Christmas 2019

December 24-25, 2019 — For the 10th year in a row, I traveled to southeastern Massachusetts to share Christmas with my extended family. Once again, the weather cooperated and there were no travel problems. Many thought it was the best Christmas ever. That's a tough decision to make. They've all been memorable get-togethers, filled with warmth, happiness and humor.

The fascinating thing to me is the growth of the family. Babies at that first party are now 10, and those that were 10 are now in college. And of course, marriages and births have brought new members to the family.

You can see my video and photo coverage of this year's festivities at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/christmas19/

"A Tuna Christmas"

December 15, 2019 — This madcap comedy is set in the now fictitious town of Tuna, Texas, although the Texas State Historical Association says such a community once existed. The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire presented A Tuna Christmas by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, directed by Players artistic director Gus Kaikkonen, with a cast of only two actors, Tom Frey and Kraig Swartz, playing eleven characters each, both male and female. Scenic design was by Emmy Boisvert. Special mention for this particular production has to go to costume designer Lisa Streett-Liebetrau.

Frey and Swartz, Players audience favorites and two of New Hampshire's finest comic actors, outdid themselves in this frenzy of rapid backstage costume changes, skillfully executed by actors, dressers and director. Swartz had appeared in the play some years earlier, but it was all new to Frey who said he was warned it would feel like being mugged. In one incredible scene, Frey plays two characters, each in different costume, in a shoving match. How? You have to see it!

Christmas is approaching and everyone is wondering if Vera Carp will take the prize for yard decoration for the 15th year in a row. Will the local theater production of A Christmas Carol go on, or will it be scuttled by censors and a threat by the electric company to cut the power because of unpaid bill? This doesn't look good for Stanley, out of prison, who is scheduled to appear in the play  as part of his community service, ending his probation so he can finally get out of this dead-end town. Will the unidentified "phantom" once again vandalize yard decorations?

The dialog is every bit as hilarious as the antics of the actors and the costumes. This is rural Texas, good people with small-town values which can be easily put aside for convenience. Baptists not allowed to drink? Pretend you're a Methodist. Cheating is OK if it helps someone, like fulfilling Stanley's community service.

You might not expect to find Broadway-quality shows in a theater in the New Hampshire woods, but never under-estimate Peterborough Players. This summer theater, established in 1933, has expanded its season to include three live plays in the winter, along with high-definition screenings of productions from the Met and National Theatre and other organizations.

"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.

"Deadly Murder"

October 7, 2019 — Camille (Wendi Yellin) is a skilled jewelry designer whose talent has lifted her from her humble beginnings to proprietor of her own highly successful business in New York and a luxurious apartment. Her only vice is a weakness for handsome young men. As the play opens, it's morning, and Billy (TJ Lamando), Camille's latest catch, is standing in Camille's apartment bare-chested, wearing only a towel.

Billy gets dressed, Camille prepares breakfast, their conversation is playful at first but takes a sinister turn when Billy reveals a knowledge of Camille's past she has carefully safeguarded. How does he know these things? As Billy becomes threatening, Camille orders him from her apartment. When he refuses to leave, Camille calls Ted (Thomas Daniels), the building security guard. Billy overpowers Ted, knocks him out, and gets possession of his gun. There's a warning in the show's program that there will be gunshots during the performance. I counted three, or maybe four, over the course of the two acts. To quote a famous Clint Eastwood line, "In all the excitement, I kind of lost count."

Yellin, Lamando and Daniels do a great job of carrying this tense, at times humorous, drama of double-crosses and switches, so many that any of your guesses as to where it's headed will almost certainly be wrong. There are several well-choreographed scenes of violence. Fortunately, the most gruesome act occurs out of sight of the audience. All I'll say is there's a lot of blood. Does the suitcase really contain a body? How can there be two murders in the cast of three, but two remain standing at the end?

I don't think "Deadly Murder," written by David Foley, rises to the level of Agatha Christie's best work, but it was fun. This production was staged at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, and directed by Tyler Christie (no relation to Agatha). The set was designed by Hannah Joy Hopkins and costumes by DW.

"The Penelopiad"

October 6, 2019 — I'm late reviewing this play because, frankly, it was so original and unconventional I had trouble putting my impressions into words, except that I enjoyed it immensely. Performed at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, by theatre KAPOW, "The Penelopiad" is based on the novella by Margaret Atwood, author of "The Handmaid's Tale."

Directed by Matt Cahoon, one of the tKAPOW co-founders, the play is a re-telling of The Odyssey from Penelope's point of view from Hades with her twelve maids, thousands of years after the events of Homer's tale. Carey Cahoon is featured in the role of Penelope. She also designed the costumes and set. The rest of the all-female cast plays multiple roles, both male and female.

With musical accompaniment and dances, Penelope reminisces about her life and experiences at the time of the Odyssey. It was another of the caliber of performances that have won Cahoon the New Hampshire Theatre Award for best actress in several past performances. Could this be another? She's on-stage almost without interruption for the entire play, with volumes of dialog. Her child-birth scene alone is worthy of a Tony Award.

Also appearing were Emma Cahoon, Gina Carballo, Jamie Clavet, Teddi May Kenick-Bailey, Heidi Krantz, Rachael Chapin Longo, Sheree Owens and Katie Proulx, an impressive collection of talent. Musicians were Jake Hudgins, Jennifer Perkins-Sciolla and Sam Sarel. Choreography was by Lorraine Chapman. Tayva Young, as she has in many tKAPOW productions, enhanced the play with her exquisite
lighting design.

"California Suite"

September 5, 2019 — "California Suite" by Neil Simon consists of four short plays within a play, each taking place in the same plush Beverly Hills hotel suite. The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire staged the play with five actors playing eleven parts. The exquisite set, designed by Meredith C. Brown, consisted of a living room, bedroom and foyer, all open and visible to the audience, but the actors navigate the set as though no room is visible from another. A bathroom is behind a door, not visible. It was beautifully furnished, causing me to wonder where on earth they acquired all that sumptuous furniture. Timothy L'Ecuyer directed and Nick Cochran designed the many costumes, from highly formal to working class to sporting.

In the first act, or playlet, Hannah (Donna Schilke) has flown to California to meet her ex-husband, William (Adam Kee) in the aforementioned suite and take their teenage daughter (not shown) back to New York with her. The dialog is sharp, sometimes nasty, with a few good laugh lines, as the two argue over which provides the best environment for their daughter, California or New York. Not my favorite of the four acts.

In the second act, which is truly hilarious, Marvin (Nate Healey), back from a business trip, awakens to find Bunny (Gwen Elise Higgins) asleep beside him. We learn she consumed a whole bottle of vodka and Marvin's best efforts fail to awaken her, and his wife is on the way. What does he do? Of course, his wife, Millie (Irina Kaplan) arrives and he desperately tries to keep her from the bedroom where Bunny still sleeps. Does Millie discover Bunny? Would it be a Neil Simon play if she didn't? My sense of humor is not terribly sophisticated (I'm a Monty Python fan, that should tell you a lot), so I prefer broad, physical comedy, and this was my favorite act.

In the third playlet, Adam Kee returns as Sidney and Donna Schilke as Diana, both English, as they check into the suite. Diana, an actress, has been nominated for an Academy Award and is there to hopefully collect her Oscar. Diana is agonizing over her gown which she believes makes her look like she has a hump and other problems. Sidney, with typical British unconcern, assures her everything is fine. They finally leave for the award ceremony. When they return, the mood has changed dramatically. All British reserve is gone, and both are in an ugly state of mind. Again, a bit sophisticated for my taste.

All except Gwen Elise Higgins (Bunny in act 2) return for act 4. Mort (Nate Healey), Beth (Irina Kaplan), Stu (Adam Kee) and Gert (Donna Schilke) are two couples on vacation staying at the suite. Beth has injured her foot in a tennis match and her husband, Mort, blames Stu for her injury due to the way he lobbed the ball. Later, Gert smashes a light in the bathroom and cuts her foot on the glass, then still later bumps and injures her head. One misunderstanding leads to another and, with both women unable to leave the bed, the two men have a free-for-all. This act is a close contender for second favorite.

I should hasten to mention all performances in all four acts were among the best of this summer theater season. The differences were strictly in my personal taste. These actors, in a space of less than two hours, had to take on the roles of people that couldn't be more different from each other. Donna Schilke's three characters could easily have been mistaken for three different people if you didn't have a program. Unfortunately, we didn't get a good look at Gwen Elise Higgins. She was partially covered in blankets in the second act and had not a word of dialog. Hopefully, we'll see more of her in future productions.

"A Doll's House, Part 2"

September 3, 2019 — Playwright Lucas Hnath wondered what might have become of Nora Helmer after she walked out and slammed the door on her husband and three children in Heinrich Ibsen's famous play, "A Doll's House." That door-slam is the last sound heard in the play, and its finality is devastating.

Hnath decided to write his own version of Nora's life after her departure and titled it "A Doll's House, Part 2." The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, presented Hnath's version, directed by Keith Stevens with a beautifully-designed set by Emmy Boisvert, sumptuous period costumes by Bethany Mullins, and the Players' usual fine acting talent.

Fifteen years after walking out, Nora (Lisa Bostnar) returns to the home of her husband, Torvald Helmer (Players artistic director Gus Kaikkonen), and is greeted by the same maid, Anne-Marie (Carolyn Michel), who was there when Nora suddenly departed and was left with the task of bringing up Nora's three children. Their meeting is awkward but cordial, although cautious, at first, but finally descends into angry recrimination. And then, Torvald, who wasn't expected home for another day, shows up unexpectedly.

Why has Nora returned? She has become a successful and wealthy published author and life has been good to her. Is there something she needs from her former family? Answers to these questions are gradually revealed over the course of the four-act play, each act centering on one of the four characters. I haven't mentioned the fourth yet. That was Emmy (Katie Shults), Nora and Torvald's daughter, a child when Nora left, now grown into lovely womanhood and engaged to be married.

There is a problem threatening Nora's future and she does need help from her abandoned family. Will Torvald and Emmy oblige? Torvald, devastated and humiliated at the time of Nora's departure, is finding it hard to sympathize. Nora is a stranger to Emmy who barely remembers her and feels no kinship.

The encounters between the actors are realistic and believable, sometimes angry, often poignant, occasionally humorous. The acting is superb. Another example of quality theater by the Peterborough Players.