Review: LAUGHING WILD at L.I.P. Service Productions

This weekend, local alternative theatre company L.I.P. Service Productions opened their newest work, LAUGHING WILD by Christopher Durang (author of the 2013 Tony Award-winning VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE). With only two speaking actors and a minimal stage, the oddball comedy centers around an strange, but unextraordinary event: a manic woman assaults an average man in the tuna fish aisle of a grocery store. Performed as two thirty-minute monologues and one thirty-minute scene, these over-the-top characters bounce back and forth like a pinball trying to rack up a bonus play in an arcade game. Although the style of comedy in LAUGHING WILD isn't necessarily my taste, I must admit I found myself laughing a number of times, especially as the stories eventually unfolded.

When LAUGHING WILD premiered off-Broadway in 1987, Durang himself starred as "The Man," with "The Woman" performed by stage and screen actress E. Katherine Kerr. It's undeniable that the piece likely benefited by its author interpreting his own work, allowing the words to flow easily for the actors delivering the wordy composition. Over in Farmer's Branch, Austin Cline and Monalisa Amidar take on the challenging material. It hard to not celebrate each actor's ability to skillfully interpret such outlandish characters, especially as they each spend one-third of the evening reciting dozens of stories solo. Mr. Cline's greatest asset is his natural, at-ease stage presence, while Ms. Amidar is most effective in her energetic enthusiasm and expressive body language.

Taking into account the great task of memorization for each actor, there were some moments during each monologue that suffered from pacing issues, and both Cline and Admidar could better connect with their audience if they delivered their stories with a clearer audience focus. Both actors are experienced performers, but too often the actors' uncertainty of where to speak gave a Stevie Wonder-like swagger.

In her directorial debut, Araceli Radillo Bowling perfectly picks up the pacing in Act Two, particularly with her creation of two "figments," played humorously by Amy Cave and Joshua Hahlen. The pair greatly enhances the action as they create (and recreate) the bizarre anecdotes told center stage. It's when all of the actors come together on stage that the piece worked best.

LAUGHING WILD isn't likely to change anyone's life, and the humor might not be everyone's cup of tea. However, the show offers a variety of laughs and impressively revisits some themes from the eighties that seem almost more relevant today.

For tickets and more information, visit www.lipserviceproductions.info. The show runs through March 26th at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.