Front: Renee Grant, Middle: Beth Eustis, Nancy Kadwill Top: Katie McCool - members of the cast of Methacton Community Theater's NUNSENSE.

Methacton Community Theater’s latest production is NUNSENSE. This show is the first in a franchise, spawning six sequels and 3 spin-off shows, and has the distinction of being the second-longest running show Off-Broadway, running for 3,672 performances. NUNSENSE is the story of the Little Sisters of Hoboken, who have a bit of an emergency. Sister Julia (Child of God) served some vichyssoise which “tragically” killed 52 of the sisters. The remaining nuns were able to bury 48 of them with proceeds from their greeting cards (inside joke…Nunsense Greeting Cards were the origin of the franchise) but the Reverend Mother used the remaining proceeds to purchase a Betamax, and so the nuns have put together a review to raise money in order to bury the final four.

The main characters in NUNSENSE are Mary Regina (Katie Clements), the Mother Superior of the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Regina is old-school Catholic, insisting the nuns wear traditional habits, keep the traditions of the order, and speaks with an Irish accent. Clements does a nice job of bringing out the softer side of Sister Regina. Second in command is Mary Hubert (Nancy Kadwill), who is in charge of the novices. Kadwill is also very light-hearted in her portrayal of Hubert, rarely challenging Regina yet always letting the audience know her true feelings. Beth Eustis plays the rough-edged Robert Anne, a former resident of Canarsie in Brooklyn, where she grew up street tough. Eustis brings out the fun side of Robert Anne, the wise-cracking jokester. Katie McCool is Mary Leo, the novice who wants to be the first famous nun ballerina. McCool is sweet and endearing, and does a very nice job with the dance sequences. (I was informed after the show that McCool was in a severe auto accident during the week, and had to change some of her choreography due to her injuries. I have to say I would not have known…kudos to the young lady for a courageous performance.) Finally, Renee Grant is Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who doesn’t remember who she is due to being hit in the head with a crucifix. Grant is very funny as Amnesia, her facial expressions and movements keeping the audience thoroughly entertained throughout the show.

The traditional cast of NUNSENSE is comprised by the 5 women discussed above. This production has added a 10-nun “Nunsemble”, each with her own cute invented name, which Sister Mary Regina introduces in the opening of the show. The Nunsemble comes in throughout the show to add voices and additional dancers to the production numbers. While this does add to the volume and gives a nice balance to the harmonies, ironically it also clogs up the stage, making it difficult for some of the production numbers to work correctly. Perhaps a slightly smaller Nunsemble would have accomplished the intended task a bit better.

Shannondell is a beautiful venue, but in this case may have made life a bit more difficult for the cast. It does not easily allow the interaction that this show thrives on, and in spite of the cast’s efforts, there was a disconnect between the cast and audience at times. The energy of the final production number, “Holier than Thou”, was blunted by the spacious auditorium. The show would have benefited by being done in a smaller venue.

In spite of the limitations, the audience of NUNSENSE was thoroughly entertained. As I was leaving I heard many positive comments from those in attendance. There are only a couple dates left to see this venerable production. Leave your cares at the door and enjoy a night of silliness at Shannondell.

NUNSENSE
Book, Music and Lyrics by Dan Goggin
Directed by Chuck DeLong
May 11, 12, 18, 19 at 7:30 PM, May 13, 20 at 2 PM
Methacton Community Theater
Shannondell Performing Arts Theater
10000 Shannondell Avenue
Audubon, PA
610-489-6449
www.methactoncommunitytheater.org

Dan McGlaughlin and Steve Medvidick star in Irish Heritage Theatre's PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME.

When Brian Friel’s PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME first opened in 1964, it put a bit of an Irish spin on the kitchen-sink drama, bringing humor to a story that also was analogous to troubling times in Ireland. Now it seems more a nostalgic memory play. The new Irish Heritage Theatre’s introductory production is a very charming take on the Friel classic, but it might have benefited from a bit more of the spirit and tempo of the former style.

Following a period of troubling economic and migration issues for Ireland, Friel wrote about Gar O’Donnell, who is 25 and set to leave his small Irish village, his distant father, his friends and head for America to make his fortune and his future in the big city of Philadelphia. In the final hours leading up to his departure, the “public” Gar (played here by Dan McGlaughlin) considers his decision and his relationships through an internal dialogue with his private self (played by Steve Medvidick).

Directed by John Gallagher, this production has the right air of melancholy and some terrific performances. This play is filled with more than its share of standard Irish theatre “types,” but they are not too overdone here. Gallagher also does well in creating the nervous tension brought about when a bright young man tries desperately to find proof that his father loves him before he leaves the old man behind. A better sense of pacing and rhythm, however, would have helped propel the storytelling; and a stronger sense of the period was needed, with anachronistic attitudes, gestures, movement and details apparent throughout the show.

The set design used the space well, though there were some tight spots for blocking, and the attention to detail could have been stronger in terms of decoration. The lighting was effective in creating mood and did an admirable job of defining other locations in the limited space, but had some issues in execution.

While this play does not need a slick look or approach, there was a certain “polish” missing from several technical and performance elements.

Rising above any drawbacks, though, was some wonderful acting. At the heart of this production was the unassuming but remarkable work by McGlaughlin as Gar (Public). He was thoughtful and quietly intense as he portrayed this introspective young man struggling to come to terms with a range of feelings. There was solid intention behind each glance, each reaction and (though this may seem odd to notice) every move of his hands as he fidgeted, worked with props, picked at some chipped paint on the wall, smoothed a tablecloth. There was just a natural ease about this performance, as well as genuine emotion.

Medvidick’s energetic, bold and intense Gar (Private) made the perfect flip-side to McGlaughlin, though perhaps trying a bit too hard at a few points. Kate Danaher was a warm and no-nonsense housekeeper, and equally adept at showing the character’s underlying sadness (but director and actress could have been stronger in delineating the role’s random “narrator” functions). John Cannon gave us an appropriately undemonstrative aging father and found some honest pathos in his final scenes, though he was sometimes a bit too deliberate. Kirsten Quinn’s Kate (Gar’s local sweetheart who “got away”) was spirited and fun in a flashback, and nicely played the tension and regret in her later encounter with Gar. Thomas-Robert Irvin, Eric Thompson and William Crawford were a burst of rowdy energy as Gar’s local footballer friends, each giving the right tone to their individual characters and showing the juvenile braggadocio that Gar realizes he has outgrown.

Mary Pat Walsh added some fun moments as blathering and weepy Aunt Lizzy, while Steve Gulick, Dave Scheffler, Jerry Carrier, John Reardon and Arnold Kendall did well as a local teacher, Kate’s father, Lizzy’s husband, Lizzy’s American friend, and the parish priest, respectively.

PHILADELPHIA HERE I COME
by Brian Friel
Directed by John Gallagher
May 5-20, 2012
Irish Heritage Theatre
at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5
825 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA
www.irishheritagetheatre.com

Adam Corbett of Westmont NJ (Eugene Morris Jerome), Jim Brennan of Lansdowne (Sgt. Merwin Toomey) star in Colonial Playhouse's production of the Neil Simon hit, BILOXI BLUES, running in Aldan, PA through May 19.

BILOXI BLUES, as directed by Erin Marie Friel at Colonial Playhouse, is an insightful piece that entertains away the blues! Lots of laughter in this coming of age tale about a Jewish boy, Eugene Morris Jerome (Adam Corbett), from the Bronx, who is drafted during WWII and shipped to boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi (way down South from NYC y’all). It is the middle play of Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical trilogy, between BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BROADWAY BOUND, and Eugene is set on vanquishing his virginity, falling in love and not getting killed in the war. On the train to Biloxi he meets up with the young men he will be in basic training with; Arnold Epstein (Carl Dillard) a stubborn intellectual, high strung opinionated Joseph Wykowski (David Richman), Don Carney, a singer (Brian Schwartz), intellectually obtuse Roy Selridge, and reserved James Hennesey (Liam MacDonna) who serve to embody the various challenges he will confront to grow as a writer and as a man. However, it is the intimidating, erratic push-up punisher Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey (Jim Brennan) who stirs this pot of personalities to the boiling point in order to prepare them for what is to come.

It’s not all KP duty and push-ups for Eugene, however, as he does meet the lovely Daisy Hannigan (sweetly portrayed by Lauren Jones) and the red-hot saucy Rowena (well played by Kim Garrison – Woo-hoo!). Adam Corbett is very believable as Eugene in his honest asides to the audience, his wide-eyed expressions and his mannerisms on stage. He makes the audience feel welcome in his story. Carl Dillard gives a strong performance and repartee as Epstein, especially against Jim Brennan’s awesome intensity as Sergeant Toomey. Brian Schwartz embues Don Carney with soul and a lovely singing voice, and Liam MacDonna gives a wonderfully expressive performance as Hennessey. Johnny Justice plays Selridge with lots of pep, and David Richman’s physicality as Wykowski is awesome! All of the actors are on target in this production and the witty one liners that pepper this play are smartly delivered.

Costumes and props were well thought out and appropriate, and the set (Erin Marie Friel, Roseann Thornburg) is well conceived and constructed. The use of the stage curtain lends a sense of intimacy between the audience and the stage action when drawn, and also adds depth to the ensuing scene upon opening. The detail put into this production is obvious, and the small touches are delightful, such as the feather wafting away from Eugene’s shoulder in Act II.

To surrender yourself to an entertaining and enlivening experience, march on down to see:

BILOXI BLUES
by Neil Simon
Directed By Erin Marie Friel
May 4-19, 2012
Colonial Playhouse
522 W. Magnolia Ave.
Aldan, PA 19018-0091
610-622-5773
www.colonialplayhouse.org

Beginning 7 p.m. on Friday, May 18th, the students will divide into teams and select a challenge within the theme. This year’s theme will be “school cliques.”

Participants have the opportunity to either direct, write or perform in the show. There is a think tank session where all team members help create the concept behind the theme. Just a few hours later, it is time for the teens to go home and the writers to produce a script. The next morning, the writer brings the script back to the group and then the director takes over and works with their team to make this a performance to remember. Throughout the day, the groups rehearse, have costume and prop runs and enjoy a great time. Dinner is served and afterwards, it is show time!

The public is invited to watch the final performances at 7 p.m., May 19th at Kresson Elementary School, 7 School Lane, Voorhees, NJ 08043.

One never knows how each of the final products will turn out which is what makes this challenge so interesting. Some of the teams will produce comedies, some dramas and often there is even a little bit of musical theatre thrown in the mix. The one thing that is for sure, the participants have a lot of fun creating and performing in the shows and the audience will be entertained.

The Voorhees Theatre Company is a non-profit community theatre organization providing opportunities for young people to experience theatre as performers, technicians, managers and audience members. Currently, VTC is celebrating its 10th year!

24 HOUR THEATRE: Begins 5/18 at 7 p.m. Participation cost is $24. Open to all, ages 9th to 12th grade. For enrollment, go to Voorheestheatre.org where you will find a registration form. For the public performances, May 19th,7 p.m., $5 donation at the door, Kresson Elementary School, 7 School Lane, Voorhees, NJ 08043.. For information, call 856-206-3554 or email Rachel_Kathleen@comcast.net

Andrea Ambs (Lady Macbeth) and Ethan Lipkin (Macbeth) in a scene from Barnstormers Theater's MACBETH.

Most of us are familiar with William Shakespeare’s tale of MACBETH whereupon traveling home after battling a rebellion through the murky Scottish moors Banquo (well played by Bob Toczek) and Macbeth (powerfully portrayed by Ethan Lipkin) and company are told by three eerie women (the wonderfully witchy, Julie Lacontora, Kathy Leech and Kathy McNamee) that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor, then King of Scotland, but also that the heirs of Banquo will be kings. The first part of the prophesy comes to pass, but Lady Macbeth (passionately performed by Andrea Ambs) just can’t wait, and convinces her husband to murder the King and his guards. Soon after, Macbeth is made King of Scotland, but guilt plagues him, he suffers hallucinations and behaves in an increasingly erratic manner; more murders ensue. Be fair warned: This is not your textbook version of the play! Director John D’Alonzo has refreshed this play with a fine cast and a renewed perspective.

Watching this show was like being in a theatrical candyland as much of the theater’s space, levels and technical capability are utilized in an innovative manner which lends depth to the performance, and allows interaction with the audience. Sound was well chosen and executed (Peter Dramo), lighting (Bill McKinlay) was engaging. Even the scene changes are eerily lighted and sometimes dalliant. The sword fighting is smartly stylized (Mark Cairns, Randal Gustitis) and other action scenes sport overall excellence, such as the fall by John D’Alonzo, who also plays the Murderer with excellent Elizabethan flair, and Ed Miller’s hilarious physicality as the Porter. Costuming (Gail Wagner and the cast) is clever, including the use of plaids, which go well with the interpretive set design (John D’Alonzo, R. Bruce Warren).

Julie Lacontora (Witch), Ethan Lipkin (Macbeth), Kathy Leech (Witch) and Kathy McNamee (Witch) in MACBETH, running at Barnstormers Theater in Ridley Park, PA through May 20.

In addition to the strong performances previously mentioned, standout ensemble members include: Natesh Karna for his handsomely stoic portrayals, Ted Kogut in his speech and expressions, the plucky performance by Harry McKinlay, and the versatility of Kellianne Quirk (loved the stance and the sunglasses!). John Defilice delivers a somber portrayal of Malcolm, Gigi McGraw’s elocution and delivery as Ross are superb, Joe Quirk plays a good strong Macduff and Patrick O’Neill is stately and well spoken as King Duncan.

The audience expressed their appreciation in laughter and much applause for this refreshingly enjoyable interpretation of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play (perchance were there some that did limp?) Kudos to cast and crew for the breath of fresh air that is Barnstormers’ MACBETH!

MACBETH
by William Shakespeare
Directed by John D’Alonzo
Through May 20, 2012
The Barnstormers Theater
402 Tome St
Ridley Park, PA 19078
610-461-9969
www.barnstormerstheater.com

Jessica DalCanton as Silvia, Charlotte Northeast as Flaminia, and Kevin Meehan as the Prince in the guise of a guardsman in the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective’s CHANGES OF HEART. (Photo credit: Aaron Oster)

Love, with its many tastes and layers, is the theme of CHANGES OF HEART by the 18^th-century French playwright and moralist Pierre de Marivaux, and the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective serves up a perfectly delectable and intoxicating parfait d’amour with its new recipe for the classic romantic romp.

The Prince (Kevin Meehan), who is served by the valet Trivelin (John Lopes) and a musically inclined Lord (Andrew Clotworthy), is enamored of the rustic girl Silvia (Jessica DalCanton), who is committed to the country bumpkin Harlequin (Dan Hodge), who is coveted by the courtier Flaminia (Charlotte Northeast), who enlists the aid of her coquettish sister Lisette (Krista Apple), to change the peasants’ minds and to realign their hearts. The plot is convoluted, improbable, and downright silly. But it’s also thoroughly charming and wildly entertaining in director Damon Bonetti’s inspired production, presented as a screwball comedy, accompanied by live music, from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Visual delights are provided by the impeccable 1930s’ styling of the set, costumes, hairstyles, and make-up by Katherine Fritz, Janice Smith, and Jessica DalCanton, all evoking the elegance of the Art Deco era and the movie stars of yesteryear. Clotworthy, who arranged the music, is consummately suave as he tickles the ivories and croons the love tunes that express the characters’ changing emotions and enhance the ambiance of the PAC’s original interpretation.

Dan Hodge’s Harlequin resists the advances of Krista Apple’s Lisette in the PAC’s CHANGES OF HEART. (Photo credit: Aaron Oster)

Casting is expert, with an outstanding ensemble that not only looks the parts, but also understands the nuanced moods of love and the witty archetypes of gender and class in Marivaux’s good-natured satire. Meehan, bearing more than a slight resemblance to such early matinee idols as Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Errol Flynn, is dashing and sensitive as the love-struck Prince. Northeast is commanding and persuasive as the take-charge Flaminia, orchestrating the action while channeling the strong heroines of the silver screen’s past through her rapid-fire no-nonsense delivery. Apple looks stunning and proves her considerable comedic talents as the spirited vamp Lisette, and John Lopes turns in a faultless performance as the stately manservant Trivelin, who has seen it all, but remains steadfast.

Dan Hodge as Harlequin and John Lopes as Trivelin in the PAC’s CHANGES OF HEART. (Photo credit: Aaron Oster)

In the female lead, DalCanton captivates as Silvia, a simple country girl who professes her constancy, but is prone to capricious mood swings, spontaneous tantrums, and impetuous changes of heart. And Dan Hodge, starring as Harlequin, reaffirms his status as one of Philadelphia’s very best actors (he received last year’s Barrymore Award), mastering the expressive movements of physical comedy and endowing his provincial character with personality and heart. Surely no one can resist his Chaplinesque agility, Harpo Marx horn, or wine-induced pronouncement, “I drank to your health so many times, if you get sick, it won’t be my fault!”

If you loved the PAC’s THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (and who didn’t?), you’ll be falling in love again with CHANGES OF HEART–another must-see production by this extraordinary company.

CHANGES OF HEART (or, The Double Inconstancy)
Written by Pierre de Marivaux
Adapted by Stephen Wadsworth
Directed by Damon Bonetti
May 10-26, 2012
Philadelphia Artists’ Collective
Broad Street Ministry
315 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.philartistscollective.org

Anne North and TS Baynes in a scene from Wilmington Drama League's THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. (Photo credit: Tegan Harcourt)

We remember the 1970s as the era of disco, home video games, and Jimmy Carter. It was also a time when some of the most old-fashioned relics of the past flickered out for good — and what’s more old fashioned than a 19th Century style Texas whorehouse, the kind with a motherly madame and fresh-faced young women in garter belts and corsets? Under the direction of Henry Porreca, the Wilmington Drama League takes you back to the last days of the Chicken Ranch with their production of the musical THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, a show that’s as moving as it is randy and fun.

The show starts with Jewel, played by the lovely TS Baynes, giving a little historical background of the Chicken Ranch — an open secret in their tiny Texas town (or, as the ladies call it, “A Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place”). It’s an institution. A place where lost young women like Angel (Amanda Shepard) and Shy (Meghan Hindmarch) go to find refuge and work, a home among “The Girls” without the dangers of working the street. The fabulous Ms. Mona (Anne North) accepts the two newcomers, who, like the others, carry painful baggage.

Life was fine at the Chicken Ranch for nearly 100 years, until TV Watchdog reporter Melvin P. Thorpe (Edward Emmi) decided to run an exposé on the illegal brothel. Thorpe is devoted to his ratings, busting lawbreakers, and God, a combination that makes him a relentless crusader against the Ranch, even as local police and lawmakers continue to try to keep it hush. No one wants to see the Ranch shut down less than Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Terry Ireland), a longtime confidante of Mona’s. Even when the scandal reaches the Governor (Ted Harting), he sidesteps the issue (literally, in the hilarious number “The Sidestep”), until he finally cracks.

Ed Emmi and the ensemble of THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS running at the Wilmington Drama League. (Photo credit: Tegan Harcourt)

On Friday, the sound was a bit hit or miss in the beginning — this show doesn’t use mics, which I generally prefer, but the background music needed adjustment to make it work. Once it did, I forgot about the sound altogether. The vocal talent is strong, especially Baynes, Shepard and North as Jewel, Angel and Mona. The “Girls” — made up of an ensemble that played not only the prostitutes but also members of Thorp’s choir and the riotous Angelette cheerleaders — are the heart of the show. Jodi Persing and Courtney Gardner stand out; you don’t want to take your eyes off them. The male ensemble, who play cowboys, townsfolk and the winning Aggies football team, come together with Ireland wonderfully in the heartfelt “Good Old Girl,” a tribute to Ms. Mona when all was said and done.

The highlight, though, is the show’s most famous song, “Hard Candy Christmas,” sung by the Girls, led by Shepard. This is where the real bittersweetness of the story, and of the girls’ reality comes through. They could not have performed it more beautifully.

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS runs through May 19.

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS
Book by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson
Music & Lyrics by Carol Hall
Directed by Henry Porreca
Musical Direction by Lori Citro
Choreography by Jennifer Polish Quinn
May 4 – 19, 2012
Wilmington Drama League
10 West Lea Boulevard
Wilmington, DE 19802
302-764-1172

Mark Cairns, Josh McIlvain, Chris Davis, Jennifer Summerfield, Patti Moore and Sarah Robinson: the cast of CARTER'S PLAY.

For anyone who’s ever been involved in the creative process of producing low-budget theatre, one thing’s for sure: getting by with a little help from your friends, family, neighbors, enemies, (Ok, really ANYONE,) is a must. This idea advances to a whole new meta-theatrical level in this original play-within-a-play, all while taking the audience on the journey of creating both. SmokeyScout Productions, a small, independent Philly theatre company, is run by husband and wife team Josh McIlvain and Deborah Crocker, two local arts organization professionals. McIlvain not only wrote, co-directed and produced CARTER’S PLAY, but also stars as Carter, the smarmy, down-on-his-luck playwright/ director/ producer of HIS play called The Terminal Diner that unfolds throughout. For Deborah and Josh, after running a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund this project, art imitates life and vice versa in this look at the process of creating a ‘drama’ and dealing with the people that make it happen.

Walking into the “White Space” at the Crane Art’s Old School building, there’s a very hip, performance-arty, museum-esque vibe that immediately let me know I was not in “Kansas” anymore (Or was I? You’ll find the irony if you see the show). This venue lives up to its name literally- I was ushered into a large white room with hardwood floors, and large industrial columns. A few rows of bleacher seats on one side and an array of chairs at the back, facing large white paneling at the back concealed a ‘backstage’ of sorts. Lighting was stationed throughout the room so that there was a playing space with a few furniture items and tech folks milling about in preparation for the play.

The show begins with a voice from the audience, that of Carter, who just happened to be sitting next to me (I almost “shhshh-ed” him before realizing it was all part of the show). He begins explaining his directorial vision to Patti Moore, who plays Tracy, a pretty 20-something-ish actress who’s just been cast as Faith, the lead in Carter’s play. She enters silently and sits on a stool as Carter relays his vision for his play, meandering through the audience as he delivers this monologue. His focus jumps back and forth between Tracy and the audience, immediately breaking down the fourth wall and setting the meta-theatrical landscape of the piece. A ‘theatre romance’ of sorts quickly starts between Carter and Tracy- one of many.. It was apparent that THIS immediate audience would be seeing what a “real” audience never gets to see: the personal dramas and ensuing sex, hilarity, back-stabbing, etc, of the people behind the art.

Patti Moore plays both parts quite well – that of a struggling young actress who falls under the charms of her quirky director, as well as the part her character Tracy is playing in The Terminal Diner, a straight-laced Kansas waitress who has an affair in high school, leaving her a single mom with a teen-aged daughter. Patti lends an under-stated charm and honesty to all of her roles, especially when rehearsing a very hilarious sex scene from the play, directed awkwardly by Carter, with the actor/ character that Faith has an affair with in the diner. Playing her secret love-interest in The Terminal Diner is Chris Davis, playing actor Matt who, is playing Diner patron Cyrus (Still following? It’s confusing, for sure, but less so in person than in print.) Matt does a fine job of portraying a theatre stereotype: the immature, obnoxious, and narcissistic actor who seems to coast through life on talent alone. I did, however, feel that his characterization was so very over-the-top-obnoxious that I had a hard-time finding truthfulness in his work. This was perhaps a product of the writing, and less of the performance itself, however. Jennifer Summerfield plays Chrissy as an identifiable actress, frustrated and struggling with a director wrapped up in his vision. Chrissy plays ‘Margo’ with a ferocious diva-ness and shines as she negotiates both characters quite seamlessly.

Mark Cairns, who plays the worn-down theatre owner and ostensibly the technical director, Tripp, does an hilarious job of representing a broken down and cynical theatre “techie.” His character devolves into a creepy alcoholic as he and his estranged wife, the set designer Genevieve, endure a nasty separation. Sarah Robinson, who plays the set designer and creative visionary for the set behind The Terminal Diner, plays a humorous Genevieve, especially in the moments in which sexual tensions between her and Carter take over at the conclusion of Act I during a beer and set-painting session. Predictable? Maybe. But for anyone who’s been involved in making low budget theatre (especially in the local Philly area), these heightened stereotypes feel quite familiar and are always hilarious, if a bit unsettling, to see. Furthermore, the fluid manner of transitioning between the two worlds makes CARTER’S PLAY all the more inventive and worth the trip.

This fluidity continues into the meta-theatrically of the piece as the actors take on physical transitions of props and sets quite well, transitioning between rehearsal scenes, and, gradually, beginning to create the set of The Terminal Diner on ‘stage.’ CARTER’S PLAY additionally features some stellar one-liners that sardonically reflect the personal and professional struggles of a lot of artists. Standouts include: “God bless the artist who finds happiness with another person” and “Has a theatre person ever bought you a drink?” Not only does the play fluctuate between theatre styles: think meta-theatrical meets naturalism meets post-modern, of sorts, but also presents two interesting visual styles: the actual, beautiful high-gloss of the performance space and the represented ‘falling-apart’ theatre where The Terminal Diner is to be presented. This is done quite creatively in the final scene when we see the ending to The Terminal Diner. Cyrus, Faith and Margo react physically and emotionally to the storm brewing outside, flooding of biblical-level proportions, and the dissolution of their own relationships, as represented set pieces are used to create the sense of a diner being swept away.

The set pieces, created by Bert Archer and Jill Ailes were visually striking enough to effectively represent the world, while still being sparse enough to evoke the pains of low-budget theatre. The lighting by Catherine Lee was sparse as well, but interesting, and made use of some relatively new and high-tech, colored LED lights. Overall the technical elements of the show did their job without distracting from the storytelling. The costumes, clearly culled from the actors’ own wardrobes, distinguished each character from the others as well as allowed the actors to remain comfortable in their own skin.

In conclusion: a sneaky two-act look into a heightened world of art-making and the accompanying scandal that comes along with, CARTER’S PLAY is assuredly worth the $20 price of admission. Run time: approx. 2 hours 15 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

CARTER’S PLAY
by Josh McIlvain
Directed by John Rosenberg and Josh McIlvain
May 9-19, 2012
The White Space at Crane Old School, LP
1417 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
http://smokeyscout.com/

Alex Ose and Kathy Lulofs play the title roles in Collingswood Shakespeare Company's ROMEO AND JULIET running in Collingswood, NJ through May 20.

ROMEO AND JULIET is probably the most often performed of William Shakespeare’s plays. Just about everyone knows the timeless tale of the “star-crossed lovers” and their warring families. Collingswood Shakespeare Company plays it imaginatively within the limits of a church social hall, with audience seated on either side of the action. The costumes, thankfully, are (presumably) of the period, and most of the actors play two roles. Lane McLeod Jackson is the inventive director.

The first scene depicts realistically the violent street fight that breaks out between servants of the Capulets and Montagues and so angers the Prince of Verona (Cricket Batz) that he issues a warning that any future outbreaks will be punishable by death. Another memorable scene is the one that introduces Romeo and his friends, Benvolio and Mercutio. Alex Ose is an appealingly adolescent Romeo, mooning over his unrequited passion for a girl named Rosaline. Charlie (“Shoes”) Sarkiolglu (that’s the way he’s listed in the program) is a strong Benvolio. As Mercutio, Matthew David Shell IV steals almost
every scene he’s in. Sarkioglu also plays Count Paris, whom the Capulets (Larry Beck and Cricket Batz) want Juliet to marry. They hastily throw a party to introduce Juliet (Kathy Lulofs) to Paris. But Romeo and his friends, having learned that Rosaline will be there, crash the party. As soon as Romeo sees Juliet, Rosaline is forgotten, and the rest is history—or at least drama. Fate, chance and hesitation lead inevitably to the tragic conclusion, as much as we wish it could be otherwise.

Regular patrons of CSC are accustomed to seeing women in male roles, so it is not too surprising that a young woman, Elise D’Avella, plays Tybalt and is even referred to as “she.” D’Avella is a formidable Tybalt, and she knows how to handle that sword. A thought: would Shakespeare’s Romeo have killed a woman? But then she killed his friend, Mercutio. Laurel Musto is excellent as the earthy Nurse and Friar John. Lulofs is a beautiful Juliet, but her voice is so soft that it is difficult to hear her, and she has some of the Bard’s loveliest lines. Batz as the Prince and Lady Capulet and Lisa Longo as Friar Francis (not Laurence?) also need to project more. James Morgan as Lord Montague and Merav Ellis as Gregory, a Capulet servant, admirably round out the cast.

The play ends, as Shakespeare intended, with the reconciliation of the Capulets and the Montagues. A little late.

ROMEO AND JULIET
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Lane McLeod Jackson
May 11-20, 2012
Collingswood Shakespeare Company
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
839 Haddon Avenue
Collingswood, NJ 08108
856-854-8365
www.collingswoodshakespeare.org

Hope Springer, Paul Gross, and Matthew Kuenne in a scene from ARE YOU THERE, MCPHEE? running currently at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ.

An eleven-pound lobster, child pornography, the summer of Jaws, murder intrigue, Walt Disney as a ruthless business man, a Robert Redford puppet: and that’s just the first act. The world premiere of John Guare’s ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? at the McCarter Theatre tangles a knot of so many plot devises, twists, ironies, and pitfalls that the prevailing question at intermission is, “How are they EVER going to get this straightened out?” A manic new play by a highly decorated playwright (Tonys, Obies, Oliviers, et cetera, et cetera, on down the line), ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? spins a darkly comic (and often quite hilarious) plot through a surrealist rabbit hole that gets ever weirder as the night progresses.

Think: “Fear and Loathing in Nantucket.”

Focusing on and narrated by fictional one-hit-wonder playwright Edmund Gowery, ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? opens at a cocktail party where guests have been exchanging stories—the usual pleasantries: lost virginity on a roller coaster, misplaced body at a funeral, and so on—and now look to Gowery to add a story to the proceedings. Gowery’s story becomes the rest of the play, as he narrates the misadventures of an ill-fated weekend trip to Nantucket in 1975. Arriving on the island to meet the police about a child pornography ring that the tenants of his investment home had been running, Gowery discovers that the locals despise his name beyond all measure. Turns out, he had rudely declined the invitation to attend their amateur production of his play several years earlier, and they have never forgotten the affront. In hopes of atonement, Gowery ends up at the house of the production’s director, who he learns has died, and ends up trapped there by two adoring fans who are looking after the children of the dead woman whose husband is off in California trying to sell the rights of his father-in-law’s beloved children’s books to Walt Disney.

Got all that? Probably not, but that’s okay: neither does Gowery.

Played with a constant sense of bewildered urgency by Paul Gross, Gowery spends the bulk of this play descending into ever greater depths of confusion and desperation to escape Nantucket for home in Manhattan, back where life makes sense. Like any great adventure story (no matter how weird) ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? gives its audience a constant sense of companionship with its panicked protagonist. The narrative conceit never leaves this play, so Gowery embodies both the drama’s lead actor and narrator. Rather than only watching him pick up the phone and order pizza, then, we get lines like “I order pizza to go, six dollars”; as he pours himself a drink, we hear, “I pour another glass of wine.” When narrating, Gross looks to the audience, engages the audience, talks to the audience. The technique does away with any sense of dramatic irony, implicating us as the cocktail party guests who are listening to this story unfold. We simultaneously watch 1975 Gowery as we listen to 2012 Gowery, sharing in the unpredictability of this adventure.

Gross shines in ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE?’s demanding lead. Although it features an ensemble of a dozen, the play is all but a one-man show. Gross engages with cast mates as he narrates, but his position as storyteller puts all other characters at his dramatic whim. The duty is thus his to show us the ebb and flow of the play’s madness, and Gross succeeds in presenting a character struggling to keep his wits about him as the world seems to crumble into ever greater depths of imperceptibility. From the manipulation of his cloths and hair, to the rising panic and frustration in his voice, Gross dexterously guides his character through this unpredictably winding rabbit hole.

Around its protagonist, ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? places performers who must take on several different roles in Gowery’s story. The guests at the cocktail party become principles in the Nantucket story, jumping often between several roles. Director Sam Buntrock negotiates these demands impressively, moving actors in and out of the scene in various costumes and personae, as called for by the story’s narration. As Gowery’s story begins, its characters appear and disappear among the cocktail party guests, but as the plot thickens, all the actors join in its dramatization, sometimes appearing to engage with Gowery, sometimes appearing across the stage on the phone with him, and occasionally even becoming puppeteers. Buntrock’s steady direction is a welcome counterpoint to the plot’s frenzied complications, as he keeps the story’s important threads clearly at the fore.

As ought to be expected from a McCarter show, the sets are a highlight and deserve special mention. Beautifully designed by David Farley, and striking in their choreography and negotiation of space, the sets dazzle. As the play traverses a number of different locations, demanding several distinct environments, the sets move and shift eloquently, usually seamlessly as the dialogue continues. The house that traps Gowery hosts most of the play, but its set does not encompass the entire stage space: rather, all its sides encroach on the stage to give a sharp picture-frame effect, reminding us nicely that we are always watching a story within a story.

As we might also come to expect from the McCarter, ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? is quite long, flirting with three hours. Such a stretch of constantly building complications threatens to overwhelm, and little of the complex plot is satisfactorily resolved. The play seems interested less in efficiency or neat resolutions, though, than it is in offering a tour-de-force of dark comedy. It takes courage and skill to make us laugh at themes of child porn and spousal murder, but ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE? treads undaunted into such territory. It is a long and frenzied ride through an uncharted labyrinth that may not be dramatically satisfying in the whole, but is certainly plenty of fun.

ARE YOU THERE MCPHEE?
By John Guare
Directed by Sam Buntrock
May 4 – June 3, 2012
McCarter Theatre
91 University Place
Princeton, NJ, 08540
http://www.mccarter.org/McPhee/