Set in a rural New Hampshire summer stock barn theatre, Charles Morey's "Laughing Stock," is a big, mushy love letter to the American theatre that never takes itself too seriously. The light comedy follows the lives of a large cast of characters from audition to rehearsals to performances and closing night with clever, self-referential humor that is a great deal of fun. Morey's story features brief departures into serious drama that never quite go far enough to bog down the momentum of the comedy.
Donald Sage Mackay stars as Gordon Page: the theatre's Artistic Director saddled with the task of producing yet another season. Mackay is thoroughly likeable as Page--a nice guy who finesses his way around the pitfalls of low-budget show business with a glimmering love of the old barn which has become his home. Accompanying Page on his journey into the season is Stage Manager Sarah McKay, played by Laura Gordon. McKay is a recovering alcoholic former lover of Page who seems to understand his love of the theatre in a way that even he doesn't. Gordon brings her typically brilliant grasp of comedy to the role.
In a remarkably interesting departure from her usual comedic leads, Rep Resident Actress Deborah Staples plays Susannah Huntsmen, a pretentious director whose efforts complicate the summer stock's production for a light farce. Also putting in performances of considerable note are Richard Halverson, Rose Pickering and James Pickering, playing highly experienced actors who have been onstage countless times over the decades. This can hardly be a stretch for any of them, as they are all very experienced actors themselves. It's a real pleasure to see them so fluently poking fun at their own profession. In a similar turn from the other side of experience, Rep Artistic Intern Company member Cristina Panfilio plays the rising, young actress Mary Pierre with precisely the kind of exaggerated naivety that the role calls for. She's even more pleasant to watch on those rare occasions when the script provides the character with some level of depth beyond the innocence.
With all the traditional gags of light comedy, there is very little in, Laughing Stock, that comes as a surprise. The play progresses through its first half, putting in all the necessary comedic foreshadowing during audition and rehearsal scenes to set the stage for an extended look at the summer stock theatre's production of a play based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Laughing Stock, sags a little bit during the Dracula scenes. Anyone whose been to low-budget theatre knows what its like when things go wrong during a production. The Dracula scenes are a gross exaggeration of tech problems and actors forgetting lines and props and things. Everything than can go wrong does, but it's not very entertaining to watch a bad production knowing that all of the problems have been scripted well in advance and all of the cheesy ad-libs were written into the script. The fact that the Dracula scenes come off as being funny at all is testament to just how talented this Milwaukee Rep ensemble is.
It all ends as expected, with things working out in the end for everyone involved. All the loose ends are more or less tied-up and everyone goes home happy. It gets a bit overly-sentimental towards the end. There really isn't any insight into the nature of the stage here; just solid, well-performed characterization of the easy stereotypes that are so well-known to everyone who loves the theatre.
The Milwaukee Rep's production of Laughing Stock plays now through January 8th at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theatre. Tickets range in price from $10-$50 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (414) 224-9490.
