Desert Foothills Theater's Noises Off! at Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 1/22/00
(out of )Michael Frayn's Noises Off! is a peek at the backstage shenanigans that spill in front of the footlights of a mediocre British touring production of the imaginary parlor farce, Nothing On. Presenting a sharp version of a mediocre production is not as easy as it seems. Director Randy Messersmith has erred on the side of campy, which, in this show, can undercut both the presentation of the play-within-a-play as it degrades from dress rehearsal to late-in-the-run fiasco, and the actors behind the secondary facades. Surprisingly, though, while most productions falter as they go along, losing steam during the necessarily choreographed second act, Desert Foothills Theater has done the exact opposite, becoming more presentationally precise as they lose their external awkward accents and characterizations of the first act.
Mr. Messersmith has gone against convention and not American-ized this play. Unfortunately, save for two, the actors have inconsistent British accents that range from forced to just plain wrong. Also, many of the actors don't seem to really believe in their characters, choosing instead to mock them. These two choices make for a deadly-dull expositional first act, which is at turns overplayed and unfunny. When the set spins around, and the true choreography of the piece begins, the actors shed these problems, becoming the precise clowns necessary to make the production funny.
At the center of the make-believe production is aging sitcom actress Dotty Otley, as played by Jackie Hayes. Ms. Hayes has a perfect British accent, though she does not imbue her character with the type of commanding stage presence necessary to make her the center of this piece. Jim Roehr, as Nothing On's director, Lloyd, is much better with character, and consistent with accent throughout. Ron Hunting and Diane Nieman, as the young actors Garry and Brooke, are over-the-top in their presentation, choosing caricature over characterization. Mr. Hunting has an intermittent accent, but perfectly moves into his element when the physical side of the farce kicks in. Ms. Nieman is a bimbo blonde of the annoying kind, never finding a point of sympathy for her character. Seasoned actors Fredrick and Belinda are portrayed by Ben Tyler and Susan Morell, who are more even-toned, but still offer problematic performances in the first act, with Mr. Tyler underplaying, and Ms. Morell rushing her lines.
As elder performer and drunk Selsdon, Gary Olson is awful throughout. His accent sounds British by way of Alabama, and characterization never achieves funny, even as the others finally click. Better are the performances of Kara Eldridge and Mason Walker. Ms. Eldridge is a quiet Poppy, the stage manager, and Mr. Walker is funny as the harried stagehand, Tim.
In attempting to bring across the cheapness of the production company, Matt Marich has designed a set that is just plain ugly. Nowhere is the hint of the 16th century British cottage mentioned textually, choosing a bland seven door set with obvious flats painted an ugly yellow. The backstage creation for the first scene of the second act overcomes this, though, faithfully recreating the bare-bones area. Better are Aaron Severton's lighting, and Ms. Morell's costumes.
While DFT has come a long way since their tent production days, it was hoped that the hiring of Mr. Tyler as Artistic Director would lead to even greater changes. It's true that they are attracting increasingly better talent, but they still seem to be in the process of finding their balance. Hopefully, this balance will be struck when they present their homage to the local children's show phenomena, The Wallace and Ladmo Show.
Production Details:
Noises Off! by Michael Frayn
Desert Foothills Theater
Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center, Cave Creek
(480) 488-1981
January 20th - 30th, 2000