'Betrayal' Stays Put at Small Equity Waiver Theater

FEATURE ARTICLE: L.A. TIMES, Thurs, Oct. 14, 1982

by SYLVIE DRAKE, Times Staff Writer

Two of the more memorable events in Equity Waiver theater this year have been the L.A. Theater Works' production of Steven Berkoff's "Greek" and the Actors for Themselves' production of Harold Pinter's austere "Betrayal."

The two pieces have nothing much more in common beyond the fact that both were written by Englishmen and both inhabited the Matrix Theater. "Betrayal," in fact, continues there through Sunday.

Its success, at one point, tempted producer Joe Stern to move the show to an Equity house. One that would have been right for it—the former Solari Theater in Beverly Hills—was made available by its new owner, Gucci's. It meant raising $100,000 for the move. According to Stern, he had it half raised by the beginning of last week.

But "Betrayal" isn't moving. And the reason may be a first in the annals of Equity Waiver. The actors—Penny Fuller, Ian McShane and Lawrence Pressman—voted against it.

Why?

"It was a threefold thing," Pressman said, speaking for all three. "The Matrix stands for a special kind of event and that event has already taken place. We like to bring people into this theater. We brought people into this theater.'

"Secondly, it's a question of intimacy. Pinter has referred to his plays as 'a conversation overheard.' The Matrix is right for that. We felt the Solari might not be.

"Thirdly, we would have been forced to play an eight-performance schedule as opposed to five a week. It was something we preferred not to do. We like the greater flexibility, in case one of us gets a movie or television job. You can do the film work in the daytime and play the theater at night, but it's a killer. Yes, we could have understudies go on, but as much as possible —and this is not a slur at understudies, not at all—we want to preserve the fine chemical balance in the show."

As it stands, understudy Bob Phelan will go on this weekend for actor McShane who will be in New York shooting a movie. And the Friday performance has been canceled altogether because Penny Fuller is also working, but a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee has been added to make up for the cancellation.

Beyond Sunday, "Betrayal" doesn't close exactly. It goes on hiatus until Dec. 8 (possibly longer) to give McShane a chance to finish that film and until Pressman returns from a previously scheduled trip to Russia. (By the way, CBS-TV's "Two on the Town" is featuring this "Betrayal" in one of its segments next week.)

Meanwhile—and here's excellent news—"Greek," with its original cast intact, returns to the Matrix for the interim period. It will have the benefit of polishing touches from author/director Berkoff who's in town directing his "Metamorphosis," which premieres next Thursday at the Mark Taper. "Greek" will open Oct. 23, playing matinees and evenings that first weekend, then slips into a regular schedule, Tuesday-Sunday, 8 p.m., until Dec. 5.

"I'm still planning to take 'Greek' to New York," producer Susan Loewenberg said, "but it won't be until the spring. This gives us the opportunity, in a manner of speaking, of extending the local run."

You won't hear complaints from us.