by Michèle Griskey
A road trip on the stage?
This I had to see.
At the start of “Mama Won’t Fly,” we meet Savannah (Luann Pamatian) and her mother, Norleen (Leslie Liddle). This mother and daughter combo do not always get along. Norleen’s son is about to get married, and after Noreen refuses to fly to the wedding, they have four days to drive from Alabama to California.
They are joined by the future bride, Tanya (Rebecca Herman). Savannah is often at odds with her meddling mother, and Tanya is plagued with bad luck wherever she goes.
These three quirky women travel across the country in an old Buick.
What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, and it’s all pretty much hilarious.
For fear of spoiling the fun, I will not disclose the particulars of this adventure.
The interaction between Liddle, Parmatian and Herman is excellent. All three do a great job mastering these unconventional characters and keeping the energy going throughout the performance.
The craziness of the road trip escalates in a series of encounters with many whacky dysfunctional yet likable people. These characters are played by Ed Sutton, Elane Phipps, Melinda Milligan, Cele Westlake, Ron Herman, Brian Richard, Suzanne Gropper, Tony Lee, John Mazzarella, Pat Ayers and Freddy Hinkle.
The best part of this play is the actors genuinely enjoy their roles and embrace the silliness. They are not afraid to dance naked (I mean this figuratively, of course), which is the key to good comedy. This cast nails it!
Doug Bechtel had his hands full directing 14 actors playing 24 roles, but the end result shows his skills once again.
A great deal of credit must go to all the extras as well: ingenious props, fabulous costumes and an astonishing number of wigs. I applaud the back stage crew for making this all happen.
Don’t miss this fun production. You will laugh. I promise.
“Mama Won’t Fly” by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten is playing Feb. 27, 28 and March 6, 7 and 8. All performances are at the Grange and start at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and are available at Darvill’s, on-line at www.orcasactors.com and at the door. This play is suitable for all ages. For additional information, contact Doug Bechtel at 360-317-5601.
