Theatre AUM: "The Mercy Project"

Here's Theatre AUM yet again pursuing "educational theatre" at its core by showcasing an important little-known American female pioneer: a Colonial-Revolution Era poet, playwright, satirist, historian, epistolographer, and political activist named Mercy Otis Warren [1728-1814]. 

Director Val Winkelman has curated and devised several of Warren's works into what she has titled The Mercy Project, mixed them with period songs and dances, and engaged her cohort of nine actors and four musicians to show the remarkable breadth of Warren's output, and to allow them to resonate across the centuries with her concerns about tyranny and liberty, the role of women in public life, and a necessary balance between the rights of all people and the dignity of government. 

Performed in stunning period costumes and largely in a presentational declamatory style, the veteran and neophyte actors give life to Warren's words and ideas, and conscript audiences to find their own connections to them; all in less than an hour's stage time.

Some biographical details are scattered throughout the production: she had little formal education, but learned side-by-side with her brothers who were tutored at home; she was admired by such notables as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; she was a leading promoter of opposition to British rule [her brother once said that "Taxation without representation is tyranny"]; in 1805, she authored the first History of the American Revolution; her home became a hub of revolutionary activism.

Perhaps it's time to investigate Warren's output and encourage productions of her plays. -- Perhaps it's also time in our current political climate to take her advice to become better informed on real issues, to demand honesty and accountability from our elected representatives, and to restore the ideals that will allow us to truly celebrate our 250th Anniversary.

Millbrook: "The Addams Family Musical"

"It's just a simple dinner...what could go wrong?" -- Quite a lot, it seems, in the Millbrook Community Players' delightfully antic production of The Addams Family Musical. 

When teenaged "Goth" Wednesday Addams [MaryBella Pemberton] invites her "normal" boyfriend Lucas Beineke [Gabriel Miller] to dinner so their families can approve of one another before the young couple announce their engagement, and Wednesday conscripts her doting father Gomez [Connor Sparks] to keep it a secret form her mother Morticia [Maggie Kervin]..."What could go wrong?" indeed.

The characters that Charles Addams created in print went on to a popular television program, and this 2010 Broadway musical has become part of the standard repertoire in American theatre ever since, both for its nostalgic family driven story and its charming musical score. 

Millbrook's opening night audience instantly responded to the characters depicted authentically by its talented ensemble actors. -- In addition to the aforementioned, there are the masochistic younger sibling Pugsley [Analeigh Silas], dottering Grandma [Paiton Lamb-Doyle], a naively romantic Uncle Fester [Nick Warman] who falls in love with the Moon, and the almost silent butler Lurch [Alac Dixon]...all of them instructed to be on their best behavior to welcome Lucas and his "normal" parents Mal [Ben Holland] and Alice [Julianne Hansen]. And, by the way, there's a 10-member chorus of Addams Ancestors, ghostly specters who help keep the action moving.

For all their idiosyncrasy, the Addams family are actually pretty normal; we watch parents and children, husbands and wives, with normal concerns for everyone's welfare, and reliance on trust and love to carry them through. And the Beineke family, for all their "normalcy" have a few secrets themselves. -- And we get caught up in their problems and cheer them on to find appropriate solutions when the dinner party gets about as chaotic as it can when they play the game "Full Disclosure", and we trust the outcome will be happy.

Director Kaden Blackburn keeps the action lively, though lengthy scene changes slowed the pace, and trusts his cohort to inhabit their characters fully. And they are up to it: the personifications are spot-on, the movement is energetic and purposeful, and the singing is excellent.

With Kat Barlow's effective choreography, Julianne Hansen's excellent character-driven costumes, and Steve Pennington's fine music direction, audiences are taken on an enjoyable ride in one of Millbrook's most solid productions.

Way Off Broadway Theatre: "Wait Until Dark"

Now and then, almost everyone enjoys a good "scare", especially from the comfort of a darkened theatre...and Wait Until Dark is a reliable conduit.

Written in 1966 by Frederick Knott [he also wrote Dial M for Murder], and adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, it his perhaps best known for the 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn, and the Prattville Way Off Broadway Theatre iteration as directed by Lily Farnworth ticks a lot of the boxes of the genre in her two-hour production. -- It's been a while since the River Region has been treated to this compelling play [2009 at Faulkner University and 2013 at the Cloverdale Playhouse], so a re-visit is worth the effort.

At its center is Susy [Tye Terrell-DeVore], who had been blinded in an accident, and whose war veteran photographer husband Sam [Evan Scott] goes away on an assignment, leaving her alone in their Greenwich Village basement apartment, a place she can maneuver easily as her other senses have been heightened by her blindness. Gloria [Ava Northington] is a neighbor child who reluctantly runs errands for Susy and looks in on her whenever Sam is away.

Of course, there's a problem: a dead body in a closet that must be removed, and a child's doll "given" to Sam by a stranger that contains a fortune hidden in it, and a trio of criminals who will stop at nothing to find the doll. The ringleader is Harry Roat [Eric Arvidson at his evil best], and his henchmen Carlino [Chase Massengale] who pretends to be a policeman, and Mike [Michael Moseley], allegedly Sam's soldier buddy who ingratiates himself with the trusting Susy.

The three criminals are constantly in and out of the apartment to interview Susy about a recent crime in the area, but actually to get Susy to reveal the doll's location. -- Susy gets suspicious about their behavior and figures out the trio's elaborate "signals", and as their threats become dangerous, she conscripts Gloria to assist in her determination to outwit them.

There is a lot of suspense that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, and the climactic moments with all the apartment's lights out are riveting [too bad that the WOBT stage was not plunged into total darkness]. -- Ms. Farnworth's ensemble actors inhabit their roles fully, enabling audiences to get involved in their lives. Well done.

Wetumpka Depot: "Don't Dress for Dinner"

"Too many cooks" might well "spoil the broth", but not so in a wildly improbable farce. -- Robin Hawdon's deft adaptation of Don't Dress for Dinner, one of a number of collaborations with playwright Marc Camoletti [see Boeing, Boeing, for example], which opened on Thursday to a small but appreciative audience at the Wetumpka Depot.

With its sharp dialogue and fast action, any of the improbabilities of the plot get thrown out the window as audiences' laughter keeps them from anticipating the action, and generates even more laughter as the characters attempt to extricate themselves from each turn of events.

Director Kim Wilson [formerly Mason] guides her six ensemble actors through the rigors of farce that includes mistaken identities, infidelity, slapstick, elaborate lies, and coverups.

Bernard [Will Webster] plans an intimate catered dinner and assignation with his mistress, a model named Suzanne [Dani Lowery], while his wife Jacqueline [Amber Chapman] is away; but when Jacqueline decides to forego her visit with her Mother, Bernard conscripts his friend Robert [Brad Sinclair] to rescue him. When the cook Suzette [Sydney Broach] before Suzanne gets there -- and both are called "Suzy" -- well, imagine the confusions that build over time. -- It's all good-natured sophisticated fun, with a rescue in the nick of time by Suzette's husband George [Jason Sizemore] serving as a kind of deus ex machina to unravel the truth.

Opening night jitters perhaps slowed the action a bit as actors often took too long to respond to cues and needed more purposeful movement; hopefully these matters will be remedied as the run of the play continues. Regardless, Don't Dress for Dinner is a mirthful escapist romp: something we all need these days.

Wetumpka Depot: "Traveling with Truman and Nelle"

The Wetumpka Depot is featuring a limited run World Premier of Marianne Weber's Traveling with Truman and Nelle, in which she invents conversations between Truman Capote and Nelle Harper Lee as they drive cross-country in 1960 to Holcomb, Kansas where Capote will continue researching his non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood...recounting the brutal murders of the entire Clutter family by Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, then awaiting their trial.

Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird is awaiting publication, and though Capote already has some notoriety for "A Christmas Story" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's", neither of them has yet achieved the iconic status that future generations admire.

Friends since childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, and social outcasts from the start [his homosexuality, and her aggressively independent tomboy], and filled from their youth with concerns about inequalities, racism, hypocrisy, fairness, and loss of innocence, the play promises to present quite a road-trip.

Ms. Weber fills her script with countless references to their lives in rural Alabama that loyal fans will instantly recognize, though first-timers in the audience could benefit from a glossary of terms and references; for example: his childhood memories of Sook and Buddy flying kites and making fruitcakes, and calling a group of New York socialites "the Darlings"; her sponsors who bankrolled a year in New York so she could write, as well as her failed draft of Go Set a Watchman that became To Kill a Mockingbird. -- It sometime feels that she is trying too hard to include every possible verifiable detail to establish credibility, but it tends to distract from the point of their journey. -- And Nelle's breaking the fourth wall to directly address the audience close to the end that narrates the breakdown of their relationship might have greater impact by being dramatized.

It's Winter, and they stop occasionally in remote places to stretch their legs, smoke cigarettes, or have a bite to eat from a box of provisions they packed. But we never know precisely where they are till fairly late in the play when they are some "25-miles to Dodge City". --And along the way they reminisce and bicker over seemingly inconsequential matters, all in friendly and often teasing manner, while they argue about the bigger issues at hand, both for Capote's book and their own places in a society that is undergoing rapid changes: what causes people to act in some brutal ways? how should people react to those who are different from themselves? will this new society accept outcasts? can we ever actually walk in another person's shoes? do you actually want to be known forever for the success of just one book?

With mutual respect earned from a lifetime of closeness, and with the longstanding jealousies each has for the other, they do recognize the parallels in their writing about justice, morality, truthfulness, the nature of fiction and how it reflects actuality. And that it seems impossible to separate writers from the fictions they create.

Under Tom Salter's solid direction, David Shelnutt [Truman] and Cami Phillips [Nelle] inhabit their roles convincingly; their rapport appears comfortable, like old friends; and we travel with them willingly. Mr. Shelnutt reflects Capote's well-known mannerisms and speech patterns; and Ms. Phillips shows a fine determination as Harper Lee. Whether we know their personal story or their writings, we all can learn a lot about relationships through Traveling with Truman and Nelle.

Way Off Broadway Theatre: "Godspell"

The closing performance of Godspell at the Way Off Broadway Theatre in Prattville played to an enthusiastic almost-full house on Sunday afternoon. And it's one of the strongest productions this company has done in recent memory.

High marks to director James Henry and his ten-member acting cohort for presenting the updated 2012 version of the 1971 Off-Broadway hit without any sense of "preachiness" in recounting many of Jesus's parables found in the Gospel of St. Matthew, and for accomplished physical and vocal comfort and a remarkable sense of ensemble acting.

Additionally -- and other River Region theatres [professional, community, university, high school] take note -- the WOBT managed one of the best balances between the amplified actor's voices and the recorded musical score. The lyrics were clear and audible, and the music supported the voices; nothing distorted or shrill. It can be done. -- Thank you.

In Godspell, a motley group gathers to tell important life lessons. With Jesus [Chace Harris] as narrator and guide, and Judas [Delano Williams] as his companion and kind of alter-ego, the remaining ensemble ask questions and act out the parables' universal messages in contemporary jargon that give them a modern spin. -- The script intentionally allows each producing company the leeway to add references to their location as well as to that time's social and political content.  -- Here, the actors riff off one another with seeming off-handed remarks that add to the immediacy of each moment.

The Company : Ashlee Lassiter Davis, Magdalene Dyson, Dakota Fowler, Jessica Scott, Natali Jimenez, Micah Posey, Ash Shanks, Mark Sanders manipulate simple set pieces while telling the various stories/messages/songs with committed vocal energy.

So, we get "Lazarus and the Rich Man", "The Beatitudes", "The Prodigal Son", "False Prophets", "The Woman Caught in Adultery"...all leading up to Judas's betrayal and Christ's crucifixion. -- We hear memorable songs "Day By Day" and "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" delivered with confidence.

There were a few moments that indulged for too much time, and a lighting glitch (?) left Judas in dark shadow for the entirety of a song/scene in which he should have been a central focus. -- These notwithstanding, the WOBT production of Godspell gave audiences an inspired experience in the theatre.

Pike Road: "Disney's The Little Mermaid"

The Pike Road Theatre Company continues its magic with their production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, a musical based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen story. Director Travis Clark guides his large company of actors with a sure hand, and with James Keith Posey's fine musical direction, Jordan Hollett's clever set designs, dazzling costumes by Emily Blossom, and the reliably challenging and enjoyable choreography by Kim Isbell and Marissa Moore, this is a non-stop family-friendly entertainment.

Though the Disney version takes a lot of liberties with the original source material, Anderson's spirit and important messages are retained: family values must be emphasized, love can be an antidote to many problems, respect the wishes of others to be independent, "If you really love them, you've got to let them go".

So it is with Ariel [Eden P. Jemison], a little mermaid who falls in love with Prince Eric [Kaleb Morton], and yearns to be human so they can be together; but it's not without consequences and opposition from all quarters: her father King Triton [Kevin Morton], her six jealous "Mersisters", and especially the sea witch Ursula [Jenifer Hollett] and her slimy eels Flotsam [Derek Handy] and Jetsam [Dalton Adair] who are trying to wrest the sea kingdom from King Triton.

Of course, Ariel has her defendants too, a motley set of characters who complicate her journey while trying to help: the comical seagull Scuttle [Robert Nave], a delightfully besmitten Flounder [Jacob Savage], and a commanding Trinidadian crab named Sebastian [Zaylon Johnson] are chief among them.

Ariel's voice has captivated Prince Eric, and in this production, we can hear why: Ms. Jemison's precise and lyrical soprano seems effortless as she engages with the Prince and with the audience; we understand his attraction from the minute she opens her mouth...and their on-stage chemistry and Mr. Morton's ample baritone become the centerpiece of this production. Her rendition of "Part of Your World" and his "Her Voice" seal the deal.

There are several entertaining numbers by the company members ["She's in Love", "Positoovity", "Les Poissons", for example] that enhance the story and showcase the ensemble talents of the cast. And the sheer energy brought by Mr. Johnson in "Under the Sea" is in itself worth the price of admission.

As a counterpoint to Ariel/Ms. Jemison's sweetness, and as a character we love to hate, Ms. Hollett's Ursula earns every "boo" and "hiss" that the role demands. We look forward to her every moment on stage, and her presentations of "Daddy's Little Angel" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" garner all the appropriate audience responses.

There are many nautical and seafood references ["something's fishy", for example] that are glossed over so  quickly that we might miss them, and there are occasional lighting issues with characters in shadows that mask their faces; but the 2+ hours running time seem to go quickly because we are being entertained by a very talented company at the Pike Road Theatre Company.

Millbrook: "Alice in Wonderland: the Musical"

Welcome to "Wonderland" -- the lobby, the auditorium, and the stage are all decorated in technicolor renderings for the Millbrook Community Players' production of Alice in Wonderland: the Musical, and keep audiences delighted for two hours every performance. 

Adapted by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman from Lewis Carroll's classic story, we follow Alice [Reagan Rolling] down the rabbit hole to a land full of strange characters and magical events, as she tries to get back home.

Directors Michael Proper and Missy Price have their hands full with a cast of almost 50 actors of all ages in both principal roles and an ensemble dressed in a dazzling array of costumes [Cheryl Phillips, Lynn Parker, Wanda Harms] while singing and dancing to Daniel Harms' effective choreography.

Occasionally hard to keep track of what's going on due to vocal energy and articulation or a lot of stage "business" that covers up the words, the sheer energy and commitment of the cast is enough to deliver the several musical styles of songs that intersperse the script.

Ms. Rolling is the center of all the action, and her strong singing is a highlight of this production. She is guided by the always-in-a-hurry White Rabbit [Lillie Kate Porter]; and she encounters all of the author's major characters along her way. Chief among them are the marvelous comical double act Tweedle Dum [Clint Collins] and Tweedle Dee [Jeanice Harrison], the almost-disappearing Cheshire Cat [Jessi Gordon], the "Off With Their Heads" shouting Queen of Hearts [a powerful Blair Berry], and the quietly heroic Mock Turtle [Danika Lawson].

There's even a bit of political commentary that Carroll makes in his story about a Caucus Race in which the participants spend a lot of time and energy to accomplish very little or nothing at all. [Sound familiar?]

The show is playing to almost capacity crowds, so if you plan to attend the last performances this weekend, be sure to secure tickets. It's a lot of family-friendly fun.

Pike Road: "The Fantasticks"

It's been a minute since there was a River Region production of the Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt musical The Fantasticks, now having a limited one weekend run with the Pike Road Theatre Company. -- Its long run at NY's Sullivan Street theatre started in 1960, and has been on the boards in countless theaters ever since.

Director James Keith Posey has conscripted many local stalwarts into the current show, and their efforts follow through with a magically inventive and masterfully realized production in the Pike Road Town Hall's intimate space that invites the audience to experience it directly. Minimalist by design [platform set, colorfully character driven costumes, only a few hand-props delivered from a box on-stage by a Mute (Hank Posey)], the focus is on the romantic story and the glorious musical score.

Luisa [Bella Posey in fabulous soprano voice] and Matt [Andrew Clem] are in love, but are separated by a wall constructed by their fathers: Hucklebee [Mr. Posey] and Bellomy [Jason Isbell] approve of the match, but built the wall because they believe their children would resist if they knew the dads approved -- does reverse psychology work on kids!?!

So, to ensure the couple will get married, they hire "El Gallo" [Brandtley McDonald] and his motley crew -- an Old Actor named Henry [Lee Bridges], and The Man Who Dies named Mortimer [Eric Arvidson] -- to stage an abduction wherein Matt will rescue Luisa by thwarting El Gallo, and be seen as worthy to wed.

Everything goes according to plan with lots of comic melodrama, but as El Gallo/Narrator warns in the opening number "Try to Remember", be careful what you ask for, as real life experiences will intervene to test the reliability of romanticized beliefs. -- And in Act II, we see that disappointment and resistance make reality a better option.

The sheer good will and abundant talent of the actors is infectious; audiences applaud each number enthusiastically [standouts are "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Never Say No", "They Were You", "Plant a Radish" and the aforementioned "Try to Remember"] and cheer at the end. Well deserved. 

ASF: "BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical"

On Friday night, director/choreographer Deidre Goodwin's energetic production of BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical received enthusiastic responses from its large opening night audience at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. 

As a biographical jukebox musical, the play tracks Ms. King's ascendancy from her early songwriting works written mainly for other artists to perform, to her solo breakthrough album "Tapestry" that solidified her place in the songwriters' pantheon. There are countless songs in an assortment of musical genres performed by the likes of Neil Sedaka, The Drifters, The Shirelles, Little Eva, and The Righteous Brothers.

It also tracks Ms. King's [Julia Bogdanoff] artistic partnership and fractious marriage to Gerry Goffin [Elliott Andrews] and their competitive friendship with Barry Mann [Matt Dengler] and Cynthia Weil [Sarah Goeke] under the mentorship of producer/mogul Don Kirshner [Dan Fenaughty]...the bones of the story that move the plot forward.

The episodic structure requires numerous scene and costume changes [Seth Howard and Dustin Cross in top form], with an "Ensemble" company each portraying several artists in some dazzling production numbers, and prompting some audience members to remark "I didn't know she wrote that one" throughout the evening.

And while we do get caught up in the biographical incidents that inform many of the songs' lyrics, and root for Ms. King to succeed professionally and personally, we're there mostly for the music.

Music Director Joel Jones and his off-stage orchestra give attention to adroit renderings of each song and for musical segues between the scenes, pushing the action forward and guiding the singers to deliver impressive interpretations. -- Take your pick for favorites, but it's Carole King you came to hear; so..."So Far Away", or "Chains", or "It's Too Late", or "[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman", or "I Feel the Earth Move", or "Beautiful"...You can't go wrong!

Cloverdale Playhouse: "The Emperor's New Clothes"

Director Sam Wootten and his cohort of actors and designers are currently showcasing their 60+ minutes production of Timothy Mason's witty adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, The Emperor's New Clothes at the Cloverdale Playhouse.

Set in a fairytale land where the reigning Emperor's [James Avery] narcissism tests his counselors', and indeed the entire population's, unquestioned loyalty to his every whim, or risk losing their heads. Believing he has impeccable taste in fashion, he changes clothes every hour, demanding admiration from them all. 

Enter two con-artists -- Roscoe [Jalan Pedonesi] and Flo [Mason Stevens] -- who attempt to bilk the Emperor of a fortune by promising to create the most fabulous wardrobe that can only be seen by the most intelligent and discerning individuals, and that only the fools can't see the wardrobe. -- They go on to "create" these new items, relying on everyone to pretend to see the new clothes so they won't appear to be fools. -- Lots of silliness punctuates a series of episodes they bring us to the final resolution where the Emperor parades around almost naked, much to the horror of the citizenry, until a Boy [Carson Campbell] exclaims the truth..."the Emperor has no clothes".

So many useful lessons for the target audience of children to be learned: the pitfalls of vanity and peer-pressure, and the value of honesty, are important at any age; and while this production does not overtly mention it, it is easy to draw correspondences to the contemporary political scene for adult audiences to ponder.

Mike Winkelman's inventive sets get a bit cumbersome as they shift from scene to scene, but that's a minor issue here; Katie Pearson's costumes are colorful and "fairytale" appropriate; and the ensemble of adult and youth actors commit lots of energy and inventiveness to their respective roles.

Come for the story, come for the lessons, come for the laughs, come for the family-friendly entertainment offered by The Emperor's New Clothes.

Wetumpka Depot: "The Roommate"

You know you're in good hands when you start with an intelligently witty script, add an award winning guest director, cast the production with two of the River Region's most respected actors/directors who have collaborated many times, and then invite an audience -- result: 90+ minutes of entertainingly provocative theatre at the Wetumpka Depot.

Directed sensitively by Tina Turley [retired recently from Theatre Tuscaloosa], Jen Silverman's 2015 one-act play The Roommate was on Broadway in 2024 starring Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone. It tells the unlikely story of two distinctively different women: Sharon [Kim Mason], a conservative naively trusting divorcee, who opens up her home to Robyn [Kristy Meanor], a liberal pot-smoking vegan lesbian, whose reason for escaping New York to Iowa is mysterious. How they connect and interact, and how each influences the other is the center of the plot.

The play's episodic structure, with multiple costume changes and shift of set dressings, signal the linear time movement, and challenge the cast and crew to keep the story moving forward without sapping the on-stage energy; it is mostly successful in using music to ease the segues from scene to scene, but some of the changes could benefit from shortening the time they take in order to sustain audience attention.

That being said, it is a real treat to watch the comfort level and listen to the subtle dialogue interpretations of two masterful actors playing to their strengths at humor and pathos so audiences relax and engage with their stories and relationship.

Whether introducing Sharon to drugs, or analyzing their own or others' sexuality, or Robyn's con-artist mentoring, or watching how they seem to shift their conservative or liberal beliefs, it is clear that each woman is a survivor who also relies on others to survive.

Be prepared to laugh out loud at their antics, or commiserate with the dilemmas each experiences; perhaps allow The Roommate company to get you to search inwards to find a common ground with someone different from yourself.

ASF: "Chicken & Biscuits"

A near-capacity audience at Friday's opening night of Chicken & Biscuits in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Octagon Theatre frequently became the de facto congregation at an African-American family's funeral service for Rev. Bernard Jenkins, shouting "Amen" and "Hallelujah" on cue, and surging to their feet in a rousing ovation at the end of the performance.

An entertainingly infectious comedy-with-a-message, playwright Douglas Lyons's Chicken & Biscuits became one of the most frequently performed plays in the USA soon after its 2021 Broadway debut. 

And though there are so many familiar tropes [family secrets, feuding siblings, rebellious teenagers, a gay interracial couple, et al. that we've seen via Tyler Perry and others], and the big surprise is amply signaled from the start, there is some freshness to Lyons's script; its success rests on the director and acting company who at ASF deliver the goods in non-stop rollicking style for about two hours.

The eight member acting ensemble -- Tristan Andre, Rosalind Brown, Tea Guarino, Ethan Jack Haberfield, Tracy Conyer Lee, Krystel Lucas, A. C. Smith, AhDream Smith -- are directed with flair by Ron Himes, who keeps the energy high as they engage in preposterous antics of a family grounded by love that isn't always their top priority...as one character remarks: "Family is a loaded word."

People ought to be on their best behavior at a funeral, especially honoring a man who meant so much to so many, and whose shoes as head of a family and pastor of a church will be hard to fill. But best behavior is challenging to almost every character. -- Lyons takes most of Act I with lengthy expositions to establish individual character traits and their relationships to one another [we get to know them pretty well, and look forward to each comic conflict], so when it comes time for each of the principals to deliver testimony to their father, grandfather, father-in-law, prospective in-law, each one tops the other in a hilarious "throw down" sequence. -- And when the surprise comes, Act II serves to unravel everything and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

To their credit, the ensemble's exaggerated behavior is aways grounded in truthfulness, and no matter how much we might laugh when they're at each others' throats, there's a sense that this "family" truly love one another, are willing to learn from seeing things through other people's perspectives, and forgive one another so they can truly celebrate what it means to be a family.

Enjoy the ride.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "Perfect Arrangement"

The surprise appearance of playwright Topher Payne at the curtain-call of the Cloverdale Playhouse production of his Perfect Arrangement put the icing on the cake of the enthusiastic audience response to his popular play.

It's the 1950s: rampant homophobia abounds, the so-called "Lavender Scare" precipitated the federal government's ban on homosexuals to openly serve within its ranks, direct allegations or even a suggestion of "moral depravity" were equated with a security risk; and in Perfect Arrangement, two gay couples have invented a scheme to protect their jobs.

Government employees Bob Martindale [John Selden] and Norma Baxter [Stefani Priskos] are both gay, but for appearance and job-security have married each other's actual partners Millie Martindale [Bethany Warman] and Jim Baxter [Cody Charles Douell], and live in adjoining apartments that connect through a closet, a clever recurring joke. Their feigned heterosexuality is taken for granted by outsiders. So far, so good.

But, with Bob and Norma's boss Ted Sunderson [Scott Denton] insisting they investigate and fire suspected homosexuals in the government, and Ted's ditzy wife Kitty [Caroline Adams] insinuating herself into the women's lives, and the arrival of icily enigmatic and often married Barbara Grant [Emily Lowder Wootten deftly changes the atmosphere in the room], the stakes are raised for everyone involved.

What started as familiar sit-com fluff changes direction that forces the gay couples to re-assess their priorities. What once was comfortable is no longer so. Choices need to be made. Should they dig-in and risk being found out? Can they find the strength to be open about their sexuality, with consequences that risk their jobs and reputations? Is it morally defensible for Bob and Norma to prosecute other homosexuals while they remain unscathed? 

No spoilers here; but LGBT+ struggles persist in 2026, and their voices and their very lives are still at risk.  

This is all played out on Mike Winkelman's set reminiscent of television's I Love Lucy apartment; with period appropriate costumes by Mary-Louise Manning, director Christopher Roquemore's lively direction, and the veteran cast in top form in delivering Payne' glittering dialogue with agile assurance, Perfect Arrangement challenges all of us to recognize and celebrate our differences.

Pike Road: "Tuck Everlasting: the Musical"

Tuck Everlasting: the Musical, an exuberant family-friendly show by the Pike Road Theatre Company, has audiences captivated by James Keith Posey's solid direction, Kim Isbell's challenging choreography, and the combined talents of an excellent acting troupe who inhabit their characters to tell an important story about family love and what it means to be immortal.

It's a blend of a magical story, relatable characters, a pleasant musical score, and an energetic cast of triple-threat actors-singers-dancers in both the principal roles and ensemble players, which make its two-hour playing time go by in a flash. 

It doesn't hurt that three of the River Region's prominent theatre families [Haberkorn, Isbell, Posey] are featured here, and are complemented by PRTC's largely veteran performers.

Based on Natalie Babbitt's novel, it tells the story of 11-year old Winnie Foster [a most engaging Emery White] who happens upon Jesse Tuck [masterfully played by Micah Posey] at a spring in the woods nearby the home she's running away from; you see, her Mother [Candi Morton] and Nana [Sarah Viswambaran] don't understand her need for adventure and new experiences.

There are complications, of course: though Jesse appears to be seventeen, he's actually several decades older; he and his family had tasted the spring water which magically granted them "everlasting" life without any apparent physical aging...and Winnie is intrigued. -- When Jesse introduces her to his family -- his mother Mae [Jennifer L. Haberkorn], father Angus [Jason Isbell], and brother Miles [Tanner Parrish] -- Winnie sees in them a surrogate family unlike her own, and wants to become like them. Be careful what you wish for.

Meanwhile, Winnie's family has hired Constable Joe and his naively inept assistant Hugo [Thomas G. Haberkorn and Jack Posey are a hilarious comical double-act] to find her; and when the "oily" Man in the Yellow Suit [Kevin Morton] gets wind of the spring water's effect, he sets out to make his fortune in selling it.

Fluid operation of moveable set pieces transition from one scene to the next; lighting enhances atmosphere, though often leaves actors' faces hard to see; costumes help develop characters; the play's many songs develop the plot and character conflicts, and are presented with clear diction and a good balance with the recorded sound-track.

And the choreography -- Kim Isbell is in top form with this production, creating complex dance patterns and movement; requiring the cast to give full commitment to extensions in footwork and arms, and in faces that tell their story. They are highly disciplined and confident. Well done.

Ultimately, a decision must be made: should Winnie drink the water and join the Tucks, or should she remain with her family and live as Nature dictates? While there are pros and cons on both sides, Tuck Everlasting: the Musical dramatizes it in a striking ballet sequence that requires no dialogue to communicate a satisfying conclusion.

ASF: "ReCON$truXion"

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -- George Santayana

The world premiere of multi-award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan's [The Kentucky Cycle, All the Way] ReCON$truXion opened at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival on Friday night, receiving enthusiastic responses from the Octagon Theatre's capacity crowd.

In it, Schenkkan tracks the largely ignored story of John Lynch -- an African-American man who rose through the ranks of the political landscape in Reconstruction Era Mississippi all the way to the United States Congress -- and the pitfalls and temporary triumphs of a Reconstruction agenda that failed or was betrayed by the very people who lauded it at its start.

Many of the issues concerning the rights of freemen of color to exist on a level with their white counterparts in all social and political arenas have yet to be completely resolved, points which the playwright makes clear through historical references and sometimes anachronistic vocabulary that bridges then and now. Schenkkan skillfully shifts time periods, beginning in the twentieth century and going back and forth in time, allowing us to witness the impact that history has on the present. It's an easy link to today.

Eden Marryshow plays Lynch as an agent whose moral authority is always demonstrated with an urgency that commands respect, and who conscripts the audience into his memory-play.  He is abetted by a dexterous ensemble of eight men and one woman who all play multiple historic figures: Grant [Liam Craig], Lamar [Grant Chapman], Garfield [Matt Wolpe], and others; in an otherwise powerful male dominated world, Devin Kessler portrays Mabel, Lynch's love interest, and his niece Agnes who assists him in editing his book while demonstrating against the controversial film Birth of a Nation; you have to pay strict attention, since some appear briefly and actors change roles quickly.

There are some stunning projections [Rasean Davonte Johnson] that visually enhance a monochromatic set [Robert Brill] and costumes [Richard St. Clair].

ReCON$truXion has a very short run at ASF; perhaps it will find a wider life elsewhere. As we approach America's 250th celebrations, there is still a lot at stake for "We the People". 

Millbrook: "The Chicken-Fried-Fabulous Spa-Dee-Dah Sisterhood"

With the death this month of actress-playwright Jessie Jones, the decades-long collaboration of Jones-Hope-Wooten has come to a close, though their many popular Southern female centered comedies will no doubt continue to be performed.

One of them -- The Chicken-Fried-Fabulous Spa-Dee-Dah Sisterhood -- concludes its two weekend run by the Millbrook Community Players this weekend. And from the audience laughter and applause, and Millbrook's commitment to producing their plays, they've clearly hit the funny-bone of the River Region. 

Sure, they're formulaic; sure, the jokes are familiar one-liners; sure, the endings are predictable -- but, "So, what?!" -- they're entertaining and an excellent antidote to the serious issues surrounding us every day.

Director Cheryll Phillips has conscripted a fine ensemble of neophyte and veteran actors for her production, some of them reprising roles from other shows in the Jones-Hope Wooten repertoire. And they deliver.

This time, vindictive Glorietta DeWitt [Amanda Ledbetter] contrives to commandeer a cookie recipe and the attendant business though whatever means she chooses. And the combined efforts of Carlene [Vicki Moses], Nita [Angie Head], Mavis [Karla McGhee], and Sugar Lee [Blair Berry], together with Bobby Dwayne [Bill Rauch] and surprise twist by Hardy [Steve Phillips] put an end to Glorietta's scheming. A lot goes wrong along the way, and a lot of silliness occurs, but the resolution is satisfying, so audiences can lap it up gleefully.

WOBT--Prattville: "Twelve Angry Jurors"

From Perry Mason to Law and Order, from Anatomy of a Murder to My Cousin Vinny, courtroom drama remains a popular entertainment in American households; but, while we eagerly watch the proceedings in the court, we are rarely invited into the Jury Room where life-and-death decisions are often made.

Reginald Rose's compelling Twelve Angry Men [television, film, and stage versions] takes a different stance; the entirety of it is located in the Jury Room, where twelve men from an assortment of backgrounds, races, and ages convene to deliberate what went on at the trial, and must decide the fate of a 19-year-old reform school suspect accused of murdering his father. -- An updated version by Sherman L. Sergel, now entitled Twelve Angry Jurors to accommodate female jurors and their enhanced perspectives, is currently on offer in director Alex Rikerd's compelling production at the Way Off Broadway Theatre in Prattville.

At the outset, we hear a judge's "charge" to the jurors that their decision must be unanimous, that the decision must be made "beyond reasonable doubt", and that a guilty verdict will result in the death penalty.

So the drama begins: it's a hot day, only one window is open, the fan doesn't work, and the jurors are hot, tired, impatient, and short-tempered. To most of them it's an open-and-shut case, but one of them has doubts; and it will take a lot of sifting through the details of the evidence, and questioning the validity of some witnesses' testimonies in order to get unanimous agreement. At a time when there were no cellphones, internet, or AI, they must deliberate on their own.

Ms. Rikerd has a tight ensemble of actors at her disposal; though they are identified only by their Juror Number and not by name, their backgrounds, biases, and personalities become abundantly clear as the tensions rise moment by moment. -- The main contenders are Juror #8 [Scott Rouse] who first admits he has doubts about the perpetrator's guilt, and Juror #3 [Matthew Givens] who is adamant on both the guilt and for the jury to reach a quick unanimous verdict.

As their arguments heat up, evidence is re-considered, and several other jurors change their minds, audiences too might well change their own opinions. -- And while this creates a good deal of frustration, the play is not only about their ultimate verdict. In fact, perhaps the more interesting elements of Twelve Angry Jurors are about the jury process itself, a deliberation on what constitutes "reasonable doubt" and "justice", and a challenge to audiences to recognize their own beliefs.

Theatre AUM: "Fool for Love"

Actor, director, multi-award winning playwright Sam Shepard was in the 1970s and 1980s the most fashionable playwright in the USA and abroad, his edgy, surrealistic plays dissecting some very uncomfortable social and family issues in bare-bones naturalistic dialogue. -- Alas, none of his plays have been performed in the River Region for decades: our loss.

But now, Theatre AUM [true-to-form in producing plays from across a wide international and stylistic spectrum] is bringing Shepard's compact Fool for Love to their stage. In a seedy Mojave desert motel, we meet May [Sam Crevensten], and Eddie [Samuel "Goose" Alford]; they are half-siblings and on-and-off lovers for about fifteen years, and while Eddie obsesses their relationship can be resumed, May wants nothing to do with him; in fact, she's expecting her date Martin [Nicholas Hall] any minute.

The fourth character is The Old Man [Jay Walker Russell] who fathered both May and Eddie with two different women, and who had abandoned them some time ago; he serves as a kind of narrator-conscience as he sits outside the action though he "communicates" with his children individually as his attempts to assuage his building guilt consumes him. The past haunts the present.

Eddie is also being stalked by his most recent lover, the unseen "Countess', who wreaks havoc on Eddie's truck in the parking lot.

There's a lot of tension in the one-hour stage time, and the actors give credible renderings of their roles. Ms. Crevensten -- a late addition to the cast -- gave an admirably intelligent interpretation on opening night, despite reading from the script she held in her hands. [While this has been done before, there is no doubt that holding a script inhibits physical movement and eye-to-eye contact with scene partners, and hence the rhythms and intensity of the dialogue, as well as the emotional impact on the audience.] -- Expectations are high that she will be off-book soon to ensure her talents are better displayed for future performances.

ASF: "Much Ado About Nothing"

During the opening night of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival director Bruce Longworth's merry production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, spontaneous laughs, sighs, and applause punctuated its two-and-a-half hours, and testified to local audiences' appreciation of the Bard -- if only there were more productions from the Classic repertoire at ASF. One need not be afraid of understanding a 400-year-old text when it is delivered with such clarity and assurance.

ASF is publicizing Much Ado as a "rom-com", a term unknown in Elizabethan England, but familiar in our contemporary jargon; so we can anticipate a story focused on romance, replete with lovers whose relationships are tested, along with conventional misunderstandings, deceptions, mishaps, clever dialogue, a duplicitous villain who interferes with wedding plans, and a bumbling policeman who accidentally uncovers the culprit to ensure a happy ending with dancing.

It's the Summer of 1919, some months after the end of World War I, and Don Pedro [Chauncy Thomas] and his retinue of soldiers arrive for a month's stay at Leonato's [J. D. Webster] in Sicily. Young soldier Claudio [Felix Torrez-Ponce] falls in love with Leonato's daughter Hero [Sigrid Wise]; they're a lovely couple we root for immediately.

And sparks fly between affirmed bachelor soldier Benedick [Christopher Gerson] and Hero's cousin Beatrice [Tarah Flanagan] whose long-term spat is carried out with entertaining witty dialogue...to everyone within earshot they're obviously made for each other, though neither of them admit it. They too earn every bit of our admiration, even as we witness their potential embarrassment.

Spoiler alert: With a Claudio-Hero wedding about to transpire, Don Jon [Patrick Halley] plots to stop the celebration by ruining Hero's reputation; and though successful at first, his ploy is discovered by a clownish policeman named Dogberry [French Stewart -- best known for tv's Third Rock from the Sun], whose Act II antics elicit well-earned laughter.

Mr. Longworth's creative team enhance every moment, from Josh Smith's detailed set, to Dottie Marshall Englis's attentive costumes [check the color-coded women's dresses, and her masterfully distinct costumes for actors playing multiple roles], to Nathan W Scheuer's evocative lighting, to Melanie Chen Cole's rich soundscape, and period-sounding music from composers Brien Style and Matt Pace...and of course the ensemble actors bringing Shakespeare's words and characters to life. 

Performances end on April 5th, so there's still time to welcome Spring at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's offering of Much Ado About Nothing; it's well worth the effort.

Wetumpka Depot: "Pump Boys and Dinettes"

If memory serves, the only other time Pump Boys and Dinettes was performed in the River Region was an Alabama Shakespeare Festival production a few decades ago; having ended its three-weekend run at the Wetumpka Depot last Saturday, it played to a sometimes raucously over-enthusiastic audience. 

Set at a rural North Carolina Highway 57 "roadstop" gas station [the Pump Boys] and its next door neighbor Double-Cupp Diner [the Dinettes], the multitalented guys and gals showcase a host of toe-tapping high-octane songs through a slim plot that does little other than delineate character and relationships while stringing the songs together.

Never mind -- the whole point is to entertain, and director Kristy Meanor's ensemble cast come through in spades. Kaylee Baker, Mike Higgins, Sarah Kay, William Moncrief, Matthew Mitchell, Lloyd Strickland, and David Whitfield accompany themselves on a variety of musical instruments, and dance to Daniel Grant Harms's clever choreography for a rousing 90-minutes.

Whether they're singing country-rock or pop songs about fishing, working for tips, childhood nostalgia, female independence, or sibling relationships, the charisma they establish with one another and with the audience is never questioned. They're a likable group whose good-nature interacts with audiences.

There's a lot of talent on the Depot stage that brings Pump Boys and Dinettes back to vibrant life at a time when we need to enjoy one another's company, even for just a short time.

Millbrook: "Dearly Beloved"

Whenever a production penned by the Jones-Hope-Wooten franchise is on the boards [and it happens often; they're popular and very widely produced], you know what you're in for: lots of laughs from the most improbable of situations and wildly eccentric characters.

So, the current production of Dearly Beloved by the Millbrook Community Players fits the bill as it is performed with gusto by many of this Company's regular veteran actors and lesser-known ones.

We're in Fayro, TX, population 3003 as preparations for an upcoming wedding take place. One of Frankie Dubberly's [B. J. Alringer] twin daughters Tina Jo [Paula Roberts, who also plays the other twin Gina Jo] is about to tie the knot; Frankie's sisters Twink [Vicki Moses] and Honey Ray [Karla McGhee] are there to "help", but leave each other and wedding planner Geneva [Laura Smith] having to improvise when an inevitable disarray happens, and the groom's mother Patsy [Catherine Barlow] tries to throw a monkey-wrench into the proceedings.

The men-folk [Josh Register and Bill Rauch] try to stay out of their way by the barbecue pit; or comment on the action with charming weirdness [Michael Snead]; or remain near comatose by a combination of medicines and booze [Mark McGuire]; or get reluctantly conscripted to be the substitute preacher/minister for the ceremony [Brady Walker]. 

Director Stephanie McGuire tells its  convoluted story in a series of short scenes early on to provide a lot of expository information and establish character quirks and relationships. And the action takes several twists and turns until its resolution. -- No spoilers here; just relax into it and enjoy the ride.

It's all in good fun, after all, and a welcome antidote to our everyday concerns.

Way Off Broadway Theatre: "Rumors"

Setting: Snedan's Landing, a secluded exclusive community along the Hudson River a short distance from New York City; the home of New York's Deputy Mayor Charlie Brock and his wife Myra, who are hosting  a dinner party for their 10th Anniversary, and have invited four other successful couples. 

At the start of Neil Simon's comedy Rumors, their first guests find that Charlie has shot himself [a flesh-wound in his ear] and is recuperating in his bedroom, Myra is missing, and while there is food and drink available, the servants are nowhere to be found.

So, questions and "rumors" begin: Why did Charlie shoot himself? Where is Myra? Is their marriage on the rocks? How will the guests manage on their own without the house staff? And how can they diffuse the situation to avoid scandal?

Complications abound to dizzying effect with the arrivals of each of the three other couples who have issues of their own, and the improvised sharing and invention of selective details about Charlie and Myra that get more confused by the moment. 

Arguably one of Simon's most accomplished farces, its success depends on split-second timing, sharply witty dialogue and action, occasional gunshots, and a careful building of the frenzy that impacts each character individually. 

Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre ensemble actors, under Jessica Scott's direction, take audiences on an unrelentingly improbable ride for two hilarious hours. -- Don't try to figure it out; just go along for the ride and enjoy.

The four couples are played by Lily Farnsworth and Evan Scott, Amy Medeiros and Mark Sanders, Janie Allred and Rodney Winter, and Blair Berry and Gage Parr...each with their own quirks that entertain effectively. And though some of them hit their emotional peaks a bit too soon, leaving them nowhere to go by the end, and others occasionally play the same energy as their on-stage partners rather than contrasting them, it's all in good fun.

Two police officers played by Jeremy Berry and Michael Moseley arrive near the end of Act I investigating an automobile accident, and things get even more complicated as the four couples invent an even more preposterous explanation of what has been going on at their party.

With surprises at every corner that create havoc for the characters and delight for audiences, this version of Rumors lets us all take a break from the day-to-day concerns of the world around us. Thanks for the laughs.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "American Son"

There were several moments during the opening night's sold-out performance of the Cloverdale Playhouse's rendering of American Son when the audience was riveted into complete silence by the intensity on stage.

Deftly co-directed by Julie Janson and Tiara Staples, an estranged interracial couple's attempts to find out what happened to their son after a "traffic stop incident" are met with resistance from the authorities; they are forced to face their own biases and responsibilities both in bringing up their son and the challenges that race and gender bring into the equation.

Christopher Demos-Brown's tightly written 2016 script wisely does not choose sides; rather, it gives credence to each of the couple's points of view as well as to those of the nighttime duty officer and the Lieutenant in charge of the case. 

Each of the combatants here -- parents African-American Kendra [Taylor Finch] and Caucasian Scott [Ethan Montgomery], Caucasian Officer Larkin [Hunter Stewart], and African-American Lt. Stokes [Eric Ware] -- imbue their roles with conviction, creating an ensemble that lifts the action to focus on present day concerns with racial profiling all too common in our news headlines, where simple traffic-stops escalate to violence and catastrophic results.

We never encounter the 18-year old Jared in question, but Demos-Brown lets us see him through the various lenses of the on-stage quartet. -- Is he the misunderstood rebellious teenager his mother posits, or the wunderkind his father groomed for success, or the street-hood suggested by the Officer, or perhaps the unwitting bystander that the Lieutenant considers? -- Somewhere, the truth might be found.

While we might get caught up in both parents' concern for their son, and be frustrated by the Officer's resistance to revealing information to them, the compelling entrance of Lt. Stokes late in the action drives towards its devastating conclusion. The tension is palpable.

The dialogue each character delivers is rich in both overt and subtle gender or race biased assumptions, pitting them against one another and challenging audiences to confront their own positions. -- The 90-minutes we spend with them ought to encourage serious conversations beyond the theatrical experience.

Pike Road: "Oklahoma!"

Oklahoma! made history on its 1943 Broadway debut, and has been playing regularly across the country ever since. It ran for 2,212 performances, marked the first partnership of Rodgers and Hammerstein, won a  special Pulitzer Prize and many other awards, was one of the first "book musicals" which meaningfully incorporated song lyrics and dance numbers into the plot line and character development -- a practice that has been followed ever since. -- It has been performed in Montgomery a few times in the past ten years; and its newest iteration is director Michael Winkelman's vibrant Pike Road Theatre Company airing currently mid-run at Faulkner University.

And, despite a nostalgic, homespun, "aw, shucks!" feel, along with an old-fashioned presentational style, its popularity has not waned. Even the most jaded theatregoer responds to its wondrous musical score's litany of hit songs: the signature "Oklahoma!", of course, "Kansas City", "Surrey with the Fringe on the Top", "I Can't Say No", "Pore Jud is Daid", and "People Will Say We're in Love" among others...solos, duets, and ensemble pieces delivered by PRTC cast members with assurance so audiences are always engaged with music, characters, and plot.

Oklahoma's "Indian Territory" is on the brink of achieving Statehood in 1906; times are changing, and people there are eager to catch up with the present. The challenges they face on their inevitable social change are highlighted through personal relationships and dealing with those they consider "other": farmers vs. cowmen, youth vs. age, an immigrant peddler, a disgruntled hired-farmhand, and predictably two love-triangles whose participants try hard to figure out their relationships. -- Sound familiar?

The central love story between Curly [Andrew Clem] and Laurey [Rachel Pickering] is complicated by their resistance to admitting they love each other and by the obsessive stalking of Jud [Jason Morgan]. The young couple instantly capture our hearts, and it doesn't hurt that both of them are gifted with excellent voices and some nice on-stage chemistry. And Mr. Morgan's dark scowling becomes more and more sinister as the action proceeds

A comical counterpoint threesome is among flirtatiously impetuous Ado Annie [Ash Shanks] and her ardently naive boyfriend Will Parker [David Rowland], abetted by the Persian peddler Ali Hakim [Eric Arvidson]. The whole tenor of the production changes when these three strut across the stage with energy to spare and laughs galore. It's impossible to take your eyes off this couple.

With Ado Annie's shotgun-toting father Andrew Carnes [Sam Wallace] ever present to ensure everything is on the up-and-up, and with Laurey's Aunt Eller [Stephanie Coppock] as the most reasonable person in the story to wield her authority, you know that all will turn out for the best.

They are given ample support by the ensemble players whose infections energy pumps up every production number's dances choreographed by Karen Johnson..

There remains an imbalance between the recorded score and the singers over-amplified voices resulting in noise rather than clear lyrics, though both Ms. Pickering and Mr. Rowland manage to manipulate their voices to better effect.

The vibrancy of the PRTC's production of Oklahoma! makes it a guaranteed success.

ASF: "The Lehman Trilogy"

"They were all invincible until the were not."

Between their 1844 arrival to the USA from Bavaria and their 2008 bankruptcy, the Jewish immigrant Lehman brothers and their descendants built a financial empire through a combination of business acumen, intuition, ambition, adaptability, and family trust that was unrivaled in its time.

And the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is providing audiences a not-to-be-missed opportunity to witness a meaningfully accomplished production of The Lehman Trilogy that tracks this history with insight, humor, and a challenge for us to assess our own place in a complex society.

Ben Power's masterful adaptation of Stefano Massini's multiple-award-winning play, as deftly directed by Matt Torney, runs at about three hours with two intermissions; but have no fear, the time passes quickly under Power's three near-flawless virtuoso actors. Andrew Benator, Brian Kurlander, and Eric Mendenhall inhabit the roles of the three original brothers, their descendants, and multiple secondary characters with admirably attuned reflexes to one another, clear and rapid speech, quick pivots as they change from one character to another, and storytelling techniques that dazzle in their detail while making historical and personal moments ring true to life.

Their pursuit of "The American Dream" begins in Montgomery, forming the bedrock of what is to come, as they measure success with monetary profit in cotton and coffee, and precipitating a move to New York City, the epicenter of commerce.

As the generations evolve with the times -- from the Civil War and Reconstruction, to the 20th Century, the Great Depression, World War II profiteering, et al. -- the scope of their successes depends always on looking forward and anticipating the next steps by making adjustments to inevitable changes and taking risks before their competitors realize it.

Public business and the arc of global history are at the forefront, though we are also invited into the private history and the family's religious beliefs. They are rooted in the Jewish faith and its cultural practices, so we see the impact of prayers and rituals marking family events, major feasts, and holidays as the characters shift from strict adherence to mere signifiers as time goes on.

The Octagon Theatre's set by Isabel A. and Moriah Curley-Clay reflects a dry-goods store piled with cabinets and boxes, and strewn with bits and pieces of "goods" that remind us of the modest beginnings of the Lehman family no matter their amassed fortunes, and support the themes of control and profit. 

And, while the play has been criticized for paying slight attention to the Lehmans' engagement with slavery and some perceived stereotyping of Jews, The Lehman Trilogy purports to present a saga of multi-generational vicissitudes of capitalism that enthrall its audiences.

The end of the Lehman empire is well documented, so there should be no surprise at the end. Whether caused by accumulated hubris, the Lehmans and their descendants emerge as fully realized characters that fascinate in their complexity.