Review: SHIPWRECKED!- THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LOUIS DE ROUGEMONT (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF) at Road Less Traveled Theater

Rivaling the adventures of The Count of Monte Cristo, we now  hear the tale of a new found character who once took literary England by storm at the end of the 19th Century. SHIPWRECKED: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LOUIS DE ROUGEMONT (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF) has taken to the stage in "an entertainment" written by Donald Marguiles. The action plays out upon the Road Less Traveled stage through October 13th.

The 3 character one act play is a fast paced comedy of sorts, where the title character speaks to the audience in preparation for the story he is about to recount of his fantastic, but also sometimes unbelievable,  travels.  Aided by 2 Players (Gabriella McKinley and Jeremy Kreuzer), the melodramatic escapades of our De Rougemont are re-enacted in a series of "chapters." Marguiles has written of his fanciful encounters with animals, natives and monsters. The players serve as physical inanimate objects, animals and assistants to move the story along.

Gregory Gjurich is given the herculean task of embodying the aged De Rougemont, and he is simply marvelous.  Appearing every bit the wise old seafarer who has taken to the high seas, he engages with the audience immediately, as a brilliant raconteur. Often there are  props literally strapped to his body, as he tells of his sheltered childhood and his eventual escape from the clutches of his over protective mother. His fantastic journey from the coast of England to Australia is often made up of the stuff of fairy tales, battling sea monsters and ride turtles.

Enough can't be said of the two supporting characters who are called upon to do almost everything imaginable as they change  costumes and hats (literally and figuratively),  adopt accents and voices, spew sound effects and embody animals. McKinley and Kreuzer are the backbone of this production and the ease in which they transition through the roles is often stupefying.

The script, while often creative, lags as the "chapters" pile up, often without benefit. The 90 minute play, which was expertly enacted, suffered from weaknesses in the script. It becomes clear later on that there is a method to learning about De Rougemont's  mind boggling adventures, but sometimes less would have been more. Where it succeeds is when De Rougemont becomes a literary success after  his story is published, and his veracity is questioned. Is it possible our hero is a fake. Here is where Gjurich does some of his finest work- his plea for sympathy is heartfelt, having been so convincing up to this point. The audience must decide if he is a fake, deluded or a genuine eccentric. Gjurich spirals downward in front of our eyes in a heartbreaking performance. Through some beautiful stage craft we leave the theatre with a glimpse of hope that our protagonist has fed us a beautiful story that if not true, is surely the folly of a creative mind.

Director John Hurley does fine work in this very busy production, lending subtlety alongside broad sight gags. It's not hard to root for these talented actors giving their all, as they play off each other with comedic precision. Set Designer Dyan Burlingame  unit set is picture perfect at placing us  on a Victorian stage, with lovely costumes by Maura Price.

SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT- THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LOUIS DE ROUGEMONT (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF)  plays at Buffalo's Road Less Traveled Theater through October 13, 2024. Contact roadlesstraveledproductions.org for more information.