Displaying items by tag: Norm Woodel

The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” at The MAC this past weekend. BTE has put together some very nice plays at College of DuPage and their latest falls into that same category once again. A relatively light-hearted romantic comedy, the play is set in rural Ireland and though the timeline is not really specified, the story has a timeless quality anyway.

Its small cast consists of four players, each important to flow of the story and adding the perfect touch of humor, which was very well received by the audience.

Robert Jordan Bailey plays Anthony. His character has the strongest connection to the rest of the cast in many ways. Bailey plays the part very well, which he must since Anthony is not your stereotype Irish farmer. With more than his fair share of issues and a lot of the jokes are on him. Playing Rosemary to perfection is Kelli Walker. Rosemary is a tough, young Irish woman who Anthony is interested in…or is he? The two show strong chemistry through the play, both very believable in their roles.

Rounding out the cast is Norm Woodel who plays Anthony’s father Tony and Milley Hurley who plays Aoife, a neighbor. They make up a durable support system to Bailey and Walker. Both are vital in the first set, as the second set focuses primarily on Anthony and Rosemary. The story is a simple but entertaining. The humor is what makes it a great play and it does not invoke heavy thinking or have the audience scrambling to search for hidden meanings. Theatre goers will, however, get a good laugh in. That is important these days or any day, I suppose.

“Outside Mullingar” is finely production directed by Steve Scott. The sets and sounds are excellent, which is par for the course in BTE plays. If you are in the mood for a good laugh, give it a go. Those seeking well-produced theatre experiences do not always need to go into the city to see a quality play. For us suburbians, this one is right in our backyard and the ticket price seems quite reasonable.

I am becoming more and more a fan of smaller productions. One of the reasons being the size of the theaters is small enough that you can see the faces of the actors – it’s intimate. You can hear the dynamics in their voices and catch the slightest facial subtleties. Buffalo Theatre Ensemble offers excellent actors that clearly enjoy what they do. It’s difficult not to respect these professionals that work so hard at their craft for somewhat small rewards. Having said that, they do need the support – and deservedly so. For little more than a meal at your favorite overpriced restaurant, you can visit The Playhouse Theatre and be thoroughly entertained. And in this particular production, not only will you save the calories, you will burn some off laughing. So, support local theatre companies. For some of you this involves getting out of the house and shutting off your phone. Both are…at times…good ideas…you can play Candy Crush when you get back home.

“Outside Mullinger” is being performed at The Playhouse Theatre inside the McAninch Arts Center through June 3rd. Visit www.atthemac.org for more info.

Scapegoat; Or (Why the Devil Always Loved Us) a satirical political drama now playing at the Den Theatre, takes the audience on a wild ride through a rather unusual family affair. But the play rapidly bogs down with its own complexity.

The curtain rises mid-action, and we gradually piece together that the six members of the Porter family are career politicians: patriarch Senator Anse Porter and his son, Congressman Coyote “Coy” Porter, represent Ohio as Democrats. The Senator’s Chief of Staff John Schuler is married to his daughter Leza, who is in the final weeks of her pregnancy. Matriarch Eleanor Porter and the Senator’s adopted daughter Margaret, are lobbyists for the United American Muslims.

The plot centers on the passage of a bill that would favor Christianity over other religions in the U.S. This bill is supported by Congressman Coy Porter, who is courted by the Religious Freedom Caucus, comprised of three Republican Senators: Frank Mason, Texas; Mary Colbourn, Illinois; and Perry Allen, Arizona.

Plans go awry when Congressman Porter’s father Anse, the senator, is outed as a Satanic Priest. He decides he will filibuster the bill. To dissuade him, so the bill can pass, the Religious Freedom Caucus hints they will award him a judgeship.

While it took a while to figure out what was going on, once I did, I loved the concept. And the play delivers some strong social commentary on religious freedom – a topic of great social currency. It also  scores some comedic points – Senator Porter delivers a complete Black Mass in downstage while the political drama unfolds upstage in convincingly delivered press conferences.

Jeffrey Freelon Jr. gives a strong performance as the put-upon Chief of Staff John Schuler. Likewise for Echaka Agba (Margaret), John Kelly Connolly (Frank), Barbara Figgins (Eleanor Porter), Jack McCabe (Perry), Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (Leza), Kelli Strickland (Mary) and Norm Woodel (Anse).

Scapegoat is needlessly layered, starting with its grammatically suspect title, through characters whose background and details have little bearing on the main action on stage: That Margaret is the Senator’s adopted daughter is revealed in the second act – along with the fact that she chose to keep her birth mother’s last name (so she is Okafor-Porter). So? Coy Porter is widowed, and occasionally has seizures. Um, did we need to know that? This made Evan Linder’s job playing Coy a challenge, but he rose to it.

Scapegoat is by and large a sentimental comedy. The script by Connor McNamara, a Chicago actor, brought to mind those fast-paced 1930’s screwball comedies loaded with mayhem. But the play is probably closer to You Can't Take It With You, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1936 Pulitzer prize-winning satire. 

There are some rich moments here: Deciding to filibuster anyway, Anse reads chapter and verse from the satanic scriptures, driving the believing Caucus senators from the chamber floor. This intelligent script which renders the political processes and dynamics with veracity, is, is fast paced and strong at its core. The direction by Kristina Valada-Viars is very well done. Scapegoat plays through May 7. www.thenewcolony.org