Clean Up Artists Debuts in Midvale with New Horizons Theatre Company

By Michelle Fowler

 Join the cast of Clean Up Artists in Midvale as they transport you back to 1969 to share in a comedic experience that will have you laughing from beginning to end.  It’s not every day a company produces a brand-new play for the audience to experience.  Collaborating with playwright Tom Jessup, New Horizons Theatre Company has successfully provided the community with a local treasure.  This original comedy follows protagonist Dean Tetriani (Alex Greer) over the course of a few days as he tries to find love and leave the mob once and for all.  His best friend and partner, Vinnie (Alex Montour), is more content with his position within the organization, grappling with the decision to do his job or protect his friend from their boss’s wrath.

 This premise brings with it the right amount of absurdity, slapstick comedy, and even a spit-take or two that had the audience erupting in laughter last night.  Jessup’s writing choices are smart as he employs a variety of comedic devices to keep the audience engaged over the full hour and a half runtime.  The actors are able to take the script and elevate it through their commitment to their characters.  Jacob Maag has what seems at first to be a simple role of a dead body.  Yet his ability to remain lifeless despite the hilarity around him is likely the most difficult of all the acting roles in Clean Up Artists.  In a comedy such as this, it would be easy for any actor to break into laughter on stage.  They are all professional throughout, which allows the audience to remain engaged in the story line.

Greer brings an emotional depth to his character that is just right for the demands of his role.  We’re introduced to Dean in a state of depression, which escalates to the highs of infatuation, and finally to sheer panic.  Greer takes us through these emotions, highlighting the hilarious absurdity that each brings.  His inflections and pacing are a credit to his acting as he is able to ensure that we heard every word.  All of this on top of the projection required for a play without microphones is impressive.

Montour is another standout actor able to ensure his lines are easily understood.  With Montour this adds another layer of fun as he brings a traditional Italian mob accent to his role, which is thoroughly enjoyable.  The character of Vinnie stays very much the same throughout most of the story, but Montour doesn’t let that bore the audience.  He delivers the character’s fatal flaw of instinctively telling the truth, even when not appropriate, in a way that brings laughter every time as he and Dean try to backpedal in a way to keep their murderous jobs secret from those around them.

In order to do so, they need bystanders to fool, which Jessup’s story provides.  At the beginning of the play Flossy (Savannah Harman) is the first character on whom the cover-up comedy device is employed.  Harman plays a fairly intelligent woman, but ultimately her character decides to believe the lies being fed to her.  She unwittingly gets herself invited back for the chaos of the next day.  Harman brings a consistency to her character in each of her appearances and is able to highlight her emotional acting nearing the climax of the story.

 Later in the play, Sylvia (McKenzie Maag) becomes the second main character who must be fooled into thinking that Dean and Vinnie are regular blue-collar workers.  Oh, and that there are definitely no dead bodies in Dean’s apartment.  There are some great moments that Jessup created between Sylvia and Dean where misunderstandings occur due to the double meanings behind Dean’s words to Sylvia.  Sylvia, the daughter of a Senator (David Swift), is a highly intelligent woman.  M Maag is able to highlight that intelligence despite the fact that the wool is being pulled over Sylvia’s eyes.  M Maag has one of the more thoughtful roles in the play and does well allowing the seriousness of her emotions and story marry into the comedic situation.

 Sylvia finds herself struggling to find her voice as a woman in 1969, trying to get her father to take her seriously.  Swift does a great job playing a self-interested and arrogant man who can’t understand why Sylvia wants to be viewed as a professional and perhaps even a future Senator.  Swift’s acting choices are at times over-dramatic, which plays well into the persona of a politician, always acting a bit cheesier for constituents.

Jensen (Tanner Tate), the Senator’s secretary, has the ability to bring comedy to what could otherwise be a morose situation.  Tate has a skill with his physical comedy that brings uproarious laughter from the audience multiple times throughout the show.  His dedication to the characterization of Jensen and the over-the-top physicality of the character brightens the stage.  Tate, along with J Maag and Harman provide the audience with amazing slapstick comedy bits that add to the fun.

The plot wouldn’t be complete, however, without mob boss Big Louie (Spencer Riley) providing the roadblocks to Dean’s goals.  Riley is originally joined on stage by Candace Gleave who plays the only (living) non-speaking role of Bridget, Big Louie’s call girl in training.  Riley and Gleave work together in harmony to add comedy to a business meeting with Vinnie.  Riley portrays a dominance that would have you believe he is untouchable.  Yet when his back is turned, Gleave defies the boss in simple acts.  Gleave also gives Bridget a highly characterized laugh that is contagious in the audience.

McKinley Gunther brings her own layer of comedy to the play as the Hostess of a fancy French restaurant.  Gunther gives the Hostess a moody demeanor and a funny accent as she serves the diners.

There isn’t a single scene where the lines, the blocking, or the characterizations doesn’t increase the laughter ringing through the theater.  Credit for these choices is shared with Director Stephanie Chatterton.  Chatterton collaborates with Jessup as her assistant director.  She shared after the performance last night that being able to work directly with the playwright allowed her to capture the vision for the show.  Jessup wrote Clean Up Artists nearly 18 years ago and he is grateful that he was able to workshop the play with Chatterton and the actors to bring it to its full potential.  Both Chatterton and Jessup are passionate about the play and invite other local theaters to consider producing future runs.

Hats off to the rest of the production staff as well who create realistic and working visuals.  Dwight Western is credited with the set design.  His set pieces are appropriate for the setting, though a few of them may be a little large, which added to some timing issues between scene changes.  Karen Chatterton and Montour collaborated with the Sandy Arts Guild to provide costuming for the production A few stand out costumes belonged to the women in the cast. M Maag’s second act dress is very pretty. It was also nice to see Harman’s second act dress, which gave her a very classy appearance. Mara Elggren, Aedan Hawkins, Bex Millington, and Logan Thompson helped the scenes transition as members of the crew.  Matt Gubler is credited with Principal Photography for his promotional photos.

Clean Up Artists is a show that can be enjoyed by the entire family.  New Horizons Theatre Company’s production in Midvale is a great way to kick off your 2019 year.  If you’re looking for something fresh and new, laughter is on the menu with Clean Up Artists.  Don’t miss this chance to be among the first to view this brand-new play.

New Horizons Theatre Company presents Clean Up Artists by Tom Jessup
Midvale Performing Arts Center, 695 W Center Street, Midvale, UT 84047
January 5, 7, 11 7:00 PM, January 12 2:00 PM
Tickets: $8.00
Contact: 801-232-3676, nhtheatreco@gmail.com
New Horizons Theatre Company Facebook Page
Clean Up Artists Facebook Event