News
by Gayle SuggsFor The, thecrier.net
March 23rd 2011 8:10 PM
Among the many pop references in “Butterflies are Free” is Bob Dylan’s advice
to never to trust anyone over 30 —a nice laugh if you’ve seen Dylan lately.
Leonard Gershe’s play is now 42, but you can trust it to provide a winning
evening of comic theater.
It’s been said that if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there. Either way,
it’s nice to revisit the tie-dyed anti-war posters, the mod threads, and the
feeling that everyone in the world was 19 years old. Stage Door Players’ new
production is groovy all the way.
Don Baker’s second biggest problem is his blindness; his first is an
overprotective mother. Now, with his own Manhattan apartment, he is set to find
out if freedom is truly possible. Then he meets Jill, his sexy if
scatter-brained neighbor. She is also a wannabe actress (one of her outings was
so off-off-Broadway, it was staged in Los Angeles). Will Don and Jill make it,
or will Momma add another layer to the cocoon?
Josh Donahue masters the lead role, handling Don’s wry one-liners as deftly as
gut-wrenching despair or slowly wilting heartbreak. Megan Hayes (Jill) has just
the right daffy charisma, fresh air breathing into Don’s life of suffocation.
She is the picture of sixties sexual revolution freedom—but is she capable of
reining it in for what could be the love of her life?
Jo Howarth (Mrs. Baker) allows us to see her soul as she finds herself
confronted with painful truth. And Josh Williams makes the most of his small
role of Ralph Austin, an off-Broadway producer who offers the usual satire on
the NYC stage scene of the era.
This production has it all—a terrific cast in perfect synch, as well as
flawless technical production. Alan Kilpatrick has shepherded his cast,
allowing each to shine at the right time. We enjoy another vintage Chuck
Welcome set: the rough, studio apartment on East 11th Street, shown to good
effect by John David Williams’ lighting design. The production is further
supported by Dan Bauman’s sound design, Tony Smithey’s costumes and George
Deavours wig design.
This show not only will entertain you with its laughs, but will leave you
thinking about the challenges all of us face, and whether or not we have the
courage to face those challenges head-on. You don’t want to miss this wonderful
trip back in time, encountering its timeless message along the way.
“Butterflies Are Free” continues thru April 10 with performances on Fridays and
Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $26 for adults, $24
for senior adults and $22 for students. Because of adult situations, this show
is not recommended for children under the age of 14. Stage Door is located in
the North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road and on the
Web at www.stagedoorplayers.net. To reserve tickets, email
[email protected] or telephone 770-396-1726.
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