Issue Date: 3/13/06
Stellar acting smokes audience in 'The Magic Fire'
By Jason Dunn
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The audience was afraid to disturb the tension on stage during the opening night of "The Magic Fire."
When performers Casey Palmer, Ryan Balfour and Justin West had an explosive argument in the third act of Palomar's newest production, it made audience members afraid to make even a small sound.
Palomar's production of the Lillian Groag play had strong performances from many of the cast members. The set was excellent in its complexity, and the costumes were impressive and true to the time period.
"The Magic Fire," set in 1952, is about an opera-loving family of European immigrants living in Buenos Aires. They have escaped the fascism of Hitler and Mussolini only to find the same fascism developing under Juan Peron, the leader of Argentina.
The central character is Lise, played by Heather Carlson, who is the only child in the play. A lot of Lise's extended family are a little crazy and add great humor to the performance. The adult version of Lise, played by Toni Ann Cafaro, is always present on stage, looking back on her childhood and communicating with the audience.The other characters do not know she is there. She is powerless to influence what is happening around her, but in a way, which is bizarre yet natural, she occasionally takes part in the dialogue and actions of a scene.
Early in the play, Lise's father tells her the story of a Wagnerian opera in which a character is surrounded by a protective magic fire. This is where the play gets its name. In the same way, Lise as a child is protected from the problems her family faces. Lise as an adult, however, is exposed to the problems with no protection.
The Palomar production was exceptionally well executed. Carlson gave a consistently strong performance, as did Kelli Harless, who played Lise's mother.
The set was excellent. The old-style radio and sofas at the front and the smaller decorations captured the feel of a house of cultured people in the 1950s. The costumes were appropriate to the characters and appropriate to the setting. The denim jacket worn by the adult Lise made a nice contrast to the 1950s costumes.
When performers Casey Palmer, Ryan Balfour and Justin West had an explosive argument in the third act of Palomar's newest production, it made audience members afraid to make even a small sound.
Palomar's production of the Lillian Groag play had strong performances from many of the cast members. The set was excellent in its complexity, and the costumes were impressive and true to the time period.
"The Magic Fire," set in 1952, is about an opera-loving family of European immigrants living in Buenos Aires. They have escaped the fascism of Hitler and Mussolini only to find the same fascism developing under Juan Peron, the leader of Argentina.
The central character is Lise, played by Heather Carlson, who is the only child in the play. A lot of Lise's extended family are a little crazy and add great humor to the performance. The adult version of Lise, played by Toni Ann Cafaro, is always present on stage, looking back on her childhood and communicating with the audience.The other characters do not know she is there. She is powerless to influence what is happening around her, but in a way, which is bizarre yet natural, she occasionally takes part in the dialogue and actions of a scene.
Early in the play, Lise's father tells her the story of a Wagnerian opera in which a character is surrounded by a protective magic fire. This is where the play gets its name. In the same way, Lise as a child is protected from the problems her family faces. Lise as an adult, however, is exposed to the problems with no protection.
The Palomar production was exceptionally well executed. Carlson gave a consistently strong performance, as did Kelli Harless, who played Lise's mother.
The set was excellent. The old-style radio and sofas at the front and the smaller decorations captured the feel of a house of cultured people in the 1950s. The costumes were appropriate to the characters and appropriate to the setting. The denim jacket worn by the adult Lise made a nice contrast to the 1950s costumes.