Mobtown's "Servant" Serves Up Laughs O'Plenty

             Mobtown Players certainly strive to give local theatre-goers an eclectic mix of shows!  Their last effort, the dark, contemporary dramedy The Goat couldn't be more different than their newest show, Servant of Two Masters which opened last weekend at their Meadow Mill theatre space.

 

            The play, originally written by Carlo Goldoni, and translated by local playwrights Robert Alleman (a talented actor, too – usually seen at CSC) and Matt Sekerke, is a laugh riot romp with a generously convoluted plot, ten characters, mistaken identities, ladies disguised as men, unrequited love, and a title character who seems to live for livening things up!  The plot, which basically deals with one servant trying to work for two masters while keeping it from both, is pretty complicated.  To explain (or attempt to, anyway) would only serve to confuse and give away a multitude of surprises.  Wisely, throughout the play, the writers have built in places for the title character to get us up to speed, explaining what has happened and what will happen.  And kind of getting lost in the plots' twists and turns actually makes you a part of it in a way – you, like the cast, are confused and delighted at the same time.  All of which, of course, makes the ending even more satisfying.  You owe it to yourself and this fine company to get to Hampden and see this one!

            In his director's notes, Noel Schively talks about combining the old style of commedia del'arte and the modern sensibility of the Golden Age of cartoons.  What an apt description!  The broad comic style of speech and the stock nature of the characters mix superbly with the deft, exciting style of movement employed by the most energetic group of actors I've seen in years.  It is like watching Looney Tunes live – I would not have been surprised had Bugs Bunny himself came out of a painted hole in the floor!  About the only thing missing in Schively's ingeniously creative staging is a giant anvil plummeting to the stage.  One can only imagine the fun of rehearsing this piece – the entire company is clearly having a grand time performing it.  They must also be absolutely exhausted after each performance.  The first act, running an hour and a half (yes, it could be trimmed, but who cares?  It is that much fun.) starts like a bull out of the gate and never once flags in energy.  The considerably shorter second act leaves everyone in the theatre breathless as well.

            The set, one of the biggest I've yet seen at Mobtown, designed by Lisa Maydwell, is colorfully painted and looks just like a background from a cartoon from the days before everything was computerized.  Sturdy enough to withstand the farcical door slams and chase scenes the play requires, it even features a bridge over blue painted waters.  The lighting, bright and unobtrusive, by Alex Smith and the sound designed by Heiko Spieker add fully to the overall concept of the evening.  Similarly, the colorful, easily identifiable costumes designed by Melissa Hickle, Jennifer Mikulski and Erin Riley add to both the cartoonishness of the scene and the broad strokes of the characters.

            What really makes this play so terrific, though, is its engaging, hyper and enormously talented cast.  To a person they are cast perfectly and play their roles with a glee that reminds me of a bunch of kids playing a game they love with reckless abandon.  The townsfolk played by Tess Pohlhaus, Andrew Thomas Seydell and Eric Ebersoll maximize their relatively brief on stage time through sharp, distinct characterizations and unflagging energy.  In parts that could have easily made them little more than background, all three have their moments to shine and generate laughs.  As the parents of two soon-to-be-betrothed young people, Debbie Bennett and Mandy Dalton are a scream, as together as yin and yang.  That they both are playing men makes their hysterical physicality all the more potent.  They highlight all that is unflattering about manliness, yelling and cavorting around the stage like two old fools.  Delightful!  Holly Gibbs as Smeraldina, the feisty maid, and smitten lover of the title servant, is also a delight to watch.  She commands the stage as well as she plays down when she is not the focus of the scene.  She, too, has a near expertly timed delivery, and her sarcasm and bite are vicious and entertaining.

            One pair of lovers, the young Silvio and Clarice, are played with a charming woodenness, reminiscent of the old Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald films by Kevin Brotzman and Sarah Curnoles, respectively.  Their dead pan delivery, coupled with outrageous physical overplaying make both a riot to watch.  The other pair, and the titular masters, are real life husband and wife team Chris and Melissa Hickle, as the dashing Florindo, and the girl-in-disguise-as-a-man, Beatrice.  Both actors seem trapped in a ridiculous melodrama (think Dudley Do Right with the wit of Bugs Bunny).  Both give well-spoken, sharp performances that give the play a grounding that it needs to keep it from getting out of hand.  It helps that they both have amazing chemistry, not only with each other, but with the servant they both share.

            That servant, Truffaldino, is played by one of the area's best young actresses, Ashly Ruth Fishell.  Her technique is flawless – her voice and speech patters are all over the place, but in a seriously controlled way.  It is clear that every single moment of her performance, while seeming genuinely off the cuff and spontaneous, has been carefully planned and plotted.  Physically, she is a tiny sprite, but boy, does she take up the entire stage.  Heck, the entire place!  And as far as fitting the idea of the two comic styles, she nails each beautifully.  Her facial contortions and funny voices on m ore than one occasion reminded me of a live Daffy Duck, and that is definitely a compliment.  I can not imagine a better actress in this role.  She is comic brilliance personified – she never over does it, and plays the audience like a master violinist.  If nothing else draws you to this fine, hilarious play, Ashly Fishell's performance should get you there.  She won't disappoint.

            Need a break from the winter time blues?  Mobtown's Servant of Two Masters will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone and send you home smiling from ear to ear.

NOTE:  The play does involve adult situations and some adult language.

REMEMBER:  BroadwayWorld.com readers get tickets Buy One, Get One Free!  Bring this article with you to the box office to get the discount!  Thanks, Mobtown!

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