Review: THE WISDOM OF EVE at Altarena Playhouse

The love of theater often begins in childhood and is built through heart-touching moments of drama, comedy, and song. The aura and mystery of theater is filled with magic that pulls people into its sphere. But behind the curtain there lurks another world that can be cold and cunning and heartless. THE WISDOM OF EVE blends the magic of the stage with the shadows behind to expose the full world of theater. Here you find the blood, sweat, and tears that can take people to the top as well take people down as they climb. Altarena Playhouse’s THE WISDOM OF EVE takes you on a wild ride through the underbelly of theater life.

The story of THE WISDOM OF EVE centers around Eve Harrington, a young girl hanging out near the stage door hoping to pay her respects to Margo Crane, Broadway’s leading lady. She begs Margo’s friend Karen Roberts to get her a few moments with the star. Using flattery, ingratiating manner, and some wide-eyed naivety, Eve parlays her few moments into not one, but two jobs at the theater, keys to Karen’s house, and a hook in the theater’s stage manager. Eve finagles her way into prominent standing with the local playwright de jour, Lloyd Roberts and producer Clement Howell as well, and she does it all while making them think it was their idea to help her. In a mad grab for a big opportunity, Eve crosses a line, but in order to call her on it, others must admit their duplicity. A multi-faceted game of self preservation and revenge is afoot.

Multiple characters take on the role of narrator during the show, but it begins with Karen Roberts, played by Allison Gamlen setting the scene. From her first step on stage, Gamlen’s Karen is crisp, sharp, and stylish. While it’s tempting to file Karen away as a side character, Gamlen shows that she is not above pulling some strings of her own to both help and hurt others. When Karen is caught in the repercussions of her machinations, Gamlen’s performance reveals depth and sorrow. Sindu Singh shines as the charismatic Margo Crane. Her balance of confidence on stage and caution behind the scenes reveals the myriad of challenges of actresses as they age. Singh’s presence is commanding and vibrant and everything you need from a leading lady. Dan Allan as Clement Howell is all charm and sweetness until confronted with a conflict between business and personal relationships. Despite his blurring of lines, his version of Clem is one you can’t help but like. Lloyd Roberts begins as an artist, focused on creating great theater. Along the way, he succumbs to the power plays and becomes a player himself. Alan Kropp takes him from tender smiles to steely eyes, and you don’t see it coming. Tyler Null gives a quirky charm to Harvey, the Stage Manager, and some nice comedy to the bad line reading. It would be fun to see him in a more substantial part. Shelbey Ballantyne plays both Leila and Vera. She gives each character a nice distinction in both air and movement. Undoubtedly, the best comedic moments come from Dan Kolodny as “Tally-Ho” Thompson. His wide eyes and over the top mannerisms are not only funny, but also punctuate the drama of the fires he sets both in print and on television. 

The show is headlined by Anna Kosiarek as Eve Harrington. She is lovely in the opening scenes, reeling us all in to root for the fresh-faced girl. However, during the meat of the show, she seems a bit lost, rarely giving us the smirks or cutting eyes of the viper within. There is a lot left on the page that could be used to lend credibility to Eve as a vixen that ensnares men to gain advantage that is lost in Kosiarek’s often wooden movements. Once Eve has openly crossed into open self promotion, Kosiarek seems more at ease with the characters and begins to delve into the richness of Eve. Hopefully, these were just some opening night hiccups that resolve as the show continues its run.

THE WISDOM OF EVE’s artistic team puts on a visually pleasing show. Set Designer Tom Curtain provides two distinct areas while leaving a third open so that it easily morphs into different locations without the need of moving any big pieces. The costumes by Ava Byrd are surprising in their quantity and quality. Karen’s various looks are simply gorgeous and compliment her in every way. Equally, Margo’s many looks that also require on stage changing work wonderfully to add glamour to her character. I wish Eve’s looks had more of an evolution than a stark contrast, but they fit Kosiarek well. Lighting Designer Stephanie Anne Johnson adds subtle but effective shifts of mood throughout the show. Direction by Kimberly Ridgeway seems to be fighting itself with too many ideas. There are moments that lean toward an homage to the film while others seem to take a more modern approach. Some characters lean into the stereotypes while others are so nuanced they seem vague. Some use distinctive voices as used in film and television of the era, and others do not. I think I would have preferred more of the Transatlantic speech with quicker pacing or at least all of one or the other. Additionally some of the blocking was awkward as characters separated themselves for a monologue but turned completely upstage to look at others. Ridgeway’s direction did provide seamless transitions and nice pace.

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.9% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

8.9% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.7% of votes

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