Archive for category: Backstage Dispatches

Featured on MountainLake PBS July 21

(Link to full article here.)

 

Featured in the Press Republican on Thursday July 17 – link to full story here

 

Robin Caudell, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Thu, July 17, 2025

WESTPORT — “Every Brilliant Thing” director Chan Harris returns to the Depot Theatre this season to interface white-box tech in the fast-paced black comedy “Radiant Vermin,” written by Philip Ridley, an internationally acclaimed “master of the modern myth.”

North Country audiences get a preview performance tonight in Westport of the play, which premiered in 2015 at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol, before transferring to Soho Theatre in London.

Set in contemporary Britain, a young couple, Ollie (Peter Corley) and Jill (Laura Menzie), live in the Red Ocean Estates, when they receive a sticky offer from stranger Miss Dee/Kay (Emily Abruzzi) to own their dream home and leave public housing forever.

Ollie and Jill are lower-middle class, educated, not too well-connected and try too hard to be fashionable.

“It was a new play to me, but I really liked it when I first read it,” Harris said. “He’s very British. Not in a bad way, but in a really good way. The way that the Brits generally … this is kind of a gross overgeneralization, even when they speak they sound polite typically whether they are or not. Their general sense of manners is often more oppressive than the way we use manners if that makes sense. They don’t ever want to step over the lines of propriety in general. That’s not true for everyone in Britain, of course, but the general feel of the country is a lightness kind of guides a lot of things. Doing the right thing in a sense.

“If this story was to take place in America, it would be a different story than it is. There are some very heavy conditions that they don’t realize when they say yes to the house. There are some very conditions attached, but they have to figure out how to make it work.”

Link to full story on the Press Republican here as well as on Yahoo! Entertainment here. 

 

As featured on North Country Public Radio (Air date July 14, 2025) 

“The artistic producers at the Depot Theatre in Westport are pretty curious what you’ll think of the new show opening this weekend.

“Radiant Vermin” is a brilliantly written dark comedy satire about the lengths you go to get what you want, according to Beth Glover and Karen Lewis.

“It’s outrageous. It’s completely delicious. And, in this wonderful world of rampant consumerism, I think it’s going to speak to people,” said Lewis, ironically.

Lewis and Glover told Northern Light co-host Monica Sandreczki it’s a perfect fit for their mainstage season.” 

Link to full article & interivew here. 

 

Depot Theatre Announces Cast for RADIANT VERMIN

Philip Ridley’s Savage Satire on Real Estate, Morality, and the Price of Desire

(As seen on BroadwayWorld)

Westport, NY  (July 9, 2025) — The Depot Theatre, a Professional Equity company, presents the biting and fastpaced black comedy RADIANT VERMIN, written by internationally acclaimed “master of modern myth” Philip Ridley. The play premiered in 2015 at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol, before transferring to Soho Theatre in London.

When a young couple is offered an ideal house by a mysterious stranger, it prompts the chilling question: How far would any of us go to get our dream home? What follows is a provocative, pitch-black satire that skewers our fantasies about having it all.

Directed by Chan Harris, who directed EVERY BRILLIANT THING at the Depot Theatre last season, this cutting-edge, thought-provoking comedy teeters on the brink of mayhem while shining a light on the human condition, the haves and have-nots, and the inequities of life. 

“…RADIANT VERMIN is a blithely told fable for the age of unaffordable housing… nasty and energetic fun.” —BenBrantley, The New York Times (Off-Broadway) 

“A darkly funny morality play… extraordinary.” —The Guardian

“RADIANT VERMIN is dark, devastating, and true to our times.” —Jim Catapano, ArtsIndependent (2024) 

THE CAST:

Featuring the return of a beloved Depot Theatre alum and two actors making their highly anticipated debut on our stage:

Peter Corley (Ollie) returns to the Depot Theatre after last year’s ANALOG & VINYL. Recently Peter has appeared in two Martin McDonagh plays, as Katurian in THE PILLOWMAN and Ray in BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, as well as George Bailey in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Billy in Stoppard’s THE REAL THING, and Fred/Young Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL in Northwest NJ. Peter is a graduate of the musical theatre program at New York’s Circle in the Square, where he played Konstantin in THE SEAGULL and Cooper in ISLAND SONG. 

Laura Menzie (Jill)’s previous credits include TWELFTH NIGHT and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with Saratoga Shakespeare Company, DOLLS HOUSE PART 2 and DOUBT with Franklin Stage Company, WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION… at Stage’s Rep, RICHARD III at Houston Shakespeare Festival and HAMLET and TARTUFFE with Titan Theatre Company in NYC. Laura has also worked locally with Adirondack Stage Rats & Pendragon Theatre. She has her MFA from the University of Houston and currently teaches acting and voice and speech at Skidmore College. She is excited to be making her Depot Theatre debut. 

Emily Abruzzi (Miss Dee / Kay)  is delighted to be making her Depot Theatre debut! Originally from Pennsylvania, Emily toured with arts-in-education programs for 10 years, including five years as company member of Mock Turtle Marionette Theatre. Emily has also toured in Taiwan with Enchantment Theatre Company (puppetry). As a dancer, she performed at Philadelphia Fringe Festival and DUMBO dance festival in NYC. More rently Emily has acted in local shows including WIT with Artistry Community Theatre, MRS. FARNSWORTH with Book & Blanket, and ANTIGONE with Pendragon Theatre. She holds a BA in Theatre and Dance and an MS in Occupational Therapy and works in early childhood services throughout Essex County. 

THE DIRECTOR:

Chan Harris grew up in the part of East Texas where it always smells like something’s burning. After graduating from The Juilliard School, he worked in professional theatre in New York, Regional Theatre, National Tours, International Tours. Other directing projects: New York: MISS JULIE (Pearl Theatre Company), OPERA FOR DUMMIES (Westbeth). National Tour:  FOREVER PLAID. Regional Theatre: A COMEDY OF TENORS, ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, ALTAR BOYZ, CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES (1, 2, 4 AND 5), THE BIKINIS, THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, SOCIAL SECURITY, ALONE TOGETHER, LET’S MURDER MARSHA, THE PAJAMA GAME, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, FULLY COMMITTED, HARPS & HARMONICAS (world premiere), 5/31/89: THE FLOOD (world premiere), CRAZY FOR YOU, THE KING AND I, HONKY-TONK ANGELS, 42ND STREET, MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, PUMP BOYS & DINETTES, CINDERELLA, to name a few. 

 

 

 

 

 

Review Contributed by Shir Filler. Ms. Filler is a Professor of English and the Humanities Department Chair at North Country Community College. Before that, she was the Editor of the Lake Placid News. Shir Filler contributed this review at the request of The Depot Theatre.

FIRST DATE, directed by Beth Glover at the Depot Theatre in Westport, is a hilarious and imaginative take on the scenario of, you guessed it, a first date. Over the course of one evening, Casey and Aaron alternately interest and annoy each other with fun repartee, but the best part is that the audience gets to experience the angst each one suffers from the warring voices in their own heads: He’s too boring. She’s not Jewish. What if he’s the one? Why can’t I just get back with my ex? What if I’ll never find the one? Does ordering a salad mean I’m not a real man? 

When I opened the program, I saw that the parts were Aaron (Aaron Penzel), Casey (Tiara Whaley), Man #1 (Khalid Rivera), Woman #1 (Amy Fitts), and Man #2 (Vincent DiGeronimo). Because they weren’t named, I assumed the last three were bit parts. Boy, was I wrong. Woman #1 smoothly and believably transformed from a diner at another table to Aaron’s dead Jewish grandmother to Casey’s sister who set her up on this date to Aaron’s ex-girlfriend. Man #1 went from Woman #1’s date to the gay-best-friend-emergency-bad-date call to Aaron’s lady-killer best friend, and Man #2 went from bartender/waiter to Christian father to bad boy ex-boyfriend to lounge singer. And those are just the highlights of their many metamorphoses, all of which were accomplished with just a shawl, a hat, or a jacket – and, of course, a brilliant song. The songs, some of which are “Bailout #1”, “Awkward Pause”, “The Check” (as in who should pay it), and “The Things I Never Said”, are funny, touching, and contradictory, illustrating the internal struggles many of us go through – especially under the enormous pressure we can put on that date to be THE one. 

FIRST DATE at the Depot Theatre runs through July 13: Thursdays and Fridays at 5, Saturdays at 7:30, and Sunday 3 pm matinee. I highly recommend it — though maybe not for your first date.

(Images provided by The Depot Theatre.)

 

Aaron Jodoin pulling triple duty as musical director, conductor, and keyboardist.
He is joined by a powerhouse trio of Jane Boxall on drums, 
Andy Tompkins on guitar, and
Felix Haskins on bass.

FIRST DATE runs June 26-July 13 at the Depot Theatre.

Depot Theatre’s Main Stage Season Premieres with the Broadway Hit FIRST DATE

Westport, NY  (June 16, 2025) The Depot Theatre’s 47th Main Stage season kicks off with a hilarious, high-energy match made in musical theatre heaven: FIRST DATE, the offbeat Broadway hit that proves sometimes love shows up when you least expect it. FIRST DATE premiered on Broadway in 2013 and has since played to sold-out houses across the country.

Book by Austin Winsberg
Music and Lyrics by Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner
 

Directed and choreographed by Beth Glover from the Depot Theatre’s Artistic Production Management Team, with music direction by Aaron JodoinFIRST DATE runs June 26–July 13 and features a dynamic cast of returning Depot Theatre alums and exciting new faces.

Since its Broadway debut, FIRST DATE has played to sold-out houses nationwide and drawn critical acclaim:

“A fast-paced, 90-minute charmer that’s equal parts heart and hilarity.”
— Variety

“A winning crowd-pleaser delivered with comic verve and charm.”
— The Hollywood Reporter

“A slick, crowd-pleasing comedy with Broadway polish and off-Broadway bite.”
— TheaterMania

THE CAST:

Aaron Penzel (Aaron) makes his Depot Theatre debut as the buttoned-up blind date who finds himself wildly unprepared for what the night has in store.

Tiara Whaley (Casey) returns to the Theatre as the edgy, quick-witted serial dater who’s seen it all—until now.

Amy Fitts (Woman #1) brings her signature charm and comedic timing back to the Depot Theatre, fresh off stages from NYC to Tokyo (and Riverdale High School, where she now teaches drama).

Khalid Rivera (Man #1), a Broadway and TV veteran, adds flair to every scene, whether playing a disapproving dad, a fabulous ex, or the voice inside your head.

Vincent DiGeronimo (Man #2) returns to Westport after his crowd-pleasing turn as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, now tackling a series of scene-stealing characters.

The music pulses live from the pit thanks to an all-star band featuring Jane Boxall (drums), Andy Tompkins (guitar), and Felix Haskins (bass). The production is stage managed by Lydya Felix.

FIRST DATE is a zany, heartfelt ride through every awkward, unexpected, and potentially romantic twist a blind date can throw at you,” says Glover. “It’s fast-paced, sharply written, and performed by an extraordinary ensemble who bring these wonderfully human characters to life.”

Audiences looking for a deeper dive into the creative process are invited to attend the Depot Dialogue, a post-show discussion with cast and crew following the Thursday, July 3 performance.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

When tightly wound Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a riotous exploration of modern dating, as every ex, friend, and inner voice crashes the party. With clever songs and rapid-fire banter, FIRST DATE is a celebration of risk, connection, and the courage it takes to put your heart on the line.

TICKETS & INFO:

Preview Performances – $25 Tickets

Be part of the behind-the-scenes magic and experience the show before the critics and the crowds:

  • Thursday, June 26— The very first public performance of FIRST DATE. This is your chance to witness the moment the show hits the stage for the first time. Even though it’s not opening night, expect that unmistakable opening-night electricity, plus the thrill of knowing you’re seeing it before anyone else.
  • Friday, June 27— Our official Preview Night, fully staged and performed at a lower ticket price to make professional theatre more accessible for all.

Regular performances run June 28–July 13.

FIRST DATE runs June 26–July 13 at the Depot Theatre, located in a restored 1876 train station in the heart of Westport, NY. Tickets are available at depot.polaredgedesigns.com/ or by calling the box office at 518.962.4449.

SPONSORS:

FIRST DATE is sponsored by Chazy Westport Communications. The Depot Theatre’s 47th season is sponsored by the Rogers-Carroll Family Foundation.

As seen on BroadwayWorld 

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Comes to the Depot Theatre Academy

Performances will take place June 12-14 and will open the Main Stage season at the historic Depot Theatre in Westport, New York.

The Depot Theatre Academy will present the first of its 2025 summer youth productions: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. This Tony Award-winning musical comedy will be brought to life by a cast of talented local youth performers under the guidance of seasoned theatre professionals.

With a script that cleverly blends nostalgia with satire, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE offers audiences a joyous, witty escape into a 1920s musical within a musical, complete with mistaken identities, dream sequences, and toe-tapping numbers. The Academy’s production promises all the sparkle and spirit of the original, while offering a fresh, youthful take that reflects the creativity and dedication of its student ensemble.

The program will be led by a team of experienced professional teaching artists. It will be directed by Gigi Mason, Depot Theatre’s Director of Outreach & Education, with live musical direction and accompaniment provided by music and drama educator Kim Weems. Choreography is by co-director Jackie Robertin. The production has also received assistance from theatre educator and actor Amy Fitts, the Depot Theatre’s Artistic Production Management Team, Beth Glover & Karen Lewis, and other local and visiting professional artists.

“THE DROWSY CHAPERONE gives our students a chance to tap into big comedy, big characters, and big heart,” said Gigi Mason. “But beyond the laughs, what’s most powerful is watching these young artists find their voices, support one another, and light up the stage with something they’ve built together. That kind of experience stays with them long after the final bow.”

Founded to provide authentic theatrical training to area youth, the Depot Theatre Academy has grown into one of the region’s most beloved educational programs. Known for sold-out productions and deeply invested students, the Academy emphasizes collaboration, discipline, and creativity in a welcoming, professional setting.

Auditions for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE were held in March; there is no cost to participants.

Performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will take place at the Depot Theatre, the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The theatre is located in a historic 1876 train station in Westport, NY. A cultural anchor in the Adirondacks for over four decades, the Depot is committed to presenting live theatre, fostering local talent, and providing arts education through its Academy program.

The cast of The Drowsy Chaperone includes:

Cooper Halloran, Jocelyn Bessette, Kaden Dwyer, Keiran Shult, Tristan Shult, Lee Fay, Hanna Bailey, Ayden Christensen, Madeline Young, Parker Scanio, Destini Bresette, Lindsay Haner, Araya Pierre Louis, Olive Stewart, Kalyn Kivlehan, Evalee Hamilton, Lillian Baker, Felix Haskins, Emma Drowlette.

The Depot Theatre Academy is underwritten by The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation.

The Academy senior program for experienced student artists, including performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, is sponsored by The Mill.

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

The Westport NY station platform (L) in the fall of 2022, and (R) in early October 2023.

 

WHAT ARE THEY BUILDING UP THERE?

The Depot Theatre main stage season is over for the year, but activity at the train station continues!
 
As the only full-time employee at the Depot, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the project over the past year. I thought I’d provide some answers for the public, now that the project is nearing its end.
 
In short: Amtrak has hired a contractor to build an improved ADA-compliant platform that will provide more convenient and safe access to the train, building, and parking lot. 
 
In long: there are a lot of steps, materials, and multiple organizations and businesses required to navigate such a complicated project. 
 

THE PLAYERS

The train station that houses the Depot Theatre represents a unique collaboration. 
 
The facility itself is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it, and the platform and railway are owned by Canadian Pacific Railway Co. The Town of Westport leases the building and parking and lot and grounds. The Depot Theatre subleases the building from the Town and manages and maintains it. The Town maintains the parking lot and grounds. Amtrak has an agreement with the Theatre to utilize the building for passengers, and the Theatre is the official station caretaker on behalf of Amtrak.
 
The platform project is an extension of that spirit of collaboration. The Amtrak project is being managed by Banton Construction, which has an onsite project team with a temporary office inside the train station. They have a number of subcontractors and vendors, but the majority of the onsite work is being done by Fuller Excavating out of Keeseville, N.Y. 
 

WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG?

From my window in the office of the train station, it’s clear that the project is FAR more complicated than just pouring concrete. 
 
Site work began on the project in August 2022. The work stopped for winter as the next steps included a series of concrete pours that required warmer temperatures. Work resumed in spring of 2023. The project did encounter a number of delays – including material delays, and building and repeatedly moving temporary wooden platforms for passengers – but mostly related to the rainy weather that we all endured. 
 
For scope, here are some of the main components incorporated into the project:
  • 200’ x 13’ platform itself, which includes a snow melt system
    • Heated slab construction included:
      • Removal of many yards of contaminated material adjacent to tracks,
      • Installation of crushed stone base,
      • Drilled helicals – anchors into the ground from 20-40 feet deep,
      • Poured grade beams for the platform base,
      • A whole lot of rebar,
      • More than a mile of electrical wiring, 
      • Installation of a complex drainage system 
  • 50’ x 25’ parking area  (2 ADA and 1 regular parking spot)
  • Poured sidewalk with ramp to the station lobby door
  • Approximately 200’ of handrails
  • 5 lighting fixtures
  • 3 Amtrak signs
  • A Wheel Chair Lift Enclosure building to house lift and mechanicals
PLUS, the newfangled platform is being constructed adjacent to a circa 1876 building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The project managers have shown great respect for the building by conducting seismic monitoring and ongoing photo records to ensure that it has no impact on the building’s integrity. 
 

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

And all along, representatives from the Town of Westport, the Depot Theatre, Amtrak, Banton Construction, and Fuller Excavating have remained in communication to make certain that we all were able to do our work without compromising the others. Schedules were set to ensure that construction didn’t occur during Depot’s performances, and the Town worked with all parties to ensure a consistent and clean connection between the new parking lot paving and the platform components.
 
PARKING LOT – AT LAST!

In 2019, The Depot applied for and was awarded, on behalf of the Town of Westport, a NYSDEC Smart Growth grant for much-needed parking lot improvements. The project was delayed due to COVID-19, material shortages, and then the Amtrak project to install a new ADA-compliant platform.

Good news: now that the platform access is completed, the parking lot has been newly paved! In another masterful collaboration, Keven Severance, head of the Department of Public Works (DPW) for the Town of Westport, coordinated with Essex County DPW, and the Towns of Moriah and Essex to share equipment and labor to transport the blacktop and to pave.

The new blacktop at the Depot Theatre was installed at beginning of November 2023.

Just like the dichotomy of the Depot Theatre’s high-tech LED lighting on stage INSIDE the original freight room walls, the new platform will provide high-tech, contemporary access for road and rail travelers OUTSIDE the historic circa 1876 building.
 
Thanks to Banton and and the Town of Westport for their collaborative spirit and generosity in going the extra mile to ensure that the project meets not only Amtrak’s expectations, but provides a safe and welcoming access for visitors, passengers, and theatre patrons for years to come!
 
CHECK BACK FOR UPDATED PHOTOS AS THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED!
 

AMTRAK platform project detail showing ADA parking and access.

 
– Kim Rielly is the Depot Theatre’s Executive Director, a native of Westport, and a recent student of train platform construction.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”11800,11801,11798,11799,11795,11796,11797,11802″ db_images_per_row=”4″ dbdb_version=”4.2.2″ show_title_and_caption=”off” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_font_size=”7px” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

The cast of the Depot Theatre’s production of THE FANTASTICKS (L-R: Cassidy Sledge, Sam Balzac, Isha Narayanan, Amanda Giles, Zach Monczewski, James Rose, Rebecca Lee Whitcomb, Madeline Saintsing.)

 

THE FANTASTICKS, the comforting theatrical equivalent of ordering the same thing at the restaurant you always do, has not been around forever, although it may seem that way. Debuting in 1960, the musical proceeded to go on an historic, 42-year off-Broadway run, while becoming almost a legal requirement for every high school and community theater in the land. But don’t go to the Depot Theatre’s take on THE FANTASTICKS (running through Aug. 27) expecting the same-ole same-ole.

For the past couple of years directors have been under the hood of THE FANTASTICKS, souping up the old jalopy into a modern-day street rod. It began when New York director Michael Lluberes partnered with the show’s original lyricist Tom Jones to produce a same-sex version, trading in the boy and the girl around which the musical revolves into two young men and swapping out the two chuckleheaded fathers for chuckleheaded mothers.

The Depot’s take is a bit different, with actors across the spectrum of gender expression who step into and assume these historically archetypal roles – that admittedly takes some getting used to – but then as the show progresses creates an entirely new layer of interest for a musical that was in need of one.

The girl, Luisa, is played by James Rose, the boy, Matt, by Isha Narayanan, and they complement each other well, Narayanan in a steady, understated role as the older and (theoretically) wiser half, and Rose as the emotional and flighty Luisa. 

The Director allows Rose to dominate that stage, which she does with joyful exuberance. The success of this adaptation largely depends on Rose’s performance, and she delivers.

Backing up the young couple are their fathers, Sam Balzac as the boy’s father Hucklebee, Rebecca Lee Whitcomb as the girl’s father Bellomy. Both are delightful. Hucklebee is an old naval salt with aching joints, a sailor-man that Balzac portrays with a dash of enthusiastic Popeye-like determination and occasional blindness to reality. Interestingly, Whitcomb could just as easily be thought of as a mother, but comes across on stage as a father, an impressive display of ability.

Yet where the gender reversals were most seamless is in crowd favorites Madeline Saintsing and Cassidy Sledge, who play the old actor Henry, and the man who dies, Mortimer. So perfectly do they play these roles that once you’ve seen them, in gender terms, you won’t want to go back.

So too are more traditionally filled roles of El Gallo, played by Zach Monczewski and the mute, played by Amanda Giles. Giles flits about, being everywhere and nowhere, seen and unseen, providing the show with meaningful punctuation marks throughout.

It falls to Monczewski, along with other duties, to deliver a feeling rendition of “Try to Remember,” the musical’s signature tune that essentially is a Cliff’s Notes of the show’s themes, most notably that without darkness there can be no light. Other songs, artfully choreographed and brightly accompanied on the piano by Matt Dolan, might be more fun, but none are as meaningful.

All told, this version of THE FANTASTICKS will certainly be more memorable than the perhaps six or eight others that many theater goers will have experienced. There could have been no concept of this adaptation when the show was being penned more than 60 years ago in the straight-laced, Leave It To Beaver era. Yet the script has easily transferable moments reflective of an evolving culture. 

When the actors are at the outset drawing lots from a hat — some thrilled at the luck of the draw, some clearly not — it becomes an apt metaphor for the roles we are assigned at birth and later in life. Some lead to happiness, some to anguish — particularly when these roles are not accepted and welcomed by the arched eyebrow of society.

THE FANTASTICKS notably contains a heaping helping of Shakespearean wordplay, recalling a time when all the actors, regardless of the sex of their characters, were men. So consider how much things have changed in a scant 400 years.

The Depot did not change the original script, although there are flourishes that accentuate the point, from rainbow wristbands to the subtle emphasis on the word pride. It explores a new world while honoring the past, particularly through campy stage accents and clever use of a c. 1970 overhead projector.

As might be expected, a production such as this has some of the rough edges of a prototype. But as it gels, it offers more than a new take on gender issues, it is also a bittersweet examination of age.

Many in the audience will have been born, grown up with and aged along with THE FANTASTICKS. Perhaps the loudest chuckle of the night was in response to a line about someone hitting age 40 being old. THE FANTASTICKS has grown old, but it has retained its value and its ability to freely hand the torch to a new generation of promise and hope. The Depot makes us feel appreciative of things past and optimistic about what is to come. And that’s fantastick.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://ci.ovationtix.com/35395/production/1151345″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY TICKETS” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”36px” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Tim Rowland contributed this review by the request of, and in collaboration with the Depot Theatre. Rowland is a journalist and New York Times bestselling author, whose humorous commentaries explore an eclectic variety of subject matter, from politics to history to the great outdoors. He and his wife Beth live on the Ausable River in Jay, N.Y.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Luke Wehner in the Depot Theatre’s production of CHESAPEAKE.

What is art, anyway? Your dog knows.

Long before this thing called woke, long before we had come to understand that all the world’s problems could be solved with pronouns, there existed a simpler time in which culture-war villains had real brick-and-mortar office buildings with actual staff and budgets funded by hard-working, god-fearing taxpayers.

Back when Senators had names like Helms and Graham, nothing was more reviled than the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), whose money (your money!) was funding artistic shows featuring excrement, burning flags, or human nether regions.

Annual NEA budget fights, predictable as a setting sun through the 1990s — and a lack of understanding of art in general — led playwright Lee Blessing to pen CHESAPEAKE, the story of an envelope-pushing performance artist, Kerr, a drawling southern Senator, Pooley, and a dog(s) — all played by a single actor.

CHESAPEAKE, which opened July 20 at the Depot Theatre in Westport, was written in 1999, but the Depot has found new relevance in it today, what with the national spate of book banning in school libraries. Thirty years ago Robert Mapplethorp was giving far-right activists a case of the vapors, and today it’s Nora Roberts. Somehow that doesn’t feel like progress.

Kerr, Pooley, Pooley’s domineering wife, his assistant, Lucky the dog, and several other characters are all played by Luke Wehner in a stage-filling performance that obviously requires a sort of superhuman versatility.

Sporting a shaggy, retriever-esque hairstyle, Wehner seamlessly toggles between angry young artist and pliant pup, then morphs into one of the three southern characters as effortlessly as you can say “down boy.”

With disparate voice and gesture, and some creative lighting, the production feels rich in character, or characters, despite its being a one-man band. The set — bayside piers with a signature Annapolis-styled sail as a backdrop — is equally versatile, serving as everything from waterman’s cabin to the Senate floor.

The performance moves smartly along, liberally scattered with humor and the overarching question of “what is art?” Good question.

Blessing’s script is somewhat one-dimensional, relying on the bromide that “failed art is better than no art at all” as a blank check, cover for bad artistic behavior. This, ironically, is the same stubborn thinking of which the political right is oft accused, when it excuses the inexcusable as “God’s will.”

With no opposing view presented, it feels as if Pooley gives up a little too easily when shown the error of his ways by a dog that has positioned himself as a messenger from God. Or it could be that Blessing is telling us there’s not that much difference between religion and art.

He is also prescient, as the battle over expression has moved from the U.S. Capitol to school boards that have bowed to angry activists demanding the banning of books they have not read.

As such, this is a play that has aged well. In the ’90s, activists were averting their eyes from Mapplethorpe in the same way today’s activists are making no effort to understand that which they deem unacceptable.

So, nearly a quarter century after CHESAPEAKE was written, you have to wonder: When was the last time you heard National Endowment for the Arts funding raised as a political issue?

Blessing’s intended point is that we need controversial or “failed” art to push the envelope, to make us feel things, good or bad, to clear a path into which good art is free to flow.

True as that may be, the fact that no politician has mentioned the NEA in years proves what might be Blessing’s most insightful conclusion: Politics itself has become performance art, a pursuit intended to raise emotions instead of solving problems. Unfortunately for us, the politicians seem to have learned from the artists all too well.

 

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://ci.ovationtix.com/35395″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY TICKETS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”38px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#0C71C3″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_alignment=”center” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Tim Rowland contributed this review by the request of, and in collaboration with the Depot Theatre. Rowland is a journalist and New York Times bestselling author, whose humorous commentaries explore an eclectic variety of subject matter, from politics to history to the great outdoors. He and his wife Beth live on the Ausable River in Jay, N.Y.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]