BLT's 'Is He Dead?' offers plenty of fun
A sizable preview audience broke in the cast of “Is He Dead?” the final offering of the Butler Little Theatre's 71st season.
No doubt the laughs and guffaws they netted could have awoken the dead, if someone had really died. The cleverly written tale weaves together the stuff of love, lies and liaisons.
A painter realizes the answer to his troubles lies in faking his death to make his art more valuable and in demand.
He and his trio of friends set out to pay their way out of debt by creating some delightful deceptions.
The show was directed by Tricia McConnell Eichler who couldn't go wrong with such a talented cast.
Gregory Crawford offered up a fabulously funny performance of Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius and Widow Tillous. His chemistry with his partners in crime was believable regardless of whether he was a she or not.
His physical comedy was reminiscent of Tony Curtis or Jack Lemmon who donned skirts in “Some Like it Hot.” The cross dressing conundrum really became an issue anytime his beloved Marie was near. Marie was played by the demur Ashley Lefever.
Millet's accomplices, an international trio of buffoonery, were played by Bob Meals as Chicago, Thom Hilliard as Dutchy and the kilt wearing lad Dan McCarty as O'Shaughnessy.
Meals' overzealous optimism balanced out the moodiness of the rest of the art posse. Meals pedaled the art and shtick quite effortlessly. Hilliard was able to grab hold of the accent and keep his grip during the show. McCarty rocked the kilt and portrayed a delightful feisty Irishman artist straight man.
Aaron Paul Zimmerman of Beaver County put the character in character actor. He dons three roles and makes each of them his own. Hilarious and enjoyable, the audience couldn't get enough of his over-the-top antics.
As if the show needed comic relief, Danyle Verzinskie and Rickki Stupka add to the hilarity as Madame Caron and Madame Bathilde the madams did not disappoint.
With all the cross dressing and mistaken identities this farce pokes fun and yet creates some probing thoughts on art, greed and value.
<B>WHAT:</B> Butler Little Theatre's Production of “Is He Dead?” by Mark Twain; adapted by David Ives<B>WHEN:</B> May 11-19; curtain times are 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday<B>WHERE:</B> The Butler Little Theatre, One Howard St.<B>TICKETS</B>: $10, available by calling 724-287-6781 from 7 to 9 p.m. weekdays<B>INFO:</B> www.bltgroup.org
