Ricketts and Randy
The Louisville Improvisers at The SLANT
Culture Theatre Festival
Reviewed by
Keith Waits
Entire contents are copyright © 2012, Keith
Waits. All rights reserved.
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| Chris Anger and Keith McGill are Ricketts and Randy. Photo courtesy of Louisville Improvisers. |
A late entry to the SLANT line-up, this is a
show that exemplifies the quest for experimentation called for in the festival
mission statement. Unusual in that it is a (mostly) scripted piece of material
that includes some window for improvisation, it also dares to take a decidedly
dark turn that moves it into deeper, more introspective territory.
The premise is simple: Randy is a
ventriloquist working children’s parties with his dummy, named Ricketts. Party
hats are distributed among the audience and the “act” begins as one might
expect, with terrible, obvious routines and “knock-knock” jokes that become
funny because they are delivered in the context of a performer so uncomfortable
and anxious that one can see the flop sweat.
As the ventriloquist’s act begins to fall
apart and the dummy’s dialogue turns sarcastic, it becomes apparent that
Ricketts is very much an alter ego; the Hyde to Randy’s Jekyll. It is not
necessarily a new idea; we’ve seen many variations on the notion of an
inanimate object providing voice to the inner demons of the human psyche. But
this performance stakes out a singular piece of ground: the need for identity
to reconcile conflicts within itself and what happens when such conflicts defy
resolution.
I know, I know, it IS a comedy show and it
did bring the laughter. But it also brought considerable irony to the
situation, introducing edgier themes in ways both serious and funny, but mostly
funny. The result is theatre that is as provocative as it is entertaining, and
runs the risk of alienating the audience as much as engaging it. I don’t easily
imagine that Ricketts and Randy will
fail to entertain in any of its scheduled run during the SLANT Festival; but it
also stands a good chance of catching you by surprise, and that’s a good thing.
Keith McGill makes for a suitably neurotic
and nervous Randy, while Chris Anger is remarkably restrained as Ricketts. I
count restraint as an especially worthwhile value because a human playing a
ventriloquist’s dummy is a casting rife with opportunity for overplaying. As
the conflict between the two increases, Mr. Anger and Mr. McGill work closely
together both physically and verbally to maintain the integrity of the premise
so that the point is never lost.
Ricketts and Randy
November 9, 10, 15, 17
The Louisville Improvisers
AltSpace at Walden Theatre
Part of The Slant Culture Theater
Festival
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