Review: LEADING LADIES at Hanover Little Theater

Hanover Little Theater is currently performing “Leading Ladies” from September 8 through September 17th under the direction of Shane Miller.  This comedy was written by York native, Ken Ludwig and premiered in 2004.  Ken Ludwig is a Tony-winning playwright for “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Crazy for You.”

In “Leading Ladies,” Ken Ludwig pays homage to his roots by setting the stage in the Amish country of York, PA.  The residents of York in the audience had fun recognizing familiar references.  The play begins with two failing Shakespearean actors giving a performance at a Moose Lodge in Shrewsbury in the 1950’s.  At the train station, they learn of a wealthy woman in York Pa who is dying and wants to find her two nephews to leave millions to them.  They decide to pretend to be the nephews, but the con becomes complicated when they learn the missing heirs are nieces.  No problem for these trained actors as they commit to seeing this farce through to the end.

Douglas D. Cooper (Leo) and Aaron Trusky (Jack) took on the difficult roles of being Shakespearean actors portraying women to con a dying woman and still have the audience cheer for them.  Their strong acting skills and comedic timing make this show hilarious.  Taylor Cornelius (Meg) was able to demonstrate her own strong skills with Shakespeare.  Linda Fink (Florence) nailed the performance of a crotchety old woman.  Dave Miller’s (Duncan) characterization of an scheming Evangelical minister made you hate him instantly.  Faith Brown (Audrey) was able to portray her sweet yet ditzy character, and do it on roller-skates.  Mike Ausherman (Doc) and Brandon O’Donnell (Butch) add to the humor and chaos of the show. This ensemble cast works well together to pull off the physical comedy and slap-stick humor.  

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