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.
