A young man vanishes — Madagascar at The Road Theatre Company

Presented by the Road Theatre Company in NoHo, and currently playing in repertory with White People, is the West Coast premiere of Madagascar, directed by Brendon Fox. Both plays were written by J.T. Rogers and it shows. In Madagascar, J.T. Rogers employs monologues to relate a single story about a young man”™s mysterious disappearance and its impact on the lives of three connected people.

Highly similar in its approach and shortcomings, but not theme, Madagascar – as a play – is a marginal improvement on White People. Sharing an inter-cut yet largely isolated monologue-style of delivery, as well as a trio of performers, the two plays are form a matched set. While some may think it makes perfect sense to stage both these plays in repertory, unfortunately the two plays are actually too similar to each other for this to be entirely successful.

Happily, Madagascar feels like a development of this playwright”™s favored style and structure. Here the three characters are related to each other within the story, and, on occasion, they even interact! Thus, these three strands of intertwined monologues reveals the character connections that we craved from White People.

Notably Madagascar brings together on the stage the co-Artistic Directors of The Road Theatre Company: Taylor Gilbert and Sam Anderson. Gilbert, who is Founder of The Road Theatre Company, plays the role of Lilian, a wealthy jet-setter. Anderson, recently seen in ABC TV”™s mega-hit Lost, stars as Nathan, a rumpled university economist and best friend of Lilian”™s famous husband.

Madagascar is the haunting story of a mysterious disappearance that changes three lives forever. These three Americans – at three different times – find themselves unaccompanied, in the same hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in the crumbling Italian city of Rome. The first is June, played by Deane Barone, a young woman who works as a tour guide of the city’s ancient ruins. Next is Lillian, her mother. And finally we meet Nathan. They each tell the audience their individual stories of why they are here. Eventually their perspectives weave into a single gripping and disquieting tale.

The Road Theatre Company
5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood CA 91601
Madagascar runs until Saturday, June 26th, 2010, in repertory with White People.

Performances are at 8.00pm

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
The two plays will run in rotating repertory.
Check online for a complete performance schedule.

Tickets: $30.00
Box Office: (866) 811-4111

Check their website for **Pay-What-You-Can Nights**

The Road Theatre, located two blocks south of Magnolia Bl. in the historic Lankershim Arts Center,

5108 Lankershim Bl. in the heart of North Hollywood”™s NoHo Arts District.

For further information, call 866.811.4111 or visit their website.

ABOUT THE ROAD THEATRE
Founded by Taylor Gilbert in 1991, The Road Theatre Company has amassed more than 130 regional theater awards and is helmed by Artistic Directors Taylor Gilbert and Sam Anderson, and Corporate Board President, Ian Bryce. Celebrated for its commitment to the most meaningful and dangerous of theater missions- New Work for the Stage, The Road Theatre Company also remains committed to community service and is the resident company in charge of the Historic Lankershim Arts Center and its programming. Please visit RoadTheare.org and LankershimArtsCenter.com.

Review by Pauline Adamek