WOBT: "Boeing-Boeing"

Last seen at the Wetumpka Depot ten years ago, Marc Camoletti's outrageous French farce Boeing-Boeing is currently entertaining audiences at the Way Off Broadway Theatre in Prattville. The English translation by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans is replete with clever dialogue, archetypal characters, comic-formulaic plot devices, and physical challenges that make for an engaging evening as director Melissa Strickland guides her ensemble of six actors for two-and-a-half hours through the play's three acts.

It's the 1960s, so Ms. Strickland shows us a very "mod" set with seven doors to accommodate the many quick escapes that farce requires, and creates a period atmosphere with a soundtrack from the '60s. And the costumes are both period-appropriate while deftly showing the characters' professions.

Here's the set-up: Bernard [Josh Carples] lives in an up to date Paris apartment, where his three "finances" -- each of them stewardesses for TWA, Alitalia, and Lufthansa airlines -- stay with him while they are in between flights; none of them knows about the others, and Bernard keeps them separate through his mathematical calculations of their individual schedules. -- As you might imagine, there will be complications for this Lothario. [Keep in mind that 21st Century communications didn't exist, so they relied on land-line telephones, etc.]

Each of the women has a distinct personality [matter of fact American Gloria: Ashlee Lassiter; lusty Italian Gabriella: Jordon Perry, strong-willed German Gretchen: Laela Bunn], challenging Bernard to shift gears with each one, and challenging his housekeeper Berthe [Janie Allred] to prepare meals to suit them, as well as to be complicit in Bernard's behavior and rescue him from impending disaster.

When Bernard's old naive friend Robert [Isaac Garrison] shows up out of the blue, Bernard invites him to stay while he gets settled in Paris. Though Robert is initially shocked, befuddled, and intrigued with Bernard's lifestyle, he eventually is seduced by the hedonistic arrangement.

No spoilers about the specific outcome [it's a comedy, so everyone's happy by the conclusion], but the fun of the production is in following the assorted plot twists, personality developments, broad physical humor, over-the-top national accents, and various meltdowns when situations get out of hand.

Wetumpka Depot: "Silent Sky"

Prolific author Lauren Gunderson has in several years had the distinction of being named "America's most produced living playwright". Her multi-award-winning scripts include Silent Sky which is on stage at the Wetumpka Depot for the next two weekends. Ms. Gunderson most often focuses on pioneering women in history, literature, and science who address the challenges they face in a male dominated world.

Sensitively directed by Kim Mason [one of the River Region's most accomplished thespians], Silent Sky is based on the true story of Henrietta Leavitt who, in the early 20th Century, left her home in Wisconsin to take a job at a Harvard University astronomy lab. Eager to get to work, she finds that all the women in the "harem" so employed merely record and catalogue the data that the men get credit for, and has no chance of actually engaging meaningfully in mapping the stars by using the telescope forbidden to them.

A tight ensemble of actors inhabit their roles with conviction, as Gunderson tracks Henrietta's audacious persistence in achieving new astronomical discoveries that changed the ways in which modern science views the cosmos, the earth, and the ways in which humankind exists in it.

Make no mistake, audiences are meant to be on Henrietta's side from the very beginning. In the role, Hillary Taylor is both a radical and a traditional homebody whose decision to leave Wisconsin is hard for her sister Margaret [Meagan Tuck] to understand and accept. And when she meets the other women at the lab -- brusque and rigid Annie [Tammy Arvidson] and compassionate Scottish Williamina [Layne Holley] -- she has colleagues who teach her the rules and later become complicit in her breaking them. 

Though she expected to meet and work hand in hand with the professor who heads the project, she is met by his assistant Peter [Ethan Montgomery], whose almost robotic pronouncements about the lab work and the distinctions between the roles of men and women cause Henrietta to do everything in her power to break the rules and get some credit.

Predictably, a romance begins between them [an invention of the playwright], and serves to humanize both of the characters. -- Mr. Montgomery's persistent stuttering evokes one of the most convincingly disarming proclamations of love: a credit to the playwright, the director, the acting partners in the scene.

The play delves into the discoveries of an emerging astronomical science, feminism and women's suffrage, the sacrifices people make for family and career, and the legacy of important figures in our history, and makes them resonate over time.

Played on a simple set with a stunning cyclorama backdrop, and clothed in period character driven costumes by Ryan Sozzi and wigs by Hannah Lunt, Silent Sky draws audiences into Henrietta's world and the human complications she maneuvers, making for a stunning evening at the Wetumpka Depot.

Millbrook: "The Curious Savage"

There's no love lost between eccentric widow Mrs. Savage [Michon R. Givens] and her three adult step-children [played by Eric Arvidson, Blair Berry, and Josh Register]. Now that she has inherited her late husband's $10-million, and is determined to help strangers fulfill their dreams and put the money to good use, the greedy step-children have her committed to a rest home called "The Cloisters" where they believe she will be under their control and can wrest the fortune for themselves. 

That's the set-up for John Patrick's 1950 comedy The Curious Savage now playing under A. John Collier's direction in Millbrook, and with three actors reprising roles from the 2016 production at Prattville's "Way Off Broadway Theatre".

But there's more: the residents of "The Cloisters" are a mixed bag of psychologically damaged misfits who are otherwise harmless and exhibit some of the best human traits: honesty, mutual support, acceptance of their own and other people's conditions, and an inherent goodness of nature. -- Actors RaeAnn Collier, Toshia Martin, Gage Parr, Katie Register, and Michael Snead exhibit distinct personalities that we are immediately drawn to, in part due to their realistic depictions, and who are clearly intended to contrast with the devious step-children.

Dr. Emmitt [Rodney Winter] and nurse Mrs. Willie [Bre Gentry], sympathetically care for the residents while trying to keep the peace within the Savage family.

There are plenty of comic moments amidst the family conflicts, delivered with assurance by the able cast. And though Patrick's old-fashioned storytelling includes lengthy exposition and methodical plot revelations that stretch the playing time to two-and-a-half hours [a quicker line delivery and more rapid pace could help], interest is sustained by the talents of the actors. -- Ms. Martin's lively and effervescent behavior gives welcome energy. And in the aforementioned reprised roles, Mr. Arvidson is thoroughly corrupt and frightening; Ms. Collier's litanies of the things her character "hates" are delivered with perfect detachment; and Ms. Givens takes he central role of Mrs. Savage to a mature level that puts attention on conflict and resolution while achieving our sympathies and support for her actions.  

No spoilers as to how it all turns out, but along the way audiences are challenged to figure out what is normal, the effects of trauma on individuals, that actions often do speak louder than words...good lessons for everyone.

Wetumpka Depot: "Ten Minutes on a Bench"

"Why do people use dating apps?" is investigated in Kenneth Jones's Ten Minutes on a Bench which ended its short run at the Wetumpka Depot last Friday. This disarmingly entertaining "developmental production" was previously workshopped in Florida and New York, so it is still a "Work in Progress", and with judicious editing and stronger focus is close to being a finished product.

In an attempt to tick all the boxes -- age, narcissism, hook-ups, LGBTQ+, disease, death, alcohol, job insecurity, gender stereotypes, technology, fanciful expectations, et al. -- the play's seventeen short scenes' common denominator is "loneliness", a subject that attentive audiences figure out early in its two-hour stage time. 

Jones [Alabama Story and Hollywood Nebraska]. allows for flexible casting to accommodate age and gender, and director Tony Davison wisely casts four men and four women to play multiple roles that highlight their skills in creating an array of distinct characters while emphasizing the ensemble nature of such a dramatic convention. -- Sydney Burdette, Isaac Garrison, Renee Lewis, Seth Maggard, Laura Smith, Todd Tasseff, James Ward, and Jean Webb comprise the multi-talented acting company whose rapid-fire naturalistic speech and commitment to each personality keep the action moving from scene to scene. [On closing night, one line of dialogue literally stopped the show.]

An experiment in launching a new Dating App conscripts a group of strangers who agree to meet on a public park bench for a ten-minute meeting with another member of the group, with no specific expectations, and several rules to follow: they must agree to share their personal details, be honest with one another, make no commitments or arrangements to meet again, no touching except for a handshake, and stay for no less and no more than the allotted ten minutes. Imagine the complications.

A lone park bench serves as the set for all the scenes that take place in a variety of towns and cities; and the characters and their situations and purposes show a lot of familiar tropes of people trying to connect with one another. -- Jones has an ear for truthful dialogue and quirks of character; each scene is entertaining in its own right, and could stand alone as a complete vignette; but it goes on for too long. It needs to be more compact; perhaps with fewer scenes and no intermission Ten Minutes on a Bench could make a stronger impact. 

ASF: "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

Breezy -- dynamic -- witty -- stunning -- loud -- 

The Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is ending its Summer run at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival this weekend. -- Popular since the 1970s and its Broadway debut in 1982, the "sung-through musical" is based on the Book of Genesis story of Jacob and his twelve sons [the favorite one is Joseph], the gift of a coat of many colors that sets off a tale of jealousies and their consequences, ultimately resulting in a redemptive reunion of the family.

Rice and Lloyd Weber fill their two acts with a variety of entertaining song styles [calypso, country-Western, French ballad, Rock and Roll, among others] as they develop plot and character with an infectious humor, and challenge actors and choreographers to engage their audiences.

Director Melissa Rain Anderson and her design cohort [Scenic: Christopher & Justin Swader; Costume: Theresa Ham; Lighting: Nathan Scheuer] create a stunning landscape in which the cast maneuver smoothly; abetted by clever-disciplined-athletic choreography by Lindsay Renea Benton, accomplished throughout by the ensemble cast, the production's success is grounded by its multi-talented company, with support from a local Youth Ensemble.

Fresh faces abound in this production, as most of the cast make their ASF debuts here; so it is heartening to witness their individual and collective energy, dancing skills, and impressive vocal talents. Ms. Anderson directs them with assurance, keeps the action flexible from scene to scene, and gets the most out of her collaboration with Music Director F. Wade Russo and his ten piece orchestra.

Samantha Rios serves as the Narrator who sets the tone and links the episodes of Joseph's [Michael Burrell] journey as an interpreter of dreams; from his initial snobbery to punishment to reward to redemption, starting off with his version of "Any Dream Will Do". But when his father Jacob [Michael Fitzpatrick] gives him the colorful coat, the brothers' jealousies get him sold into slavery ["One More Angel in Heaven"] with Potiphar [also Michael Fitzpatrick] in Egypt where Potiphar's Wife [Madison Manning] attempts to seduce him ["Potiphar"], gets him thrown into jail where his interpretation of dreams captures the attention of Pharaoh [Jim Poulos] whose dreams Joseph interprets as representing seven years of plenty followed by seven years of drought, and enables Pharaoh["A Pharoah's Story"] to keep his people safe and prosperous; and sets the scene for Joseph to reunite with his family.

With its emphasis on sustained and entertaining energy, this Joseph... could benefit from toning down the volume that too often blurs many of the lyrics and renders singing voices to shrillness rather than clarity. This notwithstanding, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a pleasant way to end ASF's 52nd Season.

Pike Road: "Roald Dahl's 'Matilda, the Musical'"

Roald Dahl's 1988 novel, Matilda, tells the story of a precocious child who is unloved and mistreated by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and sent to a boarding school where her intellectual achievements are unacceptable to the abusively tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Though she manages to make a few friends among the students, and finds she has telekinetic powers that get her out of scrapes with the authorities, Matilda is encouraged to read and tell stories to Mrs. Phelps, and is ultimately rescued by a compassionate teacher, Miss Honey.

Several versions of Dahl's novel are available, the 2010 musical being one of the most popular, and which is currently part of the Pike Road Theatre Company's season.

There are several reasons to attend the award-winning Roald Dahl's "Matilda, the Musical" [book: Dennis Kelly; music and lyrics: Tim Minchin] in addition to the play itself:

• It is the first venture of the Pike Road Theatre Company in its new-found home at Faulkner University in a proper theatre facility that can showcase the play's production values;
• It has stunning multi-tasking sets with moving parts that quickly and seamlessly shift locations; and effectively creative lighting [neither designer is given credit in the program];
• It has beautifully rendered character driven costumes designed by Emily Blossom;
• It features Kim Isbell's masterful, athletic, challenging choreography delivered with precise and disciplined enthusiasm by the able ensemble cast;
• It is directed by James Keith Posey, whose attention to detail moves the action clearly forward with inventive staging and characterizations;
• It has an ensemble of veteran actors in principal roles, who inhabit their roles completely, warts-and-all [Jason Morgan and Kristen Vanderwal as the nasty Wormwood parents; Tara Troccia as the patient and concerned Mrs. Phelps; Jenifer Hollett as the voracious headmistress you love to hate, Miss Trunchbull; and Sarah Olguin as the faithful savior, Miss Honey];
• It is centered in a mature-beyond-her-years performance of 4th-grader Caroline Suggs in the title role, whose clear angelic singing voice, admirable stage presence, ability to connect with her stage partners, and confident interpretation of dialogue and lyrics carries this show on her very capable shoulders.

The 34-member ensemble cast do an admirable job in entertaining PRTC's largely sold-out audiences, and carry them along with effervescent enthusiasm. -- Accompanied by a recorded musical score, and with over-amplified voices, some dialogue and many of the lyrics are drowned out. We get the general meaning and intentions, but often have to struggle to hear the precise words.

Nonetheless, this production of Roald Dahl's "Matilda, the Musical" is a crowd-pleaser that deserves the enthusiastic applause at the final curtain.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "The Explorer's Club"

Smile, giggle, laugh, and snort your way through the outrageously comical The Explorer's Club that opened last night at The Cloverdale Playhouse. -- Nell Benjamin's witty script and over-the-top characters are pure fodder for director and scenic designer J. Scott Grinstead's nine ensemble actors: James-Louis Avery, Jon Carroll, Isaac Garrison, Jacob Holmberg, Sarah Housley, Chris Roquemore, Jan Roeton, Hunter Stewart, and Mike Winkelman. 

As the eccentric members of the men-only Explorer's Club gather in mid-Victorian London, each of whom has a specific scientific expertise, they bemoan the disappearance of their bartender. One member promotes admitting a woman to their membership -- controversial, of course, but she is, after all, both brilliant and good looking, and has just returned from an expedition to a fabled Lost City with one of the natives in tow.

Add a pompous bureaucrat, an Irish rebel, a poisonous snake, and the assorted in-fighting and romantic jealousies among the members, as well as confusions of the native as he navigates linguistic and cultural challenges, and the cumulative effect of the hijinks at hand is contagious laughter.

Mr. Grinstead's lush scenic design is period specific and detailed, creating an atmosphere that is supported by Sarah Kay's witty and character driven costumes, all enhanced by finely executed lighting [Jason Grinstead] and sound [Noah Henninger].

The action moves swiftly, its two acts lasting under two hours including intermission. -- The Explorer's Club is loud and funny, and the actors are a fine ensemble group who support one another throughout. Occasional comic lines are covered by audience laughter or stage business, but no matter...the madcap shenanigans keep the audience gleefully entertained.