| < back |
 |
:: The Ugly One Theatre 134 in the ArtSpace @ Crestwood Court |
“All four actors do terrific work. Not one single moment feels out of sync or is in any way jarring with the script's buoyantly cynical tone. The acting ensemble delivers a bracing evening of delightful harmony… But that's just icing. When it's not running as fast as it can, THE UGLY ONE stands on its own as a wickedly probing social satire. By presenting one of the first American productions of this lightning bolt of a play — and by staging it so enjoyably — once again Echo reminds us of its integral place in the St. Louis theater scene. This small but vital company excels in offering audiences something outside the norm. And not different merely for the sake of being different: It's hard to imagine theater being much more fun than this. “Little uses his limited space astonishingly well, and it’s easy to make all the necessary assumptions to be in a lot of places, and not just in the rear of something that probably was a shoe store in an earlier incarnation. A delightful evening that stretches the imagination and brings considerable laughter. And it’s wonderful to see a comedy that is exactly the right length.” “One thing that makes a comedy enjoyable is if the actors look like they’re having fun. After weeks of rehearsal, if they seem like they’re engaged in their situations for the first time, the show is much more likely to turn out to be fresh and amusing. THE UGLY ONE’S four cast members demonstrate that truth. Ben Nordstrom (Lette), Michelle Hand (Fanny), Terry Meddows (Karlmann) and Charlie Barron (Scheffler) give the audience a good time because they seem to be having a blast themselves with this romp through weird science… I don’t want to give any more plot details because that would ruin too many surprises. Suffice to say that this 55-minute piece crams a lot of fun, and makes some serious points along the way, in its short running time... In the end, Nordstrom has a scene with himself that is an amazing bit of acting. It is the high point in a show filled with them and with excellent performances all around.” “Lette, played by Kevin Kline Award winner Ben Nordstrom, is suddenly awakened to the fact that he is, quite possibly, the ugliest schmo on the planet. His boss Scheffler, his assistant Karlman, and his wife Fanny take turns disparaging poor Lette with one hilarious zinger after another. The quick paced, Capra-esque banter of the first half of the play is the funniest of the one hour presentation, which is performed without intermission. Desperate for a solution, Lette goes under the knife with a plastic surgeon, who, aided by one man sound effects crew Terry Meddows, performs surgical sight and sound schtik that will make your face numb with laughter. Nordstrom's transformation from humble, hard-working "Beast" to vain, self absorbed "Beauty" is a joy to watch and he clearly relishes the role. Michelle Hand demonstrates amazing comedic timing as she alternates between roles as wife and geriatric seductress. Charlie Barron excels as Lette's alpha male boss and alternately as his quack surgeon. And Terry Meddows is hysterical in dual roles as the droopy assistant and lascivious mama's boy. The script is supremely funny…” “And in spite of the nearly non-existent set and lighting, and the brevity of the show (60 minutes), director Eric Little and his cast cram in enough comic elegance for a show twice as long.” “…But this downscale theater …'poor in accoutrements, rich in imagination …' is well-suited to THE UGLY ONE, German playwright Marius von Mayenburg's acidic comedy of modern manners. Under Little's direction, THE UGLY ONE needs no frou-frou to make its apt point.”
|