OAKLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS Play pokes fun at world of amateur acting

Michael Dempsey expresses his love and angst of community theater.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- One minute he's quoting Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Then John Mueller tells his sidekick to "lace the Yoohoo" -- the communal beverage of his rivals -- with a substance that will sour their stomachs for a few days and knock them out of competition.
Welcome to Warton, Ohio, population two. Community theater groups, that is. One is traditional, the other not so. Each is offering a production of Shakespeare's "Romeo & amp; Juliet" -- one classic, the other less so.
Neither is happy about the coincidental timing of their performances. Neither knows about the romance that's blossoming between two of their stars.
Whose show will be and whose will not be? That's the question everyone's asking in "The Romeo and Juliet War," a comedy by Boardman native Michael Dempsey that was commissioned by Oakland Center for the Arts. The play opens next Thursday for a three-weekend run.
All in fun: Between Shakespearean references and exaggerated situations, Dempsey pokes fun at the nature of amateur acting.
"Being involved in community theater is a love-hate relationship," said Dempsey, who now lives in Kent. "It's as frustrating as it is rewarding.
"I guess I wanted to express my love and my angst over it" by writing and directing the play.
Dempsey ticked off a list of common traits among community theater participants that helped him to mold his characters. They are "very energetic, a little flaky, a little disorganized," he said.
Dempsey was tweaking his script as late as last week as he collaborated with the actors. "They come up with great stuff on their own, and I take credit for it all," he said, laughing.
The cast contributed to the naming of the play's fictional theater groups, actor Brendan Byers said. He plays John Mueller, the egotistical artistic director of the established Warton Community Theater (changed from Norton Community Theater).
The avant-garde group is Center Stage Players Theater Workers Collective of Warton -- CSPTWCW for short.
The cast: Byers, also the Oakland's business manager, has prepared for his role with ease. He's been acting since he was 3, so "I'm drawing on people that I've known in the past," he said. "It just goes to show how universal the whole thing is."
Jeanne Kelly of Columbiana portrays Gabriella Thomas, CSPTWCW's feisty artistic director. She's appeared at Potter Players Community Theater in East Liverpool, Salem Community Theatre and Stage Left Players of Lisbon, but this is her first Oakland show.
She's gained insight as she watched Dempsey's script take shape. "It's been great as an actor to see that process," she said.
Nancy Haraburda is Rosemary, an aging actress who's losing her hearing and memory and spews sexual innuendo. Her character may be a bit far-fetched, but no more so than the rest of the cast, she said.
"Theater people are, I think, a whole different type. They're a lot of fun. They seem to be more accepting of people. They're always that way," Haraburda said.
Eric Kibler of Lisbon gave Dempsey his first acting role at Ohio State University. The men have remained friends, and now Dempsey is directing Kibler in "The Romeo and Juliet War." It's Kibler's first role at the Oakland in a decade.
They met through Strollers Dramatic Society -- "nontheater major weirdos that we belonged to ... people who did plays just for fun," Kibler said. Dempsey had a violin scholarship but eventually switched to theater. Kibler entered law school.
Fun for all: "I've done the 'Dempsey World Tour,'" Kibler said, referring to roles he's had in Dempsey's other original plays, "Hail to the Chef" and "Mrs. Claus Has A Gun!"
This is Dempsey's best play, Kibler said. "It's farcical. It's slapstick. Everyone can enjoy it."
Dempsey hopes audiences will take to "The Romeo and Juliet War" as they do to TV shows about the making of movies, concerts and the like.
"I think people will find it interesting to know what happens behind the scenes," he said.