SC Respertory |
|||||||
PAGE 9 |
|||||||
|
whose estranged members have congregated to prepare for the sale of the late patriarch ’ s estate .
Like the Hubbards , some of the Lafayettes are driven by greed , and as with the Hubbards , past deeds push the characters in directions they might not be prepared for .
The principal characters , as with “ Little Foxes ,” are a woman and her two brothers : Toni ( Cochran ), Bo ( Jones ) and Frank ( Coco ) Lafayette .
In tow are Bo ’ s wife Rachael ( Paige Lindsey White ) and kids Ainsley ( Isaac Person ) and Cassie ( Natalie Bright ); Toni ’ s son Rhys ( Spangler ); and Frank ’ s New Agey fiancé , River ( Andrews ).
Unlike “ Little Foxes ,” though , there is no huge pot of gold as a payoff : proceeds from sale of the house must be used to repay a sizable bank loan dad Ray Lafayette had taken out and never repaid .
And although none of Jenkins-Jacobs ’ characters are black , the full historical weight of the South ’ s brutality toward black slaves is on full display through the actions ( and reactions ) of the 21st-century whites who populate his story .
The turning point in “ Appropriate ” is the family ’ s discovery of an album filled with photos of blacks who had been lynched , which sets the family on edge and leads to debates regarding the extent of the patriarch ’ s racism – a key thematic element of “ Appropriate .” Had Ray been a lifelong racist and anti-Semite ? Or had he simply , in his final years , been a hoarder descending into dementia ?
|
Cochran ’ s Toni is outspoken , sharptongued and sarcastic , and she doesn ’ t suffer fools ( read : River ) gladly . Coco is first-rate as the ever-contrite Frank , trying to find his way in life , make amends , reinvent himself and move on . Jones ’ Bo knows his own mind yet is at his wit ’ s end in trying to get a handle on the spiky scenarios .
White ’ s Rachael seizes upon the everchurning events to stand up to the Lafayettes . Forgiving and naïve , Andrews ’ River is hilariously beholden to the flower power ideals of the ’ 60s and ’ 70s , and Bright ’ s precocious Cassie is an inquisitive teen curious about the world and eager to be treated like an adult .
The play ’ s Gothic underpinnings add elements of the supernatural to its comedic irreverence , a tone nailed by Turner Sonnenberg and her cast . Jenkins-Jacobs imparts humor as deftly as does Hellman . His characters are as much a part of our current everyday world as Hellman ’ s belong to an era when the Civil War was just a generation earlier .
In a laugh line that typifies the play , Bo says dad Ray couldn ’ t possibly have been in the KKK because “ he wasn ’ t social enough .”
Though you ’ ll laugh frequently if seeing both shows , your conscience will nag you and your sense of morality will be challenged . The dialectic between the shows , which spans 120 years , is intriguing and compelling . Taken together , the shows pack a powerful one-two punch .
Peterson and Turner Sonnenberg deserve effusive praise . Both casts are superb ,
|
but Cochran , Jones , Coco , Andrews and Spangler deserve special kudos . Carrying two different plays around in your head for more than a month and portraying such dissimilar characters is an impressive feat to be applauded and celebrated . Oh – and to be seen by anyone who reads the Indy .
Segerstrom Stage , South Coast Repertory , 655 Town Center Drive , Costa Mesa . Through February 26 . Running times ( includes intermission ): “ The Little Foxes ,” two hours , 30 minutes ; “ Appropriate ,” two hours , 30 minutes . Tickets : $ 27 to $ 98 . Purchase / information : 714-708-5500 , www . scr . org
ADU PAGE 3
residential units , but allows for the replacement of an existing unit with an ADU ( e . g ., replacing a duplex with a single-family home and an ADU is allowable while “ downzoning ” a duplex to a single-family home is not ).
As a result of all of these state directives , ADUs have become an integral part of the necessitated solution for cities , including Newport Beach , trying to address the state-declared affordable housing crisis in California , since these dwellings qualify toward affordable housing requirements , regardless of whether they are utilized as affordable rentals .
With each iteration of new legisla-
|
tion relating to ADUs , our Community Development Department staff has taken the time to study and evaluate the potential application and implications for our many residential neighborhoods – each with its own unique character and constraints .
I sat on the Planning Commission ’ s Ad Hoc Committee , where we brought in various community stakeholders to understand the practical limitations of Newport Beach ’ s existing ADU ordinance , contrasted with the desire not to undermine the substantial efforts we have undertaken to alleviate resident concerns about bulk , massing and other impacts of new development .
The result is a new ordinance that encourages the permitting of less-obtrusive basement , garage , existing non-permitted , and duplex-replacement units , with parking requirements to remain in the coastal zone and where allowed by state law .
In conclusion , ADUs can provide tangible benefits for some property owners , while aiding the city in meeting its RHNA affordability requirement . That said , we have worked diligently to carve out as many protections for neighboring resident interests as possible , within the confines of the complex web of legislation , and continue to take great care in navigating these state mandates in defense of our residents .
|