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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews Bunbury Theatre presents Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents are copyright © 2009 Keith Waits. All rights reserved. Every so often there comes along a play that seems written for the devoted theatergoer. The type of person who knows most, if not all, of the local theatre companies, and needs more than one hand to count how many productions of Hamlet they have encountered. That Darn Plot! is such a play. The pleasures of the witty and intelligent writing will be easily appreciated by the more casual patron, to be sure, but true theatrelovers will relish even more how knowing and wise it is about both the creative and professional aspects of a life in theatre. The story concerns a veteran playwright, Mark W. Transom, struggling to fashion a newly commissioned script in the face of a serious case of writer's block. Finding that bourbon and Sugar Pops are insufficient inspiration, he works through the night to write a story that has a basis in his current reality, and the action of the play becomes his characters acting out the scenes as he writes them. Before long, they begin to take on a life of their own in a manner reminiscent of Luigi Pirandello. Canadian playwright David Belke is not content to deliver a clever insider's comedy, however. He uses the conceit to explore a dysfunctional father-son relationship with great humor and just enough humanity to give the themes a little gravitas, but not dilute the laughs. Monte Priddy inhabits the role of Transom Sr. with shabby charm and a rich, rueful voice. Slouching behind his manual typewriter, slugging shots of bourbon, clad in a bathrobe and his long, white hair seriously disheveled, he provides caustic commentary on the breakdown of the divide between illusion and reality surrounding him. Sean Childress, as his fictional "son" in the play-within-a-play action (at least it starts out that way) is nebbish perfection, and Mike Seely delivers a priceless, deliciously observed take on the self-important vanity of the middle-aged star of Transom's new creation. These performances were all three, pure comic gems but also benefited from the script's use of their characters to most fully express the themes of the material. Kimberley Taylor-Peterson, Bryce Blair and Kate Barry all did solid, funny work rounding out the ensemble. Juergen K. Tossman's direction was spot on, and as the leader of Bunbury, I am glad to see him continue his mission of finding quality plays that are just out of the mainstream and, therefore, fresh and new to a grateful Louisville audience.
That Darn Plot! Oct. 14 - Nov. 1, 2009
Posted Oct. 30, 2009
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