BWW Reviews: CATF: THE FULL CATASTROPHE Stuffed Full of Laughs

In a twist on the typical modern American romance, The Full Catastrophe shows just how funny and futile our modern ideas about love can be. Dr. Jeremy Cook is a successful linguist, now unemployed, and accepts a mysterious job offer from an eccentric businessman, Mr. Pillow. As part of the "Pillow Project", Jeremy becomes a live-in marriage counselor to fighting suburban couple Dan and Beth, as the couple tries to hide the fact they need counseling from their adolescent son, Robbie. Complications arise as Jeremy realizes he really has no idea how to work as a marriage counselor, having never been married before, and that he is falling in love with Beth, who reminds him of his old flame who got away. Directed by Ed Herendeen and written by Michael Weller, this sarcastic, sweet and witty update of your Leave It to Beaver-esque family will leave audiences rolling with laughter.

Tom Coiner was phenomenal as protagonist Dr. Jeremy Cook. From his first moment onstage, Coiner displayed a naturally loveable charisma. His opening monologue where he interacted with the audience, established his character and provided the exposition was effortless. Coiner also displayed impeccable comedic timing and his facial expressions or a raised eyebrow were often more than enough to provoke a laugh.

As the fighting family unit, Cary Donaldson, Helen Anker and child actor Sam Shunney worked extremely well together. Cary Donaldson as husband Dan Wilson was an ideal All-American husband, who revealed some hidden depths and rage buried beneath his everyman grilling, sports and beer exterior. Shunney was adorably obnoxious as teenage son Robbie. Some of his one-liners and sarcastic delivery, in between genuine moments of childish insecurity, were highlights of the show.

Helen Anker was stunning in the challenging dual role as wife Beth Wilson and Jeremy's former love interest who got away, Paula. Anker was charming and warm as Beth, while displaying a sharp wit and determined strength as Paula in flashback scenes. Even though, for the sake of the story, the two characters are meant to look and act extremely similar, Anker made the distinction between the two characters quite clear. A question and answer segment between the couple and Jeremy was expertly timed and one of the best moments of the production.

Lee Sellars as Mr. Pillow give a fantastic performance as the eccentric billionaire in charge of the Pillow Company. Sellars made an impressive transformation in Act II to a much angrier authoritarian figure and still kept the audience laughing.

Though he had the smallest role in the show, T. Ryder Smith clearly stole the show as a variety of characters. Billed in the program as playing "Everyone Else", Smith moved with ease between a wide variety of characters, hilariously using different character voices for each one. A quick onstage costume change at the beginning of the show astounded the audience and the applause upon the exit of one of his characters in Act II literally stopped the show.

The set for the comedy is a richly designed interior of a modern home, complete with a backyard area and fence on an upper platform off of the main stage. The set designer made the smaller theater feel more spacious and, in a cute twist, has the audience entering the theater through the front door to the home, as though the audience is also coming in as a house guest much like Jeremy.

The Full Catastrophe continues to run as one of the five plays in rotating repertory at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. The Full Catastrophe performances occur at the Marinoff Theaer in the Center for Contemporary Arts on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. The final performance occurs August 2 at 6:30 PM. For more information about the show schedule, the 2015 season or to order tickets, please visit www.catf.org.

Photo Credit: CATF Media Gallery

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