Review: SHIPWRECKED! at Spinning Tree Theatre - Fun Fraud

"Shipwrecked! An Entertainment. The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself)" by Donald Marguilies is a play with the longest title since Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade in 1963. This three character, 95 minute, opus is a clever, stylish, ultimately theatrical, exercise in entertainment as it was practiced during Mark Twain's lecture career and in the British Music Hall tradition at the turn of the 20th century.

Confused yet? Hang On!

Shipwrecked is an interesting show that is worth your time. The actors are very good. Director Vanessa Severo has created a funny, inventive, intensely choreographed presentation.

The audience does deserve a little preparation for the hi-jinks to make a whole lot of sense. Louis De Rougemont is the pen and stage name of Henri Louis Grin or Grien (sources disagree), a Swiss National, who emigrated to Australia and briefly served as the butler to the Governor of Western Australia.

While working for the Governor, Louis paid close attention to the crosstalk at official dinner tables and learned about adventures had by others. After his employment terminated, Louis settled in Sydney, married and failed at a number of money-making schemes. It would be fair to call him a "grifter."

Grin or Grien quit Australia around 1897 for England where he spent considerable time in the British Museum fleshing out a fantastic biography for himself as Louis De Rougemont. As De Rougemont, he sold his supposedly true story to Wide World magazine and became a popular sensation.

He claimed to be an Englishman who had sailed from the motherland 30 years pervious, was shipwrecked, lived as a Robinson Crusoe, met and married an aborigine woman, and had just returned to his elderly mother in England. Unfortunately, none of the story was true. Not surprisingly, the outlandish details were demonstrable lies.

But, it turns out, regardless of the lie, Grien or Grin was remarkably good at spinning his yarn. People would turn out to see his act. He never admitted to the fraud, and faced audiences with confederates, and attempted to prove that indeed parts of the story could be true (like him riding on a cooperative sea turtle).

As Louis De Rougemont, Spinning Tree offers the capable Charles Fugate on a barren stage. He appears in Victorian dress and introduces himself to the audience. Assisting Fugate is Player 1 (Megan Herrera) and Player 2 (Bob Linebarger). Fugate spins his faux history assisted by two music hall players. They are vaudevillians. The closest parallel I can come up with is the two actors, Henry and Mortimer, from "The Fantasticks" who assist El Gallo with his extravagant abduction.

The assistants roll whatever props and costumes are necessary onto the stage for the various scenes. Both Megan and Bob are excellent as they make great sound effects, change hats, switch gender, become animals, and emerge as a kind of humorous Greek chorus. Linebarger in particular has a knack for physical comedy. Just a change of wig transforms him from a faithful canine to Queen Victoria herself. Herrera spins from Mother, to Sea Captain, to Cannibal Princess, and again back to older Mom.

Fugate, with a change of one piece of a multi-layers costume, regresses to childhood, journeys to the South Seas, shipwrecks, recovers, adventures, and ages to become an author performing characters that fume and strut upon the stage. It all works because of the imaginative and timely use of props and costume rags and exquisite timing. The stage business mostly attributable to Severo and the others is what makes this production special.

As ridiculous as all this seems, far before the end of the 95 minutes, the audience has bought into the premise and thoroughly enjoys the De Rougemont yarn. A good time will be had by all there present.

"Shipwrecked" continues at the Just Off Broadway Theatre through February 5. Tickets are available through the Spinning Tree website or by telephone at 816-235-6222.

Photos courtesy of Spinning Tree Theatre.

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