Hobnob’s upcoming production of ‘Looped’ is funnier thanks to the bittersweet moments
In 1965, actress Tallulah Bankhead spent eight hours in a recording studio to redub a single line of dialogue for her upcoming film “Die! Die! My Darling!” In 2008, a play based on the eight hours, “Looped,” debuted in California.
Oct. 9 through 11, Hobnob Theatre Company will debut a production of “Looped,” introducing the show and the story behind it to audiences in Butler.
Michael Dittman, director of “Looped,” said he was drawn to the play because it is a hidden gem that contains a lot of comedy, but with a dose of introspection on stardom and aging.
He did warn, however, that it is an “R-rated” show.
“It is very funny, it is a hilarious play, but there’s all some bittersweet moments about relationships, about dying, and I think those bittersweet moments make it so much more funny,” Dittman said. “It’s definitely not a drama, but it’s not wacky. It’s clever more than wacky.”
The production stars Dittman’s wife, Amy Dittman, as Tallulah Banks; Steve Kalina as the sound engineer, Danny; and Thom Hilliard as the unseen audio engineer, Steve. The show is perfect for the Hobnob studio theater, Dittman said, because it takes place in a recording studio, so the set features a microphone, a stool, a table and a couch.
But the sparse scenery of the play gives room for the actors to embody the characters the way they would have existed in the mid-1960s. Dittman said he chose each actor based on their ability to embody their character, not just do an impression of someone like Banks, whom he called a strong personality.
And the play is all about the character relationships, with Banks and Danny bouncing off one another while also learning more about one another over the course of eight hours.
“(Amy) had a deep knowledge of Tallulah before we even came to the show,” Dittman said. “I’ve seen Steve in a lot of funny things … He did this reading, and it just blew me away. Danny is such a complicated character and Steve just captured the competing themes that exist within Danny.”
Dittman said the dialogue is “super naturalistic,” in a way that resembles real conversation. He said the story remains funny throughout, but he thinks the play will give audiences something to chew on upon leaving the theater.
“What’s revealed in these conversations is so, so much,” Dittman said. “What it means to not be relevant anymore, a secret life and what that puts on your shoulders; I think there’s sort of a message of finding friendship in unusual places.”
“Looped” shows at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and 10, and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at Hobnob Studio Theater, 134 S. Main St. in Butler. The show runs about one hour and 45 minutes, and includes a 15-minute intermission.
For tickets, visit hobnobtheatre.com.
