Review: THE OUTSIDER Charms at the MATCH from MIGHTY ACORN And WCO PRODUCTIONS

THE OUTSIDER is a farce (or rather a broad comedy) that takes place in the political realm. It is light, moves quickly, and is funny and thought-provoking all at once. This is an Equity Showcase, so it features some of Houston’s best-acting talent putting themselves into a production to let audiences and the artistic community see them in a new light. This nimble cast brings out the joy in Paul Slade Smith’s script, and it’s a nice change of pace for the Houston Theater Scene. When I spoke with director Frances Limoncelli about the show, she was adamant it was a non-partisan piece. It certainly never names any political party and mines humor from the human situation in government. But at the same time, I dare you to see THE OUTSIDER and not have ideas of which party each candidate belongs to. Both of them even remind me of several recent political personalities from the real world. It’s all funny because it is true, and at least we are laughing rather than crying here. 

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The setup is Lieutenant Governor Ned Newley (Joel Sandel), who has moved up to the lead seat in his state because of a sex scandal ousting his boss and the entire staff for the governor. Ned’s able chief of staff (Dain Geist) is the only man left standing in support of the office, and he quickly calls in his friend to help him, pollster extraordinaire Paige Caldwell (Kara Greenberg). Also in the office is a new temp who is so inept she has never lasted longer than a day at any job (Tracy Ahern). The new governor can not speak in public, so his swearing-in ceremony has gone viral because of his inability even to repeat words. In steps, political advisor and CNN talking head Arthur Vance (David LaDuca) to help buoy his media presence. But during a key interview with journalist Rachel Parsons (Callina Anderson), Louise, the temp makes a huge impression on the viewers. Suddenly, the inept gal Friday is set to be the new Lieutenant Governor, and a political folk hero is born. Bring in an outsider to save the day! She may not know the government, but gosh darn it… she’s a regular gal who loves America and is not a postal carrier. 

Part of the genius of THE OUTSIDER is it is pure farce. Characters and plots are played larger than life, and doors constantly swing open with new surprises behind them. We’re not in the sturm and drang of THE WEST WING, but rather the territory of a silly sitcom like VEEP. Physical comedy, verbal banter, and just plain stupid stuff happens, and this cast is up to the challenge of delivering all of it. The director has found some of Houston's funniest, most likable actors. THE OUTSIDER succeeds where often even the bigger houses in the Theater District fail miserably with farce. They don’t take it too seriously, except for those beats when they should. And the pace is spot-on! I would have a beer with any of the cast, and I am pretty sure some of them have been to my house for dinner already. I am that politically invested in all of them!

At the core of THE OUTSIDER are two brilliantly timed and executed comedy performances from Joel Sandel and Tracy Ahern. They have the heavy lifting here because as the Governor and the Temp who could be a political prodigy, they have to be the silliest and still get the audience on their side. Joel and Tracy sling one-liners and let the comedy come through their body language every second they are on stage. They are masters of this type of comedy, and I admired their performances to no end. The pair are Yin and Yang. Joel’s governor is trying to escape inside himself and hide his intellect at all costs, while Tracy’s temp is living confidently, loud, and boisterously, unaware of her lack of knowledge. Watching them duet on a couch during a press event is hysterical.  

The rest of the cast plays things more straight. As the Chief of Staff, Dain Geist is unhinged with nerves and ranting, but he keeps his performance grounded in reality. Dain pulls back a little on his natural skill with physical comedy to hone in on the ability to deliver a line with sincerity and still make it funny. Kara Greenberg does something similar by keeping her pollster professional and competent but can shoot a withering look that makes the audience cackle. David LaDuca is bigger than life as the CNN media mentor. His tactic is to believe his own BS throughout the show, and he gives the character a smarmy confidence that is believably charismatic. Callina Anderson plays sexy and scorned well, sort of a lighter woman than she normally gets cast in. She’s beautiful and creates wonderful romantic chemistry when she needs to use it late in Act Two. But if anybody leaves an indelible impression, it is Ronnie Blaine as nearly mute cameraman “AC.” He grunts and barely talks for most of the show but suddenly has a monologue that is a master class in how to say everything yet not overact any of it. He’s a genius at comedy and giving heart to his character onstage. At the polls, he gets my vote. 

Mark Lewis has constructed a perfectly sound set for the intimate space of Matchbox One. It does what it needs to and looks remarkably authentic as a dull political office. Donna Southern Schmidt has a good eye for making the costumes comment on the character in any given scene without being too distracting. Director Frances Limoncelli paces everything right and guides her company to the right places at any given moment. Mighty Acorn Productions and WCO Productions have produced a wonderfully fun evening for an audience. 

THE OUTSIDER is playful, comedic, and a farce that works. You are going to just have a good time with this one. It is the kind of theater that is satisfying simply because we laugh a little, think a bit, and walk away knowing we just spent an evening with a wonderful cast. It is a perfect show for the spring and one that is direly needed, given the heavy darkness of the political world we are living in. If only we could get this cast in office, we would be in a far better place. But alas, they are at the MATCH for a limited engagement only. 

THE OUTSIDER runs through April 7th at the MATCH complex in Midtown Houston. Be aware there is construction on the street directly in front of the building, so plan a little extra time to find parking. Street parking is “catch as you can,” and a garage costs about ten bucks across the street. There are several dining options within walking distance. The show runs for two hours and has a fifteen-minute intermission.

Photo provided by Tasha Gorel. L to R: Joel Sandel (as Governor Ned Newley), Tracy Ahern (as Louise “Lulu” Peakes), and Dain Geist (as Chief of Staff Dave Riley)

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