›› THEATER
L’age d’ whore Septuagenarian hookers still feeling 69 in Brava’s ‘Oldest Profession’ by Samant ha Campos
W
hen we reach a certain age, we tend to think our usefulness to the world is coming to an end. And yet, we become more authentically and unabashedly ourselves the older we get. In this sense, we have more to offer—even as our bodies begin to fail us. In Brava Theater’s production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s The Oldest Profession, five prostitutes in their 70s gather in Central Park to discuss business— and how to keep it going—just prior to Ronald Reagan’s first presidential inauguration. As the ladies lament younger competition, aging clientele and the, uh, stiff economy they’re facing, familial bonds cement their reserve to stick together and survive “in the game.” Just as Vogel’s prostitutes are losing clients Lee Brady (second from right, as Vera) regales her comwith tales from a life of wanton depravity—not a to old age and death, older people in our soci- panions far cry, really, from her annual appearance at the Pac Sun ety lose their employment value and the con- holiday party. tributions they offer to the larger community O O O O with each passing year. The War is hell on women “oldest profession,” while a and who doesn’t know that? NOW PLAYING subversive choice of career Personal horrors of rape and for these characters, could be The Oldest Profession runs murder in civil-war-ravaged through April 9 at the Brava seen as an allegory for how Congo may be far away from extreme the alienation can Theater, 2781 24th St., S.F.; Marin, but they are up-close be when we, especially wom- 415/647-2822, www.brava.org. and personal in Ruined, Ruined runs through April en, age. Yet, at the same time, 10 at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Berkeley Rep’s co-proVogel manages to celebrate Theater, 2015 Addison St., Berduction with the Lorraine the feminine vibrancy, paskeley; 510/647-2949, www. Hansberry Theatre. Salima sion and sexuality that pre- berkeleyrep.org. (Pascale Armand) tells of vails within each woman— being taken by soldiers who perhaps even more so as killed her baby as she planted time passes—despite being encased in an increasingly older body. Director tomatoes. She then served as the troop’s Evren Odcikin enlivens this complex-themed concubine, after which she couldn’t go home yet simply set production by allowing each because of the shame. Josephine (Zainab Jah) actress to inhabit her inner whore and create was the daughter of a tribal chief but he was a fun, theatrical atmosphere with intermittent on the wrong side and she paid for that. Worst cabaret performances, which mark the passing case of all is Sophie (Carla Duren), who was of each character as festive and joyful, instead sexually ruined by a bayonet rape. Despite of overwrought and mournful. Designer Jackie these horrors, playwright Lynn Nottage finds Martinez has crafted an intimate bench setting tender moments and humorous ones in this in the middle of Central Park, with a dimly lit, dark world. All the young women have ended lushly draped, brothel-esque backdrop that up in Mama Nadi’s (Tonye Patanu) brothel, serves as a sort of before- and after-life way sta- presided over by a modern day Mother Courtion for the ladies of the night, accompanied age who refuses to judge the rebels or the by Angela Dwyer’s fantastically sprightly piano government forces destroying her country. Mama just wants to make money off both. playing and narration. The actors—Linda Ayres-Frederick (Edna), Director Liesl Tommy creates the chaos of war Tamar Cohn (Lillian), Patricia Silver (Ursula), on a well-defined set, giving us the feminine warmth that brings in soldiers seeking sex and Cecele Levinson (Mae) and Pacific Sun’s very forgiveness. Overall however, it is only in the own Lee Brady (Vera)—engagingly display quiet moments as the young girls tell their the vulnerability and strength, humanity and stories, or when Sophie sings her plaintive balbrassiness of their working girls with a rather lad, that we get the human drama of women convincing and ever-so charming Southern in war.—Lee Brady < drawl and the wry wit of Vogel’s many socioApplaud Lee at freshleebrady@gmail.com. political one-liners. The Oldest Profession is both funny and touching, heartwarming and heartbreaking, and, as one of the lascivious Comment on this story in TownSquare, at ladies might say, worth every penny. ›› pacificsun.com
22 PACIFIC SUN MARCH 18 - MARCH 24, 2011
›› THAT TV GUY FRIDAY, MARCH 18 Crocodile Dundee II This might be a good time to talk to your kids about the dark side of the ‘80s. (1988) AMC. 5:30pm. After Lately Chelsea Handler now has a scripted comedy show that’s based on the backstage antics at her un-scripted talk show. There’s an existential dilemma in there. We’d be happy to share it, but we’re saving it for our master’s thesis. E! 9pm.
by Rick Polito
Castle When a soapopera writer is murdered, investigators must first determine if the writer had an evil amnesiac twin with a dark family secret. ABC. 10pm.
TUESDAY, MARCH 22 Under Siege Steven Seagal plays a Navy SEAL who must take control of a battleship from ruthless SATURDAY, MARCH 19 terrorists who interrupt a Intervention Marathon party and hold the crew It’s Saturday night. You’re hostage. Also released as home. It’s worth watching “Die Hard Ahoy.” (1992) just for ideas. A&E. All night. Spike TV. 6:30pm. Sur f ’s Up As sur fing Prozac Nation A freshpenguin movies go, this man at Harvard struggles one pretty much owns with depression. We the genre. (2007) Cartoon assumed every freshman Network. 7pm. at Harvard struggled Secrets of the Dollar with depression. Don’t Bill That pyramid on the they have a dispenser back was actually Hole It was the worst of times, kids... Friday, at every water fountain? 12 in Benjamin Franklin’s 5:30pm. (2001) IFC. 8:30pm. “Masonic Lodge Miniature Golf Course and The Tonight Show Duran Duran was Go-Cart Track.” History Channel. 7pm. formed 33 years ago.To put it in perspective, Madagascar II: The IMAX Experience We’re guessing you have to sit very close to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers topped the charts 33 years before that. your TV. (2008) FX. 7pm. Yes, you are that old. NBC. 11:35pm. SUNDAY, MARCH 20 Secret Millionaire MotiWEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 vational guru James MalJourney to the Earth’s Core inchak sets out to live on a If you went straight down welfare-check budget. But for 4,000 miles, you’d find a he’s doing it in Gary, Ind. In white-hot molten mass of Tiburon, it wouldn’t cover fiery magma. Send us a postparking. ABC. 7pm. card. History Channel. 9pm. Sister Wives Polygamist Shedding for the Wedding Kody takes his four wives We’d recommend saving the to New York City for a series pole dancing class for after of TV interviews. It takes a you lose the weight. Striplot to shock New Yorkers. Sneer all you want but, as of press Mainly they are shocked time, it’s the ‘Citizen Kane’ of surfing- per poles are not generally structurally engineered to thinking about how much penguin movies, Saturday at 7. architectural safety it would cost to rent standards. CW. 9pm. a place with room for five adults and the 13 kids. TLC. THURSDAY, 8pm. MARCH 24 40 Funniest Fails Bones When Watching other peohuman remains are ple get hurt hasn’t discovered on the been this much fun Jersey Shore, invessince the Roman Coltigators attempt to iseum! VH1. 9pm. identify the victim through the tatM O N D A Y , toos. But first they have to decide MARCH 2 1 But which one’s Fred and which one’s Ginger? Tuesday, 11:35pm. which one is their The Cave We always avoid any cave with a looming soundtrack, favorite! Fox. 9pm. any dark place, really. 6pm. (2005) SyFy. When Women Kill It’s just like when men kill but they are more likely to send hand6pm. Hawaii Five-0 A science fiction fan written thank you notes. E! 10pm. < Critique That TV Guy at letters@pacificsun.com. dressed as a superhero is murdered. It’s not clear why the Five-0 squad got called Turn on more TV Guy at in. This kind of thing is usually handled by ›› pacificsun.com the Justice League. CBS. 10pm.