Festival of Independent Theaters - Evening 1

The eighth annual Festival of Independent Theatres' (FIT) kicked off their opening weekend July 14, 2006 and presented many diverse offerings by five of the eight participating companies.

Theatergoers can always count on WingSpan Theater Company producer Susan Sargeant to come up with little-known, rarely staged, but always excellent scripts. She then hand picks her cast and director, which results in wonderfully staged work and top-notch talent. This year's FIT entry is no exception, Something Unspoken by Tennessee Williams, directed by Gail Cronauer.

Set in the parlor of Miss Cornelia Scott (Midge Verhein), a 60-year-old, wealthy spinster in Meridian, Miss., the plot involves Miss Scott's angst over the possibility of not being elected as Regent, the highest office in the elite Confederate Daughters. She plays nicely off her live-in secretary of 15 years, Miss Grace Lancaster (Moira Wilson).

Much of the dialogue centers on conversations with her old-guard friend who phones Cornelia at frequent intervals from "election central" to give her a running commentary on the election in progress, which Cornelia has chosen not to attend, purely for the sake of appearing disinterested. (Think Hyacinth on the KERA Britcom, "Keeping Up Appearances.")

The subplot is all about Miss Scott's relationship with Grace, in which there has always been "Something Unspoken" between them.

Midge Verhein is superb as Cornelia, nailing every grimace and nuance to perfection. Moira Wilson's reactions are equally well-executed as the shy secretary who is frightened of any show of sentimentality by Cornelia. Gail Cronauer's direction and pacing always keep the focus in proper perspective.

This is a play worth seeing, and at 40 minutes, is the perfect length.

Bootstraps Comedy Theater presented Sunny and Eddie Sitting in a Tree by Bootstraps producer Matt Lyle, who also cast himself as the lead. This is not a play but rather a series of sketches; some are funny, some are not so good, and the one thread running through all is the relationship between Eddie (Lyle) and Sunny (Jennifer Youle).

Despite the title, there is nary a tree in sight. These two misfits meet in the waiting room of their mutual psychiatrist. To say they have issues is a gross understatement. We meet them again as they attend the opera for the first time and are seated next to a dowager opera lover, some big guy in drag, who later does a hilarious turn as Sunny's gay dad. The program does not say who plays what part except for the leads; so I have no idea to whom to give credit, but this same guy gives many excellent performances, whoever he is.

Into all this nuttiness comes the 'hired actress' who plays Sunny's mom (she makes fancy hats "for colored people, because they like big hats") and a clown who plays the flute. The script is problematic due to current references to Crowns, a recently produced play at Dallas Theater Center (which will soon render the show dated) and a long, convoluted plot about the TV soap, "General Hospital." That, plus the play is laced throughout with kindergarten-style scatological humor. Mr. Lyle must have thought this was funny, but it relegates this series of sketches to the rubbish heap in short order. In a word: Script: bad; directing by Jessica Turner: good; acting by entire cast: very funny. I doubt seriously that this hodge-podge will have a life beyond FIT or a similar festival. It proves that the best way to have your writing staged or get the lead is to be the producer.