Cute. I don’t think that’s a word I’ve used in a review before—but The Bent’s production of It’s Only a Play can best be described as … cute!
It’s fun; it’s outrageous; it’s adorable, and best of all, it has been written by the amazing Terrence McNally, who never disappoints.
The play takes place at a reception thrown at the home of a producer of a play that has just opened in New York City. Actually, we hear the reception rage on the floor below; we are in a private bedroom upstairs, where coats are being delivered by Gus, a hapless wannabe actor who has just arrived in town. This room is where the cast assembles to await the reviews of their work at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, The Golden Egg. Optimists call this gathering “the party of the year for the play of the season,” but it is a rather fractured group … although everyone is dressed up and looks fabulous.
Gus is played by Justin Ledesma, and his first encounter is with James Wicker (Terry Ray, who’s well-known to fans of The Bent, as he’s the company’s managing director), an actor. He is not in The Golden Egg because of a recurring TV role, but it is for him that the lead role was written. The two swap lines and showbiz gossip—and manage to drop a lot of stars’ names.
Enter Virginia Noyes (Danielle Kennedy). As the female lead of their production, she now wears a gown and jewelry for the party. The more we find out about her, the funnier her part becomes. Also clad in lovely evening attire is the producer of the new show, Julia Budder (Barbara Kerr), an uber-wealthy dilettante for whom this production is just one of her many investments. Both ladies are slim and street smart.
Jeffrey Norman plays Ira Drew, a grizzled critic who has just seen the show. This critic packs heat. Peter Austin is the playwright; Steve Rosenbaum plays the part with memorable aplomb—not to mention an ever-present and fancy cane.
Last, we meet the director of the play, Sir Frank Finger (Jason Reale), a self-involved British import who wears an astonishing evening outfit—with gloves, as he is “always cold.”
As you can see from these descriptions of the characters, we are in for some fun. The two-act play (the intermission made me realize how long it’s been since I have attended a play that actually had an intermission!) was directed by Larry LaFond, making his directing debut for The Bent.
The show features a lot of discussion about live theater versus productions for the screen. “Theater has become the Statue of Liberty for actors,” dryly comments one of the cast members. Peter, the playwright, philosophizes at length about the act of writing a play.
McNally’s script contains a lot of laughs, and at the production I saw, the packed-house audience responded heartily. That said, there were a couple of laugh lines that evoked no response, as well as a few that merely amused some of theater-goers.
McNally is great at not revealing everything all at once about his characters. For example, while everyone is awed by the director, Sir Frank (despite his rather confused accent), he is actually … well, we won’t give away his particular issue, but McNally knows exactly how much time to give us to recover from one of Sir Frank’s escapades before another is revealed. Also, the actress, Virginia Noyes … well, again, I can’t tell you about her secret, or it will ruin the surprise, but McNally’s knowledge of exactly how to expose it is perfect—and funny. McNally also masterfully reveals the peculiar love-hate relationships among the cast and crew of The Golden Egg. “I like you personally,” one person thoughtfully tells another. “It’s just your work I can’t stand.”
There are some great moments, such as everyone suddenly posing to take a group selfie, in which we see how truly ridiculous group becomes in front of a camera. In fact, virtually every moment of this play is enjoyable, and both the cast and the director are to be complimented—even if the show isn’t perfect. For example, there were occasional line stumbles (which will likely have disappeared by the time you see this fast-paced show), and there were a couple of moments when the person delivering a line was completely blocked by downstage actors. Some final syllables were close to being dropped—and these characters are Broadway stage actors, who are ever-mindful of their pronunciation, even when offstage.
We must acknowledge the work of Scott Sterling Hill, the stage manager; Nick Wass, the technical director as well as the lighting and sound designer; and Cherlyn Lanning, the costume designer. Their work in the Palm Springs Cultural Center, with some of its limitations, is admirable. (That said, this theater does sport the most comfortable seats—with drink holders!—in town.)
Since the holiday season is here, I take pleasure in recommending It’s Only a Play. It’s great fun, and it never slows down, regardless of how many or how few people are onstage.
Like I said … it’s cute!
The Bent’s production of It’s Only a Play will be performed at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, through Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $40. For tickets or more information, visit thebent.org.