Theater Review : Over the River and Through the Woods
Kathryn got a chance to see Over the River and Through the Woods this weekend at The Pocket Sandwich Theatre. It seems she really liked this show. Just be prepared for a non-formal setting if you drop in for a visit!
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
By Joe DiPietro
The Pocket Sandwich Theatre is a fun venue; it is a place to go to eat, drink and have all around merriment. What it isn’t set up for is a play, a real play, comedy, drama, or musical. Let me clarify that, the audiences who patronize this theatre are not expecting to see a real play; they are expecting “popcorn” and inter-active melodramas. Do not get me wrong, I love a kooky crazy melodrama. But, this play is not of that caliber, some of the fellow audience members didn’t know this coming in; and it was not funny. Now “Over the River and Through the Woods” is funny, very funny; but serious and thought provoking, too. This is an incredibly literate, honest and so human look at the painfully fun world of family dynamics. With a script this great only a real disaster could have made this play fail. No disaster!I was lucky enough to be seated beside the director when I was shown to my seat; they didn’t know I was there to review the play; and I didn’t know at first she was the director. When I began to hear her tell the lady on the other side about the furniture on the set on being exactly where it should be; I thought best to interrupt her and introduce myself. She called me a critic; and I corrected her immediately; I review, I love the theatre, I love plays, I am not here to criticize anyone. I just want to still be in love with the theatre when I leave. That is how I start, I walk in and I want to love what you do, I want to think about what I’ve just experienced for the rest of the evening and part of the next day, too. I am still in love today. Good show, great script, wonderful acting, good directing, okay set, but it was really just background. Over all this is a winner, memorable, and really worth the trip.
Shane Beeson, (Nick) the lead character in the quirky growing up is hard to do, its time to leave home kind of story. He is fantastic, funny, and emotional. He also carries the story in his face and on his shoulders very well. The four grandparents are fun, crazy and way over the top; but my grandmother was crazier than all of them so, I gave them a plus for reality. The only week link was on this night we saw the understudy for the Caitlyn role, the blind date Nick is being set up with; she wasn’t bad, but in this group she would have had to get naked to get attention. But, being a nice PG type play, that wasn’t going to happen, so she was a little out voiced, out presented.
This play runs one more week, go see it, you will love this play; and Shane is outstanding. Beautifully done, thank you for this great theatrical experience. Oh, yes and I will be back in a couple of weeks to throw popcorn at “Jack the Ripper”. Can’t wait.Kathryn Wisdom