ON STAGE
‘Light’ shines as timeless
take on life in the theaterLight Up the Sky
By John Berger
Special to the Star-BulletinMoss Hart incorporated many references to the cultural icons of the moment when he wrote "Light Up The Sky" more than 50 years ago. Director Joyce Maltby kept them intact and relies on the timeless dynamics of the story in her production at Hawaii Pacific University.
It was a wise call. The show is an enjoyable escape from more familiar fare and a light yet insightful look at the business of theatre.
The characters are timeless. Peter Sloan (Andrew Meader) has bared his soul and invested several years of his life in writing his first play. Sidney Black (Jim Tharp) is a businessman who liked the script and put up the big bucks needed to stage it.
Flamboyant director Carleton Fitzgerald (Richard Pellett) and effusively insincere actress Irene Livingston (Melinda Maltby) are key players in the project. Also on hand are Irene's waspish mother (Electra Gailas), Sidney's unpretentious wife (Marlys Jackson), and veteran playwright Owen Turner (Larry Blanchford).
Tension builds as it seems America isn't ready for a story set in the ruins of the Radio City Music Hall after a nuclear war.
Irene's wealthy henpecked husband (John Mazur) walks into the turmoil. So does a drunk but honest Shriner (Hank Chapin).
Pellett was a hit last night; his fans even applauded his first exit. He can do straight drama quite well but is at his best in comic roles like this.
Gailas caps a strong performance with a great scene opposite Pellett. Tharp does his usual dignified work throughout, Mazur and Meader give nicely detailed performances, and Therese Olival proves herself ready for bigger roles with her portrayal of the slightly star-struck ghostwriter of Irene's autobiography.
