Saturday, June 9, 2012

Late Post: Old Ringers at the Paper Wing Theatre

You just want to laugh .Sometimes it's really that simple and that's all you need. When you hear about the premise for "Old Ringers", you feel that's what you're bound to get when four senior women take up the mantle of "Phone Sex Entrepreneurs" in this randy comedy. You know you're going to laugh because it's already going to play with popular misconceptions about sexuality in those twilight years. The Paper Wing Theatre is always a great place for artists to ply their craft with unconventional stories, unconventional music, and generally present the audience with something they're not really expecting to see. And while you may just want to laugh, the show is also more than that. It also manages to tackle some pretty thoughtful topics, but the laughs are never far behind.



Diane (Andrea McDonald) lives with her adult daughter, Amanda (Kelly Machado). The two women live very different lives, with Amanda opening the show as she reads her own religion-inspired blog aloud while her mother tries to talk openly about her boyfriends visit later in the day. Both women play well and contrast one another very well. When Diane finds out her social security check is being reduced, the ball gets rolling and we're off to the races as her friends arrive for their regular get-together and share stories. Verna (Suzanne Alvin) is the randy cougar with plenty of quick flirtatious comments, Rose (Kira Gray) is the somewhat cynical wisecracker, and Kathy Anne (Linda Dale) is the simpler and naive widow of the group. They're joined by Harry (Richard Mueller), Diane's flirtatious boyfriend and accountant. The dialogue is quick, snappy, and there are plenty of punchlines peppered throughout the exchanges. And sparks begin to fly for Amanda when she meets Officer Runson (Jay DeVine), a new transfer to the neighborhood.



Events transpire and the ladies are encouraged to seek their fortune with a phone sex service. Of course they have to hide their latest endeavors from Amanda, they're afraid they may be breaking the law, and precisely how comfortable are they all going to be with the various scenarios that play out in the fantasies of their callers. And where is this adventure going to take the ladies? Well, don't expect me to give you an answer... get up, head out to the Paper Wing Theatre, and enjoy the show. It's fantastic fun.


*note: I wrote this almost two weeks ago and posted it on my Facebook... but totally forgot about my blog. So here it is! -Mark

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