‘Looped’ is loud, funny and heavy
“Looped” is a fitting title for the latest Hobnob Theatre Company production, not just because the play is about an actress who has to dub over a line for an upcoming movie, but because it’s almost as if the characters in the show are stuck in a time loop.
“Looped” is a 2008 play based on the real-life story of Tallulah Bankhead and the eight hours she spent in a recording studio in 1965 where she was to voice over a flubbed line for her upcoming film “Die! Die! My Darling!”
Hobnob’s production of the show stars Amy Dittman as Tallulah, dressed in an outfit that completely transforms the actress into the picture of an aging 1960s starlet. Dittman’s performance in the role is captivating, as she commands the blackbox theater stage by clomping around in her heeled shoes and going big with almost every line. But still, it doesn’t feel unrealistic or even exaggerated because her dialogue as Tallulah gives away an aging star concerned with how much attention she is getting.
Dittman is played opposite by Steve Kalina, who plays the editor of “Die! Die! My Darling”-turned-sound-booth-assistant, Danny. Kalina plays the role as a professional film worker whose patience is tested throughout the show by Tallulah, who seems to be intentionally antagonizing Danny by not saying her line when the three beeps prompt her. Kalina’s bewilderment at the situation — Tallulah’s refusal, or inability, to record a single line of dialogue — is relatable to the audience and hearkens to the idea that the characters are in some kind of loop themselves.
The only other actor featured in the show is Thom Hilliard as Steve, who does not appear on stage physically, but as a voice coming from the studio’s recording booth.
Michael Dittman, the director of “Looped,” said the show is a perfect match for Hobnob’s blackbox theater because it mimics the appearance of a recording studio with little set dressing. The only set pieces are a chair in center stage underneath a microphone hanging from the ceiling, a small table, a couch, a coffee table and a coat rack, where Tallulah hangs her fur coat. Despite the minimalist setting, the set sells the idea that the characters are in a recording studio in the 1960s.
As the play unfolds over an hour and 45 minutes, Tallulah and Danny continue to clash until Tallulah strikes a nerve with Danny that leads to an emotional release centered around personal identity and responsibility. The comedy of the ridiculous and crass dialogue disappears while Tallulah considers her aging career and potential imminent death, while Danny wrestles with his past and how he has never been able to escape his regrets.
It’s a poignant moment that comes after more than an hour of loud line deliveries from both characters — and coming from the two actors, it feels natural thanks to their chemistry as performers. It’s a climax that feels earned, even though it is a detour from the characters’ comedic over-the-top squabbling.
“Looped” was scheduled to show Friday to Sunday, Oct. 9-11, at Hobnob’s theater, 134 S. Main St. in Butler, but when the weekend performances sold out, the company added a fourth showing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8.
For tickets or to join the wait list for one of the performances, visit hobnobtheatre.com. The show contains explicit language and is not intended for children.
