Review: Boeing Boeing at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse

The outlandish farce Boeing Boeing now plays on The Winnipesaukee Playhouse stage in Meredith, New Hampshire. Originally written by Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans, it is the story of Bernard, a Parisian bachelor played by William Wilder, who has, through meticulous calculations, gotten himself intertwined with three fiancés. There’s Gloria, an American air hostess played by Rebecca Tucker, Gabriella, an Italian air hostess played by Molly Parker Myers, and Gretchen, a German air hostess played by Suzanne Kimball. The essential factor that keeps all his fiancés from ending up in their Paris flat at one time is the fact that they all work for different airlines and have different routes around the world.

(L to R) Rebecca Tucker, William Wilder, Suzanne Kimball, & Molly Parker Myers in Boeing Boeing. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

When Boeing introduces a larger, faster aircraft the odds for Bernard's well-crafted life style to disastrously crumble exponentially increase. Thankfully, his housekeeper Berthe, played by Barbara Webb, helps him keep it all sorted. When his old school friend Robert, outstandingly played by Nicholas Wilder, comes to visit, rather than showing him how easily he keeps his charade with three fiancés working, Bernard inadvertently demonstrates just how easily forces beyond his control can send his world into a tail spin.

Played out in a colorful living room that was designed by Dan Daly and lit by Becky Marsh, the bright design elements matched the vibrant characters that inhabited the space. The costumes, designed by Lori McGinley, paired nicely with each character and their personality. The sound design by Neil Pankhurst included pre-show music that featured jazzy instrumentals, bluesy tunes sung in French, and a bit of Frank Sinatra. The music effortlessly eased the audience into a relaxed state making them ready for a few laughs, and laugh they did.

If the farfetched story summary wasn’t clear, this play is a classic farce. It is filled with overdone characterizations, bordering on obnoxious accents and non-stop physical comedy. While all that might make a regular comedic play seem overtly over the top and unbelievable, when it comes to a farce if it’s not exaggerated, the well timed physical action and punch line delivery won’t have the same effect on the audience. The goal of a farce is to make the audience laugh and while the circumstances the characters find themselves in can be ridiculous, it makes how they handle those situations all the more humorous for the audience.

This cast did a splendid job presenting this highly entertaining play. It was clear the audience enjoyed escaping from reality for a few hours of frivolous fun. © 

Boeing Boeing runs about two and a half hours including intermission and plays at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse until July 7^th. Performances are Mondays through Saturdays at 7:30pm with a matinee on July 2^nd at 2pm. There are no performances on Sunday or July 4^th. Tickets range from $20-$34. For additional information and tickets visit www.winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org 

Special Events from the Education Department:

Friday, June 29^th – How’d They Do That?

Following the performance, you’re invited to join the technical staff for a backstage tour of Boeing Boeing and learn the secrets of the set. 

Tuesday, July 3rd - Talkback
Following the performance, you’re invited for an informal discussion with the cast and creative team.

Thursday, July 5^th, 6-6:45pm – Symposium

Pre-show presentation offering insight into the play. Boeing, Boeing and The Three-Body Problem. Presented by Thom Beaulieu, BFA in Drama, Carnegie Mellon University & MS in Physics, Georgia State University. 

Review: Miss Julie sets the bar high for the Summer Season at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse

Rebecca Tucker as Miss Julie. Photo by Matthew Lomanno

Directed by Matt Cahoon, this US Premiere production of Howard Brenton’s new adaptation of August Strindberg’s 1888 play Miss Julie invites the audience into the kitchen of a home in Sweden. It tells the story of Julie, lady of the house, Jean, her father’s valet, and Kristin, the house cook and Jean’s fiancé. It is a story of lust, ambition and a desire to break through the barriers of class. When Julie and Jean give in to the building sexual tension between them, the unforeseen consequences are catastrophic.

At the start of the play, Julie is a seemingly happy young woman who is enjoying a good time on a midsummer’s eve while her father, the Earl, is away. She is playful and flirty with Jean, who tries to resist her advances for fear of being caught by the other servants with the Earl’s daughter. What is fascinating to watch is the game Julie and Jean play with one another; especially when they each think they are in control of it. Julie, who had sworn she would never let a man control her or have power over her, allows herself to be wooed by Jean and when it doesn’t end how she had hoped, it crushes her. She thought Jean was more than just a lover, she thought he was a friend she could trust. When he reveals that this is not the case, she is devastated by the decisions she made in her time of weakness. In the end, after what seems like a complete psychotic break that Julie is unable to recover from, she begs Jean to order her to do what she thinks will save her from her mistakes.

Riveting from start to finish, this torturous story was performed by an immensely talented trio that included Rebecca Tucker as Miss Julie, Nicholas Wilder as Jean, and Carey Cahoon as Kristin. They were so in tune with their characters and their relationships that the audience was quickly drawn into their world. Yet, in watching their performances, it was as if the audience didn’t exist and there really was a fourth wall in the kitchen. Their emotional intensity was strikingly palpable.  

Carey Cahoon’s portrayal of Kristin gave a down to earth contrast to the boundless desires of Julie and Jean. Rebecca Tucker’s powerful performance as Miss Julie captivated the audience. It was apparent that she poured every ounce of herself into this character. No part seemed forced or overdone, she was completely genuine. At the start she was classy and charming with a touch of naiveté. Later her performance of Julie’s rapid demise was done with raw emotional anguish. Her scenes with Jean, incredibly played by Nicholas Wilder, were passionate yet fiercely destructive. As Jean, Wilder was tender and affectionate, but also deceitful, cruelly honest, and angrily heartbroken. He played Jean unlike any other character I have seen him portray. Though I have enjoyed both Tucker and Wilder’s performances in the past, their portrayals of Julie and Jean, might be the most emotional, psychological and gut-wrenchingly transformative performances I’ve seen them give.

When the final scene concluded and the lights faded to black the audience sat silently stunned. The only thing that could be heard were a few breathless whispers of “Wow”. Moments later the lights rose for curtain call and it didn’t take long for the audience to stand and applaud. If an audience member wasn’t standing by the time Rebecca Tucker walked on stage they stood when she did. As one of the strongest casts I have seen in recent memory, they deserved every moment of that standing ovation. ©

Miss Julie runs about 80 minutes with no intermission and plays at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse until June 23^rd. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm with a matinee on June ^21st at 2pm. Tickets range from $20-$34. For additional information and tickets visit www.winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org 

Special Events from the Education Department:

Friday, June 15^th – How’d They Do That?

Following the performance, you’re invited to join the technical staff for a backstage tour of Miss Julie and learn the secrets of the set.

Wednesday, June 20th - Talkback
Following the performance, you’re invited for an informal discussion with the cast and creative team.

Thursday, June 21^st, 6-6:45pm – Symposium

Pre-show presentation offering insight into the play. The Highest Shall Be the Lowest: Perspectives on Power in Miss Julie. Presented by Timothy L’Ecuyer, Education Director at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse

Review: The Nora Theatre Company presents Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Left to Right: Jaime Carrillo, Greg Maraio, Dan Whelton & Stewart Evan Smith. Photo by Forden Photography. 

Now playing at Central Square Theater (Cambridge, MA) is Les Liaisons Dangereuses presented by The Nora Theatre Company. The novel, of the same name, was written in 1782 by Pierre-Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos. Two hundred years later Christopher Hampton penned the play that would go on to premiere at The Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985. While the story is familiar and has been produced a myriad of ways, in this version all ten characters, including six women, are portrayed by an all-male cast. Director Lee Mikeska Gardner first did this play with an all-male cast when she directed a production in Washington, D.C. in 2005 and wanted to direct a similar production here in Boston over a decade later. This concept is a new, intriguing way to tell an old story and I’m sure while some are confused by it, others are curious to see how it would play out on stage. 

The play opens with the cast, dressed in neutral trousers and various white shirts, stationed around the simplistically designed stage. One at a time they walk to a table placed down stage center and select an accessory that has something to do with their character. Items included a bejeweled choker, a flask, a ring, and a scarf, to name a few. Upon selecting their item they make a clear gesture or facial expression that gives us a hint as to whom they will be portraying. After just these first few moments I could tell, as I looked at the audience around me, that they were eager to see this unique concept unfold.

This story of seduction, deception, manipulation and jealousy is set in France amongst the aristocracy before the revolution. Humor is laced throughout with subtle, provocative jokes that in some cases were made more blatant due to the execution by the actors. While some of the performances lacked believability, and were rather mediocre, others kept the audience engaged in the story. Two of these were lead actors Greg Maraio and Dan Whelton whose amusing sparring sessions kept the intensity high. Greg Maraio, who portrayed La Marquise de Merteuil, gave a nuanced performance showing the audience just how calculating and clever the Marquise is. Rarely does the Marquise show all her cards. She has a powerful magnetism that seduces those around her, including Dan Whelton’s character Le Vicomte de Valmont. Valmont is, in many instances, the toy that La Marquise de Merteuil enjoys playing with and mistreating. When he falls in love with La Presidente de Tourvel, Merteuil’s jealous reaction confirms she will not be crossed. Valmont is standing up for himself, but it’s a little too late as his defiance leads to his demise. Whelton and Maraio’s scenes were often fiery with a mix of deep rooted passion and visceral distain. Maraio’s portrayal was not only sophisticated, strong and sultry, but he also showed the vulnerability of his character. He fully embodied not only the personality of his character, but the physical aspects as well, from the way he held his body, shoulders back and chest lifted as if he wore an invisible corset, to the way he spoke, crisply with the proper diction of an elite aristocrat. Maraio’s performance as La Marquise de Merteuil is a surefire highlight in this production.

The company notes this production contains full nudity, sexual content, violence and a sword fight and advises audience members be over the age of 18. I, however, found the nudity to be unnecessary and a bit detrimental to the concept of men playing the female roles. That being said, this old classic was artistically given new life that will hopefully appeal to a younger, more diverse audience. © Running at two and a half hours including intermission Les Liaisons Dangereuses plays until July 1^st. Tickets and more information can be found at CentralSquareTheater.org.