Ben There, Done That: Street Scene

Photo courtesy of UMD Opera Studio Instagram

Sex affairs, young love, neighborhood gossip and murder. Just a typical day in 1940s Manhattan. I got to witness this drama unfold in Opera Studios’ production of Elmer Rice’s “Street Scene” on Friday, Nov. 22. 

The show takes place entirely on the front stoop of a New York City brownstone sometime in the 1940s. It explores the complex daily lives of the people living in the building and surrounding neighborhood, and the sense of despair that hovers over their interactions. 

The first thing that impressed me was the set. It was the front wall of a two-story apartment complex that looked towering in Weber Music Hall. What was more impressive was the fact the structure had a ladder on the back side that allowed cast members to climb up to the second floor windows, making it seem like a functional apartment complex. 

Sometimes it was hard to hear the cast sing because of the power the piano exuded in the hall. It was also hard, sometimes, to understand what some of the characters were saying with their accents, but I got used to it after some time. 

The plot of the show did have darker themes to it, such as emotional and physical abuse, xenophobia, fertility struggles, sexual harassment and violence. This was unlike other productions I have seen, or even been a part of, that are more upbeat.

I think everyone did well with this show, both with singing and acting, but there were a few people and songs that stood out to me. Elsa Persson as Anna Maurrant, one of the main characters, did really well in Act I with the song “Somehow I Never Believe.” The song felt the most emotionally moving and really showed the audience an in depth look into the character and the broken dreams she has.

Ben Jorgenson as Lippo Fiorentino provided a comedic relief amidst the darker tones. The character was loveable and goofy, and sang my favorite song in the show, “Ice-Cream Sextet.” The exaggerated Italian accent and fake mustache was the cherry on top for this character. 

Another person whose performance stood out to me was Ethan Nelson as Sam Kaplan, the love interest of Anna Maurrant’s daughter, Rose. I’ve never seen Nelson in an Opera Studio production before, so it was nice seeing a new face do well alongside the more seasoned cast members.

Keegan Foster as Rose Maurrant and Brayden Slattery as her womanizing boss, Harry Easter, had great chemistry in their scenes together. The two performers often play opposite of each other as the other’s love interest, so I wasn’t surprised at the quality of their performances.

Another character that was noteworthy to me was Jack Matheny’s Daniel Buchanan. Despite being a minor role compared to the others,  his character reminded me of Rick Moranis’ character in the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” especially the voice. He was somewhat dopey and a bit naive, but likeable . 

Even with dark themes, there were both purposely funny and unintentionally funny bits to the show. The character of Olga Olsen emptying out a trash bin in a garbage can resulting in her putting the whole bin in the garbage can because the trash wasn’t coming out was a great and comedic way to adapt to a stage prop seemingly not cooperating. 

A detail that I liked was that the stage lights would dim or get brighter depending on the mood of the scene and the emotions shared between characters. This was especially apparent for the character Frank Maurrant, husband to Anna and father of Rose. Brandon Wruck, who played the role, did well because I hated the character. I always say if you can easily hate a character that means the actor does a good job playing the role.

Another element to note is the costuming. The costumes fit the time period very well and looked authentic enough to create the illusion of 1940s New York City. Ro Feitl was the costumer, also playing the role of Shirley Kaplan, Sam’s sister. 

“Street Scene” mainly featured individual character scenes and didn’t include many ensemble scenes as previous shows have done. There were still a couple of notable ensemble moments, such as the song featuring the nannies. This song was funny with its dark humor as the nannies sang about the possible scandals and gossip that the parents of their babies they were nannying could be involved in. 

To spoil the climax of the show, Frank finally catches Anna having an affair with a guy named Steve Sankey and ends up shooting her, resulting in Anna’s death. Frank gets arrested by the police, leaving Rose to take care of her little brother, Willie. 

Rose decides not to pursue a relationship with Sam and doesn’t take Harry up on his business offer and moves out of the apartment complex to raise Willie somewhere else. 

The show ends with the residents complaining about the heat as they did in the opening of the show, providing a full circle moment as some strangers are now looking at the vacant apartment that was the Maurrant’s. 

I applaud all of the performers in the show. I know many of them and have performed with them in choir and Opera Studio, so it was nice being on the other side of the stage and getting to see them perform. 

Next semester, Opera Studio will be doing opera scenes, in which the ensemble will perform in a variety of scenes from different plays or musicals. 

For more information about upcoming UMD Department of Music events, visit the CAHSS website.