BWW Reviews: PARLOR GAMES, Not just For Children Any More

Stage Coach Theatre has produced another show that's sure to entertain their audiences. PARLOR GAMES by James C. Wall is a wonderful farce. I saw this show during dress rehearsal. It was the only chance I had due to conflicts. Comedies, especially farces are some of the hardest shows to produce. Stage Coach Theatre with the help of director Ted Pendelton does a good job.
PARLOR GAMES is about a practical joke gone wrong, not bad, just wrong. Mort McNulty has always been a step behind his best friend Dave Collins in practial jokes and now feels that he has the perfect practical joke lined up. He only fills his wife in a few minutes before it all goes down, so she is unprepared for the consequences of his joke, but more to the point, is he?
The set for PARLOR GAMES is one of the reasons why I love community theatre. I have seen all of the shows this season at Stage Coach Theatre and they have all used basically the same walls for each show. In each show the set was believable for the location, I just love the thritiness of it all.

The only change I would have made would have been to use a warmer color on the walls for a parlor in a funeral home, the team was a bit clinical for my tastes. The props were wonderful however, especially the coffins. All three, count them, three fully functional coffins were hand built by Jerry Radek. The flowers with ribbons were appropriate and all of the other items that were used fit in so well, they did not stick out.

Ami C. Tain was wonderful as Tricia McNulty. There were quite a few actors she had to interact with and so many different acting styles it is tough to pull it off, but Ami does this like a pro. The cast worked well together as a whole and pulled off an entertaining evening.

Photo Credits: Paul Budge Photography