Get off of my cloud Get off of my cloud (October 28, 2005)

Great acting can't save plotless confusion of 'Cloud 9'

By Julie O'Shea

There is an orgy going on at Mountain View's Pear Avenue Theatre -- a freaky, confusing, incestuous spectacle that is unlike anything South Bay audiences have seen in years.

We get the distinct feeling early on that playwright Caryl Churchill is trying to communicate some profound message in "Cloud 9," her campy 1979 sex farce, which opened last week at the small community theater off Shoreline Boulevard. Churchill peppers the script with many not-so-subtle metaphors -- a white actor plays a black character, for example. Men play women and vice versa. A brother has sex with his sister and a doll is an integral part of the action. There has to be meaning to all this, right?

Unfortunately, without a detailed set of Cliffs Notes in hand, it's hard to figure out what exactly that meaning is. In fact, it's hard to interpret this show as anything other than a bunch of ill-conceived characters talking dirty and occasionally groping each other.

Now, Pear Avenue Theatre's mission has always been to give writers the freedom to experiment, and to challenge audiences. In other words, this is community theater, and therefore deserving of some slack. On the other hand, the nature of our challenge deserves scrutiny. At one point, for example, halfway through the first act, we are treated to the spectacle of one actor getting "busy" under the skirt of another. (So parents, if you were wondering: No, this one's not for the kids.) Too much "challenge," and not enough redeeming quality, can create a problem for even the most well-meaning production.

"Cloud 9" opens in West Africa. We are introduced to a family: Clive is married to Betty (played by a man), but is having an affair with a neighbor. Betty, meanwhile, is sleeping with Harry, who is apparently some sort of relative, though it's a little unclear and more than a little inappropriate since he's also romancing Edward (Clive and Betty's young son, who is played by a woman). Then there's the maid, Ellen, who's in love with Betty. And just in case this isn't bizarre enough, Victoria, Clive and Betty's daughter, is played by a rag doll in the first act and a live actor in the second.

After intermission, we suddenly find the action has moved to London. It is several years later. Most of same characters are still intact, although different actors are now playing them, and there's a whole new set of relationship woes to meander through.

The best part of this show, which is being produced by Dragon Productions and theatre Q, is the acting. There is no actor that stands out over the other. Collectively, this cast is amazing.

However, despite these fine performances, we are still left to wonder: Where's the plot?

Director Jeffrey Hoffman's playbill notes don't really offer a whole lot of insight: "When's the first time you realized you had something in common with your parents? Do you recall the exact moment you discovered the joy of masturbation?" Hoffman muses, before adding, "Through [Churchill's] eyes we see that society at large presses forward in its sovereignty with or without us and thrives solely because we do."

And if you're wondering what that means, then you've got a good feeling for what it's like to watch "Cloud 9."
INFORMATION: What: Dragon Productions and theatre Q present "Cloud 9," by Caryl Churchill Where: Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K When: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; show closes Oct. 30 Cost: $10-$15 Contact: (650) 493-2006 or www.dragonproductions.net

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