Wed. November 10, 2010
By John Olson
One might wonder if a stage biography of the author and TV cooking star Julia Child is necessary just a year after the successful feature film Julie and Julia. It is, but it would be wrong to immediately explain why and delay telling you that To Master the Art is a total delight—funny, touching, charming and as enjoyable as an exquisite meal enjoyed together with good company. It need not be rationalized or analyzed—it can simply be savored, and as Child's mentor Chef Bugnard might say, shared. There is so much humanity and wise but never cynical humor that it's a pleasure just to be in the company of these people for two hours and twenty minutes.
Child's husband Paul is a larger and a more detailed role here than in in the film. Though Paul is the one with a career—as exhibits officer for the U.S. Information Service charged with educating the French on the wonders of American culture and society just after World War II—he has his frustrations as well. He's frequently impatient with governmental bureaucracy and shocked and frightened when McCarthyism touches his life. Craig Spidle gives Paul Child a rugged masculinity that has room for the love of French cooking he introduces to Julia. He's deeply in love with her and supportive, but we see his impatience with her at times and on one occasion his loss of faith in her vision. Spidle's Paul is a wonderful, well-rounded character who seems every bit the "man behind the woman" while a substantial man in his own right.
Brown and his design team create a remarkable feel for the time and place. Keith Pitts set is a detailed recreation of the kitchen in the Childs' Paris apartment, but much of the action occurs around a simple rustic wooden kitchen table, which all by itself does much to establish the setting and the heritage this piece celebrates. The costumes by Rachel Anne Healy cover a range from traditional French peasant wear and culinary school uniforms to mid-century business attire. Brown effectively extends this simple set by staging some scenes downstage without benefit of scenery.
It's not clear who should be credited for two other aspects of production design. Real (or at least realistic) food is served on stage and the appetite appeal of French cuisine is stimulated by a feast of aromas throughout the play: shallots sautéed in butter, chopped onions, fresh baked bread. Is there an award category for "scent design"?
If some producers feel the public still has an appetite for Julia Child, this play could be the next big export from Chicago. In any event, it ought to increase the number of reservations at French restaurants in the area over the next few months.
To Master the Art will be performed Wednesdays through Sundays through December 19, 2010, at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773-281-8463 or buy online at www.timelinetheatre.com.
Photo: Joel Gross, Karen Janes Woditsch and Craig Spidle (photo by: Lara Goetsch)
For the complete article (non-reader view with multimedia and original links),
Tap here.
Head to the local LGBTQ news, events, directory and people network at ChicagoPride.com