Theater Review
Sometimes only a good farce can remind us to laugh at ourselves and at all the shame, pride and awkwardness that comes with humanity. ”I found myself laughing out loud at Friday night’s performance of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ by Ken Ludwig, playing at Pierson Playhouse through May 8. The Theatre Palisades production, directed by Sherman Wayne and produced by Pat Perkins, not only makes for an entertaining evening but addresses underlying issues concerning family, relationships and identity that apply to a universal audience. ”At the heart of the play, set in 1953, is the Hay family’kooky parents George and Charlotte Hay, who are fading theater actors, and their more serious daughter, Rosalind (no doubt she was purposely named after the Shakespearean heroine since her father ‘quotes the man from Stratford’ profusely throughout the performance). ”In rebellion against her parents and their theatrical lifestyle, Rosalind (Meredith Dinneen) has left Buffalo, New York, but returns home to break the news that she’s getting married’to someone outside the theater, of course. Ironically, her fianc’e is a nerdy weatherman named Howard (Laurence Sutton), whose admiration of her parents’ work is almost more annoying than if he were in the business. ”Rosalind tries to introduce Howard to her family, including hearing-impaired grandma Ethel (Julia Whitcombe), but they are busy staging two shows”Private Lives’ and ‘Cyrano de Bergerac”in repertory at the Erlanger Theatre. ”Rehearsals spill backstage, which temporarily scares off the nervous Howard and also reveals the passion for theater shared by George (Jack Coppock) and Charlotte (Martha Hunter). However, Charlotte’s hunch that George has cheated on her with another actress in their company, Eileen (Holly Sidell), unveils the tension in their marriage as well as their individual insecurities about instability and growing older. ”Charlotte has already decided to run off with their wealthy lawyer, Richard (Warren Steinman), when George gets word that renowned director Frank Capra is coming to Buffalo to possibly cast the Hays in his latest Hollywood film, ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel.’ (Apparently leading man Ronald Colman had an accident and, to George’s delight, ‘is crippled!’). ”Despite Rosalind’s resistance to acting and the fact that her ex-beau Paul (Matt Landig) is also an actor in the company, she is sucked back into her parents’ drama backstage as well as the one that ultimately unravels on stage. ”In one of the more moving scenes, Rosalind unwillingly rehearses with Paul for ‘Private Lives,’ sarcastically reciting her lines in a monotonous British accent until Paul reads their direction to kiss. The chemistry between actors Dinneen and Landig is most apparent here, as they stand awkwardly side by side, transformed into boy and girl bursting with apparent sexual tension. ”’I’m here for less than three hours and I’m already acting like a lunatic!’ Rosalind exclaims as she chases her parents and Howard on and off stage. The five-door set keeps the comedy flowing, as different characters enter and exit simultaneously, just missing each other. ”At the center of the chaos is Ethel, who appears the most sane even though her inability to clearly hear what’s being spoken causes absurd confusion. In this comical role, Julia Whitcombe is a constant and more subtle source of humor in the loud, fast-paced play. ”The other character at the root of many ridiculous misunderstandings is Howard, who is mistaken for both Frank Capra and Eileen’s angry militaristic brother. Sutton is best as the na’ve but well-intentioned Howard when he shocks the family dressed in George’s old General Patton costume and playfully shows off his gun. ”Needless to say, Howard doesn’t make the cut for the climactic show that the Hays put on for Capra towards the end of ‘Moon Over Buffalo.’ Will it be ‘Private Lives’ or ‘Cyrano’? Will George be sober enough to play the leading part? These are some the last-minute details that have to be sorted before the lights go up. ”As George, Coppock shines in the second half of the play, quoting Shakespeare with a drunken slur and performing all of his own ‘stunts.’ Hunter also gives a strong performance as the bossy but lovable Charlotte with every swish of her starlet wardrobe (costume design by Diana Mann). ”In the end, the Hays must set aside their egotistical desires and believe that neither fame nor stability compares with the excitement of their life together. After all, for every missed opportunity, there are plenty of second and third chances in ‘Moon Over Buffalo.”’ ”Performances run Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Tickets range from $9 to $15. Contact: 454-1970.
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