I have long been a fan of the plays of David Lindsay-Abaire. "Fuddy Meers" made me laugh. "Wonder of the World" was wonderfully madcap and "Rabbit Hole" was deep. So, I was excited when I learned that as part of their 2015 season, Moonbox Productions would be presenting "Kimberly Akimbo." I went to the theater with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. This is a well written play beautifully realized by the Moonbox team of creatives and actors.
The action centers on Kimberly, a teenager who suffers from a rare genetic condition that causes her to age at 4.5 times the normal rate. So, at age 13, instead of experiencing menarche, she went through menopause. As the play opens, she is sixteen and looks 65. Her dysfunctional family does not quite know what to do with her. knowing that she will inevitably die soon, they treat her as if she were already a ghost,.while expecting a baby that they pray will be normal. Into this happy household comes Aunt Debra, a wildly inappropriate free spirit who drinks too much and plots get-rich schemes that involve Kimberly and her geeky boyfriend, Jeff. Debra had created some problems for the family in their last home, so they beat a hasty retreat and settled in Bogota, New Jersey, where they try very hard to keep a low profile.
Allison Olivia Choat directs this excellent cast in non-stop action that is never boring. The characters are vibrant as written, and convincingly enacted by the cast of five. John Paul Devlin's set screams "Trailer Trash"! Costumes by Susanne Miller, Lighting by Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Projections by Matthew Houstle and Sound by Joel Abbott create the universe that the playwright imagined these characters would inhabit. Dan Rodriquez has composed original incidental music that underscores much of the action of the play.
 |
| Sheriden Thomas as Kimberly Lucas Cardona as Jeff "Kimberly Akimbo" Moonbox Productions Through April 25 |
Each cast member makes a significant contribution to the success of this production.
Sheriden Thomas has the very difficult task of making Kimberly believable as a girlish spirit trapped inside a prematurely aged body. Her mastery of this complex role is marvelous. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire has written a three-dimensional character who is part old soul and part insecure adolescent. Ms. Thomas beautifully mines both ends of that spectrum with her vocal inflections, physical movements and a sparkle in her eyes that tell us that she is figuring things out for herself as she observes the crazy world in which she lives. Her performance alone makes a trip to the BCA's Plaza Theatre a trip worth taking. But she is supported by a quartet of other ensemble players who in their own right deliver memorable performances.
As Aunt Debra, Shana Dirik is a revelation. Whether she is hauling a mailbox into the family abode as part of a complex scheme to defraud a bank, or defiantly ignoring her brother-in-law's orders to get out of his house, she serves up an over-the-top performance that is simultaneously hilarious and heart breaking.
 |
| Sheriden Thoms as Kimberly Micah Green as Pattie Shana Dirik as Debra Lucas Cardona as Jeff "Kimberly Akimbo" Moonbox Productions Through April 25 |
The long suffering husband and nominal head of this family is Buddy, played with great skill by Andrew Winson. This working class stiff is overwhelmed by life - an ailing daughter, a hormonal pregnant wife, a sister-in-law who keeps turning up like a bad penny. He tries hard to keep everything together, but you sense that he never really has a shot at living a normal life under these circumstances.
Micah Greene is Pattie, Kimberly's accident-prone and hypochondriac mother. It becomes clear that she will do almost anything to ensure that the next child - who could arrive at any moment - will be normal and healthy. Her emotional neglect of Kimberly and Buddy, and her toleration of Debra's presence sets the stage for complications that are classic Lindsay-Abaire in their level of absurdity and hilarity.
Rounding out this terrific cast is young Lucas Cardona as Jeff. This student from Boston Arts Academy holds his own on a stage with seasoned Equity Actors. He brings a nuanced approach to Jeff that is a delight to observe. He becomes a rock and a refuge for Kimberly, and eventually takes some risks that allow her to take wing and fly out of the cuckoo's nest that is her family. He is at the wheel of the vehicle that takes him and Kimberly through the drive-through Safari at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is a wonderful denouement to this entertaining play that provides much food for thought about the nature of family and acceptance and what is means to fit in.
 |
| Micah Greene as Pattie Andrew Winson as Buddy Sheriden Thomas as Kimberly "Kimberly Akimbo" Moonbox Productions Through April 25 |
Moonbox Productions Website
Enjoy!
Al
No comments:
Post a Comment