[NEohioPAL] "‘Big Boys’ brings big laughs to Actors’ Summit" - WSL Durbin Review

[Neil Thackaberry]

‘Big Boys’ brings big laughs to Actors’ Summit

*5/21/2009** - **West Side Leader*
*By Roger Durbin*



**

**

HUDSON — Rich Orloff’s comedy “Big Boys” just gets funnier and funnier in
the hands of players Neil Thackaberry and Keith Stevens, who are headlining
the production at Actors’ Summit Theater.

These days, with the seeming uncovering of one outrageous business
shenanigan after another, where investors get bilked out of billions of
dollars and companies fold under the weight of colossal failures to
understand the market, one might think this play wouldn’t read as
lighthearted as the playwright intended. But it does, and that’s because
human foibles bared on stage get us every time.

Orloff’s send-up of big business chronicles the tale of Norman Waterbury
(played by Stevens) at the merciless hands of Victor Burlington
(Thackaberry) as he attempts to retain his personal “nice-guyness” and
professional ethics in the world of nefarious corporate strategies.

Stevens is entirely believable and likeable as Waterbury — the decent,
high-minded, eager-to-please new employee in Burlington’s market-leading
company. Stevens alternates between being outraged, obsequious, angry and
placating with a professional actor’s ease. At play’s end, when he assumes
the mantle of authority, the transformation is complete in his capable
hands.

Thackaberry’s hilarious, over-the-top character of Burlington pummels
Waterbury’s decency from the initial stress interview (that everyone would
fear) through scenes of demanding that Waterbury be a yes-man, of haranguing
him to bury his conscience in company policy, and of pretty much asking that
he give up his personal, emotional and moral life for the good of the big
buck. Thackaberry’s skill is utterly demonstrated in his ability to go from
one bizarre nonsequitur to another without batting an eye. He seems to
believe what he’s saying, so why shouldn’t we — and that willing suspension
makes for delightful comedy.

Orloff’s tale represents, in a way, a biography of a career (maybe two if we
recollect the history of Burlington as we witness the education of
Waterbury). That structural note is enough to hold this funny piece
together.

MaryJo Alexander’s set and costumes underline dramatic ideas. The single set
is Burlington’s office but outfitted in basic red and black, like a board
game intermingling chance and strategy. The characters are interchangeably
dressed in button-down pinstripe gray suits, as basically alike as they can
be (like Burlington says to Waterbury) if there are just a few tweaks made
here and there.

Constance Thackaberry’s direction was to the point. Although she moved her
characters around the whole stage to keep the audience’s eyes following, she
kept them highly focused on each other, as the action required. One small
quibble has to do with Stevens’ character continually twisting his head to
the audience to show his reaction to Burlington’s absurdities. It got to be
a bit distracting; maybe a few times would be enough, since the response
changed but little.

“Big Boys,” which runs through May 31, is Actors’ Summit’s last play for
this season. The play lasts an hour and 40 minutes with one 10-minute
intermission. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a
Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office by
calling (330) 342-0800 or online at
*www.actorssummit.org*<http://www.actorssummit.org/>
.

*Roger Durbin is professor emeritus of bibliography at The University of
Akron and an avid theater-goer. To contact him, e-mail
r.durbin at sbcglobal.net.*
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