[NEohioPAL] Berko review: BATHROOM HUMOR @ Blank Canvas

[Roy Berko via NEohioPAL]

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*“Bathroom Humor” flushes at Blank Canvas*

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

Before the lights went up on Blank Canvas’s production of “Bathroom Humor,”
the couple sitting to my right and I carried on an animated conversation
about which they thought were their favorite Guest Artist Theatres in the
area.  A Guest Artist Theatre is “a theatre which has an agreement with
Equity, whose productions normally include one or more Equity members,
and/or who pay all or some their actors in a performance or supply their
actors with a stipend.”

The duo proposed none too fragile, whose “On The Line” was chosen as the
best non-musical production of 2013, Ensemble, whose “The Iceman Cometh”
was recognized for superior achievement, and Blank Canvas, whose “Twelve
Angry Men” also was recognized for its superior achievement, as their
choices.  We were in for a treat, right?  Wrong!

Blank Canvas mixes creative audience-delighting shows, such as “The Texas
Chainsaw Musical,” “Psych Beach Party,” “Debbie Does Dallas,” and “Hell
Cab,” with traditional shows such as “Godspell” and ”Working,” with
exceptional stagings, such as “Next Fall” and “Of Mice and Men.”

Usually, the creative and dedicated Pat Ciamacco can find some way to save
even the silliest and slightest of scripts.  Add blood to spatter the
audience, cut off a few legs and arms and juggle them, there has to be a
way.  Unfortunately, he met his match in Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore’s
ineptly conceived, poorly written, plot-light farce, “Bathroom Humor.”

Set in a bathroom in a house during a party, the play centers on bad
bathroom humor, fat jokes, who cares gossip, urinary problems, affairs
between the party goers, alcohol and drug trips, falling out and climbing
in windows, hiding behind the shower curtain, penis enlargements, party
games, and well . . .who cares.

If you are at all interested, the “story,” (note the quotes around the word
story) centers on Laura, who is married to Arthur, who is having an affair
with Sandy, one of Arthur’s employees.  Sandy is attempting to get a raise
from Andy, who is trying to have an affair with Babette.  Stu is a
degenerate whose goal is to consume as much drugs and alcohol as possible.
Peg is overweight and has a negative self image.  The Big El is a totally
untalented Elvis impersonator who is the party’s entertainment, and he
falls for Peg.  Peg’s elderly father, who has bladder incontinence keeps
coming into the bathroom, but never at the right time to use the toilet,
and…you lost? Doesn’t matter, nothing of much importance happens.

Oh, there is one hysterical scene when Peg can’t zip up her overly tight
jeans and winds up on the floor trying to put them on.

The publisher bills the play as recommended “for dinner theatre, community
theatre, and summer stock audiences.”  Believe me, no self respecting
theatre should be interested in producing this bottom-feeding schlock.

Farce is hard stuff to do, even well written. Believe me, “Bathroom Humor”
is not well written.  The cast tries hard, but there is little of value to
work with.  In order to protect the innocent, I’m not even going to list
their names.  During the run of the show, if I were in the cast, I’d wear a
paper bag over my head, so no one would recognize me.

Ciamacco is usually capable of coming up with some way to save any lemon.
In this case, even he couldn’t create lemonade!

*CAPSULE JUDGMENT: As we exited the theatre after “Bathroom Humor,  my
next-to-seat neighbor said, “Oh well, it is what it is, and I’m not sure
why it was!”  ‘nuff said.*

Blank Canvas’s “Bathroom Humor” runs though May 24, 2014 in its west side
theatre, 1305 West 78th Street, Suite 211, Cleveland.  Get directions to
the theatre on the website.  (My GPS was of little help).  Once you arrive
at the site, go around the first building to find the entrance and then
follow the signs to the second floor acting space.  It’s an adventurous
battle. For tickets and directions go to www.blankcanvastheatre.com

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