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2nd Story's Born Yesterday

By: Jul. 09, 2007
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As act one of Born Yesterday at 2nd Story Theatre ended, I was thinking that Ed Shea had directed a nice piece of theater: Good performances, a terrific set, but not a lot of laughs for a comedy.  

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Patrick Poole, Rae Mancini, Chris Perrotti, John Palumbo, Eric Behr, Jim Brown and Peggy Becker give fine performances, and work well together, as an ensemble.  I just didn't find the material in act one very entertaining.

What changes in act two and continues through act three is that the script gets much funnier and Rae Mancini breaks out of the ensemble to hurl the comedy forward.  

Eddie Brock (John Palumbo) has come to Washington, DC with his lawyer, Ed Devery (Eric Behr) to purchase, more or less, the services of Senator Hedges (Jim Brown).  Brock is also traveling with his empty-headed girlfriend, Billie Dawn (Rae Mancini).  Determined to make Billie more palatable to high society Brock hires writer Paul Verrall (Patrick Poole) to educate her. (Pygmalion, anyone?)

After a few weeks with her tutor, Billie begins to understand the impact of mindlessly signing her name to documents and starts to ask questions.  When she asks lawyer, Ed Devery, what she is signing, he repeatedly brushes her off.  Only after he is badgered into it, does he explain that she is signing documents that would set up companies in a few European countries. "A cartel?" Billie shoots back, clearly upset but pleased that she can use a just-learned word.  That line, which is delivered flawlessly, is when the audience knows that things are going to be different.

As the story gets quicker and wittier, Mancini shows off her comic timing, and delivery.

Ms. Mancini, who at "let's just say '30'", is a veteran of local theater.  She has previously performed at 2nd Story and The Gamm, with supporting roles at Trinity and The Perishable.  I am, personally, disappointed that this is the only the first time I have seen her perform.  

Presented in three acts, with two short intermissions, Born Yesterday will run at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, RI through July 28.  Tickets are available through the 2nd Story Theatre Box Office at 401-247-4200.



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