Review: THE MINUTES at Wichita Community Theatre

If you love theatre with a healthy serving of sustenance, save room for Wichita Community Theatre’s comedy The Minutes playing through September 15th. Playwright and actor Tracy Letts, awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Drama for August Osage County, brings this darkly comedic look at one small-town’s city council. A behind closed doors glimpse at the sometimes ritualistic, self important absurdity of it. Thoughtfully Directed by Quinn Warren.

Big Cherry, Colorado is a fictitious burg with a rich history, a point of pride for those that call it home. Mr. Peel, newly elected council member, missed the previous week’s meeting to attend his beloved mother at her deathbed. Council members, as they arrive on this rainy October day, extend condolences, however, there is one member not accounted for, Mr. Carp. Mr. Peel is asking obvious questions, but no one is answering.

The meeting commences, the minutes are recorded, the Pledge of Allegiance is recited. Can we get wheelchair access to the fountain in the park? What is happening with the surplus of lost and stolen bicycles collected by the sheriffs’s department? Oh, and can we hear the minutes from the previous week when Mr. Carp was in attendance? No.

Jonny Kline as Mr. Peel is ready to serve his community. Idealistic and relatable, we approach the meeting through his eyes, and are as bewildered and unprepared for what unfolds as the unsuspecting Mr. Peel. Natural, likable and funny.

Bryan Welsby as Mayor Superba is detailed and subtle. In every moment Welsby is giving hints into his character. Mannerisms, posture adjustments, and tone. He provides a visual of this mayor’s inner dialogue. Superb.

Kenneth Mitchell as the elusive Mr. Carp, brings a realness and vulnerability that the rest of the council are afraid to show. Intimate, imploring and convincing, he strikes a stark and meaningful contrast between he and the council.

Arietta Austin as Ms. Blake, is soft spoken and accommodating until you get her in her element. The Lincoln Smackdown is her pet project and she is selling it! A bright moment of humor. Cosplay MMA? Yes! Nick Pope as Mr. Hanratty, has a meticulously planned out presentation, complete with visual aids, matter of fact and assured, a man of reason. We are convinced!

Ms. Johnson, played by Ashley McCracken-Christy, is the reliable, purposeful, and mild mannered notes taker. Ms. Matz, played by Rachel Chinn, waggishly attends the meetings a bit medicated to protect herself from the reality of it all. Ms. Innes played by Julie Williams, reads a humorous and revealing letter containing insight and wisdom for the council, but will anyone hear?

Mr. Breeding, played by Richard Macias, a matter of fact man that likely hasn’t suffered consequences for speaking his mind. Mr. Assalone, played by Heath Rochester, a bit of a menacing presence piping in with mildly threatening statements, and dear Mr. Oldfield, strongly believes the first matter of business is how deserving he is of a closer parking spot, played by Joe Parrish.

Quinn Warren, bringing Director, Set Designer, and Sound Designer, assembled a strong cast of personalities that complemented each other. It is a cohesive, intense and witty production. The set gives “city council,” in the best way, framed head-shots of the members on the wall, civic color scheme, Colorado and American flags, and a coffee station! The audible rain storm unlocked sense memory. My suggestion, shortening the run time to 90 minutes would serve the momentum of the story, and the audience.

Our histories change as the stories are retold by subsequent generations, details are lost, embellished, or as Mayor Superba of Big Cherry assertively states, “history is a verb.”What happens to a town’s pride and point of connection when opposing truths comes to light? How far are those with power willing to go to protect their traditions, image, privilege? The tighter a town clings to its narrative, the harder they boast of their beginnings, the stronger the need to look deeper.

Do not miss your opportunity to see The Minutes! Playing through September 15th at Wichita Community Theatre. Thursday - Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 2 PM. Make your reservations! 316.686.1282.

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