TRUMBULL NEW THEATRE Crazy characters make great 'Fools'

Fascinating, off-the-wall characters fool around in this comic fable.
BY MARGARET NERY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
Clich & eacute;s such as "There's no fool like an old fool," and the classic "What fools these mortals be" could well have been the inspiration for Trumbull New Theatre's production of "Fools" staged Friday night for a packed house.
From the opening moments of the zany production until the antics come to a screeching halt, the audience is taken on a hilarious armchair trip to a tiny Russian village.
Peopled by a disarmingly fascinating group of off-the-wall characters cast together by director Brian Lee, the village becomes the focal point for some mighty strange happenings.
Although it was once an ordinary little town, the village changed dramatically after a failed romance resulted in the tragic death of a disheartened young man. His distraught father then cast a spell on the villagers, making them seem stupid, disoriented and confused.
The fate of the entire amorously impaired village rests in the hands of a young girl. It is rumored that the curse can only be lifted if she marries, or if by some miracle, can become educated.
The villagers, tired of being bogged down in a mental quagmire, are pleased when a young schoolteacher enters the town and seems determined to lift the curse.
Characters
The teacher, Leon Tolchinsky (portrayed perfectly by Kyle Luke) is told he has only 24 hours to break the spell or he too will suffer the same fate and stupidity will prevail. But, lo and behold, he falls head-over-heels in love with a pretty young airhead, Sophia Zubritsky (Callan Soukenik).
Much to his chagrin, this turn of events ruffles the feathers of the pompous, beruffled Count Gregor Yousekevitch (Garry Clark), who seems unaffected by the curse, although at times his actions and manners seem silly.
Even the mention of his name makes the villagers tremble. But the evil count eventually gets his comeuppance when he tries to hoodwink the teacher and is himself deceived when the young man "gets the hang of it" and pretends to be stupid.
Adding to the overall confusion are the antics of Sophia's zany but adorable parents, Dr. and Lenya Zubritsky (Terry Shears and Crystal Niemi). The curse makes them unable to love, but they finally admit they feel love in their hearts.
Then there is the confused Snetsy (Tom Jones), a shepherd who has lost his sheep.
He is joined the equally cursed Slovitch (Ben Gavitt), who runs a "meet" market; Mishkin (Brian Gillespie), a "male" man; and Yenchna (Maureen Gregory), who sells bouquets of fish.
Curse is broken
The magistrate (Jim Vogt) has trouble reading an eye chart but manages to conduct the marriage ceremony that eventually breaks the curse.
Helping to bring Neil Simon's comic fable to life with their uninhibited, laugh-provoking antics are Johnna Clark, Dan Bartholomew, Tabitha Clark, Steven Panko and Hannah Gillespie, the village idiots.
It may be difficult to figure out if the characters in this play are sane or if there is meaning to their madness. But, one thing is certain: You will enjoy every moment of their comic repartee.
In fact, you might curse yourself if you don't get tickets to this foolish production.