"Leading Ladies"

July 25, 2012 —Ken Ludwig, author of tonight's presentation, has had six Broadway shows and six in the West End, and he has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, three Tony Award nominations, two Helen Hayes Awards and the Edgar Award.

The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, presented Ludwig's farce, "Leading Ladies." Leo Clark and Jack Gable, two British Shakespearean actors, have not been well-received playing small towns across America and are desperately low on funds. Upon learning of Florence, an elderly Pennsylvania widow who is bequeathing a million dollars each to her sister's missing children, Max and Steve, they decide to pose as the two missing men. But wait, they learn Max and Steve are nicknames for Maxine and Stephanie! No problem. They're actors, they have suitcases full of costumes, they can play women as well as men. And, best news of all, Florence may be near death!

Michael Kirby as Leo and Graciany Miranda as Jack are in and out of drag many times in this zany play. This is the sort of madcap presentation the Barnstormers are particularly good at, with lots of rapid costume changes and character switching. Dale Place, a Barnstormers regular, is excellent as always as an uptight minister who suspects the two "nieces" are frauds from the start. His bride-to-be, appealingly played by Kelly Rypkema*, is happily deceived, at least at the beginning, and complicates things by falling in love with the male version of Stephanie. Waltrudis Buck, in her second play in as many weeks, portrays the widow Florence.  Rounding out the cast are Rachel Alexa Norman, George F. Piehl and Jordan Ahnquist.

None of these actors had trouble projecting their voices. In fact, at times they were annoyingly shrill. But the laughs were unceasing, and the audience was the most enthusiastic I've seen so far this season. There's no profanity in the play, but sexual innuendo and suggestiveness are so blatant, but hilarious, it's best suited for an adult audience.

*Talented as she is on stage, Kelly Rypkema's main forte is not acting. She's a certified master naturalist, wilderness first responder, trail guide and host of "Nature in a New York Minute." Take a look at her interesting website at this link:

http://www.natureminute.com/

"Painting Churches"

July 19, 2012 — Elderly Gardner and Fannie Church are packing to move from their expensive Beacon Hill apartment in Boston to accommodations more in line with their reduced income. Or at least, Fannie is busy packing. Gardner, an award-winning, nationally-renowned poet and writer, refuses to leave his study where he's pecking away at his typewriter, convinced he's still producing great poetry. He finally comes out, awkward and confused, shuffling and dropping a stack of papers. The dialog between Gardner and Fannie in this first act is some of the funniest of the show.

While packing, the Churches are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daughter, Mags, an accomplished artist who is gaining national recognition. When she arrives, she announces she wants to paint her parents' portrait. At first, Mags is amused by her parents' kibbitzing and refusal to take her seriously, along with Dad's constant state of confusion, but this eventually leads to harsh words and hurtful accusations between mother and daughter.

"Painting Churches" by Tina Howe, staged by the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, is a slight but funny and poignant play, and a real audience-pleaser. The beautifully designed set, recreating a Beacon Hill apartment, featured luxurious furnishings and three tall windows. Waltrudis Buck is perfect as the funny, flighty, sometimes sarcastic Fannie. Tall, distinguished Sean McGuirk, in the sort of risky role playwright Howe is noted for, plays Gardner's slide into dementia with humor and sensitivity. Dee Nelson almost steals the show as the daughter. I've seen her a number of times at the Barnstormers and Peterborough Players. She has had guest roles on Grey's Anatomy and Judging Amy, as well as several movies. She has won the Elliot Norton award and New Hampshire Theatre award. She's one of my favorite New Hampshire theatre performers.

In spite of the conflict in the middle of the play, its overall effect is uplifting. You leave with good feelings about what you've just witnessed.

"Big River"

July 12, 2012 — The musical "Big River," based on Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," has played in New Hampshire summer theatres several times in the past few years but it never appealed to me. I thought turning this classic American novel into a musical was somewhat of a desecration. Also, the songs are all original, and I tend to find greater pleasure in songs that are familiar to me. But when "Big River" showed up on the playlist of the Barnstormers in Tamworth, one of my favorite theatres, I decided to give it a look-see.

I ordered a ticket and first drove to Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee on a steamy, hot afternoon, typical this summer. After dinner in Meredith, I made the half hour drive over to Tamworth to see the play. My preconceptions of it couldn't have been more wrong. In the hands of the gifted Barnstormers actors and directors, it was a delight. The songs, although unfamiliar, were all excellent as performed by a talented cast with great voices. The orchestra was fine, although occasionally the drums seemed to come in at inappropriate times and were a bit jarring.

The play follows the novel fairly closely, using much of Twain's dialog. Jordan Ahnquist was Huck Finn. His friend, the escaped slave Jim, was played by De'Lon Grant, and Patrick Scott Minor appeared as Tom Sawyer. Long-time Barnstormers regulars W. Clapham Murray, Elaine Anderson, Penny Purcell, Jean Mar Brown, Robert Bates, Dale Place and a large cast of supporting actors appeared. I should give special mention to Doug Shapiro, one of the funniest men in New Hampshire theatre, and Jim Burkholder as the duke and dauphin. Several actors played multiple roles.

I'll never again assume I'm not going to like a play before seeing it. "Big River" is wonderfully entertaining.

"The Wedding Singer"

July 5, 2012 — My introduction to New Hampshire summer theatre almost 20 years ago was at the Papermill Theatre in Lincoln where the North Country Center for the Arts (NCCA) has been staging its performances for 26 years. I went many times with my mom, who shared my love of live theatre. During its first 23 years, NCCA held its plays in the old Paper Mill Machine Room #1 which had a rustic charm, but when it rained the ancient roof often failed to protect actors and audience.

Two years ago, when the old Machine Room and other mill buildings were leveled, the Loon Mountain Resort generously offered space for a stage and seating for an audience in the Governor's Lodge. This summer, NCCA's Papermill Theatre proudly opened its new home in the $2.6 million climate-controlled Jean's Playhouse (pictured). This facility will offer entertainment year-round.

On this night, for its first mainstage theatrical performance in the new theatre, the Papermill offered "The Wedding Singer," a musical comedy based on the 1998 movie with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Tonight's performance featured Michael Stewart and Katharine McDonough in the Sandler/Barrymore roles, heading a talented, energetic, mostly young cast. For a first-night performance, it went very smoothly, except for a brief glitch right at the beginning when they had trouble getting their admittedly obsolete sound system in sync. The rather sparse stage set was supplemented by rear-projected images. The $40 admission is the highest of any New Hampshire summer theatre I regularly attend.

After the high-energy first act, which featured some great song and dance numbers, the second act flattened out at a slower pace, at least up until Kara Tripoli's brazenly provocative bedroom romp. Overall, it was a great show. The theatre was probably less than half full, but those who showed up for this opening night were very appreciative.

There's still much work to be done. Landscaping is underway. Acoustics are good in the new theatre, but their antiquated sound and lighting systems need to be replaced. I predict a bright future for the Papermill Theatre at Jean's Playhouse and look forward to continuing my patronage.