BWW Reviews: REX'S EXES and the Sequel Syndrome

Ask anyone you meet and they're bound to tell you that, with the possible exception of The Godfather Part II, sequels aren't as good as the original. That seems to be the case with Rex's Exes, now playing at Sam Bass Theatre. For three years in a row now, Sam Bass has opened their season a slapstick, Texas-themed comedy of errors by the writing team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. This year's offering is a sequel to last year's Red Velvet Cake War, and while the performers at Sam Bass give it their all, it seems that Jones, Hope, and Wooten are on auto-pilot, recycling jokes and plot points that we've now seen for three years running.

Like Red Velvet Cake War, Rex's Exes centers on cousins Gaynelle, Jimmie Wyvette, and Peaches. Gaynelle (Linda Myers) is desperately clinging to age 49, Jimmie Wyvette (Rhonda Roe) is determined to get her new plus size wedding gown business, Wide Bride, off the ground, and Peaches (Raynelle Shelley) just wants to be a supportive cousin and friend. Jimmie Wy and Peaches decide to throw Gaynelle a surprise birthday party which spirals out of control after the death of their sex-crazed Uncle Aubrey (Frank Benge) and the arrival of Peaches' allegedly deceased husband Theodore (John Iacoletti). On top of all that, Aunt LaMerle and Bitsy Hargis (BJ Machalicek and Veronica Prior) want to make the girls' lives a living hell, and the First Lady of Texas-or maybe Second Lady of Texas--is in town to evaluate Wide Bride on behalf of a statewide contest. Like all Jones, Hope and Wooten comedies, chaos ensues, but while their other shows are gut-busting, this one elicits mere chuckles.

Still, that's no fault of Sam Bass or their cast. Director Lynn Beaver, who directed last year's Cake War, once again manages to deliver a quick-paced show full of zany characters. BJ Machalicek and Veronica Prior are just as delectably evil as they were last year, and Frank Benge is still hilarious as Uncle Aubrey. Myers, Roe, and Shelley haven't lost the chemistry they brought to Cake War. Their three characters share an apparent sisterly bond. Still, none of them have quite the material to work with that they had last year. The text now sees Gaynelle as mentally stable, which frankly isn't as fun. Similarly, Peaches isn't as man-crazy as before and Jimmie Wy isn't a tomboyish misfit. They're all (gasp) normal, which is quite out of place in a Jones, Hope, and Wooten comedy and allows them to be overshadowed by the supporting characters.

The only downside to the entire evening is the script. I don't think anyone would consider a Jones, Hope, and Wooten comedy as "high art," but all of their shows that I have seen up until now are undeniably entertaining, silly, and fun. This one, sadly, is not up to par. The jokes and situations are of the stale, paint-by-numbers variety, and some major plot points, particularly about Rex's titular exes, arrive out of nowhere and then go nowhere. Everything's easily predicted, and as Sam Bass has produced its share of Jones, Hope, and Wooten shows in past years, the problem is magnified further. We've seen variations of this show and other stories with these characters on this very stage. Despite the efforts of this cast and director, there's no way to spruce up the mediocre text.

REX'S EXES plays Sam Bass Theatre at 600 Lee Street, Round Rock, TX thru October 18th. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $15-18. For tickets and information, please visit www.sambasstheatre.org