By Sarah Re
Salty Dinner Theater’s production of The Werewolf is the delightfully delicious answer if you’re yearning for Halloween fun but don’t want to freeze in a corn maze or get chased through over-crowded haunted houses ? Written by Beth Bruner and directed by Michelle Moore, The Werewolf is a fun, twisted take on Little Red Riding Hood including a love triangle between Rosa (Kassandra Torres), her childhood sweetheart Louis (Joshua Lyon), and her brother’s best friend, Fritz (Alex Montour). Her brother, Hans, (Ryon Sharette) has come home from war a changed man, although Rosa seems to be the only one who notices, while their Granny (Ryan Goulding) is a bit more interested in “herbs” and hunky men. The story is humorously led by the narrator, the Brothers Grimm, played by Jason Jones.
Each actor perfectly fits the stereotype of their character, from Torres’ portrayal of Rosa as the sassy, sexy, modern woman to Montour as the tall, dark, and handsome, if not the brightest, love interest. Sharette brings surprising depth to his character, especially considering the sarcastic tenor of the piece, with his ending monologue about the morality, or lack thereof, of war and killing. Some of my favorite scenes have to be the fight scenes, which are stylized to music with a dance quality to them. They are absolutely hilarious, and quite impressive when you take into account the small enclosed space and that every night the actors need to adjust to a different space as the show is played in various restaurants all along the Wasatch Front. I love the fight between the Werewolf (Allyn Fry) and Granny, which is unexpected and very funny. Jones engages the audience with witty banter and punchlines directed at his characters, moving the story along at a solid pace with well-timed breaks for dining and utter silliness. Salty Dinner Theater is known for dance parties during intermission and other fun, audience interactive competitions. The “Leopard Man” spices up the intermission breaks with entertaining covers of popular songs up close and personal with the audience. The intermission breaks not only give time to dine, but boost up the audience’s energy levels.
Salty Dinner Theater lists the show as Family Friendly, and there were definitely children in attendance that enjoyed the piece. However, there are some topics that surprised me with their more adult nature, especially from good ol’ Granny. That being said, these lines will likely go over any children’s head and there is not any inappropriate physical comedy.
If you are looking for a fun date idea to get you in the mood for Halloween, then Salty Dinner Theater is your answer for fantastic, sarcastic fun. Playing in several different venues across Utah, from Orem to Layton, there are plenty of opportunities to see this delightful, and delicious production.
Salty Dinner Theater presents The Werewolf, by Beth Bruner.
Please go to website for more information about venues, cities, and dates.
Tickets $10- $16
October 7th- 30th, 2019
Salty Dinner Theater Facebook Page
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