Exploring Male Friendship: “Pelicans and Grapes” Production by Alvis Hermanis at New Riga Theater

Jana Čivžele in the role of Sara and Jānis Skutelis in the role of Miles.

Publicity photo (Jāņas Deinat).

Author: Normunds Akots, “Kultūrzīme”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”

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In the production “Pelicans and Grapes”, JRT director Alvis Hermanis, together with the actors, tries to explore such a phenomenon as male friendship through the prism of unobtrusive comedy.

“In vino veritas” – no matter how tattered this old saying is, it still hasn’t lost its meaning, because the truth cannot be expressed in words, it stands beyond words. Truth cannot be learned either, it must be experienced. Bacchae’s gifts help us not only to occasionally get rid of the entanglements of everyday cares and troubles, to indulge in pleasant feelings, but also give us the opportunity to look at those forces embedded in human nature, which inescapably sound the motifs of the “goat song” in our destinies.

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Common sense, however, warns that it is not desirable to get carried away with these gifts, because the truth seen may turn out to be as harsh as the journey of the soul in the world built by the rational mind, and not everyone will be able to withstand it. However, the American writer Rex Pickett has decided to take a risk and in his 1999 novel “Sideways” (later adapted into a play and screenplay), he invites us to join his characters in a week-long journey through the wineries of California, which may inadvertently lead to a bit of a metaphysical encounter – if you don’t indulge in misery now and then, then common sense has no meaning.

Alvis Hermanis, combining different forms of expression from the three mentioned sources, offers his version of this adventurous journey to the audience in the New Riga Theater (JRT) under the name “Pelicans and Grapes”. In his production, the director together with the actors tries to study such a phenomenon as male friendship, the only basic premise of which is – be true, through the prism of unobtrusive comedy.

Both characters of the show have come to that critical point in their lives, which requires them to change something in their lives, so that it does not slip into the tracks of a miserable existence. Miles hopes that his book will be published in a few days and he will become a famous writer, but Jackson has decided to put the marriage on hold in the hope that this will solve his problems. In honor of this event, the two friends organize a small “bachelorette tour” of their favorite wineries to spend time together and indulge in exquisite wine tastings.

Without a certain romance, which some adepts of the inclusive society will find difficult to grasp, such an event is of course unthinkable, so they are soon joined by two lovely beings to engage in modern improvised Bacchus rituals and shared entertainment. Mutual sympathies quickly pass into the stage of forming closer relationships, and the progress of the plot events of the play begins to slowly shed light on all the complications that in such cases inexorably remind of themselves. Mailzs, who is attractively portrayed on stage by Jānis Skutelis with his unique comedic talent, is a rather timid and helpless philologist who compensates for his failures in life with excellent knowledge of the world of wine.

Without exaggerating or sinning against psychology, the actor in the play conjures up the image of a man who loses his self-confidence in front of a woman. He is paralyzed by the fear of those labyrinths of relationships that actually tempt his soul. Miles just doesn’t let himself get close because he knows that if he lets someone close, he’ll want to keep them, but he’s not sure he can. Sarah senses this with her female intuition, she even takes the initiative to get to know her better, but the whirlwind of entertainment events and Jackson’s fallible good intentions for her friend do not allow her to really believe in what binds Sarah to Miles. Jana Čivžele outlines these invisible motives quite precisely in her role drawing, but for now she does not manage to do it quite convincingly in all scenes.

Miles is a distinct introvert, but his friend Jackson is the complete opposite, and this duality also forms the unshakable foundation of their friendship. Jackson’s ideal is the so-called macho, but he tries to be more than he actually is. In his relations with women, he is able to do more than one bad thing, but afterwards he is still tormented by remorse, which he tries to suppress with external bravado.

The short-term outbreak of intimacy with Betty (Inga Tropp) even leads Jackson to a dead end that threatens to cancel the wedding, but inner indecision, discouragement and weakness of character help him wash it all away in another stream of wine. Ivars Krasts clearly weaves all this into the structure of his character with tasteful humor, only the acting style focused on ostentatiousness does not allow the actor to fully highlight those aspects of male friendship that Alvis Hermanis promises to pay more attention to.

Jānis Skutelis as Miles (from left), Elita Kļaviņas as his mother and Ivars Krasts as Jackson.

Publicity photo (Jāņas Deinat).

Betty is a woman who equates love with physical harmony, and her attention is first attracted by sensual impulses. She is always ready to respond to them and allow closer contacts, but in the event of a short circuit, the fuses of her mind are instantly blown and the highest point of passion is fixed in consciousness as a proof of real love. Such a type, if it does not have a sufficiently developed dramaturgical basis in the play, it is difficult to act so that the character comes out natural. Inga Tropa, with all her feminine attractiveness, does not really like it, and in several episodes, something similar to a play sneaks into the show. It does not affect the overall picture, because the actress reveals the content layer of the role without difficulty.

Those who can still appreciate the magic of the spoken word in the theater today will enjoy the witty dialogues of the characters, in which the author of the play masterfully uses the professional rhetoric of sommeliers. Its ingenious use in mutual conversations makes the viewer constantly balance between two questions: what are the characters of the show really tasting there – wine or life?

The text does not require any thickening of the comic in the stage behavior of the characters, the emotional responses of the real psychological game of the actors to the situation outlined in the play are enough, so that the human truths that we diligently hide not only from others, but also from ourselves, are toned down in the flow of natural humor. Bernard Shaw once said: “Fortunately, the truth has only one way out – what cannot be said seriously can be said in jest.” Judging by the correspondence published in the program, Alvis Hermanis, together with the author of the play, have not only successfully found this way out in their production, but have also opened it widely to all lovers of wine, truth and theater.

* The truth is in the wine.

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Rex Pickett, “Pelicans and Grapes”, production in the Small Hall of the New Riga Theater

* Director: Alvis Hermanis.

* Lighting artist: Lauris Johansons.

* Starring: Jānis Skutelis, Ivars Krasts, Jana Čivžele, Inga Tropa, Elita Kļaviņa, Ritvars Logins, Aminata Grieta Diarra or Sabīne Tīkmane.

* Next performances: October 18, 19.

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2023-10-18 18:17:20
#Review #production #Pelicans #Grapes #Riga #Theater