Artsopolis: All Arts. Online. Anytime.

• Tell-a-friend
• Buy tickets
• Official web site

Ambition Facing West

TheatreWorks

January 17-February 11, 2007

Avg. Event Rating (2.6 Stars): Add Review/Comment

Dreams of freedom and fulfillment send a family ever westward throughout the past century, from turn-of-the-century Croatia to 1940s Wyoming and finally to 1980s Japan. Full of riches for the mind and heart, it is a wise and wonderfully evocative exploration of the immigrant experience, an intriguing tale of heritage and identity spread across generations of parents and children caught between holding close and letting go.

• At-a-Glance
• Member Reviews
• Media Reviews
• What's Nearby

• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $28-$52

  Buy tickets

• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  January 17-February 11, 2007

  Times:
  Tue: 7:30pm
  Wed-Fri: 8pm
  Sat: 2pm & 8pm
  Sun: 2pm & 7pm

• Venue Info

  Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

  500 Castro Street Mountain View, CA 94041

  Full map and directions

• Parking Info

  Free parking is available in the garage under the Center for Performing Arts. Street parking is also available.

• Accessibility Info

  • Wheelchair Access

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

• Member Reviews

  Add review/comment

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "Dull and disjointed"
    Review posted by: Bob Z from Cupertino, CA USA, Feb 04, 2007
    

    The playwright has made one of the worst errors of an autobiography – he cares about his family but he forgot to give us reasons to care. There are so many characters that each appears for only a few... Expand

    The playwright has made one of the worst errors of an autobiography – he cares about his family but he forgot to give us reasons to care. There are so many characters that each appears for only a few minutes at a time with a few lines of dialogue. None are developed enough that that we understand their motivations or ambitions. It takes some effort to figure out all the relationships between these characters, but that effort produces no reward because it doesn’t really matter. If the characters were clichés, we would actually know more about them. But these characters do things that simply don’t make sense and give us no clue as to why they’re doing them. It doesn’t help that the acting is mediocre, but that can also be blamed on the playwright’s dull, flat lines, and the actors probably don’t understand the characters either. If you’re a member of the playwright’s family, you may find this interesting, but everyone else will snooze right through it. Collapse

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "A real disappointment from a wonderful theater company"
    Review posted by: Norma Jean from Anytown, AT 55555, Jan 31, 2007
    

    This was simply too confusing. It wasn't until well into the second act that my guest asked me who I thought the characters on stage were: were some actors more than one person, or what? I had to... Expand

    This was simply too confusing. It wasn't until well into the second act that my guest asked me who I thought the characters on stage were: were some actors more than one person, or what? I had to agree with her I've been a subscriber for decades. I had guesses, but had become increasingly annoyed by the lack of clarity as to what we were seeing. I apologized to my guest after this one, and rued having been sucked into signing up for the "mystery play" at the season opener, based on the artistic director's promise we would not regret it. I'm a great fan of Robert Kelley, but I regretted my act of faith in selecting this play. Collapse

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "Corageous, Hopeful, Understated AMBITION"
    Review posted by: SFTheatreBear from SF, CA, Jan 26, 2007
    

    AMBITION FACING WEST is staged with the keen eye & light touch of Kent Nicholson, brining this challenging yet understated work displaying the courage of multiple generations of a family as they trek... Expand

    AMBITION FACING WEST is staged with the keen eye & light touch of Kent Nicholson, brining this challenging yet understated work displaying the courage of multiple generations of a family as they trek westward from Croatia (then Dalmatia), to the U.S., to Japan and, as the play ends, to what was then Yugoslavia (and is now...Croatia). The design transcends the different locations well, eventually serving as a Zen rock garden. Costumes and lighting are equally lovely, as is the sound design. The play challenges faith in the quest for hope and celebrates the courage of the human spirit. The cast is suprerb, from Julia Brothers and Patrick Alparone, to Dan Hiatt, Lynne Souffer, Anna Bullard, Michael Santo and Cole Smith. It is a beautiful production of a rarely produced play, receiveing its California premiere with TheatreWorks, at the lovely Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Collapse

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "Great Play"
    Comment posted by: Amer from Redwood City, CA, Jan 24, 2007
    

    Not knowing much about this play, I came in with low expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised, as the story weaves in 4 generations of a family, and traces their journeys and desires to either... Expand

    Not knowing much about this play, I came in with low expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised, as the story weaves in 4 generations of a family, and traces their journeys and desires to either keep children close to the nest, or set them free. The story comes full circle in many ways, and the characters learn valuable lessons taught by the parents. I found it very warm, thought provoking, and enjoyable. The actors were excellent, too. Collapse

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "Ambition Facing West - Good Drama"
    Review posted by: Theater Buff from Sunnyvale, CA, Jan 24, 2007
    

    This play is about the differing cultures and lives across 3 generations in the 20th century. The first half of the play is a bit slow as the characters are developed. Also, it takes a bit of... Expand

    This play is about the differing cultures and lives across 3 generations in the 20th century. The first half of the play is a bit slow as the characters are developed. Also, it takes a bit of adjustment as the play switches between the same actors playing different roles. However, the real heart of the play is the second half as the different cultures, characters, and themes merge well together. The strong family interactions and humor work well. Acting is quite good by the cast as they all were very believable in their characterizations. Collapse

  • Event Name: Ambition Facing West
    "A good story well told"
    Review posted by: Ainsley from Sunnyvale, CA, Jan 18, 2007
    

    The premier performance of "Ambition Facing West" was well done. It is a rather complex play, and most actors play two major roles. This made the presentation intriguing. The acting (all equity... Expand

    The premier performance of "Ambition Facing West" was well done. It is a rather complex play, and most actors play two major roles. This made the presentation intriguing. The acting (all equity actors) was uniformly good. We are long-time theatre-goers and so are quite picky about plays. This one makes our cut for both the play and the performance. Collapse

  View all reviews/comments for this event

  View reviews/comments for past events