Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 39

Arts 5C DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2006 THEATER In 37 short scenes, Irma St. Paule and Raymond Bokhour take the audience on an intense display of emotions typical of Toronto playwright Morris Panych's comedic style. if.V I v-j-Hi Ji' '4 Bedside il CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer As the vigilant nephew, Raymond Bokhour makes his Geva Theatre debut, with Irma St. Paule portraying his ailing aunt. If you go What: Vigil, Morris Panych's drama about a nephew's deathbed visit to his aunt.

Where: Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Blvd. When: Tuesday through Feb. 5. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with an opening at 2 and 8 p.m.

Saturday. Admission: $13.50 to $48.50. Call: (585) 232-4382. A wry cynic learns a few things about life and himself at his aunt's deathbed there's a telling difference in tone. "Pinter and Beckett have a pessimistic view that the world's a hellish place," says director Mark Cuddy.

"Panych doesn't. He looks at dire situations and concludes: 'What an absurdly nutty This kind of intimate production would usually find a place on Geva's Nextstage. But Cuddy says it has enough dramatic heft for the main stage. "Panych has had worldwide success with this play," he says. "And its themes family, aging and connectedness are mainstream themes." The show could hinge on the talents of Raymond Bokhour, the New York City actor making his Geva debut as Kemp.

At times, Vigil comes close to being a one-man show, and Bokhour welcomes the challenge. "It's like any good roller coaster ride," says Bokhour, 40. "It propels you along." SLOWDemocratandChronicle.com one's idea of a family man. In fact, he's delighted to dispense unsolicited advice about cremation and wills and if he has his way, he'll inherit everything. Yet as he shares his miserable childhood with his bedridden aunt, this stony lonesome visitor begins to thaw.

A stay of a few days stretches out to a year. "He comes to a certain realization about who he is," says Irma St. Paule, the New York City actress who plays Grace. "I come to develop a sense of compassion for him. And misanthrope that he is, he listens to me." She has far greater weight in the play than her few lines would indicate.

Kemp takes up most of the 1 3A hours with darkly hilarious monologues, but Grace exerts a quiet power through subtle gestures. "Grace acts exasperated, amused and sometimes poker-faced," says St. Paule. "Or she just ignores Kemp." The action unfolds in 37 short scenes that end in blackouts, like a STUART LOW STAFF WRITER What happens when a life-or-death message comes to a man who doesn't particularly care whether his fellow man lives or dies? Hardly what you'd expect, if you're dealing with a story by Morris Pa-nych. The subversive Toronto playwright enjoys torpedoing your expectations about plot and character.

Nowhere does he throw more curves than in Vigil, the sardonic comedy opening Tuesday at Geva Theatre Center. Bank clerk Kemp (only his last name is used) has just received an urgent letter from his Aunt Grace, who says she is dying. Surprising even himself, he quits his job and travels 1,000 miles to keep vigil by her bedside. Never mind that he hasn't seen her for 30 years. Never mind that he is no series of bleak snapshots.

All take place in Grace's dusty, sparely furnished bedroom, a claustrophobic purgatory for the two characters. Yet even in this static setting, Pa-nych keeps up the momentum with wry gallows humor that recalls Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett. But Le at herHduse Largest Leather Furniture Showroom in Upstate NY WINTER SALE Airport Shuttle Parliing Some days, all you really need is a quick, dry lift. 1 Join the empurrPedic Revolution! Rochester's largest display of Tempur-Pedic mattresses and pillows! 0m Top Grain Leather Sofa Starting at 1299 80 Colors to Choose Rt. 96 Victor, 2 mi.

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