Alexandria's 'Prelude to a Kiss' ain't your sweet nothin's

Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter and Brianna Goode is Rita in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The title of the newest show at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, Prelude to a Kiss, made me think I was in for a "rom-com" of a night.

Or, I was hoping for one.

It was likely that my mood and delight in the romantic picture used for the promotion (a bride and groom embracing) led me to believe the play was going to be a lighthearted evening of laughs and fun, a prescription to help relieve, however momentarily, days of trials and tribulations. 

Not.

The plot involves a speedy relationship that develops between Peter (Smithchai Chutchainon) and Rita (Brianna Goode).

With adult humor, adult language, and adult content, it proves to be serious, contemporary stuff, not for the carefree, the blithesome or anyone needing respite.

Fun? 

It's a "thinking person's play" necessitating brain work (but I didn't want to think!).

What's going on?

From left, Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle, Liz Leboo is his wife, and Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The couple "falls in love" (or infatuation) and the bride suddenly takes on a new identity, given to her by a sci-fi creature (Cliff Rieger) who shows up at the wedding, uninvited, and just happens to kiss the bride on the lips with permission, mind you, and presto! New person.

You know the kind: Wedding crashers everywhere.

Chutchainon's strong acting and voice are critical elements which carry the play, especially since Goode is at times hard to hear, when she turns from the audience and speaks fast, sometimes in a whisper.

Thank goodness for her "dad" (Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle) who provides humor which director Maggie Mumford flushes out with exaggerated expressions and animation to sharply contrast with the dark script.

I never wanted Dr. Boyle to leave! Could he go with them on their "honeymoon"? 

Mrs. Boyle, his wife, is acted by Liz Leboo, an understudy who held her own quite well with all the forces at work, thank you very much.

The stark set (by Peter Mumford, the director's husband and her "favorite set designer") has different levels of long flat boards which quickly transition to seats, a bed, a home, apartment, the beach, and a bar with simple props (by Shelby Baker) which complement the sad and flat tempo.

On their honeymoon, a backdrop of Jamaican palm trees and sky enhance the mood with desired visual changes.

JK Lighting Design skillfully targets the groom's soliloquies while Peter searches for the truth and questions the meaning of events. The few seconds of "the kiss" exude a remarkable halo effect with a golden bouquet.

For de rigueur elements in contemporary drama, the two men kiss as well.

There's something here for everyone, but don't expect to go skipping out LTA's doors with a song in your heart. It's not a happy-go-lucky night, but one you'll want to "live now" or forever hold your peace.

Whatever happens, don't kiss any strangers on your wedding night!

The play by Craig Lucas was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 1990 and the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1991.

Alternative title: Postlude to Confusion

Other cast members are:

Brendan Chaney, Deja Elliott, Amber Kelly-Herard, Casey Kniseley, Joey Pierce, and Kelly Trott.

Other creative team members:

Carol Strachan and Alan Wray, producers; Donna Kenley, production assistant; Melissa Dunlap and Cleo Potter, stage managers; Tom O’Reilly, master carpenter; David Correia, sound.

Also,  Russell M. Wyland, rigging; Mary Ferrara and Ramah Johnson, assistant stage managers; Mary Wallace, costumes; Robin Maline, hair/makeup; Deborah Remmers, set decoration; Diedre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting and Ruben Vellekoop, intimacy choreographer.

What: Prelude to a Kiss

When: Now through June 25, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 1.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

Adult language: Lots

Adult theme: Yes

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. Dash is free to ride and has routes which are close to LTA.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.
boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

 

Make way for Alexandria's 'Blue Stockings'

Paul Donahoe (Mr. Banks), Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison) in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

A "blue stocking" in 19th century England was a derisive term meaning a woman who eschewed "wifely duties" and pursuits of the home to advance her own intellectual goals, namely, that of mind enrichment and learning. 

You sometimes hear the term today.   

In this Women's History Month, the Little Theatre of Alexander brings to the stage, Blue Stockings, the first play by Jessica Swale (b. 1982) which presents four young ladies who pursue a higher education, amidst ridicule and attacks by "gentlemen" students who, then as they do now, set about to mold the women, according to their desired tastes. 

"She wants to be a scientist; alas!  She's a woman!" Tsk! Tsk!

Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Elizabeth Replogle (Miss Blake), Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat) in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

The setting is Cambridge University at the first female college for women, Girton College, established in 1869. (It would be another 79 years before women would be accepted at Cambridge [1948].) 

The first scene of the play opens at what appears to be the university or a prison, maybe both.

The drama hits several themes, including females who ride bicycles (this is a theme?) and want to gain their independence, seeking opportunities to attend and graduate from the university. 

Change is hard to tolerate in most circumstances, and these "gentlemen" are going to have none of it!

At least, most of them.

(Back row) Tegan Cohen (Carolyn Addison), Melissa Dunlap (Celia Willbond), Madeline Byrd (Tess Moffat), Ilyana Rose-Dávila (Maeve Sullivan)

(Front row) Robert Heinly (Dr. Maudsley/Professor Collins), Anne Hilleary (Miss Bott/Mrs. Lindley), Michael King (Holmes), Ali Cheraghpour (Edwards), James Blacker (Lloyd), Paul Donahoe (Mr. Banks)  in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Blue Stockings/Photo by Matt Liptak

Enter "Dr. Maudsley" (Robert Heinly), based on a real character, and soon to bear the hatred of most audience members. He questions, he undermines, he belittles the women in his gruff and domineering manner with a commanding voice, seizing every moment, every spotlight and devouring all the attention whenever he's on stage. 

He is thoroughly disgusting and it takes only seconds to grow to hate him.  I believe it was he who said, "This is a lecture hall, not a laundromat," but he was 65 years too early since the term was not used until 1934.

Meanwhile, to counterbalance this most unlikable of unlikables, is "Professor Banks" superbly portrayed by Paul Donahoe, a humorous fellow who exercises patience and support for the women and their goals.

Mr. Donahoe's seesawing hand and arm motions, flung out like the wings of a pterosaur, add energy and enthusiasm to his character.  He is a hero in the time of none (or, one). 

Liz LeBoo as the real-life "Mrs. Welsh," the college head mistress, makes for a stern, yet sympathetic leader.

I loved "Miss Bott" (Anne Hilleary), a perfectly good chaperone and women's hall advisor, so typical in her physical appearance and garb, not as blind and deaf as she seems (like most house mothers!). 

Madeline Byrd is "Tess Moffat," one of the four young women who receives most of the attention and earnestly carries out her duties as a discriminated woman. 

Some humor arrives when the librarian (Joel Durgavich) loudly shushes everybody in the grand manner of yesteryear. 

The British accents came across as unaffected and realistic, not pretentious and overdone, as they often are.

Costumer Joan Lawrence dressed the women according to the times, but the men's apparel seemed to diverge from the era.

Initial derogatory comments about women brought some murmurs of laughter from audience which made me a little uncomfortable that anyone would laugh at these remarks in the 21st century. We still have far to go.

A provocative production which I did not anticipate would bring me to tears, but there they flowed in the last scene, leaving me to think I'm a lucky gal to live now, instead of then! 

Other cast members:  Madeline Byrd, Ilyana Rose-Davila, Melissa Dunlap (also, the dance choreographer), Tegan Cohen, Ali Cheraghpour, James Blacker, Michael King (also fight captain), John Paul Odle, Michael Townsend, Elizabeth Replogle, Khalia Muhammad (also, assistant to the director), Michael Rufo, Will Cooke, Manus Nunan, and Hilary Adams (also, assistant director).

Also in the production crew: Lloyd Bittinger, Margaret Chapman, Christine Farrell, producers; Marzanne Claiborne, director;  Meredith Kirchner, Joan A.S. Lada, stage managers; A.K. Camper, Steve Lada, assistant stage managers and (Lada) combat choreographer;  Margaret Snow, wardrobe chief; Domenica Marchetti, language coach; Robin Maline, hair/wigs/makeup; Franklin Colemen, lighting; Donna Reynolds, property design; Charles Dragonette, set design and dressing; Jim Hutzler and Jeff Nesmeyer, set construction; Diedre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting; Alan Wrap, sound; Art Snow, special effects coordinator; Beverley Benda, vocal coach, Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

LTA's Covid-19 Attendance Policy requires all persons to provide proof of full vaccination AND to wear a mask inside LTA (including during the performance).

What: Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale

When: Now through Mar. 19, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.  The Sunday 2 p.m. performance on Mar. 13 is sold out!

How much:  $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778. Email: boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

Patricialesli@gmail.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

Will Alexandria's 'Bright Star' be extended?

                        Bright Star on stage now at the Little Theatre of Alexandria

There's a saying in Washington that if you really want to see a performance, better go ahead and get the tickets now and not spend too much time thinking about it or the show might sell out, which is what has happened with Bright Star at the Little Theatre of Alexandria.

It's a musical with a homespun twist, a local yarn, and a live nine-member bluegrass band.

And just what the doctor ordered to brighten a day and provide a few hours' escape from this cold and dastardly covid winter. 

But what a couple of hours they are!

For a trip to North Carolina's hills and pretty skies of changing colors with twangy chords, come on along and see and hear them here and enjoy a storyline, too.

   

Maura Lacy is Alice Murphy and Joshua Nettinga is Jimmy Ray Dobbs in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Bright Star/Photo by Matt Liptak.

It's a night of make believe but based on a true story of a woman who falls in love, endures a tragedy of unspeakable horror, and grows up to be a dispirited editor. Nearby, a parallel life unfolds as a young man (Preston Grover as Billy) returns from military service in World War II and sets about on his own adult path, meeting a girl, finding work, romance, and more.

The star of the show is Maury Lacy as the versatile and glamourous Alice Murphy, a flirty young thing (weren't we all like that?) who transitions into a straitlaced, no-nonsense journal editor with little joy in life, until....

Joshua Nettinga is convincing as a true amour whose love never dies. Billy is the hometown boy done good, and I am always delighted to find Patricia Nicklin in a cast since she's compelling in whatever role she's got (here as Mama Murphy, Alice's mother). 

My favs in this show though were Ashton Schaffer (Daryl) and 

Audrey Baker (Lucy) who work for Ms. Murphy and counterbalance her strict ways at the office and elsewhere. Sure, the script had a lot to do with their funny portrayals, but Ms. Baker's exaggerated mannerisms, prancing and delivery always produced out loud laughs.  

What a delightful twosome they were, and laughter I like! 

Another acting favorite was Jamey Pellegrini, the swashbuckling demagogic mayor who elicited the audience's animosity as intended.

The play jumps back and forth from the 1920s to the 1940s but is not as disjointed and hard to follow as it may appear, however, some roles interrupt the show's flow, and I did question the large part of Margo (Audrey Landau Townsend). She is Billy's romance. 

Costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley had their hands full, skillfully designing garments (especially the mayor's getup) for the two time periods for a cast of 27.

While none of the songs may be familiar, the uncommon tunes do not dilute enjoyment, with their magnificent harmonies, most with the ensemble, to carry a girl's heart away. 

A little schmaltzy and overdramatic, maybe. A little predictable, yes, but still, quite entertaining and that's why we go, isn't it? 

The wonderful accompaniment by the onstage band (behind high wooden fencing in Matt Liptak's folksy set) with guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, fiddle, and more make joyful sounds.

The "Bright Star" in this show is the ensemble who dances and sings to music which was nominated for a Grammy.

Yes, Audience: There really is a Zebulon, North Carolina.

Will the show be extended?  We DMVers do hope!

If you are Steve Martin (yes, THE Steve Martin) or Edie Brickell, the duo which created the story, book, and music, the LTA's box office manager, Jeffery Westlake, just might find seats for you since Mr. Martin and Ms. Brickell need to get to Alexandria pronto and see what this fabulous team has done with their creation.

It'll make them right proud, I must say.

Other cast members are Joseph Peacock, Drew Goins, Jasmine Jones, Caleigh Riordan Davis, Steven Palkovitz, Michael Gale, Rene “Kieth” Flores, Jeremy Venook, and Alicia Braxton.

The ensemble includes Anna Longenecker, Sally Ann Flores, Maya Focht, Eamonn Herbold, Carolina Sramek, Sophia Stine, Xander Stine, Maya Topalhan, Elena Wear, and Leah Wong.

Paige Rammelkamp, assisted by Justin DeLong and Lucia LaNave direct the music. Band members are Chuck Perryman, Patrick Costanzo, Clyde Bowie, Noah Dail, Jason Labrador, Tim Thulson, Sara Korpeck Farris, Stephen Kelsey, Emilie Mitchell, and Sedale McCall.

Other crew members are: Hilary Adams and Jamie Blake, producers; Rachel Alberts, assistant producer; Emily “EJ” Jonas, director, intimacy coordinator, and fight choreographer; Ramah Johnson, stage manager; Pauline Lamb, choreographer and dialect coach; Jim Hutzler, Jeff Nesmeyer,  Stacey Becker, and Charles Dragonette, set construction, painting and design; Allison Gray-Mendes, technicals and properties; Jeffrey Scott Auerbach and Kimberly Crago, lighting, assisted by Cleo Potter; David Correia, sound; Karen Sagun and Robin Worthington, wardrobe; Larissa Norris, makeup; Chanel Lancaster, hair; and Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

What: Bright Star

When: Now through Feb. 5, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778. Email: boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

A Halloween treat at Alexandria's 'Wait until Dark'

 

Brendan Chaney (Carlino) and Mel Gumina (Susy) in Wait Until Dark at The Little Theatre of Alexandria//Photo by Matthew Randall

In Susy's world, it's always dark. Susy is blind.

Mel Gumina's portrayal of a blind woman sucked up in a web of crime in Wait Until Dark at the Little Theatre of Alexander is so believable that it wasn't until the end of the show when the cast came out on stage to receive applause that I knew for certain she was not handicapped.

Just call me sucked in by her performance!

For those who have a vague recollection of Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 movie classic of the same name, Ms. Gumina's performance is spot on.

At LTA Susy stumbles from overturned chair to table and back again trying to outwit three con men who have tracked a drug-filled doll to her apartment and have come calling for the goods.

Mel Gumina (Susy) and Julia Stimson (Gloria) in Wait Until Dark at The Little Theatre of Alexandria/Photo by Matthew Randall

The bad guys are able to hoodwink Susy and play coy, but her acute hearing, aided by the ploys of a young teen neighbor, Gloria (who knows a thing or two about dolls) upset the drug dealers. Their game culminates in what seems like an interminable finale (and one labeled by Bravo as one of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments).

Gloria is played alternately by Juliet Strom and Julia Stimson whose soft voice and fastspeak were hard at times to understand. Although little in size compared to the adults, she stands tall against the pack, full of confidence and fearless against the evildoers.

With his heft, Yankee accent, and mannerisms reminiscent of Joe Pesci, Brendan Chaney, one of the bad guys, convincingly brings his nefarious ways to the stage.

Outstanding sound (by Janice Rivera) and a detailed set (Julie Fischer) combine to immediately engage the audience from the get-go.

And when it comes to windows, nobody beats LTA's. In this show, two of them are built high on a wall to let in the lamp lights from the street and more. Gloria will show 'em.

Before the show starts, 1960s music sets the tempo, but appliances say it's the 1940s which may be only a reflection of what Susy and her husband (Ryan Washington) can afford.

The females wear current fashion while costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley dress the males in coats and ties to belie their occupations and appear in total contrast to today's criminals who dress like everyone else. (Seconds and thirds are all right!)

Director Heather Benjamin guides the cast in fast action in this Greenwich Village romp.

Lee Remick was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress when she was Susy on Broadway and Robert Duvall played one of the con men. Others who acted in later productions were Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino, but the show is best remembered as the movie which earned Ms. Hepburn an Oscar nomination.

Frederick Knott's play was such a compelling story in 1966, the movie rights were immediately sold to become one of the American Film Institute's 100 most exciting movies, says Wikipedia.

Other LTA cast members are Brendan Quinn and Adam R. Adkins as more bad guys; Bill Gery and Michael Townsend, policemen.

More members of the creative team are Michael J. Fisher, assistant director; Alicia Goodman and Margaret "MEJ" Evans-Joyce, producers; Nick Friedlander and Lauren Markovich, stage managers; Stefan Sittig, fight and intimacy choreographer; Mona Wargo, set painting; Allison Gray-Mendes, set dressing and properties; JK Lighting Design; Margaret Snow, wardrobe; Chanel Lancaster, makeup and hair. 

What: Wait Until Dark

When: Now through November 6, 2021, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 10 minute intermission.

Adult language: None, but there is some cigarette smoking.

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. (Dash is now free to ride and several routes come within steps of LTA.)

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.
boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com


patricialesli@gmail.com

'Rumors' run wild in Alexandria

Starring in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Rumors are, from bottom left up the stairs: Kirk Lambert as Glenn Cooper, Roxanne Waite as Cassie Cooper, Peter Halverson as Ernie Cusack, Janice Rivera as Cookie Cusack. On the top landing from left: Stephanie Chu Rudden as Chris Gorman, Mike Rudden as Ken Gorman, Jayne L. Victor as Claire Ganz and Mike Donahue as Lenny Ganz/photo by Matthew Randall

With Neil Simon (1927-2018) driving the content and four dressed-up New York couples ready to party-hearty, what do you expect? 

It's an evening of hilarious Shakespearean farce at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, enough to make you forget about the day's troubles for a while and don't we all need that?

The laughs begin almost immediately in Rumors when real-life husband and wife Mike Rudden and Stephanie Chu Rudden as the Gormans start the action. 

Ken Gorman has discovered a problem. 

Help!  There's a crime underway!  

It takes only moments for three more couples to arrive at Charlie and Myra's to celebrate the couple's 10th wedding anniversary, but where are Charlie and Myra? 

And (more importantly), where is the food?  Thank goodness, the liquor is available.

Rumors run rampant. 

It's a laugh, a conflict, and expletive-a-minute.

Almost stealing the show is Mike Donahue as Lenny Ganz who delivers a strong commanding performance, but please, the "adult" words! Skimming the script, I don't find them. Are they supposed to make the production more timely?  Ouch!  My ears are aching.  I cannot imagine any party where this offensive language is heard so often.

But, officer!  My brand-new BMW with only 12 miles has been wrecked!

As supporting spouse, Mr. Donahue's real-life and stage wife, Jayne L. Victor, nicely augments her husband's role. 

Peter Halverson is Ernie Cusack, the realistic and dazed husband of "Cookie" (Janice Rivera), a charming, spacy actor who is laugh-a-minute every time she utters a line, reminiscent of SNL's "girl at a party."   

Hairdresser Rebecca Harris has designed a pyramid wig for the head of "Cassie" (Roxanne Waite) who enters the party performing a balancing act worthy of an Olympic contest. 

A metamorphosis in the bathroom crystalizes her personality as a slithering woman who needs the comfort of anyone but her husband (Kirk Lambert). 

Whatever shall we do?  

No food, no celebrants, but a crime is underway and here come the cops, with Joe Dzikiewics as Officer Welch leading an investigation, usurped by the wild exaggerations and animated gestures of his silent partner, Eileen Copas as Officer Pudney.

Seated are Peter Halverson as Ernie Cusack and Janice Rivera as Cookie Cusack; standing from left are Joe Dzikiewicz as Officer Welch, Mike Rudden as Ken Gorman, and Eileen Copas as Officer Pudney in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Rumors/photo by Matthew Randall

Everyone is formally attired (applause to designer Judy Whelihan), able to overlook red spots on white shirts. (I don't know why I find theater more enjoyable when characters are dressed for the ball, and ball they have in Rumors.)

Sound engineer Alan Wray has his hands full, ringing the too-loud doorbell. And the phone. (That phone conflicts with the timing of the show if expletives were added to make it more "contemporary.")  

Charles Dragonette has created an exquisite set for the prancing and dancing of the couples in this circus. Scene changes, not necessary. 

It's an enjoyable time with these quartets, enough to make you laugh out loud which is not only good for the soul but good for the heart, too.  

Fun at the theatre returns! And to accommodate the new mood, the Little Theatre is selling extra seating. 

Other crew members are Matthew Randall, director; Nick Friedlander and Jennifer Lyman, producers; Sarah Holt, assistant producer; Lauren Markovich and Meggie Webster, stage managers; Julie Fischer and Dan Remmers, set construction; Kirstin Apker, props; Ken and Patti Crowley, lighting; Sam Jensen, master electrician;  Larissa Norris, makeup; Margaret Snow, wardrobes; Mona Wargo, set painting; and Russell M. Wyland, rigging.

What:  Rumors by Neil Simon

When: Now through August 14, 2021, Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. Some shows, nearing sellouts.

Where: Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 2 hours with one intermission. 

Adult language:  Yes and plenty of it. Totally gratuitous.

Masks: Required.  No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.

boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com 

patricialesli@gmail.com

Alexandria's wild ride on a 'Ripcord'

 

Janice Zucker, left, is Abby and Marsha Rehns  is Marilyn in Ripcord  now on stage at Little Theatre of Alexandria/Photo by Matthew Randall

I loved this show.  It's solid entertainment: You cry, you laugh, listen and wonder:  Is that me?

It was much more than expected: delightful, charming, funny, and with a message or two.

What's a ripcord for anyway?

Janice Zucker is Abby and Matt Baughman is the "masked man" in Ripcord now on stage at Little Theatre of Alexandria/Photo by Matthew Randall

Before the show started, the Little Theatre of Alexandria treated the audience to "air" music which made me happy, hearing John Denver singing Leaving on a Jet Plane and Frank Sinatra, Come Fly with Me .  

The whimsical music between scenes perfectly fit the content.

It's a production which grows on you, building  while the dialogue develops, rather like a skydiver whose speed and momentum climb while falling.  What appears at the beginning to be a slow, easy-going  play ends up much more than what this  theatergoer expected, and it's unpredictable!  One of the best features.  

Two little old ladies are roommates at a "senior living facility"; one, "Abby" (Janice Zucker), meaner than a rattlesnake you might surprise on the desert, and the other, "Marilyn" (Marsha Rehns), as sweet as strawberry pie which matches the colors she wears.  (Costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley realistically dress the two in colors to match their personalities, with one later experiencing a color  transformation.)

It doesn't take long for this duo of mismatched to engage in banner and wits to see who can win a bet:  To make one roommate angry, and the other, afraid. 

 Shall we say, they go to extremes to win the bet? 

The acting is whiz-bang.  If you think this will be as motionless as life in the slow lane  (like that boring film of old people portrayed in this year's Mole Agent ), you ain't seen nuthin' yet!  

Daughter "Colleen" (Kathy Ohlhaber has dual roles) is shrieking dynamic, accompanied by two  (Adam Ressa and  Matt Baughman, both in multiple roles) who help her with "tricks." Let's fly away and have fun while we're doing it!

Rounding out the cast is "Scotty" (Cameron McBride), the nurse who leads the roommates on life at their "home."

Although the program calls him a "masked man," Mr. Baughman appeared to me to be a man wearing a rabbit's head, and just thinking about this scene, even before a word was spoken from the stage, made me laugh out loud. 

Other scenes are right out funny, too.  A hanging got my goat, but good.  The Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire must have had some experience with nursing homes. 

The bedroom's set is realistic (by Jim Hutzler and

Jocelyn Steiner), efficiently covered several times by a dropdown sheet of excellent artistry  to convey a new scene, like a bench at a park, a skyride, or parachuting from an airplane. 

Simple enough, yes?

Abby receives a "ripcord" for life.  While I watched, I thought:  "Oh, please, Lord, don't let it be me! There but for the grace of God go I" for I know two little old ladies who are almost the same and could use a "ripcord" prescription and maybe, more than one.  (They probably think I could stand one, too!) 

Applause to the sound and projection designer (Jon Roberts assisted by Brook Easterly) who handles multiple tasks, adding much enjoyment to the show. 

I must agree with Director Jessie Roberts who writes in program notes that playwright Lindsay-Abaire is underappreciated.  I can't wait to see his Rabbit Hole. 

Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a wild, hilarious ride in Alexandria.

Family matters.

Other production team members for the show are Lynn O'Connell and Alan Wray, producers; Robert Kraus, assistant producer; Brittany  Huffman and Donna Reynolds, stage managers; Stacey Becker, set painter;Jeff Auerbach and Kimberly Crago, lighting designers; Kadira Coley, hair and makeup; Jamie Blake and Julie Naughton, wardrobe

Thank you, LTA, for the printed program!

What:  Ripcord  by David Lindsay-Abaire

When: Now through June 26, 2021, Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m.


Where: Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.


Tickets: $24 + $$3.09 handling fee.  Wednesday and Thursday performances are discounted $3 with code WEDTHUR.

Duration: About 2 hours with one 10-minute pause stretch.

Adult language:  Yes

Masks: Required.  No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.  Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

'Emily Dickinson' stars in Alexandria

Karen Jadloss Shotts is Emily Dickinson in Little Theatre of Alexandria's The Belle of Amherst/Photo by Matthew Liptak

It's a delight to sing the tune without the words and celebrate National Poetry Month with Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), her life and poems which the Little Theatre of Alexandria does in its new production, The Belle of Amherst.

Karen Jadlos Shotts is an energetic Emily in this one-actor, two-act autobiographical sketch by William Luce, directed by Frank D. Shutts, II. who is the LTA president and director of more than 70 shows, 27 at LTA.

Before I even got to the theatre, I liked what I expected to hear and see, Emily Dickinson's poetry in person, on a stage by a character in dress!

I was not disappointed.

Ms. Shotts is much more animated than I would have imagined the reclusive Ms. Dickinson to be. She enlivens the poet's life realistically with imaginary conversations with the scholar, "Mr. Higginson," with family members and with others.

Karen Jadloss Shotts is Emily Dickinson in Little Theatre of Alexandria's The Belle of Amherst/Photo by Matthew Liptak

She glides across the stage almost non-stop from one side to the other, flowing like her words, and stopping sometimes to extend her hands and stretch her arms high overhead like a cat yawning. She removes her long white apron and then puts it on again, all the while delivering Emily Dickinson's best-known works and describing her life.

I tie my Hat—

I crease my Shawl— 

Life's little duties do—

precisely— 

As the very least Were infinite—to me—

A silver tea set becomes useful when Emily has a cup or two with her imaginary guests in the family's Victorian house in Amherst, Massachusetts where Emily spent the majority of her adult life.

She speaks negatively of her nosy neighbors 

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one's name – the livelong June –

To an admiring Bog! 

and speaks glowingly of her father, and only after his death does her ill mother make an "appearance."

I measure every Grief I meet
With narrow, probing, eyes – 
I wonder if It weighs like Mine – 
Or has an Easier size.

I wonder if They bore it long – 
Or did it just begin – 
I could not tell the Date of Mine – 
It feels so old a pain – 

I wonder if it hurts to live – 
And if They have to try – 
And whether – could They choose between – 
It would not be – to die – 

The play follows Emily's life until death, always accompanied by her poetry and much-welcome splices of humor.  Was she humorous?

I could not conceive that LTA's Emily would stay cooped up in a house for years as Emily Dickinson chose to live. But, the director begs the actor's animation and energy to keep the production moving, necessary to sustain attention in today's world, much better than watching the poet sit at a desk and mouth the words.

This is my letter to the World

That never wrote to Me —

The simple News that Nature told

With tender Majesty

Her Message is committed

To Hands I cannot see —

For love of Her — Sweet — countrymen

Judge tenderly — of Me 

Myke Taister has created a nicely filled, almost overcrowded set of Emily's bedroom and. a few steps below, the family parlor with lots to see and distract from poetry: framed photographs, paintings, lamps, windows on either side of the stage and curtains rustling with the wind.

Sound by Janice Rivera and Donna Hauprich is excellent, just the right amount and volume, as horses and carriages come and go outside Emily's windows, and music and church bells can be heard at other times.

In her room 

I taste a liquor never brewed –
From Tankards scooped in Pearl –
Not all the Frankfort Berries
Yield such an Alcohol!

Inebriate of air – am I –
And Debauchee of Dew –
Reeling – thro' endless summer days –
From inns of molten Blue –

And she

I never saw a Moor —
I never saw the Sea —
Yet know I how the Heather looks
And what a Billow be.

I never spoke with God
Nor visited in Heaven —
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the Checks were given —

Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley have fashioned under Emily's apron a dull candlelight long dress which fits Ms. Shotts like a large potato sack from neck to floor. Arms covered, of course, and all in a shade of white which is what Emily Dickinson always wore:  An angel of poetry?

In program notes Director Shutts hopes that LTA's illumination of Ms. Dickinson will provide guests with "a greater appreciation" of the poet and "how her phosphorescence now shines brighter than her contemporaries!"

It does!

My life closed twice before its close—
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

Because I could not stop for Death – 
He kindly stopped for me – 
The Carriage held but just Ourselves – 
And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility – 

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring – 
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – 
We passed the Setting Sun – 

Or rather – He passed us – 
The Dews drew quivering and chill – 
For only Gossamer, my Gown – 
My Tippet – only Tulle – 

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground – 
The Roof was scarcely visible – 
The Cornice – in the Ground – 

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity – 

Emily Dickinson fans will want to rush and get tickets to see and hear the poet speak her songs.
Several of the shows are sold out.

LTA is seating about 25 percent of its capacity, strictly following covid-guidelines for masks and social distancing,



Other Belle of Amherst production members include Russell M. Wyland, producer; Melanie "Mim" Blower and Marg Soroos, stage managers; Jeff Auerbach and Kimberly Crago, lighting; Helen Bard-Sobola and Bobbie Herbst, properties; Chanel Lancaster, make-up; Robin Maline, hair.What: The Belle of Amherst by William Luce


When: Now through May 15, 2021, Wednesday through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.


Where: Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. 


Tickets: Start at $24. Several shows are sold out.

Duration: About 90 minutes with one 10-minute pause.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performance times at the Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.

Asklta@thelittletheatre.com


patricialesli@gmail.com

Make way for Alexandria's 'Revolutionists'

From left: Justine Summers is Olympe de Gouges; Sophie de Waal, Marie Antoinette; Melanie Kurstin, Charlotte Corday, and Dayalini Pocock, Marianne Angelle in Little Theatre of Alexandria's The Revolutionists/Photo by Matt Liptak

It's back to the past. 

If it had not been 10 p.m., if it had not been another cold night, I was ready to join other audience members so moved as I to take to the streets and demand change and action, following the powerful message delivered from the stage of the Little Theatre of Alexandria.

The actors were The Revolutionists; the time was 1793 during the height of the French Revolution's  Reign of Terror, but it could have been today when a quartet of unlikely acquaintances gather to urge a playwright to compose a work of what she wants, not what she knows.

Yes, a play within a play with a timeless statement on issues which vex us more than two centuries later.  From left are Marie Antoinette (Sophie de Waaland) and Olympe de Gouge (Justine Summers) in Little Theatre of Alexandria's The Revolutionists/Photo by Matt Liptak

The women argue about the play's content while Olympe de Gouges (Justine Summers) tries haphazardly to write and seize the moment.

A  realistic guillotine is the centerpiece of the sophisticated set with a long red drape hanging nearby ("better to capture your head, my dear") and a floor increasingly littered by the playwright's tossed drafts.  Steps add dimension to the scenes, changed only by the actors who prance in and out, often mad at their world and screaming, just to be sure you get the message.

Director Jennifer Lyman writes in program notes that she chose Revolutionists because she's a fan of the playwright, Lauren Gunderson ("the most produced playwright in America two seasons" before Covid-19 shut theatre doors). But Ms. Lyman hesitated to recommend it to LTA because of its "kick-ass, girl-power, meta-theatrical, modern, irreverent, anachronistic, political feminist" mindset. (Weak men need not attend.)

Marianne Angelle (Dayalini Pocock) is a Haitian fictional rebel, the smoothest of the lot, who, much like a mother, tries to stabilize the group with reason v. emotion.  while screams and yells abound, and shouts for the need to kill fill the stage. (Charlotte Corday [Melanie Kurstin] succeeds.)

Jean-Joseph Weerts, The Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday on 13 July 1793, 1880/Public Domain, Wikimedia 

And just when you think serious might overtake the script, in waltzes the frilly, the silly Marie Antoinette (Sophie de Waal)  with a petit trianon voice to match her persona and gown, and hair (by Chanel Lancaster) as high as Marge Simpson's.  

Her boudoir with Versailles's elegant windows help embellish the queen's role and reputation. 

Costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley dress the characters in fashionable floor-length gowns of the period in colors and styles to mirror their personalities (dull for the playwright, smart for the Haitian, white for the killer, lacy for the queen).

Sound designer David Correia, assisted by Will Gregg and Donna Hauprich, handle their multiple assignments exceptionally, busy they are all evening with chants,  sprinkles of Les Miserables music, crowd noise, and the ka-chunk, thunk of the guillotine as it falls upon the heads of the victims.  

Lighting changes are right on time, illuminating the stage with bright red every time a prisoner steps up to the chopping block, or for the few moments when a solo light is needed.

Today I can take pen or computer to compose my message to those around me, including legislators, and "march" on paper and keyboard to demand change and action to advance equality for women. As of this writing, the long-ago Equal Rights Amendment has risen from the dead to claim new status and perhaps an extended deadline which, if allowed, may ratify a new constitutional amendment.  Amen, sisters!

Have we come a long way?

Congratulations to LTA for stepping outside the box to present a kick-off to Women's History Month, continuing the women's revolution.

Creative team members also include Lynn O'Connell and Kevin O'Dowd, producers; Danielle Guy, assistant director; Nick Friedlander and Meggie Webster, stage managers; Matt Liptak, set designer; Jeff Auerbach, Kimberly Crago, lighting designers, assisted by Katie Clement, Pam Leonowich, and Marg Soronos;  Chanel Lancaster, makeup; and Margaret Chapman, properties

What: The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson

When: Now through March 20, 2021, Wednesday through Saturdays, 8 p.m. Sundays, 3 p.m.

Where: Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Directions

Tickets:  Start at $24.

Adult language

Duration: About two hours with one five-minute pause.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking at the Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778. Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com