What do pick up lines, murder-mystery farces, and God-fearing citizens have in common? These were all subjects of this year’s “An Evening of Performance,” presented by the RPI Players this past weekend and due to be performed again next weekend at the Playhouse. This production, the 257th from the Players, was composed of three short plays that were put on by RPI students, who were the actors, set designers, and directors.
The first of the three plays was The Line That’s Picked Up 1000 Babes, directed by Alex Nelson ’07, a member of the Alpha Psi Omega drama fraternity. The storyline was all about realizing that initial appearances can be misleading and that the dating scene is not really easy for anyone. The scene took place in a local bar, and the inhabitants ranged from the bitter birthday girl (Fran, played by Lydea Irwin ’09) to the already inebriated Charlie (portrayed by Chris Brousseau ’10) to the typical guy trying to pick up “babes,” the catalyst to the scene. This character, Benny, played by Matt Connelly ’09, claims to have the line that will work on most ladies, provided the girl and timing are right.
In Benny’s search to find the ideal babe at this bar, the story behind why the other characters have come here starts to unfold. The most lively character was certainly Charlie, whose faith in alcoholic beverages is obvious. He’s having one of those days by running into everyone he has ever known—or so they claim, in the case of Diane (played by Tina Blatsos ’07). Diane was supposed to meet a friend, but her time in the bar is spent reading magazines and hating the male population. Poor Fran is just trying to celebrate her birthday, even if her “best” friend Ellen (Kara Chesal ’09) forgot it and is now trying to make amends by dragging her to this dingy bar. Some of the more relevant conversations to the pick up line are between Benny and his friend Alan, portrayed by Mark Celeste ’09. The jokes between those two were very witty, and the storyline seemed to cater to the unbalanced ratio here at RPI. The play as a whole really captured the awkward contact when trying to pick up a date; however, certain parts seemed dreadfully slow and could have been condensed.
After a quick set change, the second—and shortest—play of the evening began. The Mystery at Twicknam Village, directed by Samantha Malanche ’09, is a mockery of murder mysteries such as Masterpiece Theater. This was the funniest of the three, and its shortness went hand-in-hand with the classy one-liners and the speed in which the jokes needed to be delivered. Even the names of characters were outrageous—Jeremy Thumpington-Fffienes, the victim of a “shitting” (shooting, for those without accents) accident, was played by Peter Lanciani ’10. His wife, Mona (Swift Picard ’10), and their guests Reverend Roger Penworthy-Pilks (Mike Pratt ’09) and his wife Sarah (played by Karen Mack ’09), are all suspects when Inspector Dexter, played by Chris Guyon ’10, breaks onto the scene moments after the gunshots.
This short play just becomes more hysterical as the fingers are pointed and the accents get thicker. The inspector is a Clousseau-like man, with a French accent and silly antics, and he seems very taken aback by tales of Jeremy’s raging affairs with the Penworthy-Pilks couple, and even with the household furniture. It becomes more apparent that at least one of the three still alive was responsible for Jeremy’s death, and no one is too upset that he is dead. The audience’s laughter only increased, especially when Jeremy is mysteriously still alive and adds to the unusual conversations about sexual habits. Congratulations are definitely in order to everyone who worked on this comedic gem.
The final play of the evening got underway after intermission, and no one was prepared for that confusion. The Nature and Purpose of the Universe, directed by another Alpha Psi Omega member, Bob Fishel ’07, had the beginnings of a great piece, but left much to be desired. Now, it’s unfair to be that negative, as the actors did a great job and the set design was phenomenal. However, it was hard to walk away from that performance with an understanding of what exactly happened. At least on the surface, it was a story about a wife’s hardships dealing with a severely messed up family and her search for someone to rescue her. Eleanor (Lauren Klayman ’10) has to deal with her abusive, unappreciative husband Steve (Garrett McCutcheon ’09) while managing three difficult sons and an entire household. Each son has his own issues, whether it’s the drug dealer Donald (Taylor Faulstich ’09), the homosexual man-whore Gary (Matt Pevarnik ’09), or Andy (Peter Hogan-DePaul ’09) who has lost his penis in a tragic accident. Each son shares the father’s disdain for their mother, and Eleanor just ends up getting abused—both physically and verbally.
The narrator, graduate student Jon Janssen, was key in setting the tone of each “chapter,” and his assistant Elaine, played by Briavel Schultz ’10, portrays a myriad of neighborhood faces. Janssen’s role turns into someone Eleanor has faith in, someone who will save her from the pain, but someone who does not come through for her in the end. So after sitting through well over an hour of choppy scenes, from the neighbor demanding their television to a nun plotting to kidnap the Pope with Steve’s help, the only hope came at the end, when the audience could leave and no longer contemplate just what the heck was going on. Again, a job well done to the cast and crew of not only this play but of all the performances, but this story was either too over the top or just a dud.
