BWW Reviews: Town Players of Newtown Bring On the Laughs with THE ARTIFICIAL JUNGLE

I was not quite sure what to make of The Town Players of Newtown's production of The Artificial Jungle by Charles Ludlam. Billed as a comedic thriller, I expected a few laughs, but what I was faced with was beyond a lighthearted comedy. Set in a family owned pet shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side, this silly, irreverent homage to film noir classics like The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity starts slowly with a lengthy introduction of unique characters, including a centrally placed tank full of stick puppet piranhas. Add in an average Joe shop owner, a bored and bitter housewife, a dark and mysterious stranger, a melodramatic affair, an overbearing mother, a best friend cop, and parrots that may or may not talk, stir with a ridiculous murder plot, and violà - you have all the makings of an absurd romp where the titters and giggles start out low, grow to hearty guffaws, and by the end of the play, leaves you laughing in the aisles.

This production starts out too slow with lengthy exposition and character introductions in the first act. But, under the astute direction of Gene Golaszewski, each cast member is able to pinpoint their character's most sympathetic and most grating character traits, making them believable despite the absurdities of their situation. Timothy Huebenthal plays Chester Nurdiger, the owner of the unusual pet store. He is a bit of a con artist, who uses ventriloquist tricks to sell non-talking birds to unsuspecting patrons, and the master of upselling products to dissatisfied customers, even if it's his best friend Frankie Spinelli. Frankie, a down to earth, but not too bright cop, is played by Ron Malyszka. His easy going familiarity with the entire Nurdiger family feels so genuine and effortless, that it is easy to believe he is a part of the extended family.

Cast standouts are Olivia Carr as Roxanne, the scheming, over-dramatic wife of the pet shop owner and Brian DeToma, as Zachary Slade, the preening Lothario with the murderous, yet philosophical streak. Ms. Carr plays Roxanne with all the tough girl, world weary, hard edges of a Barbara Stanwyk on steroids, and Mr. DeToma's Zach is all confidence and machismo, despite the fact that he is as squeamish as a schoolgirl when it comes to handling wriggling tubifex worms. Together, these actors are a hoot to watch, as they are fully committed to their satirical characterizations, going way over the top with their melodramatic portrayals of lust and love gone awry.

Also notable in the cast is Laurel Lettieri as Mother Nurdiger, the live-in in-law who proves to be the bane of Roxanne's existence. Ms. Lettieri's comic fall during an ill-timed stroke is a wonder to behold, as are her crazy expressive eyes which serve as a constant reminder to Zach of his guilt. The cast is rounded out by Rosemary Howard, who plays a pet shop customer who also appears in Zach's mind as a specter of his horrible crime.

The Town Players of Newtown's production is not perfect, but as the absurdity of the action continues, so do the laughs, although I suspect not for all the right reasons. One example came after Roxanne and Zach were interrupted in the clean-up after the murder by Frankie, the cop. Roxanne explains to Frankie that Chester has passed out after drinking a bottle of wine, so Frankie suggests they help him to bed. In trying to lift him, the corpse seems to assist them by taking a couple of steps. If this is part of the intended absurdity of the scene, then they have achieved the desired laughs, but if not, then shame on the director for allowing such a glaring break in continuity to occur.

There is also an unnecessary intermission in this production, with a very short final act. But it is in this final act that laughs actually start piling on. Zach is becoming unglued by guilt, Roxanne is restless once again, Mother Nurdiger is throwing accusatory glances everywhere and Frankie is as clueless as ever. By this time, I was looking at this play like an old sketch from the Carol Burnett show, seeing Roxanne as an overly made up, over-dramatic femme fatale, and Zach as her bumbling lover played by Tim Conway. Even Mother Nurdiger gets into the act, looking like the Carol Burnett version of Nora Desmond, ready for her closeup. What made the Carol Burnett show so enjoyable was the silliness and absurdity of the sketches, and that is what brings this fun and funny production to its ultimately satisfying conclusion.

The Artificial Jungle runs through September 27th at the Town Players Little Theater, Orchard Hill Road in Newtown, CT. Visit Newtown Players for more information.

Photo Credit: The Cast of The Artificial Jungle. Photo credit: Lynn Alexander

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