I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

Book & Lyrics by:  Joe DiPietro

Music by:  Jimmy Roberts

Company:  Stage Door Theatre

Venue:  Stage Door Theatre, 25797 Conifer Road, Conifer, Colorado

Date of Performance:  Friday, February 14, 2015.  

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (hereafter LPC) is notable for several reasons, not the least of which is that it holds the record for the longest continuously running musical in Colorado history.  It played the Garner Galleria Theater at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for more than four years, racking up a whopping 1,731 performances with nearly 300,000 in the audience.  If you live on the front range and enjoy live theater, chances are pretty high that you were in the audience at the Galleria for LPC between 2000 and 2004.  I know I was there.

Conifer’s Stage Door Theater has put together an LPC revival, just in time for Valentine’s Day.  With a small cast (4 total), and a fun, funny, and contemporary script, LPC is a near perfect vehicle for the small Stage Door Theater…and for Valentine’s Day.  

The script is essentially a series of skits highlighting the aggravation and rewards of dating and marriage.  Relationships are a fertile field for comedy, and the LPC script harvests that field with gusto.  That said, though, LPC also has moments of profound insight into our hearts.  The song I Can Live With That shows us how love can happen near the sunset of our lives:

Girl:

I like things clean, I scrub the wash,

Guy: 

I got a garden, I grow some squash

Girl:

I keep in shape, I mow the lawn, 

Guy:

I sleep in late

Girl:

I'm up at dawn, 

Guy:

No matter, I can live with that.

Josh Holcomb, Vanessa De La Rosa, I Can Live With That

The message “I can live with that” demonstrates how we change from seeking an ideal mate to finding one we can live with.  That’s not “settling” for a mate.  Rather, it’s a recognition of what really matters in a relationship.  Understanding what really matters is something that only comes through experience, maturity, and a measure of wisdom, and LPC makes that point with a delicate, touching poignancy.

The script is funny and sometimes profound, but it is the actors who make or break those messages.  The cast here is up to the task.  Vanessa De La Rosa (Woman #2) and Josh Holcomb (Man #2) are the mature couple for I Can Live With That, and they nail it.  Their costumes and make up age them to (I’m guessing here) their late 70s.  They amble onto the stage with difficulty, each step a project.  They play and sing their parts with sincerity and conviction.  It’s a beautiful scene, directed with respect and dignity by Jill Manser.  Coming near the end of the show, it puts a serious exclamation point on the comedy that precedes it.  Manser, De La Rosa, and Holcomb remind us, as we leave the theater, that love is not just for the young among us.

Emily Macomber, Vanessa De La Rosa.

Emily Macomber (Woman #1) rocks the house with Single Man Drought in act one, making the audience feel (and perhaps remember) the awkwardness of a first date that goes badly.  Macomber also had a rare unscripted moment in the February 14 performance.  She had to stay in character and briefly ad lib when a prop suffered a catastrophic failure.  That prop was a small wooden box, attached to the ceiling, that contained confetti to be dropped near her.  Not only did the confetti drop, but so did the box, narrowly missing her head when it crashed into the floor.  Macomber didn’t miss a beat; she picked up a ringing telephone and said “Hello, 911.  It was nice of you to call”.

Josh Holcomb (Man #2), shines

Stephen Sbanotto.

in the Baby Song, realizing that he’s regressing from an adult into a babbling baby talker:  

Once I became a parent, I became quite incoherent; 

ma ma, ma ma, da da, woo hoo hoo. 

When I'm hurt, I get a boo boo, when I sleep, I

take a su su; nappy, nappy, nappy, sweepy swoo. 

In the car I go, "Vroom, vroom, vroom".. 

In the john I make a boom booom;

woppa, woppa, woppa, poo poo poo. 

Holcomb delivers Baby Song with a mix of disbelief and acceptance, working the audience for all the humor he can muster.  Trust me…that’s a LOT of humor. 

Stephen Sbanotto (Man #1) delivers a heartfelt Shouldn't I Be Less in Love With You, letting us know that not all long term relationships are doomed:  

After 30 years together

All those brutal fights

Those futile fights

Then the sleepless nights

Shouldn't I have quit 'cause marriage ends?

Shouldn't we have split like all our friends?

Shouldn't I profess it's time to go?

Shouldn't I be less in love with you?

No.

For those who may be wondering, LPC is a show that, after more than a decade, is still very fresh.  Very little about LPC is “dated” (pun intended).  It still hits home.  We have all dated, we have all (or most of us) had long term relationships, and most of us have lost someone we really cared about along the way.  We can still relate to nearly everything in LPC.  It rings true today, just as it did when it opened in Denver in 2000.

Stage Door’s production has a capable cast, sensitive direction, and a universal relevance.  Add to that perfect timing for Valentine’s Day, and Stage Door’s show is a great date night for couples of all ages.

Stephan Sbanotto, Emily Macomber, Vanessa De La Rosa, Josh Holcomb.

NOTES:

This show is suitable for teens and up.  The script contains some adult language and adult situations.

There is ample free parking in the lot at the theater. 

As luck would have it, our seats turned out to be next to a couple visiting from Florida.  Chatting before the show, we learned that they had come to Colorado to see their daughter, Vanessa De La Rosa, perform in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.  

They are justifiably proud of Vanessa, who turned in a quality performance for her parents and for the rest of us.  That they traveled so far to see her perform reinforces the message of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.  They will go thousands of miles to support Vanessa’s theater dream.  After talking with them, I couldn’t help but think of the first 2/3 of the title:  I Love You, You’re Perfect.  No changes necessary.

This production closed on February 15, 2015.  

Pre or Post Show Dining Suggestion:

We had an early dinner in Denver, so I can’t really recommend a restaurant in Conifer.  However, I’m a big supporter of frequenting a theater’s sponsor.  Brooks Place Tavern is one such sponsor of the Stage Door Theatre Company.  I’ll definitely check it out the next time I’m in Conifer, Evergreen, or Pine.  Menu here.

PHOTO CREDITS:  Stage Door Theatre Company, Amy Johnson Photography

TICKETS HERE:  THIS PRODUCTION HAS CLOSED.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Jill Manser

Music Director:  Tanner Kelly

Scenic Design:  Douglas Clarke

Sound Design: Kyle LaBoria

Lighting Design:  Tom Junker

Costumes:  Jennifer Clark, Claudine Pardi, Gayla Logan

Stage Manager:  Leena Goulding

CAST:

Woman #1: Emily Macomber

Woman #2:  Vanessa De La Rosa

Man #1:  Stephen Sbanotto

Man #2:  Josh Holcomb

ORCHESTRA:

Piano/Conductor:  Amy Young

Violin:  Chelsea Morden

Reefer Madness the Musical

Book by:  Kevin Murphy & Dan Studney

Music by:  Dan Studney

Lyrics by:  Kevin Murphy

Company:  Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

Venue:  SaGáJi Theater, 30 West Dale Street, Colorado Springs, CO.

Running Time:  2 hours 15 minutes (time provided by Fine Arts Center).

Date of Performance:  Friday, February 13, 2015.  

Reefer Madness the Musical isn’t just a show now playing at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.  It’s also a 1936 cult film, produced as propaganda by a church group trying to teach kids not to use marijuana.  The film has played college campuses since being rediscovered in the 1970s, where its' popularity is as a comedy that exaggerates the dangers of “reefer.”  The film used a number of unlikely consequences of marijuana use (hallucinations, a hit and run accident, attempted rape, murder, suicide, and madness) to prevent viewers from becoming “addicted” to marijuana.

The film is widely considered to be one of the worst ever made.

Reefer Madness the Musical opened in Los Angeles in 1998. Fast forward to 2015, where the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center has revived Reefer Madness the Musical in a whole new context.  No longer an illegal or immoral drug, marijuana has put down roots in Colorado as a medical treatment and and as an intoxication option. 

When the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center embraces “Reefer Madness,” I think it’s fair to say that marijuana has reached the mainstream.  It’s no longer an illegal, underground habit of a rebellious minority.  It’s safe, it’s sanctioned by the people of Colorado, and it’s extremely popular.  This is a huge cultural change, and it’s one that finds Colorado on the cutting edge.  Reefer Madness the Musical celebrates and spoofs those cultural changes.

As for this production at the Fine Arts Center, those who are familiar with their shows will not be disappointed.  This is a first class production, with an excellent cast, a stunning set, marvelous costumes, and a sizzling band.  Reefer Madness is a treat for adults, just as the recent Mary Poppins was a treat for the kids.  

Andrew Wilkes (Jimmy) & Chelsea Ringer (Mary)

I won’t waste time describing the plot in detail, as it’s silly and much more complicated than I could summarize in a paragraph.  I will say, however, that the musical version of the Reefer Madness film adds a few additional consequences for kids using marijuana, including puppy murder, dismemberment, cannibalism, disembowelment, and death by garden implement.  Like I said…it’s pretty silly.

Five and Dime, neon sign.

Scenic Designer Kevin Loeffler has created a feast for the eyes, including what may be a local record for the amount of neon used for a single set piece.  His neon sign for the tune Down at the Old Five and Dime hangs from the ceiling, and it is huge.  HUGE.  Nathan Halvorson directed and choreographed Reefer Madness, and his choreography for the Five and Dime scene is excellent.  Costume Designer Janson Fangio dressed the cast in colorful, sexy, and period appropriate but eye popping costumes.  Two of his creations stand out; a gold lamé loin cloth for Jesus, and the sexy body suits for the entire cast during The Orgy.  

Kenton Fridley as Jesus

Max Ferguson plays The Lecturer, and he’s a marvelous choice for that role.  A veteran of the Fine Arts Center stage, Ferguson has the voice, the dance moves, and the gravitas to deliver the bad news to the kids about reefer.  Andrew Wilkes plays Jimmy Harper, a good kid who discovers weed.  It promptly takes his promising life into a bleak downward spiral.  Wilkes is superb; he is totally credible as the All American naive kid, and as the smoker, toker, and slacker he becomes.  Watch him in the song Jimmy Takes a Hit.  He smokes his first joint, and you can literally see him lose his innocence to reefer.

Jimmy’s girl friend, Mary Lane (Chelsea Ringer) is as pure and innocent as Jimmy…until the second act when she too falls victim to weed.  Ringer is perfect for her role.  Once her inner Mary is unleashed by reefer, she shocks us all.  Innocence lost can get very ugly very fast, and Ringer brings the passion that makes it look real.

Caren Tackett as Mae

The rest of the cast is excellent as well.  Caren Tackett is a standout as Mae, the drug addicted Maven of the Reefer Den.  She exacts revenge on her pusher boyfriend Jack, taking him down in a particularly brutal scene.  Tackett plays the rest of act two with Jack’s blood all over her dress.  Kenton Fridley is also remarkable, playing both Jack and Jesus.  It is Jesus I will remember, and Fridley preening in his gold lamé loincloth.

Reefer Madness even has at least one musical moment that I can’t get out of my head.  In the first act, Jimmy realizes he has to choose between Mary Jane or Mary Lane.  The music is marvelous; Mary Jane/Mary Lane is the musical pinnacle of the show (here’s a video of that song from the film of the same name).  I am considering buying the entire sound track just for that tune.

Max Ferguson as The Lecturer

According to The Lecturer, reefer will turn our children into “hooligans and whores.”  That’s been the fear of parents since I was a kid.  I remember getting the anti-drug message from an early age, and I now see that some of that message came from propaganda like Reefer Madness.  As an adult, though, it seems apparent that a lot of the “hooligans and whores” (and by that I mean those who fell somewhat short of their parents’ expectations) I am acquainted with never used reefer.  

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center has shown artistic courage by bringing Reefer Madness the Musical to the most conservative community in Colorado, and to its devoted base of season subscribers.  Some of those season subscribers will no doubt be disappointed or even angry about Reefer Madness the Musical.  That’s unfortunate.  Change is inevitable, and art often reflects (or even provokes) cultural changes.  

I predict that the Fine Arts Center will attract new subscribers by taking the creative risk of Reefer Madness the Musical.  I have no doubt that there is a large audience out there for first class entertainment that reflects the cultural changes that have come to Colorado.

It is no small irony that the Fine Arts Center offers cocktails and beer to customers before the show and at intermission.  Alcohol is a legal intoxicant, but marijuana is still a lonely stepchild in the marketplace.  The day may come, and sooner than we think, when both alcohol and marijuana are offered side by side at the Fine Arts Center.  

Colorado has had medical marijuana since 2001, and recreational marijuana for more than a year.  Despite the growing presence of reefer in Colorado, I have seen no evidence of increases in puppy murder, cannibalism, dismemberment, or other deviant behavior that Reefer Madness predicted.  In fact, the sky has NOT fallen.  Instead, tax revenues have exploded, and mellow tourism now reaches well beyond the ski slopes.  I voted against Amendment 64 in November 2012.  My side lost, but Colorado in fact won in that election.  Recreational marijuana has been implemented carefully and successfully, with a minimum of the dire consequences that were feared.

Reefer Madness the film was a propaganda vehicle to scare people, and it’s time has clearly passed.  Reefer Madness the Musical is a spoof that satirizes irrational fear.  It’s time has clearly come to Colorado.  The Fine Arts Center deserves a standing ovation for bringing it to the right community at the right time in history.  

So...I'm standing.  And applauding.  It is a fortunate community that has an artistic enterprise that both reflects our values (Mary Poppins) and challenges our values (Reefer Madness the Musical).  Both are legitimate and necessary tasks for art.

NOTES:

This show is not suitable for all ages.  The script contains adult language, adult situations, violence, and drug use.  The Fine Arts Center advises that Reefer Madness the Musical is suitable for ages 16 and up.

As I said above, I voted against recreational marijuana.  Full disclosure…I’m not a fan of weed.  I’m not a smoker, and inhaling either tobacco or marijuana would make me gag.  That said, though, I’m a product of my generation, and enjoy the many flavors of alcohol.  I harbor no hostility, however, to those who prefer to smoke their intoxicant, now that it’s legal. 

There is ample free parking in the lot at the theater and on neighboring streets. 

This production closes on March 1, 2015.  

Pre or Post Show Dining Suggestion:

All our favorite downtown restaurants were booked solid because of Valentine’s Day weekend crowds.  We decided to try Bourbon Brothers near the Bass Pro Shop at I-25 and Northgate (Exit 156).  It’s only about a 15 minute drive to the theater, with lots of parking and easy freeway access.  

The food was excellent, if a little on the expensive side.  I had the pulled pork sandwich ($12.00), and it was delicious.  I also recommend the Down South Old Fashioned ($9.00).  Bourbon Brothers has about 125 bourbons on hand at the bar; the Old Fashioned is made with Maker’s Mark.  One was plenty for me.  Happy Hour is 3-6:00 daily, and features $3.00 draft beers, glasses of wine, and well drinks.

Bourbon Brothers Surf & Turf.

PHOTO CREDITS:  The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Jeff Kearney.

TICKETS HERE:  

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director/Choreographer:  Nathan Halvorsen

Music Director:  Ian Ferguson

Scenic Deisgn:  Kevin Loeffler

Sound Design:  Alex Ruhlin

Lighting Design:  Jonathan Spencer

Hair/Makeup Design:  Jonathan Eberhardt

Costumes:  Janson Fangio

Stage Manager:  Katy McGlaughlin

CAST:

Jimmie Harper:  Andrew Wilkes

Lecturer:  Max Ferguson

Mary Lane:  Chelsea Ringer

Jack Stone/Jesus:  Kenton Fridley

Mae:  Caren Lyn Tackett

Ralph Wiley:  Kevin Pierce

Sally:  Rebecca Myers

Placard Girl:  Becca Vourvoulas

Ensemble:  Alex Campbell, Nate Ferrick, Sammy Gleason, Omid Dastan Harrison

BAND:

Keyboards/Conductor/Musical Director:  Ian Ferguson

Reeds:  Ed Hureau

Guitars:  Wayne Wilkinson

Bass:  Jay Hahn

Percussion:  Bobby McGuffin

The Motherfucker with the Hat

Playwright:  Stephen Adly Guirgis

Company:  The Edge Theater Company

Venue:  The Edge Theater, 1560 Teller Street, Lakewood, CO.

Running Time:  1 hour 35 minutes (no intermission).

Date of Performance:  Saturday, February 7, 2015.  

First things first.  Let’s dispense with our feelings about the title:  The Motherfucker with the Hat.   According to Rick Yaconis, Executive/Artistic Director at The Edge, that title brought him a surprise:  his first ever hate mail. Really.  Hate mail.

YES.  It’s vulgar.  YES.  It’s offensive to some…maybe many.  And YES.  It is an “in your face” statement.  It’s unlikely that those who are put off by the title bought a ticket.  Thus, one could argue (and I do), that the title is actually a piece of truth in advertising, a caveat emptor, that helps ticket buyers know what to expect.  If you were offended by the title, but still bought a ticket, I hope you enjoyed the show.  If not, I think you had fair warning. 

More than that, though, is the absolute truth told in that title.  It is an apt description of exactly what the audience will see.  A motherfucker’s hat.  The story is based on the drama associated with the discovery of that hat.  

I have a rule of thumb about titles.  If the wording of the title doesn’t appear somewhere in the script, I lower my expectations for the entire show.  In most cases, disconnecting the title from the script is a missed opportunity.  Mr Guirgis did not waste his opportunity.  I lost count of how many times I heard the title in this script.  You are never in doubt about why Guirgis called his play The Motherfucker with the Hat (hereafter shortened to “Motherfucker”).   

A provocative title, however, is not enough; a script needs a coherent story with credible characters.  Guirgis covers those bases, and much more.  The “hat” of the title belongs to a guy who definitely does not belong in Veronica’s (Karen Slack) bedroom.  She’s a drug addict whose boyfriend Jackie (Kent Randell) has recently gotten out of prison.  Jackie is turning his life around and would like Veronica to be a permanent part of that new life.  Until, that is, he finds the hat.

Jackie goes on a quest to find the motherfucker with the hat, and he encounters some surprising twists and turns.  Oddly, given the gritty circumstances, Motherfucker is much funnier than one would expect.  Guirgis has a comedic gift; his script is simultaneously hopelessly bleak and screwy, witty, and side splitting.  This show is not funny in the smile and giggle way.  Rather, it’s a laugh out loud knee-slapper.  

Kent Randell’s Jackie is a wisecracking Puerto Rican macho thug in rehab.  The rehab part is sincere; Randell totally convinces the audience that he’s done with screwing up.  Except that he’s not.  Jackie’s part of the script may not be as difficult to memorize as one would think; at least half the lines seem to include the title of the show.  Randell delivers each of those lines with an emotional punch and a comedic twist.  Jackie is the central character in Motherfucker, and casting Randell was a stroke of genius.  He has melted into his character, blended his own smile and his own attitude with Jackie’s, to marvelous effect.

Kent Rendell, Karen Slack.

Karen Slack (Veronica) has a decidedly unglamorous role here, and she owns it.  She’s a drug addicted, two timing woman with a vocabulary fit for the title.  She uses Jackie, and she uses her boyfriend for her own selfish purposes, and she shows as little emotion for them both as she would a dildo.  Slack has an incredible acting range, and her Veronica is a stunning experience for those of us who have seen her in more dignified roles.

Rick Yaconis is a regular on The Edge stage, and for Motherfucker, he has the role of

Rick Yaconis.

mentor, sponsor, lover, husband, and amoral opportunist.  Yaconis does them all with relish.  He doesn’t justify his bad boy behavior; he just believes that it doesn’t really matter.  He even offers his wife Victoria (Patty Ionoff) to Jackie, as long as Jackie is gone by the time Ralph gets home.  Yaconis seems to slip easily into the moral morass where right and wrong are useless concepts.  Where Jackie has a moral code (although his “man code” is hardly a strict one), Ralph has none.  Yaconis personifies the amorality perfectly with straight lines and a straight face.

Patty Ionoff, Kent Randell.

Patty Ionoff’s Victoria may have the amorality of Ralph, but it doesn’t fit her quite as well.  Ionoff plays the good wife and the bad wife with equal determination.  She tries but fails to seduce Jackie.  This is not the first time she had to seduce a guy on stage (she was Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate), and she’s got it down.  When she turns up the heat, no one is as seductive as Ionoff.

While the entire cast is talented, it is Jude Moran as Julio

Jude Moran.

who steals the show.  Moran lights up the stage as Jackie’s gay cousin.  It matters little who else is on the stage.  Moran smiles, laughs, and charms the audience in each of his scenes.

Director Josh Hartwell has a marvelously talented cast, and he makes full use of each actor.  His pace for Motherfucker is breathtaking; there’s not a wasted moment in the entire production.    His touch is obvious in the fight scene; the punches look real and we are left to wonder if both actors are ok when it is over.  His direction of the seduction scene between Jackie and Victoria is tasteful and respectful, for which Hartwell deserves immense credit.  Given the overall tone of the script, it could have come off as sleazy.  It doesn’t.

Set designer Christopher Waller has done something I never expected to see in a space as small as The Edge.  He created three apartment sets, each 120 degrees wide on a turntable.  It’s very effective, and highly functional for a small room like The Edge.

Motherfucker has a point:  moral relativity and/or obscurity is not conducive to healthy relationships.  Neither are drugs, guns, and prison.  Jackie tries hard to change his life, and Guirgis has beautifully demonstrated the difficulty and perhaps the futility of that change.  That said, though, one does not have to take away a profound message from Motherfucker.  Rather, this is a show at which you should sit back, relax, and cut loose.  Laugh at it, because it is very funny.  Enjoy it, because it is very well done.  And marvel at it, because these actors will engage you at every level and at every turn.  The title will deter some from seeing what is a rewarding theater experience.  It’s their loss.  For the rest of us, it’s a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the mind.

Jude Moran, Patty Ionoff, Karen Slack, Rick Yaconis.  Front:  Kent Randell

NOTES:

This show is not suitable for all ages.  The script contains adult language, adult situations, drug use, and mild violence.  The Edge advises that no one under 17 will be admitted without parental consent.

I wasn’t sure if the noun “motherfucker” is supposed to be one word or two.  I use it as one word in this post, as that is how it appears in the title.  That I’m not sure of the spelling is an indication of how seldom I use it in my personal vocabulary.  I hope I haven’t offended anyone who feels strongly that it should be two words.  (The irony is intentional.)

I'm going to get on my soapbox briefly here, so if that doesn't interest you, skip the next two  paragraphs.  

Not to make a huge fuss about the "hate mail" The Edge received about the title, but we were all outraged about the vicious hate delivered to the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris.  And yet, some among us are are compelled to call out one of the best theaters in Colorado over a vulgar title.  

For my part, I hope The Edge and every other artistic endeavor in this country will always have the freedom to push the envelope, even if it's offensive to some.  Pushing the envelope takes a lot more courage now than it used to.  The Edge is properly named.  They push the limits to "the edge."  The Edge will not surrender its artistic integrity to please everyone...or anyone.  And that is one of the reasons it's one of the best theaters in Colorado.

There is ample free parking in the lot at the theater and at the shopping center across the street. 

This production closes on February 15, 2015.  

Pre or Post Show Dining Suggestion:

GB Fish and Chips at 2175 N. Sheridan, Denver, is a short, 5-10 minute drive to the theater.  It’s across the street from Sloan’s Lake, so you get a view as well as some fine fish & chips.  Aside from the fish, they also serve some traditional UK cuisine, including bangers, shepherd’s pie, and sausage rolls.  NOTE:  the full order of fish & chips is very generous.  I always get the half order, and it’s plenty for me.

PHOTO CREDITS:  The Edge Theater Company, RDG, Rachel Graham.

TICKETS HERE:  

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Josh Hartwell

Scenic Deisgn:  Christopher Waller

Sound Design:  Kenny Storms

Lighting Design:  Stevie Caldarola

Costumes:  Caroline Smith

Production Coordinator:  Lara Maerz

Stage Manager:  Katie Espinoza

CAST:

Jackie:  Kent Randell

Veronica:  Karen Slack

Ralph D.:  Rick Yaconis

Victoria:  Patty Ionoff

Cousin Julio:  Jude Moran

Afflicted: Daughters of Salem

Playwright:  Laurie Brooks

Company:  Funky Little Theater Company

Venue:  Funky Little Theater Company, 2109 Templeton Gap, Colorado Springs, CO.

Running Time:  1 hour 15 minutes (no intermission).

Date of Performance:  Thursday, February 5, 2015.  Afflicted at The Funky Little Theater is a regional premiere. 

It was a different time, and a different place.  A small coastal town in colonial Massachusetts became infamous for trying, convicting, and executing women engaged for what was believed to be witchcraft.  Salem is now synonymous with religious fanaticism run amok.

The Funky Little Theater Company (hereafter FLTC) brings us Afflicted with no small irony.  Their Colorado Springs theater is smack dab in the center of an evangelical religious mecca.  From mega churches to strip mall storefront specialty churches, Colorado Springs is a demonstrably, proudly, and overtly religious community (here's a recent example).  Afflicted takes us back to the bad old days of American religious excesses, and, sadly, some of those excesses are still with us over 300 years later.

If you’re familiar with The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s classic American drama about the Salem witch trials, you’ll appreciate Afflicted.  More prequel than sequel to Miller’s masterpiece, Laurie Brooks has constructed an engaging script with an all female cast.  She has stripped the Miller version of the men of Salem village, instead showing us the crushing hopelessness of the village’s young women.  

There is a significant twist at the climax of Brooks' script.  I cannot say more without disclosing too much of the drama.  I will say, however, that you will leave the theater with a better understanding of Salem, and perhaps a better understanding of yourself.

Afflicted is the first full production at FLTC’s new facility, and it’s a great start at the new address.  Director Chris Medina has put together a fine cast that recreates the stilted English dialect of the late 17th century and the soul crushing oppression of women of that era.  Although the pace seemed somewhat rushed at points, the cast creates a credible sisterhood that drives the story to its final fracturing.  

Several performances are notable, not the least of which is April Hamer as Betty.  Hamer sparkles as the young and conniving woman who keeps Abigail’s secret.  When she falls “afflicted,” Hamer is suitably suffering right before our eyes.  Michelle Pantle plays Abigail with the nuanced detail necessary to take her character from sisterhood to self preservation.  

Still, it is Lizzy Essiedu as Tituba who lingers after the lights come up.  Essiedu, as the slave who is critical to the sisterhood of the woods, conjures the spirits at will.  She brings a girlish charm to her role as well as a mature understanding of the dangers she courts.  

The set, a collaboration by Chris Medina and Jeremiah Miller, is a convincing woodsy setting.  Medina and Miller have brought the woods inside, filling the stage from floor to ceiling with branches and leaves.  A rolling platform, with appropriate furniture, brings the interior scenes into focus.  Miller also designed the lights and sound, both of which are notable for being effective but inconspicuous.

The religious fanaticism of 1692 dispatched victims after perfunctory trials; nineteen were hanged and one was pressed to death (peine forte et dure) because he refused to enter a plea in court.  

Wilmot Redd was typical:

“A preliminary examination took place on May 31, 1692, at Nathan Ingersoll's house in Salem Village. This was Redd's first meeting with the children she allegedly bewitched. They promptly fell into fits, and when asked what she thought ailed them, Redd said, "I cannot tell.”  Urged to give an opinion, she stated, "My opinion is they are in a sad condition.”

Indicted as a witch, Redd was accused of "detestable arts called Witchcraft and Sorceries wickedly, mallitiously [sic] and felloniously used, practiced & exercised at the Towne of Salem."

Wilmot Redd was executed by hanging on September 22, 1692, one of 19 put to death for witchcraft.  Seven others (or five, in some accounts) died in prison, including an infant child.

To say that this was not our finest hour is an understatement.  Arthur Miller, and now Laurie Brooks, call us to account for the religious zealotry of that time.  FLTC boldly stages a show that will undoubtedly be uncomfortable for many in the local evangelical community.  It shows religious excesses, and the hypocrisy that fueled them.  Unfortunately, some of the Salem harshness (albeit without the distraction of a phony trial) and hypocrisy is still with us today.

Sometimes I get on a soapbox, and this is one of those times.  Religion should be defined by the good works it accomplishes.  Too often religion diminishes itself through the evil it tolerates.  

Brooks’ script probably won’t change anyone’s life, but it will make you examine your values.  That is reason enough to see Afflicted.  That FLTC would choose this script for its inaugural show in their new theater makes a bold statement.  They are holding up a mirror to the community.  I only hope that those who need to remember the religious past will look in that mirror and take the lessons to heart.  

NOTES:

This show is suitable for all ages.  There is ample free parking in the strip mall.  For those who have not been to the new FLTC location, you may want to allow a little extra travel time.  The surrounding streets, including Templeton Gap, are not well lit, and the theater is tucked away in the middle of the strip mall.  Street signs and house numbers are difficult to see in the dark.  Look for the Humble Coffee hut in the parking lot…when you see it, you’ve arrived at FLTC.

This production closes on February 7, 2015.  

Pre or Post Show Dining Suggestion:

There’s not many restaurants in the vicinity (OK…there’s a KFC and a McDonald’s on Fillmore), so consider a wider area for pre/post show dining.  We ate at Salsa Brava in  Rockrimmon before the show.  Since Afflicted had a 7:00 PM curtain, we had to rush it a bit. Our waitress (Dawn) was very accommodating and we were able to have chips and salsa, a beer each, and entrees within 45 minutes.  My chimichanga was delicious.  Roxie’s fish tacos came with cucumbers…she picked them out.  If you’re not a fan of cukes, keep that in mind when ordering.  Menu here.

PHOTO CREDITS:  The Funky Little Theater Company.

TICKETS HERE:  

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director:  Chris Medina

Scenic Deisgn:  Chris Medina and Jeremiah Miller

Sound & Lighting Design:  Jeremiah Miller

Costumes:  Sharon Bay

CAST:

Ann:  Emma Colligan

Tituba:  Lizzy Essiedu

Betty:  April Hamer

Mary:  Sarah Johnson

Mercy:  Meghan Lastreall

Abigail: Michelle Pantle