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by Gayle SuggsFor The, thecrier.net
March 23rd 2011 8:10 PM
Among the many pop references in “Butterflies are Free” is Bob Dylan’s advice to never to trust anyone over 30 —a nice laugh if you’ve seen Dylan lately. Leonard Gershe’s play is now 42, but you can trust it to provide a winning evening of comic theater.
It’s been said that if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there. Either way, it’s nice to revisit the tie-dyed anti-war posters, the mod threads, and the feeling that everyone in the world was 19 years old. Stage Door Players’ new production is groovy all the way.
Don Baker’s second biggest problem is his blindness; his first is an overprotective mother. Now, with his own Manhattan apartment, he is set to find out if freedom is truly possible. Then he meets Jill, his sexy if scatter-brained neighbor. She is also a wannabe actress (one of her outings was so off-off-Broadway, it was staged in Los Angeles). Will Don and Jill make it, or will Momma add another layer to the cocoon?
Josh Donahue masters the lead role, handling Don’s wry one-liners as deftly as gut-wrenching despair or slowly wilting heartbreak. Megan Hayes (Jill) has just the right daffy charisma, fresh air breathing into Don’s life of suffocation. She is the picture of sixties sexual revolution freedom—but is she capable of reining it in for what could be the love of her life?
Jo Howarth (Mrs. Baker) allows us to see her soul as she finds herself confronted with painful truth. And Josh Williams makes the most of his small role of Ralph Austin, an off-Broadway producer who offers the usual satire on the NYC stage scene of the era.
This production has it all—a terrific cast in perfect synch, as well as flawless technical production. Alan Kilpatrick has shepherded his cast, allowing each to shine at the right time. We enjoy another vintage Chuck Welcome set: the rough, studio apartment on East 11th Street, shown to good effect by John David Williams’ lighting design. The production is further supported by Dan Bauman’s sound design, Tony Smithey’s costumes and George Deavours wig design.
This show not only will entertain you with its laughs, but will leave you thinking about the challenges all of us face, and whether or not we have the courage to face those challenges head-on. You don’t want to miss this wonderful trip back in time, encountering its timeless message along the way.
“Butterflies Are Free” continues thru April 10 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $26 for adults, $24 for senior adults and $22 for students. Because of adult situations, this show is not recommended for children under the age of 14. Stage Door is located in the North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road and on the Web at www.stagedoorplayers.net. To reserve tickets, email info@stagedoorplayers.net or telephone 770-396-1726.
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