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COMIC POTENTIAL
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The third show of 2nd
Story Theatre's season is the 1998 "Comic Potential" by British
author, Alan Ayckbourn who has written 72 shows. It is a
romantic sci-fi comedy. The show is set in a TV studio in the
foreseeable future, when low-cost androids (actoids) have
largely replaced actors. Idealistic young writer Adam Trainsmith
meets Chandler Tate now known as Chance is a former director of
classic comedies who makes a living by directing a never-ending
soap opera. Adam greatly admires his past directorial work. The
leading-role android makes a series of mistakes and the
supporting role android spots his lapses and laughs. Later on,
while Adam is watching an old slapstick comedy of Buster Keaton,
the android laughs again. She is afraid that the sense of humor
is a production fault. Adam sees it as an advantage and
nicknames her Jacie and persuades Chandler that they should make
a comedy for her. Regional TV director Carla Pepperbloom
threatens to ruin the project because she is jealous of Adam's
sympathy for the talented Jacie and orders the android's memory
wiped out. Adam panics and decides to kidnap Jacie but while on
the lam they fall in love. To reveal any further details will
spoil the fun for the audience. "Comic Potential" is Aychbourn's
fifty-third full-length play. The show is about the ability to
laugh and the ability to fall in love. They are both illogical
and therefore differentiate humans from androids. The comedy
also explores the Pygmalion syndrome and competing desires for
autonomy and certainty. Director Ed Shea casts the most talented
10 performers in these roles, garnering much laughter along the
way with their expertise at farcical situations.
Ed is aided in his task by
productions manager, Max Ponticelli who keeps the set
pieces appearing at the appropriate moments and keeps the scenes
flowing along beautifully. Topnotch work is also done by costume
designer Ron Cesario, lighting by Ron Allen and music by John
Connery. Laura Sorensen who is gorgeous and ethereal plays Jacie
who is onstage almost the whole time as the actoid.From her
infectious laughter in the opening scene in the futuristic soap
opera where she is dressed as a nurse to the end of this show,
she shines in this comic role. Laura makes this character
vulnerable and appealing. Some of her funniest moments come when
she is in the dress shop to pick out new clothes, wears
a garment bag, moons the audience in her new dress, throws a
custard pie in Carla's face when Carla calls her talentless
because she is only an actoid and in the restaurant with
Adam when her alarm for her waste disposal needs to be emptied.
After this hilarious moment she exclaims"Once a man has seen
your trap door, it's all over" which was drowned out by
uproarious laughter. Dillon Medina who is only 22 years old,
mesmerizes the audience with his talent. He plays Adam who is
comparable to a futuristic Pygmalion when he teaches Jacie how
to love a human being as well as teaches her how to read using
the bible in a hotel room. He is dynamic in this leading role.
Dillon delivers a show stopping rapid fire description of his
script to his uncle and his funniest scene is when he crawls
under the table at the restaurant to empty Jacie as she shrieks
in delight like Meg Ryan in "Sleepless in Seattle" while a
husband and wife enjoy the proceedings. Dillon and Laura have
excellent chemistry with each other. They capture the sympathy
of the audience who root for them to have a successful
relationship. To find out whether a man can love a robot in the
future, one has to see this show.
Lynne Collinson plays the
man eating, bitchy Carla Pepperbloom to the hilt. She obtains
many laughs as this Cruela DaVille type of character. Clad in a
red wig dressed in gorgeous costumes, she exclaims nothing
personal when she fires people and spouts legalize to Adam when
he refuses to have supper with her. The pie in the face is
hilarious. (Lynne also excels in dramatic roles, having directed
her as Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" in 1986.) John Michael
Richardson is a hoot as Chance, the hard drinking, fading
director who has become disillusioned by the business, only to
be brought back to life by Adam's comedy ideas for Jacie. After
Adam describes his comedy script in rapid fire delivery to
his Uncle Lester who runs the TV station, Chance says he is like
Zero Mostel on speed. He has many funny lines in his arguments
with his two assistants, calling them many derogatory names and
calls Carla, Black Death. Chance realizes that this is his last
chance to do a worthwhile project with Adam. John Michael is
not only an excellent actor but a brilliant director. Chance's
two assistants, Trudi Floote and Prim Spring are
wonderfully played by Susan Bowen Powers and Juli Parker.
They have a lot of bickering going on in the control room with
Chance who infers that they are lovers. Trudi warns Adam to be
careful with Jacie that he is having actoid empathy. Trudi is an
engineer and Prim is the computer programmer for the actoids.
They eventually grow to like Adam's calming influence on
Chance. Rounding out the cast playing multiple
comic roles are Bob Colonna (who directed me in "A Winter's
Tale" and "Taming of the Shrew" at TRIST in 1987 and 1990
respectively) Kevin Broccoli, Vince Petronio and Paula Faber.
So for a thought provoking laugh out loud comedy with a lot of comic potential to help you escape this brutal winter, be sure to catch Comic Potential" at 2nd Story Theatre.
COMIC
POTENTIAL (22 January to 21 February, 2010)
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