Little Theatre opens summer season with a bang

By Lorraine Lucciola, Standard-Times correspondent

The Little Theatre of Fall River launches its summer season with a bang -- literally -- with a powerhouse production of "You Can't Take It With You."

This wonderfully tight and very funny show reverberates in the intimacy of the Firebarn, Little Theatre's home at Prospect Street and Highland Avenue.

From the moment the characters of Paul Sycamore and the nebulous "Mr. DePinna" emerge from their bomb-making escapades in the basement of a house that is also home to a garden variety of crazies, this show takes off with energy and verve and keeps delivering until the curtain call.

Director J.C. Wallace has scored with this George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart script, an American theater classic. The highlight of his direction is seen in this cast's treatment of character.

Each fictional personality is perfect, focused, a museum gem. Each possesses some eccentric agenda that gives them a lovely detachment from reality, which is actually the stuff that binds them under one shaky and explosive roof.

Martin Vanderhoff (Grandpa) is wonderfully and warmly played by Kenneth Carrier in his first-ever appearance on stage. This Don Rickles look-alike and former special needs teacher brings it home as the relaxed, all-accepting patriarch of an extended family and a swarm of boarders.

Mr. Carrier's comedic timing is impeccable. We laugh with him as he comments and chuckles at the antics of those around him. He is honest, opinionated and easy with the life he knows. We feel safe and protected, in a zany kind of way, with Grandpa at the helm.

His daughter, Penny, is brought to flaky, unedited life by Bonnie Der Manelian. A typewriter that was delivered to their house by mistake eight years before haphazardly provided Penny with a writing career. We meet her as she is feverishly hammering out the "visitors' day at the monastery" segment of her book. Mrs. Der Manelian is naturally engaging and likable. She leads and we want to follow.

Her real-life husband, Guenther Der Manelian, plays her stage spouse, Paul Sycamore, as a genuinely regular guy. We are not quite sure what Paul does in life, other than join Mr. DePinna in the basement to harmlessly create bigger, better, louder and more colorful explosives which, from time to time, rock the set and frighten unsuspecting visitors. His partner in sound and light, Mr. DePinna, is played by Edward Costa, who, in effect, is always moving or nervously vibrating.

Donna Cook, Little Theatre veteran performer, returns as Essie, a floundering ballerina and maker of candy confections. Ms. Cook exists on another plane, a level known only to Essie. Prepared with her own physical fitness and dancing experience, this actress is brilliant in the role of the ethereal, childlike, simply satisfied Essie. Watch her in her ballet lesson with Mr. Kolenkhov. You will gain a renewed respect for dancers, actors and audiences who suffer from uncontrollable laughter.

Rounding out this harmless circle of loonies is Ed, portrayed by Roger Fournier, who plays Beethoven on the xylophone and likes to print things on an antiquated piece of equipment that looks like a cross between a slide projection device and a lathe. Mr. Fournier gives us an innocent, nerdy but sensitive character.

Rheba, the maid, is played by Little Theatre favorite Kelly Camara. This actress is simply superb in character roles -- this time as the giggly, anxious Irish maid. She pairs in the piece with Donald, another simple soul, played by David Faria.

Kolenkhov, an outspoken, boisterous Russian, is beautifully played by Bill Knight. He struts, yells and gestures with a measure of honesty that is welcome and outrageous.

If "normal" exists, it looks and sounds like Alice (Shandy Monte), the only Sycamore with a real job, and her fiancé, Tony, played by Jason Rosenstein. This couple is suitably cast. Individually, they are sure and confident.

Ms. Monte is young, lovely and attractive. As Alice, she fears each weird family moment that may turn Tony away -- but he refuses to budge. Mr. Rosenstein can melt hearts with his direct sincerity, as a solid, accomplished actor.

Internal Revenue Agent Henderson is alternately played by Joseph C. Wallace and Roger Mello with appropriate muscle and authority.

Suzie Gardiner plays a drunken actress, Gay Wellington, who passes out and revives at all the wrong moments. Ms. Gardiner is a master of physical comedy. The stern socialites of the piece, Tony's parents, the Kirbys, are played by Linda Tarricone and Dennis Smith, who embellish the expected shock and horror in their meeting with the Sycamores. Michelle Golda plays Olga.

Grandpa's philosophy that "life's pretty simple if you just relax ... because it's not a crazy world, it's just the people in it," carries this production along with pathos and humor.

Little Theatre's production of "You Can't Take It With You" lights the path for the group's summer season, which continues with "Sentimental Journey," a musical revue, in July, and "The Gin Game" in August.

"You Can't Take It With You" continues with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Firebarn in Fall River. Tickets are $10, $8 for students and senior citizens, and $5 for children 12 and under. For information and reservations, call (508) 675-1852.

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