Review: THE PACK - A Monthly Dose Of Laughter Is The Best Medicine Taken With A Spoonful Of Hilarity at The Groundlings
By: Valerie-Jean Miller Oct. 28, 2019
THE PACK - A Monthly Dose of Laughter is the Best Medicine taken with a Spoonful of Hilarity
October20,2019
There are four different playlets, newly written and presented by Eugene Pack, narrated by Rebecca Lane, that are "put on their feet," as the actors hold scripts and improvise their newly seen dialogue.
This is now happening monthly. They delve into the crazy, neurotic, blundering, very relatable characters with relish, which works very nicely for that feeling where audiences and performers share all having fun together, feeding off of each others' enthusiasm. That's what you call a "Good House."
"Let's Meet Up" started the night off by mirroring something we all seem to do, mostly unaware or unintentionally in this complicated world and Matt (played by Bradley White) and Adam (Tim Ransom), friends from high school meet up by chance a few decades later at a coffee shop. They chat, and here starts the realization, as they exchange e-mail addresses, make tentative plans to get together and we 
continue to see them in vignettes as time zips by, with more and more e-mails read aloud, texts and messages on Facebook occur... They both build the scene nicely, partnering each other well, letting us see that the quirky things us humans do are worthy of getting a kick out of, later. Mission Accomplished.
continue to see them in vignettes as time zips by, with more and more e-mails read aloud, texts and messages on Facebook occur... They both build the scene nicely, partnering each other well, letting us see that the quirky things us humans do are worthy of getting a kick out of, later. Mission Accomplished.In "Copy Man," there are multi scenes bouncing back and forth between the characters, and the actors' well-defined characteristics made smooth transitions all the way through. It hilariously highlights our recent obsessiveness with technology and social media. Diane (played by Dayle Reyfel) is a twittering self-made celeb posting everything she does on Instagram or one or the other, or all of the social platforms, and the plot thickens from there, with Jamie (played by Rachel Ramras) and her friend Marlo (Maggie Wheeler) who sort of thinks she likes this new guy (Larry Dorf, playing the amazingly uninspiring Carlton) she met at the copy shop but at the same time he kind of creeps her out... well, comedy breaks forth!
"The Wedding Coordinator," was all about HER, The Wedding Planner, Elizabeth Ann (played vivaciously by Janet Varney)! The day they were to be married, much to the chagrin of the bride-to-be, Tammy, (Milanka Brooks)... it seems Everyone has been ooo-ing and aah-ing about Elizabeth Ann, not the bride, all day, and it was perturbing her. Again, the script and the cast let the energy build and finally burst, taking us along for the fun ride thru the wedding ceremony. Larry Dorf as Kevin, played his part in this and Candy, Mother of the Bride-to-be, Lynne Stewart who is always delightful, plays the coddling mother til ya wanna just slap her. (kidding) They both help us in the laugh department; Lynne's characters always make me giggle a lot. Grandpa Joe (Don Moss) and Auntie Nanette (Terry Walters) added to the crazy family wedding scenario. 
The favorite of the evening was "Broadway World" that whisked us to opening night on Broadway of "Knock Three Times, the Story of Tony Orlando & Dawn," and it just goes berserk from there. We meet Broadway World Reviewer (hey, that sounds familiar somehow) Billie Bender, (played deliciously by Dayle Reyfel) a hard-working go-getter of a gal, interviewing on the Red Carpet, along with her Lame-on-the-Job Cameraman, Toby, (played adeptly by Michael Hitchcock) as she animatedly goes through her schtick; song, dance and pitch, before each "Celebrity" she catches and spends time with is interviewed, only there are only C-Listers arriving, at best. This embellishes on the familiar interview sketch back from Vaudeville Days and each "celebrity" is more unworthy of the praise than the next. Each has-been, would be or wanna be, flash-in-the-pan desperate to be seen gets the full-on Billie Bender Production Interview; from the crazy character Flossie Hempshill (Lynne Stewart) a busybody who has great timing, delivery 
and conviction and keeps the comedy flowing; to Arnold Van Owen (played by Don Moss) an obsessive theatre-opening goer in his seersucker suit; yucking it up for the camera; Elizabeth Gayley, (played by the beautiful Constance Forslund) is a relentless diva, spouting out her credits and upcoming work and starring roles, constantly.
and conviction and keeps the comedy flowing; to Arnold Van Owen (played by Don Moss) an obsessive theatre-opening goer in his seersucker suit; yucking it up for the camera; Elizabeth Gayley, (played by the beautiful Constance Forslund) is a relentless diva, spouting out her credits and upcoming work and starring roles, constantly.On Monday, November 18th, 2019, "Celebrity Autobiography," the Broadway sensation and international smash-hit comedy (London's West End to the Sydney Opera House) with an always Stellar Cast will be presented for one night only at The Groundlings, where celebrity memoirs are acted out live, on-stage verbatim by other celebrities. Making it's debut at the Groundlings, after their hit Broadway run, the cast scheduled includes: Will Forte, Laraine Newman, Eugene Pack, Rob Reiner, Dayle Reyfel, Tate Donovan, Sherri Shepherd, Jennifer Tilly, Steven Weber and more: TBA! 
And join THE PACK for their next night of fresh comedy readings Monday, December 16, 2019 at 7:30pm at the Ruskin Group Theatre at 3000 Airport Ave., Santa Monica 90405 (within Santa Monica Airport, with free onsite parking). Tickets are $10 online in advance at reservationspack@gmail.com, or $15 at the door. More information can also be found on Facebook.
Photos Courtesy of Tribina Hobson
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