CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp NJ Review
The Nerd
Skillful director Kevin Cahoon and a cast of expert farceurs are having some fun with the idiocy currently taking place on the stage of the George Street Playhouse. You may possibly be inclined to appreciate the play's series of seriously moronic antics that practically defy critical commentary. As an example: There is one almost endless scene in which the characters are coaxed into playing a party game where they must all sit and stare at an apple core as it turns brown. This game is initiated by the title character, a.k.a Rick Steadman (Jonathan Kite) a man of no discernible intelligence. This thoroughly obnoxious and pathetic person has come to pay a visit to Willum Cubbert (Colin Hanlon) an architect whose life he saved in Vietnam. Because he misunderstands a simple phone message Rick arrives for what he assumes is going to be a costume party dressed as the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Popping in, he scares the daylights out of Thor (good work by young Hayden Bercy), the spoiled brat son of Willum's visiting boss. Rick is also unaware that Willum, his girlfriend Tansy (Kate Reinders) and his good pal and neighbor Axel (Zach Shaffer) are in the midst of socializing while Willum is also finalizing a building blueprint with his stuffy boss (Stephen Wallem) and his uptight wife (Ann Harada). An overbearing clownish clod from our perspective, Rick reveals his life work is to check boxes of chalk manufactured in a mid-west plant. His intention is to check into Willum's pad for an indefinite stay. He proceeds to antagonize, disrupt and alienate everyone in his presence. Before the daffy denouement we are obliged to listen to Rick sing and play the tambourine, watch his ghastly impersonations of Cagney and Durante, survive his impressions of egg-laying chickens and other such prime-time bell-ringers. The question the play leaves unanswered is whose patience is being tested: Is it the captive cast of characters or the hopefully captivated audience? Kite, who is probably best known as Oleg, the Ukrainian cook in the CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls, may be duly credited here with playing Rick as a nitwit of incalculable proportions. In the midst of the play's penchant for stultifying hyperactivity stands Hanlon, as the mainly mortified Willum. Reinders is pretty, pert and perky as the girlfriend. Shaffer contributes the most consistently amusing performance as the flippant drama critic who admits he writes his reviews before he sees the show (now there is a clever thought.) Both Harada and Wallem bring their farcical skills to the fore as the put-upon foils. As directed by Kevin Cahoon with the obligatory attention paid to pacing, motivation and style, The Nerd achieves what it sets out to do — making the audience laugh at much of this relentless stream of utter silliness. A handsome sunken-living room setting with view of the outside has been designed by David L. Arsenault. All other technical aspects were in keeping with the excellence that is the norm at the George Street Playhouse. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES The Nerd by Larry Shue Directed by Kevin Cahoon Cast: Colin Hanlon (Willum), Zach Shaffer (Axel), Kate Reinders (Tansy), Stephen Wallem (Waldgrave), Ann Harada (Clelia), Hayden Bercy (Thor), Jonathan Kite (Rick) Set Design: David L. Arsenault Costume Design: Leon Dobkowski Lighting Design: Jason Lyons Sound Design: Fitz Patton Hair and Wig Design: Leah Loukas Production Manager: Christopher J. Bailey Production Stage Manager: Krsitin Pfeifer Running Time: 2 hours 10 minutes including intermission George Street Playhouse, 103 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, N.J. Prices: (from $44.00; students $15.00) From 04/24/18 Opened 04/27/18 Ends 05/20/18 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 04/27/18 NJ CONNECTIONS NJ Theaters NJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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