Review: Potent ATTACK OF THE SECOND BANANAS Successfully Aims & Bullseyes Your Funny Bones

ATTACK OF THE SECOND BANANAS/by Gina Torrecilla/directed by Ryan Bergmann/Zephyr Theatre/thru March 31, 2019

Menander Productions and Jamie Pierce have gathered a talented cast and crew to populate their world premiere of playwright Gina Torrecilla's ATTACK OF THE SECOND BANANAS, now at the Zephyr Theatre. Ryan Bergmann sharply directs his six-person ensemble in a slick, quick pace of much laughs and hilarity. Becca Kessin's underscoring of mock suspense music aptly heightens this involving, who-done-it mystery.

Pre-show announcements via a static-y police radio transmitter segues smoothly into the opening lines of The Detective communicating with his superior. He, (played by a no-nonsense, yet charismatic Adam Huss) is investigating the double murder of actresses and competitive friends Ruby and Andrea (Katie Canavan and Kendra Munger, equally comparable and vivacious), whose bodies now lie in their shared dressing room. As he interrogates the persons of interest - their dresser/roommate Dylan (scene stealer, physical comedy master Tim McKernan), Ruby's Agent (a delightfully flustered Jeanne Simpson), Andrea's Manager (a take-charge Mary Ann Welshans) and The Bartender (a butched-up McKernan (and I mean this in the most complimentary sense)), the scenes oh-so cleverly revert back to various times of the evening prior to Ruby and Andrea's demise. The actors limning the victims and persons of interests expertly handle their over-the-top, high-camp deliveries; as perfectly contrasted by Huss' professional straight-man delivery, punctuated frequently with loooong pauses of unfinished sentences.

Set designer Pete Hickok succeeds again with his detailed dressing room set packed with wardrobe pieces, vanity dressing tables and pill bottles. With great assist from lighting designer Matthew Brian Denman, scene changes instantly from dressing room to theatre lobby to stage, and back. Kudos to costume designer Allison Dillard for her very appropriate character-defining outfits for all.

The identity of the actresses' murderer receives a satisfying revolve; as do the ending situations of The Detective and his three persons of interest in a nice button to Torrecilla's play.

However, the stage then turns total white - with white backdrop, the dead actresses decked out in all-white holding white microphones for a post-death finale - the finale they didn't get to perform before being offed. Completely anti-climatic, especially with the built-up of how great the finale has been going. As fun and as in-tune Canavan and Munger are, the number (as performed) would not have been a show-stopping finale, whether performed dead or alive. No dueling vocals. No explosive resolves. No finale wows.

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4032619