In a witty dance of comic timing, Palisadian Lisa Phillips Visca’s “Turning Thirty” is a delightful show exploring the unique relationship between mothers and daughters.
Directed by Chris DeCarlo, the show follows two cousins, Nicole (Kelley Dorney) and Amber (Mary Ann Pianka), who have remained close since childhood.
Though the pair are wildly different, as are their mothers, their bond appears unbreakable – until Nicole’s mother Gina (Elisa Surmont) lets it slip that their grandfather has left behind a trust fund to be given to the first girl to marry – or turn 30.
Considering the cousins share a birthday, the race for matrimony incites a series of spats between the girls and their mothers. Surmount is wonderfully melodramatic as she constantly incites chaos, while her levelheaded sister Rosy (Evelyn Rudie) does her best to keep the peace as she harbors her own big secret. Rudie is most sincere in her calming role throughout.
Pianka stands out in the best way as she stomps her way towards the trust fund, chasing an enchantingly sweet Dorney (as Nicole), who is happily in love with her long-time boyfriend, the easy-to-loathe James (Max Bunzel). Nicole seems a shoe-in for the trust, until the kind-hearted Nathan Hart (Patrick Censoplano) enters the scene.
The shy and soulful Censoplano has you rooting for Nathan the moment you meet him, throwing Nicole a bit off track and seeking advice from her employer and father figure, played by Dennis Michael. Michael is an absolute treat as the stubborn, yet endearing, Sammy.
In a dramatic finish true of the best romantic comedies, “Turning Thirty” is sure to leave you charmed. “Turning Thirty” plays Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through June 29, at the Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th Street. General admission is $29.
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