It Ain’t Yo’ Mama’s Shakespeare: CTC Straight Killin’ it with 'Bomb-itty'

By Guest Blogger, Amanda Curry

Amanda is the Director of Communications for the Delaware College of Art & Design in Wilmington.

“Pack it up, Pack it in/ Let me begin…”

Yo’ Mama jokes. Adidas track pants and sneaks. Rappin’ and beatboxin’… Shakespeare?! Walking in to CTC’s production of The Bomb-itty of Errors, you’re in for an atmosphere more reminiscent of a strip club/disco than a theater, complete with a DJ droppin’ beats throughout and four poles on stage (and yes, they are used for that purpose...hilariously misused, but you’ll see). This four-actor + DJ production is a fast-paced, high-energy, “add-raptation” of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors.  The show is campy, raunchy, fun and hilarious, but, you want to go in with some understanding of Comedy of Errors, otherwise you’ll get totally lost and miss a lot of the funny. And there is a lot of funny.

That said, check out a run(DMC)-down of the plot here. The gist is two sets of identical twins — one pair both named Antipholus and one pair both named Dromio — born to a legendary MC of his time and his wife.  They are forced to give the kids up for adoption and the twins are split — one Dromio and Antipholus grow up in Syracuse and the respective pair in Ephesus — each unaware of their counterpart until the end of the show. The plot gets more complicated as the show goes on, but that’s part of the fun.  As the confusion escalates, so too does the hilarity, as a variety of zany characters are introduced, all played by the same four actors.

The show is an interesting mix of Shakespearean rhyme and modern hip-hop references, set in present day NYC.  Admittedly, I was skeptical at first.  However, I was pretty much won over and thoroughly impressed with all four of the performers’ skills on the mic, as the entire show is rapped/sung.  Shakespeare alone is tough enough to spit out, but rapping Shakespeare?  Impossible.  And these guys really do tackle it like pros.  All four performers play multiple characters, signified by a simple wig/costume piece change. The stage itself — designed by Richard A. Kendrick — is pretty simplistic: the DJ in the middle and two screens on either side.  But the atmosphere is complemented well with occasional strobe lights and red gel cutouts that light up to signify three important locations: home, bar and church (lighting design by Vicki Neal).  Actors move in and out of the playing space to change behind screens, pretty much in view of the audience, so there’s quite a bit of meta-theatre happening. The staging and choreography is fun and funky complete with a whole lot of booty shakin'.  I especially loved the homage to N*Sync with a little “Bye, Bye, Bye” dance.  Mad props to Kerry Kristine McElrone and Lauren Peters for their dope costume design (i.e., choosing the track pants and sneaks that the twins wear).

The first pair of twins we meet are Dromio of Syracuse (played by Chris Banker) and Antipholus of Syracuse (played by Dyan Geringer).  Patrick O’Hara and Brendan Sheehan play the respective pair of Antipholi and Dromio(i?) of Ephesus. It was hard to choose a favorite performer/scene, as all four do a pretty commendable job of keeping you laughing for nearly two hours.  DJ Swizzul (Trent Marsh) on the turntables during the entire show provides the perfect accompaniment for these four.  Dylan Geringer (a CTC "regular") shines as the one female cast member, especially as the character of Hendelberg, a Jewish rapper/jeweler with a knack for hilariously awful “yo’ mama” joke telling.  She’s such a versatile performer and her comic timing is spot-on, as was consistent with all four actors. Patrick O’Hara plays a cross-dressing Luciana, and his interchanges with the super-funny Brendan Sheehan as a sassy Adriana, wearing a yellow sports bra and donning a red wig, are phenomenally witty, silly and fun.  More characters are introduced, including an Irish cop, a Rastafarian herbal doctor, a nerdy bike messenger, and a stripper named Desi, just to name a few.  Under Michael Gray’s direction, assisted by Tommy Fisher-Klein, the speed and seamlessmness with which the performers switch characters is nothing short of impressive.

Bomb-itty is totally irreverent and although maybe not appealing to your grandmum — unless she's a sassy, rappin’ grandma, a la The Wedding Singer — it would be entertaining to the teens in your life.  Or, looking for a fun date night? Then, get-thee-to-Bomb-itty-and-you-will-see-some-hilar-ity.  Just be sure to read that synopsis first…ya heard?!  Check it: Bomb-itty runs now through May 17 at the Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios.

See www.city-theater.org. 

The Wit (and Will) of an Astounding Performance

“How are you feeling today?” This question is asked repeatedly during the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players’ production of Margaret Edson’s tour-de-force play, Wit. If Kathleen Pirkl Tague — who portrays the plays central character Vivian Bearing, Ph.D. — would answer, I hope she would say, "I accomplished greatness."  Because, under the superb direction of Sanford Robbins, Ms. Tague gives one of the best, if not the best, performances I have seen this theater season.

Vivian, a well-respected, 50-year-old university professor of 17^th Century poetry, is diagnosed with stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer at the beginning of the 100-minute play. Once she receives the diagnosis, her intellect takes over and she begins analyzing each term spoken by her doctor (Harvey Kelekian, M.D. played by Lee E. Ernst) and researching the disease. Vivian is a strong-willed, independent person, and through flashbacks we see her match wits with everyone — from her father when she was a child to her college professor when she was a young lady to the present with her oncologist and his clinical fellow (Jason Posner, M.D., played by Michael Gotch). Posner also happens to be one of her former students. 

Vivian’s parents are deceased and she never married or had children. Her marriage is to her career, which leaves her without any human support while enduring an experimental chemotherapy treatment. However, she does develop a friendship with an unlikely person — her nurse (Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N., played by Jasmine Bracey) — who doesn’t know anything about poetry, but does know about being kind and respecting her patient’s wishes.

Wit doesn't promise its audience a happy ending; it doesn't sugarcoat the struggles of battling cancer. It’s a rough play, but the playwright managed to weave a great deal of humor into her text. The humor helps to alleviate the tension and sadness you feel as you follow the lead character on her dour journey.  

Ms. Tague’s performance is astonishing. She creates this complex character, evolving from an in-control professor passionate about research to a person dependent on others and becoming the subject of her doctor’s research. She tires of being asked, “How do you feel today,” by her medical team. (She's dealing with cancer, how do they expect her to feel?) Her usual is“Fine.” However, she knows she’s not fine and there is only one outcome for her.

Mr. Gotch gives a stellar performance as Posner, who is uncomfortable having to examine his former professor, but is willing to go against her do not resuscitate wishes  to continue researching the experimental treatment Vivian is receiving. Bracey’s character Susie stops Posner from resuscitating Vivian during one of the most traumatic scenes during the play. Ms Bracey is astounding as Susie. She and Mr. Gotch’s performances during the final scene are as intense as riding in a car when the brakes give out.

Don’t miss this production. It’s rare when you see such a satisfying, thought-provoking play that keeps your interest from beginning to end!

Wit plays at the Roselle Center for the Arts until May 10^th. Visit www.rep.udel.edu or call 302.831.2204 for tickets. 

Ain't Misbehavin'...DTC Is!

By Guest Blogger, Christine Facciolo
Christine holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music and continues to apply her voice to all genres of music. An arts lover since childhood, she currently works as a freelance writer. 

The joint’s indeed jumpin’ at the Delaware Theatre Company with the raucous and infectiously joyful Ain’t Misbehavin’. This 31-song revue of Fats Waller tunes captures the ebullient spirit of the Harlem Renaissance thanks to the direction of creator Richard Malby Jr. and a five-member cast that truly understands the many moods of the prolific composer, from the irreverent Fat and Greasy to the mournful Black and Blue.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a joyous celebration of Black America’s contribution to our culture. You’ll hear swing, the rhythms of ragtime, the passions of blues, jazz, be-bop, waltz and jitterbug all served up with a dash of double-entendre that hints at the nasty. Y ou’ll see movement from tap to the Charleston and back again, with everything in-between.  And all that accomplished with sass, brass and bountiful belting.

This revue contains the best of Waller’s songbook plus many tunes he performed and turned into hits. The cast — Doug Eskew, Eugene Fleming, Kecia Lewis, Cynthia Thomas and Debra Walton — seem to have as much fun as the audience singing and dancing to the numbers.

The cast coalesces beautifully into an ensemble in selections including The Joint is Jumpin’ and the irresistible title tune.  But everyone gets their turn in the spotlight as well.  Walton brings a lustrous elegance to Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now, while Lewis delivers an emotional and heartfelt Mean to Me. Thomas bring a ladylike come-hither to Squeeze Me, while Fleming slinks and slithers through the (literally) smokin’ The Viper. As for Eskew, he bears an uncanny resemblance to Waller with an outsized persona and vocals to match.  His take on Your Feet’s Too Big is uproarious.

The finale includes a medley of tunes Waller performed, including many he didn’t write. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love and It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie are all recognizable standards nicely sung.  And when the cast unleashes an ebullient reprise of Honeysuckle Rose, it becomes impossible to keep your toes from tapping.

The cast gets support from an ace five-piece jazz band. The conductor and pianist is William Foster McDaniel, whose flying fingers ably accommodate Waller’s stride technique.   The show plays out on Kacie Hultgren’s set, which evokes a cabaret/nightclub of yesteryear but does not crowd out Waller’s music.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is Broadway’s first jukebox musical, making it one of 13 musicals that had a profound impact on the art form, according to a recent article in Playbill magazine. This production closes DTC’s 35th season as it commemorates the musical’s 35th anniversary.

This is an amazingly fun, toe-tapping experience. Fats Waller’s music deserves to be performed by talented and respectful performers. This cast will entertain you far beyond your expectations — Don’t miss this production!

See www.delawaretheatre.org.