Review: 'Stiff Competition' by WTCAE

Torrington, CT - I traveled back to Torrington this weekend to catch the final performance of the WCTAE Performance Lab’s production of an original comedy entitled ‘Stiff Competition.’ This comedy in three acts is the work of Director of Education Isabel Carrington and PLab alumna and accomplished playwright Gwen Mileti. The premiere of this “wild and crazy endeavor” was presented for one weekend only in the Warner’s Nancy Marine Studio Theatre and it had to compete with the Super Bowl as well as the amazing production of ‘ONCE’ on the main stage.

The New England Old Weston Civics Club's has held 36 annual beauty pageants: a cornerstone of local history where a select few young women compete for the coveted crown - and cash prizes. This year the Civics Club is forced to admit a new contestant into the mix – a young and very determined young man – or else be served with a hefty lawsuit. Just when the Club's Board of Directors thinks things can't get much worse, another discrimination allegation looms lest they admit one final contestant: an octogenarian widow who refuses to suffer "whippersnappers" gladly. Tradition is being cast to the wind, but the beauty pageant forges ahead – with surprising and epic disasters around every turn. Will anyone win in this stiff competition?

Ms. Carrington told the audience before she put on her headset at the soundboard that the cast members had no idea what type of play they were signing up for when they began the term. The authors unveiled the script to them in segments; with each addition, their laughter and incredulity grew. Being a work in progress, the teens also felt free to offer their own ideas and suggestions for plot twists, trouble spots and plenty of one-liners. This must have been a fun and very creative experience for these young performers and no one enjoyed their final matinee more than the two playwrights that were seated in front of me. The two had to be incredibly proud of the comic timing developing before their eyes.

The direction of Ms. Carrington was anything but stiff; a lot of fun was had as the expense of Stage Manager Steve Picard. Also in the booth was Set Designer/Lighting Designer Les Ober. Costumes by Ms. Carrington were done well and helped to make the students playing more adult characters look older. I found the three acts to be very funny, if just a bit too long. I loved most of those added one-liners, but I must add that some of them were a bit risque. “Keep an open mind and feel free to laugh - that’s why we wrote the play!” wrote the director in her program notes.

The talented teens were able to do what they always do when the reach the level of PLab at the WTCAE, that is, they give performances beyond their young ages. The board members were played convincingly by Thomas Busemeyer as Clyde Reins, high school junior Meghan Sullivan as Rebecca (not Becky) Pearson, Conio Lopardo (a freshman at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts) as Bob Watson and high school junior Allison Rau as June Chopper.

Trevor Rinaldi, already a freshman in high school, made us laugh in a purple suit (the second of the weekend at the Warner!) as the host Leonard Lamont who tried mightily to keep the pageant moving. The husband and wife team of pageant judges were played by freshman Jessi Nevin as Jennifer Tern and fifteen year old Thaddeus Asheim as Colin Thyme.

The teen contestants were played by high school junior Jessica Lay, sophomore Emily Russell, junior Jake Asheim, high school junior Katie Locascio, and Alyssa Archambault (Charlotte in ‘Charlotte’s Web.) Emily Creighton, a recent graduate of Sacred Heart University who teaches at WTCAE, was a riot as that senior contestant named Sylvia Dangremond. From her moves on her walker to her leopard print get ups, we couldn’t stop laughing at her take on this great character.

Sophomore David Stewart appeared in his first WTCAE as a silly police officer and high school senior Cameron Williams commanded the stage as Attorney Dick Torrence. The memorable Morgan Rinaldi, now a high school sophomore, played Mrs. Lovett in the WTCAE’s ‘Sweeney Todd.’ Here she played the granddaughter of Ms. Dangremond and the canine Kevin Danforth was played admirably by Rupert C.B. Carrington, a cute five-year-old miniature schnauzer from New Hartford who has an “in” with the director.

'Stiff Competition' was sponsored by The Lufkin Family Foundation.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and she posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417