Comedy – RVArt Review

GHOST QUARTET

A Song Cycle About Love, Death, and Whiskey

An Immersive Theatrical Experience Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: The Firehouse 1609 West Broad St., Richmond, RVA 23220

Performances: January 19 – February 18, 2023 [NOTE: This includes extended dates]

Ticket Prices: $35 general admission, $45 VIP two-top, $20 students

Info: (804) 355-2001 or firehousetheatre.org.

If you like the unique and different, if you are comfortable with ambiguity, if dramatic explorations of death and non-linear story-telling pique your interest, then GHOST QUARTET was written for you. Not fully a play, not fully a musical, more akin to an opera, Dave Malloy’s creation was first produced in 2014 and was soon after nominated for awards for Best Music and Best Musical.

While I assert that the term “musical” is too confining to describe Ghost Quartet, there is no doubt that the music – much of which is played or engineered by Amy L Oblinger – is amazing. There are vocals and instrumental music involving a piano, a cello, a violin, and percussion. At one point small percussion instruments – a tambourine, a rattle, small rattles – are distributed to audience members.

Two of the Quartet members perform a delightfully unexpected tap and clog dance. And most of the cast members are quite comfortable breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience – some of whom, the VIPs, are seated at small table right on stage where they are served whiskey shots by the cast members who are gathered for a reunion of sorts at a bar that is apparently owned by one of the Quartet members.

Whew! That’s just by way of introduction, and doesn’t even begin to explain Ghost Quartet, Instead of Acts and Scenes, Ghost Quartet is divided into Sides and Tracks – which are announced at the top of each segment. While intentionally non-linear in structure, the sections are, in fact, related to one another. So, “The Camera Shop” in Side 1, Track 2 is related to “The Photograph” in Side 3, Track 2 and there is an “Usher” track – as in Poe’s “The Fall of the House of User” – in Sides 1, 2, and 3.

Family is another common theme woven throughout the production in which cast members play multiple characters, across generations, and encompassing – the program says – seven centuries. This makes it possible for Ghost Quartet to seamlessly discuss and conquer death, include sassy little girls and monks, have storytelling by Schéhérazade (yes, the one from Arabian nights), and sing an ode to whiskey (e.g., Jamieson, Maker’s Mark, Lagavulin), call a family meeting to deliver an ultimatum about an invisible friend, and conflate monks (the religious kind) with Thelonious Monk (the musician).

Bringing a wide range of talents, sass, and gifts to this production: Jaylin Brown, Valerie Chinn, Céilí Galante, Marjie Southerland, and Musical Director Amy L. Oblinger. They sing, they dance, they act, tell stories, play instruments, and drink whiskey for two hours (including one intermission). Todd Labelle’s design, featuring a standard wooden bar as well as a vertical “floating” bar and walls of wide-spaced wooden slats, is simultaneously minimalist and luxurious. It provides a welcoming backdrop for an unfamiliar performance genre. Andrew Bonniwell’s lighting organically partners with the live music, electronic arrangements, and some surprisingly stunning vocal moments.

If, as Director PJ Freebourn wrote in their notes, the goal is to transport the audience and take us on a surreal journey that explores, among other things, love, family, hope, memory, and emotions, then Ghost Quartet is a smashing success. If you leave still wondering just what the hell happened and why it made you feel confused and amazed, if you leave talking about it, thinking about it, or asking questions about it — it was successful. February 4 was originally supposed to be the final performance, but four additional performances have been added over the next two weekends – Friday evenings, February 10 and 17, and Saturday matinees, February 11 and 18. If you haven’t seen it yet, recommend you try to reserve a ticket or two to one of these performances – then we can talk about it together.

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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GHOST QUARTET

By Dave Malloy

Directed by PJ Freebourn

Performers:

The Ghost Quartet

Jaylin Brown
Valerie Chinn
Céilí Galante
Marjie Southerland

Musician

Amy L. Oblinger

Production Team

PJ Freebourn – Director

Amy L. Oblinger – Music Director

Niccolo Seligmann – Electronic Arrangements, Synth Programming, Foley Art

Céilí Galante – Additional Arrangements

Nicole Morris-Anastasi – Choreographer

Todd Labelle – Production Designer

Andrew Bonniwell – Lighting Designer

Katherine Brand – Costume Designer
Grace Labelle, Emily Vial, Talon Bleacher – Stage Managers

Performance Schedule:

Thu Jan 19 @ 8pm (preview)

Fri Jan 20 @ 8pm (preview)

Sat Jan 21 @ 4pm (preview)

Sat Jan 21 @ 8pm

Fri Jan 27 @ 8pm

Sat Jan 28 @ 4pm

Sat Jan 28 @ 8pm

Fri Feb 3 @ 8pm

Sat Feb 4 @ 4pm

Sat Feb 4 @ 8pm

EXTENDED: Additional Performances!

Fri Feb 10 @ 8pm

Sat Feb 11 @ 4pm

Fri Feb 17 @ 8pm

Sat Feb 18 @ 4pm

Ticket Prices

$35 general admission, $45 VIP two-top, $20 students

Run Time: Approximately 2 hours with one intermission

Photo Credits: Bill Sigafoos

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HOW BLACK MOTHERS SAY I LOVE YOU

“Do not press me to leave you,
    to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
    where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people
    and your God my God. – Ruth 1:16 (NRSV)

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre,

1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances: February 1-25, 2023

Ticket Prices: $10 – $40

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

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Sometimes a production takes awhile to grow on you. Some shows are hard to connect with on a personal, emotional, social, literary, cultural or any other level. Just the opposite is true of Trey Anthony’s tender and amusing two-act family drama, HOW BLACK MOTHERS SAY I LOVE YOU. The author identifies as “a queer, black, Canadian, West Indian womyn” but their story is familiar to many Black women in Canada, the US, and the UK. I attended with my eldest daughter, and throughout the evening we looked at one another knowingly over our masks, reached for each other’s hands, cried out in instant recognition, or just cried.

The author may be a Canadian of Jamaican heritage, but the play is set in the Brooklyn, NY home of a Jamaican immigrant woman in 2014 (although I thought the furniture and kitchen appliances harkened back a decade or two – or three? – before then). Claudette (Zakiyyah Jackson), the prodigal queer daughter of Daphne (Dorothy “Dee-D” Miller) has returned home unannounced after several silent years in Montreal, Canada. Claudette finds her mother in poor health and her younger sister Valerie (Shalandis Wheeler Smith) doing her best to care for her, despite Daphne’s refusal to follow doctor’s orders – and the added complications of Valerie’s own personal struggles. Claudette has questions that her mother is not willing to answer. Daphne left Claudette and Valerie with their grandmother in Jamaica for six years while she got established in the US.

Family secrets are painfully and reluctantly revealed, along with social and cultural histories that could bringing health and healing to many families and enlightenment to many allies. The story is brought to life by a small but mighty cast, led by Miller, the matriarch. I’m not Jamaican but I married into a Jamaican family and I found Miller’s accent spot on. She dropped the “h” where you expected to hear it and added it where you did not expect it. She called children “pickney” and pronounced the word “little” as if it were spelled with two k’s instead of two t’s. She won me over completely when she spoke about the baby’s “ackee seed eyes.” That’s how my mother-in-law used to refer to my children! My daughter looked at each other and shrieked in unison as my heart melted into a puddle on the floor. (Don’t worry, RTP staff, melted hearts do not stain the carpet.) Of course I looked to see who the dialect coach was and just as I suspected, it’s Erica Hughes. Kudos to Hughes for another amazing job.

[If you are familiar with ackee, you can skip this next paragraph.]

BTW: the ackee fruit is a Jamaican dietary staple, an essential ingredient in the Jamaica national dish of ackee and saltfish (i.e., salted cod). When ripe, the ackee plant yields fleshy yellow lobes that somewhat resemble scrambled eggs when cooked with saltfish. The fruit has shiny black seeds that people – especially Jamaican grandmothers – liken to the shiny bright eyes of babies and young children. The kicker is that, in its un-ripened state, ackee is quite poisonous.

Jackson and Wheeler Smith achieved a remarkable balance between sibling rivalry and sisterly love. Their affection appeared genuine and as the story unfolded we found that it was grounded in a history of collective trauma – unique to them, but familiar to many families whose histories are defined by the African diaspora. Significantly, my daughter wondered how these themes spoke to white viewers. This would be an interesting dialogue to introduce in a talk-back…

Let me not forget to mention Cloe. The younger, American-born sister of Claudette and Valerie who died in childhood from an unnamed illness, Cloe appears as a silent ghost. Dressed in white from head to toe, Bailey Robinson, a Henrico County Public Schools student, made her professional debut as the sometimes meddlesome, but mostly caring specter of young Cloe whose presence is welcomed and visible to Daphne – and sometimes, it seems, to Valerie. Claudette knows she is there, but cannot see her. The presence of Cloe is another strong symbol of ancestors and spirituality.

The set is a Brooklyn home sturdily and lovingly crafted by William Luther and tenderly lit by Dakota Carter. I did wonder, however, why there were several long periods of darkness or dimmed lights. Perhaps these stretches were meant to serve a visual equivalent of the dramatic pause, or to contrast with the bright white heavenly light that illuminated the runway that Cloe used to transition between the present and the hereafter. Or maybe it was just to allow for a costume change.

Margarette Joyner (founder and artistic director of the Heritage Theater that formerly closed its doors in 2022) designed the costumes, with special attention to Daphne’s collection of church hats and Valerie’s collection of coordinating handbags and shoes. Desirée Dabney directed through the eyes of a storyteller. The work and words flow with a sense of real time and a feeling of intimacy and immediacy.

HOW BLACK MOTHERS SAY I LOVE YOU is a stunningly beautiful work of theatre, one I was not familiar with, one I will not forget. See it with your mother or daughter. And take tissues.

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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HOW BLACK MOTHERS SAY I LOVE YOU

By Trey Anthony

Directed by Desirée Dabney

CAST

Daphne …………….Dorothy “Dee-D” Miller

Claudette …………….Shalandis Wheeler-Smith

Valerie ……………. Zakiyyah Jackson

Cloe ……………. Bailey Robinson

Daphne Understudy: Diana Carver

Claudette Understudy: Nora Ogunleye

Valerie Understudy: Chayla Simpson

Cloe Understudy: Sydnee Logan

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Director/Sound Design: Desirée Dabney

Assistant Director/Dramaturg: Chayla Simpson

Production Stage Manager: Jennipher Murphy-Whitcomb

Assistant Stage Manager: Nathan Ramos

Scenic Design: William Luther

Lighting Design: Dakota Carter

Props Design: Tim Moehring

Costume Design: Margarette Joyner

Hair & Make Up Design: Jahara Jennae

Intimacy Choreographer: Raja Benz

Dialect Coach: Erica Hughes

Technical Director/Scenic Painter: Becka Russo

Covid Safety Officer: William Luther

Marketing Videos: Aisthesis Productions

Photo Credits: Pre-production photos from RTP Facebook page

Shalandis Wheeler Smith, Dorothy Dee D Miller, Zakiyyah Jackson

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UNCLE VANYA

Every Family Has a Drunk Uncle…

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Richmond Shakes (formerly Quill Theatre)

At: Dominion Energy Center’s Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse, 600 E. Grace St., RVA 23219

Performances: January 26 – February 12, 2023

Ticket Prices: $22-$42

Info: (804) 340-0115 or https://richmondshakespeare.org/

Rarely – if ever – have I described a production as a sad comedy, but that would be an accurate description of UNCLE VANYA, written by Anton Chekhov and adapted by Conor McPherson. First performed at the turn of the twentieth century, UNCLE VANYA remains relevant and contemporary as adapted by McPherson and under the expert direction of Dr. Jan Powell.

One thing – well, eight really– that made this production successful was the uniformly outstanding cast. Bryan Austin was relentlessly amusing yet authentic and endearing in the title role and it was his authenticity that kept his moments of wallowing in self-pity and regret from becoming shallow and vainglorious tropes. Calie Bain was a breakout star as Vanya’s niece, Sonya. In spite of the early death of her mother, her father’s re-marriage to a woman seemingly closer in age to Sonya than her father, and her unrequited love – made even more soul-crushing by the geographical isolation of their country estate – Sonja remained a bright light of hopefulness. She was the connection that made it possible for this stunningly dysfunctional family to attempt reconciliation and settle on renovation.

Lindsey Zelli as the beautiful young second wife, Yelena, displayed unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable depth. In spite of past estrangements and current rivalrous entanglements, Yelena demonstrated genuine fondness and care for Sonya. Matt Hackman’s Dr. Astrov was also multi-faceted. Totally unaware of Sonja’s love for him (really???), he was equally infatuated with her step mother, and focused on ecological issues with a passion that I am sure was way ahead of his time.

Kelly Kennedy made the most of her nearly innocuous supporting role as Nana – not, as one might think, the grandmother, but an elderly nurse who has become the family caretaker. Sitting in her chair, quietly observing or serving up hot tea, her knitting needles seemed to be a metaphor for her role in the family drama.

Alan Sader and Debra Clinton’s characters infuriated me. Sader played the pompous and manipulative Professor Alexandr Serebryakov (father of Sonya, husband of Yelena, son of Mariya, and brother-in-law of Vanya) and of course he is really good at it. It’s the kind of role where you don’t want to meet the actor soon after because you want to curl your lip and turn up your nose at his character. Clinton’s character was infuriating for a different reason. Mariya’s favoritism for her more successful son, Alexandr and disdain for the hard-working Vanya seemed passive-aggressive and possibly the result of oppression or lack of fulfillment in her own life.

For those, like me, unfamiliar with the characters, it took awhile to get a handle on the role of Telegin (Bill Blair). Affectionately called Waffles (apparently because of the condition of his skin), Telegin is a family friend, neighbor, and hanger-on who tries to fit in where he can – often with awkward results.

What makes Uncle Vanya resonate with me is these lovingly developed and multi-dimensional characters. They are familiar and seem to fit right in with contemporary issues: family dysfunction, changing inter-generational roles, the troublesome hierarchy of inheritance, and even the forced soul-searching of pandemic isolation.

Reed West’s set design – much more elaborate than Richmond Shakes’ usually sparse environments – is solidly built of sturdy, dark wood. Little details, like a chess set atop a cabinet, Nana’s knitting basket, and the clean but worn rugs support the narrative of crumbling gentility. And what can I say about the individual application of autumn leaves on the tree branches during intermission? Gretta Daughtrey’s lighting is effective and unintrusive; the storm, for example, is subtle but unmistakable. So, too, are James Ricks’ sound design, that included gentle ambient sounds, and Anna Bialkowski’s earth-toned costumes – with a jewel-toned garment or two for Yelena, and a caped-overcoat for the Professor.

Uncle Vanya is a satisfying evening of theater performed by a stellar cast – and I say this even though I am not in the least a fan of Chekhov. There isn’t much action. Plot is virtually non-existent. But the characters are immersed in the words and that fully engages the audience in a way that creates the best kind of theater magic. Try to see it before it closes.

Uncle Vanya

By Anton Chekhov

Adapted by Conor McPherson

Cast

Nana ………. Kelly Kennedy

Astrov ………. Matt Hackman

Vanya ………. Bryan Austin

Telegin………. Bill Blair

Serebryakov………. Alan Sader

Sonya ………. Calie Bain

Yelena ………. Lindsey Zelli

Mariya ……….Debra Clinton

Production Team

Artistic Director: James Ricks

Managing Director: Jase Sullivan

Director: Dr. Jan Powell

Assistant Director: Sarbajeet Das

Stage Manager: Lauren Langston

Assistant Stage Manager: Carrisa Lanstra

Costume Design: Anna Bialkowski

Light Designer: Gretta Daughtrey

Scenic Design: W. Reed West III

Sound Design: James Ricks

Properties Design: Emily Hicks

Map Art Work: Katherine Wright

Promotional Photography: Peyton Lyons

Run Time: About 2 ½ hours including one intermission

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: Peyton Lyons and David Parrish Photography

TOP LEFT: Bryan Austin, Bill Blair, Matt Hackman. TOP CENTER: Matt Hackman and Calie Bain. TOP RIGHT: Bryan Austin. BOTTOM LEFT: Bryan Austin. BOTTOM RIGHT: Bryan Austin, Calie Bain and Debra Clinton

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MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET

Pride, Prejudice & Identity: A Comedy Fueled by Family Secrets, Polish Pastries, & Gefilte Fish

At: The Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 U.S. Route 1, S. Chesterfield, VA 23834

Performances: January 29 – February November 19 – December 31, 2022

Ticket Prices: $15-$49

Info: (804) 748-5203 or https://www.swiftcreekmill.com

We all know that we’re special, but some of us are more special than others. Take the Nowak family of Buffalo, NY, for instance. In 1942 the Blessed Virgin Mary “appeared” – emphasis required! – to an ordinary barber, and his family would never be the same. This miracle led to people being healed, spawned the birth of a soup kitchen, and became the anchoring event that made an otherwise average family special.

But all is not what it seems in MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET. A deathbed confession turns everything upside down, making the Nowak family question everything they have known and based their lives on for two generations.

While the play and its characters are fictitious, the premise of the story is based on fact. There is an actual Our Lady of Seneca Street Shrine in Buffalo, NY – which just happens to be the author’s hometown. In the 1950s a barber named Joe Battaglia lived at 849 Seneca Street in the apartment above his shop. Apparently, one night Battaglia was awakened from his sleep by a shining light outside his window that beckoned to him. When he went outside to investigate, it is reported that he encountered nothing less than an image of the Virgin Mary. The image spoke to him, telling him not to be afraid and instructed him to help spread a message of world peace.

Battaglia commemorated the occasion by building a 20-foot tall brick and glass structure that houses a life-sized statue of the Holy Mother. After the barber’s death, the shrine fell into disrepair and was slated to be torn down but local residents fought to preserve it. To this day the Lady of Seneca Street Shrine is still maintained by a dedicated local caretaker committed to preserving the history and continuing the legend. The shrine has its own address – 847 Seneca Street – and a mail slot to receive donations and the prayers that come from all around the world.

With this background, Dudzick re-imagined the story of the barber’s vision and the resulting shrine. Instead of the Battaglia family, we meet the Nowaks who are about to have a family meeting in which daughter Ruth (Audra Honaker) is about to reveal startling news that will shake the family to its core. After preparing a lunch of fruit salad (why didn’t she rinse the blueberries and strawberries…) her efforts are thwarted by her older sister, Beverly (Donna Marie Miller) who is more than a little self-centered and has her sights centered on (a) a bowling tournament and (b) a new boyfriend – an ex-priest candidate. There’s also a brother, Jimmy (Neal Gallini-Burdick) whose impending engagement is also the cause of a controversial subtext. The Nowaks, you see, are devote Catholics – at least according to their mother Clara (Jacqueline Jones) – and this is a key component of the script.

The plot twists and unending life-changing revelations create both tension and comedy – often and most successfully when they occur simultaneously. Honaker and Miller are recreating the roles I saw them portray when this play was performed at Virginia Rep’s Hanover Tavern in 2017. But with Jones as Clara and Gallini-Burdick as Jimmy the energy in the Swift Creek production is quite different and the cast’s timing, under the steady-handed direction of Tom Width, hits different notes as well. (In case you’re wondering, in the 2017 production mentioned above the mother was played by Catherine Shaffner and the son by John Mincks, both of whom filled these roles with distinction.)

MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET is a delightful feel-good play, but it touches on some very real, very serious, and still relevant topics: identity, faith, family, love, loyalty, ritual, and more. By making this a comedy and placing it in a different time period, we are encouraged to examine some important and controversial topics from a distance – it’s not me, it’s the Nowaks. But every family has secrets, prejudices, and inside jokes. But how much of it – if any – should be shared outside the family, and to what purpose. Ruth struggles with these questions through the lens of a one-woman show; many today look at – or ignore – the same questions through the multiple lenses of social media. Makes you wonder if the miracle is what resulted from the vision – or what occurred in the Nowak kitchen.

Honaker delivers the tough lines with ease and patience that defies human understanding. Miller behaves like a bratty younger sibling rather than the eldest, but manages to remain likeable, while Gallini-Burdick manages to remain a voice of reason throughout it all. Jones vacillates between wide-eyed innocence and wisdom. She is also at the center of my favorite scene – where Clara, the Catholic mother first discovers that Jesus was Jewish, and later delivers one of my favorite lines – the final line of the play.

ADDENDUM: This review has been edited. I was roundly chastised by the playwright for giving away the final line. But, dear readers,in over forty years of writing about dance and theater, this is the first time I EVER received a comment directly from the playwright. I am humbled – and humbly edited this text. jdl

Just in case I didn’t make it clear in my ponderings, above, I highly recommend MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET. It’s a Christmas story with a purpose; it’s entertaining and thought-provoking, predictable, and surprising at the same time. The cast is outstanding, the story intriguing, and Width’s direction reflects his genuine love and affection for each show he directs, and his scenic design is homey and welcoming. Cue Christmas (or Chanukah) music and enjoy.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET

By Tom Dudzick

Directed by Tom Width

Cast:

Jimmy Nowak – Neal Gallini-Burdock

Ruth Nowak – Audra Honaker

Clara Nowak – Jacqueline Jones

Beverly Nowak – Donna Marie Miller

Creative Team:

Directed by Tom Width

Costume Design by Maura Lynch Cravey

Lighting Design by Joe Doran

Scenic Design by Tom Width

Technical Direction by Liz Allmon

Run Time:

90 minutes, no intermission

Tickets:

$15-$49

Photos: Kieran Rundle

Jacqueline Jones and
Neal Gallini-Burdick

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CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS

The Kids From Your Favorite Christmas Shows, All Grown Up

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances: November 16 – December 18, 2022

Ticket Prices: $10 – $45

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

———-

We can always depend on Richmond Triangle Players to give us an edgy, snarky, comedic, or dark Christmas offering. Christmas on the Rocks, a collection of short plays or scenes by various authors, does not disappoint – it gives us all of the above.

This year, the authors are John Cariani, Jenn Harris & Matthew Wilkas, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jacques Lamarre, Theresa Rebeck, and Edwin Sanchez. The “kids,” a slightly different cast of characters than RTP’s 2015 production, include Ralphie from A Christmas Story, Zuzu Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life, Hermey, the Elf from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys, Karen, an internet influencer, Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol, Clara from The Nutcracker ballet, and the hapless Charlie Brown. Zuzu and Karen replaced Susan (Miracle on 34^th Street) and Cindy Lou Who (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas). Regional productions may feature different characters.

All these characters are portrayed by two highly talented and versatile actors. Theresa Mantiply plays all the women and Eddie Webster plays all the men. The motley cast of characters wander, one by one, into a local bar, where the friendly bartender, played by Joe Pabst, is at first surprised and ultimately perplexed at the increasingly colorful parade of characters who enter, seeking solace from the loneliness of Christmas Eve.

In the first scene, we see Ralphie, wearing an eye patch, peek through the window of the unimposing little bar – beautifully designed by William Luther with important inclusive details that provide something each of the characters can relate to on a personal level.

To answer the obvious question, yes, Ralphie finally did get his eye shot out, but it was not self-inflicted. A firearms safety instructor for the NRA, he was shot by a student and is now unemployed. On top of that, he has intimacy issues due to that infamous pink bunny suit his Aunt Clara sent, but not for the reasons one might expect. You see, he actually liked it.

Little Zuzu Bailey who, as a child, declared that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings, has been harassed by angels for decades – and responds in nonsensical rhyming platitudes, while Hermey, the Elf who had dreams of becoming a dentist, has become a gossipy hater who holds a long-time grudge against Rudolf – not realizing that his own misfit status makes him more like Rudolph than not.

Karen, an entitled but untalented influencer, holds the Bartender hostage, posting increasingly unhinged videos for her unfortunate followers. Tiny Tim drops by, displaying Scrooge-like qualities and Clara’s cheating Prince has left her alone for the holiday. The last customer is none other than Charlie Brown, complete with a yellow sweater with a black zigzag line. Wonder of wonders – it’s a Christmas miracle – he finally gets to talk to The Little Red Haired Girl in the only scene shared by Mantiply and Webster. Through it all, Pabst calmy mixes drinks and offers gentle advice.

Christmas on the Rocks is a non-traditional Christmas story – or collection of sequels – billed as “an offbeat collection of twisted holiday tales” for the grown up kids in all of us who love a good laugh – especially when it’s at our own expense. There are limited performances left, so ditch the kids and go see it.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

———-

CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS:

An Epic Offbeat Collection of Twisted Holiday Tales

Written by John Cariani, Jenn Harris & Matthew Wilkas, Jeffrey hatcher, Jacques Lamarre, Theresa Rebeck, and Edwin Sanchez

Conceived by Rob Ruggiero

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SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER:

THE PLAY THAT USHERED IN A NEW WAVE OF HUMOR

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Quill Theatre’s Richmond Shakespeare Festival

At: Agecroft Hall & Gardens, 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond, VA 23221

Performances: July 7-31, 2022

Ticket Prices: $20-$33

Info: (804) 353-4241 or quilltheatre.org

Dating back to 1773, She Stoops to Conquer has long been considered one of the most popular English-language comedies. Interestingly, it was a major theatrical success by a relatively unknown playwright – Oliver Goldsmith – and the play that set Director James Ricks, then a middle school student, ablaze with a passion for live theater. It is also credited with being the source of the phrase, “ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.”

The plot is a familiar one – two affluent families, the Hardcastles and the Marlows, arrange to introduce their children, Kate and Charles, with an end goal of marriage. But Kate’s spoiled, immature older half-brother Tony Lumpkin sees this as an excellent opportunity to wreak havoc of monumental proportions. Tony likes to hang out with the masses at the local pub – at one point Mr. Hardcastle say of him, disparagingly, “the only school he’ll ever go to is the ale house.” And that is precisely where he is when he intercepts his sister’s would-be suitor and his traveling companion – at the local pub – as they search for the remotely-located country home of the Hardcastle family. Tony convinces Charles that the Hardcastle estate is an inn. There ensues a “comedy of errors,” and one fascinating result is that young Charles Marlow, who has been described as educated and shy, imperiously treats his unsuspecting hosts as servants, displaying a side Kate was not expecting. Kate, however, has her own agenda, and disguises herself as a barmaid to further explore the character of her would-be suitor.

Like any good sitcom, there are subplots and counter-plots to the main theme. These include a secret love-affair between Kate’s cousin Constance and young Marlow’s friend George Hastings, Mrs. Marlow’s attempts to hide an inheritance, and Tony’s attempts to avoid an arranged marriage of his own. This simplified synopsis does not do justice to the live production. She Stoops to Conquer is neither trite nor stereotypical. Supporting characters are as interesting as leading characters – establishing a sort of social equality that was far ahead of its time.

Debra Wagoner was delightful in the role of Mrs. Hardcastle, the master (or mistress) of much of the seemingly unintended humor. In one of the latter scenes, she gets her comeuppance when her own son (Josh Mullins as Tony Lumpkin) tricks her into thinking she is lost in the wilderness. Mark Persinger as her husband, proved to be a stark contrast to Wagoner’s character and brought his own unique style of humor. Hardcastle, you see, is decidedly old-fashioned, stuck in the past and despises anything modern, while his wife (a social climber) and daughter (a sensible young woman with a mind of her own) yearn for modern fashions and are attracted by the lure of the city. Wagoner proved to be a capable antagonist, while Katy Feldhahn (Kate) was more than capable of conquering.

Josh Mullins, as Mrs. Hardcastle’s spoiled son, happily wreaked havoc at every turn. Calie Bain as Kate and Tony’s cousin (and Tony’s reluctant intended) Constance Neville was solid and dependable in a somewhat predictable and unremarkable role while Ian Page played his role close to the edge and over the top as the socially challenged Young Marlow.

That being said, She Stoops to Conquer was a delightful summer divertissement, comedically ahead of its time, pleasant and fairly well-paced, with direction by James Ricks. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, but I would certainly give it a second chance in the future.

NOTE: Unfortunately, this summer’s Shakespeare Festival took the brunt of the summer storms. Both productions at Agecroft Hall were plagued by cancellations due to weather, and, alas, the closing production of She Stoops to Conquer was no exception.

She Stoops to Conquer

By Oliver Goldsmith

Directed by James Ricks

Cast

Mrs. Hardcastle…………… Debra Wagoner

Mr. Hardcastle …………… Mark Persinger

Tony Lumpkin …………… Josh Mullins

Kate Hardcastle ..………… Katy Feldhahn

Constance Neville………… Calie Bain

Young Marlow….………… Ian Page

George Hastings.………… William Cardozo

Sir Charles/Landlord …… John Cauthen

Pimple/Betty ……………….. Els Dusek

Diggory/Fellow ..………… Alex Chapman

Roger/Jeremy .……….…… Audrey Sparrow

Production Team

Director: James Ricks

Stage Manager: Nata Moriconi

Costume Designer: Cora Delbridge

Lighting Designer: Andrew Bonniwell

Props Designer: Emily Hicks

Music Director: Jason Marks

Choreographer: Nicole Morris-Anastasi

Dialect Coach: Harrison Runion

Assistant Stage Manager: Hope Jewell

Stage Construction: Kevin Johnson

Production Manager: James Ricks

Run Time: About 2 ½ hours with one intermission

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

———-

Photo Credits: David Parrish Photography

BOOTYCANDY:

It Probably Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

Produced by: TheatreLAB

At: The Basement, 300 E. Broad Street, RVA 23219

Performances: June 9-18, 2022

Ticket Prices: $20 General Admission; $10 Teachers & Students

Info: (804) 349-7616 or https://tlab-internet.choicecrm.net/templates/TLAB/#/events

Robert O’Hara’s BOOTYCANDY is a “semi-biographical subversive comedy” performed as a series of non-linear vignettes. The central character is Sutter and the central premise is Sutter’s journey growing up black and gay. It is hilarious, it is touching, it is relatable across genders, generations, and sexual orientations, and it is an exemplar of contemporary Africanist story-telling. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite shows of the season – and I see my fair share of shows.

Todd Patterson shines in the lead role as Sutter. The five actors are identified only as Actor One, Actor Two, etc., and all but Patterson take on a number of different roles in Sutter’s life. Patterson dances between each scene – indeed, his “grandmother” and other relatives request that he “do that step Michael Jackson liked to do.” The playwright, O’Hara, has specified that Jackson’s music be used throughout, and the music of Michael Jackson, Prince, and perhaps a few others energizes the space from the moment you walk through The Basement doors.

Patterson strips for us, and dances with a manic energy that reflects his character’s inner landscape. But as much as I was impressed by Patterson’s performance, this is truly an ensemble production – starting with the symbiotic directing team of Deejay Gray and Katrinah Carol Lewis. I’ve seen each of these actors in several productions, and this one cast them each in a new light and presented them with new challenges.

Dylan Jones and Zakiyyah Jackson hold down most of the female roles in Sutter’s life. Both play his mother, at different ages, as well as aunties, friends, a sister, and church ladies. In one scene they portray a quartet of women gossiping on the telephone, highlighted by rapid costume changes but my favorite is their second act “non-committal ceremony,” a nasty same-sex divorce officiated by a Zen-like Cashwell. This scene is the embodiment of the adage, “same sex, same problems!”

Durron Marquis Tyre transforms into several characters, but my favorites are the right reverend who comes out in a sermon delivered to his outraged congregation. Instead of coming out of the closet, he emerges from behind his pulpit to reveal fishnet stockings, blinged out silver slingback heels, a wig, and finally a clingy little red dress and matching lipstick. This is where Jones and Jackson begin their magic as they subtly change from gossip-mongers to staunch supporters.

In the second act, Tyre portrays Sutter’s grandmother who offers him comfort in a time of need as she slyly extracts some cash to tuck into her bosom and a delivery of forbidden soul food. For a moment, I thought Tyre had been speaking with my own late grandmother to develop this character because his mannerisms and speech brought back memories directly from my own past. And that is part of the beauty of this play: it is relatable. In a post-show talkback the day I saw it, everyone who spoke found some point of connection. The scene where Sutter realizes he is under stress is a turning point – he stops the show, has a verbal interaction with the Stage Manager, Crimson Piazza, and the tone and tenor of the play shifts. This is , undoubtedly, one of the author’s genuine auto-biographical moments. Its poignancy highlights the humorous aspects of the previous scenes, and reminds us that often laughter is the only things that helps us make it through the tough or uncertain times.

And of course I cannot forget Dixon Cashwell – the only white guy in the cast. He plays several characters, but my favorites are his portrayal of a clueless conference facilitator for the scene that closes the first act. Cashwell’s character strolls obliviously into a minefield of micro-aggressions that elicit yelps of incredulity from the cast as well as at least one audience member. In other scenes, Cashwell becomes a gay-curious male sharing an uncomfortable relationship with his brother-in-law, and has a spellbinding turn as an intoxicated man at a lonely bus stop at 3:00 AM who amazingly talks himself out of being mugged.

There are a number of little things that make BOOTYCANDY as close to perfect as it can possibly get. The subject of the women’s telephone scene is the name one young mother has chosen for her baby girl: Genitalia! It is a spoof of the unique names and exotic naming conventions of Black American families and a nod to the sort of urban legends many of us educators have passed down through the decades: the little boy named Shi-Thead, the little girls named Vagina, Clitoris, and Female (pronounced Fah-MA-ley), or the twins named Orangejello and Lemonjello (pronounced a-RON-zhello and le-MON-zhello).

By the time you read this, BOOTYCANDY may have ended its all-too-brief run, but just in case, consider this a SPOILER ALERT: BOOTYCANDY does not refer to a sexually attractive booty or a hot gay guy. Quite innocently – and oddly – it is the word the young Sutter’s mother uses to refer to his penis, and an excellent advertisement for teaching children the real words for their body parts.

I haven’t laughed so hard or so often I the theater in recent memory. In the words of one viewer, BOOTYCANDY is no entry-level theater, meaning it is not linear or predictable, and there is no happily-ever-after fairytale conclusion. In the mind of this reviewer, that is what makes it so special.

THE CAST

Actor One …………………………. Dylan Jones

Actor Two ……………………….… Todd Patterson

Actor Three …………..………….. Zakiyyah Jackson

Actor Four …………………………. Durron Marquis Tyre

Actor Five …………………………. Dixon Cashwell

THE TEAM

Direction: Deejay Gray & Katrinah Carol Lewis

Scenic Design: Deejay Gray

Projection Design: Dasia Gregg

Lighting Design: Michael Jarett

Costume Design: Nia Safarr Banks

Sound Design: Kelsey Cordrey

Properties Design: Kathy O’Kane Kreutzer

Production Stage Management: Crimson Piazza

THE SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 [Preview Performance]

Friday, June 10 at 7:30 [Opening Night]

Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 [Post-Show Dialogue]

Sunday, June 12 at 7:30

Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 [ADDED SHOW]

Thursday, June 16 at 7:30

Friday, June 17 at 7:30

Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 [Closing Night]

NOTE: All performances are at 7:30pm at The Basement:

300 East Broad Street, Richmond VA 23219

THE TICKETS

$20 – General Admission

$10 – Teachers & Students

LINK: https://tlab-internet.choicecrm.net/templates/TLAB/#/events

*PROOF OF VACCINATION / A NEGATIVE COVID TEST REQUIRED* The Basement is a fully vaccinated venue. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (within 48 hours of the performance) are required upon entry. For the safety of our artists and audiences, masks must be worn while at the theatre. Thank you for keeping our community safe!

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

———-

Photo Credits: Photos by Tom Topinka

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BONNIE AND CLAIRE

A Tender New Comedy by Bo Wilson

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Rd, Hanover, VA 2309

Performances: May 13 – June 12, 2022

Ticket Prices: $48 (subject to change during the run)

Info: (804) 282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org

Richmond-based playwright Bo Wilson’s new play, Bonnie and Claire, is not only humorous, but also a gentle treatment of aging and the often unexpected and unintentional toll it takes on those we love. Two extra years in the making – due to that pesky little pandemic – Bonnie and Claire made its debut on Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Hanover Tavern stage May 13. Well worth the wait, it landed exactly right and hit all the feels.

Bonnie (Melissa Johnston Price) and Claire (Jan Guarino) are two sisters who have been estranged for decades, but life’s circumstances and advancing age have brought them together in Bonnie’s small town home. The reunion is rocky, but their niece, Zoe (Sydnee S. Graves) is there to ease the transition – and drive the two wherever they need to go. At the beginning of the play, Zoe is chauffeuring Bonnie who is hobbled by crutches after, we soon learn, a car accident. With each subsequent scene, Bonnie appears with a new injury – an arm sling, a neck brace. All are due to accidents in which she was driving – such as driving into a 7-11 – and none of them were her fault. According to her.

Wilson and his phenomenal cast have impressively balanced the element humor with the reality that comes with aging and the declining ability to do the things we love, the things that give us our freedom and independence. It is understandable that Bonnie is cranky and even appears somewhat ungrateful that she has to rely on her niece Zoe, and at first Zoe is caring, polite, and deferential. But as the accidents escalate over the nearly ten years this play encapsulates (from 1990 to 1999) the burden of being a care-giver to Bonnie and mediator between the two sisters, who have vastly different worldviews, begins to wear on Zoe, who is trying to start a new business and a new relationship.

ADVISORY: Skip the next paragraph if you plan to see the show and want to be surprised!

Claire, who has worked as an actress for decades, lived in the city and never learned to drive. Of the three, she initially seems flighty and superficial, and her character takes the longest to develop, but gradually we see the chasm close between the two sisters. Bonnie outwardly remains her crotchety old self, but underneath the gruffness even she has some soft edges and begins to smile and even laugh a bit as the years pass and the two sisters are drawn together by past memories and the reality of the present and future challenges. The greatest change is seen in Zoe, whose apprenticeship as a caregiver and relationship with her aunts helps her transition into adulthood. Zoe learns to draw boundaries, falls in love with her business partner (who happens to be another woman), and by the final scene they are ready to start a family. So here we are privy to another dichotomy, another delicate balance, between growth and decline, between dependence and independence.

The entire play takes place in a car – first in Zoe’s fluffy ride and later in Bonnie’s old Buick. Kudos to Jacob Mishler’s sound design – every time a door was closed, an ignition was started, or any other vehicle related sound was required, it happened – perfectly timed and at an appropriate volume. Every. Single. Time. (Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.) Dr. Jan Powell’s direction infused Bonnie and Claire with a satisfyingly rhythmic ebb and flow of humor and compassion. The ensemble – veteran Melissa Johnston Price with her wide range and droll humor; Jan Guarino, who directed VirginiaRep’s first show after the pandemic shutdown, Barefoot in the Park, and the wife of the playwright, Bo Wilson; and Sydnee S. Graves, who is making her Hanover Tavern debut – appeared to be a tight-knit unit even on opening night, so one can only expect their chemistry to increase throughout the run, which concludes June 12.

ADVISORY: Another possible spoiler!

After Zoe puts her foot down, takes away Bonnie’s car key, and pretty much orders her two elderly aunts to play nice and behave, the two giddily decide to go for a short ride. Bonnie had a spare key! Now, mind you, Bonnie’s license has been revoked and Claire hasn’t been behind the wheel of a car since she was about fifteen with a learner’s permit! Of course their planned outing to get ice cream ends with them getting lost and Zoe has to come rescue them.

Hijinks and shenanigans abound – and many of us can relate to the family dynamics – all of which makes Bonnie and Claire a marvelous theater experience that I highly recommend.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

BONNIE AND CLAIRE

By Bo Wilson

Directed by Jan Powell

Cast

Bonnie ……………….. Melissa Johnston Price

Claire ………………… Jan Guarino

Zoe …………………… Sydnee Graves

Design Team

Scenic Design …….…. Terrie Powers

Costume Design …….. Marcia Miller Hailey

Lighting Design ……… Matt Landwehr

Sound and Projection Design … Jacob Mishler

Stage Management …… Joe Pabst

Ticket Information

Box Office: 804-282-2620

or http://www.virginiarep.org

Tickets prices start from $48

Discounted Group Rates and Rush tickets available.

Run Time

The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission

Photo Credits: Aaron Sutten

Melissa Johnston Price and Jan Guarino. Photo by Aaron Sutten.

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LOVE/SICK

It’s 7:30 on a Friday Night in June in a Big Box Store Somewhere in Suburbia

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: The Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 U.S. Route 1, S. Chesterfield, VA 23834

Performances: May 21 – June 25, 2022

Ticket Prices: $49. $44 for seniors, students, military, and first responders.

Info: (804) 748-5203 or https://www.swiftcreekmill.com

Lovesick – adjective. in love, or missing the person one loves, so much that one is unable to act normally.

It’s spring and love is in the air – only not in the way you might expect. For LOVE/SICK John Cariani (author of Almost Maine) has constructed nine discrete tales in which love falls somewhere on a spectrum of, well, mental illness. Each ten-minute play is set “at 7:30 PM on a Friday night in June, in an alternate suburban reality.” The backdrop for this suburban reality is The Super Store – a generic mock-up of a big box store, in which some of the silhouettes on the shelves remind me of miniature tombstones.

The nine couples are portrayed by four actors who zanily and adeptly transform from character to character between scenes: costumes, hair, voices, mannerisms, posture. Before the pandemic, it was fairly unusual to see a show in which actors played multiple roles, but that seems to have become a necessary skill in the new normal we are all adapting to. Described as Almost Maine’s “darker cousin,” each Love/Sick story line has an unexpected twist.

Among my favorites: “The Singing Telegram” man (Matt Hackman) hesitates to deliver his message because the sender is using the singing telegram to break up with his girlfriend (Katherine Wright). This is probably the saddest of the collection, while “Uh-Oh” is probably the sickest and displays the most twisted humor. In “Uh-Oh” a bored wife (also Wright) seeks to bring some excitement into her one and a half year old marriage – by fabricating a story about a research article and then assaulting her unsuspecting husband with a very real looking squirt gun.

“The Answer” starts off with a groom (Hackman) hiding in a bathroom, crying and ends on a somber note, while “Lunch and Dinner” is filled with Freudian slips of the tongue. When lawyer husband Mark (Freebourn) asks his corporate wife (Reisenfeld) what she had to eat at her business luncheon, she inadvertently responds, “sex.” And so it goes, until we come full circle ending up back at The Super Center where two exes (Hackman and Wright) are reunited and the original “Obsessive Impulsive” couple (Reisenfeld and Freebourne) bump carts again. Occasionally a profound thought punctuates the hilarity, as when Jake (Hackman) wonders why, “when you meet and fall in love and it doesn’t work out, how come we don’t call THAT destiny?”

Two monitors on either side of the stage announce the titles of the scenes while the scenery and the actors change, and Width keeps the pace and the laughs moving along with the smooth regularity of a train schedule. Of course, what makes it work, what makes it funny, is that we can recognize bits and pieces of ourselves – or our partners – in many of these characters. Have you or someone you know thought about killing their spouse – even jokingly – or considered getting back together with an ex? Still, ninety minutes without an intermission is hard on some of us with mature bones and joints that need to move periodically. Oh, and one more thing – the transition music between scenes was (perhaps intentionally?) unnecessarily irritating, but not enough so to interfere with my enjoyment of this hilarious show.

LOVE/SICK

By John Cariani

Directed by Tom Width

Cast:

PJ Freebourn

Matt Hackman

Paige Reisenfeld

Katherine Wright

Production Team:

Directed by Tom Width

Costume Design by Maura Lynch Cravey

Lighting Design by Joe Doran

Scenic Design by Tom Width

Technical Direction by Liz Allmon

Incidental Music by Julian Fleisher

“No Lie” composed by John Cariani

Performance Schedule:

Fridays @ 8:00PM: May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24

Saturdays @ 2:30PM: June 11, June 25

Saturdays @ 8:00PM: May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18, June 25

Sundays @ 2:30 PM: June 5, June 19

Wednesdays @ 2:30 PM: June 8, June 15

Thursdays @ 8:00PM: June 16, June 23

Tickets:

$44-49

Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission

PJ Freebourne, Katherine S. Wright, Matt Hackman, Paige Reisenfeld

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GREATER TUNA

The Third Smallest (Fictional) Town in Texas Makes Us Laugh for All the Wrong Reasons

At: The Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 U.S. Route 1, S. Chesterfield, VA 23834

Performances: March 19 – April 30, 2022

Ticket Prices: $49. ($44 for seniors, students, military, and first responders.)

Info: (804) 748-5203 or https://www.swiftcreekmill.com

There are so many ways I could write about GREATER TUNA. So, I’ll just start and see where this goes.

The first in a series of four satirical plays about the fictional town of Tuna, TX, GREATER TUNA requires two actors to portray twenty citizens of this conservative Texas community. John Hagadorn and Bartley Mullin are so good at quickly transforming from one character to another that it’s almost possible to overlook the content they are sharing that is making us laugh out loud. Hagadorn thoroughly encapsulates the town’s KKK leader Elmer Watkins, with his baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and so convincingly inhabits the characters of town matriarchs Bertha Bumiller and Pearl Burrus that we almost forget he is a male actor portraying these stereotypical southern women. Hagadorn is familiar with the inhabitants of Greater Tuna, having appeared in SCM’s production of A Tuna Christmas (2016-2017 season). This is the Mill’s first production of Greater Tuna, the original play, since 1985, and director Mark Costello returned to steer this wild ride and keep it on track.

Then there’s Bartley Mullin. His interpretation of the chain-smoking used weapons shop owner, Didi Snavely (“if we can’t kill it, it’s immortal) and the whiny and angst-filled teenager Charlene Bumiller are all that and more. His endearing but jumpy Petey Fisk, who works for the Greater Tuna Humane Society (who knew there were enough people in this town to support such an organization!) and the pretentious Vera Carp (Vice President of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order) are wonderfully over the top. Hagadorn, his face hidden behind a newspaper, provides the voice of an annoying puppy Petey is trying to find a home for. It is all but impossible not to laugh and that reminds me of what Swift Creek Mill artistic director Tom Width said of A Tuna Christmas, that he produced and directed in November 2016, “It’s so wrong in the best kinds of ways.”

Right off the bat, we are introduced to Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie, the anchors of the town’s radio station, OKKK. The station’s call letters are repeated frequently, and yes, the “KKK” stands for just what you think it does. One of the first bits of news is the announcement of the winners of the town’s essay contest. First place goes to an essay entitled, “Human Rights, Why Bother,” while the second and third place winners are “Living With Radiation,” and “The Other Side of Bigotry.”

Of course there is a group tasked with banning books, to protect the town’s children from undesirable and divisive literature such as Roots, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (a book that even students in my NYC high school protested against until the teacher caved in and removed it from the syllabus), Huckleberry Finn (because it showed a child cavorting with a criminal, no mention of “Nigger” Jim), and even Romeo and Juliet (because it portrays young people disobeying their parents). Then there are The Smut Snatchers of the New Order, whose focus is cleaning up the dictionary. Just send them a word you want removed. . .

When a visiting reporter brings up the concept of intellect, Bertha Bumiller, the woman he is interviewing, responds with a deadpan, “I don’t believe we have that here in Tuna.” Act One ends with Pearl Burrus and Stanley Bumiller running over a dog to cover up the fact she poisoned it! In another of Greater Tuna’s few somber moments Stanley, at one point, reveals a dark secret surrounding the sudden death of the town’s judge.

The dilemma, of course, is that Greater Tuna is so authentically hilarious and Hagadorn and Mullin are so darned good that we find ourselves laughing at uncomfortably racist statements and stereotypical images of people that, frankly, most of us have encountered in real life – and some call family. So, how does one approach Greater Tuna? Do you just ignore the racism and bigotry and laugh at the humor? Do you acknowledge the political incorrectness and call it out? And if so, to what purpose? It is, after all, a satire – and it is intended to expose and comment on our stupidity and foibles. But. . .does that make it right, or relevant? I do not have answers to any of these questions. I just know that at least one attendee left at intermission and those who stayed for the final bows seemed happy and satisfied. And yes, I laughed. Without apology.

GREATER TUNA

By Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard

Cast:

John Hagadorn plays Bartley Mullin plays

Thurston Wheelis Arles Struvie

Elmer Watkins Didi Snavely

Bertha Bumiller Harold Dean Lattimer

Yippy Petey Fisk

Leonard Childers Jody Bumiller

Pearl Burrus Stanley Bumiller

R. R. Snavely Charlene Bumiller

Reverend Spikes Chad Hartford

Sheriff Givens Phinas Blye

Hank Bumiller Vera Carp

Direction and Design Team:

Directed by Mark Costello

Lighting Design by Joe Doran

Costume Design by Maura Lynch Cravey

Scenic Design by Tom Width

Scenic Art by Liz Allmon

Original Music by Matthew Costello

Run Time:

2 hours, 1 fifteen-minute intermission

Tickets:

$49

$44 for seniors, students, military, and first responders.

Photos: from the SCM Facebook page

Greater Tuna at Swift Creek Mill Theatre

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