Pitt lab show performers offer variety and fun

Indecisive in choosing your theatrical entertainment? Maximize your odds of enjoyment with Pitt… Indecisive in choosing your theatrical entertainment? Maximize your odds of enjoyment with Pitt Repertory Company’s double-header lab production of ‘Middle Aged White Guys’ and ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.’ ‘Middle Aged White Guys,’ a comedy by Jane Martin, provokes both thoughts and laughs. The story takes place amid a beer can-strewn junkyard that was once a high school baseball field. The plot focuses on three aging brothers, Moon, Roy and Clem, the woman they all loved, R.V., and the theory that Caucasian males of a certain age are responsible for the world going to hell through their various offenses, screwups and general mishandlings of affairs. On the site of an almost-miraculous nearly no-hitter baseball game decades past, the brothers are gathered together to remember Moon’s high school sweetheart, Roy’s first wife and Clem’s lifelong crush’ ‘mdash; all the same woman ‘mdash; on the anniversary of her suicide. To their great shock, the ghost of R.V. appears with a message from the afterlife. But it isn’t until Elvis, self proclaimed ‘King of the White Men’ shows up that things get really weird.’ Pitt sophomore Henry Brinkerhoff’s excellent portrayal of Roy, a mayor with questionable morals and definitions of patriotism, was well complemented by the other actors. Senior John Fallon played the role of the simple but well-intentioned Clem, and sophomore John Jameson played the youngest brother Moon, a Vietnam vet and soldier of fortune. Elise D’Avella, a Pitt sophomore, was mesmerizing as R.V., bringing passion and evangelical-esque fervor to her monologues. Pitt sophomore Dylan Geringer’s double turn as Roy’s stuttering homicidal wife Mona and the men’s mother Mrs. Mannering was exceptional, thanks to her spot-on comic timing. Pitt senior Todd Mazzie’s set succeeds in the ambitious aim of transforming the Cathedral basement’s black box theater into a wasteland of all manner of rusted-out rural American paraphernalia. The stage crew’s special effects were memorable. They created rain and lowered various objects from the catwalks at key moments. The effects were all well executed and enhanced the performance. On a slightly less contemporary note is William Shakespeare, the famous playwright who penned 37 plays. The exact number is under dispute because of the inaccuracies of 16th-century book keeping ‘mdash; two or three other plays might be attributed to him ‘mdash; but let’s stick with 37 for a moment. Figuring four hours per performance, you’d need to spend around 148 hours in a theater in order to say you’ve seen them all. Pitt Repertory Company’s production of ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)’ allows this feat to be accomplished in only 80 minutes. But you may not want to be so quick to brag to your literature professor about your newly acquired in-depth knowledge of Shakespearean theater ‘mdash; you’ve never seen Shakespeare like this before. Capitalizing on the mockable nature of many plays and the repetitive use of certain plot devices, the cast presents a wide sampling of Shakespeare’s work through various spoofs. Highlights include a football match between the dynasties of Europe with a crown as the football (King Lear incurred a penalty for ‘fictional character on the field’) and four performances of Hamlet, three progressively faster and then once backward. The cast encouraged audience participation, which was an entertaining effect, particularly when the entire audience was enlisted to aid in a Freudian analysis workshop of the character of Ophelia. A rotating cast of six, with three performers per show, ensures new chemistry and hilarity every night. ‘ ‘ ‘ Saturday’s performance featured freshman Jeremy Enz-Doerschner and seniors Nichole Herring and Cameron Crowe. The cast succeeded in handling the fast-paced satirical tribute to the bard with energy and enthusiasm. Students Jessica Reed, John Graham and Julianne Avolio will appear at other showings. Dramatically different, but equally entertaining, the combination of the two performances equals a night well spent.