CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp NJ Review
What the Butler Saw
I'd be surprised if you didn't find yourself laughing at virtually every line and every bit of chaotic action. This is certainly a time when we can appreciate Orton's assaults on established conventions. At its best, which is virtually every minute, we are able to embrace the pervasive energy of the cast and the stunning explosions of Orton's red hot wit. The title of the play is taken, not from any suggestion of an old-fashioned whodunit, but from those British peep-shows machines offering modest voyeuristic lubricity at the end of every sea-side pier. The plot concerns the madcap aftermath of an attempted seduction of a ditsy secretary by a clinic psychiatrist. Into the clinic walks the psychiatrist's nymphomaniac wife and the bellhop who has just assaulted her, followed by a pompous government inspector and a dense police sergeant. During the nonsensical maneuvers, in which more cross-gender dressing and undressing occurs than you can keep track of, the playwright dazzles us with his ability to take ordinary logic to its most sublime denouement — illogical paranoia. Vanessa Morosco is terrific as the over-sexed, over-the-brink wife whose degree of insanity can only be seen in relation to the insanity that defines every character. One looks on occasion for relief to Peter Simon Hilton as the earnestly befuddled and frustrated shrink as he keeps his eye on Allison Layman who is simply adorable as the easily compromised secretary. Female impersonation reaches for its nadir as well as for the sublime in Robbie Simpson's performance as the amoral bellhop. The same can be said for Jeffrey M. Bender as Sergeant Match. Somewhere in between lies the wonderfully Boris Karloff-ian performance of John Hutton as the government interrogator Dr. Rance. And somewhere in the midst of all of them lies the insinuating sex, the out-of-the-closet capers and the vision that life and limbs have gone berserk. It is a miracle that Brittany Vasta's excellent fully-equipped setting — a clinic for the mentally challenged — survives when we hear a line such as "Things are getting out of control." We are, in the end, reminded that Orton was very much in control. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton Directed by Paul Mullins Cast: Peter Simon Hilton (Doctor Prentice), Allison Layman (Geraldine Barclay), Vanessa Morosco (Mrs. Prentice), Robbie Simpson (Nicholas Beckett), John Hutton (Doctor Rance), Jeffrey M. Bender (Sergeant Match) Scenic Designer: Brittany Vasta Lighting Designer: Tony Galaska Costume Designer: Kristin Isola Sound Designer: Steven L. Beckel Production Stage Manager: Alison Cote Running Time: 2 hours including intermission Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey on the campus of Drew University F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre (973) 408-5600 Performances: Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. From 09/06/17 Opened 09/08/17 Ends 10/01/17 Review by Simon Saltzman based on evening performance 09/10/17 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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