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Rep’s Latest Offering Proves a Double Delight

By BETSY HUNTON Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 18, 2003

The Berkeley Repertory Theater has pulled out all the stops (discretely, of course) as well they should, in publicizing its new production “Continental Divide.” 

And, by the way, that title represents two related, but definitely not interdependent, plays—“Daughters of the Revolution” and “Mothers Against”—by the British playwright David Edgar. 

The short version of this review is that they are both well worth seeing and each one makes totally good sense completely by itself. It very probably does make a different kind of sense if you see both of them. And it probably doesn’t matter which one comes first. 

This review is based on seeing both in one day—the Rep does have the thoughtfulness to give the audience time for dinner and a couple breaths of air in between plays—with the “Mothers” first. Rumor has it that your sense of the overall meaning of the productions varies with which one you see first. 

As is perhaps obvious, “Daughters” is tied up with the Democrats, although most of the action concerns events from the lead’s radical past. His journey in the play is his search to find out who among his associates in the old days betrayed him to the FBI, thus shadowing his subsequent career. And, by the way, he is not the Democratic candidate for the governorship. She (the candidate) actually spends very little time on stage, although her presence is a very significant part of the action (and often presented through video and seemingly real television screens). 

“Mothers” is a well-structured play with a single setting in the Republican candidate’s home where he and his family are being prepared for the upcoming debate with the Democratic gubernatorial debate. It is a focused presentation with a straightforward structure: a beginning, a middle and an end. 

The candidate himself, perhaps surprisingly, is presented in as fair and balanced a way as is the liberal from “Daughters.” It’s a fascinating presentation with intelligence—these plays seemingly show no bias. Perhaps it makes sense that a foreign observer is the person who was able to write them. 

With such large casts, and such a high level of acting, it is nearly impossible, or perhaps just unfair, to single out specific actors for the excellence of their achievements. This is particularly true in “Mothers” in which the seemingly supporting roles are about as large and demanding as is the apparent lead. The short version is that there is some excellent acting in these productions. A whole lot of it. 

The playwright, David Edgar is a pretty good sized theatrical fish. You may remember the huge success his musical based on “Nicholas Nickleby” had on Broadway a few years ago. It turns out that he and the Berkeley Repertory Artistic Director Tony Taccone became friends several years back when they were both working in San Francisco. And Edgar, who has both feet firmly planted in his home country, England, brought up an idea about the American political scene that he’s had cooking for years. 

He traveled across the country in 1979 talking to political activists from the 60s—he’d been the same age, and felt a part of the story. The idea stayed in his head for years, along with one for a separate story—that of the issues within the more conservative party, the Republicans. 

When both Berkeley Rep and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival approached him asking for a play, he realized that it could be a joint commission, a cycle of two plays “mapping the inter-generational and inter-party struggle between competing but not always incompatible visions of the American Dream.” The two companies were enthusiastic about the idea, and the first production was recently ended at Oregon. 

Primarily, the plays are connected to each other through their independent involvement in the opposing Republican and Democratic campaigns for the governorship of an unnamed Western state. One has to suspect California, although the playwright says he carefully elected to keep any part of the most recent unpleasantness (to quote Churchill) out of the plays. 

The original Oregon cast for ‘Mothers Against” has transferred to Berkeley. There have, however, been some changes in both cast and the text in “Daughters of the Revolution.” Before opening here, the one springing from the Democratic Party went through at least two rewrites between Ashland and Berkeley; and, although powerful, it still seems somewhat unfinished when seen in immediate juxtaposition with its sister. 

They’re far from twins, but they’re both worth seeing. 

Continental Divide is showing at the Roda Theatre through Dec. 28. Running time is three hours for each of the two plays, including one 15-minute intermission each. For more informaiton, contact the box office at 2025 Addison St. Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. 647-2949 or go to www.berkeleyrep.org/.