TCL Season 2023 WRAP UP

We lived with the lingering fear of having TCL dark because of the ongoing pandemic scare. Still, the Theater Company of Lafayette stood strong and offered four productions, two of which garnered strong critical reviews by Onstage Colorado.

Her children were played by Don Thumim (Senator Titus); Jake Fleming (Judge- Samuel) and the socialite Lily Belle (Bonnie Utter)

At the Cloisters, she met six guests, Florence (True Aubrey); Hannibal (Max Tomas); Fairy May (Hannah Richards); Jeffrey (Wes Kreitz); Mrs. Paddy (Susanne Neswadi_ and John Thomas (doll/Mar Starz). Along with them are the staff Miss Willie (Judy Carlson) and Dr. Emmett (Michelle Jacobs).

The play is about greed and entitlement and finding love in a place where the normal might not appear to be to the outside world. However, Mrs. Savage found innocence, loyalty, and love from the guests who became her friends.

OnstageColorado gave Curious Savage a very positive review as follows:

“The Curious Savage is an intriguing play by John Patrick that touches upon an assortment of themes that could evenly spark humor as well as a more ominous tone. In the current production now on stage at Theater Company of Lafayette, director Munam Goodwyn has highlighted the humor of The Curious Savage to a point where the darkest undertones take a backseat to the heartwarming comedy at hand.

The richly talented cast pulls out all the stops in creating fascinating and broad characterizations. Montgomery as Ethel Savage has an imposing presence throughout and is adept at maintaining focus during the sometimes intricate storyline. As Ethel, she is both regal and childlike — and thus somewhat of a mystery. But her motivations are pure and she captures the hearts of the other characters and the audience as well.

Others in the cast with shining moments are Utter as Lily Belle and Richards as Fairy May. Utter is wonderful as the bratty, self-absorbed stepdaughter who conveys great disdain for her stepmother. Richards as Fairy May is terrific as the guest who may tell a lie or two, but in the end endears herself to most everyone.

Goodwyn directs the production with what must be a magic wand by making The Curious Savage a comedic romp through the halls of a patient-filed sanatorium. The humor is clear but so is the underlying theme which can only be described as mental impairment. However, this is not a dark production about psychological disorders; rather it is filled with great warmth and true inspiration coming from the hands of a skilled director.

Theater Company of Lafayette has chosen a special play and delivered it admirably to its stage. It is well worth the drive to Lafayette to experience this endearing comedy filled with much love and hope.”

TCL staged Nora Douglass’ Edmonds Stories, (ES) which received two Kennedy Centre Awards including the national David Library Award for best play about the American Experience. Under the direction of Madge Montgomery, TCL’s Artistic Director, ES is a very fine piece of performance with a multi-racial casting that in itself is reflective of the American story of immigrants.

Edmonds Stories is the story of a Swedish family who migrated from Sweden to Edmonds, Washington, to pursue their American dream. Through their hardship and heartbreaks, the fortitude and resilience of one immigrant family was told by a cast of multi-cultural backgrounds. This deliberately brilliant choice was mentioned on Onstage Colorado review: “The play is both thoughtful and consistent as family drama and historical record. Douglass has crafted full-bodied characters, each with their own demonstratable motives throughout. As directed by Montgomery, Edmonds Stories moves fluidly from start to finish with each scene and interaction given the appropriate amount of attention necessary to establish a solid throughline. Of special note is the diverse casting that Montgomery has utilized in her favor by selecting a strong ensemble of actors that play well together and support each other’s individual performances.”

Munam Goodwyn as Johanna Medin is Asian- American Pacific Islander, Cristina Twigg as Astrid is Latina of Brazilian heritage, Sri Bangaru as Hyldi is of Asian Indian heritage; Camille Libouban-Gundersen as Olena, is of French and Norwegian descent, Zeah Loren as Anna is Black American; Valerie Clelland as Emma is born and raised in Boulder; Dean Espitallier as Jonas Medin is of Portuguese /Azores EU -American heritage; and Matt Dixon, played Mr. Joe Jackson also doubled as Mr. Nettles. Don Thumin, Stage Manager also appeared as Mr. Nettles; and Susanne Neswadi of Louisiana roots, was Mrs. Berlin.

On performance, Onstage Colorado reviewed as follows: “As Johanna, Goodwyn, delivers a powerful performance that displays mothering instincts to their extreme. She is overbearing at times but never strays from her strong beliefs about what is best for herself and her family.  Her resonating intonation is perfect for the character of the recently displaced migrant and adds a sense of truth to her performance. Other standouts in the production are Twigg as Astrid, Espitallier as Jonas, and Dickson as Mr. Joe Jackson. Twigg gives a rock-solid performance as the daughter with eyes beyond Edmonds and her family. She commands the stage with both a sense of wonder and urgency, hoping to discover what lies beneath her simple upbringing. Both Espitallier and Dickson provide a sense of honesty and clarity to the production with down-to-earth and well-developed characters.”

THE ODD COUPLE is a story of two best friends, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar, who decide to live together to get over their respective divorces. When the neat and uptight Felix is kicked out of his home, the slovenly and excessively easygoing recent divorcee, Oscar, invites him to live in his 8-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side with him. 

This classic comedy opens on a group of men at their weekly poker night and examines male relationships and the dynamics within. Late to the party, Felix arrives after having been asked for a divorce by his wife. Devastated and in complete hysterics, he begs his friends to leave him alone, help him, and have mercy on him, all at the same time. Oscar, his grouchy, messy, and unreliable friend takes pity on him and offers him a room. Their mismatched personalities and equally strong penchant for stubbornness can only lead to one thing – misunderstandings, shenanigans, and a whole lot of hilarity.

“We took the setting of the original The Odd Couple and slightly reinvented the characters by incorporating the drama into the comedy and working on deeper character dynamics that are real, though slapstick at times. This play promises to celebrate male friendship, bring us some 1960s fun, and show us what it really means to be a good friend – while also being a night of hilarious fun!

We are keenly aware of the serious emotions that are inseparable from a break-up, and we wanted to honor the sensitive subject matter with due respect. A lot has changed since this play was first written, and we wanted to be cognizant of that while presenting it to a modern audience. So while the first scene brings to light the very real symptoms of depression, we focused on being respectful while also keeping the comedy of the play alive!”

Dean Espitallier as Oscar and Justin Davis as Felix

In Support roles: Omar Garces, Don Thumim, Kenneth Rivera,

Brett Landis, Grace Stephenson as the sisters

TCL puts together a festival of Holiday related short vignettes of original playwrights local or otherwise. In its 3^rd season, it has become a regular Holiday offering that attracts audiences all over.