By Marilyn Jozwik
Village Playhouse is presenting its 35th One-Act Festival with a mixed bag of short original shows containing moments of humor and wit, poignancy and irony, as well as moral proclamations while handling issues of aging and loss.
Humor takes center stage starting with Michael Lucchesi’s clever take on creation in “But I’m Just Not IN Love with it.” As a pitchman for his latest venomous creature, Luc (Luis Castillo) presents his ideas in the office of TB (Derek Jacobs), who makes several calls to Jesus for guidance during the meeting while slogans and catch phrases are bandied about. Castillo and Jacobs do a nice job creating this ad agency setting with smatterings of Greek and Roman mythology, Biblical references and modern allusions. Tom Zuehlke directs.
Sandra Wyss, Lea Cornell, Maureen Lavin and Katherine Beeson are featured during Village Playhouse’s 35th One Act Festival.
In “The Interview,” written by Carol Ratliff Drury and directed by Stacy Madson, Amy Wickland plays a job seeker taking part in a virtual interview. Wickland is wonderful dialing through a range of emotions as the three off-site interviewers (Paul Weir, Katherine Beeson and Jon Goltz) ratchet up their questioning from benign to intrusive to ridiculous. The satire works with Wickland’s well-done portrayal and the amusing interactions of the stuffy interviewers and the interview’s coordinator (Elizabeth M. Havican).
Weir does triple duty in the festival, also appearing in the touching, one-person “Good Neighbors” by Marjorie Pagel as well as “Old Friends” by Jon Kolb. In “Good Neighbors,” directed by Zuehlke, Weir portrays Bernie, a recent widower sharing thoughts with an unseen neighbor. A Milwaukee Brewer baseball fan, Bernie wears a team jersey and cap as he mulls the several months since his wife died and his new outlooks on life. Weir is comfortable and engaging as the cong l Bernie, who is lightened by his unburdening thoughts.
Weir appears again as a recent widower, Ed, in the intense “Old Friends,” while Dale Jackson plays his best buddy Jack. The two are meeting for coffee (and later some alcoholic additions from Ed’s flask) at a shop with Katie Kadaver playing the Waitress. This has been a long-standing tradition for the old friends now dealing with loss, maladies and changing times. “How long have we been doing this?” asks Jack. “Since we felt good,” replies Ed. The pair share easy conversation until Jack hits a nerve, exposing Ed’s still raw emotions. Weir and Jackson are riveting as loss brings them even closer as friends. Madson directs.
Paul Weir plays a recent widower in “Good Neighbors” during Village Playhouse’s One Act Festival.
In “The Visitation” death is featured, but in this one it’s strictly for laughs. Before visitors arrive, Mrytle (Vivian Moller) spews her anger at her husband Leonard’s (everyone calls him Lumpy) funeral and the burden she feels lifted by his being gone. Lumpy’s brothers Darnell (Evan Prier) and Parnell (Tom Jozwik) soon appear, reminiscing and discussing the unsavory circumstances of his death which leads to laughs and a surprise ending. Sandra Wyss plays Darnell’s wife while Donna McMaster is Parnell’s wife and serves as the show’s director. Playing the funeral director is Lea Cornell while Maureen Lavin plays the vampish Betsy Baker. This cast squeezes a lot of chuckles out of Mike Willis’ rustic characters.
In yet another look at aging, Dawn Molly Dewane plays Elizabeth Blackburn, a 110-year-resident at a nursing home in Gary Jones’ “The Oldest Crawford County Widow Tells All,” directed by Zuehlke. Elizabeth details her interesting life and loves to her very disinterested caregiver played by Wickland, who files Elizabeth’s nails while making condescending remarks to the accomplished centenarian-plus trying to cling to her dignity.
If you go
Who: Village Playhouse
What: 35th One-Act Festival
When: Through Nov. 14
Where: Interchange Theater Co-Op, 628 N. 10th St., Milwaukee
What’s More: A virtual option will be available. Check the website: www.villageplayhouse.org