CSN’s ‘Voyage’ better on page than stage

The College of Southern Nevada's "A Voyage Round My Father," authored by attorney/playwright John Mortimer, is a moving read about the memories of a successful man trying to come to terms with his eccentric family. It has several rich, moving moments, thanks to Mortimer's astute yet quiet observations about relationships. Trouble is, it's a lot more moving to read than to see director W. Wadkins' production.

Simple reason: too much broad comedy so that the characters feel inhuman, and not enough emotional connection to father and son.

Father is a domineering, divorce lawyer, a good guy, very philosophical and very politically incorrect. He's so 1930s British and so upper-crust proper that he never talks about being blind. Yet, he spends a lot of money making sure his gardens are healthy. He thinks poets overrate sex and people don't take enough time to smell the flowers (even if they can't see them).

His son, naturally, has to battle to form his own opinions about life. He seems in the end to have lost something by his independent choices, as his father has. But a beautiful communion has formed.

The evening I attended, understudy Alex Colello went on in the role of the son, and his naturalness, likability and understatement kept me riveted.

Ken Kucan as Father struck me at first as too theatrical, too showy. But I warmed to him as the evening progressed. He made it easy for us to understand why his character's quirks would make this man so unforgettable. Still, I found it hard to believe there was any real give-and-take between the two.

Cassie McGuire, as Mother, brings welcomed, hearty doses of warmth and maternal love to what could be a thankless role.

Just about everyone else is too affected to be effective. Had the director trusted the script more to bring out the laughs and lumps in the throat, this might have been a must-see show.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.