Rarely does a production so thoroughly capture the essence of its script that itleave its audience thoroughly in awe of the mastery displayed in its performance. To say that the Yeshiva College Dramatics Society's recent production of Mister Roberts was anything less than inspiring would be, in the opinion of this reviewer, a complete injustice.
It has been some time since YCDS elected to present a comedy, and Mister Roberts served as the perfect play in which to release the bottled-up comedic energy of its players. Perfectly approaching slapstick, deadpan, sarcastic, and ironic humor, the comedic production was well worth the wait.
Mister Roberts, written by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan, continued a recent YCDS tradition of adapting productions previously seen on film. The plot centers around the crew of the AK 601 ("the Bucket"), a cargo ship stationed in the Pacific Ocean towards the end of World War II, and the title character's efforts at gaining a transfer from the ship. Charming subplots included the efforts by Ensign Pulver, played by Pinky Shapiro, to pull a series of pranks on the Captain, played by newcomer Brian Hoffman, as well as the hilarious misadventures of the crew both aboard the Bucket and while on liberty at the port of Elysium Island.
The jocular relationship between Mister Roberts, played by longtime YCDS veteran Avi Billet, and Doc, played by sophomore Matt Schneider, opens the play, a scene in which we learn of Mister Roberts' ambitions to leave the Bucket for a high-level position aboard a battleship. Throughout the play, Mister Roberts is discouraged from pursuing this dream by several of his companions and, most vociferously, by the Captain, who sees Mister Roberts' continual requests for transfer as deleterious to the Captain's aspirations for further military advancement.
The crew, continually caught up in their voyeuristic attempts to woo the nurses of a nearby field hospital, play a key role in Mister Roberts' attempts - and eventual success - at securing a transfer. As they persistently plot ways to catch glimpses of the nurses, their greatest fantasy is realized when they receive orders to port at Elysium Island, a land with many resources, among them rum and cocoa. The crew's ludicrous adventures at port are exemplified by Dolan's (Seth Jacobson) capture of a goat, Mannion's (Judah Moskowitz) return to the ship with a slightly different outfit, and Pulver's bed-romping escapades.
But this revelry comes at a price, as the Captain blackmails Mister Roberts into a deal in which he is forced to sacrifice any future request for transfer in order to gain the crew's short stay at Elysium Island. The crew, unaware of the underhanded dealings, does not understand Mister Roberts' subsequent short temper and gloominess. While listening in on a heated argument between the Captain and Mister Roberts, though, the crew ultimately learns of their supervisor's devotion and the Captain's deception. The crew then takes the initiative to forge the signatures of both Mister Roberts and the Captain in falsifying a Roberts transfer request, which gains approval.
As Mister Roberts leaves the stage - and the play - with his final farewell to the crew of the Bucket, a lighthearted sentimentality permeates the crewmembers' expressions. As the crew retreats from the scene, the audience sees Mister Roberts depart as Pulver and the Doc look on. This scene gains a special meaning for most audience members, as well as all of the cast, crew, and board of YCDS, as Mister Roberts' departure coincides with Billet's actual departure, after years on the YCDS stage, from Schottenstein Theatre for the last time.
The play closes when the crew, with Pulver now promoted to Mister Roberts' previous position as de facto leader of the ship, receives a letter from Mister Roberts, dated several weeks earlier, in which he describes his happy situation aboard his battleship. This happy scene, and possibly happy ending, becomes quickly tainted when the crew reads a second letter in which they learn of Mister Roberts' violent death at the hands of the enemy. The play achieves a final comedic, vengeful note as Pulver finally gains the courage to pull off a daring prankhis most lovingly anticipated prank, tossing overboard the Captain's beloved palm tree. Concluding his performance with this display of ferocious energy, Shapiro blended comedy and drama throughout the play, which made him the clear audience favorite in the performance.
As the cast lined up on the stage for its final exit, they received standing ovations from much of the crowd, a well-deserved reception. Delivering a crisp, flawless performance, these young men achieved something truly magnificent.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fabulous set, lighting, sound, costumes and props. Led by aspiring Secret Service agent Robert Korn, the ambience that surrounded this performance contributed greatly to its overall effect. From the skillful lighting by Jeremy Kaye and Adam Pfeffer, to the costumes by Zohar Azolay, to the inspired sound(including a stirring modernization of "Danny Boy") from Steven Weg, to the authentic palm trees from Gabe Wintner, the coordination was a successful effort.
This production was the farewell performance for many YCDS mainstays, among them Avi Billet, Zohar Azolay, Ben Franz, David Wallach, and Menachem Weiss. They have all made significant contributions to the dramatic community at Yeshiva and will be fondly remembered. Taking their place is a multitude of great young dramatists, including Seth Jacobson, Brian Hoffman, Judah Moskowitz, Lance Friedman, and Jeffrey Feit. Of course, the continued contribution of veterans Avi Soroka, Ari Baronofsky, Ruben Espina Gomez, Alan Lamm, and others, are anticipated with the same high lexpectations that now surrounds YCDS every semester.