Page 10 - Thursday, November 6, 1997 The Behrend College Collegian
Only You: Purely Entertaining
by Kristi McKim
features editor
Just how do these "natural and un
natural disasters of relationships...just
happen?" ask the characters of Only
You, which opens in the Studio The
atre this weekend. A refreshing, en
tertaining alternative to more serious
drama, this contemporary comedy
provides a light, humorous look at the
otherwise "heavy" issues of love,
friendship and intimacy. The cast and
crew of this Bchrend production do a
superb job of conveying the often
humorous, some
what-crazed, always-
complex tendencies
of young adulthood.
Whether sipping
cappucino at the lo
cal coffee ship or
downing shots of scotch at Eddie's
apartment; shoo-hop dancing to old
ies or masquerading as superheroes;
pining for Prince Charming or beg
ging for the return of one's ex, the tal
ented characters of the play work to
gether to depict hysterical, witty
slices of young adult life.
The acting is exceptional, as each
character seems delightfully real and
relatable. The "Big Voice," David
Reynolds, wisely wields his powers
of omniscience to these perplexed
twenty-somethings; his confident,
Brooklyn-accented voice effectively
conveys his street-wise advice.
Jennifer Quadri, "Miriam," suc
cessfully depicts the complexities of
a woman stricken with the Prince
°ROLLA
Charming Complex; her tense, ner
vous expressions contrast her
dreamy conscience. Quadri smartly,
carefully shows the conflicts that
arise when one "reads too many fairy
tales" and is "condemned to spend a
lifetime searching for the perfect
Bond Davis charismatically por
trays "Leo," a man governed by the
extremes of emotion, whether it be
rapture or distress. His compulsions
drive him, as he is ruled entirely by
his heart. Davis dynamically cap
tures the essence of this character, as
The cast and crew of this Behrend produc
tion do a superb job of conveying the often
humorous, somewhat-crazed; always-com
plex tendencies of young adulthood
Leo's charm, animation, and fanati
cism serve to color his relations with
others. He also demonstrates his
rather entertaining talents of lip
synching in one of the play's most
comedically-strong scenes.
Amanda Pieper provides a charm
ing portrayal of the somewhat-disil
lusioned, naively innocent "Heather."
Pieper's facial expressions and bub
bly voice add a delightful dimension
to this character who claims to be
"deep down, just a little girl in a party
dress." Pieper gives a refreshingly
cute spirit to this easily amused, thor
oughly cheery character.
Joe Getway generates an entertain
ing, convincing portrayal of "Bo," a
sensitive man with prostate problems
blamed on his "eight-and-a-half
months of celibacy"— and frustrated
with his friends' "indifference" toward
his vulnerable self. Getway vividly
communicates the tender, warm
heartedness of his character, who
wants nothing more than the love of a
woman, a shared beer with his bud
dies, and the closeness of friends.
Mike Lechner provides a primo per
formance as the suavely- sophisticated
"Eddie"— the man to whom all oth
ers come for stability, advice and beer.
Always the host of the party, "Eddie"
knows the ins and outs of relation-
mains vehemently
commitment-shy in
matters of his own
heart. Lechner's tal
ents for rhetorical ex-
pression shine in mo-
ments of truth with fellow troubled
friends.
While the cast should be hailed for
their individual character portrayals,
they also work extremely well to
gether; their overall cohesiveness al
lows for natural dialogue and believ
able narrative. Director Tony Elliot
attests to the strength of cast and crew,
as "they are extremely experienced.
It's a pleasure to have experience and
continuity in the program because it
makes communication much easier."
Stage Manager Jessica Milano and
Assistant Stage Manager Nicki
Buterbaugh contribute to this unity of
cast and crew.
The action of the play shifts quickly
between a quaint coffee shop and the
THERE ARE A FEW SPECIAL THINGS THAT WE CAN
REALLY COUNT ON TO HELP US ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT
'9IE NEED TO DO. RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE THINGS:
I TOYOTA COROLLA. OVER THE PAST 30 YEAR
ILLA HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED
IN THE WORLD. AND NOW IT'S ALL-NEW...WITH
PASSENGER AND TRUNK ROOM, AN ALL-NEW
JINUM ENGINE THAT'S ONLY MORE POWERFUL,
IT'S MORE ECONOMICAL...UP TO 38 MILES KR
GALLON HIGHWAY. COROLLA IS SAFER AND
QUIETER, AND BEST OF ALL, IT STARTS
AT A PRICE LOWER THAN LAST
YEAR. MORE CAR...LESS
11 1
MONEY. WHAT A
REFRESHING
CHANGE! ',.
AIL, '
h he re-
Ready for opening night: (clockwise from left) Dave Reynolds, Joe Getway, Amanda
Pieper, Mike Lechner, Bond Davis, and Jennifer Quadri.
character's individual apartments, via
the many doors leading off stage. This
fast-paced, efficient style allows the
nearly-two-hour , performance literally
to speed by; the ever-present humor
and relatable themes contribute to and
further the play's unity and entertain
ment value.
The set and technical aspects, de
signed and directed by T.J. Laffan and
controlled by Adam Gaines and Mike
Kristufek, are bright, creative, and
TOYOTA &v&riiciaii
appropriate to this comedy. Costume
director Kim Mcllwain coordinates
the outfits which contribute to each
character's development.
As Elliot describes, the cast and
crew have had "a wonderful time re
hearsing; it's been a real blast." Guar
anteed, all who attend this contempo
rary comedy will share in this ener
getic intensity; surely, the audience
will enjoy watching this performance
as much as the cast and crew enjoy
performing.
A free student preview of Only You
will be presented this evening at 8
p.m. in the Studio Theatre. Tickets
are available for all performances,
including opening night, Friday, No
vember 7. Timothy Mason's Only You
will be performed November 7,8, 12,
13, 14, and 15 at 8 p.m.; matinees will
be performed November 9 and 16 at
2:30 p.m. For reservations or more
information, call 898-6016.
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