BACKSTAGE BROADWAY BACKSTABBING:
ALL ABOUT THE WISDOM OF EVE
Any fan of film noir most assuredly has seen the 1950 major motion picture All About Eve, which shares the story of a young Broadway hopeful who schemes her way into the backstage life of an established star just to replace her in the ingenue role she has grown too old to play. But did you know it is based on the 1946 short story (and subsequent 1949 radio drama) The Wisdom of Eve by Mary Orr? Most likely not since Orr did not receive a screen credit in the film. Her story also made it to Broadway musical fame with Applause, a star vehicle for Lauren Bacall in the lead role of the aging star (40, oh no!) who lets her guard down and suffers the consequences.
Now, Sunset Pictures is presenting Orr’s original stage play, directed by Bryan Rasmussen (The Witness Room) at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks.
Esther Guigui, Brady Gentry
Orr’s The Wisdom of Eve is a captivating tale, albeit with an almost 3-hour run time (with one intermission), of an conscienceless ingenue’s rise to Broadway stardom through lies, cheating and blackmail, using everyone she meets as a stepping stone to her entrance into the footlights. After all, it’s who you know, not what you know, right? But the naïve-appearing girl from the Midwest really does have the talent needed but not the contacts — until she meets Karen, the Broadway money-backer who agrees to bring Eve in to meet Margo, a star Eve says she admires, then uses her smarts and wily nature to become part of Margo’s backstage life. And what Eve learns by hanging around backstage eases her path into getting exactly what she wants.
Dahlia Waingort Guigui, Esther Guigui
A mother and daughter are playing the two leading roles: Dahlia Waingort Guigui is the aging diva Margo and her daughter Esther Guigui portrays Eve, the ingenue on the rise who counts on Margo, as well as her producer, husband, friends, and agents, to reveal secrets she can use to manipulate her way to stardom. The duo is enchanting onstage, their natural respect and admiration of each other used to full effect, especially when Esther steals the spotlight singing the play’s only song, “Cry Me a River,” to perfection.
Barry Brisco
The gender-bending cast also features handsome Barry Brisco as Karen, the spouse of playwright Lloyd Roberts (Eric Keitel), whose personal fortune funds his husband’s Broadway plays. Karen is the peacemaker in the play, often consoling Margo’s tantrums backstage when things go wrong. But Karen’s supportive nature to assist others works against her in the end due to Eve’s scheming. Brisco plays the role as a gay man, not a woman, in splendidly designed suits and jewelry from his own collection with accents provided by costumer Michael Mullen, who dresses the entire cast in era-appropriate designs.
Dahlia Waingort Guigui as Margo Crane, Eric Keitel as Lloyd Roberts
Karen is somewhat naïve about the machinations set in place by Eve after agreeing to let her in during a rainstorm to meet Margo in her backstage dressing room, totally taken in by Eve’s presented innocence, offering to be her mentor, which Eve uses to the hilt to gain an understanding of who in Margo’s world she can use for her own benefit.
Mitch Hara plays two roles: Tally-Ho in Act I, an always looking-for-gossip newspaper columnist who manipulates Eve’s words to set Margo’s demise into place; and Leila in Act II, Margo’s long-time dresser and cook who must choose between her allegiance to Margo or switch to Eve to keep her job. And of course, Eve put each of those schemes into place, taking not only the characters by surprise but us as well. On opening night last Saturday, Hara’s unique personal style and flare in the roles generated laughs galore each moment he was onstage. (Michael Mullen plays the roles on Nov. 2 & 9.)
Barry Brisco, Esther Guigui, Dahlia Waingort Guigui, John Mese, Eric Keitel
Tall and handsome John Mese portrays Clement, Margo’s husband, a Broadway director and producer. He is confident and in love with her but becomes tired of her tantrums, relying on Karen or Eve to soothe the aging diva’s outbursts, during which Eve gathers plenty of information to use later. But when Clement gets a copy of Lloyd’s a new play (which Eve then gets her hands on) for which Margo is too old to play the lead, both Clement and Karen are forced to recommend Eve for the role or face being blackmailed due to the secrets Eve knows about them.
Esther Guigui, Dahlia Waingort Guigui, Eric Keitel
And behind the scenes, successful theatrical agent Bert Hinkle (Mitch Rosander, also the production’s sound/projection designer) tries to convince Clement and Lloyd that young diva Vera (Cayla Black) is perfect for the role, though in competition with Eve for the part.
Brady Gentry plays the stage manager Harvey, whose scenes rehearsing scripts with Eve are comedic highlights of the show, given Harvey’s lack of any acting talent. That is not true for Gentry himself, a Kentucky native who moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue a career in TV and film. He plays starstruck to the hilt, lending real authenticity to the role.
Set designer Jeff G. Rack adds a touch of Broadway flare with furniture pieces reflecting the glorious world of 50s Broadway, with lighting designed by Derrick McDaniel (a staple at The Whitefire since 1995), adding just the right emphasis to keep us focused on both the scenes and Eve’s ever-present listening from the shadows.
Esther Guigui as Eve
photos by Blain Clausen
The Wisdom of Eve
produced for Sunset Pictures by Dahlia Waingort Guigui
Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks
Saturdays at 8
ends on November 23 (dark Oct 26)
for tickets ($30-$40), call 818.687.8559 or visit Whitefire
