When sane is insane
Catch 22 is a clause that can't be overcome because if you do one thing, that leads to another which automatically cancels the first. So it is that Captain Joseph Yossarian (Robert Gantzos) wants to get out of the Army because he's afraid someone is trying to kill him, and he doesn't want to go on more bombing runs.
The commander, who is totally insane, believes that escalating the attacks will get him the notice he years and the Army brass will promote him to general.
Yossarian's logic is simple. If he pretends to be mad, he'll be released. The problem is that the commander's logic dictates that you must be mad to be in the Army, so if you're mad you stay.
Yossarian feigns illness, and after a brief stay in the hospital and a short lived affair with a nurse, who keeps saying she wants to marry a doctor, his ploy fails again.
He sees friends being killed, soldiers abusing the system, officers leading men to their deaths and he feels powerless. Eventually his only out is to escape by going AWOL, with the help of the chaplain and a sympathetic officer.
The story of protest is underscored with dark humor, satirizing the horrors of war and the power of modern society, to destroy the human spirit.
The West Coast Ensemble brings together twelve actors to play about 40 parts, sometimes getting a little confusing in the process, although director Jaffee does an excellent job is trying to have the actors change their presentation. However, we often get the feeling that we are watching a cartoony satire, and the lesser characters are overly lampooned and lack substance.
The main characters start off a little over the top, but by act two they settle into a more natural flow, which makes the delivery more credible. Besides Gantzos, Gary Cearlock is great as the Chaplain and Matt J. Popham grabs all of his roles with gusto as does John Marzilli who stretches from a wimpy Major Major to an insanely comical Colonel Cathart.
The three women deliver credibly, as Larisa Miller goes from Nurse Duckett to Nately's Whore, Madelynn Fattibene does all the matronly roles and Leslie Stevens sizzles as Luciana, Yossarians first love interest.
As usal, the WCE's creative staff creates interesting staging, comprised of white sheets draped on swinging bars which can be moved to create wall, partitions and dividers.
The essence of the story that bureaucracy serves itself at the expense of the rest is very clear, and war is just a backdrop that frames the concept, It could be a corporate setting, an institution or other large entity, but the people would probably have the same drive and goals, exhibited in the same selfish manner.
The
cast of CATCH-22 features Gary Cearlock, Robert Gantzos, John Marzilli, Brynda Mattox, Larisa
Miller, Matt J. Popham, John Rezig, James Sharpe, Adam Silverstein, Michael
Spellman, Ryan Swafford and Brian Weir.
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West Coast Ensemble Theatre
between
Melrose
and
CATCH-22 will be produced for WCE by Richard Israel and James Sharpe. The production will feature an award-winning design team including Evan Bartoletti (Set Design), Lisa D. Katz (Lighting Design) and Alayna Marie Miller (Costume Design). Sound design for this production will be by David Kelting.