If you have never been to the North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe, you are in for a pleasant surprise and a unique experience. The stated mission of this theater group is to open the experience of participating in the creation of theatrical performances to as many people as possible, whether they are experienced or not.
To support this goal, for the past six years they have hosted the Playwright Festival, open to all submissions. This year, they received 200 from around the country and the world. The individuals directing the shows are the people who chose which plays to produce, and the result is four weekends of productions, seven plays per weekend, during the month of October.
The opening weekend (Oct. 2, 3, 4) brings us seven very diverse choices. All the plays are supported with sound and lights provided by Jeff Bushnell (a founding producer, along with his wife Summer Golden, who together are GB Productions) and David Slattery, who also acts and directs. They provide music for each play that sets the tone or theme of the piece. They also offer lovely piano music before the productions begin, which set a relaxed and upbeat mood. All the plays are one acts of approximately 10-minute duration, with some minor variation.
The first play of the evening is His New Best Friend by Diane Sampson of San Francisco, directed by Darrell Netherton. The cast, composed of Quentin Proulx, Carol Buell, Derek Lorenzen and Summer Golden played three members of a family taking a car trip to deliver their son to college. They are also using their new GPS system for the first time, and it turns out that dad bought more than he expected when he purchased that particular item!
Bear Story is a monologue piece written by Jamie Pachino of L.A. and directed by Mark Stephan. The single character, recalling events that led her to her current circumstance, is compellingly portrayed by Melelani Satsuma. She comes across as natural and believable, drawing us in to her story, and making us care about its outcome.
The next play portrays the exchange between the proprietress of a coffee shop and her customer, played by Summer Golden and Sheila Martenies. Titled Damn Good Coffee, written by Marissa Vaughan of San Diego and directed by Patty Fay, this encounter ends with a surprising twist you don't see coming. Clever, and well done.
With the next play we move into the world of insects no humans here in Speed Mating by David Guaspari of Ithica New York. Deric Beveridge directed Daniel Gapp, David Slattery, Andrea Gardner, and Prim Kanchanastit. These characters awaken with their biological clocks running in hyper-drive, and it is survival of the fittest or is it fastest? Lots of good physical comedy here, as the bugs get to ham it up.
After the intermission, during which patrons can purchase delicious old-time candies (no Snickers here - look for the Necco Wafers, butterscotches and caramels) at old-time prices in the lobby, we return to the theater for the fifth play, which showcases one of director Summer Golden's mentally challenged students, Rachel Goldbaum, in a piece depicting a radio show being performed. She does a terrific job with her role, with lots of emotion and conviction. One of her co-stars is the local author of the play, Jenifer Whisper. Titled The Deciding Factor, the cast is rounded out by Jeff Bushnell as the radio narrator, John Drehner as the radio sound engineer, and the multi talented David Slattery as Fluffy the dog.
Another New Yorker, Ron Frankel of New Lebanon, contributed The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name Because It Has None. Directed by David Slattery and featuring Chuck Hart, Richard Weinroth, Marissa Vaughan and Derek Lorenzen, the action takes place in a blustery judge's chamber during required pre-divorce arbitration. The first couple on the scene is present for the stated purpose, but the second couple to arrive is not. Petitioning for the right to marry, Leonard and Janet the mannequin make for an unusual pair, but it is the outcome of their encounter with Tim and Erin that provides the twist. Derek makes his second impressive acting appearance of the evening here, and Marissa takes a nice turn at acting after having written Damn Good Coffee.
Rounding out the evening, Dave Brubaker and Prim Kanchanastit charmingly portray the leads in a piece titled, Crime Spree, written by Tom Deiker of Clive, Iowa, and directed by Daeg and Mickey Faerch. The action takes place outside a bank, where the erstwhile robber Joe is attempting a stickup of Jolene. His timing is off, as she is on her way in to get money, not on her way out with it, and besides, he's just too nice to make a good criminal. The shy victim and the inept robber forge an instant rapport that leads Joe away from a life of crime and down the dusty road to love.
This is a delightful evening, full of good performances by actors, directors, writers and support staff. North Park Vaudeville is a theater company unlike any I have ever seen, and I liked it very much. The inclusion and acceptance is inspiring, and the company is opening doors to some talented people who might have a difficult time gaining experience and exposure elsewhere. A very worthy enterprise, and for my money, a successful one. I plan to return to North Park Vaudeville and encourage anyone who has never been there to go soak up the atmosphere of creativity and caring.
