Amanda Falcone

Viva Carmel Players, where love is King

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By Wendy Carson

Director Nicole Amsler and Carmel Community Players approach the Holiday season by giving audiences the gift of joy with their hilariously quirky offering, “Four Weddings and an Elvis,” by Nancy Frick.

Centering around Sandy (Veronique Duprey) and her Las Vegas wedding chapel, we are privy to four incredibly diverse sets of nuptials. Sandy herself is on Marriage No. 4 to the same man, Ken, who is never seen but is always present.

Beginning with Bev (Audrey Duprey) and Stan (Mark Livingston), who have flown out from the East Coast to marry each other as vengeance against their exes – who also plan to marry each other. They chose to have their wedding live-streamed to the exes and with Ken, Sandy’s usual minister, being passed out drunk, opt to use a nearby chapel’s minister, John (Joshua Payne-Elliot).

Sandy then hires Lou (David Dessauer) to be the new minister, but his age keeps her questioning if he can really pass for Elvis. They are to officiate the low key, high publicity, marriage of fading stars Vanessa Wells (Amanda Falcone) and Bryce Cannon (James Kenjorski) – both desperate to get their careers back on track. Sadly, the press and paparazzi decline their invitations.

We then meet Marvin (Jacob Bradford) and Fiona (Kelly Melcho), an extremely unlikely pair. He, an expert in everything regarding the Post Office, will wed her, an ex-con with a wild and colorful past. Their bliss is briefly interrupted by the arrival of her past boyfriend, Fist (Gregory Roberts), who broke out of prison to get his girl back. Hilarity – and a police standoff – ensues.

About a year later, we return to the chapel for the final wedding. It seems Sandy is ready to take the plunge for a fifth time, and all the previous characters return to celebrate with her.

Veronique Duprey maintains her charm throughout with the air of a Sin City sister who has seen it all, while the others indulge in all manner of silliness. However, these hopeful romantics indulge in these events without cynicism – each character, in their own way, wants love.

Amsler is assisted by Grant Bowen; Samantha Kelly is stage manager.

Will Sandy make it down the aisle? Will we finally meet Ken? How are the others’ relationships working out? And finally, who is the uncredited “Elvis”?

These questions and many more are answered by attending “4 Weddings and an Elvis,” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. For tickets and info, see carmelplayers.org.

CCP: On tonight’s episode of ‘I Loathe Darcy…’

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By John Lyle Belden

The Jane Austen novel “Pride and Prejudice” has become so familiar to those who have enjoyed it on page and screen that someone once inserted zombies into the story. What we’ll get here, though, is much more alive. Carmel Community Players presents a recent adaptation by Kate Hamill that plays into the expectations of our romcom and sitcom-fueled culture.

Directed by Samantha Kelly, the essence of the story, set in genteel 19th-century England, is intact: the relatively poor Bennet family worry that their four daughters will not be able to marry above their station, pinning their hopes on a few local bachelors with wealth or potential.

Let’s meet our bachelorettes: Beautiful Jane (Caitlin Karas), the eldest, would love to marry wealthy Charles Bingley (Grayson Wieneke), who is interested but reluctant to pop the question. Lizzie (Katie Endres) is smart, headstrong and declares she “shall never marry.” Quirky Mary (Elizabeth Enderle) everyone considers disturbingly homely (apparently even Death won’t touch her, only giving her gaunt features and a persistent cough). Spritely Grace (Lydia Miller), the youngest, is hyper and impulsive. Also on hand is equally destitute friend Charlotte Lucas (Desiree Black), who seems to kindly accept her role as a wallflower.

Mrs. Bennet (Amanda Falcone) is frantic, to say the least, constantly extolling the virtues of her marriageable daughters to anyone who’ll listen. Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet (Matthew Socey) just wants to be left alone to read his newspaper or otherwise let things play out as they will.

At social events we meet Mr. Bingley’s posh sister Caroline (Amalia Howard), as well as the nervous Fitzwilliam Darcy (Alec Cole), who has a legendarily awkward meet-cute with Lizzie. We also encounter George Wickham (Drake Smith), ambitious but “only a Lieutenant” in the Royal Army; rich but rather creepy cousin Mr. Collins (Grant Bowen); and the fiercely upper-class Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Elizabeth Ruddell).

In Hamill’s snappy script, what we get is a sort of cross between “Fiddler on the Roof” (sans music) and “Taming of the Shrew” as though presented by the Hallmark Channel – and it works delightfully. Farcical elements entertain: Falcone’s over-the-top performance making it understandable that neighbors start to avoid her; Bowen leering in such a way that we feel Lizzie’s dread at possibly marrying Collins; the various comical jump-scares around Mary, so much that I started to feel bad for her (or at least Enderle).

It all melds well with the romantic drama aspects, such as Lizzie’s grudgingly growing appreciation of Mr. Darcy, and Lydia discovering that to leap before one looks can bring on consequences. Endres and Cole acquit themselves well as more true-to-book versions of the characters.

Nicely paced while funny and charming, indulge in “Pride and Prejudice” Thursday through Sunday (two performances Saturday) at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. Get tickets at carmelplayers.org or thecat.biz.

Belfry serves up hilarious ‘Dinner’

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s that time of year, when many of us have been, or had to put up with, houseguests.

In a small Ohio city in early December 1939, Sheridan Whiteside – famed writer, lecturer, radio personality, and the toast of any town – visited the home of factory owner Ernest Stanley. It was to be only for dinner, but a slip on a patch of ice left the injured celebrity guest recovering at the Stanley home for the rest of the month.

This fictional incident is the basis for “The Man Who Came To Dinner,” a comedy that Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman based on numerous showbiz personalities whom they knew. This play comes to life in Noblesville courtesy of The Belfry Theatre, directed by Eric Matters.

Two weeks into his convalescence, Whiteside (Robert C. Boston Jr.) decides to take charge of the Stanleys’ living room for his business needs, threatening to increase the amount of his pending lawsuit against Mr. and Mrs. Stanley (Tom Smith and Kim O’Mara) if they don’t yield. As for the hosts, he is more than fed up while she is still a bit starstruck. Ernest’s sister Harriet Stanley (Janet Borcherding) regards their guest with a strange fascination.

While “Sherri” Whiteside is an absolute pill to the elder Stanleys, as well as Dr. Bradley (Gene Burnett) and nurse Miss Preen (Chloe Vann), he is friendly to the nearly-grown Stanley children June (Anabella Lazarides) and Richard (Jericho Franke), as well as the butler John (Aaron Budde) and talented cook Sarah (Grace McKinnies). Faithful secretary Maggie Cutler (Amanda Falcone) seems immune to his verbal jabs and handles work details which mainly involve frequent contact with numerous celebrities. Aside from the characters written to appear in the play, an avalanche of real names from the era are dropped throughout the show.

Local newspaper reporter Bert Jefferson (Eric Dixon) matches Whiteside in a verbal joust, earning respect and an interview, and entry to Maggie’s heart. As it turns out, Jefferson is also a promising playwright.

The plot then largely turns on Whiteside’s efforts to keep the local journalist from taking his secretary, involving various showbiz people who come by the house including ambitious actress Lorraine Sheldon (Hannah Partridge), suave acclaimed actor Beverly Carlton (Drake Walker Smith), and Marx Brother-inspired comic Banjo (Daniel Dale Clymer).  Some actors take more than one role; Melissa Reid rounds out the cast. A few children (unlisted in the program) make a cameo.

Add to all the human foibles the presence of a “Roach City” in the living room, an octopus in the basement, and penguins in the library, and you have the fun makings for a classic comedy, a rather unique take on the Christmas season.

Boston excellently portrays Whiteside much like a wily housecat, presenting charming softness or sharp claws (or both) to any person he wishes, with engaging wit that makes his personal celebrity and connections believable. Falcone presents a savvy sweetness that is endearing and worthy of respect. Dixon convincingly plays intelligent with unflappable Midwest charm. Partridge is a force of nature as a B-list actor feeling entitled to A-plus accommodations.

This wild and entertaining farce with sly insight into the rich and famous of the mid-20th century has another weekend, Thursday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at Noblesville United Methodist Church, 2051 Monument St. (enter on the west side of the building), Noblesville. For info and tickets, visit thebelfrytheatre.com.