Busybody

written by Jack Popplewell

performed at Old Creamery Theatre

June 15th

I am a big believer in amateur theatre, having witnessed over the years what incredible nonprofessional talent resides in the Cedar Rapids area.  However, my long held exception to the amateur field is the fast-paced comedy.  This is a genre that I personally think requires a certain level of expertise.  Without the right timing, these shows end up either overwhelmingly silly or completely unfunny.

To my great delight "Busybody" was helmed by two actors with clockwork jokes.  Marquetta Senters (as Mrs. Piper) and Tom Milligan (as Superintendent Baxter) bounced lines between each other effortlessly.  Their speech was brisk enough to create a ping-ponging of hilarious tension, while not so swift that I missed a single line.  Their scenes alone on stage were the highlight of the show.

     "Everything disappears around here.  Are you a magician?"
     "If I were you'd have disappeared long ago."
     "What did you say?"
     "Get Lost!"

It pains me to say though, that the rest of the ensemble had varying degrees of comedic success.  Robert Kemp (as Detective Goddard) and Amber Snyder (as Vickie Reynolds) made the most of their smaller roles, amusingly embodying the sidekick and floozy respectively.  Jeff Haffner (as Richard Marshall in an unfortunate toupee), Kay Francis (as Marian Selby), and Eddie Skaggs (as Robert Westerby) were believable if a bit uneven in their portrayal.  However Jackie McCall (as Claire Marshall) stood out as decidedly wooden in her performance.  Though not actually monotone, her delivery lacked defined emphasis to transform words into a conversation.

Though not an isolated case of tied tongue, the most unfortunately timed and distracting in the show was a set of flubbed lines by the exposed killer of this whodunit.  At the climactic denouement, in explaining how he/she planned the murder, the actor/actress appeared to mentally lose his/her place.  The recovery was relatively clean, but noticeable.  Based on my personal experience, this level of verbal stumbling is unusual at Old Creamery Theatre and took me by surprise. (Gender neutral to avoid spoilers)

Beyond the acting itself, recognition must be given to the set, props, and costume crew.  Set in 1964, the show required a distinct look to lend credence to the antiquated detective work required in the plot.  Given too modern a locale the idea of matching the "newly discovered" blood type (not DNA) or tracing a phone call through the exchange operator, would have come off as ridiculous.  Instead the distinct touches of clean black leather, art deco lamps, a rotary phone, heavy brocade fabric, and sharp cornered clutches ground the viewer in a specific decade.

Overall a pleasant evening at the theatre.  Despite the faults described above I certainly laughed a great deal which is always the truest goal of a comedy.

Alice in Wonderland

adapted by Jason Alberty from the original story by Lewis Carroll
performed at Theatre Cedar Rapids
May 6th

Jason Alberty's adaptation of Alice is a study in the imagination.  The concept was truly exceptional, a group of actors helping Alice take a fantastical journey through wonderland.  However the way he forces the use of one's imagination in the first act felt...well...forced. 

Opening the play with the stage manager's voice on the speakers calling "five minutes to places" certainly creates a connection of being part of the action.  The actors' use of addressing the audience and the spare set/costuming fed into this feeling of being a part of creation.
From there things go a bit jabber-wonky though.  The pacing is uneven, lingering too long in some scenes and moving too quickly through others.  I also found the Actor #1/Charles Dodgson character confusing.  While Alice frequently broke character to her Actress #1 self, Charles remained firmly in his 1862 persona even when acknowledging that it was the 21st century.  As a result their conversing didn't feel genuine.

The second act is where things finally pay off in the storytelling.  Back from intermission the set is suddenly elaborate, the costumes complete, and everything is very much more "real."  Alice finds herself on trial for lying to the Queen of Hearts; Alice's defense being that telling a story for the purpose of entertainment is not the same as lying for the purpose of deceit.

Again the pacing is uneven though, as the first act is an hour and the second act is a whole 15 minutes long.  Overall the show was conceptually strong, but only averagely constructed.  The performances were good with the material given.

Five Women Wearing the Same Dress

written by Alan Ball
performed at Theatre Cedar Rapids
April 29th and May 4th

How exactly does one describe a play about five completely different women swearing, drinking, laughing, crying, and looking truly ridiculous in hot pink and leopard print taffeta?  I don't know that I can say a single thing that beats what Alan Ball wrote in this fantastic script.  The irreverence and honesty on the stage had me gasping in laughter and shock at different moments.

The cast bit right into the meat of these characters and didn't let go.  Each woman was a fully formed individual, particularly apparent during their interactions when they weren't speaking.  I was lucky enough to see this show twice, leaving me ample opportunity to watch the "background."

As in reality, a group of 5 women aren't all in the conversation at the same time.  There are ebbs and flows, leaving the observers at a loss for explicit script direction.  One of my favorite little moments in the play wasn't a funny line, but a perfectly character driven action.  The straight-laced Christian of the group is cleaning up the multiple condoms strewn on the bench at the foot of the bed by brushing them back into a purse with the train of her dress.  As if that weren't enough, any that missed she is picking up one-by-one still with the train of her dress.  All this while a conversation is going on above her.

My only criticism of the entire play is the lack of any closure, but really that isn't the point of this show.  From the very beginning it is only telling the story of a disparate group on one emotional evening.  Each of them is hiding for their own reasons and in that room they can be truly honest.  It may not be closure, but it is freedom.

The Beginning

I decided to start writing reviews of the shows I've seen shortly after ordering a full season of tickets at Theatre Cedar Rapids.  Mostly I go to shows alone, so this seemed like a way to share my thoughts and feelings.

I believe live theatre is an interactive entity.  The actors feed off the audience and the audience in turn gets a better show.  As such, this is me inviting others to interact (if only vicariously).  And if this makes you want to go see a show, all the better.