Written by: Various Authors.
Directed by: Juliet K. Dunham and David Schappert
Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz
The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The Center Stage Players’ production of “An Evening of Comedy” which consisted of a number of short pieces. Many years ago, my nephew drew for me the distinction between the concepts of having fun and doing something enjoyable. He said that having fun is like going to an amusement parks, riding all the death defying rides, and surviving to the point with the desire to do it all again. On the other hand, doing something enjoyable was like going to a concert presenting Classical music and simply partaking of the experience along with all of its pleasant effects. The Center Stage Players’ production of “An Evening of Comedy” draws the distinction between watching a performance that is funny and one that is amusing.
If anyone comes to The Shawnee Playhouse to see The Center Stage Players’ production of “An Evening of Comedy” expecting to experience a rip roaring night of laughter, they would be sadly disappointed. However, if one enters the theatre with an open and thoughtful mind, they would leave with a little more insight into the world which they encounter throughout their daily lives. The revelations of the absurdities in human nature the plays reveals may induce a smile or even a chuckle. But, uproarious laughter? Maybe for some, but not many.
The show began with a piece written by Christopher Durang who is known for his outrageous and often absurd approach to theatrical comedy. The work presented was titled, “Mrs. Sorken” who was portrayed by Juliet K. Dunham (director of the piece and who serves on The Center Stage Players’ Board of Directors). The piece evolves around a monologue consisting of a talk on the properties of the theater. As with all such formal dissertations, the simple elements crucial to the artistic nature of the form becomes dissolved to the sum of it’s dissectible parts. This takes the fun right out of art and the play relishes the effects of this academic exercise by pointing out its absurdities.
Mrs. Sorken was followed by a collection of pieces titled “Life is Short” written by Craig Pospisil who has written more than forty short plays and musicals throughout his career winning awards for many of them. “Life is Short” consists of six pieces exploring several aspects of everyday life but contains enough absurd twists in each of them to make our familiar experiences more theatrical. They were directed by Juliet K. Dunham as well.
The first of these pieces was titled, “Whatever” in which two women named Jessica (as portrayed by Jessica Santos) and Liz (as portrayed by Jessica Moy) explore the darker sides of relationships.
The next piece was titled, “On the Edge” in which a man named Gene (as portrayed by Kris Wolter) is contemplating suicide until a fellow partygoer named Sammy (as portrayed by Marjorie Lawler) strikes a less than comforting conversation with him.
The next piece was titled, “Class Conflict” in which a kindergartener named Billy (as portrayed by Jon Baptiste) meets a fellow kindergartener named Megan (as portrayed by Jessica Moy) who informs him of his legal rights.
The next piece was titled, “The Last December” in which an elderly couple (as portrayed by Sue Butler who serves as the vice president of The Center Stage Players and Jack Butler) prepares for their annual task.
The next piece was titled, “Infant Morality” in which a couple whose names are Phillip Hackett (as portrayed by Jon Baptiste) and Stephanie Hackett (as portrayed by Jessica Santos) who enter a hospital with their new born baby only to learn from a nurse named Trish (as portrayed by Sarah McCarroll) and her supervisor named Pamela Warden (as portrayed by Juliet K. Dunham) the hospital has no return policy.
The final piece of the collection written by Craig Pospisil was titled, “A Mother’s Love” in which a woman named Melissa (as portrayed by Sarah McCarroll) seeks to defend her preschool age child from the harmful aspects of a school environment along with the actions she took to safeguard her child.
The concluding piece for “An Evening of Comedy” was titled, “Out At Sea” and was written by Sławomir Mrożek who has become notable for his work in the Theater of the Absurd which often portrayed non-realistic situations and approaches to the problems such situations created. While the previous works by Christopher Durang and Craig Pospisil presented offered a more subtle wandering into the absurdities of life, Sławomir Mrożek takes a sledge hammer to such subtleties and forces the audience see his messages unfiltered. The piece was Directed by David Schappert who also served as the production’s Lighting Designer and Technician.
The work itself is about three well dressed socialite women named Fat (as portrayed by Pat Van Varick who serves on The Center Stage Players’ Board of Directors), Medium (as portrayed by Katie Rubino), and Thin (as portrayed by Shannon Christmann) who find themselves adrift on a raft at sea and running out of food. Their solution to their dilemma is to resort to cannibalism and therefore endeavor to decide who will be their next meal. During their deliberations, they are met by a mail carrier (as portrayed by Audrey Haskell) and a servant (as portrayed by Marjorie Lawler) for various reasons. It’s a bit much to comprehend the logic but that is what makes the play enjoyable.
The over all production of “An Evening of Comedy” was very well done. The direction given consisted of some simple blocking which fit well with the material. The acting was very well done with notable exception to that done by 11 year old Katie Rubino who demonstrated a talent beyond her years. It is hoped by this reviewer she will be seen in many future productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse and other theatrical venues. There is, however, one note relating to the production that should be made.
Shortly before the production was to be presented, an actress named Judy Lawler took ill and had to be taken to the hospital where (to the best of this reviewer’s knowledge) she still remains in recovery. Her roles for the production were that of Pamela Warden in “Infant Morality” and the Mail Carrier in “Out at Sea.” They were filled for the presentation I saw by the actresses mentioned earlier. However, these roles may be filled by others in future productions and, hopefully, by Ms. Lawler herself once she returns to the stage. I hope you’ll join with me and the entire playhouse in providing a good thought toward her wellness.
The pieces written by Christopher Durang and those by Craig Pospisil in The Center Stage Players’ production of “An Evening of Comedy” were Directed by Juliet K. Dunham. The piece written by Sławomir Mrożek was Directed by David Schappert and Choreographed by Kaitie Kaiser. The production was Stage Managed by Lillian Ramirez-Gonzalez who also serves as The Center Stage Players’ Secretary. This presentation of The Center Stage Players’ production of “An Evening of Comedy” will conclude its run at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA on April 29th. I would recommend seeing this production to all those willing to look at the absurdities of life and be amused by them.
The Center Stage Players is a non-profit community theater group which was formed in April of 1990 and led by a board of directors. Membership is open to everyone regardless of experience. All auditions to their productions are open to the public as they strive to provide an environment in which persons with an interest in theater can grow and develop in all aspects of theater. Besides those listed in leadership positions earlier in this review, Patrick Turner serves as The Center Stage Players’ President, Katherine Neville serves as The Center Stage Players’ Treasurer, and Dan Eash who serves on The Center Stage Players’ Board of Directors. Please feel free to Explore The Center Stage Players Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Center-Stage-Players/119909224794468 to learn more information about them.
The Shawnee Playhouse provides professional quality year-round entertainment in a historic yet comfortable setting while bringing their guests a variety of theatrical experiences to the residents and vacationers of the area. They also serve as a training ground for young theatre performers and technicians. The Executive Director of The Shawnee Playhouse is Midge McClosky while the producers are Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood. Their Group Sales Manager is Mary Horn with Becky Haskell serving in Marketing and Sales. The Box Office Staff consists of Stacey Mattern.
Future presentations at The Shawnee Playhouse will include The Center Stage Players’ production of “The Lion in Winter” running May 4th to the 13th, The SCOMC production of “Trying” running May 18th to the 27th, and “They’re Playing Our Song” running May 30th to September 1st. Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their Website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information and to reserve your ticket.
Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee for all productions of The Shawnee Playhouse designated as Feature or Headline Shows.
Image provided by The Center Stage Players.
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