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| Edward Streeter, Joey Arena, Jenna Bain, Kenn Parks and Christie Troxell in Cliffnotes of Insanity. Photo – Emily Browne. |
Cliffnotes
of Insanity: The Princess Bride in 30 Minutes
By
Ray Robinson
Directed
by Martin French & JoAnne Sweeny
Reviewed
by Keith Waits
Entire
contents are copyright © 2013, Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
The
Alley Theater has lately adopted The
Princess Bride as something of a mascot, having used the cult movie as the
basis of an annual fundraiser for the past two years, which in turn gave birth
to this new entry in the trend of highly accelerated lampoons of popular
culture mainstays.
Although
the curtain time is 8 p.m., Cliffnotes of
Insanity would seem to belong in the late night series of Flash Gordon and Commander Cody improvisations that are staples of The Alley lineup.
The difference is a solid script by Ray Robinson that provides structure and a
more disciplined ensemble that sticks to business, with just enough ad-libbing
to conjure an air of the unexpected.
It
also repeats the gimmick of recruiting a cast member from the audience to play
a character – in this instance, the villainous Prince Humperdinck. The
“volunteers” were actually more like “draftees” for opening night, but good fun
was the result and nobody got hurt as emcee Joey Arena kept the preamble
audition process moving at a brisk pace.
The
script builds slowly at first, so that the 30-minute finish time seems a long
shot. But this careful approach pays off, and the abbreviation is accomplished
through a self-aware series of gags in which the audience is repeatedly
reminded that this is a silly business. Missing is the breakneck,
shot-out-of-a-cannon, manic energy of other similar shows – like Star Wars in 60 Minutes or Less – so
this Princess Bride, oxymoronically,
is allowed to breath a bit in half the time.
The
aforementioned Mr. Arena also plays the Grandfather who tells the tale with
easy gruff charm and pops up several times as a Greek chorus to urge things
along. Jenna Bain is a commanding presence as the P.A. who prods the volunteer
Humperdinck along, who this night was a game, if slightly sheepish, Jordan
Diebold. Edward Streeter is almost age-appropriate as the sick boy who hears
the tale, and made for a functional but tame Miracle Max. Kenn Parks was a
funny Westley and managed a fair approximation of Carey Elwes’ fey British
accent; while Christie Troxell endured the least interesting role of Buttercup,
who is basically pulled and prodded through the action without real purpose. As
if out of frustration in playing so passive a character, Ms. Troxell jumps into
the brief but outrageous role of Miracle Max’s wife with a vengeance, injecting
a jolt of ferocious comic energy just where it is needed.
Daniel
Smith has fun with the dual roles of villains: the scheming Vizzini and the
purely evil Rugen, also known as the six-fingered man; and Alan Canon fights
through a wig somewhat more absurd than Mandy Pantinkin's to render the movie’s
most famous line as Inigo Montoya. Jimi Fowler was a good Fezzik (“Does anybody
want a peanut?”) and, in a different role, suffered one of the most difficult
gags of the night with aplomb, perfectly milking the effect of a face full of
talcum powder.
Directors
Martin French and JoAnne Sweeny have done a good job keeping this a tight production
that doesn’t settle for a fast pace to engage the audience. By including some
incongruous references and poking fun at The Alley Theater itself, Cliffnotes of Insanity is smart, easily
accessible and entirely winning.
Cliffnotes
of Insanity: The Princess Bride in 30 Minutes
Fridays and Saturdays
in November 2013
Tickets
$10
All
shows at 8 p.m.
The Alley Theater
1205 East Washington Street
Louisville, KY 40202as
502-589-3866
