Who would have thought that one of Milwaukee’s smallest theater companies would be the first to offer its audiences two tantalizing choices: to see an in-person performance, or stay home and watch a virtual production? Village Playhouse, located in a Milwaukee suburb, has done just that with Weekend Comedy. Prospective theatergoers can choose to see one of six live performances, with capacity restrictions of 20 people per show. (Social distancing will be provided in the audience seating.) Those with COVID concerns can opt to view a filmed version at home. Ticket prices for both options are the same, about $19.
Another element distinguishes this production. Unlike most virtual theater these days, in which each actor appears on an individual screen, the cast of four actors in Weekend Comedy intermingle freely on the same set. There is no attempt at onstage social distancing.
Trying to offer both live and filmed versions of the same show is quite a technological feat for a theater where “hands on” takes on a whole new meaning. For instance, the show’s director, Scott Sorensen, is also listed in the credits as set designer, set decorator and stage crew member. In addition, he serves as vice president on the company’s board of directors. Although his contributions here are strictly behind the scenes, Sorensen also performs in some Village Playhouse shows.
With this in mind, it’s difficult to be too critical of their current production. Weekend Comedy may not be in the same league as Neil Simon, but it does have occasional humorous moments.
The plot involves two couples who have rented the same Catskills cabin for a long summer weekend. The long-married couple, Frank and Peggy, bring the baggage of a 33-year marriage to their vacation. Another couple in their 20s, Tony and Jill, have rented this cabin for the same weekend for the three years. They are unmarried, but live together.
Of course, the couples’ perspectives differ due to age, the length of the relationship, and their economic status. Tony, the younger man, is employed by his wealthy father. He enjoys fine dining and traveling first class. The older Frank, who owns a wholesale office supply store, believes that “a restaurant has atmosphere if it offers more than paper napkins,” according to his wife.
Even without seeing the show, one can basically guess some of the differences that arise: the younger folks are into long walks, exercise, and health food; while the older couple exist on sugary cereal for breakfast, would nap rather than exercise, and don’t feel the need to walk in the woods.
Antoinette Stikl, who plays Peggy, the wife, has a remarkable physical resemblance to “Tiger King” TV star Carole Baskin. Not only is Stikl a dead ringer for the animal-rights activist, Stikl first appears in this show wearing a leopard print top and pants ensemble. This only enhances the comparison. In this role, Stikl rises to the occasion as the long-suffering Peggy, who must spend hours listening to hubbie Frank talk on and on about office supplies. Stikl and David Jirik as Frank play off each other well, too; they bicker, roll their eyes and make sarcastic comebacks with the natural give-and-take that develops between long-married couples.
As the younger set, Kerruan Sheppard and Emily Condon are equally convincing. They are especially good at displaying the couple’s initial discomfort when discovering that their woodsy “love nest” is already occupied when they arrive. Sheppard is especially prickly at the situation. Later, he tries to make amends with the other couple by offering them a rare bottle of wine. As one might expect, the wine works its magic on Frank. He learns the next morning that during the previous dinner, he ends up asking the other couple to spend the weekend with them. (This is a strictly G-rated show, so don’t expect a “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice” arrangement. The younger couple sleep in the cabin’s separate bedroom, while Frank and Peggy make the best of it on the pull-out couch in the main room.)
One of the show’s best scenes is when Frank challenges Tony to a running match. Both Peggy and Tony try to talk Frank out of this nonsense, for his own health. However, Frank has a clever plan to work things out to his advantage.
The good news is that by the play’s end, both couples discover some new truths about their relationships. They learn some valuable lessons about the closeness of family, which is a good theme to explore during this time of pandemic.
The cabin set is just as comfortable and cozy as one could imagine, adorned with many appropriate props. The sound and lighting are adequate for a small space. Costumes by Dawn Molly Dewayne, who also helped with set décor and is listed among the show’s producers, further set the appropriately comfortable mood. Camera work by an uncredited crew allows the at-home audience to feel as though they were sitting among the theater’s real-life audience. The sound of audience laughter and applause also enhance the at-home experience. It’s a welcome alternative to the more typical set up where each actor appears on an individual screen, and there’s no audience sound to complete the illusion of being in an actual theater. Village Playhouse makes an ambitious effort to offer alternatives to its audience, and one welcomes this re-introduction of local theater.
