BWW Reviews: Shannon Holt - The Ideal Center of THE VORTEX

The Vortex /by Noel Coward/directed by Gene Franklin Smith /The Matrix Theatre/thru December 14, 2014

As the axis of this spinning vortex, Noel Coward's The Vortex, the talented Shannon Holt dominates as Florence. Everything and everyone centers on Florence and what Florence wants - her much younger lover Tom, her silent cuckolded husband David, her spoiled 29-yr-old son Nicky, her sycophant friends Helen and Pawnie. Holt commands the stage exactly as her self-absorbed character needs to. Holt's the perfect Coward archetype- immaculately coiffed, elegantly dressed, lots of attitude, self-centered with a sharp tongue when needed. Holt makes sitting in a tiny divan a visual delight with her long legs, so precisely stretched out, so effortlessly ladylike each time she sits down. Nice!

This production (produced by Amanda Eliasch and Vespa Collaborative) nonetheless, comes across as toned-down Noel Coward, as the wit and sharp barbs do not come fast and furious, if at all. Well essayed by the ensemble, this eavesdropping on a Coward drawing room lacks bite and pacing. Can't be the fault of the talented actors (all with consistent British accents) as all firmly commit to their roles. Can't blame the director Gene Franklin Smith as his direction makes good sense of Coward's script and with any faster pace, the actors would be talking over each other. Could the culprit here be the master himself, Sir Coward? Possibly the original intended shock value of this 1924 piece from topics of drug use, adultery, and homosexuality can't hold up today in 2014, even in this updated 1960's version. But how deceptive and disrespectful, in any era, for Florence to routinely bring her lover Tom home into the houses that David has dutifully provided her- right under his nose.

Coming into The Matrix Theatre, the audience enters a time warp into the psychedelic Swinging Sixties of London. Set designer Erin Walley has created a living room with all the spot-on kitsch and accoutrements of the '60s. A Warhol-esque print of Florence (who else?) and a framed concert poster of a new girl group named The Supremes decorate the walls with use of a phonograph player and a hand-held rotary dial phone as detailed touches. Lighting designer Leigh Allen has added an overlay of a spotlight stencil in a paisley pattern to accentuate this time period.

Costume designer Shon LeBlanc has costumed the women in a vision of '60s couture down to their sparkly pumps and up to their flashy necklaces.

Performance starts off with the three couples frugging and swimming to a 1960's hit. á la Laugh-In when the music stops, the spotlight hits one of the couples and that couple talks. Then the record re-starts and stops on another, then the last couple.

Victoria Hoffman's simply splendid as Helen, Florence's best friend and confidante, always trying to keep Florence grounded. She succeeds a lot less than she'd like.

As Nicky, Craig Robert Young's reminiscent of Jude Law as the cocky, entitled, fun-loving Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Nicky though, has little-to-no self-confidence or direction, but certainly possesses much more flamboyancy than Dickie. Hints to Nicky's sexuality's much less blatant than Florence's affair with Tom. Young's climatic confrontation with Holt's Florence brings the much needed heat and fire missing earlier in this production. Rather puzzling that the subject of this enflamed discussion focuses on Nicky demanding Florence admit to her illicit relations with Tom that she flaunts in everyone's faces. In fact, when Nicky returns home for a visit, Florence's most anxious for Nicky and Tom to like each other and get along. Nicky however, brings home a surprise guest, his new fiancé Bunty (ably played by Skye LaFontaine). Coincidence of coincidences, Bunty and Tom have a past history together.

Daniel Jimenez brings the proper subservient qualities to his obedient lap dog Tom.

John Mawson's appropriately broken as the cuckolded David as he makes futile attempts to re-connect with his troubled son Nicky.

Cameron Mitchell, Jr. seems to having a blast as the flaming Pawnie, a darling friend of Florence and Helen.

Walley has also created two other completely separate '60s sets requiring time for full set changes. Maybe the three 30-minute acts could eliminate the two intermissions with the use of one multi-use gorgeous '60s set by Walley.

www.plays411.com/vortex

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