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L-R: Stuart (Justin Toomey), Cow (Peter Graybeal), Mindy (Bridgitte Teresa Kreuz)

by Danielle Filas

O.G. Productions debuts with the whimsically titled Cow Tipping and Other Love Stories, a collection of one acts performed at MadLab under a mission statement that simply reads, “Chaos is guaranteed.” The five short pieces range in flavor from goofy to sublime, showcasing uneven writing but extremely strong acting throughout.

John Kessler’s opening piece, “Cap’n Fashion,” is really nothing more than a silly sketch set in a clothing store inhabited by a pirate salesman (Kessler) who speaks in stereotypical arrghs and ayes while tormenting unsuspecting customers.  Director Amanda Bauer and her nine person cast seem to have as much (or more) fun playing the scene as the audience does watching it.  As an opener, though, it works to warm up the crowd for some of the evening’s more challenging and more successful pieces.

Next comes “An Afternoon While in the Easy Chair,” a dramatic one act that stars Jennifer Nitri as Pamela, the imaginary daughter whom Martin (Stephen Woosley) might have adopted, had life not gotten in the way.  Under Jason Sudy’s subtle direction, both actors tackle Scott Tobin’s two-person scene with refreshing simplicity.  The script itself explores a typically under-discussed situation with depth and simple honesty, all in less than eight minutes.  Elegantly written, the short seems fully realized and ultimately well-done.

Situating Stephen Woosley’s “To Russia With Love” between the two stronger pieces of the evening proves that O.G. knows a little something about how to set up a strong running order. This wobbly sketch features an all-female cast playing supposed WNBA stars stranded in a Russian airport.  Unfortunately, Woosley (who also directs) devolves his characters into unlikable and unbelievable caricatures: a floozy pregnant woman, the slutty beauty queen, a pushy hot head, the stuck up superstar, the crazy Iraqi vet, and an idiotic coach.  Picking on the WNBA (and on Iraqi vets, for that matter) seems a sad choice- especially given the league’s struggles for validation and even more especially given the NBA’s recent scandals.  Fortunately, the talented women make the low-brow scene (complete with a fart joke) somewhat watchable.

“Maybe Tomorrow” by Andy Batt serves as the evening’s finest actor vehicle, utilizing John Kessler as Wayne and Vicki Adronis as his sister Georgia.  The one act opens with an unstable Wayne considering suicide, a consideration that has become a part of the character’s everyday routine.  The severity of his mental illness intensifies when his estranged sister arrives wanting to discuss the suspicious circumstances of their parents’ death.  Amanda Bauer directs Kessler and Adronis through their paces in this ultimately gut-wrenching scene, ably drawing a surreal world with a surprising and creepy ending that leaves the audience absolutely silent as the lights fade.

The evening’s titular piece, “Cow Tipping,” features the mercurial Bridgitte Teresa Kreuz playing Mindy, a nervous former mental patient anxiously meeting her ex whom she dated while hospitalized.  Justin Toomey plays the charmingly over-medicated Stuart who has asked to meet Mindy in order to mend fences after their break-up, which involved some sort of incident with a baseball bat.  Over pizza and with the help of a cheery waitress (Becky Horseman), Mindy and Stuart navigate through their various disorders and neuroses toward a genuine affection for each other- an affection that the audience roots to succeed in spite of a growing pile of stuffed cows (and a tuxedoed man-cow played by Peter Graybeal) that threatens to scare Mindy away from her shot at love. Amanda Bauer and Stephen Woosley wrote and directed this droll one act that ends the evening on a warm and quirky note.

Augmenting the scene work and definitely worth mentioning, emcee Travis Hoewischer provides witty and self-deprecating banter, vamping as the actors hustle behind him to complete scene changes to the simple set.  His easy, personable style of introducing the works adds a great deal to the overall tone of the evening.  Cow Tipping and Other Love Stories delivers about forty minutes of quality theatre in just over one hour.  The production runs through January 30, Fridays and Saturdays at MadLab Theatre and Gallery, 105 N. Grant Ave., Columbus. Tickets cost $10. For more information, see the listing in the Columbus Theatre Calendar, visit MadLab’s website, or call and reserve tickets at 614-221-5418.

*****

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.

(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.

Acacia Duncan as Elizabeth Bennet

by Danielle Filas

It should be a truth, universally acknowledged, that any theatre-goer in search of fantastic entertainment must be in want of Available Light Theatre’s world premiere of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Daniel Elihu Kramer’s adaptation, created with and for the gutsy Available Light ensemble, delivers a funky deconstructionist meditation that reaches beyond the world of the Austen’s most famous romantic couple. Kramer wrangles the sprawling epic into a concise two hour run, tracing the complex plot while weaving in modern commentary that simultaneously acts as helpful Cliff Notes and loving parody.

Director Eleni Papaleonardos rockets the audience through the plot, bucking the novel’s reputation of stuffy intellectualism to present a vibrant world fitting of the deep passions that drive Austen’s characters. The exuberant pace would not be possible without such an agile group of actors.

The airtight five person cast boldly and convincingly portrays all of the novel’s roles, plus a myriad of modern personalities gleaned from blog posts, message boards, and critical analyses. The quicksilver Michelle G. Schroeder deftly tackles an astounding number and range of characters including (but not limited to) likable Jane Bennet, classy Jane Austen, snotty Caroline Bingley, pompous Lady Catherine, and the put-upon Mary- “an extremely dull gal.” Kim Garrison Hopcraft skitters about as the delightfully annoying Mrs. Bennet, but turns on a dime to deliver authoritative lectures as the nameless lit teacher, shifting again to become the practical Charlotte. Jeremy Ryan Brown (Mr. Bingley, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner, Servant, et al) seems to be everywhere at once, able to morph from one character to the next in mid-stride.

Heading the cast, Acacia Duncan and Wolf Sherrill, shine brightest. It’s hard to believe that Sherrill plays both the darkly suave Mr. Darcy and the smarmy Mr. Collins, even when he makes the physical transformation right in front of you. And Duncan’s Elizabeth Bennet, cool yet radiant, breathes a subtle calm into the mix, helping to save the production from becoming frenetic. Amidst the whirlwind, Duncan and Sherrill cultivate the honest and moving romance beating at the heart of the story.

With the complexity of multiple characters and the richness of Kramer’s plot, the relative simplicity of the technical aspects serve to anchor the production. Michelle Whited’s neat period costumes are so smartly designed that they somehow work for all of those characters without requiring a single major costume change. Darin Keesing designs his minimalist set with basic furniture, cleverly inhabiting it with hundreds of dusty books, a few cell phones, and even a laptop. Be sure to inspect the tomes, as they slyly include various Austen-related titles (including pop culture features like the recent Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). Keesing lights the set simply, adding a moody scrim that towers in the back and reflects changing colors throughout.

Available Light Theatre’s Pride manages to be both universal and esoteric. The quirky show will appeal to die-hard Austen fanatics and to nervous newbies, celebrating both the well-loved novel and of the 200 year conversation it has inspired amongst literary critics, school children, scholars, cinema, and fanatics. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice runs through January 24, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm with an additional performance at 12pm on Friday, January 22. All performances take place in Studio 2 at the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Visit the AVLT website or call 614-558-7408 for more information.

*****

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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Theatre Vault reviewers and writers offer their thoughts on the best theatre they saw in 2009.  Congratulations to all!

Best production:

1. Columbus Civic Theater’s A Doll’s House. Nearly every Theatre Vault reviewer mentioned this production in their top five lists. “Solid production… one of the best dramatic pieces I saw this year.” (Krista Threadgill) “CCT definitely tackled this dramatic juggernaut successfully with great and committed actors” (Tahrea Maynard) “The cast, especially Britt Kline, made this classic come alive, despite the long run time and the cramped MadLab setting.” (Danielle Filas)

2. Into the Woods at Weathervane Playhouse. “I watched this play on PBS nearly 20 years ago and was blown away. Weathervane’s production kept that magic alive for me.” (Krista Threadgill) “Professional performances, and an overall wonderful show.” (Tahrea Maynard)

3. Church at Available Light Theatre. “Dramatic, funny, thought-provoking. This was a play that still comes back to me 6 months after seeing it.” (Krista Threadgill) “The inventive company scored another hit with this incredibly though-provoking show. Thank you for not being afraid to be controversial!” (Danielle Filas)

Best season:

1. Emerald City Players. Reviewers recognized nearly every production by this small community theatre tucked away in a strip mall in Dublin had to offer.

Two reviewers put Doubt in their top five shows of the year. “A gutsy move to produce the play on the heels of an incredibly successful movie release, but they handled it beautifully.” (Krista Threadgill) “Kudos to this quality community theatre for taking risks with their season. This show, above all others, showcased what talent, ambition, and imagination can do some bigger theatres with bigger budgets fail to do.” (Danielle Filas)

Robert Weesner also tagged the ensemble for the company’s production of Jekyll & Hyde. “There were some excellent individual performances, but the ensemble work was ultimately what carried the show. Good group, talented, well directed. As a result, this was definitely the best show I saw.” Weesner also gave a nod to ECP’s Tina Gleason for her direction of On Golden Pond. “Tina is a talented and constantly dependable director…. Some day she will receive a lifetime achievement award for a solid body of work, so let’s give it to her now, while she’s still young enough to profit by it.”

2. Curtain Players. Run for Your Wife got recommended by Krista Threadgill for its “raucous British farce, spot-on accent reproduction, and laughter that carried me through my drive home.” In addition to the company’s wacky rendition of Charley’s Aunt, it ended the year with A Little House Christmas, which featured one of Robert Weesner’s favorite actors of the year. “Cherish Myers in Curtain Players production of A Little House Christmas. To me, this energetic 9-year-old carried the bulk of the show, reminding me of the very best of the “Annies” I’ve seen thru the years.” Weesner also mentioned Rich Bloom from the same production, “Rich is a fine actor, not always getting roles that demonstrate his talent. In Little House Christmas he was in a supporting role that was nothing less than enchanting.”

3. Bread and Circus Theatre Company. Reviewers enjoyed the “dark re-imagining” of Macbeth set in the deep south, the hilarious scripts for Funny Money and Right Ho Jeeves, the elaborate sets, and Robert Weesner said of Major Barbara’s Aerika Brofford, “Ol’ George B might have written the role with her in mind.”

Honorable Mentions:

The Weir with Solstice Theatre Company. A new company, Solstice hit the ground running with strong actors, spot on Irish brogues, gracious staff members, and a dark and creepy story perfect for Halloween.

Raconteur Theatre Company. RTC took the risk of delivering a season of new works, including a weekly series of free script readings that allowed the attendees to give feedback on the new works. Kudos for taking bringing Columbus emerging playwrights!

Joe Dallacqua received recognition from multiple reviewers for his roles in Doubt and in The Weir.

Emerald City Players for the best lobby and best concession stand.

Bread and Circus Theatre Company for the best restrooms.  (What?!  It’s important!)

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We can hardly wait to see what the Columbus theatre community has in store for us next year…