Connor Murphy acts as Lawrence Wingvalley (Photo by Andy Ribner)
By Brittany Jahn and Amruta Trivedi
Durang Durang, directed by Theatre Conservatory guest artist Brandon Taylor and math teacher Brian Shay, is a series of short plays that, to paraphrase Mrs. Sorken (Jennifer Graessle), the theatergoing matron created to introduce the work, find the “Dramamine in drama.”
In this collection of five short plays, each slightly less than 30 minutes, Christopher Durang has taken up the satirists’ pen to enter the world created by playwright Tennessee Williams. Characterized by comical wit, elongated storylines and sexual persuasions, this play can be both endearing and exasperating: there are times it can seem juvenile and predicable and other times that can make you slightly uncomfortable. But, it is sure to make you laugh.
The second act, “For Whom the Belle Tolls,” is directed by Taylor and plays on Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” It follows the life of a mopey mother, Amanda Wingvalley (Emma Stratton) sitting in her small apartment and feeling sorry for herself and her two stay-at-home sons. When her oldest son, Tom, (Patrick Kelly) brings a female caller, Virginia Bennett (Haley Carlborg), from his workshop to perhaps marry his crippled, limping brother, Lawrence (Conner Murphy), Amanda hopes that she will have a chance to live for herself again. However, once Virginia enters, the act changes direction. Because Virginia has suffered from hearing loss by working in the factory, she often misinterprets what Amanda, Lawrence and Tom say. This invites laughter from the audience, but when Virginia admits to being a lesbian, Amanda’s hopes of a social life fade and she returns to her mopey, depressed self. Meanwhile, Lawrence resumes entertaining himself with his collection of swizzle sticks and is unfazed by Virginia Bennett’s abrupt and his mother’s bitterness towards him. The scene, however tragic, has an inherently comical aura about it that makes even the most wry characters (including Amanda) charming, not to mention the despondent Tom, high-spirited Virginia and innocent Lawrence.
While each of the acts has something intriguing to offer, the fourth one will have more significance to CCA students, especially to those Shay-loving calc-buffs that roam our campus. The witty banter and comical situations in the act that Shay directed certainly leaves the audience laughing at. The act follows Jim (Connor Murphy) and Marsha (Francesca Carter), an unhappy couple who have been married for thirteen long years. Marsha’s patience is tested when Jim’s high school sweetheart, Wanda (Haley Carlborg) calls unexpectedly and wishes to stay the night at the couple’s house. The audience will laugh when Marsha grits her teeth through an awkward dinner as Wanda tells her life story which, since high school, has consisted of promiscuity, wild times and a soft spot for old-“Jimbo.” As the act finishes and the audience prepares for the fifth act, one thing is already for certain: Shay can teach calc and direct comedy.
Opening this Thursday, the Envision Program’s production of Durang Durang guarantees an entertaining evening of laughs. The all-star cast, consisting of nine CCA juniors and seniors, seven of whom are members of Theater Conservatory, portray their many characters with versatility, and also use a little creative license to individualize their characters, making each character seem incomplete without that particular actor. This adds to the production’s memorable charm and solidifies its place as one of CCA’s most dynamic productions to date.
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