Theater Review: TBTA Closing 60th Anniversary Season With A Slice Of Comedic Perfection
BROOKFIELD - Noises Off, by Michael Frayn, is this season's final production at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, rounding out its successful 60th anniversary celebration, and it is a hit!
Everything about this show fulfills the promise of this classical farce. From it masterful set and brilliant performances to the most minute detail of the costumes (the space between Garry/Roger's teeth), it delivers a powerful comedic punch.
The three-act play within a play follows the progression, or regression, of actors preparing just before opening night, until just shortly before closing. Each act provides a unique view into the shenanigans between cast members and how they play out upon the stage.
The play devolves in the course of its run to an all out breakdown, which features players tripping and crashing into each other at a breakneck pace while tearing on and off stage through a significant number of slamming doors.
True to the majority of farces, a staircase and lots of doors and windows are incorporated into the set, providing plenty of business to enhance the mayhem.
This set, designed by Andrew Okell, is an engineering and artistic feat. It is beautifully designed and built to appear to move effortlessly, as it transitions from an audience view of the stage to backstage, revealing the antics and interactions of the kooky cast of actors.
Directed by Scott Brill, who is advancing his reputation as a farce connoisseur, the precision of the physical comedy is extraordinary, and it needs to be! A slip could end in disaster. While all looks out of control, the effort to create that impression is intense, requiring exact timing and movement.
This director, while blessed with a gifted cast, has choreographed some magnificent physical slapstick.
Of course, the secret ingredient is the cast. Everyone involved in this production of Noises Off is a superb comic actor. Matt Austin, Duane Lanham, Jody Cohen Bayer, Priscilla Squiers, Ron Malyska, Anya Caravella, Tony Bosco-Schmidt, Kate Valiska and her real life fiancé, Eli Patton, are all absolutely wonderful, and I mean wonderful as in amazingly wonderful.
In particular, Duane Lanham was born to do farce. His energy and physical prowess are both entertaining and impressive. He is a splendid performer.
Ron Malyska is a master of subtlety and dry humor. He can draw laughs from a stone.
In her role as Mrs Clackett/Dolly Otley, Priscilla Squiers is sublime, to a tee the prickly prima donna and the kooky housekeeper. She takes this role and owns it completely.
Kudos to Eli Patton who takes his smaller role and proves once again, there are no small roles. He misses not a beat and plays his stage hand/understudy to perfection.
This is a show that requires incredible talent and commitment to succeed. This production has been treated to an entire cast and crew who were obviously 100 percent on board.
Everyone likes a good laugh. Go see Noises Off and get yours!
Performances at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, 184 Whisconier Road in Brookfield, continue weekends through November 19.
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