Review: THE OLD PEOPLE ARE REVOLTING And Hanover Loves It

Senior citizens are a feisty lot these days, from Red Hat ladies to white water rafters. They don't just stay home and knit or make hobby horses for the grandkids the way people imagine they used to. And sometimes they go after political goals, too, which is the main, and delightful, plot of THE OLD PEOPLE ARE REVOLTING. New Zealand playwright Devon Williamson envisions a world in which retirement communities and assisted living homes are populated by the real-world professionals and Sixties activists that have been around for many years and who haven't changed in spirit, only in age - and who know when it's time to throw a good protest.

Director Beau Bowden brings the show to Hanover Little Theatre with a few reference changes so that everything is solidly in the States, but wherever the characters dwell, they're ones you know, from Patricia, the retiring retired judge, to Peggy the retired union activist out to free Tibet, to Doug, the retired farmer who likes explosive devices just a little too much now that he's bored with his lack of activity. When the town council decides to eliminate the senior discount on utilities, this crew of retirees who know everything from how to uphold the law to how to blow up the council chambers take action to protect their rights, and it's no simple e-mail campaign, either.

Peggy, who likes to sew, played by Elizabeth Wills, creates a banner and uniforms, while Patricia (Dixie L. Smith) creates a media campaign; Shirley (Bonnie Raubenstine) practices protest chants; Doug (a hilarious Chris Walsh) takes on the tangible proof that senior doesn't mean sissy, creating explosions that would do the Army Corps of Engineers proud, and even the dotty Elizabeth (Phyllis Reinsfelder) takes a leading role in the revolution. And then there's Howie (Mike Jones), who provides, let us say, the gas for the engine driving the campaign - and that gas appears to come from whatever it is he's eating. (Yes, a certain body odor produced in great quantity by Howie is one of the main running gags of the show.) Wendee Dunlap plays Ashley, the blonde local television reporter who hopes that the senior rebellion will prove her big break.

Sixties radicals meet computer skills as Ashley introduces the protestors to the idea of going viral on YouTube, and the crowd decides to become a micronation headed by Queen Elizabeth. Phyllis Reinsfelder is a delight as Elizabeth, who goes from wandering aimlessly with lemon bars to firmly declaiming political positions, while the rest of the crowd also learns more about themselves and about each other in the process. Everyone grows, and enemies become friends, as the crowd from the retirement community fights the local government.

The story itself unfolds oddly, the first act more vignettes about the community residents, the second act a sustained story line of protest, media relations, and things that go "Boom!" But Bowden holds the story together, keeps it moving, and lets his cast explore their characters and their foibles with a great deal of mirth not just for the audience but for the characters themselves. It's a delight to watch these six seniors learn in a short time as much as they have in a lifetime previously, and become a real community, while taking on the problem forced upon them. Chris Walsh's riotously deadpan Doug and Raubenstine's leftover hippie Shirley steal the show, while Smith is the quiet backbone of the cast. Just don't call her character "Patsy" if you want to live.

It's all good fun, and relatively clean - though the characters aren't too sure about Howie in that department. The Sixties songs that spurred the characters on in their youth are amply in the background and between scenes, and the audience on opening night found themselves in an impromptu sing-along to some of the period's classics, as well as in a standing salute to the retiree micronation's flag and national anthem. (Don't worry - it's easy to learn.)

Not the usual comedy fare for the area, and it's a delight to see both a non-farce comedy and one that everyone doesn't already know by heart. New Zealand is welcome to send us more of this sort of show. At Hanover Little Theatre through the 18th; visit HanoverLittleTheatre.com for tickets and information.

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