An uplifting show
Just another play about an anal sex accident: Enter Mildred's Umbrella
"Cuckoos" takes compromising positions to another level.Photo by Anthony Rathbun
"Cuckoos" isn't exactly geared for the prudish.
A scene from the new Mildred's Umbrella production of "Margo Veil, anentertainment"Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Doctors are found in many of Mildred's Umbrella plays.Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Beatrice and Tito are in a tight spot in Guiseppe Manfridi's dark comedy Cuckoos, produced by Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company. now playing through June 26 at Talento Bilingue de Houston. The lovers got stuck during anal sex.
Oh well. Good thing Tito's father, Tobia, is an OB/GYN doc and comes to the rescue.
It's roughly based on Sophocles' Oedipus The King. Mildred's was kind enough to provide this link to their eight-minute Oedipus movie, performed by vegetables. That should give you a glimpse of the kind of theater company they are, a bit off kilter, zooming by the mainstream in style with a smirk.
Directed by Trish Rigdon, making her directorial debut at Mildred's, with Bobby Haworth, Karen Schlag and Ryan Kelly, Cuckoos is yet another chapter in Mildred's coming on 10-year history of shock, awe, and offbeat entertainment.
Mildred's Umbrella was founded by Jennifer Decker and John Harvey nearly a decade ago, when Harvey handed her a script of his first play. "I'm an actor, I never had any intention of running a theater company," insists Decker, now artistic director. "After the first play was over, I thought I would never do that again."
The next year, she produced yet another irresistible play by Harvey and again, swore to stop. Somewhere during the third year, the resolve softened, momentum picked up and Decker found herself producing a solid season.
Named after a Gertrude Stein poem, Mildred's Umbrella is dedicated to producing work outside of the usual canon seen at more established local theaters.
"I look for quirky plays that are funny in a way they should not be funny," Decker says. "I know it when I read it. It's an instinct."
Today, Mildred's is one of Houston's most beloved fledgling theater companies. Between Len Jenkin's Margo Veil and a near sold-out run of Will Eno's The Flu Season, the company seems to be on as steady a ground as expected for a small arts organization. Artistically, they are on serious roll. "I still complain about all the grunt work," sighs Decker, who still dreams of more help behind the scenes. "But it's getting easier."
The other half
Co-founder Harvey is a rare, albeit perplexing, talent. He's a poet by trade who switched to writing plays out of a need to collaborate with others. Dubbed the Dark Prince (OK, by me), Harvey's work is not for the faint of soul, although it can be wildly entertaining and intensely poetic. You will laugh all right, but then feel strange about it later.
"It's an implicating laugh," Harvey told me during a dress rehearsal for Night of the Giant, his latest gothic epic.
Harvey is grateful to have found a home for his hard-to-categorize work. "Over the years, Mildred's has produced seven of my plays, and considering the range of material, this testifies to the great range of voice and dramatic ability in the company," says Harvey, director of University of Houston's Center for Creative Work. "From Eros: A Circus to Night of the Giant is a long, strange journey, and it would not have been possible without the trust and care of a theater company that not only encourages my voice but also helps it come to life.
"I can't imagine my plays being what they are without the work with Mildred's and all the actors, directors and technicians that I've worked with."
Ridgon, now a full company member, will be directing Harvey's next play, Under the Big Dark Sky. "After seeing Night of the Giant, I got it in a profound way right from the beginning," Rigdon says. "He's not afraid to dig into the subconscious mind to try to reconcile it with reality."
Right now, Rigdon is having a blast with Cuckoos, a play she brought to Decker's attention. This marks the first performance of any of Manfridi's works in the U.S. "I love this play; it's so layered. It's a dark and contemporary take on an ancient play," Rigdon says. "I knew the ribald humor would be a match for Mildred's Umbrella. It may shock you, but do not be surprised if the very excesses that repel you also draw you in."
The 10-year anniversary season looks bold and promising, and includes Christopher Durang's absurd comedy The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Mac Wellman's Hyacinth Macaw, the world premiere of Elizabeth Keel's Notions of Right and Wrong, and ends with a heavy dose of fresh Harvey. Audiences will be equally enthralled, challenged, and possibly disturbed.
Houston's best actors gravitate to the troupe.
"Actors like the work we do, more and more they are coming to us," Decker says. "We like to work with actors who are flexible and willing to create."
Haworth is on his second adventure for this season. He seems excited and a little nervous about spending 90 minutes attached to another actor.
"When Jennifer gave me the script, I was completely blown away by the brilliance and crudity of Manfridi’s language," Haworth says. "I loved it. Then I started to panic, how the hell was I going to be stuck in someone, on my knees no less, for the entirety of the show? Everyone involved has been an absolute joy to work with.
"I hope audiences enjoy the show as much as we have getting it up. Pun intended."
