Revolution of the mind

From the moment you enter the cavernous California Stage Theater, it's evident that you're about to witness a major theatrical spectacle. The large stage is a remarkable marble-and-tile rendering of a mental asylum during and after the French Revolution, and, as the actors enter before the lights go up, you notice the striking costumes of the inmates, the “Greek chorus” and the French nobility.

Add to all these elements four musicians, a fog machine, dramatic lighting, clever songs, a talented 20-member cast and a plot that has the Marquis de Sade directing a musical about the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, and voilà, you get California Stage theater company's bold resurrection of Peter Weiss' 1964 cutting-edge Marat/Sade.

Though the story and its overall messages can get a bit convoluted under all the theatrics, songs, the play-within-a-play concept and the playwright's plotlines, this Marat/Sade is entertaining and absorbing. And the topics of the masses uprising and what happens during and after a revolution, especially when there are philosophical differences among the revolutionaries and their followers, are quite topical.

Director Kent Johnson, with the help of choreographer Lori Russo, keeps the many juggling balls in the air—careful not to let the production overpower the play, or even the play take over the play. He pulls out complexities in his leads, uses the Greek chorus to add a touch of humor, and humanizes the supporting cast without having them become distractions.

Notable leads include Richard Spierto as Sade, Mark Gonzalez as Marat, Sabrina Fiora as Charlotte Corday and Michael R.J. Campbell as Herald. Special kudos go to scene and lighting designer Niels Larsen, stage manager Alexa Slater, and costume designer Jeanette Trimble.

Note: This theater does not have air conditioning, so it can be sweltering in the summer heat. Come prepared to feel what it's really like in a humid bathhouse asylum.