by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
Theatre Jacksonville opened its 88th season with Moon over the Brewery a highly entertaining romantic comedy that will run through November l7th at the Harold K Smith Playhouse in San Marco. Remember TJ’s Enchanted April? An unknown that that won Best Play and was a smash hit? Well, Moon will be brewing up a repeat of that show and tickets will be a hot item, that is for sure. Why not make your reservations right now by calling (904) 396-4425, because you don’t want to overlook this one
Moon over the Brewery is set in a family home in a small Pennsylvania coal town in l987. It is a look at the emotions faced by an unduly responsible l3-year old Amanda as she struggles to come to terms with adolescent issues as the only adult in the home. You see her bewildered mother, Miriam, is a never-married mom who slings hash as a waitress and paints moonscapes that she occasionally sells. Amanda conjures up an imaginary friend, Randolph, who appears whenever Mom is dating a new guy who might be competition for her mother’s attentions. Together, Randolph and Amanda throw monkey wrenches into the potential romances and the boyfriends leave.
Enter Warren, a local mailman and a regular customer of the diner where Mom works. He is a longtime admirer of hers, but only recently kindled a romantic interest. Can this seemingly dull, overweight postman who wears knee socks and shorts become a factor and have meaning in either Miriam or Amanda’s life? Ah, you will have to see it to learn the rest of this captivating story.
This is Theatre Jacksonville’s Marketing Director Staci Cobb’s debut as a director on local stages. A Jacksonville native, she spent ten years in New York, acting and directing, but came back in 2003, and Jacksonville audiences should consider themselves lucky she wanted to come home. Since returning, she has been an award-winning actress and now exhibits she is a very astute director. Get a smart script and the some of the best actors in town and you will have a successful production. She has done all of that and more.
Award-winning director and actress Shirley Sacks was the perfect choice as Miriam. With three talented teenage children of her own, what better credentials to be the stage Mom to a very high IQ l3-year old? She is wonderful as the perplexed and overwhelmed Miriam.
How many words can I use to describe the imaginary Randolph as played by Geoffrey King? Haughty, arrogant, smug, pretentious, self-important are just a few, but you will probably only use two after you see this play: delightfully charming. Only his third play in Jacksonville since he moved to the area, King is originally from Scotland, via London and the state of Virginia (and 50 or so plays along the way). Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this amazing but humble actor, who is already very much in demand as an actor and director in this area.
Michael Lipp has a well-balanced mantle on his fireplace at home. At one end he has all his best actor trophies and at the other his best director awards. As Warren, the unprepossessing mailman, Mr. Lipp again shows us why he is a master of the craft called theater. I remember Michael as the lead in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and he brings a lot of the innocence and mannerisms of old Charlie into his role. He also shows us deeper feelings of love through his wonderful chemistry with Ms. Sacks
Lucie Roberts plays the precocious l3-year old with an IQ of 160 to perfection. I truly believe that Lucie herself has an IQ of l60. An 8th grade student at LaVilla, she is already a veteran of five years of acting in the Jacksonville Beach area with Players by the Sea and ABET and has more credits than many adult actors in this area. At Theatre Jacksonville’s annual awards ceremony last August, they awarded a best performance by a juvenile trophy; well start engraving the 2007-2008 version, as Ms. Robert’s performance as Amanda is remarkable. Her real mother, Anne Roberts, is a highly acclaimed scenic artist who created the moonscape paintings used in this show.
Tracy Olin flipped a coin ten years ago to decide whether she wanted to be a theater costume designer or an actress. Lucky for us, the coin never came down, so she became accomplished at both. As costume designer for this show, she is at her best when she dressed the character Randolph. You see, Randolph always appears in costumes that represent a character in a book that Amanda is reading. I want to tell you more, but that would spoil the fun. Be prepared for some pretty outlandish stuff, great job Tracy.
The husband and wife production team of Jeff and Kelly Wagoner once again is impressive with a cozy, well-conceived home (by Kelly) and interesting lighting (by Jeff) that even includes a moon. Playwright Bruce Graham is also the author of Coyote on a Fence, which was well received at Players by the Sea a few seasons ago. He has fashioned a marvelously funny script that has surprising depth in the hands of an insightful director and an intelligent cast. This is the sleeper of the year, don’t miss it.
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