California Suite

Coronado Community Theater's current offering is California Suite, New Yorker Neil Simon's not-always-subtle slap at Californians' life style. This 1976 classic refuses to age; it is still a delightful mixture of humor and drama as five couples, in four short plays, occupy a suite in Beverly Hills.

Hanna and Bill Warren (Allison Evans and Dave Rivas) are a long-time divorced, bi-coastal couple trying to determine the residency of their late teen daughter. Evans is a stereotypical New York power executive. She dominates the stage, in true Manhattan style, while allowing her body language to give away her character's inner insecurity. Rivas is a little too laid back, as a happily transplanted East Coaster. Even when his role exudes power, which occasionally shifts from her to him, he comes off as too weak against Evans' strong portrayal.

What happens when a husband, Marvin Michaels (David Paye), wakes up with a hangover and a sleeping hooker, Bunny (Cristyn Chandler), in bed and a wife, Millie (Yvonne Lindroth Silva), due in from Philly any moment? Definitely shades of Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry"—except this body is alive, passed-out from way too much booze, and unwakeable. He does try to hide her in the hallway, only to be caught by a shocked housekeeper (played by stage manager Sharon Boskovich). As frustrations mount, this becomes the evening's funniest sketch. Chandler has to be complimented for not screaming or laughing as she is roughly handled and dragged about by Paye. Silva is the joy of this hilarious jaunt through marital un-bliss. Flamboyantly dressed, dialect in place, she handles her character's many moods with easy. Paye, while portraying Marvin's frustration, doesn't convince and lacks the spark needed to further edge his role. Still, the segment is fun.

Enter the Nicholses, Diana and Sidney (Elizabeth Mander-Wilson and John Martin), just a few hours off the plane from London. She, nominated for an Female Lead Oscar. He, an antique dealer tagging along -- the ever dutiful husband. They, both elegantly attired, await their car and banter, in true Hollywood style, the merits of winning or losing the beloved Oscar. Mander-Wilson is superb, radiating an elegant air with a savage bite but with the proper amount of insecurities her role calls for. Her expressions add much to Simon's words. Sidney is a complex character. Martin picks up much of the surface of his role but lacks depth. Thus, he's flat at times and misses some of the obvious inner struggles of his character.

In from Chicago, two couples, Beth and Mort Hollender (Nanci Harrington and Russ Allen) and Gert and Stu Franklin (Lynne Goodman and Michael Clark), are on an extended vacation together, but three weeks of togetherness is too much. An intense tennis match and a sprained ankle bring about an explosion. With nerves at high tension, this segment tends to be the screechiest. Harrington has the best control throughout the act, varying her delivery from bite and bitchiness to moderation and balance. Goodman has great moments but interprets her character at a constant scream. Allen seems unsure of where to take his character. Clark moves Stu in an almost bipolar way, at either ends of the emotional spectrum, with no middle level.

So California Suite proves flawed, but fun. Director D. Larry Steckling has made some excellent casting choices and, mostly, matched his couples nicely. The set by Rosemary King, Thom Jason Waldman, Cookie Turner and Mark Everhart is understated California elegant. It works well, takes advantage of that bloody downstage post, and offers the director and cast excellent playing space. Costume coordinator Lynn Hill creates a nice visual balance within scenes and plenty of contrast between the segments. David Waldman's lighting design is simple and uncomplicated; his sound design offers an unusual mix of music (with a couple of New York tunes that just don't fit the show).