BWW Reviews: The Edge Theatre Presents HOUSE OF THE BLUE LEAVES with Absurd but Solid Performances

The Edge Theatre Company is proud to present John Guare's THE HOUSE OF THE BLUE LEAVES, playing now through August 11th. Artie Shaunessy is a songwriter with visions of glory. Toiling by day as a zookeeper, he suffers in seedy lounges by night, plying his wares at piano bars in Queens, New York, where he lives with his wife Bananas. Artie's downstairs mistress, Bunny Flingus will sleep with him anytime but will refuse to cook for him until they are married. On the day the Pope is making his first visit to the city, Artie's son Ronnie goes AWOL from the Fort Dix, stowing a home-made bomb intended to blow up the Pope in Yankee Stadium. Also arriving is Artie's old school chum, now a successful Hollywood producer, Billy Einhorn with starlet girlfriend in tow, who holds the key to Artie's dreams of getting out of Queens and away from the life he so despises. But like so many dreams, this promise of glory evaporates amid the chaos of ordinary lives.

While I enjoyed so many of these actors superb performances, this play as it is definitely fell into the absurd/farce genre, but was a little but too far-fetched for my tastes. The biggest disappointment of all was that the playwright developed such an intriguing character in Bananas (fabulously played by Missy Moore), but with all of the other antics going on, you could not connect with her or any of the other characters for that matter. I truly wanted to learn more about the background what made Bananas have her breakdown and become completely "bananas"; and a flashback to her before all of this insanity happened would have also been nice. While this may not have been my cup of tea, the show was odd and interesting and the audience seemed to really enjoy it!

Tom Auclair was quite good as the desperate, conflicted star, Artie Shaughnessy. His energy and goofy relativity kept the audience engaged and really drove the plot. His wife, Bunny Shaughnessy, hauntingly played by Missy Moore brought the drama to this show and left me wanting more. Her kooky character was oddly refreshing and drew the audience into the mystery or her and Artie's relationship. The true scene-stealer of the night was the magnetic performance of Kelly Uhlenhopp as the over the top mistress, Bunny. Her bright and bubbly attitude had the audience in stitches and you could tell that Kelly was having so much fun with this role. I was thoroughly impressed with Zachary Page's memorable role as Artie's son, Ronnie. His first monologue was absolutely riveting and I could not turn away from his infectious intensity. Samara Bridwell may have had a smaller role as the starlet, Corrinna Stroller, but she was quite amusing in her energetic portrayal. I also must mention the hilarious trio of nuns (Rachel Graham, Betsy Grisard, Natalie Parton) that had me in stitches the whole time and worked so well off each other to the audiences delight!

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Director Scott Bellot did a great job with using every aspect of the stage and his casting choices were spot on. The scenic design by Justin Lane gave all of the likings to a lived in shabby chic apartment with plenty of entrances for all of the ongoing antics. The costumes by designer Caroline Smith were varied and fabulous and she should be totally commended for her bright and colorful costumes that were the perfect reflection of the vibrant Bunny.

THE HOUSE OF THE BLUE LEAVES is enticing audiences now through August 11th at The Edge Theatre in their new home at 1560 Teller Street in Lakewood, CO. For tickets or more information, contact the box office by calling 303-232-0363 or online at www.theedgetheater.com.