Seattle Press on Line - Blonde Ambition

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Blonde Ambition

By Abby Freedman

Jun 20, 2002 -- Mae West is one of the most famous icons of the, er, "empowered" woman. Her bawdiness and quick wit (despite a third-grade education) carved a place for her on history. And thanks to Claudia Shear, there's a place onstage for her, too.

Dirty Blonde contains all of Mae's infamous wit and razzle-dazzle, along with a good dose of insight into her and what she represented about human nature.

The work starts out with Jo (Julie Briskman) and Charlie (Michael Winters) who are both fans of the illustrious blonde. They love the gusto with which she lived life. While this mutual obsession brings them closer, the audience also gets to view snippets of Mae's rise and fall, with Briskman playing both females in this work.

The playwright obviously has a small obsession of her own, because Mae is treated gingerly and lovingly. Still, Shear doesn't pull any punches, and shows Mae's bad traits--haughtiness and stubbornness--as candidly as her good ones. In fact, the audience will probably come to respect the film star as much for her flaws as despite them.

Of course, good writing doesn't get far without talented actors, and this work would have fallen flat on its feet without the right performers. Luckily Briskman and Winters were cast, making this piece a must-see. Winters plays Charlie with a perfect dose of over-humility--a meek guy who knows he's a bit chubby, and doesn't seem to realize he is lovable anyway. Briskman has a great transformation from Jo to Mae. As Jo, she is full of loud bravado in places she feels safe, but is quiet and generally negative about herself in public. Conversely, as Mae, she is, well, a sexpot. She nails the slinking walk, the come-hither voice, and the delivery of the double- and triple-entendres. And of course it's always great when actresses prove that rounder gals can still be incredibly alluring--just more curves to swing.

Of course, it would be a crime not to mention Mark Anders, who plays a variety of roles. As a supporting character (in all his scenes) he manages to convey his charisma and ability without drowning out the other players. Still, when audience members leave, they will certainly remember him.

Although this is a great comedy, sure to cause giggles even in retrospect, potential audiences should be warned that this is an adult show. Little children will be more bored than shocked, but the fact remains that the piece is as bawdy as Mae. Parents may want to hire a babysitter for the night.

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