Review
by LA TIMES - June 4, 2007
By
Daryl H. Miller
Feeling
every punch he takes
"Requiem
for a Heavyweight" is the "Death of a Salesman" of
the prizefighting world, as powerful today as when the Rod Serling
teleplay first aired in 1956.
At
a tiny North Hollywood theater, Bob Rusch delivers a performance
that in every way lives up to the heavyweight's nickname: "Mountain." Even
when released from boxing gloves, Rusch's hands remain curled
into fists, indicating the many years they've spent inside the
leather. Years back, Mountain was a serious title contender,
but after 111 fights, he's on the ropes.
"What
did I do wrong?" he asks after losing his latest bout. "You
aged," his manager replies.
Thereafter,
the boxer walks around with the world's weight slumping his shoulders.
But on those rare occasions when he rises to his full height,
watch out, because he's still got some fight left in him.
Ken Butler, as the manager, maintains a hard-bitten exterior that is meant
to hide guilt (he's betrayed Mountain) and fear (he faces imminent ruin).
Worry
nevertheless sneaks past the edges of Butler's iron mask, letting
us know the guy's not a total monster, at least. When the emotions
finally break loose, the audience is seated close enough to see
tears welling in the actor's eyes. (Trivia alert: Butler happens
to have been a producer of a 1985 Broadway "Requiem" starring
John Lithgow.)
The
set moodily evokes the '50s, plywood-thin and pretty much two-dimensional.
Even so, the production, tautly directed by Eric Johnson, is
sending theatergoers out the doors with telltale wetness on their
cheeks.
"Requiem
for a Heavyweight," T.U. Studios, 10943 Camarillo St., North
Hollywood. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays. Ends
June 24. $15. (800) 838-3006. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.
Review
by LA Weekly
By
Tom Provenzano
With
the brooding melodrama of an Edward Hopper painting, Rod Serling's
1956 teleplay has become a standard of post–WWII angst,
which presented the flip side of American optimism in the mid-20th
century. In gritty, poetic language worthy of Eugene O'Neill,
Serling creates a testosterone-driven world of desperation and
failure that shadows the shadowy world of prize fighting. Once-successful
promoter Maishe Resnick (Ken Butler) sinks to betting against
his own aging "boy" boxer, Mountain McClintock (Bob
Rusch), sending both into financial and emotional tailspins.
Social worker Grace Miller (Tonja Kahlens) intervenes and becomes
entangled with McClintock, setting off a power struggle with
Resnick. Under Eric Johnson's shamelessly heavy-handed yet effective
direction, the cast provide scene-chewing performances that somehow
fit perfectly into Serling's breast-beating play. Rusch fills
every moment of his performance as the big-lug boxer with Serling's
bathos — excruciating and sparkling with life. The design
team combines to create the dark Hopper world with enormous skill
in this tiny theater. SkyPilot Theatre Company at T.U. STUDIOS,
10943 Camarillo St., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.;
thru June 24. (800) 838-3006.
