BWW Reviews: ReAct's PICNIC - Too Much Style, Not Enough Passion

It's a very easy trap to fall into when dealing with a small town period piece, taking that wholesome and naïve mentality and over infusing it into the show. Such is the issue with ReAct's current production of William Inge's 50's era tale of forbidden love, "Picnic". And with that over-stylization the situation becomes more comical and less passionate.

This tale of heat and lust is pretty simple and tame by today's standards. Nice girl Madge (Alexa Oo) is getting ready for her evening at the Picnic with her boyfriend Alan (Trevor Cushman) whom her Mother (Kathy Hsieh) finds to be a very suitable catch. But when the handsome drifter Hal (William Poole) comes into town to try and wrangle a job from his old buddy Alan, the ladies in town are instantly drawn to the charismatic Hal (largely due to his lack of shirt) including Madge and her younger sister Millie (Sara L. Porkalob). Sounds pretty much like anything you might see in a TV drama these days.

Director David Hsieh would have done well to have his cast play less of the period and more of the people as the characters came across as stilted and forced at times. And it was that over-reaching of style that sapped the tension and heat out of the situation.

The cast have their moments but ultimately fall into the trap of over doing it. Oo and Poole are both engaging and likable but lack chemistry together making the love story less believable. I just needed more to go on for Madge's abandonment of her life than Hal's muscular chest. Porkalob turns in the most engaging character of the piece but tends to play Millie very young. So young in fact that I wondered why she was being allowed to date. The most honest relationship came from a supporting story with Nikki Visel and Mark Waldstein as the older and somewhat desperate school teacher and her suitor. They, as well as Cushman, managed to portray the characters within the period without letting the period take over making their performances all the richer for it.

The production itself is a fine attempt and the set by Burton Yuen is stunning. But for a tale of a good girl being swayed by a hunky stranger I would have preferred more heat. More HBO and less ABC Family.

"Picnic" from ReAct plays at Richard Hugo House through August 3rd. For tickets or information contact the ReAct box office at 206-364-3283 or visit them online at www.reacttheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Rick Wong

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