10-Minute Comedies
Produced by Rover Dramawerks
Artistic Director: Carol M. Rice
Stage Manager: Joy Noel Stachmus
Lighting and Sound: Kenneth Hall
Audience rating: PG-13 for mature humor
Running Time: 2 hours (15-minute intermission)
Accessible Seating: Yes
Hearing Devices: Not available
Sensory Friendly Showing: Not available
ASL Showing: Not available
Sound Level: Comfortable
Noises or Visuals to Prepare for: none of note
Reviewed by Stacey Simpson Calvert
I spent a pleasant Friday evening at the Cox Playhouse in Plano enjoying a night of “10-Minute Comedies” produced by Rover Dramawerks. The audience is treated to a lineup of nine short plays chosen in Rover‘s annual contest to find unpublished, short comedy works by playwrights from all over. Audience members are given the opportunity to vote on their favorite comedy at the end of the night, and the playwright of the winner will receive a prize.
The evening began with Such Dreams as Stuff is Made On by Dan McGeehan, directed by Nathan Beeman. This story involved two wanna-be social climbers who get played by a pair of burglars who offer the ultimate insult by rejecting the couple’s prized belongings after a break-in. The clever crooks manage to manipulate the couple’s fear of being looked down upon by their neighbors to their advantage in an unexpected and hilarious manner. Laura Sosnowski and Trevor Powell play the ridiculous couple, and Evelynn Wright and Douglas Kent the manipulative thieves.
In Bunions and Regret by FJ Hartland, Glynda Welch directs Veronica Green as Doris and Lydia Sims as Lacey in a partly funny/partly sad story of two waitresses at Karl’s Kafé enjoying a break behind the diner during Lacey’s last shift before leaving for college. The gentle humor of this story reflects the perspective of an older, seasoned woman who regrets missed opportunities yet still dreams of a better life and who urges the younger woman not to make the same mistakes she did. The two actors, under Welch’s direction, convincingly establish their characters and their affectionate relationship with one another in only a few minutes.
Tag by Mark Harvey Levine, directed by Zeke Fayble, was a cute and original short comedy that shows what happens when a fifth grade playground game makes a return in adulthood. Kathryn Forbes as Erin brought a frenetic energy to her role as a former classmate who has had a hard time moving on from a game begun in elementary school. Rashae Boyd and Trevor Powell did a nice job of portraying a seemingly perfect couple who are cleverly playing a long game.
Next we enjoyed the short comedy What is Due by Deirdre Girard, directed by Jon-Paul McGowan. Brian Sullivan as collections officer Lee and Camilla Norder as the elderly homeowner Suzanne are hilarious scene partners as a seemingly clueless old lady turns the tables on a greedy bank officer. Norder delivered just the right innocent-yet-sly take on her character, and the direction, blocking, and perfect pacing all contributed to the satisfying arc of this very funny short story.
In Bibbidi Bobbidi Boot Camp by Clinton Festa, directed by Sara Parisa, the players are at a training camp where fairy folk learn to become fairy godmothers. The juxtaposition of Sarge’s (Luke Wallace) strict military bearing against the wings, wands, and other fairy accoutrements of trainees Buttercrunch (Evelynn
After intermission, we were treated to the story Mister Literal by Keith Whalen, directed by Heather Roberts. We watched the world’s worst first date as uptight realtor Cindy, played by Evelynn Wright, tries to have inane, pre-dinner conversation with the most literal man in the world, Gerald, played by Nic Hamill. A deluge of metaphors and clichés rained down (see what I did there?), all of which Gerald takes literally, to comical effect. Hamill had a manic energy in this scene and fully committed to its wacky premise. Rashae Boyd plays an eavesdropping hostess at the restaurant who turns out to be more involved in the date setup than we first suspect.
The next comedy was Love Thy Neighbor, written by talented local playwright Sinan Beskok and directed by Nolan Spinks. This was an original and funny work, ably executed by Marissa Mayfield and Brian Sullivan as a hapless (and apparently childless) couple who have agreed to babysit their neighbor‘s child, Mona, played by Lydia Sims. It turns out that they are babysitting during a milestone childhood event, the loss of Mona’s tooth and the attendant requirement for the Tooth Fairy to visit. Things go hilariously awry as the inexperienced duo try to carry out their mission while dealing with certain nighttime behaviors that they were not expecting from young Mona. Spinks and the cast do a nice job with the verbal pacing and execution of the physical humor, and all of the actors are hilarious.
In Stay Golden by Jessica Moss, directed by Russell Sims, a group of senior women try to re-create the “Golden Girls” lifestyle, only one of the girlfriends is currently married, which will never do. Budd Mahan as the outnumbered Gordon faces off against his wife Cleo’s (Nancy Pistilli) overly enthusiastic (and bloodthirsty!) girlfriends played by JoAnn Dodson, Sue Goodner, and Glynda Welch. Gordon cleverly manages to stay on their good side by establishing himself as a super fan of the beloved TV sitcom.
The final comedy was delightfully silly and unexpected. Cones of Shame by Scott Mullen was directed by Matt Stepan. The premise introduced two competitive and immature brothers (Brian Sullivan and Nic Hamill) who will bet on anything and who have committed to a particular bet that exasperates their long-suffering wives Janine and Carol, played by Kathryn Forbes and Veronica Green. As the stakes rise, the two women abandon their common sense and become sucked into the childish game established by the men in a rowdy and amusing escalation.
Rover’s 10-Minute Comedies runs through June 21 at the Cox Playhouse in Plano. Check it out if you want to enjoy a light, fun evening of new comedy works spanning from gentle humor to slapstick comedy to clever wordplay to darker humor.
On with the show!
Stacey Simpson Calvert
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