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Allzah: THEATRE

Allzah would like to review your play. Please send info for dress invitationals and complimentary tickets to editor@allzah.com and we will attempt to provide an objective and honest review of your show in a timely manner.

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The Newlyweds.

5 th Row Center Presents
I Do! I Do!
By Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

Directed by Mo Dutterer
Produced by Jerry Mayer

Review by Heather Bartlett
Photos by William Hardy

Runs through March 12th - Hurry!

A lovely drive to Reisterstown, Maryland found us enjoying the first production by the newly formed 5 th Row Center Entertainment: a musical called I Do! I Do!, by the same team who created The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

The production was presented at the Trinity Lutheran Church on Main Street, in an open-plan church hall that was actually quite pleasant. Lovely circular stained glass windows contributed to the ambiance, although on this sunny Sunday they made it hard to have a good solid blackout. The seating was comfortable and the sound from the singers, a piano, and an electronic keyboard was well balanced and sounded good.

I Do! I Do! is a two-person show adapted from Jan de Hartog's comedy The Fourposter, and presents fifty

years of marriage between Agnes and Michael, beginning just before the 20 th century. The play begins on their wedding night in a big four-post bed, with both asking in a cute, roundabout sort of way whether the other has ever seen the opposite sex without clothes on. Though I wouldn’t call this show bawdy by any stretch, it gently touched on a few taboo subjects in a very old fashioned sort of way, and folks who’ve been in mature relationships are bound to recognize some of the sentiments.

Serious discussion between Michael & Agnes.

Nan Kaestner played Agnes and was everything the role needed. She had more than enough stage presence and voice—I was just disappointed we didn’t get to see much of her great legs! In any case, she was on the mark.

Michael was portrayed by Mo Dutterer, who was also the director. Mr. Dutterer had a rich voice and lots of charisma. He moved easily and acted very well. These roles were originally played on Broadway by Mary Martin and Robert Preston, and Dutterer in particular was reminiscent of his prototype.

With these two actors on the stage, you could sit back and relax and just enjoy the show because you knew nothing was going to get dropped or go awry. They not only nailed their lines, they owned them. No problems understanding and enjoying the lyrics, either, and Dutterer turned in a crowd-pleasing sax solo during “When the Kids Get Married.” Other musical highlights were his sneer-inducing song “It’s a Well Known Fact,” about men aging more gracefully than women, and the signature song from the show “My Cup Runneth Over (with Love).”

The blocking was smooth enough on the somewhat compact stage. Miraculously, there was enough room for an impudent tricycle ride in one scene (their children’s toys being littered around the room). The only noticeable obstacles were the posts on the bed itself, which sometimes blocked sightlines, but I guess it just wouldn’t be the same without them.

"When the Kids Get Married"

One thing I particularly enjoyed, and I suppose this is owed to the directing, is the way that the actors put on their “elderly” make-up and costumes while onstage, making it part of the show, rather than leaving the audience to wait while they change backstage. I thought this was a clever way to handle it.

Costumes were top notch. The only quibble I have is that I doubt Agnes would have worn her wedding peignoir months later. It’s rather special, and not something you’d generally wear pregnant. In any case, the costumes by Edith Burbage were on target on almost all points.

The props were fabulous, everything from the baby-doll buggy to the old suitcases. It was obvious to me that great attention was paid to this aspect of the show. The set was simple and timeless and worked very well. Evidently they had some help acquiring set pieces from a local establishment called the Curiozity Shoppe, and the program states that the items are being sold after the show.

The live music directed by Aaron Broderick burbled along without a hiccup and sounded great. This little group was very together musically.

A couple of things that might have been a little better were Nan’s first wig, which looked a little wild, and the spotlights were used more than I thought necessary (although Will appreciated having the extra light for shooting pictures). Other than that, this was a real class act, especially considering the space.

This production is perfect if you like light-hearted musicals that most of the family could watch with interest. Reisterstown is along I-795, a few miles outside the Baltimore beltway on the northwest side. Will and I both hope 5 th Row continues to bring talented people to the stage.

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Sherry Santana & Tom Cauler as Doris and George.

Black Box Theatre - Indian Head in Southern Maryland

Same Time, Next Year
By Bernard Slade

Weekends - February 11 - 27th

Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm

*Be sure to read the bottom about the special Citrus Cafe & Black Box Theatre's Dinner & Show prices!

Review by Heather Bartlett
Photos by Bill Hardy

Southern Maryland is fortunate to have the recent addition of the Black Box Theatre in the tiny town of Indian Head, located on Route 210 in Southern Maryland. The intimate space is a great venue for a multitude of production types.

Sunday afternoon I saw a full dress rehearsal of Same Time, Next Year, a brilliantly written play by Bernard Slade laden with wit, frank language, and a comedic look at relationships in unlikely contortions.

The lights come up with George and Doris already in bed. They met while they were both out of town, away from their families, and gave in to an overwhelming, undeniable attraction. Despite the fact that they seem better suited to each other than either of their spouses, they choose to go back to their families, but they agree to meet on the same weekend at the same place a year later, and end up returning each year. The play looks in on their relationship every five years, from the early 50s to the mid-70s.

Humor moves the plot along, but some of the subject matter is serious, and the seemingly strange relationship of George and Doris leads one to think deeper about the boundaries of love that exist as the norm in our society. Secrets are sometimes forced in the pursuit of happiness, resulting in guilt. Guilt is not enough to stop these lovers when the urge to be together is so strong; therefore they must compromise their promising love by condensing it to a few stolen moments a year. I was totally intrigued by the concept of two lovers who have no contact for an entire year, year after year, as we watch their life histories unfold in front of us. It is also interesting that George's wife and Doris's husband, whom we only hear about, are good, lovable people too, meaning that the respective marriages are not unhappy ones. It really is a very well written piece and I’m glad that Black Box Theatre and director Craig Hower decided to produce it.

Act 1 Scene 1 - afterglow :)

Tom Cauler is well suited to play George, and it was good to see him in this emotionally varied role. At times he seemed truly absorbed in his character and it was in those moments, when he was not conscious of himself, that I liked him best. His performance was uneven, but with opening night almost a week away he has plenty of time to make the character his own. If there was one weak spot in Cauler's reading it was a dramatic moment that really needed to take its emotional leap from the top floor, but that day he only took us up to a second-story balcony.

Sherry Santana, a seasoned and capable actress, has to stretch from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other as Doris. Her character changes from a guileless and somewhat shy young lady to a confident, self possessed woman, and we see all the stages in between. Santana has a solid stage presence and a self assured way of relating naturally with her surroundings. Her performance in rehearsal was great. Only once did she react awkwardly to a dramatic moment—the same one mentioned above, in fact—when she reacted a little too quickly to some surprising news.

Craig Hower took advantage of the venue’s intimate nature with this one-set bedroom comedy. Although it seemed to me there were a few opportunities for comedy or a thoughtful point that were glossed over, the production also made some moments pop out that I might have otherwise missed. Both actors had some line fumbles and I’d like their kissing to be more of the lusty, breathy, reckless abandon type because that is what would have drawn them together to begin with, but their chemistry was good and these are exactly the sort of “in the groove” issues that usually resolve themselves by opening night.

George & Doris in different places in their lives.

The costumes really zeroed in on their respective periods, which is crucial, as the only clues to the times are what the actors are wearing (or not wearing, in some cases!) and the topics they bring up. Most of the standout pieces were on Doris, and some of my favorites were an adorable cardigan sweater covered in pearls, worn with a short camel jacket with smart details. In the later scenes we are treated to a fabulous floor length sleeveless gown with a wonderful psychedelic red-orange-brown-yellow combination that positively screams 1960s. The last scene was right on the mark, with Doris in a gold and cream polyester pants suit and George in a green polyester leisure suit.

The music program consisted of pop pieces from the various periods and tied in neatly with the themes of the scenes. Such tunes as "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "Love the One You're With" were fun and evocative, and I found myself grinning when I realized how unexpectedly appropriate they were to the situations.

The set design placed the bed nearly center stage, leaving a sofa and table of indeterminate era in the downstage corner and allowing maximum visibility to the actors.

Props were much the same, blending believably into the various scenes by not belonging to any particular period. There were no false notes that I noticed.

This is a great show to take your Valentine’s date to—a thoughtful, funny play about love, relationships, and marriage, with two warm and talented actors who are really cute together.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Directed by Craig Hower
Director of Operations: Alex Zavistovich
Sound design: Mike Leggett and Brian Donohue
Costumes: Thanks to Charla Rowe and Tantallon Community Players, Tom Cauler and Sherry Santana
Set design: Duane Mann
Lighting design: Duane Mann
Properties: Thanks to Karen Kleyle and Port Tobacco Players, Alex Zavistovich

TICKETS

Show only $15; Groups, Seniors and Students $12

*Dinner and Show $30; Groups, Seniors and Students $27.50

The Chesapeake Bay Floating Theatre’s Black Box Theatre And Citrus Café offer a special combination (great for your Valentine!):

One Ticket to The Black Box Theatre’s Current Production & One dinner from the All –New Pre-Theatre Menu at Citrus Café in Bryans Road, MD ( 7075 Indian Head Highway, Bryans Road)

A regular $35 per person value, for only $30 per person! That’s a savings of nearly 15 percent.

Dinner Includes:
Soup or salad
Entrée
Dessert
 
Vegetarian pasta dish available on request
Beverages and gratuity are not included
Dinner reservations 4:30 to 6:00 PM
Show time 8:00 PM (theater doors open 7:30 PM)

Visit their website for information to purchase tickets with credit card, directions and other information.

Past Reviews

AHS- The Odd Couple
GAC- You Never Know
PTP - Wildwood Park
CIC- Meet Me In St. Louis
LST - Hello Dolly
PTP - Open Season
AHS - Dick the Musical
AHS- The Night of the Iguana
PTP- Don't Drink the Water
PTP- Inherit the Wind
BBT - Pump Boys and Dinettes
AHS - Dick the Musical
AHS- The Night of the Iguana
PTP- Don't Drink the Water
GAC- Much Ado About Nothing
LSC- She Loves Me
PTP- 1776
GAC - Dr. Cook's Garden
PTP - The Elephant Man
PTP - Romeo and Juliet
PTP - Guys and Dolls
HBP - A Lesson Before Dying
PTP - Getting Away With Murder
HBP - How I learned to Drive

 

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