By Jennifer Mustoe
It’s summer and Springville Playhouse is one of the first community theaters to produce its summer offering with the rollicking Take a Number, Darling, playing at Merit Academy. I was unfamiliar with Jack Sharkey‘s zany comedy, and it’s great to review something I’ve never seen before.
This is a show with several mistaken identities, some interesting love triangles (and squares!) and lots of laughs. Duncan Latimer, played by Michael Roberts, is a renowned concert pianist whose performance the night before fell flat. (See what I did there?) He’s married to Ellen, played by Tannie Hjorth, who is a popular soap opera TV star. This couple have been married for a few years and are planning a getaway to San Juan. Their PR person, Gladys, played by Michelle McManus, has arranged the trip and basically takes care of these two, who are both rather diva-esque. Gavin Gifford as Commander Bill Rutledge, “Dunc”‘s Navy buddy, arrives out of the blue and Dunc and his pal proceed to get plastered. The funniest scenes are when these two are drunk and hands down, I’ve never seen a funnier drunk onstage than Gifford. His slurs and hiccups and movement reminded me of some of my less sober relatives from my childhood–Gifford is very believable.
McManus and Hjorth are very funny together and separately, though both seemed a little stiff at the beginning. But as the play gets rolling, these two move into a very synergistic groove that is very enjoyable. The physical comedy these two have is great and toward the end of the show, it ramps up to the delight of the audience.
Bart Madden, played by Ben Burns, is a journalist for Mystique magazine, a trashy rag. In something of an unbelievable plot twist, though so many things are happening on this day, Gladys has scheduled an interview with Madden, who’s known for being a rat of a writer. I wish the script had made this more believable, but it seems like the cast did the best with this plot line. Ilona Valdez, played by Starr Christensen, has the best surprise plot twist in the show, though plot twists abound. Christensen is darling as Valdez and has great physical comedy and is wonderfully in character every moment she’s onstage.
Director David Chapa, also the Set Designer, has his hands full as this show requires rapid fire timing, lots of movement and blocking, and strong comic characters. His set is wonderful, sturdy, interesting, and authentic. Costuming by Ramona Swapp is nice if a little uneven–I wasn’t sold on the evening gown Ellen wears. It seemed a bit much. But the costumes she has on Duncan at the beginning and the quirky outfits Gladys wears and the va-va-voom costume on Ilona are hilarious and perfect.
For the most part, Take a Number, Darling is a great show with lots of laughs. However, it does seem a little long, and there are numerous hells (as in, what the hell, etc) and a few damns. I’m not sure the show is for the very young. I think the language will jar those with tender ears, and the length will be difficult for really young kids. The plot is intricate, though easy to follow, fun, and fast-moving, so I’d bring kids maybe 10 and up.There are two types of aspermia. levitra price It also ensures that the levitra samples penis cells are well oxygenated. In a role that spans across ages, Priyanka is encumbered to display a range as chameleon as the seasons that flit across the screen; the sleepy small-town where she lives in her withering mansion to the pristine snows of Kashmir, back to the ghoulish church and graveyard where her life-changing decisions are etched, to the shores of a sunny beach in Puducherry. sildenafil india price The medicine is easy to use as it involves simple oral consumption pattern generic cialis for sale that guides one with quick penile erection.
The venue is Merit Academy and the seats are padded and the stage is raised up nicely. However, it’s on a flat gym floor, so I’d try to get there when the doors open at 7:00 PM (curtain at 7:30 PM) so you can get a seat close to the front.
For a fun, zany, silly plot with lots of laughs and plot twists and even some spy stuff and some of the best drunken characters you’ll ever see, go see Springville Playhouse’s Take a Number, Darling. It’s a fun couple of hours and way better than the dorky, spooky, or violent stuff that’s playing in movie theaters these days. It’s a fine piece of theater and well worth seeing.
Springville Playhouse presents Take a Number, Darling, by Jack Sharkey
Springville Playhouse at Merit Academy, 1440 West Center St., Springville, UT 84663
June 8-23, 2018, Mon, Fri-Sat, 7:30 PM
Tickets: Sold at the door. $10 Adults. $8 Seniors/Students
Springville Playhouse Facebook Page
Take a Number, Darling Facebook Event
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