REVIEW: TCR finds heart of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’

By Rob Cline

Freelance writer

CEDAR RAPIDS - Tom Stoppard is a playwright well known for the complexities of both his language and his ideas. Nevertheless, the Theatre Cedar Rapids production of Stoppard's 2006 drama "Rock ‘N' Roll," performed at TCR Lindale for a moderately sized but appreciative crowd on Saturday night, can be summed up simply: This is strong work.

Under the direction of Leslie Charipar, the committed cast conquers an intricate script in which Stoppard explores the interior spaces where political, scientific and artistic theories intersect with the realities of friendship, love and family. The result is a performance that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.

“Rock ‘N' Roll,” which follows the sociopolitical arc of life in Czechoslovakia from 1968 to 1990, centers on Jan (Kehry Anson Lane), a man who believes the Beach Boys, the Velvet Underground and the homegrown Plastic People of the Universe are more likely to inspire change in his country than more traditional political protests. Lane is convincing throughout, bringing to life a man whose heartfelt love of rock music is undergirded by his devotion to his country.

Steve Arnold is also quite good at Max, an English communist who clings desperately to the ideals of his philosophy even as he watches them fail. Arnold's enunciation isn't always as crisp as Stoppard's heightened language requires, but he brings Max's many passions - for communism, for women, for respect - to the fore. Max, whose fiery personality belies his steadfast devotion to materialism, is perhaps the play's most nuanced character and Arnold skillfully exploits those nuances.

Marty Norton is excellent in the first act as Max's disease-ravaged wife, Eleanor, and equally good in the second act as Max and Eleanor's daughter, Esme. Similarly, Ashley Boots is delightful as young Esme in the first act and as Esme's daughter, Alice, in the second.

Matthew James also does double duty, bringing a quiet menace to his role as an interrogator, and a good-natured combativeness to his portrayal of Stephen, a young man who riles up Max late in the play.

Sarah Jarmon is outstanding as the love-struck Lenka and is at the center of one of the production's finest scenes with Norton and Arnold in the first act. Jim Kropa is oily and ominous as Milan, an official seeking to keep dissidents in line, and Bryant Duffy is quite affecting as “The Piper,” a disturbed fellow who may well be a legendary rock figure.

Bret Gothe has designed an excellent set that allows the action to move easily from Cambridge to Prague and back. The stage is flanked by two walls on which key information is chalked throughout the performance. It's an excellent device and it certainly helps the audience follow the various threads of the story, though it could be argued that a brief historical essay in the program would also be of benefit.

Still, “Rock ‘N' Roll” is about more than history; it's about the heart. The play and this excellent production map that territory and all its varied terrain.

FAST TAKE

What: “Rock 'N' Roll”

Where: TCR Lindale, 4444 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, through Saturday, Oct. 23; and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25

Tickets: $20 and $25 for adults; $15 for students; $12 rush tickets at the door available 30 minutes before each performance; advance tickets through www.theatrecr.org, (319) 366-8591, or the box office in the Grant Wood House, 800 Second Ave. SE.

Information: www.theatrecr.org