Rebel without a Cause - A Bit of a Bumpy Ride

With the "Dukes of Hazzard" proving to be a smash hit over the summer and current talks of a "Dallas" movie coming to the silver screen, it's easy to see America's fascination with re-makes of old classics. Like visiting an old friend, re-makes remind us of the little things about a show or movie that made us fall in love with them in the first place. As every subtle nuance comes back into the forefront of our minds, we remember the grip we willingly allowed these American classics to put on us.

It's no different for "Rebel without a Cause." When I first heard about its theatrical premiere, I felt there was absolutely no reason to miss it. "Rebel" was a landmark movie about teenage angst and how hard growing up can really be. Living in a society where this theme is nowadays much more consistently present, I wondered if the stage version of "Rebel" would have just as much impact and shock as the original. How does a theater company resurrect the James Dean character of Jim Stark? The sexy, tough yet sensitive Stark character in the movie version of "Rebel" was like lighting in a bottle and could therefore pose a difficult task in any attempt to re-create it. I was up for the challenge however, to see if the Barely Balancing Artist Group could not necessarily duplicate "Rebel" but rather re-create it and provide as much punch as the original.

There were elements of "Rebel" that deserved many laurels while there were other areas that housed a few "kinks" that still needed to be ironed out. Most importantly , the acting was overall very good and the casting was superb. Stand out performances go to Joshua Coleman (Jim Stark) and Peter Bongiorno in his supporting role of Officer Ray. It was a shame to not see Bongiorno in more scenes throughout "Rebel" because he nailed his character down so well with what seemed such little effort – New York accent and all. Playing one of the unsung heroes of "Rebel," Bongiorno created a character who believes that one of the best remedies for a troubled teen is someone to talk to. He plays a cop who understands that bad things do happen, yet maintains a positive attitude about the youth he deals with everyday. He is one of the few cops in "Rebel" who is able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Bongiorno's character clearly captures all of these elements. His performance is as on target as an Olympic archer.

Although Bongiorno, in my estimation, subtly steals the show, Joshua Coleman (Jim Stark) also deserves praise. Coleman, who was handed a large role in the production as both lead actor and co-director, brought a noteworthy performance to the stage. He established a quiet cool early on that shattered the minute it was pressed. Coleman also possesses the "James Dean" look that made him tough enough to be dangerous yet innocent enough to just be confused. Although his performance is noteworthy, I believe Coleman still has time to expand the Jim Stark character. When Jim finally does break down to his parents regarding his actions, he explodes. However, the lack of visible emotional lead up to this confrontation comes off rather abrupt while the script has been hinting to it all along. The mismatch of words to actions is a finer point that could make a huge impact on the tenor of the play.

As much as the acting and casting enhanced the play, there were other elements that took away from the overall performance as well.

The timing of "Rebel" felt to be all over the place, making the play more difficult to understand. The play is set within a 24 hour period where Jim Stark meets a group of friends on his first day at a new school and agrees to a driving challenge where "leader of the pack" Buzz Gunderson (Major Dodge) dies. After the death of Buzz, both Judy (Erin Cunningham), Buzz's girlfriend at the time, and Jim fall in love. They exchange numerous "I love you's" to each other while Jim now tries to help his new best friend for the day, Plato, get out of trouble. I am all for suspending belief when it comes to plays, given the right context. I have no trouble believing that Romeo and Juliet fell in love so quickly and were willing to die for each other. However, I cannot believe that scenario in a play which is meant to capture more contemporary teenage life. How can Judy fall in love so quickly before she's even had a chance to mourn the death of her boyfriend? Such major emotions under such extreme circumstances in a short period of time is difficult to believe, let alone understand. The script wouldn't need to change at all if there was some indication that just a little bit of time, even a week, had passed. This slight timing change would make it easier to believe the newly developed love between Jim and Judy. Instead, the second act picks up exactly where the first half left off, leaving no way for all these events to transpire over a longer period of time. The lack of emotional timing can bring confusion to the audience that doesn't need to be there, thus making the pace of the second act much slower and making the characters, especially Jim and Judy, seem more shallow than confused.

There were other ingenious ideas woven throughout the performance that needed a little tightening before the play can be given an overall seal of approval. Such things as misplaced and non-working props, a revolving set and actor focused lighting showed that the cast needed continued work on these minor elements before they felt comfortable with them. Once these elements are mastered, it will help push this play into the winning category it deserves to be in.

Overall, the play does the movie "Rebel without a Cause" proud, although it does not supply the same punch I was hoping it would. This staged version of cinematic history is worth seeing, but be prepared for a few bumps along the way. There's plenty of "impact" to it, just not exactly the kind I was hoping for.

"Rebel without a Cause" is playing at the Lion Theatre in the Theatre Row complex on 42^nd Street between 9^th and 10^th Avenues. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm and Mondays at 8pm now through October 30^th. Please call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com for tickets.