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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">CVLT’s ‘Perfect
Wedding’ perfectly ordinary affair<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I>6/12/09</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The opening night
buzz among several patrons in the lobby of the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
centered on the bold choice made by the theater’s executive
board.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">It had selected a
bawdy, wildly off-beat comedy about a wedding where the bride ends up with her
bridesmaid, her sister ends up with the groom, and the two gay wedding planners
end up getting married amidst a big Bollywood dance
number.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This was not usual
fare for a small town community theater.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Several minutes into
the play, the patrons realized they were mistaken.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This was not </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Charles
Mee’s risqué romp <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Perfect Wedding</I>
but, rather, Robin Hawdon’s silly British farce <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Perfect Wedding</I>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They, along with the rest of the
audience, settled deep into their seats and girded themselves for yet another
evening of comfortable and highly conventional entertainment.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">In predictable silly
farce fashion, </SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Perfect
Wedding</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
delivers </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">a prospective groom,
who wakes to discover a strange girl in his bed, his bride-to-be about to arrive
any moment and, in the depths of a post-bachelor party hangover, no memory of
what transpired.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Highly controlled
chaos reigns supreme, as he attempts to explain the inexplicable and make things
right.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">As
would be expected,</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">the
play is chockfull of misunderstanding, mistaken identity, circular dialogue and
door slamming. The laughs, which arrive with formulaic regularity, are so
telegraphed that a near-sighted usher can see them coming.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The story line is so contrived and
familiar that the audience knows what‘s next five minutes before the characters
do.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">To
no one’s surprise, </SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">director B<STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">arbara
Rhoades has given the lead roles of the groom and his best man to Adam Young and
Eric Oswald—two talented local area actors who have appeared in recent CVLT
productions with such frequency that their mail is forwarded to the dressing
room.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They play their parts well
and have a nice on-stage rapport, but their portrayals are without distinction
or inventiveness.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They take no
creative risks and push no comedy
envelopes.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The
supporting cast includes R</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">achel Zake as the humorless bride,
Brenda Redmond as the naked girl, Denise Bernstein as the chambermaid who serves
as an accomplice, and Elaine Sonnie as the bride’s mother.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They also deliver fine albeit
one-dimensional, standard, peril-free performances.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Predictably,<STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">
this is an enjoyable show.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Rhoades’ effective but color-by-number staging and Ed Wolff’s attractive
but one-size-fits-all set design are fully functional and
genre-appropriate.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They also lack
novelty and detail.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The director’s
</SPAN></STRONG>program note advises theater goers to “fasten your seat
belts.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This warning is
equivalent to the “for safety, keep your hands inside the vehicle” notice on the
“It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland—well intended but woefully without
justification.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Sure,
there is a lot to be said for theater so safe and familiar it is anesthetizing,
allowing patrons to momentarily forget the troubled world that lingers beyond
the proscenium arch.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However,
t</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">heater that
lacks innovation and inspiration lacks art.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is merely a performance, an activity
that passes the time but does not mark it.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>It would have been nice
for there to have been as much buzz leaving the CVLT as there was going
in.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Perfect
Wedding<I><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> continues through June
27</SPAN></I></SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> at the Chagrin
Valley Little Theatre, 56 River Street, Chagrin Falls.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range from $10 to
$14, call 440-247-8955 or visit<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A
href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.cvlt.org</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>