Crowded Kitchen Players' "12ness" on stage at the Bethlehem Ice House through June 18 is a fascinating debate about the nature of creating art, framed as a discussion between a serious Austrian classical composer and one of the most popular composers for stage and screen at the time. Easton musician, composer and playwright Charlie Barnett is premiering his new play and has created a completely believable encounter between George Gershwin and Arnold Schoenburg built on a real friendship and periodic tennis matches between the men in 1936 and 1937 in Hollywood.
Not much is know about what Gershwin and Shoenburg discussed during their meetings, but Barnett has imagined these wonderfully rich conversations that showcase each man's strengths and insecurities about their music. Robert Salsburg is perfect as the nearly too-rigid Shoenburg. He makes the classical composer unyielding in his dedication to his art but also a sympathetic, if somewhat prickly, person.
Ryan MacNamara's Gershwin is more free-wheeling and gregarious. MacNamara is cocky and confident on the surface as the popular composer but also shows Gershwin's inner desire to taken seriously.Stephanie Gawlas Walsh lights up the stage with her portrayal of Ginger Rogers, the dancer who was dating Gershwin. At first a little over the top, Walsh settles into her characterization as the play moves forward to make Rogers a dynamic presence in the play.Syd Stauffer is a quietly forceful Gertrud Shoenburg, the least famous of the characters and the one who has the most growth in the play. The character opens up a bit with an interesting monologue at the end of act one.At the time of the play, Gershwin was writing the score to "Shall We Dance", Schoenburg was teaching at a university, and the two men were neighbors in Hollywood.The play takes place shortly before Gershwin died of a brain tumor at age 37.MacNamara does a good job conveying the increasing neurological problems that Gershwin experienced before his condition was diagnosed.Director George Miller has kept the setting simple, and the scenes at the tennis court are simple but effective, using pantomime and the sound of tennis balls being hit. Miller decided to stage part of the first act and the second act downstairs at the Ice House and part of the second act upstairs. This means the audience must get up and go upstairs in the middle of act one. There also is an elevator available. The advantage of this is the scenes upstairs features a more elaborate setting in the Shoenburg's dining room. However, in these scenes, pairs of characters talk and then freeze taking turns with the dialogue and it is a little harder to see in the small space. It was also a little confusing keeping track of the topics of dialogue as the pair switched back and forth.Overall, "12ness" is a very well-paced and enjoyable play that left me wanting to learn more about the composers at the center of the story. The title refers to Shoenburg's twelve-tone technique for compostion in which he used a series of all twleve notes in the chromatic scale."12ness" is at 8 p.m. June 16 and 17 and 2 p.m. June 18. Tickets are $18, adults; $14, seniors and $10, students. The performance is at the Ice House, 56 River St., Behtlehem. Info: www.ckplayers.com or 610-395-7176.