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BRIGHT STAR – Music, Book and Story by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; Directed by Steve Wilson; Choreographed by Tia Bloom; Vocal Direction by Jalyn Courtenay Webb; Music Direction by Mason Siders. Produced by Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown) through June 8. Tickets available at 970-744-3747 or info@ColoradoCandlelight.com.

I love playwrights and lyricists who are thoughtful enough to give everyone in the cast a little sumthin sumthin to do in the spotlight once and awhile.  It’s all well and good to be a member of a terrific ensemble of singers and dancers, but, occasionally, it’s nice to have a line or two or a verse to sing on your own.  Mr. Martin and Ms. Brickell must have remembered being in that position more than once in their climb up the ladder of success.  Because in addition to giving the leads powerful scenes and outstanding songs, they also gave nearly everyone on stage a little bit of the song to sing or a few lines to learn in addition to the lovely country choreography. 

This whole musical is Alice Murphy’s story, and the amazing Jennasea Pearce gets most of the songs and storytelling aspects of the evening.  But as examples of how the composers gave other people places to shine, there’s Scott Severtson who, as Alice’s father, had to make a terrible decision in a heartbreaking scene.  Then he and his daughter have a touching scene of forgiveness years later. Adienne Asterita as Alice’s mother had an equally heart-rending part in that decision, but stood by her daughter through everything.  She had several short solos that displayed not only her superb singing voice but her acting ability as well.  Carter Edward Smith proves he’s worthy of the bad guy title as the father who commits an unforgivable sin to “protect” his son and then must face the consequences.  Adrianna Delpericio and Candlelight regular Eric Heine step into the spotlight as the second set of parents with important dialogue and sweet sentiments.  Cory Michael Klements, Hugh Butterfield, and Myles Wright – after dancing their shoes off in the ensemble – step into dramatic roles as a doctor, a lawyer, and a records clerk to add to the story.  Taylor Baker and Charlotte Campbell play the saucy bookstore clerks and bring personality and humor to their scenes. The whole ensemble of dancers and singers provides extraordinary backup for the principal players. 

Who are they?  Jennasea Pearce playing the difficult role of the young and then the 23-years-later adult Alice Murphy is the heart of the story.  She is a woman of incredible depth of compassion, love, and determination.  Jennasea’s strength as a performer brings Alice’s story into the light with clarity as it bounces back and forth in time.  A very brilliant inspiration by the playwrights has Alice morph from the young to the older Alice by walking out of one set of clothing and into another right on stage.  It says to the audience, “These are both Alice.  Keep up!”  Without telling the whole story – because you are going to want to see this one acted and sung – Jennasea has scenes of unimaginable sorrow and breathtaking happiness.  She does both equally well. 

How nice to see a name I’ve noticed in programs all over town – Jazz Mueller – step up and show us what he’s got.  In addition to a precognitive mother who gave him that appropriate name, Jazz has got dancing, singing, and acting chops to spare.  He puts off a young Paul Newman vibe that was well-suited for this role of a man who hits the highs and lows of life with equal hope. The confrontation he has with his father as he learns the truth about an incomprehensible situation is riveting.  But he swallows it and thinks only of his love for Alice and how not to break her heart.  While he’s breaking his own and that of everyone in the audience as well.  Well done, Mr. Mueller. 

Another key player in this whole scenario is Billy Cane, played by newcomer Andrew Hensel.  Andrew brings a sweet innocence to his role as the novice novelist that is quite compelling.  Billy’s naive approach to romance is delightful and sweet, while his destined love interest, Margo, waits patiently for him to discover her.  Paige Bryant brings Margo’s secret hopes and desires to quiet life. 

Comic relief shows up in the duo who work for Alice at the publishing house.  Jude Thurman and AJ Milunas jump into first performances at Candlelight with both feet.  I’m feeling quite sure they won’t be the last.  They bring a much-welcomed “Lucy and Ricky” vibe to the fun with AJ in the Lucy role.  They start as snobbish co-workers and end up as good friends to the hapless Billy still trying to figure life out.  Their musical number “Another Round” is a highlight of the second act. 

While there must be designated hooks backstage to hold the alternate clothes for all the characters as they switch back and forth from 1923 to 1946, the costumes hanging on those hooks are beautifully designed to keep us solidly in the correct place in the story and create an authentic picture of the history being explored.  The hairstyles additionally added to the authenticity of the production.  Kudos to the Debs – both Faber and Spaur for their work on this show.  The set designed by Casey Kearns, the props created by Rachel Ross, the lights designed by Vance Mackenzie, and the sound monitored by Mark Derryberry all combine to create gorgeous stage pictures, allow for smooth transitions in time, and enhance the overall production with professionalism and care.   

But the success of this production also rests easily on the shoulders of the creative team of Steve Wilson as Director, Tia Bloom as Choreographer, Jalyn Courtenay Webb as Vocal Director, and Mason Siders as Music Director.  Together, they guide this cast into the joyful noise of this production.  Steve has instilled a bit of his own heart into leading his cast into the charming evening they have all given us. Kick up your heels and come see this show!

A WOW factor of 9!!  That’s two 9’s in a row for you guys.  Good job!! 

GRAND HORIZONS – Written by Bess Wohl; Directed by Bernie Cardell.  Produced by Vintage Theatre (1468 Dayton Street, Aurora) through April 27.  Tickets available at 303-856-7830 or VintageTheatre.org. 

There is just something inherently funny about a mature (supposedly) long-married couple exchanging insults.  They know each other well enough to hit the right buttons. The long-married couple in GRAND HORIZONS has entered that “why am I still with this person?” syndrome, resulting in misery for them and comic enjoyment for the audience. Along the way, we discover that hearing older folk discuss their sex problems and pleasures can be both embarrassing and hysterical. 

It doesn’t help that the warring couple, Nancy and Bill, are played by local theatrical legends Deb Persoff and Verl Hite – both comfortable with exchanging insults and affection with each other. They fit together like the proverbial hand in a glove . . . curled into a fist. They illustrate the comic aspects of a marriage on the brink with an air of civility, as in “we can get through this without losing our dignity.”  

The script leads us into the reality of their situation with a quiet scene over breakfast with her reading – he trying to write a joke for his stand-up class.  But it quickly goes downhill from there.  The situation is not improved by the appearance of their two grown sons, Ben and Brian, played by the brilliant Luke Rahmsdorff-Terry and Mark Pergola, who have both been gone from Denver stages far too long.  They also bring long-simmering rivalries into this situation with their parents, like real brothers. They are accompanied by Ben’s very pregnant wife Jess (Jennifer So), easily the least volatile in the family. Even she grows a little tiresome with her social-worker attempts to mediate the family.  The bottom line, however, is that these people genuinely care for each other. There is such an authentic air of familiarity in this group of players, you can believe that they are truly family.  But the F in this Family stands for fun.   

The cast is completed with the appearance of Tommy, a one-night stand picked up by Brian.  Johnathan Underwood brings a flirty charm to a guy just looking for a good time in an awkward situation.  The final member is Linda Suttle as Carla, the inevitable other woman in this equation.  A very funny scene between Nancy and Carla illustrates their determination to handle the situation like two reasonable adults.  Nancy even tells Carla that she’s the answer to Nancy’s prayer.  Which results in a sea change in the whole dynamic. 

The husband and wife in WAR OF THE ROSES have nothing on this family, with each displaying their own particular set of problems.  Has anyone grown or changed much by the end of this episode in their lives by the end of the evening?  Not especially.  But they all move on with affection for each other.  And isn’t that what we really all do when faced with family issues?  But they certainly provide a lot of laughs for their audience in the meantime. 

A WOW factor of 8.50!! 

PERFECT ARRANGEMENT – Written by Topher Payne; Directed by Troy Lakey.  Produced by Firehouse Theater Company (7653 East 1st Place, Denver – in Lowry) through May 4th.  Tickets available at 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com. 

Topher Payne is gaining quite a reputation in Colorado theatre circles.  His play YOU ENJOY MYSELF was recently done in Boulder; now a second play has graced the stage at Firehouse.  I have heard a rumor that there may be another of his works unveiled in the near future.  Good on you, Mr. Payne.  It’s a well-deserved splash as his plays are both funny and insightful.  His stated philosophy is that he likes to lead with comedy and then drop in the message after he hooks the audience with humor. 

Which is exactly what he does in PERFECT ARRANGEMENT.  We learn early on that even the most seemingly “perfect” solution will have cracks and need flexibility to handle the inevitable burps.  In this case, two gay men and two gay women have supposedly solved their problem of required secrecy of their lovestyle in the wake of the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s.  They have adjoining apartments with a walk-through closet allowing them to appear as two “normal” married couples.  But in the evening, when any potential snoops will have gone to bed, so do the friends – the women in one apartment; the men in the other.  Even under these circumstances, they often have to watch for unexpected visitors and come up with off-the-cuff explanations of why someone is in the “wrong” apartment. Hence, the humor. 

This works only because all four people involved are committed to making it work and quick-witted enough to cover their tracks. However, when put to the test, the cracks begin to show.  Millie (a cunning Miranda Byers) and Norma (Katie Medved in her first time at Firehouse) would love to have a more routine existence – maybe even a child. Bob (Andrew Uhlenhopp ) and Jim (Matthew Combs) are content with the current arrangement. But then Bob, who works in McCarthy’s office, is ordered to start investigating the “deviants” (read gay folk) in the government offices. He who thought he had everything under control soon realizes he has about as much control as a ten-year-old girdle.  Andrew creates a fully developed character with cockiness and control issues.  He is balanced with the slightly younger, fun-loving Matthew, who goes along to get along.  Jim finally finds enough gumption to make an important decision on his own. 

Matt Hindmarch is a clueless boss to Bob and Norma who still manages to mess up their lives.  His wife Kitty, played by the always delightful Johanna Jaquith, provides a great deal of the comic relief with her ditsy ways.  You soon learn however that there are deeper emotions to be found in this lonely woman.  Completing the cast is Kelly Uhlenhopp as the office bombshell sexpot who hides her own secret under a cloak of sexuality.  Kelly is the kind of actress who walks into a room and owns it – a trait that works very well for her always-on-the-prowl Barbara. 

It’s hard to equate how comic this script can be while still dealing with heartbreaking issues of acceptance.  There are scenes that make you laugh out loud juxtaposed with scenes capable of moving you to tears.  That Mr. Payne really knows how to write a touching story and these actors bring it to meaningful life. Director Troy Lakey has found the right people for the job and then created the environment in which the story could be told with grace and understanding. 

As always, the tiny tech crew at Firehouse pulled another gorgeous set out of their imagination.  Designed, built, and painted by Jeff Jesmer and Megan Davis, then dressed by Samatha Piel, it provides a charming place to play.  Rachel Herring-Luna gave all the characters outstanding and truly 50s-looking clothes to wear.  I remember those dresses. 

This is one of those plays that will sneak up on unsuspecting watchers and, despite having a good time, you walk away having learned something new.  More take-away than a Burger King!! 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK  HOLMES MYSTERY – Written by Ken Ludwig; Directed by Matt Zambrano.  Produced by Lone Tree Arts Center (10075 Common Street, Lone Tree) through April 16.  Tickets available at 720-509-1000 or LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. 

I’m just going to start with the one thing that bothered me about this production – then tell you about everything I adored.  Ken Ludwig, the playwright who brought us such comic gems as LEND ME A TENOR, MOON OVER BUFFALO, LEADING LADIES, and the companion piece to tonight’s production, MORIARTY, has a gift for rapid-paced dialogue, farcical situations (with fewer doors), and lightning-fast action and costume changes. BASKERVILLE was built to that model as well.  

But the playing space at Lone Tree is marvelously huge, working beautifully for productions such as EVITA, WHITE CHRISTMAS, DREAMGIRLS, and the like with casts of dozens.  Ludwig’s little delight had six actors who were required to fill a space suitable for a spectacle.  The distance the fast-moving cast members had to travel from backstage to mid-stage created a slower pace – sometimes disturbing; other times funny as the actors seemed to acknowledge their difficulty in getting into place.  That isn’t to say that the evening isn’t completely enjoyable.  There is much to praise in this production.  I just wish the producers could have found a way to make the space fit the script. 

OK – that being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the production.  It revisits one of Holmes’ most well-known cases, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, who preyed on travelers crossing the Moor, as illustrated in the first scene.  Sherlock and his faithful companion Dr. Watson are acted with great aplomb by Gareth Saxe and Cameron Davis.  Gareth’s Sherlock is soft spoken, slightly arrogant, and gently elegant until the game’s afoot.  Then he revels in costumes and mental tricks.  Cameron’s Dr. Watson is a little more verbose and questioning, but up for anything. 

The remaining four actors in the cast include Noelia Antweiler and Jamie Molina, playing everything from housemaids to heiresses with complete confidence.  The male actors are Bryan Black and Zayaz Da Camara, who are equally at home with quick changes and becoming lovesick suitors and diabolical villains.   Together they do, of course, solve the murders and save the day.  But getting to the solution of the case is only a means of creating the fun of watching the case pursued. 

Kevin Nelson’s sets were splendid and moved quickly from Victorian parlor to London streets to mysterious Moor.  Max Silverman as Sound Designer created bloodcurdling wolf howls and background street sounds with equal skill.  Sarah Zinn’s costumes were beautiful and authentic.  Also, obviously designed to go off and on quickly as there were a multitude of changes of character and clothes. 

You have the chance to see the first of the Ludwig Sherlock Holmes plays with this one.  Someone will surely bring MORIARTY to life in Denver soon.  You can also bet that Ludwig is working on the third version as we speak. 

A WOW factor of 8.50! 

NATIONAL BOHEMIANS – Written by Luke Sorge; Directed by Warren Sherrill.  Produced by Miners Alley Performing Arts Center (1100 Miners Alley, Golden) through April 28th.  Tickets available at 303-935-3094 or minersalley.com. 

I generally start off talking about the story or the actors.  Even though this was an interesting story and the actors are terrific, the absolute superstars of this production are John Hauser, Sound Designer; Vance McKenzie, Lighting Designer; and Xander Claypool, who designed the set and made the lightning work.  The evening starts with a gusty wind blowing outside a garage loaded with junk.  While I’m at it, let me add Samantha Piel to that list of superstars.  She dressed that junky ol’ garage to the point that you could almost smell the oil spills on the floor and believe that everything had a greasy coat of dust on it.  The minifridge was filled with the exact number of National Bohemian (Natty Boh’s) beer, the brew of choice back East in Baltimore. 

Back to the storm.  First gusty winds blew the door out of people’s hands.  It gradually heightened in noise and velocity into a wind and rainstorm with lightning and thunder.  By Act II, it was a full-blown hurricane with horrible flashes of lightning, thunder that shook the building (literally), high velocity winds, and rain drenching the actors when they ran for the house outside.  Thunderclaps that made you jump in your seat.  Lightning flashing through the windows made you cringe.  It was not just a good storm; it was THE most realistic storm I’ve ever experienced in a theatre.  Kudos to all who had a part in making it happen.  And making it quit! 

This is one important part of the evening.  Another was the raucous but loving family drama playing out on the stage.  The oldest brother in a family of three, John (Tim Fishbaugh) has brought their mother home from her nursing home to “relieve her of her pain.”  He has been the closest to her geographically and has been taking care of her for some time.  The middle brother Thom (Len Matheo – who we don’t see on stage nearly enough) and the younger brother, Oscar (Steven Burge – who is also returning to the stage after too long an absence) hear of his actions and speed to their mother’s “rescue” with outrage at what he has done.  As the evening progresses, motives are discovered, personalities revealed, memories revisited, and unspoken reasons and plans uncovered.  A fourth character arrives – Thom’s estranged daughter Liah (Jenna Moll Reyes), who has her own bone to pick with all three of them.  A fifth unseen character is the mother – affectionally known as Boo Bird – whose voice comes querulously through the baby monitor.  During quiet moments, John often walks over and listens to his mother’s silence, as though expecting something to happen. 

There are surprising twists and turns to the story which create an unexpected conclusion – that it was a little hard to accept.  But no spoilers here!  You can render your own opinion in the comments after you’ve seen it. Luke has left unanswered questions for a sequel, I hope. The bottom line, however, is that you have to see it.  Come for the storm; stay for the story!

 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

ONCE – Book by Edna Walsh; Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; Directed by Carrie Colton; Music Direction by AbdulKarim Islam; Choreography by Carrie Bolton.  Produced by Town Hall Arts Center (2450 Main Street, Littleton) through April 27.  Tickets available at 303-794-2787 or townhallartscenter.org. 

If I told you that I could take you to a play that was as sturdy as a shillelagh, as tasty as colcannon, as lyrical as a Friday night in Paddy’s Bar, and as rowdy as Saturday night in Paddy’s Bar, wouldn’t you want to go?  Well, then, be taking yourself down to the local on the stage in the luvly Town Hall Arts Center for a bit of the auld Irish yourself now.  You’ll see a feisty bunch of those actor fellas singing and dancing like they knew what they were doing. Oh, there’s a bit of an almost love story going on as well. 

Seriously, folks, from the moment you walk in and hear the singing and stomping, it takes you home again.  You’re offered a drink and a sit down to enjoy the music.  But then it gets all quiet and the lone feller stands in the middle of the stage and sings a sad sad song, sets his guitar on the floor, and starts to walk away.  You just know his heart is breaking.  But suddenly, there’s this girl and she’s askin’ him what does he think he’s doing.  And they’re off.  The story goes on from there. 

Oh, but it’s luvly.  They sing to each other and bring some other folk into the mix as well.  There’s all kinds of friends hangin’ around, trying to get these two together and makin’ a lot of music in the meantime.  There’s her Mam and his Da and a bunch of good natured foreign folk to play all kinds of instruments.  It’s a fecking wonder how sweet the music is.  There’s this one song that the Guy has wrote about “Falling Slowly.”  I swear it’ll break your heart. 

They’re not really Irish, of course.  I mean, what kind of name is Syracuse?  That’s Andy, the nice lookin’ fella with the broken heart.  His would-be girlfriend (if she weren’t married already) is named Isabella (that could be Irish) Duran (but that isn’t).  Oh, she’s got a luvly voice, she does. The rest of the lot sort of shuffle around on the stage playing all their friends and all.  There was that Drew Bradley who thought he was a bartender but didn’t know how to keep the foam low; there was this Emma Rebecca Maxwell who tried to play a loose woman, but I could tell she had a good heart. They all played half a dozen instruments each – I even saw some flutes and clarinets and such.  What kinda bar is this anyway?? 

But you’ll be truly sorry if you miss the party.  And you’ll be rootin’ for those two kids to figure out what’s important in their lives.  And they kinda do.  But the music goes on. 

I’d be given it a 9 out of 10! Go see fer yourself, now! 

A GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER – Book and Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman; Music and Lyrics by Steven Lutvak; Directed by Geoffrey Kent; Musical Direction by Alec Steinhorn; Choreography by Grady Soapes.  Produced by the Arvada Center (6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada) through May 11.  Tickets available at 720-898-7200 or ArvadaCenter.org. 

Geoffrey Kent has been one of my favorite people to watch on stage since URINETOWN at the Denver Water Works a hundred years ago.  Through several seasons of the Shakespeare Festival, the Denver Center, and now, recently becoming a handsome and playful Dracula at the Arvada Center.  He brings honesty to everything he does, to every part, whether large or small.  There is a pixie-like quality to his take on humor and an unforgettable twinkle in his eye.  Now he is imbuing that same whimsy into the plays he directs as well.  He seems to have given his actors permission to enjoy a “look-what-we-are-doing-here!” kind of mentality that encourages the audience to also enjoy this bit of foolishness. 

Much of the foolishness is brought to the stage in this production by Shabazz Green, a New York actor who seems to enjoy coming back to Colorado occasionally.  As the bulk of the D’ysquith family who continuously drop dead on cue, he is cunningly clever in all of his roles.  My personal favorite was the tumble off the tower of the Reverend Lord Ezekial D’ysquith, but they all have a certain deadly charm about them.  You can tell that Shabazz, while slightly out of breath, is also having a hoot. 

This is the story of Monty Navarro (an energetic and handsome Marco Alberto Robinson), who learns of the slights given to his mother who married for love and was shunned by her royal family.  He resolves to right the wrongs done to her by ascending to the highest ranks in her family by any means necessary.  He is already involved romantically with a spoiled actress, Sibella (a stunning Adriene Leigh Robinson), who is determined to achieve security and status by marrying money.  Which leaves poor Monty out of the picture, but still in her arms.  His travels into the D’ysquith family introduce him to Phoebe (the beautiful and talented Katie Jackson), another rich heiress.  But the deeper Monty gets into his plot and in the family, the more complicated his life becomes.  Until he ends up in jail. 

This production keeps the main players and the six-person ensemble hopping as they move quickly from location to location, funeral to funeral.  The set designed by Matthew Crane and greatly enhanced by Topher Blair’s amazing projections (I choked laughing at the blood splatter!) allowed smooth transitions from scene to scene.  What a joy it must be to work at a theatre with talent in every role, on and off the stage.  The costumes designed by Kevin Copenhaver, a long-time designer for the Denver Center, were spectacular and allowed for occasional 30-second quick changes. 

The choreography of one man keeping two women and two doors separated in “I’ve Decided to Marry You” is a gymnastic miracle.  You’ll walk around for days saying you’ve got “the poison in my pocket.”  And marvel at how the playwright finagled a happy ending for everyone.  Almost!! 

There are no flaws!  No shortcuts! Just laugh out loud sight gags, comic improbable situations, and visual and auditory delights. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

DOWNSTATE – Written by Bruce Norris; Directed by Christy Montour-Larson.  Produced by Curious Theatre Company (1080 Acoma, Denver) through April 13.  Tickets available at 303-623-0524 or curioustheatre.org. 

Downstate!  As a born and bred Illini, I know what “downstate” means.  There are two regions in Illinois:  Chicago and Downstate.  A person born in Springfield, Peoria, Champaign, Edwardsville, or anywhere south of the 13 counties that comprise Chicagoland will automatically start a description of their birthplace with “downstate Bement (my home village).”  Depending on who is using the term, it is either said with disdain by those up north who look on downstaters as less, unworthy somehow, or country hicks.  If said by a resident in the lower 89 counties, it will be issued with a pride of accomplishment (after all, we feed a large part of the nation).  Bruce Norris may have grown up in Texas, but he went to college and has had a long successful relationship with Chicago theatres.  He knows what Downstate means intimately. 

And I think it shows in his writing.  His two biggest plays – CLYBOURNE PARK (now playing at the Arvada Center, a Tony, Pulitzer, and Olivier prize-winner) and now DOWNSTATE all involve characters who live in Illinois.  The Younger family and their descendants fight for a house in Chicago.  The men in DOWNSTATE fight for a place in an unforgiving world.  Which is the more noble fight? 

The subject matter of this script does not invite neutrality. Your point of view could hinge on your personal exposure (no joke intended) to the crime?  Sin?  Abhorrence? Whatever you want to call it, pedophilia brands the children involved and deserves the punishment doled out to the perpetrators.  But, as with grief, disaster, calamity, there has to be a way found to go on – to keep living somehow.  This is what Norris explores by taking us into the house whose residents are four men who have served their sentences in prison but carry the burden of their acts the rest of their lives.  Rakeem Lawrence as Gio carries on with small rebellions at his Staples workplace and a flash anger barely under control.  Cajardo Lindsey as Dee is a quiet caregiver, the intellectual of the group who will step into an argument in a heartbeat to keep it from escalating.  Sam Gilstrap as Felix suffers from isolation from the daughter he loves as a father and who he abused as a man.  Jim Hunt, in a wheelchair, is held captive by a couple who hope that confronting him can provide closure to an unwanted chapter—a quartet of downstate bad boys. 

Sean Scrutchins plays Andy, a man abused as a boy whose experience is reawakened by the birth of his own child.  Karen Slack as Em is his incredibly annoying wife who (we get the feeling) has pushed her husband into this confrontation with his abuser in the hopes that it will lay it to rest once and for all.  She is given an incredibly irritating personality by the playwright, which only adds to the awkwardness of the situation.  It seems that Andy only wanted a one-to-one meeting to say the things he wanted to say and leave on.  Instead he gets interruptions of all kinds, loss of attention, meaningless side discussions, a pitch for a job, and on and on.  Very little is resolved but getting to the end of the painful (for everyone) evening is very satisfying. 

Others who contribute to this group of players include GerRee Hinshaw, as the parole officer for all of them who makes scheduled visits to the house to see how everything is going and to confront her own set of problems with her charges.  She is hard-nosed but understanding, tough but compassionate; she walks the line and then erases it.  She is joined in this cast by new-to-Denver Julia McGowan.  Watch this one; she’s going to make a splash.  In this role, she is a “normal” teenager, another worker at Staples, unafraid of anything, quick to argue but equally quick to forget.  While not really involved with the life of the house, she is both a breath of fresh air and a fish out of water.

Together, this cast pulls the very best of this script to the stage making characters who could be nothing but unlikable into fully realized humans doing the best they can with what they have done and what they have been dealt.  Those who have been touched by these life events are given a degree of compassion without forgiveness by the playwright.  Those who come into their house and their world seeking emotional restitution are made clueless and annoying.  It’s a viewpoint that takes a little while to accept, but somehow, by the end, you’re rooting for everyone. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME – Written by Simon Stephens; Directed by Richard Cowden.  Produced by the Aurora Fox Theatre (9900 East Colfax, Aurora) through April 13.  Tickets available at 303-739-1970 or AuroraArtsCenter.org. 

Henry Judge ALERT!!  There is a young talent performing at the Fox to which attention must be paid.  River Hetzel steps into a well-deserved spotlight by taking on the challenging role of Christopher Boone in the current production at the Fox.  

Christopher is a severely autistic child whose inner confusions, ways of processing information, and ritualistic behavior have driven both mother and father to painful decisions.  Unable to bear the touch of another human, Christopher erupts into panic mode with placed under stressful situations.  They have no filters in conversation yet view the world in a straightforward unblinking manner with an honesty that can be both startling and funny.  In a positively riveting performance, River explores, loses control, regains it, and tells their story with honesty and humor.  It is such a delight to watch the gradual progression from confusion to understanding sweep across their face and be greeted with a silly grin. 

Christopher is an extremely complicated character that River completely inhabits.  Their every move seems uncalculated and authentic.  At times, the clarity of their thinking startles into a smile.  There is sometimes an unexpected twinkle in the eyes which seems part Christopher and part River.  There are so many levels to this performance that I could ramble on for pages. 

But then I would be neglecting the other excellent players and technical aspects of this production.  The talented ensemble cast includes local favorites Jessica Austgen as Christopher’s painfully absent mother; Matthew Murry as a misguided but loving father, and Andrea Rutherford as an insightful and understanding teacher.  Making their debuts at the Fox in this production include Colin Alexander (a longtime favorite at the Arvada Center); Rachel Darden, Kenny Fedorko, Katelyn Kendrick, Chris Petersen, and Prescilla Young-Anker.  This band of players provides with ease and grace all the other characters in Christopher’s neighborhood and journey.  They allow the story to move forward with purpose by generally sitting quietly on the sidelines until called upon to contribute a line or two.  They quickly add a costume piece to become a police officer, a kindly neighbor, an angry housewife, the principal at a school, and the dozens of other characters that help tell Christopher’s story. 

This all takes place in another supportive set designed by Brandon Case whose work has evolved from the traditional paint and carpentry sets of old to the electronic support now available to productions.  His brilliant projections across the walls of the basic room that becomes home – street – school – train – everything seamlessly.  The production is further enhanced by the sound effects designed by Rich Cowden and the original music composed by Liam Cowden.  The rest of the tech team includes Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry’s understated costumes, Jen Orf’s mood lighting that contributed so much when chaos enters Christopher’s life, Ben Raanan’s assistance with the accurate portrayal of autism, and Zach Madison, Stage Manager, who keeps everything operating smoothly. 

Congratulations to Rich Cowden who directed this complicated script into a meaningful experience.  We the audience walked out with a deeper understanding of the sometimes static that can inhabit the brain of the differently formed.  He created significant patterns of movement that could create both chaos and peace, told the story with rehearsal blocks as seating when required, and had the wisdom to cast River.  One last special kudo to the two dogs in the show – one dead (Wellington designed by Wesley Schwarz) and one live puppy (designed by God). 

A WOW factor of 9.5!!