[NEohioPAL]Only eight more performances of "Over the Tavern"

Thu Sep 21 10:15:51 PDT 2006

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Weathervane Community Playhouse in Akron reminds you that you have only =
eight more chances to catch the hilarious and heart-warming "Over the =
Tavern."

To get your tickets, call the Box Office at 330/836-2626 -- or check out =
our website for details at www.weathervaneplayhouse.com!

Here, reprinted with permission, is the review of the show as seen in =
the September 19 edition of the Akron Beacon Journal:
     =20
    =20

      `Tavern' a heartfelt comedy
      Homey set, good lead actors, writing in this fun play about Polish =
Catholic family in '59
      Kerry Clawson
      Beacon Journal

      The comedy Over the Tavern is a nostalgic, coming-of-age play =
about a time when parents and the church were still the authorities, and =
kids were expected to obey both -- or risk the fate of purgatory or =
hell.

      Although the Weathervane play focuses on a Polish Catholic family =
in Buffalo, you don't have to be Catholic to get a kick out of this =
well-written and well-acted story. The tale follows the struggles and =
joys of a blue-collar family of six who live above their family-owned =
tavern in their ethnic neighborhood.

      Playwright Tom Dudzick's work is set in 1959 -- near the end of =
the age of innocence for many Americans. Director Bob Belfance, =
returning to Weathervane for the first time in 15 years, leads a capable =
cast led by talented ninth-grader Benjamin Fortin and the excellent =
Harriet DeVeto.

      Fortin shows a strong knack for comedy as the imaginative Rudy, a =
12-year-old who's rebelling against Catholic constraints and guilt as he =
learns to think for himself. He's a real hoot, whether he's facing off =
with Sister Clarissa (DeVeto) or having a one-on-one conversation with =
God at church.

      This young actor's as cute as can be in a delightfully funny =
Catholic-style variation of the Ed Sullivan show, and when he shows up =
wearing a skullcap just to antagonize Sister Clarissa.

      DeVeto also is fabulous as the imperious, ruler-wielding Sister =
Clarissa, who even admonishes the audience for laughing. A former Equity =
actress with 13 years of professional experience, she toured nationally =
with Hal Holbrook in Death of a Salesman, the understudy to Akron's own =
Elizabeth Franz as Linda.

      Weathervane's audiences and the cast are fortunate to have her: =
Ultimately, she makes this rigid nun's humanity ring true.

      Rudy's whole family is going through growing pains, trying to =
strike a delicate balance as he and his siblings mature. At the same =
time, Rudy's dad is struggling with his own resentment, his mother with =
her disappointments.

      Most of this family angst hinges on the kids' raging father, Chet =
(Mark Zimmerman). He has to be a real bear for this story to fully work, =
but Zimmerman is not effective in this role.

      The script refers repeatedly to how Chet's children pray that he =
won't ruin yet another dinner by going on a tirade. Yet Zimmerman does =
not create the threatening intensity necessary to make audiences believe =
his children are afraid of him.

      At best, he comes across as sarcastic. His body language also is =
too loose-limbed to make audiences believe his character is tightly =
wound.

      Dudzick has made an interesting choice by having Chet's own father =
offstage for the whole play. We never see the man who was the source of =
Chet's bitterness.

      Rudy questions his catechism and Sister Clarissa's charge that he =
be a ``soldier for Christ.'' At the same time, his teen siblings Eddie =
and Annie (Brian Jackson and Amanda Horseman) deal with the guilt of =
raging hormones.

      In wonderful contrast is Daniel Rylander as sweet, retarded =
brother Georgie. His characterization and mannerisms are thoroughly =
believable.

      Although Jackson is hard to hear in his first scene as Eddie, he =
generally does fine. Tammy Carder (Ellen) excels in a mother-daughter =
bonding scene.

      Setting the stage for this heartfelt family comedy is a homey =
1950s kitchen set by Alan Scott Ferrall and striking stained-glass =
window lighting that designer Zimmerman has created at stage right.

      Over the Tavern feels authentic because this is Buffalo native =
Dudzick's semiautobiographical story. Its characters also ring true for =
director Belfance -- reminding him of the ethnic Poles in his own family =
-- and should resonate in the hearts of many audience members.

      Theater critic Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by =
e-mail at kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com. =20

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Weathervane Community Playhouse in =
Akron reminds=20
you that you have only eight more chances to catch the hilarious and=20
heart-warming "Over the Tavern."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To get your tickets, call the Box =
Office at=20
330/836-2626 -- or check out our website for details at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com">www.weathervaneplayhouse.com=
</A>!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Here, reprinted with permission, is the =
review of=20
the show as seen in the September 19 edition of the Akron Beacon=20
Journal:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D"100%" border=3D0>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></TD>
    <TD width=3D15 rowSpan=3D7><IMG height=3D1=20
      src=3D"http://www.ohio.com/images/common/spacer.gif" =
width=3D15></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD colSpan=3D2><IMG height=3D10=20
      src=3D"http://www.ohio.com/images/common/spacer.gif" =
width=3D1></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD colSpan=3D2>
      <DIV class=3Dbody-head><B><SPAN=20
      class=3Dsig></SPAN></B><STRONG></STRONG><BR><B><SPAN=20
      class=3Dkicker></SPAN></B><BR><FONT face=3DArial><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
      class=3Dheadline>`Tavern' a heartfelt comedy</SPAN><BR><SPAN=20
      class=3Ddeck>Homey set, good lead actors, writing in this fun play =
about=20
      Polish Catholic family in '59</SPAN><BR><SPAN class=3Dbyline>Kerry =

      Clawson</SPAN><BR><SPAN class=3Dcreditline>Beacon=20
      Journal</SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV><!-- begin body-content -->
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The comedy Over the Tavern is a =
nostalgic,=20
      coming-of-age play about a time when parents and the church were =
still the=20
      authorities, and kids were expected to obey both -- or risk the =
fate of=20
      purgatory or hell.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Although the Weathervane play =
focuses on a=20
      Polish Catholic family in Buffalo, you don't have to be Catholic =
to get a=20
      kick out of this well-written and well-acted story. The tale =
follows the=20
      struggles and joys of a blue-collar family of six who live above =
their=20
      family-owned tavern in their ethnic neighborhood.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Playwright Tom Dudzick's work is =
set in 1959 --=20
      near the end of the age of innocence for many Americans. Director =
Bob=20
      Belfance, returning to Weathervane for the first time in 15 years, =
leads a=20
      capable cast led by talented ninth-grader Benjamin Fortin and the=20
      excellent Harriet DeVeto.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Fortin shows a strong knack for =
comedy as the=20
      imaginative Rudy, a 12-year-old who's rebelling against Catholic=20
      constraints and guilt as he learns to think for himself. He's a =
real hoot,=20
      whether he's facing off with Sister Clarissa (DeVeto) or having a=20
      one-on-one conversation with God at church.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This young actor's as cute as can =
be in a=20
      delightfully funny Catholic-style variation of the Ed Sullivan =
show, and=20
      when he shows up wearing a skullcap just to antagonize Sister=20
      Clarissa.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DeVeto also is fabulous as the =
imperious,=20
      ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa, who even admonishes the audience =
for=20
      laughing. A former Equity actress with 13 years of professional=20
      experience, she toured nationally with Hal Holbrook in Death of a=20
      Salesman, the understudy to Akron's own Elizabeth Franz as=20
      Linda.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Weathervane's audiences and the =
cast are=20
      fortunate to have her: Ultimately, she makes this rigid nun's =
humanity=20
      ring true.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rudy's whole family is going =
through growing=20
      pains, trying to strike a delicate balance as he and his siblings =
mature.=20
      At the same time, Rudy's dad is struggling with his own =
resentment, his=20
      mother with her disappointments.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Most of this family angst hinges on =
the kids'=20
      raging father, Chet (Mark Zimmerman). He has to be a real bear for =
this=20
      story to fully work, but Zimmerman is not effective in this=20
      role.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The script refers repeatedly to how =
Chet's=20
      children pray that he won't ruin yet another dinner by going on a =
tirade.=20
      Yet Zimmerman does not create the threatening intensity necessary =
to make=20
      audiences believe his children are afraid of him.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At best, he comes across as =
sarcastic. His body=20
      language also is too loose-limbed to make audiences believe his =
character=20
      is tightly wound.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dudzick has made an interesting =
choice by=20
      having Chet's own father offstage for the whole play. We never see =
the man=20
      who was the source of Chet's bitterness.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rudy questions his catechism and =
Sister=20
      Clarissa's charge that he be a ``soldier for Christ.'' At the same =
time,=20
      his teen siblings Eddie and Annie (Brian Jackson and Amanda =
Horseman) deal=20
      with the guilt of raging hormones.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In wonderful contrast is Daniel =
Rylander as=20
      sweet, retarded brother Georgie. His characterization and =
mannerisms are=20
      thoroughly believable.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Although Jackson is hard to hear in =
his first=20
      scene as Eddie, he generally does fine. Tammy Carder (Ellen) =
excels in a=20
      mother-daughter bonding scene.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Setting the stage for this =
heartfelt family=20
      comedy is a homey 1950s kitchen set by Alan Scott Ferrall and =
striking=20
      stained-glass window lighting that designer Zimmerman has created =
at stage=20
      right.</FONT></P>
      <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Over the Tavern feels authentic =
because this is=20
      Buffalo native Dudzick's semiautobiographical story. Its =
characters also=20
      ring true for director Belfance -- reminding him of the ethnic =
Poles in=20
      his own family -- and should resonate in the hearts of many =
audience=20
      members.</FONT></P><!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end =
-->
      <DIV class=3Dbody-end>
      <DIV class=3Dtagline><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3Dtagline>Theater=20
      critic Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail =
at <A=20
      href=3D"mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com"><FONT=20
      color=3D#000000>kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com</FONT></A>.</SPAN>=20
      </FONT></DIV></DIV><!-- end body-end =
--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Copyright 2006 Akron Beacon =
Journal. =20
Reprinted with permission.</FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3Dbyline><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>=A9 =
2006 Beacon Journal=20
and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.<BR>http://www.ohio.com=20
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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