I attended the final dress rehearsal of ‘Til Beth Do Us Part last night at the Gaslight Theatre. Beth is a sassy, simple comedy that is a modern telling of “All About Eve”. Beth is an assistant who works to undermine and steal the spotlight from her new employer, Suzanna. It’s up to the husband, Gibby to put a stop to Beth’s plans. The show achieved a few laughs.However, it did not climb the ladder of laughter as it should have. With my notes in hand and input from other audience members, let us jump right into this review.
As the curtain opened, we were introduced to an odd and unfinished set. Between the sea-foam green walls and the unfinished borders, I was unsure of the time period or the demographics of the characters. Was this the low-income housing of a family of three in the 60’s? Or was it an outdated apartment of a modern couple? The décor was anemic and without a theme. A wicker wreath on the “front door” and a stuffed Eeyore doll on the shelf does not tell me much about the family. Several audience members were also bothered by the curtain opening and closing on the furniture. They felt it looked “like an accident no one was willing to fix” and “unprofessional." It did come across as a distraction watching the curtain drag awkwardly across the sofa or trying to see actors break character to dodge it when it closed. This may have not been quite so noticeable if the curtain had not closed and opened between each and every scene. It was unnecessary and excessive.
In the assortment of actors, it was hit and miss. However, nods definitely should be given to a few of the actors for giving a boost to an otherwise teetering show. Justin Werner was charming in the role of suspicious husband, Gibby. He committed to his choices and brought a genuine smile to my face with his portrayal. I have never seen him perform before, but see plenty of potential for him in future roles. Penny Dowell also did a notable job as best friend, Margo. She was settled into her character and relaxed. Finally, in her first starring role, Nikki Nixon was a spark of energy as Beth. Normally, Beth is cast as older, so Nixon had a big responsibility. I felt she was bright and fun to watch. Like Werner, she gave a total commitment to her character and delivered tons of personality. Tammy Wilson, Suzanna, starts off as a stressed out and unhappy wife and by the end has been blossomed into a stressed out and unhappy wife. Her energy never really changed whether she was getting what she wanted or throwing her husband out of the house. Wilson has the ability to be strong on stage, but fails to ever evolve with the changing climate throughout this particular story.
My highest criticisms come in details that were overlooked. For example, Beth’s character comes in as this innocent beacon of hope, only there to assist the woman of the house in organizing her life. It is only later in the story that Beth starts to show her true colors. However, Beth visually never changes. She is dressed in black (which does not fit her character's initial personality) from the beginning and when she is revealed to be a threat, she only adds a scarf. There is even a line by someone in the play regarding Beth’s “new outfit," when really it looked a lot like her old outfit. It would have been far more interesting to see her dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a loud button-up blouse then, in stages, transform into a power suit fitting for a back-stabbing social climber.
The best scenes, as far as look and direction were the scenes that took place outside the home. The “telephone” scene where Gibby is on a three way phone conversation with Hank and Margo was very well done. It was one of the smoothest transitions and effectively executed. I also loved the "club" scene between Gibby and Margo. Werner and Powell had a great connection and convinced me of their location even though it was performed in front of a curtain. It was a solid scene.
Though the production as a whole was not cohesive and lacked theme, it managed to show the potential and talents of those involved. Though the script was flawed (especially the rushed and unsatisfying ending), there were actors who managed to hold my interest. Sure the blocking could have been more thoughtful, but it was not void of creative decisions that sold a few of the scenes (in particular the ones outside of Gibby’s home). In the end, the show was just a delightful cast that found itself without style or focus.
No comments:
Post a Comment