"Gold in the Hills"

July 28, 2011 — A murder mystery, a beautiful young woman lured away by a dark, mustachioed, black-suited villain, an aging farmer being tricked out of his property, an innocent man framed for murder, undiscovered oil and gold hidden beneath the land. Sound like 1920s melodrama? That's exactly what it is.

The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, staged an old-fashioned story of good and evil with no shades of gray in between. A farmer with two beautiful daughters, an evil villain you love to hate, a noble young man forced on the run when falsely accused of murder, overblown dialog, deliberate over-acting that only good actors could get away with, a sequence set in the Bowery in New York with song and dance. This was a wildly entertaining show. The audience really got into it, loudly booing the villain, applauding and cheering the good guys, sometimes drowning out some of the dialog.

Featuring 22 performers, this was one of the largest casts I've seen in a summer theater production. All 22 were on stage at once in the raucous scene in a Bowery bar in the second act. Two intermissions were necessary, not because of the length of the show, but to facilitate the extensive set changes.

I'll probably remember this show as the most fun I had at a New Hampshire summer theater this season.

"Shipwrecked!"

July 26, 2011 — The full title of this play is a mouthful: Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself). Written by Donald Margulies, the play at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire is done in a music hall style popular in de Rougemont's lifetime in the 19th Century. Richard Brundage as de Rougemont addresses the audience directly as he tells his fantastic story of searching for pearls, becoming lost at sea, riding the backs of turtles, living among aborigines for 30 years, and burying a fortune in pearls in Australia before returning to England. He briefly enjoys celebrity status after publishing his exploits in a London periodical, until he's exposed as a fraud, eventually dying penniless.

Sasha Castroverde and Dan Lendzian assist Brundage as he narrates his story, effectively using minimal props and costumes as they hilariously portray many characters over the course of the 90-minute comedy. One of several uncoventional plays I've seen this season, this one was a real audience-pleaser. The stage was primitive and the actors did all their costume changes within sight of the audience, giving the play an intimate feel within the confines of the small theater. This was definitely an evening well-spent.

"Almost, Maine"

July 22, 2011 — A program note states the play takes place "on a cold, moonless, slightly surreal night in the middle of the deepest part of a northern Maine winter." That was a concept difficult to imagine in the sweltering heat of the temporary theater set up in the Governor's Lodge at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire for the North Country Center for the Arts. Directly under the roof of the pavilion, five large overhead fans were totally ineffective in overcoming the heat that had built up over the course of a day in the 90s. It must have been torture for the actors, dressed in parkas, knitted caps, gloves and heavy boots. In one hilarious scene, two actors proceed to peel off about five layers of heavy clothing. (They stopped at one final set of longjohns.)

"Almost, Maine," playing concurrently at Lincoln and the New London Barn Playhouse, was not on my list to see this season. But after a second day with temperatures at or slightly over 100 degrees, I needed to escape the heat of the city. A long drive in the air conditioned car seemed particularly appealing. I knew the Governor's Lodge in Lincoln wasn't air conditioned and the New London theater was, but I trusted the Governor's Lodge, farther north and high on the slope of Loon Mountain, would be at least tolerable. It was, but just barely. During intermission, after the sun went down, we stepped outside. The temperature was then about 80. It's amazing what a relief 80 can be after being exposed to 100 for two days.

This was a sweet, quirky play about relationships in a northern rural community, played out in a series of short vignettes. The actors showed not a hint of the discomfort they must have felt in the hot, humid theater in their heavy, multi-layered costumes. The New London Barn put up a video on their website showing excerpts from their version of the play. The New London actors were older and their delivery harsher, in contrast to the softer touch of the Lincoln players. In my opinion, the New London cast lacked the warmth and likeability of the Lincoln cast. I'm convinced I made the right choice in going to Lincoln.

"A Life in the Theatre"

July 21, 2011 — It was by sheer coincidence that I scheduled two David Mamet plays in a row. A couple of nights ago, it was "Race" at the Weathervane, tonight it was "A Life in the Theatre" at The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire.

This is an unusual play, short with no intermission, with two male actors. In contrast to the intense drama of "Race," this one is mainly a comedy. It follows an older actor who has spent his life in the theatre and a young actor through a series of frequent scene changes as they engage in dressing room conversation, rehearsals and performances. The costume and scene changes come rapidly, some lasting less than a minute. The older actor has a delicate ego and a need for praise and the young actor is usually careful in their conversations not to bruise that ego. However, their relationship becomes more acrimonious as the play progresses.

I really liked this play, but I got the impression the audience just wasn't getting it. There was only scattered laughter at scenes I thought were hilarious. When the lights went down on the final scene, I overheard someone behind me say, "I hope this is the end." There was polite but not very enthusiastic applause at the curtain call. I guess you could say the play is not for everyone.

Buddy Haardt was very good as the young actor, and I thought George Piehl's portrayal of the older actor was the best summer theater performance I've seen so far this season.

"Race"

July 19, 2011 — "Race" by David Mamet was staged by the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield, New Hampshire. This complicated play, about a law firm preparing to defend a wealthy white man charged with the rape of a black woman is well-acted and convincing for the most part. Race and sexism boil to the surface as the defendant, the two lawyers (one white, one black) and a black female legal assistant can't manage to completely put their prejudices aside.

In typical Mamet style, the language is blistering. This is definitely for adult audiences. Scott McGowan as the defendant is a bit stiff at the beginning, reciting his lines with little feeling or emotion. Robert H. Fowler is compelling as the black lawyer. He turned in a stellar performance as Coalhouse Walker in last year's production of "Ragtime." Chad Jennings is very good as the white lawyer. Shinnerrie Jackson is terrific as the defiant legal assistant forced to defend her employment in the firm.

"Man of La Mancha"

July 12, 2011 — It had been several years since I attended a play in the Inter-Lakes High School auditorium, home of the Lakes Region Summer Theater which ceased operations several years ago. A new theatre company, Interlakes Summer Theatre, has now taken up residence in the same auditorium, located in picturesque Meredith, New Hampshire, on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. I attended many performances of the old Lakes Region theatre with my mother, who shared my love of live theatre, and returning brought back pleasant memories.

Tonight's presentation was "Man of La Mancha," a well-known play to many, but it was the first time I had seen it, and I was favorably impressed with the production. A talented cast, led by Scott Sowinski as Cervantes/Don Quixote and Sheira Feuerstein as Aldonza. Sowinski, tall and rangy, was a perfect choice for his role as the prisoner Cervantes, forced to act out the wildly improbable exploits of Don Quixote. His serviceable baritone voice was pleasing, but sometimes slightly forced. Feuerstein was excellent as the fiery Aldonza. She was the better singer, with a fine soprano voice. Short, chubby Cody Strand was a hilarious Sancho.

Stagecraft and production values were top-notch. I look forward to returning regularly. I was pleased to see the new company retained the previous company's custom of having all the actors line up to greet the audience as they depart at the end of the play. A very nice touch.

"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"

July 7, 2011 — Since the Papermill Theatre's former location in one of the old mill buildings in Lincoln, New Hampshire, was torn down two years ago, the North Country Center for the Arts has been staging its performances in space provided for a stage and seating in the Governor's Lodge at the nearby Loon Mountain ski area. This arrangement will continue until the new Jean's Playhouse is completed, hopefully in time for next season. With no air conditioning on a very warm night, it took a sparkling performance to get the audience to ignore their discomfort, and that's exactly what six talented young performers did tonight.

"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is about the absurdity of relationships from dating to marriage to child-rearing to the senior years, told mostly in hilarious song lyrics in a series of brief skits. The actors went through many costume changes and just as many changes in character without a hitch in this first-night performance. Filled with sexual references and innuendo, and some profanity, this was an adult show, but there were a number of youngsters present. I'm just glad I'm not a parent who has to answer some of the questions the show is bound to provoke from the young.

During the intermission, drinks were served on the upper level of the lodge, and we could step outside and briefly enjoy the cool mountain air under a half moon, surrounded by the Loon Mountain ski slopes. Overall, a most enjoyable evening.