Just when you thought that scandalous political agendas were restricted to CNN’s 24-hour news cycle, along comes An American Daughter, Wendy Wasserstein’s 1997 play about a woman’s nomination as surgeon general and the threats her past play on her potential political appointment. In our current culture of alternative facts, fake news, and spin doctors, this Tony Award-winning play is back in fashion 20 years after its debut. Fortunately for us, Wendy Wasserstein’s witty repartee, unlike leg warmers and jumpsuits, never go out of style.
The show opens with Lyssa Dent Hughes (played with tight-wadded aplomb by Kiersten Harris) watching her own televised speech on TV. Immediately, I was impressed with Director Bruce Hirsch’s creative use of space. The stage at the Arts Barn is not suited for a bulky, 90s era television downstage; it would block sight lines in the first 2 rows. Hirsch made a simple adjustment, which had Harris holding a remote control while watching herself. This allows the audience to know exactly what Harris is doing without compromising his audience’s viewing pleasure. Sometimes, the simplest fix can solve a complexity of problems.
This production is like a fine wine: it gets better with age and has a sophisticated palate. The energy level is a bit low at the start of the show, as if the actors are feeling each other out. It’s when Lyssa and her oldest friend, Dr. Judith (not Judy, don’t even try it) B. Kaufman, an African American Jew who casts her sins out into the Potomac, start singing together on the couch that the familiarity and history come alive.
The cast of An American Daughter: Zack Walsh, Carole Preston, Alexis Amarante, Stuart Rick, Kiersten Harris, Michael Abendshein, Brandie Peterson, Bob Harbaum, and Tom Moore. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
With each passing scene, the comfort level and backstory become more rich and layered, resulting in many warm moments in which the audience gets caught up in memories as if they were appearing on a slide show behind the actors’ heads.
It’s harder than it looks to interestingly portray a character who’s deemed “boring” more than once in the show, but Harris does just that. Her inner tension is like a tightly wound ball of yarn that begins to unravel as characters come in and pull at her strings. Lyssa internalizes a lot of her feelings because she’s the good girl who stays contained and classy; she’s had a lot of practice with handshakes and smiles as a senator’s daughter. The audience can feel Harris trying to bury Lyssa’s inner voice, which is screaming at everyone to get their heads out of their keisters and leave her alone. She is classy, fierce, vulnerable, resigned, worried, caring, frigid and feisty.
The other characters bring their own schtick with them, encircling Lyssa in a ring of agendas. Notably, Michael Abendshein’s Morrow is everything that Lyssa isn’t: blunt, flamboyant, right wing, gay, and a “last word” kind of guy. His utter loneliness lies underneath the wit, barbs, and flippant attitude about hanging out with his best friend, and Abendshien does not try to evoke reactions. Kudos go to Hirsch for casting against type, because Abendshein makes it work and it enhances our interest.
Hirsch’s non-typecasting works well with Lyssa’s anti-establishment, agnostic Jewish husband, played with measured sincerity and repression by Bob Harbaum. His scene with Quincy Quince (portrayed by the fabulous Alexis Amarante) is ripe with sexual tension, confusion, and don’t forget, sexual tension. Amarante also crackles with Harris as she simultaneously shames and admires her.
Another standout is Stuart Rick as Senator Alan Hughes, a conservative lifer who never crosses the line in either direction. He supports and loves his daughter unconditionally yet does not share her liberal political views. Again, Rick succeeds at keeping his character supremely watchable without one outburst, moment of catharsis, or sudden revelation. His marriage to Charlotte “Chubby” Hughes, played by the hilarious and slight Carole Preston, lends some great tension breakers. When they sing a Dinah Shore song to punctuate a story, it is reminiscent of every head in the hands moment when your parents make you want to sink into the floor.
Brandie Peterson as Dr. Judith brings the audience an angry, brilliant, spiritual, and lonely woman who feels most at home with her oldest friend. Her characterization is grounded and likeable, and her tender relationship with Morrow has us wishing that the latter isn’t gay.
Zack Walsh arrives with prepubescent, sycophantic flair as PR whiz kid Billy Robbins, garnering laughs with his extra wink-winks and “I got ya covered” air gun. Billy walks in an exaggerated strut, as if he is trying to act like a spin doctor rather than be one, which nails this character and makes this virtual cameo most memorable.
Hirsch creates a wonderful climactic scene in which Timber Tucker (Tom Moore, who is most effective in his salacious, Bill O’Reilly interview scenes) interviews both Dr. Judith and Lyssa in the latter’s living room (beautifully constructed and accessorized by this talented production team). Members of the show’s crew come on stage as members of Tucker’s crew, with Walsh doubling as the young boom mic operator in a grungy wool hat. He joins lighting op Mark Shullenbarger and sound op Matthew Datcher as the two cameramen, with the three of them triangulating around the interview space.
Admittedly, this is not Wasserstein’s tightest script. She missed some connections and created some confusion in ways that, likely, could have been avoided.
Montgomery Playhouse, in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green, brings An American Daughter successfully to the stage with a satisfying and dignified ending that would put CNN and other 24-hour news channels out of business. After all, as Timber Tucker would say, “Scandal is the nature of the business.”
Running Time: Two and a half hours, with a 15-minute intermission.
An American Daughter plays through May 28, 2017, at The Montgomery Playhouse and Arts on the Green performing at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, buy them at the door, or purchase them online.
LINK: Review #1: ‘An American Daughter’ at Montgomery Playhouse and Arts on the Green by Mark Ludder.
Humanity can never quite manage to get out of its own way. And that’s a good thing for the entertainment industry. Since “there is nothing new under the sun,” there is constant material for every next production. Certainly playwright Wendy Wasserstein capitalizes on this reality with her offering of An American Daughter. Written in the late 1990’s following her critically acclaimed The Sisters Rosensweig, all those whispered or repressed imaginings of life’s challenges and confusions are brought to the surface like a rash which no ointment can ease.
The cast of An American Daughter: Zack Walsh, Carole Preston, Alexis Amarante, Stuart Rick, Kiersten Harris, Michael Abendshein, Brandie Peterson, Bob Harbaum, and Tom Moore. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
Regrettable hiccups in everyday life can create insurmountable stumbling blocks as Lyssa Dent Hughes played by Kiersten Harris discovers when she is nominated for US Surgeon General. Under the artificial scrutiny of press coverage Lyssa is demonized by political reporter Timber Tucker (Tom Moore) who highlights her failure to respond to a Jury Duty summons against her mid-western “ice box cakes” and perfect soccer-mom persona. The cast is packed with dubious sinner/saint personalities: Lyssa’s dad – long time US Senator Alan Hughes (Stuart Rick) supports his daughter’s passion and idealism in spite of his opposing political views while touting the blessings of his fourth wife Charlotte “Chubby” Hughes (Carole Preston).
Lyssa’s lecherous, foul-mouthed, self-aggrandizing husband and university professor Walter Abramson (Bob Harbaum) rests on the laurels of a 5-year-old book he wrote while ogling his prize student Quincy Quince (Alexis Amarante). Her life’s mission is to champion the struggle of every female with aspirations beyond domesticity even while undermining the sanctity of Lyssa’s marriage.
Walter’s best friend – Morrow McCarthy (Michael Abendshein) stands on his Gay Conservative imperialist soap box while throwing Lyssa under the bus by reminding reporter Tucker of her Jury Duty neglect. Lyssa’s best friend Judith B. Kaufman (Brandie Peterson) is so wrapped up as an infertile, divorced, Black Jewish female medical professional that she can hardly be supportive when it seems Lyssa’s appointment is in jeopardy. Lyssa at one point laments to her father: “You never told me there was a price.” Even the Senator’s spin doctor – Billy Robbins (Zach Walsh) is of no help with his exuberant wordsmithing on Lyssa’s behalf.
Scarce blanks left between the lines of the script are artfully filled on and off stage by Mark Shullenbarger, Andie Allison, Matthew Datcher, Elijah Fischer, Jack Husted, Susan Clic, and Roger Stone.
My take on all this is “Let any one of us who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”
Beyond all the drama I must acknowledge the mastery of Director Bruce Hirsch who somehow managed to impart on his talented and energetic cast the ability to keep the pace moving forward, in spite of a storyline which hopped and skipped through life’s blemishes like a Labrador sighting a squirrel.
Stage Managers Evelyn Renshaw and Cathy Clark manipulated every element of the immaculate set designed by David Jones, and built with the help of Steve Deming, Mark Shullenbarger, and Joy Wyne. The image captured and presented, with intimate & detailed properties gathered by Nancy Davis, was truly that of a living room in a Georgetown townhome complete with the perceived view from an elevated window down to a street buzzing with media activity.
It seems life doesn’t come with instructions. But as Lyssa’s ancestor General Ulysses S. Grant wrote in a letter to his daughter “Our task is to rise & continue.”
Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.
An American Daughter plays through May 28, 2017, at The Montgomery Playhouse and Arts on the Green performing at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, buy them at the door, or purchase them online.
LINK: Review #2: ‘An American Daughter’ at Montgomery Playhouse and Arts on the Green by Mara Bayewitz.
It is that time of year again – yep you guessed it – Montgomery Playhouse’s 14thAnnual One Act Festival is here! This is a chance to show off lesser produced one-act plays, and a great venue for new writers to get their work seen. This year is a fun year filled with shows of all kinds, from heavy drama to light and fun farce! Actors and directors from all over the area converge to provide audiences with a night of first-rate entertainment.
David Jones is the Executive Producer at the Montgomery Playhouse and not only produces this festival- but you can catch him on stage here as well in Cory Atwood’s Outside the Box. A veteran of the stage both on and off, Jones has a unique perspective. Jones says that, “this year has one of the best slates of shows he has seen in his 13 years of producing the festival.” Jones goes on to say that, “all of these shows are strong.” That bodes well for Montgomery Playhouse, who will choose the show they will enter into the Maryland One Act Festival 2016 from this slate of 8 shows.
Of the shows featured this year there are 5 original works (unpublished) amongst them, all of which are from local playwrights. All 8 shows are separated into two groups 4 per night, Group A: Hotline, Asleep on the Wind, Outside the Box and Call Me When You Feel Badand Group B:Two Stairs at a Time, Relativity, Hopscotch and Musing. Group A only has one performance left, Saturday, July 25th at 8 pm while you have two more chances to see Group B, Friday, July 24th at 8 pm and Sunday, July 26that 2 pm.
Now let’s hear more about the shows!
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Asleep on the Wind byEllen Byron (Published Work)
Director: Vanessa Terzaghi.
Cast: Callie Etches and Cristian Linares.
Cristian Linares and Callie Etches by Ellen Byron in ‘Asleep in the Wind’ by Ellen Byron. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
In a small clearing in Bayou Teche, Louisiana, the shy, reclusive Rootie and her favorite brother Beau escape to their “special place” to talk. Beau has a double purpose in this meeting: to persuade Rootie to stick it out at home and to tell her that he has enlisted in the Army.
Anne: What inspired you to direct this show?
Vanessa: I discovered playwright Ellen Byron years ago. Her work still fascinates me, and I wanted to bring Asleep on the Wind to life. It’s grounded in realism: family dynamics, celebrity worship and America’s response to the Vietnam War. There are also supernatural elements. Mixing the ordinary and the mystical is a rewarding creative challenge.
What were some fun discoveries you learned along the way?
There are only two characters in the play. A friend of mine – an academic – read the script and asked me “whose story is this?” The cast and I have pondered that question in our rehearsals. The play is filled with Elvis references, so the cast and I rediscovered Elvis together.
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
Vanessa: I’m biased, but I’m proud of my actors and their performances. The themes are intriguing: family ties, escapism and being trapped by poverty or lack of education. The play is both humorous and bittersweet.
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Call Me When You Feel Bad by Rob Gorman (Original Work).
Director: Rob Gorman.
Cast: Joanna Chilcoat Fellows, Diana Hutter, and David Lloyd Savolaine.
David Lloyd Savolaine and Joanna Chilcoat Fellows in ‘Call Me When You Feel Bad’ by Rob Gorman. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
Jae and Jeff are moving into a new apartment and stumble across Jae’s high school yearbook. In it Jeff finds a note that says “Call me when you feel bad – Nancy Vargo.” On a whim Jae decides to contact Nancy — a conversation that has dramatic consequences.
Anne: How long have you been writing?
Rob (writer/ director): The first show I wrote was “20 Questions” in 2004. It was produced in Pittsburgh in 2005, and then twice recently, for the Silver Spring Stage in 2014 and the Watermelon One-Act Festival in southern Maryland earlier this year. I don’t consider myself primarily a writer – aside from 20 Questions and this show, my writing output consists of a couple of unproduced 10-minute plays, and an adaptation of “The Lorax” that I did for my son’s second grade class.
What inspired this show?
I’m glad to say it’s not autobiographical at all. I got the idea from a letter in the advice column called The Ethicist that runs in the New York Times. People write in with ethical dilemmas. The letter writer wanted to know if would be ethically OK to disclose, many years after the fact, that a certain former high school classmate had slandered her with a rumor. I was wondering about what might be an interesting approach for the rumor victim to take in that situation, and the script took off from there.
Are you excited to see it come to life?
Very much so! This is the first time the show has been produced, and the first time I have directed my own work.
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
Rob: Many of the shows this year are fairly dramatic, and mine is a lighter counterpoint. I find it interesting how audience members judge these characters more or less harshly depending on their own experiences. With my show, the audience gets to laugh and pass moral judgment, two universally enjoyable experiences!
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Hopscotch by Israel Horowitz (Published Work).
Director: Michael Abendshein.
Cast: Jen Katz and Raphael Tobias.
Jenn Katz and Raphael Tobias in ‘Hopscotch’ by Israel Horowitz. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
A young man and woman meet apparently by chance in a park. Their conversation, casual at first, unfolds to reveal that the two have indeed known each other before.
Anne: What inspired you to direct this show?
Michael: I wanted to direct a show that would provide a unique challenge to a director and actors. I had seen Hopscotch performed before and I thought that its subject matter would make people question themselves about what they would do in this situation. I liked that.
What were some fun discoveries you learned along the way?
There is some stage combat in this show which was choreographed by Todd Fleming. It was fun to learn all the techniques used to make a fight look real on stage.
Why should folks check out your show?
There are two extremely talented performers on stage telling a very dark but true to life story. Come see them blow you away.
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Hotline by Elaine May (Published Work).
Director: Bruce Hirsch.
Cast: Anna Snapp, James Morogiello, Matthew Datcher, Stacey Fearheiley, and Rebecca Korn.
Matthew Datcher and Anna Snapp in ‘Hotline’ by Elaine May. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
A neurotic young woman calls a suicide crisis hotline one night. The counselor who gets the call is overwhelmed. This is his first night on the job.
Anne: How long have you been directing?
Bruce: I’ve been directing for more than 40 years. Much of my early work was with one act plays so I’ve always had an affinity for them.
What inspired you to direct this show?
The immediacy of a one act appeals to me. Get in, set a premise, meet a few people, tell the story and get out. Hotline is the story of two desperate people. One is in his first day as a suicide hotline counselor and he finds himself out of his depth. The other is a neurotic, self-destructive woman’s whose last hope rides on this new counselor. Two desperate, intense people is very appealing to me.
What are some fun discoveries you learned along the way?
What was fun to discover in rehearsal was the humor in the play. We don’t make fun of the situation but even when they don’t intend to be funny, people can behave in funny ways.
Why should theatergoers come check out your show?
People should check out our show to discover the dark humor and for the performances. We have some very talented actors who give very intense performance that will carry you along.
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Musing by Jacy D’Aiutolo (Original Work).
Director: David Dossey.
Cast: McKenna Kelly and Paul Noga.
McKenna Kelly and Paul Noga in ‘Musing’ by Jacy D’Aiutolo. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
A customer enters an unusual shop and encounters a very polite and efficient Clerk. The shop doesn’t trade in your run of the mill items and soon the Customer finds more than she was expecting.
The Playwright:
Anne: How long have you been writing?
Jacy: I’ve been writing for the stage for about eight years or so. Musing was written four or five years ago, I think, but it didn’t find a home until now.
What inspired this show?
I’m not sure I know. The way I work is not particularly formal. If I get an idea, I usually write it down and come back later to play around with it. Sometimes it turns into something and sometimes it doesn’t. The ideas themselves are probably inspired by something I’ve read or seen or heard, but it’s usually not anything I’m conscious of at the time.
Are you excited to see it come to life?
Sure! It’s always exciting when something you’ve written is being performed. I don’t always get a chance to travel to see the finished product, which is one of the reasons I like local festivals like this one. (I haven’t seen Musing yet, but I’m planning on going this weekend)
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
Hopefully because they’ll find it funny. One of the great things about an evening of one-acts, from an audience perspective, is that even if a particular play isn’t your cup of tea, there will be something entirely different along in just a little while.
The Director:
Anne: Why did you chose to direct this play?
David: The reason I chose this play because of the twisted ending. I heard the twilight zone when the final curtain was called for.
What discoveries did you make while directing?
The fun discoveries I learned from this show is that something hidden is the best surprise.
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
The reason why people should check out my show are, it is a surprise, and there are unique sounds from a bucket, and place the twilight ending credits.
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Outside the Box by Cory Atwood (Original Work).
Director: Cory Atwood.
Cast: Corrie Bolcik, Eric Henry, Jimmy Santos, Ruth Orland, Kryss Lacovaro and David Jones.
Corrie Bolcik, Ruth Orland, and Jimmy Santos in ‘Outside the Box’ by Cory Atwood. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
Bill and Julie return to Bill’s home for his father’s retirement party. Bill and his father have had a contentious relationship over the years impacting most of Bill’s life. Can a reconciliation begin?
Anne: How long have you been writing?
Cory: I started writing about 20 years ago. This particular play has been incubating for more than 15 years.
What inspired this show?
An experience I had in a weekend workshop with lots of recall of memories. We were directed to recall someone who had wronged us, and afterwards someone whom we had wronged. For me they turned out to be the same person. I discovered that I could forgive the wrong he’d done to me only after I acknowledged the wrong I’d done to him. This was both an enormous surprise and a personal liberation.
Are you excited to see it come to life?
Excited and anxious. Like seeing my baby for the first time.
What did you discover as you directed your own play?
That lots of things needed to be trimmed down.
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
Cory: It’s an exploration of how a reconciliation, a healing, could begin. Isn’t that worth seeing?
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Relativity by Steven C. Silver (Original Work).
Director: Anne Vandercook.
Cast: Alexandra Bunger-Pool, Toni G. Carmine, Brett Cassidy, and Michael Sigler.
Alexandra Bunger-Pool, Brett Cassidy, Toni Carmine, and Michael Sigler in ‘Relativity’ by Steven C. Silver. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
Jack and Maggie (in their mid 20’s) and John and Margaret (in their mid 40’s) find themselves in a coffee shop simultaneously but at different times. As the play unfolds the parallels between their respective relationships and time frames get a bit jumbled.
Anne: How long have you been writing?
Steven: I have been writing for around 20 years, both professionally and personally. I feel very fortunate to have made a career as a speechwriter and playwriting is something I will likely do for the rest of my life in some capacity or another.
What inspired this show?
Steven: There is a wonderful book by Alan Lightman called Einstein’s Dreams that I read many years ago. It is a fictional look at different concepts of time imagined by a young Albert Einstein. That book inspired me to think about time in non-linear ways and to use it as a device to tell a story about the larger life cycle of a relationship.
Are you excited to see it come to life?
I was happy to see you first bring Relativity to life as a cast member almost 10 years ago.
Yep, many moons ago . . .
I am honored and grateful to you that you are bringing it to life again as a director and with a wonderful new cast.
Why should theatergoers check out your show?
Anyone who wants to think about time, choices, and relationships in different ways should come see it.
I agree. While I was pondering what show to select as my MP directing debut, I read through some scripts and nothing reached out to me. Then I remembered this script as being remarkable, so it clicked! It is far too good to keep on the shelf. Definitely the type of shows that will keep you thinking well after it is over.
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Two Stairs at a Time by Steven Bienstock (Original Work).
Directed by: Steven Bienstock.
Cast: Rob Gorman, Joanna Chilcoat Fellows, Ed Silverstein, Marc Rehr, Chris Hawkins.
Ed Silverstein and Rob Gorman in ‘Two Stairs at a Time’ by Steven Bienstock. Photo by Scott D’Vileskis.
Joe, an attorney who has difficulty saying no, is trying to take a couple of vacation days. Unfortunately the office, friends, neighbors, and clients keep interfering.
Anne: How long have you been writing?
Steven: I’ve been writing articles, reviews, short stories, books, plays, poems since the 1960’s
What inspired this show?
The show was written in 1980, and was inspired by events in my life, feelings/situations that I was experiencing.
Are you excited to see it come to life?
It’s been a hoot and a half so far.
What did you discover as you directed your own play?
I thought that I had done a pretty good job writing it, but as we rehearsed and I got input from the cast, I was able to step back and make changes that, hopefully, improved the quality of the show dramatically.
Why should folks check out your show?
Lots of frontal nudity (kidding), some laughs, and a lot of food for thought.
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So, there you have it! 8 fun and interesting shows. Come out and support your local artists. There is only one weekend left so, don’t miss it.
The Montgomery Playhouse 14th Annual One Act Festival is playing through July 26, 2015 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn/ Arts on the Green – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets call (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
The things some theatres come up with to while away the hours of summertime until full seasons begin. The Montgomery Playhouse has come up with a most clever and entertaining format of entertainment in their One Act Play Festival this 2014 summer. Eight shows running on alternating nights in groups of four, there’s a little something for everyone. And if there is a play that doesn’t particularly strike your fancy? On any given night you have three more to enjoy. An exciting chance for actors, directors, and lovers of theatre to involve themselves in fun new works; the play festival is an ingenious opportunity to present a side of theatre that most community theatres do not often get to feature in their schedule season. This review covers the performances featured in Group B.
Weavers
Written by Evan Guilford-Blake with original music composed by Konstantine Lortkipandize and Directed by Maria Benzie, this is the first of the shows in Group B and the only one that does not fit the bill of the other three. Involving folklore of an indeterminate nature, the play focuses on the cycle of life and death through the weaving of time and the great loom of life. While the folklore allusions are of a good intent, it is unclear whether they are of Native American origin or some other background and this makes the story hard to follow. Of the four shows this one struggles with pacing as well as basic textual delivery. On the upside, there is a talking cat named Sam (Kryss Lacovaro). Prowling about and hissing at the unseen Weaver spirits, Lacovaro’s character is the most intriguing in this one-act; the words she delivers holding the most poignant and clear messages.
(l to r) Sam the Cat (Kryss Lacovaro) Candace (Avery Florer) Greg (Danny C. Miller) First Weaver (Meghan Williams Elkins) Clotho (Sonya Okin) and Second Weaver (Luba Hansend). Photo by David Jones.
H.R.
Written by Eric Coble and Directed by Natalia Gleason, this is the funniest and most polished of the four one-acts presented in Group B. Starting with a stunning silent dance routine executed between Ricardo Burrgess and Brian Galvez, the performance focuses around the chaos that implodes into pandemonium inside of an unspecified office upon learning that corporate HR is coming to visit. The opening dance routine is spectacular; a visually fitting representation of the push and pull that corporate America can take on the individual office worker. Director Natalia Gleason encourages thorough character development in this production, each of the four featured characters having unique standout attributes that sets them apart from other performances.
(l to r) Chip (Brian Galvez) Kristen (Michael Sigler) Frank (Joseph Mariano) and Margaret (Yvonne Paretzky). Photo by David Jones.
The show-stealer here is Frank (Joseph Mariano) adapting a complex lisp and overall nerdy and nervous disposition to his character; creating a caricature of paranoia and unease with grandiose gestures. Mariano makes his character heard, especially when he has to deliver the news of the pending HR visit; his overall spastic responses to being thrown under the bus for his own office indiscretions being the heightened epitome of hilarity. Equally as hilarious is Kristen (Michael Sigler) the ditzy flamboyant office girl. (Gleason’s choice to cast a man in the role but keep the gender feminine adds even further confusion and hilarity to the performance.) Sigler adapts all the familiar hallmarks of a fussy gussy office girl and makes his character rival Mariano’s in the fight for attention.
Both Chip (Brian Galvez) and Margaret (Yvonne Paretzky) get their moments to shine as well as the office erupts into utter pell-mell insanity, but for fear of giving away some of the funniest moments of the play, it shall simply be said that both Galvez and Paretzky have a way of sliding into the radar of the audience’s direct notice.
Goode Grief
Written and Directed by Frances A. Lewis, this one-act has the potential to be developed into a full-length feature play. A great deal of potential lies in wait within the plot and character development of the show, which revolves around Evie (Debi Preston) her wound care nurse Jennifer (Stephanie Shade) and some unseemly behavior between her never-seen son Desmond, the handyman Conrad Goode (David Jones) and a special agent from the FBI (Matthew Datcher). Lewis has constructed brilliant irony in naming Conrad Goode as he has; making a conman sound good in his approach to swindle the little old lady. The acting is on par for the development of the story and overall it is an interesting little piece of theatre that feels slightly unfinished. By the play’s conclusion you are left curious and wondering, wanting more, and intrigued by what has happened thus far. Shade and Preston get along well on stage, having the perfect little tiffs between cranky and stubborn patient and the insistent and stringent home-visiting nurse. Overall a lovely comic gem with a good moral to the story.
(l to r) Evie (Debi Preston) Nurse Jennifer (Stephanie Shade) and Special Agent Wild (Matthew Datcher). Photo by David Jones.
Fight or Flight
Co-Written by Natalie Brunelle and Kryss Lacovaro, who also directs the piece, this show is so absurd that it’s brilliant. Super heroes. Real life conflicts. Dating troubles. Enough said. It falls to three characters, with a hilarious hanging of clouds as the scene is set high in the sky where Blurr (Jimmy Santos) can have the conversation’s upper hand by having the home-field advantage. Yet another production where telling the details of the plot will give it away entirely for its brevity, so settling for knowing that it is comic genius incarnate will simply have to do. The hormonal and moody Delay-a (Liz Fox Corrente) makes for a wild series of real-life dating-style arguments between her and Santos’ character. Add in the acrobatics of Femme Force (Ashley Byrd) for good measure and you have one entertaining one-act that will keep you laughing and rooting for the good guys, if you can just figure out who’s who.
(l to r) Femme Force (Ashley Byrd) Blurr (Jimmy Santos) and Delay-a (Liz Fox Corrente). Photo Credit David Jones.
Lacovaro and Brunelle’s writing is not only clever but concise and conceptualized in such a fashion that this could be a sitcom segment or sketch comedy segment, easily fleshed out into something further with these well constructed characters and scenes.
Group B runs opposite nights of Group A, so for a full variety try to catch both nights of shows!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours, with one intermission.
The One-Act Play Festival plays through July 27, 2014 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets call (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
As the holidays approach it’s the time of year where we start to examine traditions. Things done in the family that celebrate the spirit of the season and help keep the memory of loved ones with us all year through. The Montgomery Playhouse presents Aurand Harris’ The Arkansaw Bear as a part of their season, a great way for young audiences to look at celebrating life and tradition even during the rough stuff that happens in life. Directed by David Dossey, this fairytale leans toward the sadder side of the spectrum but comes engrained with a brilliant life learning lesson that is valuable to audiences of all ages.
(l to r) Tish (Alex Petes) and The Mime (Trish Weller). Photo by David Dossey.
The sets are simple and the costumes are defined mostly by The Greatest Dancing Bear‘s many hats, thus focusing on what’s important – the story that unfolds. Little Tish does not want her grandfather to die; he is old and his heart is tired and it is his time but that does not make it easy for little Tish. So she makes a wish on the first evening star to help her understand why Grandpa has to die. In doing so, the evening star grants her a magical encounter with the world’s Greatest Dancing Bear, whose heart is also tired and he is very old. He is running from The Ringmaster (Matthew Datcher) who will take him to the Great Ring when he dies. Interacting with the Greatest Dancing Bear helps teach Tish a valuable lesson; carrying on a tradition of the loved one you’re losing helps keep them with you always.
It is a touching and sentimental story with a positive outlook on the rough patches that we all must endure throughout our lives. The format is perfect for children ages 5 and older. The actors are greatly involved with their characters in an attempt to really relate directly to the younger audiences. Tish (Alex Petes) is exactly as a child would be when first encountering death; confused and angry and upset. She speaks clearly and slowly so that you can understand all of her frustration and she soldiers on with the message of the story like a trooper at the end.
Those that she encounters along the way are what really make the story entertaining. The Greatest Dancing Bear (Ray Converse) is uproarious as he scrambles about trying to hide from death. Converse wears many hats throughout the production, each one significant of a dance or important moment in his life. He is warm and friendly and helps translate that children aren’t the only ones who are afraid of death— and that he is afraid because he is afraid he and all his magnificent dances will be forgotten.
Alongside the bear is his best friend the Mime (Trish Weller). With exuberant facial expressions Weller does a superb job of translating emotions and funny situations without ever uttering a word. She engages the audience in the scene by using her wide eyes and large body gestures to keep them involved when the others are scurrying about.
With the same excitable energy as the mime, Star Bright (Jimmy Santos) is a flashy addition to the cast. Appearing as the first evening star that Tish makes a wish upon, in his cosmos planetary shirt, Santos is clearly a performer designed for children’s theatre. His gestures and actions are done slow and large so to really captivate the attention of the younger audience members. His dazzling smile and funny speech patterns — like those of an observant star — really make him shine in this production.
(l to r) Tish (Alex Petes) and Young Bear (Trevin Talley). Photo by David Dossey.
Keeping up with the energy trend is Young Bear (Trevin Talley). He’s a youth just like Tish, bouncing around carefree never having to worry about anything until he encounters The World’s Greatest Dancing Bear. He is bestowed the honor of learning all of the great dances so that the old bear will not be forgotten. Talley’s story parallels that of Tish’s — she learns to play the kazoo as her grandfather did so that he too will not be forgotten. Talley is a breath of fresh life in the production, just filled with a jovial and playful nature that translates well into his character.
Although it may be a difficult subject matter to handle for children, The Arkansaw Bear is a great way to approach it and it teaches children a valuable lesson.
Running Time: 45 minutes, with no intermission.
(l to r) Star Bright (Jimmy Santos) Tish (Alex Petes), and Ringmaster (Matthew Datcher). Photo by David Dossey.
The Arkansaw Bear plays Saturday and Sunday matinees through December 23, 2012 at The Arts Barn located in Trevin Talley – 311 Kent Square in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
