Friday, October 12, 2018

Bailey and Payton and Jacokes, oh my!




Anytime you put Joe Bailey and Richard Payton on stage together, one can expect comedic mayhem to break out. And when you add Suzy Jacokes into the mix – well, you get “Clue on stage” at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale, which runs through November 5.

Bailey – The Ringwald’s founding artistic director – and Payton have appeared on stage together so many times that they work like a well-oiled, laugh-generating machine. One only has to glance at the other – a warning sign, to be sure – and a comedic melt-down of epic proportions is sure to follow.

And that’s what happened more than once at this past Saturday night’s performance of the riotous comedy adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn.

Now, it’s a theatrical legend that the second performance of any run is generally a let-down from the night before; that all the anticipation and pent-up energy generated throughout the rehearsal process is expelled on opening night with little left to power the show the following night.

That certainly wasn’t the case with this production. That’s partly because director Bryan Lark puts his actors through such a vigorously draining pace from start to finish that it’s easy to believe the cast will shed a collective 900 gallons of sweat at the very least throughout the run of the show.

But it’s also because Bailey and Payton took advantage of both their love of one-upmanship and a few goofs to such a degree that I suspect most in the nearly packed audience couldn’t have cared less that a few lines of dialogue were flubbed or props didn’t end up where they were supposed to be.

Instead, we laughed our butts off. And when Jacokes chimed in – she, too, gets that certain gleam in her eye and sly grin on her face when inspiration is about to hit – it became obvious we were watching masters of their craft take the show to an unanticipatedly high level of comedic entertainment.

If there’s a comparison to be made, Saturday night’s performance was like watching an episode of “The Carol Burnett Show” when Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Carol went off script and the results were hilarious. Yes, The Ringwald Trio were that good!

Also good – no, great, actually – was Donny Riedel, who plays Wadsworth the butler who serves as the show’s ringleader. In “Clue,” an oddball group of people are invited to a dinner party thrown by the mysterious Mr. Boddy. Once there, they learn they all have one thing in common – and that’s when the bodies start dropping. Riedel’s is a masterful performance, one in which every nuance of his character is so thoroughly examined, explored and expelled at such a high-octane level that one expects him to physically and emotionally collapse long before show’s end.

The Bottom Line: So while some nitpickers may find fault with actors who have some fun when things go awry on stage or when one simply looks at another and hilarity ensues, at The Ringwald that means one thing: We’re about to have an even better time than we initially anticipated.

For complete show details, CLICK HERE!

Donny Riedel


Friday, October 5, 2018

What I Love




I love plays that surprise me.

I love playwrights like Lauren Gunderson who take theatergoers on a journey they don’t expect and couldn’t foresee. I love directors like Krista Schafer Ewbank who have a vision for a script like “Ada and the Engine” and execute it with precision and care.

I love actresses like Sarah Hawkins who create such a glorious and vibrant character as Ada Lovelace that her facial expressions alone add several layers to her already-deep complexity. I love actors like Lindel Salow who is his co-star’s equal in telling Charles Babbage’s story through a careful glance here, a brief gesture there and perfectly shaded words and thoughts throughout.

I love actors like Kez Settle, Joshua R. Brown, Cynthia Szczesny and Matthew Wallace who fully support the production through expertly developed performances.

I love it when top-notch designers such as Harley Miah, Eric Niece and Cheryl Zemke come together to create theatrical magic. And I love it when Open Book Theatre in Trenton once again not only meets but surpasses my already-high expectations for a night out at the theater.

The Bottom Line: And I’d love it more if houses were filled for this weekend's final performances.


For complete show details: CLICK HERE!

Sarah Hawkins