Theatre Talk from funny to naughty

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal

Special to The Village News

The Roustabouts Theatre Company has just reopened with a rousing, quirky quartet of sketch comedies written in four acts by Christopher Durang. Best known for his absurd approach to comedy, this production follows suit.

Performed by four remarkable artists making every word count in this weak script, "For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls" is only running until Dec. 4 at the Moxie Theater at 6663 El Cajon in San Diego.

The performers were hand selected by founding director Phil Johnson, who is my personal favorite area funny man; therefore, it goes without saying he selected the funniest humans from the local pool.

Starting at the top of funny folks is Wendy Maples. She glitters with charisma. She hit each change up with clarity and purpose owning each of her elaborate characterizations in all four acts.

Her partner in hilarity is Wendy Waddell who also has the ability to appear sincere while hiding her shallowness. She is the Southern Belle. She can throw slander across the boards through her smiling clenched teeth with such unbelievable insincerity, one wonders how her face keeps from cracking.

The boys are represented by Omri Schein and Walter Murray, two local gents with long resumes. If not for Murray's stoic delivery, keeping the entire cast on point due to the absurdity of the script, the other three would surely be committed to bedlam.

Schein transforms from one extreme persona to the next with transformative speed as he embodies each madcap character often within view of the audience. Of course, his un-dancing is unparalleled. Absorbed by each of his madcap roles, he performs without guile.

The scene changes are also to be embraced as the cast members transform the stage for each following act using their outlandish improvisational skills.

"For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls" is rated for mature audiences. Tickets at roustaboutstheatre.org or 619-568-5800. It gets an 8.5.

If you ever thought "wow, free tickets to see a show" is to be envied, let me explain that every time I, we, me, take a seat inside a theatre, it is pretty much understood it will take three hours of driving to get there and back, plus another two to four hours to see the show. Depending on the location, parking expense, weather, time of day, fuel, etc., the most it has ever taken is eight hours due to a traffic jam on highway 163 on the way to the Civic Theater.

When theatre is in full bloom, it isn't uncommon to see two to four shows a weekend, even causing me to pay for hotel stays. Add another three hours per show to write each review and it loses a bit of the pleasure of a "free ticket."

Second City Improv troupe out of Chicago has long been a highly respected company of renowned improvisational actors. And they are performing at the Lyceum Stage in downtown San Diego.

For one who has studied, toured, and performed entire evenings of improv, I was filled with great anticipation to observe the famous Second City technique; after all, their improvisational skills are legendary.

Or so it was once upon a time. However, not this troupe. None of these women on stage could take a line and weave it into a story at the spur of the moment. That would take real imagination. Instead, their mean posturing and angry delivery was far from humorous.

Nor is comedy vulgar. It is not to be delivered in anger unless you are Richard Pryor. From time to time, it might be a bit risqué laced by innuendo, but mostly comedy is never considered funny when a person sticks a hand into the crotch of one's panties on stage! No one has ever deemed that behavior humorous. It isn't funny when a CNN broadcaster is accused of it and it is absolutely vulgar when a young woman trying to prove her gender equity does it.

The six females at the San Diego Repertory Theatre's presentation of "The Second City, She the People" set the feminine gender and our relentless efforts toward equal pay and respect back for generations. The writing is weak and slanderous, when it should have been witty and extemporaneous.

As it turns out, all six females are clearly under trained in the skills of improv because when they finally broke from their scripted commentary and requested audience participation, (the very reason for Second City's reputation), the onstage hostess edited one narrative from their improv script. She denied use of it.

Let me explain, that is against the law of improv. Day one training states you will "take it" regardless of content and work it into the skit. But she refused to accept the line. One must ask, where was her director?

That is when the jig was up. I'd been insulted, maligned, and abused enough in the first 100 minutes, I could no longer tolerate being slandered. Intermission came and I left. This isn't improv. It is a vulgar exhibition of gender-bending-in-your-face malarky. This performance earned a naughty-naughty and a rating of 0.

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal can be reached at [email protected]