Everyman's latest takes us to the meeting hall of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein for their 1956 Quiche breakfast - full of fine Americana bunting and women in their Sunday best. The Quiches have been baked, and it's about time for the first tasting. But a sudden incident means the five office holders start to feel free to let down their hair and expose a few deep dark secrets - but can they survive each other with just the one quiche for support?
Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder's script emerged from their work with Chicago's New Colony, a playwrighting collective that used a mix of improv and intense development to produce multiple new works. And it does have some of the hallmarks of improv - a loose set of plotting (multiple setups aren't really fully paid off) and a joy in exploring individual moments of performance. With this quintet of performers, it's a rich banquet of comedic performance, from Sian Harrington's mousey Mancurian Ginny to Meaghan Stewart's aggressively New Jersey Vern, via Steph Robert's Minnesota-Nice Wren, Crystal Mahon's southern steely Lulie and Ylaria Rogers' bubbly glee as Dale. They elevate Hobgood and Linder's setups to glorious heights, letting us delight as circumstances force all of them to unburden themselves of secrets both obvious (see title) and less obvious (in particular, one doozy of a surprise for intermission).
Jarrad West's gifts for directing comedy have frequently been obvious but this shows them off well - it's a production that keeps motoring along even as events threaten to become more and more over-the-top. Visually it's a delight as well, from the cosy set design by West to the perfectly-pressed costumes from Fiona Leach. Delightfully giggle inducing throughout, even as the comedy verges towards the black in the last ten minutes, this is a chance to see five fine performers show their talents at their best.
No comments:
Post a Comment