THEATER: Leading Ladies

State College Community Theater is finishing an excellent summer season with Ken Ludwig’s LEADING LADIES and they are following that old theater rule of “always leave them laughing”. The play is full of silliness, mistaken identity, cross dressing, and lots of confusion leading up to the required happy ending. It even includes a four minute performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. What more could an audience want?

The scenes between Eric J. Lindquist and Rob Arnold are especially well done. As Leo and Jack, they are funny; as Maxine and Stephanie, they are hilarious. It should come as a surprise that the other characters on stage would actually believe that these two guys were women. To be honest, I even found Rob to be very sexy in black velvet.

I wish that Nazli Sarpkaya’s biography had included her past theater credits. As Meg, she has the opportunity to show her range of acting skills while keeping in mind that she was doing comedy. I especially liked her scene with the red cocktail dress. She uses it almost as a prop--very well done.
Tom McClary is no stranger to local theater and this show gives him a chance to be silly. I always appreciate an actor whose lines are crisp and clear.

Michelle V. Siwert, on the other hand, is new to the Boal Barn audiences. She is fresh and energetic, though she may do the worst Marlon Brando voice I have ever heard. (It did get a big laugh).
Eric Kress, Gail Alberini, and Jason Poorman rounded out the cast well. They each had a shining moment in Twelfth Night.

Director Mike Knarr is to be congratulated for the fun bits of business in the play and good use of the arena stage. Costumes were designed by Amy Silverman and she did her usual fantastic job. Opening night needed more dressers at various entrances; too many little details were incomplete (bows, zippers, etc.).

If Ken Ludwig is an unknown playwrite to you, go see LEADING LADIES. You will see why he is considered the contemporary master of complete silly.

LEADING LADIES will be at Boal Barn until September the 17th.

I need to add some personal thank you’s at the end of this excellent summer season:  Amber Daughtry and David Price, the producers for the season, you made my Barn experience a joy.  Drew, Meadow Lane Photography, as always, added so many great pictures. I hope that I get to review a book by you some day.