Seniors write, perform monologues for an interesting evening

I see a lot of plays. But I rarely see productions that are the actor's own thoughts. That's what made "The Monodrama Project" a unique experience.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Senior Adult Theatre Program recently put together 11 often interesting monologues that were written by the actors performing them. The material was a blend of autobiography, dreams and fiction that had personal significance to the teller. The plots made for a history of America as seen through the eyes of ordinary folk. We got a look at the World War II home front and the struggles of a woman (Ann Vizzaccero) to make it in the workplace. We got a peek into the wedding night bedroom of a naive bride (Marilyn Oster Kaufman). And we shared the emotional turmoil of an aging woman (Gail K. Romero) facing the trauma of life-threatening surgery.

The senior program is registering for the fall semester. For more information, call 895-4673. ...

For those who bemoan the Tony Awards' frequent habit of not presenting clips from nominated plays, Acorn Media Group's new "The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays" DVD may be a godsend. Nineteen celebrated performers -- including James Earl Jones in "The Great White Hope" and Maggie Smith in "Lettice and Lovage" -- re-create some of the most exciting dramatic moments on the modern New York stage. ...

And speaking of the Tony Awards (which air Sunday), every year there seems to be at least one score from a flop show that becomes an underground treasure. This year, I predict it will be "High Fidelity," the musical that playwright David Lindsay-Abaire adapted from the popular 2000 film. It's about geeks who find true love, and the just-released CD is a hoot. The fast-flop show is nominated for only one Tony (best scenic design), but time may have better things in store for this undiscovered treasure. ...

At the opening for New American Theatre Project's intriguing "The Shape of Things," nearly every skillfully quiet moment in the first act was ruined by the presence of a loudly clicking photographer in the small Aruba Hotel theater. When I complained at intermission, the fellow left, only to be upstaged by an audience member who was obsessed with flashes. (Where were the ushers?) Directors toil hard at controlling everything an audience sees and hears. It's obscene that so many of them disrespect their work in such a major but easy-to-correct way.

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