30 - Wednesday, July 24, 1991 - Norin Snore Nev.

Woody Allen play
proves light fare
for the summer

Play it Again, Sam. Directed by
Michael Fera, at Presentation
House, To Aug. 3. phone 98b-
1357,

HEN THE lights

come up on Play

It Again, Sam, we
see Allan Felix transfixed,
just inches in front of his
television set, his face suf-
fused with the blue glow of
the tube.

Barbara Black
THEATRE REVIEW

Familiar voices ermanate from
the box — the famous parting
words exchanged between Hum-
phrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman
in the movie Casablanca.

Felix, a movie critic, is also a
cinema junkie who worships the
womanizing ways of Bogie. Untor-
tunately, he can't apply Bogie’s
smooth moves in his own love life
and makes himself miserable
comparing his celluleid hero to his
corduroy self.

Unlike his idol, a pinnacle of
self-assuredness, Felix is a bundle
of nerves, especially since his wife
just left him and he faces the
unappealing prospect of the
single-therefore-dating life. But
Bogie is there with him in his New
York apartment fading in and out
as required, advising Felix how to
woman-handle. Not that it helps.
Felix bungles and botches every
attempt at romanticizing.

Until he realizes the Bogie ap-
proach is mere Hollywood fluif
(and out of date), and accepts his

own flawed and bespectacied sell,
Felix is doomed to nerd-dont

Playing the quintessential
Woody Aten character (the play is
written by Woody Alien) ts loca!
actor Cavan Cunningham who
carries the show with his nervous
tension and consistency of charac-
ter, although whether he adds a
new dimension to the usual Alien
persona is debatable.

Bogart is brought to life by Joe
Mattei. Cool and collected. the
famous actor poses like a tall, thin
cigarette burning in the
background, hands in the pockets
of his baggy pants, wincing at
Felix’s aborted attempts to woo his
best triend’s wife, Linda, played by
Darleen Bedard.

Bedard takes a few scenes to
warm up, but once her passions
for Felix kick in she approaches
the role more confidently. Her ac-
cent, however, tended to mean-
der. Brydon Barrett makes a strong
statement with her interpretation
of Felix's wife Nancy.

There are some strong and fun-
ny scenes between Felix and Linda
and Felix and Bogart.

Scenes with more than two
characters, however, were
awkwardly blocked, thowing the
comic timing off.

Roy Tupper as Dick looked un-
comfortable in his role (was it
those wide lapels?), but picked up
the rhythm in the second act.
Crystal MacNeill and Tupper
sometimes mumbled their lines.

The set, almost overstated,
clearly communicated the fixings
of a Hollywood film studio with its
celluloid trim and Broadway styl-
ing. All this contrasts with the
guilt-ridden antics of Felix’s not so
perfect life in the real world.

The celluloid strip curtains sur-
rounding the back wall of the set
served the action well — imagi-
nary characters slipped in and out
of Felix’s day dreams by stepping
through the strips of film (reminis-
cent of those 70s bead curtains).

Cavan Cunningham stays with
the New York accent all the way
and never misses a beat, wringing

his hands. wearing out the floor.
boards and pertorming prattalls.
Hie shows a keack for Comedy.
The costumes, designed by
Meureon Houston, were stom-
ach-tuming in their accuracy to
the "TOs — plattorm shoes, bell-
bottom pants. lone vests, wide
Japels, acrylics. gray they rest in

photo suomitted

peace. The lighting cues helped
the audience make the switch
Trom fantasy to real tite.

Play te Again, Sam, directed by
Michae! Pera, doesn’t have a lot to
say other than life ain't no movie
so best be voursel, but it fits the
bill for lighthearted summer enter-
Luament.

a

Dine With She Arts

Our Pre-Theatre Dinner Menu

3 Course Italian Gourmet Dinner

$23.00 Per Person

Complimentary Valet Parking
Walking Distance to Theatres

In The Wedgewood Hoiel

845 Hornby St.
TEL: 689-7777

BOGIE (PLAYED by Jces
Maftei) ofters advice tc
hapless Allan Felix, played
by Cavan Cunningham, in
Presentation Houses’s Play
It Again, Sam.

The
next time
you think of
parking
here,

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