CHICAGO JOSEPH JEFFERSON CITATION AWARD WINNER AND WINDY CITY STAGE VETERAN DARRYL MAXIMILIAN ROBINSON APPEARS AS BENSINGER IN A WEST COAST REVIVAL OF "THE FRONT PAGE."
Darryl Maximilian Robinson, who received both a 1997 Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation Award for Outstanding Actor In A Principal Role In A Play and a 1997 Chicago Black Theatre Alliance / Ira Aldridge Award nomination for Best Leading Actor In A Play for his critically-praised performance as Sam Semela in The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago revival of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold And The Boys" presented at the much-missed Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre of Rogers Park, recently appeared in the comedic supporting role of Chicago Tribune Newspaper Reporter Roy V. Bensinger in The Culver City Public Theatre of Culver City California 2024 revival of Ben Hecht's and Charles MacArthur's 1928 hit Broadway stage comedy "The Front Page," which in this new script adaptation by skilled CCPT Director Trace Oakley and staged outdoors in Culver City's Carlson Memorial Park, has been blended with Hollywood screwball comedy scriptwriter Charles Lederer's 1940 screenplay of "His Girl Friday."
Shot with a still camera ( and recorded Sunday Afternoon July 28, 2024 ), here is performance video of a large portion of the second half of Act Two of The Culver City Public Theatre 2024 revival of THE FRONT PAGE staged outdoors at Carlson Memorial Park in Culver City, California 90232.
Here also is a link to a videoclip of experienced Chicago-born and stage-trained actor Darryl Maximilian Robinson, now celebrating his 50th Anniversary as an American Stage Performer, as Bensinger, in a scene with skilled and talented lead actors Rizzy Fuentes as Walter Burns and Tanya Laine as Hildy Johnson, in which Bensinger shares a poem in this new outdoor west coast stage adaptation of THE FRONT PAGE.
Enjoy.
2024 Culver City Public Theatre Production Photo of Rizzy Fuentes as Walter Burns and Darryl Maximilian Robinson as Roy V. Bensinger in THE FRONT PAGE by Kelsey Danzeisen.
Theatre Review: 'Culver City Public Theatre Production of THE FRONT PAGE Is Charming, Monty Python Silly, And Laugh Out Loud Funny'
By Therese Dersch in American Towns
August 10, 2024
Note: "The Front Page" was presented by The Culver City Public Theatre July 13th through August 4th of 2024 at The Carlson Memorial Park in Culver City, California. The Production recently closed. This is a post-production notice by an audience member.
"The Front Page," the play the film "His Girl Friday" is based on, was first produced in 1928. Written by two former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, one wonders what craziness was going on in the newsrooms of the time that inspired it.
The Culver City Public Theatre production is charming, silly in the best Monty Pythonish way, and laugh out loud funny.
The story centers around reporters working the police beat in Chicago. One of them, Hildy, plans to leave the newspaper business for what she feels is a more respectable life as a wife to an insurance salesman. Life, as often happens, has other plans for her.
The play starts off a little slowly to acclimate the audience to the time and feeling of the newsroom, then takes off like a rocket. It's worth seeing alone for a wonderful bit of physical comedy involving a roll-top desk.
The cast is all quite good, with Tanya Laine's Hildy as a particular standout. Her Hepburnese take no prisoners interpretation of Hildy is completely believable.
Supporting cast members are equally strong, and Lynda Palmer as Hildy's long suffering future mother in law, and Tamara Koltes as a prisoner's chair-wielding girlfriend were particular favorites.
The play is at Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park and is free. Highly recommended as a fun romp through an old-timey newsroom.
Therese Dersch is an experienced educator and longtime performing arts supporter.
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