Humor, Sentiment Mix Well In ‘Greetings’
Theater
It has been compared to “Miracle on 34th Street,” but Tom Dudzick’s “Greetings” is more surreal than that.
It might be better to compare it with “It’s A Wonderful Life,” or at least a modern version of that fable.
This play, which opens tonight at the Interplayers Ensemble, has some of those same Christmas themes, with perhaps a bit of a Hanukkah theme thrown in, too.
It’s about Andy Gorski, who brings home his Jewish atheist girlfriend to meet his conservative Catholic parents.
Andy’s younger brother, Mickey, has previously had a vocabulary of only two expressions, “oh boy” and “wow.” But during this visit, he suddenly says, “Greetings!”
From there, the play takes off on an improbably funny journey into the nature of reality.
The New York Times called it a “a cozy coming-home-for-Christmas” vignette.
“‘Greetings’ mixes crabby humor and holiday sentiment so deftly that one can almost forgive it for shamelessly manipulating a well-worn formula,” said the Times, of the original 1991 off-off-Broadway production.
More than one reviewer has compared the family dynamics to those of TV’s Archie Bunker family.
Joan Welch, the co-artistic director of Interplayers, Spokane’s professional resident theater, directs this holiday production.
The cast includes William Westenberg, Susan Mansefield, Gail Smith Reynolds, Cheyenne Wilbur and Greg Foran.
The show opens tonight and continues through Dec. 16. Showtimes are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 2 p.m. matinees this Saturday, Wednesday and Dec. 2.
Call 455-PLAY for reservations and information. The theater is in downtown Spokane at 174 S. Howard.
“A Christmas Carol”
A touring musical version of Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” rolls into the Spokane Opera House on Wednesday.
This production is by the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, the same group which last brought “A Christmas Carol” to Spokane in 1991.
You can expect a chirpy, perky production with a lot of jolly capering. The music consists of traditional Christmas Carols, and other traditional English songs.
The show will have one performance only, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 and $15, available through all G&B Select-a-Seat outlets, or by calling 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT.
“Peter Pan”
The Spokane Children’s Theatre is mounting its biggest production ever, “Peter Pan,” at The Met tonight and it continues through Dec. 1 as part of its 50th anniversary celebration.
Not only will this musical feature plenty of flying (courtesy of the theatrical flying experts, Flying by Foy) but they also have some of the top acting talent in the area.
Bobbi Kotula plays Peter Pan; Patrick Treadway plays Captain Hook; and Troy Nickerson plays Smee, Hook’s sidekick. Those are three of the best actors in Spokane, all on one stage.
The cast of 28 is directed by Carmen Farley, and the musical director is Gary Laing.
The performances are all sold out.
“The Girl in the Freudian Slip”
The Spokane Community College Players present five performances of the comedy “The Girl in the Freudian Slip,” Monday through next Friday at the SCC Lair Auditorium.
The show is about a New York psychiatrist who is thrown into a confrontation with a former patient.
Cast members include Calven S. Eldred, Audra Goff, Kaci Johnson, Chad Johnson, Milo Denison and Amy Newcomb.
It runs at 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and next Friday, and 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Tickets are $3, free to CCS students, faculty and staff. Call 533-7387.
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