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BWW Reviews: Curious Theatre Presents Wonderfully Hilarious Ensemble in GOD OF CARNAGE
By: Michael Mulhern Jun. 15, 2013
Curious Theatre presents the award winning and hilarious comedy, GOD OF CARNAGE playing now through June 16th. A playground scrap between two boys brings their parents together, and as the adults attempt to iron out the details of the peace accord, their differences soon come to mirror the conflict of their children. From the two-time Tony Award winner who brought you ART, Yasmina Reza once again displays her considerable gifts for wringing big laughs out of her entitled and narcissistic characters. Anyone who has gritted their teeth through a polite conflict will relish this hilarious, contemporary comedy of manners.
For as much as this show was about the wonderfully humorous script, the thoughtful staging and great non-verbal cues and reactions made this show an instant comedic hit. You could tell that these talented four actors have worked together for years and they played off each other so effectively that this show was one of my favorite comedies this year. They really understood their characters and played up those awkward moments fabulously. It was an absolute delight to watch this boxing match of words between the couples, their partners and the sexes. Each of their downward spirals were hilarious and simply delicious to watch. This show truly highlights the extensive talent of this award winning company.
To compliment one of this talented ensemble is to compliment them all as they played superbly off each other and made this an absolutely enjoyable and side-splitting hilarious evening of theater. Dee Covington as Veronica Novak was remarkable and showed such varied range as she went from civilized to completely off her rocker. Eric Sandoval as her husband Michael was also exceptional and I enjoyed his transformation from quiet reserved and into his true self as a macho egotistical ass. Speaking of asses, I have never seen Timothy McCracken play such a dickish role such as Alan Raleigh before and he really played this jerk up building up that tension much to the delight of the audience. Karen as the hectic and fragile Annette Raleigh stole the show and was OMG funny. Her complete breakdown had me on the floor in laughter and I loved her dramatic, tragic, and comedic range that she brought to this show and her diverse character.
I was in absolute awe with the scenic design by Markas Henry. I loved the ironic foreshadowing of the large brick walls that surrounded the actors - whimsically referencing the term "hitting your head against a brick wall" that seems to always come up during an argument. The living room, that was the focus of the play was charming and modern (almost imposingly so) that played into the plot perfectly. The lighting by designer Shannon McKinney was also effective and I loved the final shot of the glowing red cracks in the bricks at the end as well as the colorful illumination of those walls that added dimension to the set. Director Chip Walton picked the perfect four actors to play off each other and achieve every comedic note in this tumultuously funny show. He also kept the show flowing quite nicely and didn't get bogged down in their individual spirals. I also truly appreciated all the non-verbal cues that added to the energized suspense of this ticking time bomb. I must also commend the vomit trick that was completely unexpected and surprisingly believable.
Just remember "Behaving well gets you no where, courtesy is a complete waste of time", so get your ass down to Curious and comedy at its best! Curious Theatre ends their exceptional and memorable 15th season on a high note and this is one show you do not want to miss! GOD OF CARNAGE keeping audiences in stitches now through June 16th. For tickets or more information, contact the Curious box office at 303-623-0524 or online at www.curioustheatre.org. Curious Theatre Company is located at 1080 Acoma Street in Denver, CO.
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