A memorable theatrical experience can start the moment you take your seat—and such is the case with CVRep’s production of Tracy Letts’ dark comedy The Minutes.
There are the moody, ominous sounds of an intense thunderstorm in the background (which ceraunophiles like me find oddly soothing). Then there is Jimmy Cuomo’s terrific, equally moody set—a dark, austere boardroom with 11 chairs in the center, and jury-like boxes on both sides of the stage, in which a handful of audience members are ultimately seated.
The Tony Award-nominated play, which was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist, made its world premiere at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2017. Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Big Cherry, it opens with a seemingly routine City Council meeting.
The newest council member, Mr. Peel (Torsten Johnson), has just returned from his mother’s out-of-state funeral. He is curious about the lack of minutes from the previous week’s meeting—and wondering why fellow council member Mr. Carp (Calvin Adams) has apparently vanished. Mayor Superba (Kevin Symons) and the rest of the council make a point of evading his questions.
The meeting proceeds, complete with silly bickering, personality conflicts, and arguments—over bicycles, plans for a disability-friendly fountain in the center of town, and this year’s Founders’ Day celebration.
After considerable tense discussion, the missing minutes are finally produced and read by the clerk, Ms. Johnson (Angela Landis). The truth about the city’s ugly history and the likely reason for Mr. Carp’s disappearance are revealed. Here, the tone of The Minutes shifts from snide office sitcom to dark morality play.
It would be unfair to reveal more of the plot. To discover the fate of Mr. Carp, the details of Big Cherry’s sinister history, and what Mr. Peel does with this unpleasant information, you must go see this production.
CVRep artistic director Adam Karsten, who directs the show, does a superb job. He put together a top-notch group of actors and molded them into a true ensemble. Karsten’s skill allows the true horror of the play to reveal itself slowly, subtly … right up to its shocking ending. It’s a directing tour de force.
The cast is excellent across the board. Torsten Johnson brings just the right mix of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington naivete and tenacious investigator to the character of Mr. Peel. We root for him right from the start, and we share his determination to get to the bottom of things, as well as his outrage once he does.
Kevin Symons is perfectly cast as the pompous, secretive, self-righteous Mayor Superba. His friendly “good old boy” demeanor slowly melts away, and his true colors emerge in the end.
As the composed, meticulous recording clerk Ms. Johnson, Angela Landis is great. She takes her job—and protocol—seriously, but Landis lets the audience see that sometimes she doesn’t feel good about it all.
Thomas Flynn is wonderful and gets a lot of laughs as the belligerent Mr. Assalone (“it’s ass-alone-ee!”). As Mr. Oldfield, the other grumpy old man on the council, Howard Shangraw is also very funny. He’s quick to let everyone know that after 30-plus years on the council, he knows what’s what, and exactly how things should be done.
Charles Everett commands the stage as Mr. Blake. His passion when describing his proposed “Abraham Lincoln Smackdown” is palpable. Randy Brenner is marvelous as the aggressive, privileged Mr. Breeding. Usually echoing the mayor’s stances, he’s ego-driven and often seems more interested in discussing golf than issues facing the council.
Margery Lowe is fabulous as the ditzy, heavily medicated Ms. Matz. Surrounded by snacks and pills she’s laid out around her chair, Matz often does not know what’s happening. Lowe is a skilled comic actress and a joy to watch. As Ms. Innes, Linda Slade is also wonderful. One of the longest-serving council members, Innes is wealthy and traditional, and likes to come across as a humanitarian—“I love low-income children!” Slade nails Innes’ endless “announcement” early in the council meeting, eliciting every possible laugh from the audience.
Craig Wroe’s portrayal of Mr. Hanratty is first-rate. It’s hard not to be moved by his heartfelt presentation of a proposed new handicap-accessible fountain (inspired by his sister’s own disability) at City Hall. Wroe’s performance wins the audience’s empathy when other council members react with indifference—and the darker history of the city is revealed. Calvin Adams is memorable in his brief appearance as the mysterious Mr. Carp, who spills the beans about Big Cherry’s sinister past.
All of the production values—lighting, sound and costumes—are well-done and add to the overall experience.
CVRep’s production of The Minutes evokes laughter, sadness, horror and shock—but most of all, it will make you think. In the end, that’s what great theater is all about.
The Minutes will be performed at 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, Nov. 15, at the CVRep Playhouse, at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. Tickets are $53 to $92. For tickets or more information, call 760-296-2966, or visit www.cvrep.org.
