"The Norwegians"

November 10, 2019 — There are four things that would help you in your understanding and enjoyment of "The Norwegians" by C. Denby Swanson. (1) Having lived or spent time in Minnesota. (2) Intimate acquaintance with Norwegians. (3) Having been a fan of the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." (4) Having seen the movie "Fargo," preferably more than once. None of the preceding are essential, but without this exposure, some of the Minnesota/Norwegian humor may be lost on you.

Minnesotans and Norwegians are "nice." They're unfailingly polite, fair-minded and helpful, even Norwegian hit-men like Tor (Dan Tetreault) and Gus (Ryan Orlando). They've been hired by Olive (Melissa O'Neil) to kill her ex-boyfriend for a sin no worse then dumping her. Olive's recently acquired friend, Betty (Tracy Mullen Cosker), who she met in a restroom, also has put out a hit on her own boyfriend, who happens to be Gus, unknown to Tor.

Does this make sense? Of course it doesn't. You have to hang on to every word of dialog and pay very close attention as the play switches frequently between past and present. I admit I got lost in it and had to research it on the internet to decipher the plot points after I got home. I'm still not sure how to interpret the ending.

The play is rich in regional, religious and ethnic humor, although it's never mean-spirited. Best performance is by Cosker. Her character, Betty, delivers a hilarious monolog at the beginning of Act 2. The rest of the acting is good, but the play dragged a little, at least for me, especially in Act 1.

This was sort of an extension of my summer theater season. "The Norwegians" was staged at M&D at the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse in North Conway, New Hampshire. Rich Russo directed, Dan Tetreault was the scenic designer, and Mary-Ellen Jordan was responsible for costumes.