The Clarkston Village Players know how to be funny. My personal favorite performances are their comedies by far, so I was curious to see what they did with ‘Enchanted April.? Some might not see the shift from American to British humor as drastic, but for many people, it can be hit or miss.
The English comic Eddie Izzard described British performances as mostly consisting of people walking through doorways going ‘Oh, I’m… oh, what? Well, I…oh…? This is obviously a humorous exaggeration about the subtlety of emotion and drama portrayed through dialogue, but I couldn’t help but think of it during this performance. There was plenty of ‘Oh…? moments, especially during the second act. Numerous moments have supposedly proper people being flustered or unspoken emotional stilting, all of which comes clear through mannerism and, occasionally, short dialogue, a testament to the players as a whole.
There isn’t much that can be said about the plot of ‘Enchanted April? that hasn’t been said before. The story has obviously attracted lots of followers both here and in Europe, with it being a popular stage production and a feature film. Even so, you might not think a guy in his 20’s would enjoy a story about four women enjoying an Italian getaway, but you’d be wrong.
Despite a slow start, the story picks up quickly, and by the final scene there isn’t a single dull moment during this play. The humor is very subtle at times, and is a big change from the absurdity in recent CVP performances, but very enjoyable.
Hale Wells, despite playing a relatively somber character, manages to bring out much of the early humor in the production, especially as her character Rose contrasts against Jenna Kellie Pittman, as the na’ve Lotty. Even with the humorous overtones in much of the production, the relationship between these two women provided a solid backbone to the story, and Pittman and Wells did an excellent job.
Likewise, contrast plays a major role in both the humor and the conflict of the play, with Pittman and Wells playing directly off of their dismissive husbands, played by Mel Case and Mike Beukema.
The always enjoyable Linda Mishler plays the ridiculously uptight Mrs. Graves, and CVP newcomer Melissa Farr plays the less proper Lady Caroline, whose personalities collide with even more humorous results than Rose and Lotty.
Beukema, what can I say? I went to school with Mike (we both earned English degrees from Oakland University) and I guess the last place I expected to see him again was on stage at the Depot Theater wearing nothing but a towel, but hey, life is funny that way. Beukema does make a nice addition to the CVP crew though, and I hope to see him on stage again.
Though Shaun Pittman and Karen McClellan have probably the least amount of stage time of everyone in the play, their characters certainly have the best responses, a strong reminder of the important details brought out by a solid ensemble cast.
I have to note that I wasn’t the only person in the audience impressed by the elaborate set design. Do not be fooled by the relatively simple look of the English home interiors seen during the first act. The audience was literally struck with awe as the set opened to reveal the gorgeous interior of the Italian castle.
Overall, CVP has done another great job bringing this story to life and audiences will not be disappointed.
Remaining performances of “Enchanted April” are scheduled for Nov. 10-12 and 16-18. Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $12 for Friday and Saturday performances, and $10 for Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase through www.clarkstonvillageplayers.org or by calling 248-625-2511. They are also available by leaving a message on the Clarkston Village Players ticket line at 248-625-8811. Tickets may be purchased at the door the night of the performance. However, availability cannot be assured.