By Kathryn Olsen
Located near the adult fiction section of a library, the Keith Christeson Little Theater is an unusual space, but for two weeks, it has been melodramatically invadedby Pleasant Grove Players’ hilariously intimate household dramedy, Dear Ruth. It is no surprise to discover that this classic comedy by Norman Krasna was inspired by Groucho Marx, but as it premiered in 1944, the timelessness of its humor is thoroughly enjoyable.
As the play opens in World War II-era New York, housekeeper Dora (Amberly Plourde) is busy preparing for the family’s breakfast. Adolescent Miriam (Hannah Biesinger) squabbles with her mother Edith (Debra Flink) over whether her politically-motivated choice of beret suits her face shape. Her older sister Ruth (T’naiha Ellis) is preparing for a day at the bank, while father Judge (Dennis Purdie) is anticipating a long day in traffic court. As the house empties, the story is turned on its head by the arrival of Bill (Matthieu C. Kohl), a captain and gunner who has come to meet his beloved Ruth and propose marriage to her after years of correspondence between the two while he was fighting in Europe. Unfortunately, it is soon revealed that Miriam is the actual author of these five dozen letters, Ruth has never heard of the love of her life, and Ruth’s fiance Albert (Joey Calkins) has quite strong feelings over the man who hopes to marry his beloved.
While this is, at its heart, a complicated love story, the family chemistry is central to the plot. Biesinger is best described as flouncing, as she plays an adolescent with bold ambitions and little thought for consequences. Biesinger’s interpretation is marvelous, but played with a real intelligence and power.
Ellis conversely plays the older sister whose actions are motivated by good intentions and social awareness, but she effectively fluctuates between whimsy and woe without losing a strong stage presence. Like her father, the audience is left betting on which side of her portrayal will win out by the end of the play.
Flink and Purdie have to be considered as a single unit. Their interplay as the parents is obviously accurate to the setting of the play, but the script allows the roles to be played with irony and subtle humor. Flink, while thrust into humorous catastrophes, never overstates her somewhat sarcastic character. Purdie, meanwhile, plays the sardonic Judge as if Oscar Wilde had written Fred Rogers. The result of their interactions is a constant source of slightly-mortified amusement for the audience.
Calkins and Kohl likewise play off of each other very naturally. Calkins is responsible for the most undeniably absurd moment in the entire play, but plays it as a rational man pushed over the edge to great effect. Kohl, meanwhile, is the one constantly expressing hope for a better outcome than is realistically possible and while other characters have staggering moments of comedy, his is a humor that develops from scene to scene and is as fantastic as it is somewhat horrifying.
The less central cast shines in its inclusion in subplots. Chuck (Mitchell Boberg) and Martha (Rachel Linford) are estranged lovers whose best moments lie in their painfully awkward moments. Plourde’s Dora is so dedicated a housekeeper that she can even be found straightening things up during intermission and this unflagging consistency in a background role is quite impressive. It would be revealing too much to tell what part Christian Devey plays in the final moments of the play, but his performance guarantees that the audience is still laughing at the end of the curtain call.
Directors Howard Little and Kathryn Little display their long and storied history in theater, combining forces to make the staging of a great comedy in a very confined house an unforgettable experience. The hair and makeup design team of Kirsten Elkins, Christa Meisman,and Brenna Brown ensure that the look of every character is true to the period. Under the direction of Production Designer Tina Fontana, the scenic artists (Amanda Dryer, Megan Fontana, H. Little, and K. L. Little) transform the stage into a home that is both welcoming and familiar to the characters and audience alike. Stage Manager Jessica Holcombe ensures that the scene transitions and staging are seamless.
Dear Ruth is running until May 6, so there are plenty of opportunities to collect family and friends and attend one of the most droll family disasters ever written. It is suitable for children over the age of 5 and up. Come to Pleasant Grove, Utah, and be prepared to be highly entertained.
Pleasant Grove Players Presents Dear Ruth by Norman Krasna.
Keith Christeson Little Theater, 30 E Center St., Pleasant Grove, UT 84062.
April 19-May 6, 2019 7:30 PM, Thur-Sat, Monday, Sat. matinee 4:00 PM May 4, 2019.
Tickets: $11-12
Contact: 801-922-4524, pgplayers@pgplayers.com
Pleasant Grove Players Facebook Page
Dear Ruth Facebook Event
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