DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY

The large parcel of land that the Santa Paula Theater Center sits upon clearly shows that the venue has been serving the community since long before the modern identity of the city of Santa Paula was established. In recent years, the theatre has boasted a strong slate of seasons that exemplifies their steadfast and traditional approach to small town theatre. Their most recent production of Death Takes a Holiday fits well with both this vision and the historic venue in which it plays.

It is a story that has been adapted multiple times for film and stage (here, by Walter Ferris). Originally intended to give a world reeling from the after-effects of war and economic downturn some format in which to laugh at death, the show ultimately did far more than that. Written by Alberto Casella, this work also served to ease the generational tensions that were at a fever pitch in a time dominated by the onslaught of modernization. It was the work’s satirical outlook on the inevitability of death that played so well to audiences through the first part of the twentieth century and into the present day.

The plot lines are crowded with metaphor, but the multi layered meaning plays best at a surface level, leaving the deeper meaning to be divined by audience members as they are so inclined. Thus, the story is laid out in a fashion that is part tongue in cheek and part allegorical musing. Set in 1930s Italy, The Grim Reaper tires of his place in the metaphysical pantheon and longs to gain a better understanding of why humans fear him. So, as all men of proper European stature should do, he embarks on a 3-day holiday disguised as a Russian prince. He appears before a middle aged nobleman and convinces him to permit him to stay at his villa, where he will observe humans and interact with them. Thus, Death endeavors to learn about man’s emotions, feelings, and motivations. As he studies his subjects unawares, he stumbles onto a force even more powerful than death itself. He finds himself at the mercy of the all-powerful feeling of Love. Likewise, the other characters in the show are forced to confront their own notions of true love and their fears of the unknown with varying degrees of depth. Ultimately, it is Death’s desire to change himself to better understand man that leads the audience to question our own ability to empathize with others and see our effect on their lives, including our individual outlook on our own mortality.

The even cast thrives in the first act where the pacing and dialogue lend themselves to entertaining storytelling. While the accents at times falter to distraction, the cast as a whole shows fine chemistry and delivers well-rounded characters. Particularly strong performances are given by the strikingly alluring Jennifer Ridgway and the refined Vivien Latham as well as by the bold and able Eric Mello. The pace slows significantly in the second act as the cast struggled to energize the often-repetitive dialogue of the somewhat dated script. However, they were able to keep a consistent flow that keeps the overall product enjoyable and entertaining throughout.

Director Tom Eubanks draws the show together well, including a strong lighting design by Gary Richardson that aptly punctuates the undertones of the show. The other technical elements at play add ambiance and complete the total picture of Death Takes a Holiday, showing an abundance of care and aptitude by the production design team.

Death Takes A Holiday plays at the Santa Paula Theater Center until Dec 23rd. http://www.santapaulatheatercenter.org/