THEATER: Epic Proportions

State College Community Theatre has picked the perfect play to open Boal Barn Playhouse for the summer. Epic Proportions is clever, witty, and gives the actors a chance to be a little outrageous.

The time is the 1930’s and D. W. DeWitt is filming Exeunt Omnes, which translates loosely “Everybody Out”, in the wastelands of Arizona. This movie should be bigger than Exodus, The Ten Commandments, and Ben Hurr combined. If it gets finished.

Brothers Phil and Benny start out as crowd filling actors, or as Assistant Director Louise Goldman calls them, “atmosphere personnel”.  Not only do the brothers fall into bigger parts in the movie, they also fall for the vivacious Louise.

Katie Kensinger as Louise is on stage most of the evening and is often responsible for getting the audience involved in the action. Sometimes the funniest scenes are when the actor is playing her part straight while everyone around her is a bit zany. Ms. Kensinger was in charge of the movie and her character at all times.

Jason Poorman as Benny had the right amount of serious dedication to be an actor in this epic movie. His bewilderment at getting the worst of the action, including the plagues, made us all feel a little sad for him.

Playing Benny’s brother Phil, Gordon Robinson gets the chance to grow from the reluctant “atmosphere personnel” to the dictatorial man in charge. Robinson was convincing all the way.

The fun parts were played by Lyn J. Freymiller, Chris Gallagher, Matt Greer, and Sarah A. Shaw. That means that they played most of the other parts. All of them seemed to be having fun with their various roles, but Ms. Shaw had the flashy parts. Her Queen of Egypt was more Jersey girl than Egyptian and delightful; as the lesbian costume director she was more Edith Head than butch and that worked well.

Gert Aron was the great man, D. W. DeWitt himself. Mr. Aron knows that small parts can be scene stealers. Although not on stage long, Mr. Aron makes good use of his time.

The evening went very quickly thanks to a well paced show with actors who were having fun. The show continues at Boal Barn until May the 28th. Go, you will have an enjoyable evening.

Up next at the Barn will be No Sex Please, We’re British!  This show will run from June 7 to June 18. This also sounds as if it will be a good evening.