(L-R) Audrey (Amy DeAngelis), Meg (Kelly Brown), Jack (Greg Kurtz), Leo (Ben Hackney)
by Danielle Filas
“Present mirth hath present laughter,” notes Feste in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The same might be said of Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies, the latest offering by Emerald City Players. Set in 1958 eastern Pennsylvania, the plot follows kind-hearted Meg (Kelly Brown) and Duncan, the penny-pinching minister, her priggish fiance (Jim McCullough). Their lives converge with second rate Shakespearean actors Leo (Ben Hackney) and Jack (Greg Kurtz) when the down-on-their luck men catch wind of the fact that Meg’s rich old Aunt Florence (Krista Wagner) is dying. Pretending to be long lost relatives, the actors turned con-men show up hoping to cash in on the crone’s inheritance. You can probably figure out the rest… the script does not break new theatrical ground. In the hands of director Tom Skinner and ECP, however, it provides audiences a much-needed dose of escapist hilarity in a time marked by economic and natural disasters.
Skinner assembles a rather oddball cast, each exhibiting a strong sense of comedic timing and joy in performing Ludwig’s work. Their enthusiasm goes far to overcome some perhaps unavoidable shortcomings. Although the other characters consistently describe him as uptight, McCullough plays Duncan as flamboyantly as the actors he claims to hate. In his defense, McCullough seemed to be battling a rather nasty cold- so perhaps his vamping stemmed from the actor’s effort to simply be heard and understood. Most notably difficult is the casting of Wagner as Aunt Florence, a character 67 years older than the actor. The talented Wagner makes a valiant effort to maintain the physicality of the crusty hag, but it takes a lot of suspended disbelief to overlook the insufficient age makeup and terrible wig. This might not be so bad if the audience did not have to ignore Wagner’s wig as she stands next to Hackney and Kurtz in their bad wigs… which the audience is expected to laugh at. At any rate, it’s worth the effort to play along and Wagner does eventually win over the confused audience. Hackney’s performance is especially impressive as he navigates through Leo’s many roles, channeling William Shatner, Ricky Gervais, and Susan Boyle- all while maintaining a consistent British accent. Although Kurtz does not succeed as well with the dialect, he plays the dull-witted Jack’s frustration so well that he elicits belly laughs with a simple facial expression. Other standouts include Amy DeAngelis’s gawky roller skating Audrey and rubber-faced Ken Scott’s Doc. Young Kelly Brown turns in a show-stealing performance as the earnest and gullible Meg, managing to avoid caricature to create a charming darling. This reviewer predicts great things for the recent OSU grad.
The technical aspects of the production work fairly well. An eight person crew, one that includes several cast members, assembles a well-dressed set representing Aunt Florence’s home. Although cleverly designed and detailed, the preciseness of the set detracts from early scenes in such places as a Moose Lodge, a hotel, and a train. Set changes slowed the pacing of the show and did not seem worth the time to add a few props. (Also slowing the pace was a bizarre dance sequence in the second act.) Skinner may have had more success opting for a bare stage with simple set pieces. Evan Newman and David Tucker’s lighting does not make use of the lamps on set, but the design proves adequate. Wagner and DeAngelis provide clever and sometimes beautiful costumes reminiscent of the era.
Ludwig’s farcical romp borrows heavily from Shakespeare’s cross-dressing Twelfth Night, but also nods and winks at such works as Brandon Thomas’s drag classic, Sheridan and the comedy of manners, bawdy Greek comedies, and even from Billy Wilder’s famous train scene in Some Like It Hot. Theatre and cinema geeks will love the in-jokes, but newbies will also join in the laughter at ECP’s enjoyable production. Leading Ladies runs through January 30 at Emerald City Players, 6799 Dublin Center Dr in Dublin. Performances are at 8pm on Fridays, and Saturdays, with additional performances at 2pm, Sunday 1/24 and at 8pm, Thursday 1/28. Ticket prices run $12 for adults, $10 for students/seniors. For more information, check the Columbus Theatre Calendar, call 614-210-1111 or visit the company’s website here.
*****
Danielle Filas serves as a contributing editor to Theatre Vault. She recently moved from Chicago and holds Theatre degrees from Northwestern University and Knox College. You can visit her personal blog by clicking here.
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