[NEohioPAL]Plain Dealer Rave for THE THING ABOUT MEN at Actors' Summit
Thackaberr at aol.com
Thackaberr at aol.com
Mon Jun 27 07:36:33 PDT 2005
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Wickedly funny show, endearing cast
Monday, June 27, 2005
Linda Eisenstein
Special to The Plain Dealer
In this age of eye-candy glitz, it's not often that you see a new musical
that is both laugh-aloud funny and still has substance and heart. That's only
one of many reasons that the area premiere of "The Thing About Men" at Actors'
Summit is a near-miracle.
It's a sparkling production of a wickedly funny show, where the observations
are keen, the lyrics are clever and the characters irresistibly endearing.
It's such a good time that you'd have no hesitation seeing it twice so you can
share it with friends.
Adapted from Doris Dorrie's comic film "Men" by the authors of "I Love You,
You're Perfect, Now Change," "The Thing About Men" is the hilariously
affecting story of Thomas, a womanizing advertising executive who discovers that his
wife of 15 years is having an affair. After the revelation sends him
reeling, Thomas insinuates himself into the life of his wife's hippie-artist lover
Sebastian, moving into his down-at-the-heels loft as his new roommate, Milo.
The many things he discovers - about his wife, himself and the meaning of
his marriage - are an overflowing source of potent comedy.
Director Neil Thackaberry has assembled a wonderful quintet of actors who
mine all the laughs while still emphasizing the characters' humanity. With a
wicked glint in his eyes, Scott Boulware makes the desperate protagonist a
thoroughly engaging rascal, whose machinations turn into revelations that are
moving but never sentimental.
W. Jamie Koeth is a delightful foil as the free and easy Sebastian, whose
long red hair and tie-dye T-shirts get a comic second-act transformation. With
a torchy voice, Sandra Emerick is a study of female midlife-crisis
ambivalence as Lucy.
As the ever-morphing Greek Chorus, Kent LeMar and Tricia Bestic play a comic
panoply of secondary characters. LeMar's snotty maitre d' in "You'll Never
Get Into This Restaurant" is worth the price of admission alone, and Bestic is
particularly funny in her lime-green workout clothes as a cooing spa bunny.
MaryJo Alexander's many costumes and wigs add to the comedy, as does
Thackaberry's sharp direction, which has people whisking on and off on bikes and
scooters. The simple black-box set, illustrated by slides of interiors, keeps
the attention on the story.
For as much as it's a comedy, "The Thing About Men" really does illuminate
hard truths about the lives of men - their vulnerabilities, their sacrifices,
the trade-offs between work and family they negotiate in a tough world.
It's such a pleasure to see a show that takes them seriously, while
convulsing you with laughter. Give yourself a summer treat, and go see it.
Eisenstein is a playwright in Cleveland.
To reach Linda Eisenstein:
entertainment at plaind.com.
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funny show, endearing cast <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:date Month=3D"6" Day=
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Year=3D"2005"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Monday, J=
une 27,=20
2005</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=20
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<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Linda=20
Eisenstein<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Special to The Plain=20
Dealer</SPAN></B><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In this age of eye-can=
dy=20
glitz, it's not often that you see a new musical that is both laugh-aloud fu=
nny=20
and still has substance and heart. That's only one of many reasons that the=20=
area=20
premiere of "The Thing About Men" at Actors' Summit is a near-miracle.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It's a sparkling produ=
ction=20
of a wickedly funny show, where the observations are keen, the lyrics are cl=
ever=20
and the characters irresistibly endearing. It's such a good time that you'd=20=
have=20
no hesitation seeing it twice so you can share it with friends.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Adapted from Doris Dor=
rie's=20
comic film "Men" by the authors of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change,"=
=20
"The Thing About Men" is the hilariously affecting story of Thomas, a womani=
zing=20
advertising executive who discovers that his wife of 15 years is having an=20
affair. After the revelation sends him reeling, Thomas insinuates himself in=
to=20
the life of his wife's hippie-artist lover Sebastian, moving into his=20
down-at-the-heels loft as his new roommate, Milo. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The many things he dis=
covers=20
- about his wife, himself and the meaning of his marriage - are an overflowi=
ng=20
source of potent comedy. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director Neil Thackabe=
rry=20
has assembled a wonderful quintet of actors who mine all the laughs while st=
ill=20
emphasizing the characters' humanity. With a wicked glint in his eyes, Scott=
=20
Boulware makes the desperate protagonist a thoroughly engaging rascal, whose=
=20
machinations turn into revelations that are moving but never sentimental.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">W. Jamie Koeth is a=20
delightful foil as the free and easy Sebastian, whose long red hair and tie-=
dye=20
T-shirts get a comic second-act transformation. With a torchy voice, Sandra=20
Emerick is a study of female midlife-crisis ambivalence as Lucy.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As the ever-morphing G=
reek=20
Chorus, Kent LeMar and Tricia Bestic play a comic panoply of secondary=20
characters. LeMar's snotty maitre d' in "You'll Never Get Into This Restaura=
nt"=20
is worth the price of admission alone, and Bestic is particularly funny in h=
er=20
lime-green workout clothes as a cooing spa bunny. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">MaryJo Alexander's man=
y=20
costumes and wigs add to the comedy, as does Thackaberry's sharp direction,=20
which has people whisking on and off on bikes and scooters. The simple black=
-box=20
set, illustrated by slides of interiors, keeps the attention on the story.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For as much as it's a=20
comedy, "The Thing About Men" really does illuminate hard truths about the l=
ives=20
of men - their vulnerabilities, their sacrifices, the trade-offs between wor=
k=20
and family they negotiate in a tough world. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It's such a pleasure t=
o see=20
a show that takes them seriously, while convulsing you with laughter. Give=20
yourself a summer treat, and go see it. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Eisenstein is a playwr=
ight=20
in Cleveland. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To reach Linda Eisenst=
ein:=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">entertainment at plaind.c=
om.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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