BWW Reviews: LAUGH at Studio Theatre

L ife. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the preposterousness of what is dished out. Laugh, at Studio Theatre, guides us through that very process.

Laugh, making its world premiere, is the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley, whose work ranges from Crimes of the Heart, The Miss Firecracker Contest, True Stories to her most recent dark comedy, The Jacksonian set in Civil Rights-era Mississippi. Laugh was written to counter the heaviness being steeped in The Jacksonian but, in leaving her Southern roots to explore the 1920s West and early film industry Laugh, like a frontier tumbleweed, is a bit aimless, loosely formed and messy.

With its designations of "slapstick" and as an homage to silent movies we expect movement and pace to be at the forefront, but with Laugh the play is far more rooted in language. The production has more of the grittiness and hyperbole of Urinetown or of a Coen brothers film than of the cited influences of Hal Roach's circle: Harold Lloyd, Laurel & Hardy, or Our Gang. Slapstick also implies a certain tightness and economy - a gesture or an arch of an eyebrow can convey meaning efficiently. But Laugh - which clocks in at 2:15 - is over-long and needs to be trimmed, particularly in the first act.

But why box Laugh into a genre? There is little else like it. It is with her heightened language and quirkiness that playwright Beth Henley is at her best; Laugh has some fine moments particularly in the final scenes that highlight Henley's unique style and unexpected choices.

In Laugh we meet Mabel, orphaned by a mining accident and shipped off to a scheming aunt who has designs on her young ward's new fortune. Nephew Roscoe, a butterfly collector who loves the finer things in life, is pressured to woo young Mabel. The two find solace and common ground enjoying endless silent picture shows. When the two decide to escape Aunt Octobra's home and make their way west to Hollywood and the land of their beloved movies it inaugurates a series of mix-ups, mishaps and crazy adventures.

Helen Cespedes as Mabel has moxie and spunk to spare. Her evolution from guileless kid in the gold mines to enigmatic Hollywood legend propels the story. Cespedes is charming and in command.

Our hearts go out to Creed Garnick's poor Roscoe who can never seem to catch a break. From carelessly pursuing his beloved butterflies to the more physical comedy of pratfalls and pies in the face, Garnick's work is a delight. His wonderfully elastic face is used to great effect.

Four actors play a slew of roles, odd characters who cross paths as Mabel and Roscoe make their way west: Evan Zes, Jacob Ming-Trent, Emily Townley and Felicia Curry. Evan Zes as the conductor, Valentine models and Hollywood director had some of the zaniest and most memorable moments. Yet Felicia Curry in a yellow confection of a costume and gape-toothed grin as Miss Bee Sunshine in the very first scene set the tone for her over-the-top characters and she continued to charm as the play progressed.

Wayne Barker must be applauded for his two-plus hours of silent movie-style piano accompaniment from the piano knit into the scenic design. His dry narration was a hoot, but his music was the true heartbeat of the production. Barker, who earned a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award for his music for Peter and the Starcatcher, wrote the score for Laugh and serves as the production's music director.

The costuming was exuberant, fun and lush. Although the Hollywood scenes were particularly stunning, the selections for the pornographic Valentine photographs were particularly amusing and indicative of the eccentric humor of the production. Costume designer Frank Labovitz earned a Helen Hayes Award in 2012 for his work on Dreamgirls at Signature Theatre and the great range and variety of costumes in Laugh could lead to equal success.

Andromache Chalfant's scenic design reflected the pace and humor of the production. The set was flexible with rolling frames reminiscent of film cells. A walking phone booth and palm trees rolled in at the last second to convey the California coast earned a chuckle.

The other production elements seamlessly supported the production. Adam W. Johnson's sound design, Michael Lincoln's lighting, Joe Isenberg's fight direction and Elena Day's movement advanced the action on stage.

Director David Schweizer, whose 40-year career includes developing and directing new theatre, opera and performance art, directed the Studio production of his friend Beth Henley's work and has been with Laugh through earlier workshops before making its world premiere at Studio Theatre. The director balances the nod to classic Hollywood with the novelty of Henley's comedy. At times, though, extraneous stage busy-ness rather than needed business is distracting and needlessly adds to the length of the production.

World premieres are a wonderful opportunity to test what works and toy with what is new. Studio Theatre's Laugh allows DC audiences a first glance at one of contemporary theatre's most noted playwrights playing with form and continuing to experiment.

Runtime: two hours fifteen minutes with one intermission

Laugh runs through April 19 with shows on Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 7 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. The production is at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW. For tickets, please visit Studio Theatre's website here.

Photos - At top: Creed Garnick (Roscoe) and Helen Cespedes (Mabel); photo: Igor Dmitry. Center: Felicia Curry and Creed Garnick; photo: Igor Dmitry. Bottom: The cast of Laugh at Studio Theatre: Evan Zes, Emily Townley, Helen Cespedes, Creed Garnick, Jacob Ming-Trent, and Felicia Curry; photo: Teddy Wolff.

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