BOTTG Delivers Laughs in Latest Production

One might ask what playwright Larry Shue was thinking or drinking when he penned the comedy latest production.

Set in 1979, the action centers around  the seething under-belly of Terre Haute, Ind., a land of marauding pigs, apple-core rituals, and delicacies consisting of warm water and cottage cheese.

Yes, it’s true,  the audience at Friday night's opening performance of "The Nerd" never dreamt that once they entered the Disney-like diorama of dysfunction (the living room of architect Willum Cubbert), their lives would be forever altered.  But, one thing’s for certain, Pee Wee’s Playhouse has nothing on the colorfully cockeyed set cleverly created by Paul Zill and chief scenic designer painter, .

The cast came fully equipped with nerdy tendencies all their own. Skillful direction from Clinton Vidal (or perhaps it was his psychiatric counseling), focused this mismatched menagerie of miscreants and their obnoxious, unrelenting, vacuous and hilarious high jinks, and we, last night's audience, were the lucky observers. The overflowing audience roared, howled, hooted, back-slapped, knee-slapped, hand-clapped, and a few nearly fell off their chairs (I should know, I was one of them).

While few and far between, here are some of the things that didn’t work as well as they might have.  The messages from the telephone answering machine (which acts as one of the play's characters) were too muffled for most to fully understand, especially in the first act. And at times the set's furniture placement caused sight-line issues. 

The acting was stellar with only a few hiccups; after all, this is live theatre. And, considering this is a show heavy on timing, props and sight gags, delivery IS everything. And, to that end, everyone was more than fine, especially award-winning actor Peter Del Fiorentino, who plays Willum Cubbert’s friend and Terre Haute culture critic par excellence, Axel Hammond, and Natalie Rapp who plays Tansy McGuiness, Cubbert's long-suffering girlfriend and aspiring meteorologist. 

Kudos also go out to self-proclaimed nerd (that's what he calls himself in the program bio) Sean Beecroft (Rick Steadman). The rest of the talented cast rounding out the show: Leon Goertzen (Willum Cubbert), Chuck Schilling (Warnock Waldgrave), Karyn Knowles (Clelia Waldgrave) and Nathaniel Barrett Correll (Thor Waldgrave).

The play earns a very strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Full disclosure: Benicia Patch received a complimentary ticket.