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diversions
Players get 'Timing'
right
By Marten Lewerth
On-line Forty-Niner
Some might say
that comedy is only a matter of getting the timing right.
If such is the
case, the University Players at Cal State Long Beach are on
the right track, based on their production of David Ives'
"All in the Timing" Tuesday night at the Players
Theatre.
The play itself
is actually a collection of five vignettes banded together.
While the themes and plots of these short skits are in no
way related, the overall effect is an entertaining blend of
slapstick and surrealistic fun. From the very get-go, the
tone of the evening is set by cast members as they come onstage
and greet the audience. This leaves a relaxed atmosphere that
runs through the one-hour-and-15-minute performance and doesn't
dissipate even after the final bows are over.
The point of this
is that it's easy to see that the 13 cast members are enjoying
themselves and the material. Ives' pieces really come to life
because the actors appear very comfortable with each other
and with the flow of the skits paced by director Elizabeth
Taheri.
As the five sketches
are rather short, it would be difficult to say too much about
what happens in each one without giving away the endings.
The show opens
with "Variations on the Death of Trotsky," which
features Scott Lennard as the famed Russian revolutionary
wondering how he managed to wind up with a mountain climber's
axe smashed into his head in the waning moments of his life.
Lennard brings to his character a slightly befuddled edge
that works nicely against the sweetness brought by Bridget
Gress as his wife. Rounding out this loony piece is Eric Tiede
as the dastardly Mexican gardener Ramon Mercader.
Strains of "Raindrops
keep falling on my head" brings up the next piece, "Universal
Language," the story of a young woman with a stuttering
problem who one day goes to learn the language of "Una
Munda," which supposedly has the power to unite humankind.
Marla Greene is
especially delightful as Dawn when dealing with the strange
situation of trying to understand the wacky gibbering of Don
(Joey Dal Porto), the man that runs the language school. She
is also one of the most believable actors in the play. When
she declares that if "everybody in the world spoke the
same language, nobody would ever be lonely," it's hard
not to feel as if she really means it.
The third skit,
"Words, Words, Words," deals with the bizarre notion
that three monkeys with typewriters and all the time in the
world will eventually produce a work on the level of Shakespeare's
"Hamlet." Locked in this experiment by an oppressing
human, these monkeys toil endlessly in their task until it
all comes to a breaking point.
Actors Andrea Victoria
Forcina, Shawn Stenger and the aforementioned Tiede give it
their all when mimicking the physical behaviors of monkeys.
Each of the monkeys has its own distinct personality, and
Stenger's "Swift" even has a bit of the characteristics
some might associate with the real "Prince of Denmark."
As for the monkeys' writing skills, however, some things are
perhaps best left unsaid.
The final two skits
presented in "Timing" are by far the most entertaining.
The first of these,
"Sure Thing," tackles the notion of what might happen
during an initial meeting between a man and a woman if everything
that goes wrong verbally can be re-worked to foster a budding
relationship.
Timing is the single
most important tenet to the success of this piece, but actors
Ben Graney (Bill) and Hallie King (Betty) do a fine job hitting
their cues. The hilarious and often absurd banter in "Sure
Thing" builds in momentum toward a climactic ending that
leaves the audience in stitches. In some respects, this
piece in and of itself is worth the price of admission.
But maybe not,
because the closing sketch, "Philip Glass Buys a Loaf
of Bread," is such a bizarre piece of theater. Words
alone cannot even come close to describing what takes place
-- unless of course there is a fair amount of psycho-analytical
text attached as reference.
All that really
needs to be said is that it revolves around what takes place
when composer Philip Glass (Stetson Robbins) goes to a store
one day to buy some bread. Other than that, it's a feast for
the senses highlighted by the bizarre and extremely creative
choreography of Denise White, which is performed with zeal
by the actors involved.
All in all, "Timing"
is a fun and worthwhile play to attend, and credit must be
given to everyone involved with the production for delivering
a very satisfying experience.
The University
Players' production of David Ives' "All in the Timing"
continues through Dec. 1 at the Players Theatre at Cal State
Long Beach. For more information, one may call (562) 985-7000.
THEATER REVIEW:
Who: University
Players
What: David Ives' "All in the Timing"
When: Tuesday through Thursday at 6 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.
and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.
Where: Player's Theatre
All tickets are $10.
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