Review: SUPERIOR DONUTS at Third Wall Productions Impresses with Heart and Humor

A few months back I decided to read Tracy Letts' SUPERIOR DONUTS. I do that a lot when I've decided I've missed a show that I really wish I hadn't. If I can't see it in person, then reading the play is a close second. Letts' story of a small donut shop in a rundown neighborhood of Chicago, its owner and the people that frequent his shop struck a chord with me. The relationship between Arthur, and Franco, the young man Arthur employs is full of differences. Arthur is an aging Polish hippie/donut-maker, while Franco is a young African American writer. Yet, they make it work. They become friends almost instantly and learn a great deal from each other. That type of relationship between two central characters always warms my heart. It's proof that commonalities always exist even within the most diverse circumstances.

This inherent belief I have is how I found myself at Third Wall Productions last Thursday, to participate in the Ghostlight Project. Diversity is what makes the world beautiful, and I wanted the chance to show that with my fellow theater-lovers. After the moving ceremony, I learned that the theater was opening SUPERIOR DONUTS this weekend, and there was to be a performance that evening and would I like to attend? Of course I would like to attend! What better way to follow the Ghostlight Project, then with this particular story?

Before the show even started, I was already falling a bit in love with their production. Do you know when you read a book, and then it's made into a movie, and the movie looks exactly how you'd pictured it in your mind? I'm not sure who designed this stage, but the donut shop looked exactly as I had pictured it as I read the play - down to the pink and white tiles on the floor. It was uncanny. To top it off, our pledges for the Ghostlight project proudly decorated the walls. What a beautiful touch! After fan-girling a bit too hard over all the little donut-centric touches, it was time to start the show.

In short, the production was beautiful from beginning to end, with just a few pesky prop hiccups along the way to make things interesting for all those involved. The direction by Grant Myers was well done. The scenes moved along briskly; even those difficult to direct speeches of Arthur's spoken directly to the audience. The movement of the other characters in the background made them easy to follow.

And while on the subject of Arthur - Ed Higgins was a fabulous choice to play this very important character. He had the perfect mix of hippie, kindness, comedy and gravity. Arthur is the center of his little piece of the world, and all of the other characters revolve around him. Higgins seemed to have perfect chemistry with every other character. You could tell the actors felt the same way about him, as their characters felt about Arthur. Isaiah Evans, the actor playing Arthur's employee, Franco was another standout. He's a young actor and is making his debut in this performance, which I didn't realize until after the show when I read the program. He is very talented and seems more like a seasoned professional than someone new to theater.

I think that's what made this performance so wonderful - all of the actors worked together so well. When a few snafus arose, they kept the performance moving; never stopping or breaking character. In my eyes, that's the epitome of a great production - a cast that relies on each other to knock it out of the park, and this cast managed to do that beautifully!

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