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The 2009 Tony Award-winning play God Of Carnage opened at the Morgan Hill Playhouse on April 8 and raised the bar on South Valley Civic Theatre presentations. We have talent here in our little town and it’s really good.
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Peter Mandel, Beth Harnett, Doug Doughty, and Karyn Rondeau give energetic, well timed performances as parents who start out civilly trying to settle a problem between their sons. (One broke two teeth of the other.) French playwright Yasmina Reza’s story starts out calm and works up into a near-physical battle that makes Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf look like a picnic in the park.
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Well translated by Christopher Hampton and skillfully directed by Bryan Freeman, the play gives an inside look at adults taking up a challenge, with each putting their spin on the subject. Marriages, morality and sanity are tested on the merry-go-round of their lives.
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Freeman moves his actors like prize fighters coming out of their corners, with a space shuttle’s timing. He carefully jostles the scenes so at times the story becomes a humorous, emotional battleground.
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God Of Carnage brings scenic and lighting designers Freeman and Matthew Hendrickson along with costumer Mary Dokter together to complete this production.
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For an evening of enjoyable theatre be prepared to be shaken and tickled for 90 minutes.
South Valley Civic Theatre presents ‘God Of Carnage’
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Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, Fifth and Monterey streets, Morgan Hill
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Performances through April 30
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Tickets: $22; Seniors $18; Students $15
Reservations and information: (408) 842-7469 or visit svct.org.
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Camille Bounds is the Theatre, Arts and Travel columnist for the Morgan Hill Times and the Gilroy Dispatch. Contact her at bo******@co********.net.
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