Ed Simpson's The Comet of St. Loomis is set in a small Pennsylvania village. Throckmorton is barely surviving; the six-cabin Ridge Court is slowly disintegrating. The village is peopled by: Honorary Mayor, Martin Gray, driven to keep his village alive; Charlie Loomis, Ridge Court owner; Trudy Platko, a single mom, working three jobs and still not staying ahead of her bills; and Annie and Bobby Dunlap, teenagers mere moments away from becoming parents.
Stranger Jake Miles enters, totally out of his element. Who is he? How did he find the Ridge Court? Herein, lies part of the tale. The story is really a look at the values and lives of the folks of Throckmorton.
The Simpson play, at just over two hours, is fifteen minutes too long and plagued with redundancy. Yet director Brent Stringfield and his cast pace the production just right.
OnStage Playhouse is commended for bringing this relatively new play to San Diego County. The work has charm and offers the cast delightful dialogue and challenging situations.
Kim Hawkins portrays 17-year-old, soon-to-deliver Annie Dunlap with a total understanding of the fears and uncertainties of a first birth. Gavin Bullock, as husband Bobby, portrays a loser, a young man with no self esteem.
Sachs' Trudy Platko is complex. She plays the adult in the show, a woman that knows herself, a mother figure to the teenagers, an occasional lover to Charlie, and someone who knows that to survive she must leave. Sachs maneuvers easily through her character's many roles in the play.
Theodore "Ted" Reis, as Charlie Loomis, portrays Mr. Nice Guy. He is loveable, a special friend to everyone. Reis expresses much of his character through his body language and gives Loomis a nice dimensionality, especially with his interaction with the stranger. Daniel Heath, as pushy, egotistical Gray, is properly abrasive, totally impressed with himself, leaving little room for others (though he eventually reveals a deeper side).
The stranger, Jack Miles, enters. David Dartt brings a New York "charm" to this ad exec, TV producer and arrogant man-on-a-mission. He plays Miles with apparent disdain for the town folk, except for Charlie. Therein, lies a tale within this delightful play of character studies.
Director Stringfield cast adeptly. The actors cast contrast and complement each other. Dartt stands out against the town folk. Michele and Michael Guisti's set design includes the office of Ridge Court, a partial interior, porch, and even a squeaking screen door. The remainder of the stage appears to be dirt and pine needles backed by a vista (the work of scenic designer Rosemary King, no doubt), fake pine trees with real branches. Set dressings and props by Brenda Leake and Suzy Weekly add to the reality. Lighting Designer Daniel Zisko provides an adequate lighting plot, with a convincing evening sequence and a charming final effect.
