TECHNICOLOR LIFE at Rep Stage in Columbia is a World Premiere by Jami Brandli

TECHNICOLOR LIFE , a world premiere presentation at the Rep Stage in Columbia, reminded me of those Prego spaghetti sauce commercials which state: "It's all in there".

This show is packed with contemporary issues which do not get addressed that often. They include sexism in the military (where rape is a serious problem), how to deal with a disabled veteran who needs a new hand, assisted suicide, divorce, fifty year old husbands falling for very younger women, and how a teenager deals with all this.

Thankfully, Director Joseph W. Ritsch, has assembled a stellar cast and does a masterful job at pulling all these complex and serious issues together to make an enjoyable evening of theater. His notes in the program reveal he first met the playwright, Jami Brandli, while they were both working on plays. It was at the WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab in 2010 when he became acquainted with TECHNICOLOR LIFE during its first read. Ritsch obviously saw something with great potential.

As part of the Women's Voices Theatre Festival which involves more than 50 Baltimore/Washington area theaters producing world premieres by female playwrights, this play is a worthy contribution and I believe has a bright future.

The play surrounds a family from a female perspective. The narrator and young teenager daughter Maxine (who appears under a spotlight as she describes the action) is played by Isa Guitian, an 11th grader at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Guitian is a star in the making.

She lives at home with her lawyer mother Susan (the talented Grace Bauer) who reveals her father (in his mid-fifties) has run away with a women in her twenties.

Then there is Maxine's older sister Billie (the superb Shayna Blass) who has joined the Army in hopes of becoming a Major General but has a terrible experience in Iraq watching death and destruction, subjected to sexual harassment and raped by her Captain (played by the always powerful James Whalen), and then has her hand blown off. She is initially treated at the Maryland VA Hospital and then returns home to Florida, a very different Billie than when she left for Iraq 416 days before.

Finally, there's Maxine's grandmother Franny (the hysterical Valerie Lash), who got kicked out of Sunnyside Manor, her retirement home in Phoenix where she has been for three years, returns home and brings gifts to her two grandchildren, root beer barrel candy for Billie and a doll for Maxine. This speaks volumes about her condition.

So you can imagine what the household is like. Maxine suffers from severe depression. Maxine can't comprehend what happened to her sister in Iraq, Susan is attempting to repair her marriage and secretly trying to get a prosthetic hand for Maxine, and Franny plans to have a good-bye party since her cancer has spread and wants to end her life in a ceremony with her family.

Maxine, however, finds her sister's diary, and realizes what she has gone though. She realizes Maxine had a relationship in Iraq (wonderful flashback with her lover Peter played by the talented Thony Mena) and attempts to utilize a dating service for the disabled and succeeds at setting up her sister with a used book-store salesman Jake (also played by Mena) without Maxine knowing what was going on.

That would certainly be enough to hold one's attention. But the playwright adds a little too much to the scenario when she includes two hot shot females that literally come out of the film "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" to add to the action. Though Shea-Mikal Green and Heather Lynn Peacock look marvelous in their sexy red attire portraying Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, this part of the play just is not necessary.

Daniel Ettinger once again proves he's just a brilliant set designer. He used a turntable to change scenes and behind a see-through scrim one can view some flashbacks. There are also appropriate projections about Iraq. Bryan Schlein (sound design) adds great show tunes before the show begins and during the play. Benjamin Arenta Kress did the period costumes and Dan Covey the great lighting.

This is a play to deserves to be seen. Kudos for Rep Stage for once again adding this world premiere to this great season.

TECHNICOLOR LIGHTING continues until Nov. 8. The Nov. 5th performance at 7 p.m. is "Pay What You Can". On Monday, Nov. 2, there is a reading of SISTER THREE by the playwright at 7 p.m. followed by a discussion. On Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. the Rep Stage Film Series presents "The Invisible War" at 7 p.m. in the Monteabaro Recital Hall. It is a moving indictment of epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. On Friday, Sept. 8, there is a free post-show discussion and on Saturday, Nov. 7, there is a 12:30 p.m. pre-show lecture with playwright Jami Bandli hosted by Dr. Lisa A. Wilde, Resident Dramaturg. What a line-up!!

For tickets, call 443-518-1500 or visit www.repstage.org.

THIS AND THAT

This has been an especially busy time for theater.

But I must recommend ZOMBIE PROM, the wonderful musical at the Spotlighters' Theatre at 817 St. Paul Street in Baltimore, celebrating their 54th Season. It runs to November 8, 2015.

This cult hit musical is directed by Kristen Cooley and the great four piece band is under the direction of Michael W. Tan.

You will thoroughly enjoy this theatrical event which stars the talented Allison Comotto as Toffee (she needs to be in HAIRSPRAY) and the always enjoyable Alexander Cecchetti as Jonny Warner.

It is remarkable what kind of theater Spotlighters continues to present. Coming soon are A TUNA CHRISTMAS, LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL, EVITA, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES and TICK TICK BOOM. Visit www.Spotlighters.org or call 410-752-1225.

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com