Izzy's dream is to make it in New York, but ever since an “incident" at an audition, auditions have dried up. She eeks by on a part-time job at a cleaning company and has just discovered she’s been temporarily evicted from her roommate’s sofa. When she realizes the condo she and her bestie Jonathan (oops, “Stephon”) are cleaning, she comes up with the notion to spend the week in the condo, with the rationale that she'll deep clean the place during her stay. When Tina and Debi and their friend Therese arrive quite unexpectedly from Atlanta to celebrate their five-year survival of breast cancer, hilarity ensues, but so does a delightful evening of friendship, confession, optimism, and charm.
Zanna Mills’ Izzy is delightful to watch. Mills’ timing, and her skill at physical comedy – even when she’s stock still – is excellent. Her “floor work” is hysterical. Josh Kern is fabulous as Jonathan/Stephon. He throws himself into a belly dancing routine which had me truly laughing aloud, and that doesn’t happen too often. Debra Haines Kiser and Jane Turner Peterson play Atlanta bosom buddies Debi and Tina and it’s easy to believe these two have been friends for life. Their timing, their commitment to character, and their ability to toss off delicious throwaway lines is excellent. Jane Turner Peterson is a theatrical gem and it’s good to see her getting back onstage after a long absence. Her face is made of rubber, and she is fearless in her actions and reactions. She completely embraces her inner #ShimmyChick. She is gleeful. Jacob Cordes is Debi’s grandson, Max. His transformation from a concerned, uber-cautious grandson to someone willing to loosen up and “go with the flow” is seamless.
Jami Carr Harrington was certainly gifted with an excellent troupe of actors to bring Lou Clyde’s play to life. Working to put an original piece onstage is no easy task but these artists have succeeded in producing a delightful evening of theatre. Corey Langley’s set is exactly as a generic New York City Airbnb condo would look. The décor is perfectly bland and modern, except for one specific piece of décor which you won’t be able to miss.
There were a few times when volume was an issue. The theatre is small, and the audience seating is almost an extension of the stage so it’s easy to fall into a more conversational volume. I was seated in the middle of the house so I imagine some in the back row might have had difficulty hearing some of the dialogue. There were some scene changes when the music stopped rather abruptly when the lights came back up; a fadeout would have been more effective and less jarring. The Mancini was perfectI must confess I was pleasantly surprised. I fully expected Stilt Girl to be yet another Steel Magnolias knock-off about Southern Women of a certain age. I was dead wrong. There is nothing stereotypical about Lou Clyde’s script nor the characters these actors have so deftly brought to life. I regret that scheduling didn’t allow me to see the show earlier in its run. There are only 3 performances left, and the brevity of this piece is to allow this to be published in time for more readers to see it and made the decision to spend an evening in Chapin this weekend. The house seats 82, and there were only 5 empty chairs last night. The show lasts 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
It is a drive, not gonna lie. Give yourself plenty of time to get there for the 7:30 curtain. There is a lot of construction on I-26 (quelle surprise), there are lots of orange and white barrels, and it’s dark out there! Wine is available for a donation, so do bring a little piece of money. The theatre is also taking donations for the South Carolina Oncology Association, which makes funds available to women who are unable to pay for cancer treatment.
Stilt Girl plays tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
