comedy | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: The plot remarkably thickens inside Company Theatre’s scintillating romantic comedy ‘The Cottage’

Posted on October 25 by The Sleepless Critic

Well, that escalated quickly. One bold move brings an awful lot to light inside this English summer cottage and it’s not quite the morning after anyone was expecting.

Playfully directed by Michael Hammond, Company Theatre continues Sandy Rustin’s romantic comedy, The Cottage live and in person at the Company Theatre in Norwell, Massachusetts. This quick paced production is not limited to the stage, contains some mature humor and runs approximately two hours with an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of Company Theatre’s ‘The Cottage’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

The Cottage debuted onstage in 2013 and though this production is set in England, it toured domestically until it made its Broadway debut in 2023 directed by Jason Alexander. Though it takes place in the 1920’s, this amusing production also dryly comments on some aspects of the 20s from a contemporary perspective.

Tackling love and marriage, The Cottage centers on Emilee Leahy as relentlessly optimistic and fanciful Sylvia who is enjoying a summer affair in 1923 with Joe Rich as distinguished barrister Beau, but this tale is much more than a romantic love triangle. This engaging comedy picks up immediately and the plot thickens so quickly, I was concerned the show would run out of steam early. However, The Cottage has a wealth of twists and turns in store and it is amazing how much people learn from one another when things truly hit the fan.

Emilee Leahy in Company Theatre’s ‘The Cottage’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Matching coordinated day hats and coats, flowing silk garments, three piece suits, suspenders and lace embellishments are just a few of the glamorous 20s pieces from Kiera O’Connor’s upscale costume design. Sally Ashton Forrest’s swing jazz-inspired sound design and Ryan Barrow’s ornate and detailed art deco dual level set stylishly rewinds the clock to 1923 complete with rotary phone, Victrola, piano, wooden stairwell, delicate silk flowers, rural paintings and family portraits on vintage pastel floral wallpaper, glamorous furniture and multicolor Persian rugs. Dean Palmer Jr.’s warm pastel-toned lighting embellishes the cottage’s welcoming charm and dramatically heightens the impact of each revelation as the tale unfolds.

Joe Rich in Company Theatre’s ‘The Cottage’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

This engaging cast boasts great comic energy and work well together with Rustin’s sharp and quick-witted script. In all of its comic and escalating chaos, this capable cast kept it together with finesse. With singsong vocals, naiveté and a flower blossom in her hair, Emilee Leahy shines as Sylvia who is not to be underestimated. Leahy especially demonstrates a charming depth to Sylvia as her confidence is shaken. Joe Rich as Beau and Timothy Pick as good humored Clark share considerable rapport and lighthearted banter. Rob Gullicksen brings thrill to unpredictable Richard while Elizabeth Nelson-Childs as formidable Marjorie and Jaqueline Hausman as game loving Dierdre are also impressive in their contrary roles. Each role also manages a degree of sympathy even among this group of flawed and insecure characters.

Rob Gullicksen, Emilee Leahy and Joe Rich in Company Theatre’s ‘The Cottage’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

Lies and misjudging is just a portion of this romantic comedy’s intensifying plot and this beloved cottage contains its own share of secrets. Overall, it is a fun, flirty and lighthearted production and it is refreshing to see something not to be taken too seriously.

Company Theatre continues Sandy Rustin’s romantic comedy, The Cottage live and in person at the Company Theatre in Norwell, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Thinking outside the box in American Repertory Theater’s artistic autobiographical comedy, ‘300 Paintings’

Posted on October 24 by The Sleepless Critic

What happens after a dream doesn’t go quite as planned? For Sam Kissajukian, it’s finding another one.

Created and skillfully performed by dynamic Australian talent Sam Kissajukian, American Repertory Theater continues 300 Paintings live and in person at Farkas Hall at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 25. This cleverly executed production runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

300 Paintings Production Photo Sam Kissajukian in 300 Paintings. Photo: Evgenia Eliseeva

300 Paintings carefully balances insight and humor in a zig zag autobiographical and educational journey about making a new start when your initial dream goes awry. Allowing the audience into his captivating methodology and thought patterns, Sam intimately reflects on this time with a step-by-step skewed and spontaneous comic logic that might be farfetched if it wasn’t for his unwavering confidence. Warmly yet dryly tracing out his often outlandish and complex ideas, you will marvel at his resourcefulness as Sam reflects upon his choices in the aftermath of his decisions. For example, Sam takes apart the art of doing business through the Museum of Modernia in such an interesting and unpredictable manner that one might wonder why no one has ever thought of that before. As Sam reflects, ‘A manic person will never do something the way you expect them to do it.’

Part comedy and part fascinating art exhibition, this personal portrait has a sense of urgency as it tackles art, comedy, business, and mental health with sincerity and self deprecation while keeping the majority of his zany storytelling lighthearted and humorous.

300 Paintings also contains a sense of adventure, gusto and discovery as the story unfolds behind these 300 Paintings. As Sam states, ‘No one would ever expect’ and I do think that is a deft description of this entire journey. With a mix of humor and surprise, Sam shows that discovering what you are meant to do is as significant as the journey toward it.

American Repertory Theater continues 300 Paintings live and in person at Farkas Hall at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 25. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Wild antics and bonding in Greater Boston Stage Company’s lighthearted ‘Featherbaby’

Posted on September 28 by The Sleepless Critic

Who knew a unique tale about a puzzle loving couple and a foul mouthed exotic parrot would not only be mischievously funny but also tug at the heartstrings?

Get to know Featherbaby.

With lively direction by Weylin Symes, Greater Boston Stage Company continues the co-world premiere of David Templeton’s comedy, Featherbaby live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 28. This amusing production contains some explicit language and runs approximately one hour and 40 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Liv Dumaine, Paul Melendy and Gabriel Graetz in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

It was easy for me to see the appeal of Featherbaby, especially since my first pet was a parakeet and we shared an unbreakable bond. While my parakeet lived for 10 years, a yellow naped Amazon parrot like Featherbaby lives 20 to 30 years in the wild and up to 80 years in Angie’s cozy apartment living off what Melendy’s Featherbaby refers to as treats or “num-nums.” It also shows a parrot can enjoy a rich and extended life with love and many adventures that may exceed the parrot’s owner given the parrot’s long life expectancy.

Set designer Katy Monthei cleverly depicts Featherbaby’s two kingdoms dividing the stage between Angie’s furnished apartment including a colorful carpet and the greenery of the Amazon Rainforest with Featherbaby’s perch center stage as a hot pink wicker throne. Puzzle pieces and images of pop culture references are subtly scattered on this richly detailed set’s surface illuminated by Matt Cost’s cheerful and multicolored neon lit imagery. Mackenzie Adamick’s pop and rock-inspired sound design lends to some of this comedy’s most hilarious moments.

Paul Melendy in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ by Nile Scott Studios

I did not know much about the story going into this comedy and found myself enjoying its significant twists and turns as they unfolded and I’m sure you will too. Liv Dumaine offers a certain mysterious air as Featherbaby’s puzzle-loving intellectual and somewhat flighty pet parent, Angie. Coy and curious, Angie shares some sweetly scholarly chemistry with Gabriel Graetz as level headed and inquisitive yet sensitive Mason and is a doting pet parent to Paul Melendy as vain and attention-craving Featherbaby. However, Featherbaby and Mason have a more adversarial relationship and it is quite the sight to see.

Paul Melendy in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Symes seems to leave plenty of room for improvisation as Paul Melendy as Featherbaby impressively spreads his wings. Plumes “burst” in Melendy’s textured and shiny suit coat enhanced by a vibrant yellow silk shirt and tie and an orange feather creatively designed by Deirdre Gerrard. Melendy has a gift for facial features and exacting this bird’s mannerisms is believable and wonderfully comical. In a role that could be anticipated as over the top or grating, Melendy is intense and vocal, but also offers a nuanced performance which includes precise mannerisms of this complicated and intense parrot through exacting darting eyes, head bobbing, weaving, pacing, swaying, veiled aggression and in the gentle lean for a head rub. Seemingly part stand up, improvisation and storyteller, narrator Melendy proves engaging, charming, charismatic and endearing as Featherbaby while occasionally being more than a bit naughty sharing Featherbaby’s history, insecurities and an unexpected new journey.

Gabriel Graetz, Paul Melendy and Liv Dumaine in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Featherbaby’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

As much as this quirky comedy is funny and lighthearted, it also boasts its share of stirring moments among this trio who all share appealing chemistry. You’ll laugh and at times be unexpectedly moved. In a life divided between the feathered and the unfeathered in Featherbaby’s terms, Featherbaby delivers a few profound life lessons along the way which is quite a feat coming from a bird.

Greater Boston Stage Company continues the co-world premiere of David Templeton’s comedy, Featherbaby live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 28. Click here for more information and for tickets.