Kevin Smith

CCP: Living in an idealized past not easy

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By John Lyle Belden

“Home, I’m Darling,” by British playwright and screenwriter Laura Wade, is not often seen outside the UK, where it’s set. However, the central character is captured by the nostalgia of the 1950s as envisioned by popular American television and movies, despite her having been born in England in 1980. 

Carmel Community Players presents a unique production of this Olivier Award-winning comedy at The Cat, directed by Nicole Ansler.

Judy (Lori Ann Gerdisch) and Johnny (Kevin Smith) appear to have the perfect happy marriage – if this were a black-and-white sitcom. Puttering around the kitchen in a pretty dress with pearls and a frilly apron, Judy seems happy to cook and clean at a home in which nearly all appliances and furniture date to the 1950s while Johnny, smartly dressed including a hat, goes to work as a real estate agent. The one concession to 21st century living is a laptop for ordering more vintage stuff online. She only listens to old records and watches old films on a disc player wired into a modified old telly, and has embraced the lifestyle to the extent that she rarely swears and finds herself surprised that Johnny’s boss Alex (Brynn Lee) is a woman.

Judy’s best friend Fran (Amalia Howard) is impressed at how clean the home is and notes her husband Marcus (Mike Sosnowski) wouldn’t mind her living a similar life – though she likes her job. On the other hand, Judy’s mother Sylvia (Barbara Babbitt), a diehard feminist, is quick to point out how uncomfortable she is with the whole situation.

This production includes a clever addition: To help intensify the surreal atmosphere – and give the cast more time for costume changes –there are various 50s-60s style TV commercials between scenes, presented with “Mad Men” charm by Tanya Haas and Mark Livingston, with Jason Creighton voicing the announcer. Products include yellow margarine, smooth-smoking cigarettes, and whitening toothpaste for those pesky yellow stains. Written by Amsler after receiving permission from Wade, these bits are among the highlights of the show. Haas even gets to perform an ad jingle.

This retro paradise quickly shows its flaws as money gets tight with Johnny not likely to get the promotion they were counting on. While Fran tries recipes and household hints from one of Judy’s old books, Marcus is caught in a situation that, in these days, gets more serious attention.

“Nostalgia used to be considered a mental disease” is said, and there seem to be deeper issues at play. This is especially true of Judy, whom Gerdisch plays with iron stubbornness tinged with fear. As we learn about her unusual childhood, her attachment to an idealized world becomes clear, edging on cautionary tale.

Meanwhile Johnny is finding himself disconnected from life, stuck more in an acted role than a voluntary lifestyle. Smith, who can’t help looking a bit like Don Draper, shows his manly strength in a rather un-50s manner, with a hope that he can still reach his time-warped wife.  

Howard charms with her supportive personality, though that trait gets sorely tested. While others play at living in the past, Sosnowski’s character Marcus is more of a throwback. Babbitt plays Sylvia as a loving and concerned mother who could grab a sign to join a march. Lee’s Alex is our anchor to the current era – modern suit, cell phone handy – not judging while focused on practical matters.

The choice was made by Amsler, to the relief of the cast, to not attempt British accents. With numerous idioms and references to English cities, there was no attempt to adapt the script to the U.S. (this story is good for practically any English-speaking culture, and has been staged in Australia). I feel this approach works, as it makes the play more relatable, and attempting the accents (especially considering regional dialects) could end up being distracting or even come off farcical, diluting the serious subtext of this already oddball comedy. Besides, the culture Judy is emulating is mostly American anyway.

Assistant directors are Laura Gellin, who is also intimacy coordinator, and Lauren Lotzow, who is also stage manager. The all-volunteer company did an excellent job of rounding up the various era-appropriate props and set pieces (helpers include Tom Smith, Susanne Bush, Charlie Hanover, and Dave Muse). Costume design is by Judy McGroarty.

A fun show with thought-provoking dark edges, “Home, I’m Darling,” has performances 7:30 p.m. Thursday (at a discount price) and Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. For tickets, see carmelplayers.org or thecat.biz.

Mud Creek hosts marital mayhem

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By John Lyle Belden

We are cordially invited to a wedding in the quaint and quirky town of Faro, Texas – at least we hope there’s one.

Mud Creek Players presents “Dearly Beloved,” the popular comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, directed by MCP president Dani Lopez-Roque.

We await the blessed event in a church fellowship hall as the Futrelle sisters – Honey Raye (Lisa Warner Lowe), Frankie (Jennifer Poynter) and Twink (Lea Ellingwood) – must work together to make the wedding of Frankie’s daughter Tina Jo (Breanna Helms) as perfect as possible.

Estranged from her siblings, Honey is welcome to pitch in if she can stop flirting in her search for Husband No. 5. To Frankie’s horror, Twink’s idea of catering is a potluck supper, complete with hog roast in a pit behind the church. Frankie’s husband Dub (Jason Roll) and the bride’s twin sister Gina Jo (Helms) are also on hand to help, as well as friend Raynerd Chisum (Fred Margison) and wedding planner/florist Geneva Musgrave (Laura Gellin). Not wishing to help, or for the nuptials to even happen, is mother of the groom Patsy Price (Marie McNelis).

Unknown to the others, Twink has seen a fortune teller, Nelda Lou (Addie Taylor), who told her if she is to be married herself, she must attend a wedding with her boyfriend Wiley Hicks (Kevin Smith) – which is why her beau is there despite being severely sick, and on way too much cold medicine. Dub also has a secret, which he hopes to reveal later at the reception.

UPS driver Justin Waverly (Stephen Di Carlo) arrives delivering bad news: the minister can’t come to the wedding. However, as he is also a seminary student, Justin can officiate. This is followed by worse news: the bride and groom are headed out of town! Local police officer John Curtis Buntner (Jackson Hawkins) is dispatched to fetch them back.

From the opening scene at Geneva’s Bookoo Bokay all the way to the ceremony at the end, there are practically non-stop laughs, punctuated by all the feelings such a day can summon – love, rage, etc. Still, amongst the flurry of things going wrong, the important stuff goes right.

The entire cast get into their characters, bringing us into the fun. Lowe, Poynter, and Ellingwood exhibit sibling chemistry, both when sparks fly and when they join forces. Roll is sweet as the long-suffering dad and husband. Helms shows a knack for physical comedy, particularly when Gina Jo deals with her crush on Justin. Smith, playing a man who barely knows what planet he’s on, provides some of the wildest moments.

It feels appropriate to have a “barn” at the edge of the city host this charming and hilarious piece of small-town silliness with heart as big as Texas. Performances of “Dearly Beloved” are Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21, and Sept. 26-27, at 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.

Strange and silly spycraft in MCP ‘Best Laid Plans’

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By John Lyle Belden

It can be frustrating, while relaxing in Jamaica working on your next book, when the plots of your spy novels start coming true.

This is the essence of the espionage-themed farce “The Best Laid Plans” by Fred Carmichael, presented by Mud Creek Players, directed by Collin Moore.

Ada Westbrook (Molly Kraus) had tired of writing children’s books and, realizing that spy stories were like fairy tales with guns and sex, drew from her late husband’s work with the U.S. State Department to become “America’s Ian Fleming,” with titles such as “The Seductive Spy.” Her editor and personal assistant Francis Daniels (Lexi Gray) is just glad to no longer proofread stories about silly animals, looking forward to her working vacation with Ada in their beachside island home.

A rather nosy neighbor, Phoebe (Rosemary Meagher) appears, claiming to know one of Ada’s friends, gaining an invitation to come over later for cocktails. Also invited is one of Ada’s husband’s former colleagues Hubert (Ronan Marra), whose son Guy (Matthew Ball) is dating her granddaughter Gail (Lane Fiorini) – they are on their way as well.

Meanwhile, a rather pushy man (Kevin Smith) comes in claiming to work for The Government, saying due to her State Department ties, Ada has been chosen as an intermediary to receive The Plans in an exchange that prevents Them from stealing these threats to national security. She is only given the Swiss bank book to be exchanged, as well as a flowery password exchange, before this Mr. Dike (pronounced “deek”) slips out to his boat, which promptly blows up.

From here, things get complicated, strange – and hilarious.

A very eager Russian-sounding agent, Goralsky (Lark Green), arrives with the right password but apparently dies before completing the exchange.

Then, Phoebe and her husband Vincent (Rob Kent) arrive and – you remember that TV show “The Americans”? These two didn’t do as well in Russian infiltrator school. Also, there’s another agent, Michael (Connor Phelan), who is apparently quickly dispatched.

And Hubert keeps talking to his shoe.

On top of this, Gail and Guy make their own macabre discovery, and deal with it as best they can (badly).

From all this we get constantly-moving bodies that often won’t stay dead, secret identities, repeated failure to find the titular Plans, clever Ada being underestimated, and Francis just needing another drink. For stage buffs, with the use of a window-seat as a hiding place, there are even a couple of references to “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

Kraus thrives playing Ada as the center of attention, while Gray is so cool as the PA who has nearly seen it all, I wondered if Lexi was the secret spymaster. Fiorini and Ball work Gail and Guy’s misunderstandings of the plot into the mix for maximum effect. The others are a nifty mash-up of 007, Get Smart, and Boris & Natasha archetypes working well in this variant of the “slamming door” farce.

For funny with a bit of firepower – and cleverly hidden secrets – “The Best Laid Plans” plays tonight and Sunday (as this posts), July 26-27, as well as July 31-Aug. 2 at the Mud Creek Barn, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.

Mud Creek goes ‘Barefoot’

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By John Lyle Belden

Seeing a comedy by Neil Simon is kind of like treating yourself to a really nice meal. It just feels so good and satisfying. This is certainly true with the highly-quotable silly-even-when-serious fun of “Barefoot in the Park,” presented by Mud Creek Players, directed by Michelle Moore.

In the anything can happen time and place of 1960s New York, newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter (Matthew Blandford and Piper Williams) move into their first apartment – a fifth-floor walk-up. Corie eagerly awaits a delayed furniture delivery, but the only arrival is the phone company man (Kevin Smith), who feels every step of the five flights (plus stoop). Soon Paul arrives from his job as a lawyer and while his wife giddily accepts their new place, he can’t help but see its many flaws.

Next to ascend the eternal stairs is Corie’s mother, Ethel (Barb Weaver). To see the apartment after it’s furnished, she agrees to return that Friday for dinner.

Paul is also annoyed – while Corie is pleased – to find that their brownstone is full of eccentric tenants, especially their upstairs (attic) neighbor, aging worldly raconteur Victor Velasco (Chris Otterman). Feeling her mom could use some spice in her life, Corie invites him to dinner Friday as well. And that weekend, things get very spicy.

Simon likes to throw together odd couples, and Williams and Blandford portray well their tested love in a comic clash between one who leaps into life and one who prefers to just sit and get some work done. Corie gets almost too manic, yet that overwhelming nature plays into the second-act antics as Paul finds himself literally on the edge. Weaver nicely plays the woman feeling her adventurous years were behind her, finding herself in her wildest one yet. Otterman’s Victor is a gentlemanly force of nature, not so much chewing the scenery as serving it up with the perfect seasoning.

Smith gets to be charming while his AT&T tech catches his breath. In addition, Jackson Hawkins plays the Delivery Man, who not only finally brings furniture at the end of the first scene, but also appears at major scene changes to summon the stage crew – including Alexandra Sarell and stage manager Dallas Ganz – to move things around as needed.

So feast your senses (and “don’t forget to ‘pop’ it!”) at “Barefoot in the Park,” Thursday through Saturday, May 15-17, at Mud Creek Players “Barn,” 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.