In 1996, five years after Alfred Uhry brought the world Driving Miss Daisy, he was commissioned to write a play to coincide with the Olympic Games being held in Atlanta. The Last Night of Ballyhoo went on to win both a Tony and an Outer Critics Circle Award when it premiered on Broadway. The play's theme deals with Jewish anti-Semitism in Atlanta in 1939 -- that is, anti-Semitism practiced by Jews upon other Jews. The script ranges from subtle remarks, easily missed, to sledgehammer attacks. In Full Circle Theater Company's current staging, some Act One remarks are lost in the desire to accentuate the southern dialect. Parker Auditorium at La Jolla High School is one of the finest stages a theater group could ask for. It is a very live stage where a stage whisper can be heard in the last row.
Director Ann Lyon-Boutelle seems to lose sight (or sound) of this in the first act. Admittedly, emotions run high at the pre-holiday season in the Freitag and Levy household. But must we be assaulted by yelling and screaming rather than the more subtle invective that would just as clearly bring forth Uhry's message? The emphasis on authentic dialect emerges more strongly than any emphasis on character, quashing the family's inner turmoil.
The story digs deeply into a little- understood and less dramatized story of intra-group prejudice within an ethnic group. Amy Reed, as Sunny Freitag, gives a truly controlled performance as someone with progressive leanings who must live in a prejudiced society, a society of the making of her own forefathers. Her relationship with an outsider, a Jew of non-German heritage, is a classic love story. Nic Costa, as Joe Farkas, her love interest, is amusing as the New York outsider working and living in the deep, traditional south. Uncle Adolph (Andy Boutelle) enjoys some very nice moments. The mothers, Boo Levy and Reba Freitag (Sue Ellen Gerrells and Diane Bennett), also have some interesting conflicts. Boo's daughter Lala, played by Courtney Abbott, remains over-the-top throughout the production. In act two, the players settle much more calmly into their characters, leading to moments of delightful comedy and ugly truth.
Sets and costumes by Ann Lyon-Boutelle reflect the time accurately. Lighting by Jeremy Hastings and sound by Bob Taylor complement the production. The use of several practical lamps add to the believability of the environment. The Full Circle Theater Company is a relatively new production company that has produced some excellent shows. While Ballyhoo is less than impressive, the company remains promising.
