I took my lovely wife Jeanette on a Valentine's Date last night to see the newest play by local playwright (and my pal) Jonathan Joy.
The show was Bitsy, Boots... and Ida, and it was a sequel to last year's show, Bitsy and Boots.
I really enjoyed the original show, but I have to admit that I enjoyed this one even more. A packed house at the First United Methodist Church in Huntington got an outstanding dinner, and then enjoyed this terrific new comedy.
The play centers around two sisters - Bitsy and Boots, natch. They are played to perfection by Jane Morse (Bitsy) and Loretta Hetzer (Boots). They're cranky, conniving, and I defy anyone to watch the show and not think, "I know people like that." Their comic timing is spot on, and both can get laughs by just raising an eyebrow.
Their lives have become very complicated, thanks to a visit from their cousin, Ida, an eccentric and toxic relative who commits the ultimate sin - she drops in for a visit and then refuses to leave. She is brought to life in delightfully wicked fashion by the excellent Rebecca Payne.
The author of the play, Jonathan Joy, also stepped onto the stage as Tommy, who was raised by his Aunts (Bitsy and Boots) and returns to the home with his fiancee, Kat (played by Melissa Langham), only to find the house in a state of near warfare. Jon and Melissa are both terrific actors, and got several huge laughs just with their reactions to the antics of their aunts. Their characters add to the tension, as Kat starts out as the supportive and understanding wife-to-be, but soon finds herself stressed out by the conflict. Tommy is the man in the middle, as he tries to maintain peace in the household, even as he uncovers a secret that gives the situation an even funnier spin.
Rounding out the cast is Zach Davis, who played the part of Max, the boyfriend of Boots. He's the youngest guy on the stage, but Zach is also a darn good actor, and got the maximum laughs out of his role as a supportive (if bumbling) local politician.
The only problem with the offerings from the First United Methodist Church is that they only arrive once a year. I'm sure everyone in that packed auditorium would agree - we'd love to see intelligent, funny, professional shows like this more often.
(Of course, the director of the show, my pal Jerry Morse, probably read that and fainted away. Hey, Jerry, that's what you get for putting on such a great show!)
It was yet another excellent production, and if you missed it, it's your own fault - I've been telling you all week it was going to be a great show!
4 comments:
I am glad to hear you all had fun. I will admit that its sad to retire the show after a short two show run. Rumor has it that Jon is working on part three. I don't know about you but I can't wait!!!
That's how it works - you rehearse for weeks and suddenly, the show is over. But I hope you're right - I'd love to see more with Bitsy, Boots and the rest of the family!
I'm glad you enjoyed the show, Chuck. Thank you so much for the wonderful review. This play was a really special experience for me. We were fortunate to have a fun and hard working cast and crew. Everybody had a really good time. And I'm just thrilled with the response we got from the audience. I've already started working on the third chapter of a BITSY AND BOOTS trilogy and I think we may do that next year.
Jon, I think that's the great (and sometimes scary) thing about performing before a live audience - they'll either laugh at the jokes or they won't. You had a great crowd at that Saturday show (and I'm told the one for Friday was equally packed), and they spent a lot of their time laughing loudly - it was such a fun show! Congratulations on the success, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next chapter!
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