silke Otto-Knapp

Calypso Jete, Essence Jete Monroe, Virginia X, Leandra Rose, Naomi Befierce, Tori Perfection, Foxie Adjuis

Brontez Purnell

Kate Wolf

Adam Soch (screening)

Dar A Luz

ADSL Camels

Cold Beat

Tropic Green

No Sesso

Michelle Carrillo

Ruth Root

Timothy Ochoa

[larryland]

by Fred Baumgarten

Every generation, it seems, must have its “Chalk Garden.” Major revivals pop up every decade or so like crocuses sprouting in spring. And then there’s the popularity the 1955 Enid Bagnold play enjoys in regional theater, perhaps owing to its meaty dialogue and eccentric characters.

Is it any wonder that the Ghent Playhouse’s new production of “The Chalk Garden,” under the direction of artistic director Cathy Lee-Visscher, took an exceedingly dark tone with this British dramedy? That’s about right for this #MeToo generation. But it’s a pity that some of Bagnold’s wit and satire couldn’t shine through more.

In actuality, “The Chalk Garden,” for all its actorly chops, fits awkwardly against contemporary America—both more relevant than ever and oddly disconnected—hailing from a time of nascent feminism in England weighted down by postwar norms and still viewing liberated women as upstarts and eccentrics. (Trigger warnings and spoilers ahead.)

The story revolves around a triangle of “troubled” women: Mrs. St. Maugham (Wendy Spielmann), who tends her country estate garden and looks after her granddaughter, Laurel (Elisheva Malfatto); and a mysterious governess, Miss Madrigal (Sally McCarthy), who answers an ad to take care of the teenager.

Each of them bears a kind of moral burden, though an ambiguous one: Mrs. St. Maugham may have driven away her daughter, Laurel’s mother Olivia (Lee-Visscher); Miss Madrigal may have murdered a stepsister; and Laurel may have been “violated” (Bagnold’s explicit term) as a preteen.

The heart of the drama turns on the question most often associated with #MeToo: whom do you believe? In 1955 England, the answers are complicated by other questions regarding women’s ability to distinguish truth from fiction and whether anyone can see through to their “true” natures.

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Also hovering around for the unfolding events are Maitland (Steve King), a reluctant servant; an unseen, unwell butler living upstairs, named Pinkbell, who represents something like the old order; his nurse (Jewel Winant); and “The Judge” (George Filieau), a friend of Mrs. St. Maugham’s whose arrival for a visit sparks an unraveling of stories.

The Chalk Garden, incidentally, is a literal description of the estate’s garden, where the soil is limestone and everything planted by Mrs. St. Maugham, with advice from the unseen butler, dies. You would be hard-pressed to overlook the metaphorical meaning, just as Miss Madrigal’s healing touch with the garden symbolizes this play’s belief in second chances.

There was ample ramping up of tension as the third act’s confrontation between The Judge and Miss Madrigal drew near, and some riveting mother-daughter showdowns between Olivia and Mrs. St. Maugham, courtesy of some excellent acting by Lee-Visscher and Spielmann.

What was missing from this production of “The Chalk Garden” was the sense of hope and possibility, not to mention just plain carpe diem zaniness hidden underneath each character like a seed needing watering. The actor who came closest was Malfatto, the youngest, who imbued Laurel with a mischievous sparkle. Spielmann had moments of inspired battiness as called for by Mrs. St. Maugham’s character.

Unfortunately, as Miss Madrigal, the heart and soul of the play, McCarthy sustained an overly angry and emotional demeanor—though as I said at the outset, as a directorial choice it may not be entirely inappropriate to our time. It was also difficult to draw a bead on King’s Maitland; he too seemed alternately angry and confused. Filieau was fine as The Judge, if a little stiff, and Winant serviceable as the nurse in a part that is admittedly marginal.

Sam Reilly’s set was gorgeous, Joe Sicotte lighting luminous, and Joanne Maurer’s costumes lovely.

Part of me feels like it’s time to retire old chestnuts like “The Chalk Garden,” and yet as long as there are literary and challenging plays like it, they will forever grow again in half-decent soil.

The Chalk Garden by Enid Bagnold, directed by Cathy Lee-Visscher, runs January 31-February 2, February 7-9, and February 14-16, 2020 at the Ghent Playhouse, 6 Town Hall Place, Ghent, NY. Stage Manager Ariell Lant, Props Cathy Lee-Visscher, Kelly Mackerer, Costumes Joanne Maurer, Set Sam Reilly, Set Construction and Décor Sam Reilly, Cathy Lee-Vissscher, Lighting Design Joe Sicotte, Sound Effects Monk Schane-Lydon, Lighting and Sound Operation Randi Lant. CAST: Sally McCarthy as Miss Madrigal, Steve King as Maitland, Joanne Maurer as Second Applicant, Elisheva Malfatto as Laurel, Karen McNulty as Third Applicant, Wendy Spielmann as Mrs. St. Maugham, Jewel Winant as Nurse, Cathy Lee-Visscher as Olivia, and George Filieau as The Judge.

Tickets $22, $17 for members, $10 for students. For tickets and information, call (800) 838-3006 or visit ghentplayhouse.org.

  REVIEW: “The Chalk Garden” at the Ghent Playhouse by Fred Baumgarten Every generation, it seems, must have its “Chalk Garden.” Major revivals pop up every decade or so like crocuses sprouting in spring.