A Warm Christmas

December 25, 2015 — Near the end of a December destined to go down as the warmest on record there was no chance of a white Christmas. No coats needed, not even light jackets, as temperature nudged 70 the day before Christmas, and held in the mid-60s Christmas day.

My Christmas itinerary was the same as it's been the past six years. I observe Christmas with two branches of my extended family in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. This year, a new baby was the center of attention, charming everyone. You can see photos and a video of our activities at this link:

http://www.linwoodstreet.com/christmas15/

"Killer Joe"

November 1, 2015 —Intimate is the only way to describe the Players' Ring in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Housed in a non-descript brick building on the edge of the historic Strawbery Banke area, the small square stage is surrounded by seating on three sides. Posts aupporting the ceiling partially block views, but are not a major problem. You feel like you're part of the action within the small space where actors frequently come within touching distance of the audience.

This evening was the final performance of "Killer Joe" by Tracy Letts, produced and directed by Todd Hunter. In a trailer in Texas in the 1990's, Ansel Smith (Michael Towle) lives with his second wife, Sharla (Jennifer Henry), and son and daughter from his previous marriage, Chris (Kyle Milner) and pretty, sweet, but not too bright Dottie (Jessica Miller).

Chris owes money to a gang who might cause him serious injury, or worse, if he doesn't pay up. Chris pleads with his father for a loan, but Ansel is penniless. Together, they hatch a plot to hire Joe Cooper (Matthew Schofield), a police detective who moonlights as a killer for hire, to kill Ansel's first wife, Chris and Dottie's mother, and collect her $50,000 insurance, for whom they've been told Dottie is the beneficiary. This must be done in absolute secrecy, but they discover Dottie has eaves-dropped on their entire conversation. Much to their surprise, she thinks it's a good idea.

"Killer Joe" Cooper shows up, cool and menacing, and lays out his conditions for the job. When they can't pay him in advance, he demands a "retainer." The retainer he requires happens to be Dottie. Ansel and Chris agree. These people are the worst kind of trailer trash, vulgar, violent, totally lacking in morals. Oh, and I should add funny. There are plenty of laugh lines interspersed throughout the angry yelling and violent outbursts.

Of course, nothing goes as planned, and events lead to a confrontation and well-choreographed and convincing fight scene involving the entire cast at the end, almost frightening to the audience within the confines of the small theater. The excellent cast earned a well-deserved standing ovation.

"Dames at Sea"

September 9, 2015 — I was frankly surprised at how shut down Lincoln, New Hampshire was only two days after Labor Day. With the temperature hovering around 90, the popular Clark's Trading Post and Hobo Railroad were both closed. My biggest disappointment was finding my favorite ice cream parlor closed for the season. I had lunch at the usually busy Truant's Tavern, and I was the only customer during the noon hour.

I had traveled to Lincoln for an afternoon performance of "Dames at Sea" at Jean's Playhouse. The musical, first produced off-broadway in 1966 with book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise, featuring a newcomer named Bernadette Peters, is a take-off on the big Hollywood musicals. In an oft-repeated plot, a girl from the sticks with no experience gets her big break and becomes a star when the show's original star is incapacitated.

Directed and choreographed for Jean's by Julie Tomaino, this was a surprisingly good show, performed by a very talented young cast of six, with lots of energy, fine song numbers, and great tap-dancing. A live three-member band was good, but there was some distortion by the sound system, a problem I've noticed in other Jean's Playhouse shows.

It's the '30s, and Ruby (Kaylee Verble) arrives in New York from Utah with nothing in her luggage but dancing shoes. She begs producer Hennessey (David Dennison) for a part in his musical. Hennessey is reluctant, but the wise-cracking Joan (Catherine Skojec) convinces him to give her a chance. Prima donna Mona Kent (Anna Sheridan), the star of the show, has nothing but disdain for Ruby. Dick (Andrew Burton Kelley), a sailor, befriends Ruby.

In the second act, the cast has moved aboard a ship at sea after their theater is scheduled to be torn down. Dennison now plays his second role as the captain, a former love interest of Mona. A second sailor, Lucky (Josh Dennis) joins the cast. One of the highlights of the show for me was a duet by Dennison and Sheridan.

Ruby gets her big chance when Mona becomes seasick. She leads the cast in a well-choreographed production number at the end of the show. I should also mention the nice costumes by Hunter Dowell and Arianna Knox's set, especially the ship in the second act. My trip to Lincoln was rewarded in spite of the town's post-Labor Day slump. It will be revived when ski season starts up.

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

September 2, 2015 — "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" has been adapted for movies and plays more than one hundred times. It's usually fleshed out by adding dialog, backstory and even characters, because Robert Louis Stevenson's slender novella doesn't provide a lot to work with. He allegedly wrote it in three to six days while bed-ridden with an illness. Still, purist that I am, I'd like to see it as the master intended it to be. It's compact, scary, to the point, and has great dramatic punch. Then again, its flowery Victorian dialog might lose modern audiences.

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, chose David Edgar's adaptation of the classic for its production. It includes a couple of additional characters and plot not found in Stevenson's original. Directed by Nick Saldivar, the Winni rolled out its finest actors, a few of whom played multiple roles, in this performance made all the more challenging by frequent scene changes. Andrew Stuart's ingeniously designed set and a crack stage crew pulled off the many changes quickly and efficiently.

Nicholas Wilder, in one of his patented over-the-top performances, was perfectly cast as the Jekyll/Hyde character. Maybe I'm being over-cautious, but I never put children's names on the Internet without a parent or guardian's permission, as much as I'd love to give credit to the two charming youngsters who played Jekyll's niece and nephew, characters added in Edgar's adaptation. Also appearing, all excellent, were Richard Brundage, A. J. Ditty, Elizabeth Swan, Helen McMillan and Jason Plourde. Ray Dudley, one of the Winni community players, more than held his own among the professionals.

"Stella & Lou"

September 1, 2015 — These two actors demonstrated the same great chemistry in Bruce Graham's "Stella & Lou" as they did in "Auld Lang Syne" in 2012.  Kathy Manfre as Stella won Best Actress award at the New Hampshire Theatre Awards for her role in the 2012 play. Cast as Lou was Gordon Clapp who won an Emmy for his role as Detective Medavoy in the long-running TV police drama, "NYPD Blue." Directing "Stella & Lou" for the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, was Gus Kaikkonen, who was also the set designer, and what a great set it was, a marvelous replica of a seedy South Philadelphia saloon.

Lou, proprietor of the South Philly bar, is left mostly alone after the death of his wife two years earlier, and the passing of most of his friends and associates. He looks forward to the brief visits from Stella, a registered nurse, several times a week. Stella had helped care for Lou's wife during her long illness.

In their long evening of conversation, just the two of them in Lou's bar, Stella tries to pull Lou out of his malaise. Lou, hopelessly set in his ways and unwilling to change, resists. Their conversation ranges from funny to poignant, occasionally erupting in anger. Two fine actors kept the audience totally engaged throughout this play about second chances.

"Urinetown"

August 27, 2015 — The last time I was at the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, artistic director Bob Shea addressed the audience as usual before that night’s show, “The Hollow,” and promoted their next show, which he described as “the unfortunately titled ‘Urinetown’.” Well, that’s exactly how I felt about it. In fact, I had been avoiding “Urinetown,” which has played somewhere every summer for the past dozen or so years, because I was put off by the title. But it was the Barnstormers’ final show of their 85^th season, there’s only one more show on my schedule, and I was reluctant to let go of this summer that seems to have gone by in a flash. So I made a reservation for the musical comedy “Urinetown.”

With music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, "Urinetown" opened on Broadway in 2001 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won three. The Barnstormers production was directed by Clayton Phillips. Here's the plot in a nutshell: a 20-year drought has caused a terrible water shortage making toilets unusable. California should take note. Only public pay facilities may be used, all controlled by a megacorporation named “Urine Good Company” (ouch!).

I was wrong to avoid this play. It has terrific musical numbers and biting satire attacking everything from corporations to the police to big government, and yes, even itself. The cast of seventeen, led by Jordan Ahnquist, Rachel Alexa Norman, Cheryl Mullings, Tony Edgerton and Dale Place wrapped the Barnstormers' season with arguably the year's best show. So if "Urinetown" comes to your town, get over the title and see it. You won't regret it.

"Accidental Death of an Anarchist"

August 13, 2015 — In 1969, Italian railwayman and anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli fell (or was thrown) to his death from the fourth floor window of a Milan police station. He was being interrogated for bombing a bank but was cleared of the charge. Not the sort of event you would expect a playwright to base a comedy on, but that's exactly what Dario Fo did in 1970 in "Accidental Death of an Anarchist," just one year after the incident, portraying the police in very unflattering light and bringing threats of violence against his theater company. But he soldiered on, staging his play all over Italy, and it became a worldwide hit.

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, has staged an excellent production of Fo's play, translated by Ed Emery and directed for the Playhouse by Matt Cahoon. A. J. Ditty is the whole show in his over-the-top performance as 'The Maniac." An inmate of a series of mental institutions, he has the inept police department flummoxed as he poses as a judge investigating the death of the anarchist who mysteriously plunged from the police station window. Appearing as the police are Jason Plourde, Richard Brundage, Nicholas Wilder and John-Michael Breen. Rebecca Tucker appears late in the final act as a journalist.

The 45-year-old play, although uproariously funny, contains some sharp social commentary that could still make some uncomfortable today. It's not above employing occasional slapstick, and breaking out in song and a brief dance now and them.

The play traditionally has two endings, and the audience is invited to choose the one they like best. The Winnipesaukee Playhouse has chosen not to give the audience this choice, and the play stops short of the two endings, giving it a slightly abrupt finish and a feeling of incompleteness. But up until then, it's a tour de force.

"The Hollow"

August 6, 2015 — I love the Agatha Christie mysteries, so I had been looking forward to "The Hollow," one of the few Christie plays I hadn't seen, directed by Robert Shea for The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, now in its 85th season. Dr. John Cristow (Blair Hundertmark) and his wife, Gerda (Dee Nelson) have accepted an invitation from the Angkatells (Robert Bates and Vinette Cotter) to spend a weekend at the Hollow, the Angkatells' country estate. Dr. Cristow has jumped at the opportunity upon hearing his mistress, Henrietta (Anne-Marie Cusson) will also be present. Cristow's clueless wife is seemingly unaware of the affair. What Cristow doesn't expect is that a former mistress, Veronica Craye, a famous Hollywood actress (Madeleine Maby), will show up before the first evening is over. Also invited for the weekend are Midge (Anna Marie Sell), a distant cousin of the Angkatell's, and Edward Angkatell (Doug Shapiro). Also present are the butler, Gudgeon (Frank T. Wells), and a servant, Doris (Elizabeth Henle).

You just know this volatile mix can only mean trouble. At the end of the first evening, Dr. Cristow is shot dead. In typical Dame Agatha fashion, most of the large cast of characters is under suspicion. Each had motive and opportunity. The many rooms, doors, windows and surrounding woods make it easy for a killer to be undetected. An inspector (Dale Place) and his assistant (Greg Pike) are stymied by the conflicting witness accounts and confusing evidence. An inquest is inconclusive.

Could the killer be Cristow's wife, discovered standing over the body with a gun in her hand? Seems too obvious. What about Edward, who is known to have detested Cristow? Then there's that former mistress, the actress. Furious when Dr. Cristow spurns her advances, she makes some veiled threats. And what about the servant girl's account of seeing the butler standing outside a window holding a gun? The perpetrator won't be revealed until the final minutes.

Regrettably, I can't give this play unconditional praise. It seemed overlong, and the acting was a bit stiff, surprising since the large cast included the Barnstormers' best actors. They weren't really on their game for this first-night performance. The long play needs some fire and passion to keep the audience involved. Hopefully, the actors can put a little more life in their performances before the play ends its run.

"Charley's Aunt"

August 5, 2015 — For the fourth time, The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, offered "Charlie's Aunt" by Brandon Thomas, a highly popular play ever since it first opened in London in 1892. Almost everyone has heard of it. I was seeing it for the first time. It's a hilarious farce where the laughs are non-stop.

Jack (Steven Walters) and Charley (Alex Bodine) are rehearsing how they're going to declare their love for Kitty (Karen Peakes) and Amy (Alycia Kunkle). But first, they have to get them alone. This is dependent on Charley's aunt, Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, a rich widow (Lisa Bostnar), arriving from Brazil to act as the girls' chaperone before they can be in the presence of the two young men. This is 19th Century England, after all. Their plans appear to be dashed when they get word Charley's aunt has been delayed indefinitely, and the girls are scheduled to leave for Scotland the next day with Stephen Spettigue (Michael Page, in one of his patented curmudgeonly, sputtering roles), uncle of Amy and guardian of Kitty.

Enter Lord Fancourt Babberley (Kraig Swartz, perfectly cast in a role that seems made for him). While visiting Jack and Charley, he leaves the room to try on a costume he's wearing in a play he's appearing in. The costume happens to be a woman's black gown with white lace and a wig. This may be the solution to Jack and Charley's dilemma. They convince the reluctant Babberley he can pose as Charley's aunt. Are you following this so far?

Many complications ensue, all uproarious. Colonel Sir Francis Chesney, Jack's father (Patrick Reynolds), bankrupt after paying off his debts, is urged to seek Charley's millionaire aunt's hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Spettigue has the same designs on her (him). Things get even more interesting when Charley's real aunt shows up while Babberley is still impersonating her. The real aunt plays along with the charade, at least temporarily. If that isn't enough, Charley's real aunt is accompanied by her adopted niece (Bridget Beirne) a former love interest of Babberley's.

I should also mention Tom Frey as the butler, Brassett, a small role but not an insignificant one. This production was directed by Charles Morey. Scenic designer Roger Hanna's work earned a round of applause when a completely new set was revealed when the curtain rose on the third act.

"Lost in Yonkers"

July 30, 2015 — It was the closest to a full house I've seen in a long time. I couldn't spot an empty seat anywhere in the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, at their afternoon performance of Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," directed for the Playhouse by Marta Rainer. The capacity crowd had much to be happy about by the end of this funny, poignant play.

Winner of both the Tony and Pulitzer Prize, "Lost in Yonkers" has a fascinating cast of diverse characters. Set during World War II, it's the story of Eddie (Jason Plourde), who has slid deeply in debt to a loan shark who financed his wife's treatment for cancer up until she died of the disease. With payback due in less than a year, Eddie has given up their apartment to leave  his two teenage sons (John-Michael Breen and Jordan Quisno) with his mother, the boys' grandmother  (Donna Goldfarb) and his sister, the slightly whacky Bella (Molly Parker Myers) while he goes on the road across America to collect scrap iron to come up with the cash.

Grandma was born Jewish in Germany and escaped to America before the rise of the Nazis. Her harsh life has left her cynical, incapable of affection, intolerant of what she perceives as weakness in others, striking fear into the rest of the family. Suffering the most is Bella, left to care for her. Bella is the most interesting character, flighty, excitable, by turns upbeat, angry, funny, depressed, starved for love, a challenging role well-played by Myers. She has a clash with Grandma that's a dramatic high-point of the play.

Later, another son, Louie (Nicholas Wilder) shows up. A gun-toting, street-smart bag man for the mob, the only one of the family not intimidated by Grandma, he earns the two boys' admiration. A threatening phone call and strange men hanging around outside lead them to wonder if Louie is in danger. "Are you in trouble?" asks one of the boys. "I've never not been in trouble,'' says Louie. The small role of Gert, another daughter with a really strange speech impediment,  goes to Rebecca Tucker.

Laughs, sadness, joy, pain, intense drama all come together in this play. It's a great theater experience.

"Relatively Speaking"

July 28, 2015 — Mistaken identity is one of the oldest plot devices in literature. Shakespeare used it to great effect, and many others have had varying degrees of success with it. British playwright Alan Ayckbourn's experiment with it in "Relatively Speaking" is highly original and very entertaining.

This production at The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, directed by Blair Hundertmark, is an audience-pleasing presentation. Greg (Buddy Haardt) and Ginny (Amanda Huxtable) share an apartment in London in the late '60s. Ginny is getting ready to leave for a visit with her parents at their countryside home. Greg wants to accompany her, but Ginny is insistent he stay home because her quirky parents needed to be prepared for him in advance. While they debate this, a couple of strange phone calls and a pair of slippers, owned by neither of them, found under the bed lead to raised eyebrows. In spite of all this, Greg proposes marriage, which Ginny seems agreeable to.

Ignoring Ginny's warnings, Greg travels to her parents' home and, due to a delay in Ginny's travel arrangements, arrives before her. Now things get interesting. Sheila (Dee Nelson) and Philip (John Schnatterly) have no idea who he is, but Sheila is cordial and welcoming, Philip not so much. But why has Ginny never told them about him? Why do they seem so indifferent to Ginny, almost as though they don't know her? Finally, Ginny shows up, and things get even stranger. I don't think I'm giving away too much by telling you Ginny has been secretly playing a charade, and it's about to unravel on her

The play has a lot going for it: Ayckbourn's famous comic dialog, delivered by the Barnstormers' fine cast, along with a skilled stage crew that pulls off a major scenery change at intermission, swapping one of set designer Emily Nichols' sets for something completely different.

"Table Manners"

July 23, 2015 — It's been a summer of Alan Ayckbourn plays. It wasn't planned, but I just happened to have seen two Ayckbourn plays so far and at least one more is on my schedule for this summer. The prolific British playwright has written 79 plays which have been translated into over 35 languages, are performed on stages and television throughout the world and have won countless awards.

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presented Ayckbourn's "Table Manners," directed by Neil Pankhurst, at their theatre in Meredith, New Hampshire. A family and their spouses get together for a weekend at the home of an unmarried sister, Annie (Rebecca Tucker) who lives with their invalid mother who is never seen in the play. The fact that certain family members can't stand each other makes for fiery, and hilarious, dinner table conversation. The table manners of the title are not the sort of manners you would want to teach your children.

The loud, flamboyant, disruptive Norman, husband of one of the sisters, in an over-the-top performance by Nicholas Wilder, had a past fling with Annie. When he's unsuccessful at rekindling the romance, he tries to seduce Sarah, played by Molly Parker Myers, equally over-the-top. His pretext is to take her away from her boring life with her husband and children for a holiday, of course in separate bedrooms, separate baths, separate everything. "I'll make you happy" in his words.

Jason Plourde, Richard Brundage and Suzanne Kimball, all excellent, fill out the cast, abetted by Meredith Brown's beautifully designed set. I can't wait for the next Ayckbourn play, which will be "Relatively Speaking" at The Barnstormers. Then it will be back to the Winnipesaukee Playhouse for "Lost in Yonkers" by Neil Simon.

"Outside Mullingar"

July 21, 2015 — Tom Frey, Bridget Beirne, Michael Page and Dale Hodges speak playwright John
Patrick Shanley's witty Irish lines in perfect Irish brogues in the Peterborough Players' production of "Outside Mullingar," directed by Gus Kaikkonen. Scenic designer Charlie Morgan's ingeniously designed rotating sets change smoothly from a run-down Irish farm kitchen to a bedroom to a more modern kitchen later in the play.

Located well off the beaten path and surrounded by woods in Peterborough, New Hampshire, the Players is one of my favorite theatres. Tonight's play is a comedy, and it does provide plenty of laughs, but also plunges into darkness at times, then lifts your spirits as characters once hurtful toward one another find the capacity for forgiveness and love. In other words, it's very Irish. The actors, all Players veterans, were at the top of their game in a memorable presentation.

"Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike"

July 16, 2015 — Vanya (Dale Place) and Sonia (Dee Nelson), a middle-aged brother and sister (although Sonia makes it very clear she's adopted) live a bored existence together in their country home, paid for by their sister Masha (Anne-Marie Cusson), a successful actress who also sends them a monthly stipend. In spite of the names, they're not Russian. Their classical actor parents named them after characters in Chekhov plays.

Vanya and Sonia have sacrificed any hope of success in life by devoting years to caring for their aging parents, now dead. Sonia, self-pitying, and Vanya, resigned to his dead-end situation, barely tolerate each other. Their housekeeper, Cassandra, a tornado of energy and doomsday prophecy, is played by Cheryl Mullings in a show-stealing performance.

When Masha shows up unannounced with her twenty-years-younger boyfriend, Spike (Evan D. Siegel), Vanya and Sonia's humdrum life is shaken to the core. Masha, flamboyant and domineering, is tall and physically imposing as she towers over the other women in the cast. Spike is an aspiring actor, but his main talent seems to be ripping his clothes off at every opportunity and parading around in skimpy undershorts or bathing trunks.

Things are further complicated when Nina (Angela Hope Smith) shows up, star-struck by the famous Masha and drawing unwanted attention from Spike. Then the pot is further stirred up when Masha announces she can no longer afford the house and is going to sell it, and will also have to end Vanya and Sonia's stipend, leaving them homeless and penniless.

With everything else that's going on, the group prepares for a costume ball in which Sonia garners all the praise, intolerable for the attention-greedy Masha. Later, a play written by Vanya is read, shades of Chekhov's "The Seagull," and Vanya goes off on a five-minute-long tirade against cell-phones, email and other modern technology. "We licked stamps!" he repeats many times. It's a tour de force rant that earns him spontaneous applause.

This bizarre cast of characters romped across the Barnstormers stage in Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," directed by Blair Hundertmark, in Tamworth, New Hampshire. A real audience-pleaser with a terrific cast and lots of laughs, this first-night performance by the Barnstormer's best actors was flawless.

"Good People"

July 9, 2015 — Vinette Cotter as Dottie and Jean Mar Brown as her friend Jean, a couple of frumpy, argumentative, bingo-addicted South Boston denizens pretty much stole the first act of David Lindsay-Abaire's "Good People" with their spot-on Southie accents and salty language. They evoked lots of laughter in the first act before the play turned much darker in the second.

My praise of Cotter and Brown in no way lessens the contribution of the rest of the fine cast of veteran performers at the Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Under the direction of Paul Mroczka, Dee Nelson plays the lead, Maggie, a single mother fired at the beginning of the play by her supervisor, Stevie (Buddy Haardt), for habitual tardiness due to having to care for her retarded adult daughter. Stevie is sympathetic, but has no choice. Maggie, with no college education and few skills, is now jobless and the rent is overdue.

Desperate, Maggie pays a visit to an old Southie school-mate, Mike (Blair Hundertmark), now a successful physician, hoping he can give her a lead on job opportunities. Maggie's big mouth soon turns a cordial conversation into something more confrontational, but she manages to finagle an invitation for herself to a party at Mike's house.

 Maggie is later notified the party has been canceled but thinks Mike has just had second thoughts about inviting her. In the second act, she shows up anyway at Mike's home to find only Mike and his wife, Kate (Nicole Powerll) present with a sick child upstairs. At first, Kate is sympathetic to Maggie's plight, but once again, outspoken Maggie turns things into an increasingly ugly confrontation, making vague references to Mike's Southie past, racism (Kate is African-American), past affairs, and questions about who fathered Maggie's retarded daughter.

Nelson and Hundertmark deliver fine performances in this second act as anger and recrimination flare. Powell is more subdued and at times her soft voice is difficult to hear in the farther corners of the theatre. But this is an excellent play with superb acting all around, a theatre experience that may be hard to top for the rest of this season.

"Lend Me a Tenor"

July 8, 2015 — After the subtle humor and very British understatement of Alan Ayckbourn's "Intimate Exchanges" at the Peterborough Players, Ken Ludwig's "Lend Me a Tenor" felt like walking into a Marx Brothers movie. With all the broad slapstick, hysteria, running around and door-slamming that are Ludwig's hallmarks, this play caters to completely different tastes than "Intimate Exchanges," but I found much to like in both.

"Lend Me a Tenor" is being staged by the Papermill Theatre Company at Jean's Playhouse in Lincoln, New Hampshire. When an Italian tenor of international renown is booked for a performance of "Otello" in Cleveland is, shall we say "indisposed," chaos, panic and mistaken identities prevail as the theatre manager attempts to groom a replacement who will fool the audience. Almost anything I say about this play will be a spoiler, so suffice it to say the Papermill cast, led by Matthew Hager, Alex Levenson, Gary Trahan and Alex Canty, is brilliant and the laughs are non-stop. Set designer Al Forgione created a very stylishly furnished living room and bedroom set with lots of doors to be slammed, essential in any Ken Ludwig play.

This production was directed by Producing Artistic Director Scott H. Severance, a man who knows something about comedy. I enjoyed his work in a number of Barnstormers productions during his acting days. I hope he hasn't given up performing for good. He was one of the funniest men in New Hampshire summer theatre.

"Intimate Exchanges"

July 7, 2015 — The audience got to choose the ending in "Intimate Exchanges." We cast votes for one of two endings at intermission, having no knowledge of the nature of either. The choices were "the prodigal returns" and "a christening." I chose the former, the latter won. I wasn't particularly impressed with that choice, but I have no way of knowing how the other would have ended. Author Alan Ayckbourn wrote sixteen endings!

Gus Kaikkonen directed this production. Two actors played five roles, two by Beverly Ward and three by Kraig Swartz. Ward is particularly talented at playing multiple characters. She played three in 2014's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers." Her characters are so different in personality, speech and mannerisms it's easy to imagine you're really seeing different women. Swartz differentiated his three characters with wigs, beards and costumes, but they were all Swartz. That's not a bad thing. He's a gifted comedic actor who has had many memorable roles at Peterborough Players, but he's not as adept at playing multiple personalities as Ward.

Alan Ayckbourn's comedy has a light touch. This was a charming little play, not one to really fire up an audience, but definitely pleasing. It's strong point was the acting. Scenic designer Charlie Morgan's excellent set consisted of stone walls, an archway, a tree and shrubs, constructed to facilitate quick changes, ending as a cathedral. Off-and-on rain drumming on the Players' ancient roof was a nice added effect.

"Uma Vida Imaginária"

June 28, 2015 — For the final show of their season, theatre KAPOW presented Nick Farewell's "Uma Vida Imaginária" at the Derry Opera House in Derry, New Hampshire. I've always believed it must be much more difficult for two actors to carry a play than a large cast, especially one like this with a large amount of dialog. But Carey Cahoon as "the woman" and Mark Marshall as "the man" were excellent in this unusual production, directed by Matt Cahoon.

Performed before a sparse audience on a rainy Sunday afternoon, this play deserved a larger audience. A married couple share frustration over the oppressiveness of their humdrum lives. Performed on a simple set with minimal props, augmented by the most ingenious lighting and projections I've ever seen, thanks to lighting design by Tayva Young and projection design by Wax Idiotical Films, the actors do their own furniture rearranging between the many short scenes.

Besides great acting, I think what makes the play compelling is that we can all relate to the frustration of the characters over boredom with their everyday lives that are taken up with jobs, paying the bills, household chores, and petty disagreements that sometimes turn into major hostilities, while they dream of greater things. I hope they get better attendance for this evening's performance. It's too good to miss.

"Red"

June 24, 2015 — Two men, engaged in conversation for ninety minutes, some of it confrontational, some pointless, some angry, much of it funny, receive a standing ovation at the end. Why? Good acting, good direction, compelling subject matter. These are the things that inspire an appreciative audience.

The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire presented John Logan's "Red," directed for the Players by Keith Stevens. Gus Kaikkonen appeared as artist Mark Rothko who's been commissioned to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in 1958. That part of the story is true. His conversations with his hired studio assistant, Ken, played by Lucas Van Engen, are largely from Logan's imagination.

Rothko is abusive, insulting and sometimes threatening to his rather meek assistant. Rothko believes Ken is incapable of understanding Rothko's abstract impressionist art. It's not until near the end of the play that Ken starts to rebel and challenges Rothko's opinions.

Scenic designer Charlie Morgan's set, a messy, sprawling, dimly lit art studio with a large movable wall as its centerpiece, one that can be rotated to present different sides as the play progresses, gave the stage the feel of a dedicated painter's work area, and was perfect for this play.

"Red" proves a play consisting of little more than words can be as entertaining as a musical with high-energy song and dance numbers or an Agatha Christie mystery.

"Gypsy"

June 23, 2015 — It was with some trepidation that I took to the road for New London, New Hampshire where I had a reservation for "Gypsy" at the New London Barn Playhouse. The meteorologists were forecasting a chance of heavy rain, hail in some places, damaging winds, and even a tornado threat! In fact, a tornado did touch down in Massachusetts. The temperature was near 90 and you could cut the humidity with a knife, real storm-breeding conditions. But the worst never happened, the sky cleared, the humidity dried up and the evening was beautiful.

I had seen "Gypsy" nine years ago, but had forgotten enough of it so I could enjoy it as a new experience once again. This production of the legendary musical based on the memoirs of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee with music by Jule Styne, book by Arthur Laurents and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was directed for the New London Barn by Peter Hackett.

The New London Barn excels at musical productions, and this one met their usual high standards. Anne Torsiglieri led the fine cast as Mama Rose. With her powerful voice, she's a worthy successor to Ethel Merman who originated the role on Broadway. My only complaint is that her endless domineering control of her daughters' careers became a bit tiresome late in the show. But her finale, "Rose's Turn," brought the house down. Eric Bunge was perfect as her long-suffering love interest. Acting intern Caroline Jackosn was irresistible as the daughter Mama Rose doted on and attempted to promote through the first act.

Another intern, Kimberly Pine, played Mama Rose's neglected daughter until (small spoiler alert) she undergoes a remarkable transformation in the second act that really showcases the considerable talent of this aspiring actress.

With great dance numbers and classic songs like "Small World," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Together Wherever We Go" and others, it was a memorable evening that had the near full-house enthralled throughout.

"Jesus Christ Superstar"

June 17, 2015 — About five minutes into the Winnipesaukee Playhouse's opening night performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar," an ear-splitting fire alarm went off, apparently caused by a haze effect which was part of the show, and everyone, audience and players, was ordered to evacuate the theatre. Ushers quickly explained there was no fire, so the evacuation was calm and orderly, although many were holding their ears against the almost painfully loud alarm.

We all waited outside about fifteen minutes for the fire department to confirm what we all knew, there was no fire, then filed back in. The interruption didn't throw the players off their game one bit. They smoothly picked up where they left off as though nothing happened, a tribute to their professionalism.

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse is located above Lake Winnipesaukee in the picturesque town of Meredith, New Hampshire. This production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, first staged in the '70s and updated to 21st Century attire and sensibilities, but with all the great music and lyrics unchanged, was directed by Neil Pankhurst. At first, I found the volume uncomfortably loud, but we must remember "Superstar" is first and foremost a rock concert, and loudness is expected. I became accustomed to it.

This was an excellent production. I've stressed before I have no qualifications to be a critic, so I call my comments "observations" rather than a review. The important thing is that I know what I like, and I really liked this show. The singing was superb, notably by Anthony Nuccio as Judas, John Wilkenning as Jesus and Rebecca Tucker as Mary Magdalene. They gave us chills with the power of their voices. I loved Tucker's rendition of "I Don't Know How To Love Him." The entire large cast was excellent. There were great dance numbers choreographed by Tara Little, with music directed by Judy Hayward, all on an impressive set designed by Neil Pankhurst, Andrew Stuart and Katrina Paul.

The resounding finale of this play, when everything is done right, has a powerful and profound effect on the audience, and the Winnipesaukee Playhouse has done everything right. The cast earned a standing ovation at the end. The play runs through June 27.

"Educating Rita"

May 3, 2015 — Northern New England Repertory Theatre presented British playwright Willy Russell's "Educating Rita," directed by John Goodlin, in the former courtroom converted to a theatre in the Whipple Memorial Town Hall in New London, New Hampshire.

The two-actor play features Tamara Scott as Rita, a slightly loopy hairdresser from a working class background, who hopes to improve her lot by taking the open university literature course offered by Frank, a jaded, hard-drinking professor, played by Paul O'Connor.

This is a charming little play, reminiscent of "My Fair Lady," but I'm sorry to say I was somewhat disappointed. I lost much of Rita's dialog because Scott worked a bit too hard at her East End accent, succeeding only in making herself hard to understand, at least to my ears. Otherwise, she played the part well, always vibrant and animated, going through many costume changes.

O'Connor, rumpled and bushy-haired, slipped naturally into the role of the heavy-drinking Frank, who keeps bottles of Scotch hidden behind the volumes in his huge bookcases. He's unhappy with his open university assignment and finds Rita annoying at first, but their relationship has many highs and lows over time.

"Time Stands Still"

May 2, 2015 — By special invitation, I attended theatre KAPOW's read-through of the script of "Time Stands Still" by Donald Margulies about a month ago. I wondered if that would spoil the final production for me, but I needn't have worried. It can't compare to the finished product performed by actors in a well-staged setting, directed by Matt Cahoon, at the Derry Opera House in Derry, New Hampshire..

Carey Cahoon, 2014 winner of the New Hampshire Theatre Award for Best Actress, convincingly portrays the badly injured war-zone photographer Sarah. John Decareau is her journalist soul-mate, James. Peter Josephson, also a New Hampshire Theatre Award winner, plays middle-aged Richard, a photo editor, and Gina Carballo appears as Richard's ditzy young girl-friend, Mandy.

The play challenges actors with its many changing moods, moving from humor to recrimination to anger many times over as it spans a period of several months in the characters' lives. The acting was superb all around. The set, a loft in Brooklyn, which theatre KAPOW worked hard to put together, posting photos and videos of its construction on Facebook as it  progressed, was exceptionally well-done.

For me, the play's message is that no matter how much we search, we can find our happiness in unexpected places, and sometimes find it right where it was all along.

KAPOW has announced "Time Stands Still," originally planned for this weekend only, is now being repeated next weekend. Check their Facebook page for information:

https://www.facebook.com/theatre.kapow?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser

"The Business of Murder"

April 12, 2015 — On the first spring-like day following one of the most prolonged and punishing winters in memory, I traveled to Meredith, New Hampshire to attend my first live performance of the new season. After lunch at George's Diner, I strolled around the border of Meredith Bay, part of Lake Winnipesaukee, enjoying wall-to-wall sun and temperature in the 60s. There's open water along the shoreline, but still ice covering the lake away from shore. It won't last much longer.

At this Winnipesaukee Players production, "The Business of Murder," two men and a woman meet in a Southwest London flat. All three have a connection to a horrendous crime committed years ago, but at the beginning only one of the men is aware of the connection. Gradually, as the play progresses, the others (and the audience) come to realize what a diabolical scheme they're caught up in. Not your standard whodunit, with an unpredictable ending, this play by award-winning playwright Richard Harris keeps the tension high, although at times a bit plodding.

Ably directed by Neil Pankhurst and well-acted by Jason Plourde, William Allgood and Rebecca Tucker, this presentation meets the Winnipesaukee Players' high production standards. Keep watching for reviews. I have five more "Winni" productions on my schedule for this season, along with other New Hampshire summer theater shows.

"Russian Roulette/Parisian Poker"

February 28, 2015 — I knew I could depend on theatre KAPOW to lift me from my winter blues. Always original, in "Russian Roulette/Parisian Poker" they give the audience a choice of which three out of six short comedies by Anton Chekhov and Moliere, directed by Matt Cahoon, will be performed. This afternoon, "The Imaginary Cuckold" and "The Flying Doctor," both by 17th Century French playwright Moliere, and "The Reluctant Tragic Hero" by 19th Century Russian playwright Chekhov were drawn from the hat for this afternoon's presentation. The audience was also given a choice of unlikely props. The performances run through Sunday, March 1 at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire.

Carey Cahoon, winner of the New Hampshire Theatre Award for best actress last year, played male roles in both Moliere comedies, supported by a fine cast. In "The Imaginary Cuckold" the versatile but diminutive actress carried a stool around to stand on when conversing with the other actors, all about a foot taller than she is, in this zany comedy of misunderstandings. In "The Flying Doctor," a comedy of deception, Cahoon plays the dual roles of a doctor and his twin brother in a hilarious tour de force. Did I mention both plays also feature some fantastic wigs?

In "The Reluctant Tragic Hero," Peter Josephson, a Seacoast Spotlight Award nominee, gives one of his patented frenzied performances as a man driven nearly suicidal by his boring life and the demands made on him by others. Josephson has impressive energy and comic timing.

The afternoon was a welcome respite from this dreary, seemingly endless winter. A small company featuring exceptional talent and production values, theatre KAPOW's plays range from broad comedy to high drama. Their website is at this link:

http://www.tkapow.com/

I Knew It Wasn't My Imagination

February 25, 2015

From The Union Leader, Manchester, NH

The Parade of Storms Continues

February 14-15-16, 2015 — I don't know what more I can say about snow. It seems like the same apocalypse being played over and over. Saturday afternoon, a light snow began to fall and continued into the evening, and had only accumulated to a couple of inches by the time I retired for the night. Overnight, it ramped up to near blizzard proportions, and I awoke to an additional 8-10 inches on top of the three feet or so already on the ground.

The snow was tapering off when I began shoveling out Sunday morning for the fourth time in three weeks. Once again, it was very cold so the snow was of the light variety. Still, there was far more snow than space left to put it. I was suffering mild claustrophobia hemmed in by the mountains of snow surrounding my property.

The sun came out around noon but it remained very cold. The street plow went by and left a snowbank across the end of my driveway. I went out in the evening and carefully cleaned it out and leveled it off. I thought I was done for this storm. I listened to the wind howling through the night and hoped we wouldn't lose power. We didn't.

Monday morning the wind chill brought the temperature down to the equivalent of 30 below 0. I looked out the window and thought I could see another snowbank at the end of my driveway I had so carefully cleaned out the day before. I put on my Arctic gear and ventured out. Not only had the plow been by again and blocked my driveway, but the wind had blown snow into other areas I had shoveled out. I spent nearly an hour re-doing much of the previous day's shoveling, at times almost being blown over by strong wind gusts.

As I look around the neighborhood, I'm amazed at the incredible amounts of snow. Six-foot snowbanks line both sides of the street and driveways, this after a winter that didn't really get started until near the end of January.

...and On and On It Goes

February 7-10, 2015 — The meteorologists were calling it a "long duration" storm. I must have heard that phrase a few hundred times before, during and after the storm. Snow began falling in the early hours of Saturday morning and continued into the early morning hours of Tuesday. Most of the snow was of the light variety, but because of the "long duration" it accumulated to some very impressive depths, almost a foot on top of the nearly three feet from the two previous storms.

Temperature stayed in the single numbers and teens for most of the duration, so the snow was light and fluffy. The hardest part was shoveling through the dense bank, filled with icy chunks, thrown up by the plows in their frequent passes along my street. I had to shovel through that two or three times a day during the storm. The rest of the snow, in my driveway, walk and covering my car, was light and easy to move, but with my driveway surrounded by piles of snow nearing six feet in hieght, where to put it was becoming a problem. I'd pick up a shovel-full of snow, then walk around looking for a place to put it down.

Records have been broken south of here, in Boston and Worcester and their surrounding communities. After a series of disruptive breakdowns of MBTA cars in Boston, the city shut down the entire network Tuesday to try to recover, this at the same time they were urging people not to drive, creating a commuting nightmare.

As I look out over the enormous snow piles surrounding houses on my street, I think this is close to the highest snow depths I've seen in the forty-four years I've lived here. I don't think it quite reaches the totals of the Presidents' Day storm of 2003, but it's close.

Nor'easter II

February 2, 2015 — The second nor'easter in a week hit the area in the early hours of this morning and may continue into the early hours of tomorrow morning. Forecast is for eight to fourteen inches before it's over, on top of the nearly two feet from the previous storm. As I write this, the temperature is 7 degrees, down from a high of 11 a few hours ago. I just shoveled out for the second time. The low temperatures keep the snow dry and powdery and easy to move. I'll probably shovel out one more time this evening, and may have to do it again tomorrow morning if snow continues to fall through the night.

The Blizzard of '15

January 28, 2015 — The Blizzard of 2015 that walloped New England didn't quite live up to the media hype, but nonetheless a couple of significant records were set. Boston got 25.6 inches of snow, a record for that city for the month of January. The 34.5 inches that buried Worcester for them was an all-time record for any month.

There was some flooding and storm damage in southeastern Massachusetts and on Cape Cod. A seawall was breached in Marshfield. All driving, except for emergency vehicles and other essential personnel, was banned in Massachusetts for 24 hours. The electric company deliberately shut off power to the town of Scituate for 24 hours to lessen the danger of fire caused by flooding of electric wiring in basements which caused the loss of several homes in the blizzard of 2013.

It was a long-duration storm, lasting about 36 hours. My hometown got just under two feet of snow. All this occurred after a mostly snow-free December and January. In fact, it was the first significant storm since the day before Thanksgiving, back in November.