The Odd Couple is perhaps one of the most well-known and most produced of Neil Simon’s plays. There was the original 1965 play which originally starred Walter Matthau and Art Carney, the 1968 movie with Matthau and Jack Lemmon and the 1970’s TV Sitcom with Jack Klugman (who had replaced Matthau on Broadway) and Tony Randall.

For those who missed or slept through the 60’s and 70’s — the plot centers on the sloppy Oscar Madison and the clean Felix Unger, who are both separated from their wives. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

CAT Theatre is presenting the lesser known female version of the play revised by Simon in 1985. Olive Madison (Amy Berlin) is hosting an evening of Trivial Pursuit with her friends who include Mickey the Cop (Amy George Brown), Sylvie (Donna E. Coghill), Renee (Crystal Oakley), and Vera (Carroll Andrews). They are waiting for Florence Unger (Donna Marie Miller) who is late, and they later learn has separated from her husband and is missing.

I must admit, it is hard to accept the gender reversals of the well-worn characters at first, but the cast of women do make the characters their own, instead of attempting to do female impressions of the well-known male characters. Miller brings the essence of Unger’s neurotic, high-strung OCD traits, but it is Berlin who truly shines as the grumpy, sarcastic Madison. It is especially in the second act that Berlin captures the loud, angry, acerbic nuances that make Madison a classic character. Her Olive is one part Oscar Madison and one part Rosie O’Donnell.

Coghill is the strongest of the supporting characters and makes Sylvie the most life-like of the friends. Alan Gropper and Richard Halenda have some pros and cons to their performances as the upstairs neighbors, Manolo and Jesus from Spain (a twist on the British Pigeon sisters in the original). On the one hand, the pair have excellent chemistry and comedic timing, and bring a great energy to the stage with their malaprops and mistranslations. On the other hand, their accents do not come close to Spanish and alternate between Two Wild and Crazy Guys or Hanz and Franz from Saturday Night Live. In some ways though, this misstep actually adds a whole new level to making it a farcical comedy.

There were a few minor glitches my guests and I noticed as well. The set crew did not sweep the floor during intermission, so the dirt and crumbs stood out in Unger’s clean apartment. Also, a glass framed picture on the wall reflected the stage lights right into the audiences eyes. For some reason also, the energy seemed to drop a little in the final scene, making the second act drag a bit.

These minor issues aside, I was glad to complete my Odd Couple experience by now having seen the female version of this classic work. The CAT Theatre production shows that laughs can transcend gender.

The Cast

• Olive: Amy Berlin
• Florence: Donna Marie Miller
• Mickey: Amy George Brown
• Sylvie: Donna E. Coghill
• Renee: Crystal Oakley
• Vera: Carroll Andrews
• Manolo: Alan Gropper
• Jesus: Richard Halenda

The Crew

• Executive Producer: Lynn Smith
• Associate Producers: Granville Scott & Kelly St. Clair
• Technical Director: Kent Walker
• Director: Melissa Rayford
• Stage Manager: Erin Lowndes
• Assistant Stage Manager: Tonya Boucicaut
• Set Designer: Max Snyder
• Costume Designer: Elizabeth Nguyen
• Lighting Designer: Helen Dunlap
• Fight Choreographers: Aaron Orensky and Emily Turner
• Props: Jim Scott & Sandy Siler
• Light Board Operator: Joe Bishop
• Running Crew: Katherine Anne Bishop
• Set Construction Crew Lead: Kent Walker
• House Management Coordinator: Linda Sue Underwood
• House Management Team: Shari Adams, Lerita Carter, Janice Jones, Celie Seeber, June Spencer
• Marquee: Lin Heath
• Cast Photos: Kinney Thompson
• Season Show Logos: Mike Fletcher
• Poster Artwork: Mike Fletcher & Art Trotter
• Playbill: Mike Fletcher & Andrea Wainright-Zimmerman

Disclaimer: Chamberlayne Actors Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review. Also note that Amy Berlin writes for ShowBizRadio in Washington DC and Maryland.

Most theater goers know what to expect when they see an Agatha Christie play. You will get a cast of characters where everyone is a suspect and everyone points the finger at each other until the murderer is finally revealed.

To watch a production is kind of like eating chocolate or any other favorite comfort food — satisfying but predictable. Such is the case with CAT Theatre’s production of And Then There Were None.

For those who do not know the story, a group of ten strangers are invited or hired for a weekend on Soldier Island, which is isolated about a mile off the Devon coast of England. Each accepts a vague invitation from a host they do not know. The group of guests/suspects includes a doctor, a secretary, a soldier of fortune, a rich playboy, a retired policeman, a judge, a spinster, a retired general, and a married couple who are the servants. Their mysterious hosts are not there when they arrive, but there are ten soldier statues on a mantle along with a poem, counting down as the soldiers die. Of course, one by one, the soldiers disappear as one by one the guests are murdered until there are…

Director H. Lynn Smith keeps the dialogue moving well, but the action does get a bit stagnant, as the ten actors mostly sit or stand on the rather small stage; especially since Set Designer Eric Kinder has created a very elaborate and ornate English parlor, with the required multiple entrances and exits to make a Christie piece work. The actors each carry off their characters with a variety of accents with a variety of success. For instance, Dan Summey and Rebekah Spence (as the servants Mr. and Mrs. Rogers) seem to fluctuate between Cockney and proper English.

Other actors just don’t seem to exactly fit the character for which they were cast. Scott Bergman as Anthony Marston is more buffoonish, bratty and annoying than playboyish. Still, his over the top energy and facial expressions add a nice touch of humor. Dan Gerstenlauer seemed too young and strong to be the elderly, rambling General MacKenzie, and Mjya Thibault came across as more lecherous than romantic opposite Donna Marie Miller as the young secretary Vera Claybourne. (As I have said in reviewing Fox on the Fairway at CAT — Miller still reminds me of a young Madeline Kahn in her days as the ingenue in several Mel Brooks movies.)

Miller, Mollie Ort (Dr. Armstrong) and Laurie Follmer (who exuded a touch of Linda Hunt on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” with her short dark hair and big glasses) gave some of the stronger, more consistent performances. Ort and Follmer are especially deliciously evil and dark.

Along with Follmer’s costume, Becki Jones provided period appropriate costumes for the performers. The mostly dark and bland colors added to the suspense and darkness behind each character’s back story.

The most innovative touch was lighting designer Alan Armstrong’s choice to light an entire scene with just three small candles. It added an air of suspense and darkness, especially with the creation of shadows. However, it could have used one more candle upstage center, where one of the characters was left almost entirely in the dark. Lightning flashes were also well used and effective.

The biggest flaw for me came with the sound design of Shawn Hambright. There was a constant din of waves crashing and rain falling that sometimes drowned out the dialogue and often became almost like Chinese water torture. Perhaps limiting it to the start of scenes, or when the balcony doors were open would have lessened these distractions.

That aside, Agatha Christie fans will find comfort in viewing CAT Theatre’s production of And Then There Were None.

The Cast

• Rogers: Dan Summey
• Mrs. Rogers: Rebekah Spence
• Fred Narracott: Mike Fletcher
• Vera Claythorne: Donna Marie Miller
• Philip Lombard: Mjya Thibault
• Anthony Marston: Scott Bergman
• William Blore: Marc Follmer
• General MacKenzie: Dan Gerstenlauer
• Emily Brent: Laurie Follmer
• Sir Lawrence Wargrave: Granville Scott
• Dr. Armstrong: Mollie Ort

The Crew

• Producer: Will Vehrs
• Director: H. Lynn Smith
• Stage Manager: Pixie E. Curry
• Set Designer: Eric Kinder
• Costume Designer: Becki Jones
• Lighting Designer: Alan Armstrong
• Sound Designer: Shawn Hambright
• Marquee: Lin Heath
• Fight Choreographers: Aaron Orensky and Emily Turner
• Light Operator: Geoffrey Saur
• Set Decor: Rose Marie Mitchell
• Backstage Running Crew: Mike Fletcher and Rebekah Spence
• Scenic Artist: Megan Hart
• Set Construction Crew Chief: Ginette Bellefeuille
• Sound Operator: Andrea Zimmerman
• Props Master: Amy Berlin
• Voiceovers: Buddy Bishop and Bob Dutton
• Photographer: Kinney Thompson
• House Management and Usher Coordinator: Linda Sue Underwood
• House Management Team: Shari Adams, Glynis Boyd, Lerita Carter, Janice Jones, Casey Scallion, Celie Seeber, June Spencer
• Season Show Logos: Tony Turner
• Poster Artwork: Art Trotter
• Playbill: Will Vehrs & Tony Turner

Disclaimer: Chamberlayne Actors Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

For many reasons, reviewing The Fox on the Fairway at CAT Theater (Chamberlayne Actor’s Theater) as my first full assignment from Richmond’s ShowBizRadio.com was very appropriate. First CAT Theater is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. I too have reached this AARP milestone this year. Second, they always say you should “start small.” This small theater, with a small stage, performing with a small cast of six, was indeed small in every way – except for the talent; which was large! The parking lot was ample as well, eliminating the frenetic hunt for spaces one must endure when attending shows downtown.

Directed by Laurie Follmer, the production takes place in a facility, off the beaten paths of downtown Richmond, in a quiet residential neighborhood off Chamberlayne Avenue. It is the perfect setting for this show which takes place in a quiet little country club off the beaten path! The Quail Valley Country Club has lost the annual golf tournament to its rival for the last 5 years, and club manager Mr. Bingham, is determined to find a ringer to win this year and keep his job!

The play is called “a tribute from Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s. The Fox On the Fairway takes audiences on a romp that pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club. Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-the-top romantic shenanigans, it’s a furiously paced comedy that recalls the Marx Brothers’ classics.” In many ways, it is also designed both in script and staging to resemble a Greek Comedy (as bits of dialogue remind you throughout the show.)

Director Follmer uses the small stage well, often having cast members come forward to a thrust area of the stage that projects out of the proscenium, bringing the actors slightly into the audiences’ space just like the Greek plays of old. The set is well designed and furnished, and except for one scene towards the end of the play on “the fairway” it was well-lit (an actress came in and out of lighting during that pivotal plot moment). The seating arrangement for the audience was an odd choice. There were 3 sections of removable chairs. For some reason, the theater only set up 2 of the sections, which were just about full. I thought at first, perhaps additional play action would take place in that third section; but it did not. I was left confused and wondering if they wanted to give the illusion of a fuller house rather than allow the audience to spread out and be more comfortable?

One of the funnier “bits” in the play are little sound effect bytes scattered throughout the script to over dramatize or underscore moments. Unfortunately, the audio levels varied drastically, so some were too soft, some were too loud, but others were…just right!

The play starts off energetically, introducing five of the six characters with a voice over narration. Justin (Alex Ireys) and Louise (Celine Daubresse) are young lovers who now work at Quail Valley. Bingham (Denis Riva) and Dickie (Tim Gettemy) are the managers of the rival country clubs. Pamela (Donna Marie Miller) who the voice over identifies as “beautiful and sophisticated” is on the Board of Quail Valley, but is also Dickie’s ex-wife and Bingham’s ex-high school sweetheart. It is not until later in the script we meet the final character Muriel (Kathy Parker) who is Bingham’s wife. The relationships get more and more complex as they play goes on.

The first scene centers around Justin and Louise who bring great energy and enthusiasm to the parts of the young lovers. Ireys brings a touch of Ashton Kutcher ala “Two and a Half Men” to his character – young, good-looking, naïve and yet charming and very likeable. Daubresse’s Louise is equally energetic and likeable, and even more air-headed and innocent than Justin, if that is possible. She brings a touch of “I Love Lucy”; knowing she will do something crazy, cry and then have some ‘splainin’ to do! The plot follows the on again off again relationship of the two as misunderstandings abound. Beware parents, there are a few PG words and even a glimpse of Louise’s bra!

Riva and Gettemy are well suited to their parts. Riva’s Bingham is the consummate serious, all business boss. He serves as the ground wire that keeps the farce believable at times (even at times where the script stretches reality, such as presenting golf tournament rules, then later violating and ignoring them when the plot requires). Meanwhile, Gettemy’s Dickie is the stereotypical arch nemesis. For film buffs, picture “Old Biff” in the “Back to the Future” movies. He is gruff, gravelly and unduly egotistical. Miller (Pamela) seems too young for the part, but carries it well as one part impish Kristen Chenowith and one part comedic Madeline Kahn. She IS the FOX on the Fairway- sexy and seductive. The greatest comedic moments are saved though for Kathy Parker (Muriel) who garnered laughs just by walking on stage. Her stage persona could scare that fox right off the fairway!

The actors were clearly well prepared and well rehearsed and the show moved along nicely. There were occasional minor questions on minor directorial choices such as why have an actress try to stuff a golf ball “subtly” in her pocket rather than just toss it to an actor in the wings; and why brightly light a couple of relatively unnecessary small prop/set changes (which could have either been done either in the dark or by the actors entering and exiting). Either way, The Fox on the Fairway is a hole in one!

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

The Cast

• Justin: Alex Ireys
• Louise: Celine Daubresse
• Bingham: Denis Riva
• Pamela: Donna Marie Miller
• Dickie: Tim Gettemy
• Muriel: Kathy Parker

The Crew

• Stage Manager: Tiffany Shifflett
• Assistant Stage Manager: Corey Hull
• Production Manager: Charlotte Scharff
• Set Designer: Tennessee Dixon
• Lighting Design: Myja E. White
• Costume Design: Starlet Knight
• Sound Design: Buddy Bishop
• Props Coordinators: Caroline Tisdale, Teri Tisdale
• Set Decor: Pam Bryant
• Set Construction Crew: Lynn Bailes, Pam Bryant, Dick Clark, Dick Collins, Emma Follmer, Laurie Follmer, Mark Follmer, Lin Heath, Elias Menyhart, Rosemarie Mitchell, Caroline Tisdale, Teri Tisdale, Kent Walker, Betty Williams & Bruce Wood
• Lighting Board Operators: Samantha Campbell & Emma Follmer
• Photographer: Kinney Thompson
• House Management Coordinator: Linda Sue Underwood
• House Management Team: Shari Adams, Lynn Bailes, Christa Marshall, Cindy Pawlick, Anita Resnick, Caroline Tisdale, Will Vehrs
• Usher Coordinator: Anita Resnick
• Season Logo/ Poster Artwork: Art Trotter
• Playbill Coordinator and Layout: Will Vehrs & Tony Turner
• Director: Laurie Follmer

Disclaimer: Chamberlayne Actors Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.