From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 49: The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 3: Musicals at Richter

By James V. Ruocco

This summer, it was Sondheim and more Sondheim at Musicals at Richter.

"Into the Woods"......a complex musical fairy tale with a very dark twist and a plotline where not everyone got their "happy ending."

"West Side Story"......a much-loved musical reworking of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," set against the backdrop New York City's upper west side, circa 1957.

The outdoor stage itself was full of melodic brilliance, heightened by seasoned actors and actresses, fresh new faces and plenty of backstage talent and production teams alike treading up and down the leader board much to the delight of everyone around them.

So, let's not waste any time.

Here's a look back at the hottest shows and performances that nearly caused a power explosion in the starry, starry moonlight along Aunt Hack Road.
Even the fireflies, blinking their own yellow lights on and off, were dazzled by the musical happenings at Richter. Not even the gentle rains that often fell or eventually passed over could dampen the merriment that was found under the stars in 2017 at Richter Park.

A third musical "Seussical," directed and choreographed by Lauren Nicole Sherwood, was also performed. But unfortunately, I did not get to review it. That is why it does not appear (at length) in this column.

So, let's indulge!

The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 3

Musicals at Richter (100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury, CT)

"Into the Woods"

Best Musical: "Into the Woods" (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Nathan Mandracchia (The Baker in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Carey Van Hollen (The Baker's Wife in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Tracey Marble (The Witch in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Betsy Simpson (Cinderella in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Tyler Carey (Jack in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Sergio Mandujano (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Stephen Moores (Rapunzel's Prince/Wolf 2 in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Will Armstrong ( Milky White/Narrator in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Patrick Spaulding (Mysterious Man/Narrator in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Torri Vacca (Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Cassandra Bielmeier (Rapunzel in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Priscilla Squiers (Jack's Mother in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Beth Bria Salvador (Cinderella's Stepmother in "Into the Woods")  (Musicals at Richter)

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Emma Giorgio (Lucinda in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Natalie Harde (Florinda in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Direction of a Musical: Bradford Blake ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)
 

Best Musical Direction: Daniel Michael Koch ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Choreography: Bradford Blake ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Set Design: Jake McGuire ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Lighting Design: Jake McGuire ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Costume Design/Coordinator: Lauren Nicole Sherwood and DB Productions ("Into the Woods")(Musicals at Richter)

Best Sound Design: RKE Productions and Sierra Cervantes ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Props: Victoria Meskill ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Casting of a Musical: Musicals at Richter ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Bradford Blake (Director/Choreographer) ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Daniel Michael Koch (Musical Director) ("Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Tori Vacca (Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Will Armstrong (Milky White/Narrator in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Carey Van Hollen (The Baker's Wife" in "Into the Woods") (Musicals at Richter)

"West Side Story"

Best Musical: "West Side Story"  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Stephen Moores (Tony in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Juliet Dale (Maria in "West Side Story")   (Musicals at Richter)

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Lauren Nicole Sherwood (Anita in "West Side Story") (Musicals at Richter)

 

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Sergio Mandujano (Bernardo in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Nathan Clift: (Action in "West Side Story")

 (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Jacob Schultz (A-Rab in "West Side Story")   (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Robert Bria (Glad Hand in "West Side Story") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Brian Bremer ( Riff in "West Side Story")   (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Emma Burke-Covitz (Anybodys in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Pam DeHuff  ("Somewhere" Soprano in "West Side Story") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Elizabeth Koennecke (Velma in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Christina Kompar (Rosalia in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Teah Renzi (Consuelo in "West Side Story")

 (Musicals at Richter)

Best Direction of a Musical: Michael Limone ("West Side Story")   (Musicals at Richter)

Best Musical Direction: Zackary Kampler ("West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

 

Best Choreography: Jimmy Locust and Liana Martine ("West Side Story") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Set Design: Jake McGuire ("West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Lighting Design: Michael Limone and Mike Campbell ("West Side Story")   (Musicals at Richter)

Best Costume Design: Lauren Nicole Sherwood ("West Side Story") (Musicals at Richter)

Best Sound Design: RKE Productions ("West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Best Casting of a Musical: Musicals at Richter ("West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Juliet Dale (Maria in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year:  Brian Bremer ( Riff in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

Artist of the Year: Lauren Nicole Sherwood (Anita in "West Side Story")  (Musicals at Richter)

 

From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 48: The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 2: Goshen Players, TheatreWorks/New Milford/Vagabond Theatre Company

By James V. Ruocco

Going to the theater in 2017 was incredible.
So much to choose from.
So much to see.
So much to discover.
So much to enjoy.
So much to write about.
So many new faces.
So many returning favorites.
And yes, so much fun.

And so.....
The best of the best continues, with more of the productions and more of the performances that kept me cheering from my seat (or seats) on the aisle (guest or date included) as I journeyed across the state to experience yet another group of plays, comedies and musicals that made me glad I accepted yet another invitation to review and review and review.

The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 2

Goshen Players (2 North Street, Goshen, CT)

"Sylvia"

Best Play: "Sylvia" (Goshen Players)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Play: Scott Stanchfield (Greg in "Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Play: Kate Buffone (Sylvia in "Sylvia" ) (Goshen Players)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Play: Catherine Thoben-Quirk (Kate in "Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

 

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play: Chuck Stango  (Tom/Leslie in "Sylvia")    (Goshen Players)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: Eileen Epperson (Phyllis Cutler in "Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

Best Direction of a Play: John Ozerhoski ("Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

 

Best Lighting Design: Wes Baldwin ("Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

 

Best Costume Design: Phoebe Katzin ("Sylvia") (Goshen Players)

TheatreWorks/New Milford (5 Brookside Avenue, New Milford, CT)

 

"I Do, I Do"

Best Musical: "I Do, I Do" (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Jonathan Jacobson (Michael in "I Do, I Do")     (TheatreWorks/New Milford)  

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Carey Van Hollen (Agnes in "I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

 

Best Direction of a Musical: Bradford Blake ("I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

Best Musical Direction: Charles Smith ("I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

 

Best Choreography: Bradford Blake ("I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

Best Set Design: Bradford Blake and James Hipp ("I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

Best Costume Design: Lauren Nicole Sherwood ("I Do, I Do") (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

Vagabond Theatre Company (Gonzaga Auditorium at Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT) and The Warehouse Blackbox Theatre/Performing Arts Center, 18 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull, CT) 

  

"The Scarlet Letter"

Best Play: "The Scarlet Letter"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Play: Thursday Savage (Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter" (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Play: Betzabeth Castro (Pearl in "The Scarlet Letter") (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Play: Juan Ayala (Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in "The Scarlet Letter) (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Direction: Tanya Feduik-Smith ("The Scarlet Letter") (Vagabond Theatre Company)  

"Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead"

 Best Play: "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead" (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Play: Ryan Shea (CB in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead") (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Play: Karl Hinger  (Beethoven in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead") (Vagabond Theatre Company)

 

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play: Joe Zumbo (Matt in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play: Ian C. Smith (Van in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: Hannah Pearsall  (Marcy in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: Vicky Pelletier (Tricia York in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: April Lichtman (Van's Sister in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: Anna Lynch (CB's Sister in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead")  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Direction of a Play: Michael R. Mele ("Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead') (Vagabond Theatre Company)

Best Production Design: Michael R. Mele, Tanya Feduik-Smith and John R. Smith, Jr. ("Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead')  (Vagabond Theatre Company)

 

Best Casting of a Play: Vagabond Theatre Company  ("Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead') 

 

From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 47: The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 1: Barrington Stage Company, The Shubert, The Bushnell, Long Wharf Theatre

By James V. Ruocco

2017 was a massive year for theater.
Barrington Stage Company had the #1 musical hit of the summer.
Aaron Tveit gave an incredible, emotionally driven, show-stopping performance as Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's "Company."
"Rent" hit the road again.
"Jersey Boys" had audiences begging for more and more of those doo-wop chart toppers from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
"Finding Neverland" made everyone believe on fairies.....on stage and off.
And Long Wharf Theatre unveiled a world premiere musical.

What follows are the productions and the performances that left me cheering for the excitement that live theater so lovingly provides. Plus the directors, the musical crew, the choreographers and the design teams that made 2017 so memorable.

 The Best of the Year: Theater 2017, Part 1

Barrington Stage Company (30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA)

"Company"

 

Best Musical: "Company" (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Aaron Tveit  (Bobby in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Joseph Spieldenner (Paul in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: James Ludwig (David in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Paul Schaefer (Peter in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Mara Davi (April in "Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

 

 

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Ellen Harvey (Joanne in "Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Lauren Marcus (Amy in "Company"  (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Jane Pfitsch (Jenny in "Company"  (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Kate Loprest (Susan in "Company" (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Nora Schell (Marta in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

Best Direction of a Musical: Julianne Boyd ("Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Musical Direction: Dan Pardo ("Company" ) (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Choreography: Jeffrey Page ("Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Set Design: Kristen Robinson ("Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Costume Design: Sara Jean Tosetti ("Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Lighting Design: Brian Tovar ("Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Sound Design: Ed Chapman ("Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Hair & Wig Design: Liz Printz ("Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Best Casting of a Musical: Pat McCorkle, Katja Zarolinski, CSA ("Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

Artist of the Year: Aaron Tveit  (Bobby in "Company") (Barrington Stage Company)

 

Artist of the Year: Mara Davi (April in "Company")  (Barrington Stage Company)

Shubert Theatre (247 College Street, New Haven, CT)

"Rent"

 

Best Musical: "Rent" (Shubert Theatre)

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Danny Harris Kornfeld (Mark Cohen in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Kaleb Wells (Roger Davis in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: David Merino (Angel Schunard in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Skyler Volpe (Mimi Marquez in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Jasmine Easler (Joanne Jefferson in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Katie Lamark (Maureen Johnson in "Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

 

 

 

Best Direction of a Musical: Evan Ensign ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Musical Direction: Samuel Bagala  ("Rent") ) (Shubert Theatre)

Best Choreography: Marlies Yearby  ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Set Design: Paul Clay ("Rent" ) (Shubert Theatre)

Best Costume Design (Angela Wendt) ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Lighting Design: Jonathan Spencer ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Sound Design: Keith Caggiano ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

Best Casting of a Musical: Joy Dewey Casting ("Rent") (Shubert Theatre)

The Bushnell (166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT) 

"Jersey Boys"

 Best Musical: "Jersey Boys" (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Aaron De Jesus (Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Matthew Dailey (Tommy DeVito in "Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Cory Jeacoma (Bob Gaudio in "Jersey Boys" ) (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Keith Hines (Nick Massi in "Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical: Kristen Paulicelli (Mary Delgado in "Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

Best Direction of a Musical: Des McAnuff ("Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Musical Direction: Taylor Peckham ("Jersey Boys" (The Bushnell)

Best Choreography: Sergio Trujillo ("Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Set Design:  Klara Zieglerova ("Jersey Boys") ) (The Bushnell)

Best Costume Design: Jess Goldstein ("Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Lighting Design: Howell Binkley ("Jersey Boys" (The Bushnell)

 

Best Casting of a Musical: Tara Rubin Casting/Merri Sugerman, CSA ("Jersey Boys") (The Bushnell)

"Finding Neverland"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Billy Harrigan Tighe (J.M. Barrie in "Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Christine Dwyer (Sylvia Llewelyn Davies in "Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: John Davidson (Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook in "Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

Best Musical Direction: Ryan Cantwell ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Choreography: Mia Michaels ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Set Design: Scott Pask ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner (Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Costume Design: Suttirat Anne Larlarb ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Illusions: Paul Kieve ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

 

Best Casting: Stewart/ Whitley ("Finding Neverland") (The Bushnell)

Long Wharf Theatre (222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT)

"The Most Beautiful Room in New York"

Best Musical: "The Most Beautiful Room in New York" (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical: Matt Bogart (David in "The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical: Anastasia Barzee (Claire in "The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Constantine Maroulis (Sergio in "The Most Beautiful Room in New York")  (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical: Mark Nelson (Carlo in "The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Direction of a Musical: Gordon Edelstein ("The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

 

Best Musical Direction: John McDaniel ("The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

 

Best Music: David Shire ("The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Book & Lyrics: Adam Gopnik ("The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

Best Set Design: Michael Yeargan ("The Most Beautiful Room in New York") (Long Wharf Theatre)

 



From the Desk of Jim R, Take, 2, Column 46, A Review: "The Games Afoot" (Warner Theatre)

By James V. Ruocco

Theatre critics, take notice!
If you're one of those nasty individuals who enjoys making actors miserable by ripping them to shreds in print, you seriously could end up with a knife in your back.
And why not?
Is the actor in question, really that bad?
Is the performance that hideous?
Is there a hidden agenda behind your poison pen?
Is there animosity toward the theater, the production staff, the director, the costume designer and the publicist?
If your answer is "Yes!" "Yes! "Yes" and "Yes!" to all four questions, then the axe, so to speak, if going to fall fast.
And deservedly so.
You deserve to fall, you snarky, hateful theatre critic.
Just who the fuck do you think you are?

In the eyes of playwright Ken Ludwig, the death of a theatre critic who obviously went too far is played for laughs in "The Game's Afoot," a wicked, deliciously witty whodunit farce that gets huge audience belly laughs from actors who unashamedly overact, young lovers who commit murder to inherit millions, a female detective who craves the limelight and a mother who'll do just about anything for her very egotistical, very wealthy actor/son.
The joke, of course, is that nothing is quite what it seems.
Or, is it?
Lightning and thunder strikes. The chandelier dims and flickers. Dead bodies pop up here and there on stage and off. 
And just about everyone in "The Game's Afoot" has a motive.
You can play detective.
You can theorize with family and friends during intermission.
Or you can just sit back and enjoy.
The choice is yours as this giddy, daft, marvelously paced farce merrily unfolds on the stage of the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre much to the delight of everyone in the audience and every single actor in the production space.
It's funny.
It's clever.
It's outrageous.
It's twisty.
It's surprising.
And it's the perfect escape from rushed Christmas shopping, those God-awful office parties with paper plates and paper cups and those road-rage morons who think they're getting a bargain this December at "Best Buy," "Target" and "Curry's PC World" by grabbing dopey merchandise  that didn't sell last Christmas or the year before that.

"The Game's Afoot" takes place on Christmas Eve, circa 1936 at actor William Gillette's castle in Connecticut. The mystery, however, begins when the actor is shot on stage while performing his most famous role of Sherlock Holmes. Was the bullet meant for him? Was it meant for another actor? And oh, yes, who exactly fired the shot?
At the mansion, all of the characters are introduced one by one. They drink. They laugh. They sneer. They fight. They confess. They drop dead. They don't stay dead. Then, they really do drop and stay dead.

Staging "The Game's Afoot" is actor/director Joe Guttadauro who was last seen as Bill Slank in the Warner Stage Company's stirring production of "Peter and the Starcatcher," directed by Katherine Ray. An actor with great stage presence, coming timing and the ability to surprise and enchant without any sort of calculation, Guttadauro is the perfect choice to direct this particular Ludwig farce.
From an actor's standpoint, he knows how an actor moves, how an actor should play physical comedy and how certain comic lines are supposed to be delivered at the drop of a hat.
In some cases, he purposely instructs the cast to take it over the top as if  "The Game's Afoot" is high camp or slaphappy melodrama. Then, he asks them to settle down, play things for real, then, amp it up again when Ludwig decides to play hide the body, cover the body, carry the body or keep the body from toppling over while standing up. It's a dishy, crazy conceit that Guttadauro develops brilliantly and madly without ever missing a single beat. His, cast, in turn, are only too happy to oblige.

"The Game's Afoot" also comes equipped with a jokey séance that's funny and well-executed by Guttadauro. Much later, there's some very crazy bits that have most of the characters wandering in and out of the kitchen for late-night snacks and more over the top camp as the cast stop, pose or freeze in typical melodrama/farce fashion. It all works splendidly under Guttadauro's keen, observant, watchful eye.

In the lead role of William Gillette, a comic role that seems tailor made for Randy Ronco, the actor delivers one of the year's funniest portrayals of an eccentric, egotistical actor so in love with himself, theatre, performance and characterization, his grandstanding, posturing and exceptional line delivery get laughs in all the right places. He never once makes a false move when the script asks him to drift back and forth between actor and sleuth to solve the murder at hand in typical Holmes' fashion. Or when asked to overly emote by pushing high camp to the max. He succeeds swimmingly.

Is there anything Thursday Savage cannot do? I think not.
Whether playing Hester Pryne in Vagabond Theatre Company's hypnotic "The Scarlett Letter" or most recently as Emily Brent in the Warner Stage Company's "And Then There Were None," the actress comes to the stage so focused, so prepared and so in touch with every one of the character's she is playing, her theatrical savvy, flair and dedication to her craft is absolutely remarkable.
In "The Game's Afoot," she portrays Martha Gillette, the caring and doting mother of eccentric actor William Gillette. The role itself is a star turn for Savage who dazzles, cajoles and delights with a brilliantly comic performance that is raw, real, wacky, dizzy and merrily out-of-sorts. She has great fun with Ludwig's pungent dialogue, the play's actual whodunit conceit and an outrageously comic moment where she mistakes the play's female detective for a man and shamelessly throws herself at him.....oops, her. Her coming timing and line delivery is "spot on."

Last seen as Kate in the Goshen Players' sparkling production of  A.R. Gurney's "Sylvia," directed by John Ozerhoski, Catherine Thoben Quirk, brilliant in that part,  does a complete 360-turn in "The Game's Afoot" that's so decidedly different, I kept asking myself, "Is that the same actress?" "Is that the same actress," "Is that the same actress?"
Of, course, it is.
It's Quirk, front and center, playing the icy cool, devious theatre critic Daria Chase, a woman, who, can make or break any actor with such stinging, nasty critiques, it's easy to understand why most actors want to see her "Dead." The role itself is an intriguing mix of camp, contempt, bitchiness and satire that Quirk builds, shapes and performs, so splendidly, you never once doubt anything she does and says. Her movements, her gestures, her facial expressions and her stinging line delivery are appropriately acerbic and laced with a raw and direct realness that unfolds in glorious Technicolor whenever she's on stage.

As Inspector Harriet Goring, Lana Peck offers yet another sparkling, effervescent performance that is witty, crazy, hammy, dizzying and chock full of the comic snap, crackle and pop that the actress does best. Here, as in the recent "And Then There Were None" where Peck played Mrs. Ethel Rogers to the height of sheer perfection, the actress is at the top of her game.
What's especially fun about Peck is that she never gives the same performance twice. That's why directors always cast her in their productions. She has extraordinary insight and range. She know how to take a line of dialogue and make it her own. And she's not afraid to take chances. Here, she plays her super sleuth female detective character boldly and wisely, using broad, comic stokes and colors that are exactly right for this sort of comic mayhem. She also knows how to amp and ham it up whenever Guttadauro asks her to do. And when she's center stage with the spotlight shining bright, Peck goes for broke and delights her audience at every comic turn.

Daniel Dressel gives his role of the charming, mischievous Simon Bright just the right slapdash whodunit good intention. He also has an ingeniously stated Chaplinesque quality about him that makes his comic performance shine and shimmer in all the right places. He knows how to shape and build a comic character effortlessly. As an actor, he is totally immersed in the play's farce, its comedy, its cheeky banter and its slapstick. He also knows how to deliver a punch line and gag without the slightest exaggeration, which, in turn, makes everything he does honest and spontaneous.

 Lydia Babbitt and Mike Zizka who portray Madge and Fred Geisel are colorful, competent enough actors who know the mechanics of stage farce inside out. As does Ashley McLeod who plays the recently widowed Aggie Wheeler. All three have their moment in the spotlight offering hilarious comic turns whenever the script places them front and center in this giddy, wacky comedy that will keep you laughing and laughing for well over two hours.

Whodunit?
You'll have to see the production to find out.

PS: The period costumes, designed by Renee C. Purdy and Matthew Dettmer, are gorgeous, sumptuous and totally indicative of the period from whence they came with careful attention paid to detail, style and character. The set design by Stephen  C. Houk and Joe Guttadauro is atmospheric and handsomely executed. And Chris LaPlante's sound design lends itself nicely to the whodunit at hand.

photos by Mandi Martini

."The Game's Afoot" is being staged by the Warner Stage Company (Nancy Marine Studio Theatre, (68 Main St, Torrington, CT), now through Dec. 17.

For tickets or more information, call (860) 489-7180.

website: warnertheatre.org.