An Exciting World Premiere at Bay Street Theater

“…and you saw Hollywood with their eyes – an overcrowded brothel, a merry-go-round with beds for horses.” ~ Marilyn Monroe, from her autobiography, “My Story”

Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts chose the World Premiere of “Fellow Travelers,” by Jack Canfora as their opening show of the 2018 Mainstage Season.

The two-act drama, brilliantly directed by Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner Michael Wilson, is set during one of Hollywood’s darkest hours – the blacklist period of the mid-20th century, when American entertainment professionals and intellectuals were interrogated and denied employment opportunities because they were suspected of having Communist ties, or simply because they refused to cooperate with the McCarthyism witch-hunt. During this poisonous political time “Fellow Travelers” was the derogatory term used for people who were suspected of having any kind of Communist affiliation.

"Fellow Travelers" is relevant in this time of #MeToo as it shines a bright light on Hollywood’s casting-couch tactics, via the real-life character, Harry Cohn, of Columbia picture fame. His male chauvinist attitude, viewing women as sex objects and perks for his being the king of his Hollywood movie hill, still plays out in modern-day Hollywood with the likes of Harvey Weinstein and his longtime exploitation of starlets. Mark Blum, as Harry Cohn, steals the show whenever he appears on stage. He has some of the best and funniest lines in the play, and his delivery of Jack Canfora’s witty and biting dialogue is perfectly timed.

Vince Nappo gives a strong performance as the director, Elia Kazan, an egotistical man who was one of Tinseltown’s most polarizing figures, both for his womanizing behaviors and for ratting out his friends. Mr. Nappo shines in the scenes where he is testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee. The special effects, created by Ken Billington (Lighting Designer), Mark Bennett (Sound Designer), and Rocco Disanti (Projection Designer), send chills up your spine as you bear witness to the kangaroo court staged by our government. The verbal and physical sparring scenes between Kazan and the playwright, Arthur Miller, convincingly played by Wayne Alan Wilcox, reveal the love/hate relationship these talented men had for each other and the depth of their feelings for each other — both personally and professionally.

The complex dynamics between these two American legends is further complicated by their intimate relationship with the Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by Rachel Spencer Hewitt. Ms. Hewitt brings an innate sexuality and a captivating vulnerability to her performance as Marilyn Monroe, even though I felt the weakest link in the script was the one-dimensional characterization of one of America’s most legendary stars. In this play, Ms. Monroe, comes across as a caricature, a stereotypical sex bomb, a mere stick figure, rather than the multi-faceted flesh and blood woman that she actually was. This was not a failure of Ms. Hewitt’s acting ability, but more a correctable flaw in an otherwise notable script.

Jeffrey Bean had three minor roles, that of Roy Brewer, Kermit Bloomgarden, and Harmon Jones. He did an excellent job with all three of these distinct parts.

Other members of the creative team include Jeff Cowie (Scenic Designer), David C. Woolard (Costume Designer), Meg Murphy (Hair & Makeup Designer), Andrew Diaz (Props Designer), Stephen Gabis (Dialect Coach), Robert Bennett (Production Stage Manager), and Denise Yaney (Assistant Stage Manager).

Clever, intelligent, and entertaining: a thoroughly enjoyable night of theatre -- one you don’t want to miss!

The play runs from May 29 – June 17, 2018. Single tickets are on sale now, and tickets are also still available as part of a Mainstage Subscription. To purchase tickets and subscriptions, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or purchase online at www.baystreet.org.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is and award-winning playwright and author of “Grant Me a Higher Love,” and “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships.” She has a BFA in theatre from the University of Connecticut. Last summer, “Tomorrow’s Classic Theatre Company” produced her full-length play, “Beethoven’s Promethean Concerto in C Minor W0O,” a theatrical tribute to the man, the myth, the music, which garnished an “Encore Theater Award,” and “Digital Journal” named it the “Best Indie Play of 2017.”