Get ready for some Escanabish, Picklish, Jeff Daniels-penned over-the-top insanity as Norma and Wanda take the stage at Over the Ledge. Director Adam Carlson has choreographed this slapstick silliness with good pacing and energy.
We open on Wanda (Rachel Mender) sharpening a pathological grudge against her cheating husband, as seemingly benevolent, domestic sister Norma (Kat Cooper) tries to focus on making peanut butter balls — gently, and then not so gently trying to get Wanda to leave.
Rachel’s tirade sets the foundation for rolling waves of more and more improbable ridiculousness, as her revenge plot thickens, coagulates, erupts… you don’t want to know too much in advance.
All the characters/caricatures need to be taken with a grain of salt and a smear of peanut butter and/or a link or two of Mel’s Christmas Sausage. Jeff Kennedy is wonderful as hubby Mel — with a great special-effects costume; kudos to costumer Amanda Macomber - and Crystal Carlson on props, peanut butter balls galore.)
Ben Guenther is adorably inept as Wanda’s “hit man” - and does a good job batting away peanut butter balls. Maria George is a hilarious contrast to the other two woman as the timid but invasive “church lady” with a secret. Andrew Snyder “A Local Man”… (you have to buy a ticket to find out who…) rounds out the cast well in a final scene that twirls with craziness.
The show is relatively short - about an hour and a half - a “summer fun show” - and the temps were nice at the often too-cold/hot Ledges Playhouse in Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge. Norma and Wanda runs through August 12 at 8 pm - 2 pm Sundays.
http://www.overtheledge.org
We open on Wanda (Rachel Mender) sharpening a pathological grudge against her cheating husband, as seemingly benevolent, domestic sister Norma (Kat Cooper) tries to focus on making peanut butter balls — gently, and then not so gently trying to get Wanda to leave.
Rachel’s tirade sets the foundation for rolling waves of more and more improbable ridiculousness, as her revenge plot thickens, coagulates, erupts… you don’t want to know too much in advance.
All the characters/caricatures need to be taken with a grain of salt and a smear of peanut butter and/or a link or two of Mel’s Christmas Sausage. Jeff Kennedy is wonderful as hubby Mel — with a great special-effects costume; kudos to costumer Amanda Macomber - and Crystal Carlson on props, peanut butter balls galore.)
Ben Guenther is adorably inept as Wanda’s “hit man” - and does a good job batting away peanut butter balls. Maria George is a hilarious contrast to the other two woman as the timid but invasive “church lady” with a secret. Andrew Snyder “A Local Man”… (you have to buy a ticket to find out who…) rounds out the cast well in a final scene that twirls with craziness.
The show is relatively short - about an hour and a half - a “summer fun show” - and the temps were nice at the often too-cold/hot Ledges Playhouse in Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge. Norma and Wanda runs through August 12 at 8 pm - 2 pm Sundays.
http://www.overtheledge.org
RSS Feed
