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SALOME GETS HEAD! Wilde Classic At Chamber Theatre

SALOME GETS HEAD! Wilde Classic At Chamber Theatre
by Maggie Bloodstone - SGN A&E Writer In an 1843 examination of the tale of Salome and John the Baptist, the poet Heinrich Heine declared: "Why would a woman want the head of any man she did not love?" Makes sense to me. While I seriously doubt that Oscar Wilde intended the kind of double meaning I couldn't resist in the above headline, there's still a silver platterful of suggestive subtext, even preceding the scene that still succeeds in inspiring quease and unease over a hundred years after its debut. Even in enlightened, slightly jaded times as these, necrophilia has still failed to break into the mainstream-go figure. But in the 1890's, few theatergoers would have been able to see past the gore and shimmying female flesh to notice little things like the effeminate page making doe-eyes at the handsome Roman soldier and quaking with fear and loathing over the decidedly feminine moon-or the possibility that there was another reason John the Baptist/Jokanaan was unable to meet Salome's eyes other than her being the "daughter of Sodom". In the director's notes for Straight-Edge Theatrics' production of Salome, it is asserted that the tale is first and foremost, "a love story". Let's revisit Heine's quote- is there anyone out there who can deny that only love can make anyone that obsessed, crazy, or desperate? The only love stories worth a damn are the ones that involve a little death and despair, after all. And this adaptation of Wilde's least witty, but most fascinating work does the ancient tradition of sex and death in theater proud, without spilling a drop of stage blood, or Salome shedding her seventh veil. The set is simple but elegant, the costumes are sensual and period-appropriate, the choice of song for Salome's dance inspired: Tom Waits' 'Temptation', sung in a soaring, silvery tenor by Herodias' page (Timothy Glynn). But the main attraction is the language and the passions Wilde's words inspire, and the cast is up to the challenge, most especially in Marcus Wolland's Herod. Wolland has the perfect epicene look for Herod, the ability to gaze at Salome's assets in a way that makes the whole audience need a shower, but most important, an understanding of classical prose (or, in this case, an approximation of the classical) that makes the listener feel that perhaps people really did talk that pretty once. When he describes the treasures he will bestow on Salome in lieu of the requested severed appendage, you not only feel his palpable desperation, but the smooth, cool surface of the emeralds and onyxes themselves, and their seductive brilliance in the mind's eye (I was close to standing up and shouting "Take the emerald!"). Lee Howard is a great, feral Jokanaan, with more than a little Manson in his gaze, Candice Stephens as Herodias is ideal as the ultimate wronged wife, with her serpentine glare and fanged intonation, and Cristina Villareale is definitely hot stuff as the mother of all pole dancers, but also manages to project Salome as the petulant, spoiled teenager she no doubt was, her obsession and libidinous longing culminating in the monstrous smooch of death. The only flaw in the opening night performance I saw was a distinct lack of energy and lost lines (the Chamber Theater is not famous for its acoustics, or its ventilation) in the scenes preceding Salome's entrance-her presence kicks it up a notch, but the show is really good to go when Herod & Herodias are in the house. Also, I admit I found myself wanting the production to go a little, you know, further-it was a shocker back in the day, but that was a century ago, and we have become a little numb to the gross and gaudy, so maybe a little heavier on the decadence, maybe Salome could show a little areola&then I remembered: the only other version I've seen was Ken Russell's Salome's Last Dance. So, I turned off my kneejerk pop culture comparison reflex, relaxed, and sucked up the heady (giggle) atmosphere. Salome plays through April 1, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm. The Chamber Theatre is room 419 in the Oddfellow's Building, 915 E. Pine. Reservations: 206-632-9800.