Review: A Predictable Sitcom with UNEXPECTED WILDERNESS at The Annex Theatre

The Annex Theatre advertises their current production "Unexpected Wilderness" to be a "farcical romp". I saw Jaryl Draper's show at The Annex, and I beg to differ. A farce is a madcap comedy where characters find themselves in extreme, exaggerated, ridiculous situations, and hilarity ensues. A ridiculous situation does not feel ridiculous if it's already been done dozens of times, in dozens of ways. Yes, this play uniquely showcases Bigfoot as a character, but beyond that, all the hijinks among those interacting with Bigfoot in the woods are painfully predictable, making "Unexpected Wilderness" feel more like a formulaic sitcom.

It starts with three different groups enjoying the same campsite, where they eventually run into Bigfoot, and one another. Canned shenanigans ensue. Directed by Jen Moon, this production is budding at best, and juvenile at worst, indulging in its fair share of comic low-hanging fruit.

In these woods, we have Nantucket (Linda Clecker), a feral forest dweller on the prowl. She's a card carrying backwoods loon with hunting gear and a mission (and a Texan accent...but her name is Nantucket). Elsewhere, a family of four has set up camp. Rick (Tim Gagne) and Nancy's (Isis King) spunky little tweens never miss an opportunity to show off their scout survival skills or poke each other, and they are very loud. Like any sitcom dad, Rick's hubris gets him in trouble; he gets lost woods almost immediately, and, naturally, insists on trying to find his way back without help. Nancy feels neglected as her kids are off having fun and bumbling Rick trips his way about the forest that magically has reception (a repeating joke that, I hate to say, I didn't find funny the first time). The third and final group: two lovey-dovey college students, Bambi (Lauren Huston) and Ken (Geoff Finney), and an exasperated third wheel named Noah (Brent Griffith).

Here's where it gets strange: this comedy has an added layer of drama. In the opening act, Jonathan (Christopher Ellis) attempts to commit suicide by jumping off the top of a waterfall. He does so because he is dying of a terminal disease, and wishes to "go out having fun" (cue cringe) rather than suffer. This narrative does not add to the story, but somehow takes up a very large percentage. And it's not handled with the slightest bit of delicacy; for example, while talking about their hopes and dreams, Nancy's speech about traveling to Paris comes to a screeching halt when she realizes that Jonathan will die before he'd be able to go. It felt like "Full House" trying to get serious, but very uncomfortably chose to talk about suicide.

Ken's prank on Noah, who has a Bigfoot-specific phobia, goes awry when a frisky Bigfoot (Eleanor Withrow) mistakes Ken for a mate. It's the gorilla scene in "Trading Places." It's funny watching Ken try to turn down a grunting sasquatch delicately, Ken being the loveable doofus, but it's comedy that's been done before.

That was the biggest problem with the humor in "Unexpected Wilderness": the content of the comedy was not new. The perky siblings, Jane (Sarah Winsor) and Mark (Laura Lee Caudill), are loud, high-watt, and say every thought that pops into their head. Bambi's a well-intentioned ditz (or is she????? STAY TUNED), pigtails and all. Nantucket is crazy. Rick is a dumb dad. Nancy is an uptight mom that doesn't like "cussing". A male character screams "like a little girl." Noah is dumbfounded at Bambi's decision to read a book. Bigfoot tries to be sexy. All that's missing is a laugh track.

The show has a good cast. Tim Gagne slips into a nasally, Seinfeld-esque head-voice when he gets upset. Isis King convinces as Rick's exasperated better half. As Jane and Mark, Sarah Winsor and Laura Lee Caudill are too tall to pass as eleven-year-olds, but they capture the intonation and physicality of pre-teens quite well. Lauren Huston has amazing comedic timing, adding some unexpected flair to Bambi's character. Eleanor Withrow's Bigfoot had an impressive amount of depth-at times sympathetic, at times frightening. Without a doubt, Withrow made me laugh the most.

"Unexpected Wilderness" is an episode of a sitcom disguised as a play. It's uncomplicated. It demonstrates positive family values. It's linear, lowbrow and feel-good--nothing like the riskier material The Annex usually produces. For chuckling a little and rolling my eyes a lot, I give The Annex Theatre's "Unexpected Wilderness" 1.5/5.

"Unexpected Wildernes" performs at The Annex Theatre through November 16, 2016. For tickets and information, visit them online at www.annextheatre.org.

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