34west actors strike audience's funny bone

The play is a comic retelling of Peter and Andrew's encounters with Jesus.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Whenever Boardman-based 34west Theater Co. teams up with Das Dutch Village Inn in Columbiana, the audience can expect an evening of superb dining, warm hospitality and eye-watering hilarity. This weekend's performance of "Fish Eyes" exceeded all expectations.
The play is a comical retelling of the Gospel-based story of brothers Peter and Andrew, (played by Jeffrey Querin and Stephen Baldwin), and their encounters with Jesus. And though one may think this is serious or preachy subject matter, this show is all-around fun. It is told through the eyes and hearts of two very confused men, trying to make sense out of things they do not understand.
And to make matters worse, these two simple fishermen aren't the sharpest pencils in the box to begin with. Their na & iuml;ve and childlike perception of what they witnessed and their attempts to explain it all kept the crowd roaring with laughter. Querin and Baldwin have a unique and special talent for presenting corny comedy, and this work was their best yet.
Post-Sermon on the Mount
One of the funniest scenes was their conversation after the Sermon on the Mount, in which Andrew has dutifully taken notes because he feels these are things they will be expected to know. Peter gets nervous, admitting he "faded" (dozed off) and worries there will be a quiz. And he has trouble counting, like up to 12.
As Andrew struggles with the idea of not letting his left hand know what his right hand is doing, his hands suddenly become puppets, arguing with each other. He keeps calling parables "preables" and doesn't understand them at all. In the part of the story when Jesus asks them to feed the hungry crowd, the two went out into the audience with baskets, collecting sugar packets, coffee cups and half-eaten cheesecake.
Adding to the humor, all the other characters were invisible, and there were very few props. Jesus was often way out in the distance, requiring the two to scream over the heads of the audience as they created these imaginary conversations.
Underlying message
While the story line tells of the miracles that the Bible says Jesus performed, the real message of the play is about two men who followed their hearts, took risks and were drawn to leave what was familiar, because they sensed something much greater was at hand.
No matter what your spiritual belief, most people have had the experience of feeling compelled to make choices without understanding why, such as picking up and moving, or leaving a job or relationship. Often life takes on a chaotic quality during these periods, and looking back, one can usually find some humor in the confusion.
34west is known for its murder mysteries and its gospel-based presentations. What its plays have in common is zany, goofy, slapstick humor. It doesn't matter what your faith, these shows are just plain good entertainment and fun for everyone.