THEATER REVIEW
“Where There’$ a Will” - Produced by: Theatre Three - Port Jefferson
Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur
Phyllis March, Jessica Contino, & Mary Ellin Kurtz Going bananas in Sanzel’s ‘Where There’$ a Will’
When you accept the wacky premise of this farce, without actually knowing where it will lead, you’ve let yourself in for an outrageously funny experience in Theatre Three’s delightful old Port Jefferson playhouse. Why? Because as when viewing any theatrical charade, one must buy into its madcap hypothesis in order for the ensuing sight and dialogue gags to work. In short, such a play will tickle your funny bone, but only if you invite it to do so … and “Where There’$ a Will” is a perfect example of the phenomenon.
Most staged absurdities feature a small cast wherein four or five easily recognized characters come and go, as opposing doors open and close with perfect timing … or cases of mistaken identity and unannounced appearances abound. We of the audience are in on the bogus business from the outset, of course, and that’s the lynchpin that makes for a successful farce. Allowing ourselves to become Peeping Toms is the sine qua non behind any satisfying comedic travesty, after all, and therein lies the genius of “Where There’$ a Will.”
Indeed, one of the most unique aspects of the laugh-out-loud chaos being staged at Theatre Three thru May 6th is the depth of its seasoned cast. Who ever heard of seventeen actors … especially the likes of professionals such as Steve Ayle, Marci Bing, Michael Butera, Carol Carota, Jessica Contino, Ginger Dalton, Susan Emory, Sari Feldman, Jack Howell, Joan Howell, Skyler Quinn Johnson, Maryellin Kurtz, Phyllis March, Linda May, Steve McCoy, Maryellen Molfetta, and Ruthie Pincus … (whew!) … all performing in perfect synchronization throughout a single complex farce?
To my knowledge, such an ambitious undertaking has heretofore been unheard of in the legitimate theater. It out-Bards the Bard.
The story … actually written by Long Island’s premier actor/director/playwright, Jeffrey Sanzel, when he was but eighteen! … is this: A number of struggling actors have a chance to inherit half a million dollars each from a wealthy theater aficionado known as The Potato King. All they have to do is mount a production of his original play “Where There’$ a Will.” Staging the show sounds easy enough, but there’s a catch; nobody is bequeathed one red cent unless and until they perform the play exactly as it’s written … warts and all. The theater buff’s last will and testament might as well have been carved in stone … there are to be no exceptions … the deceased’s indomitable lawyer (along with his tight-fisted wife number four) sees to that! Accordingly, the heterogeneous acting company runs into more bumps on the thespian road than they ever imagined possible, and makes us privy to hilarious and poignant backstage maneuvering in the bargain.
It’s virtually impossible to distribute accolades in this critique with the even-handedness that such a large and expert cast of veteran players deserves. Certainly Marci Bing and Linda May, along with Jack Howell and Steve McCoy are as proficient as any acting quartet working in Long Island theater today. However, only the size of the cast prohibits an in-depth analysis of the troupe’s entertaining performances. Give each of them all the stars you’ve got in your basket of kudos.
The same goes for Randall Parsons, Chakira Doherty, and Robert Henderson (set, costume, and lighting designers respectively). They never disappoint Theatre Three audiences.
As for the play’s incomparable director Jeffrey Sanzel (assisted by Andrew Markowitz), those theatergoers who have followed Sanzel’s career surely are not surprised to learn that he exhibited so much keen theatrical insight at the tender age when he created “Where There’$ a Will.” Now that the local impresario extraordinaire has reached middle age with such cultured grace and élan, it can be justly noted that Sanzel’s legion of actors, patrons, and friends may count themselves privileged not only to know him … but even to have had a conversation with the man.
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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s recently completed thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, is due next month, and will be introduced at the Smithtown Library on Sunday afternoon, May 21st. The book involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com