43
‘The Nerd’ keeps audience amused over caricature
How does one get rid of a nerdy guest who’s causing trouble? What if he once saved your life?
SALEM — It’s a good thing Dave Haueter makes such a good nerd.
In any play named for its lead character, the actor in that role has an extra burden. Haueter is the eponymous nerd in Salem Community Theatre’s production of “The Nerd,” and he is worth the price of admission all by himself.
As Rick Steadman, Haueter is the quintessential nerd, and he sports all the markings: red bowtie, pocket pen holder and — of course — tape holding the bridge of his black frame glasses together.
But his mannerisms are the clincher. Haueter’s nerd has the lanky frame and spastic movements of Pee Wee Herman, except he’s totally uncool. He is tactless and disgusting, and has no clue how others see him. He can drive you crazy if you have to deal with him, but Haueter had Friday’s opening night audience howling with laughter.
He chewed with his mouth open, and when confronted with something that didn’t make sense to him, scrunched up his face and let out a “huh?”
In real life, Haueter is the police chief of New Waterford. Maybe he can do his nerd act on the next lawbreaker he catches. Now that would be punishment!
The slapstick comedy takes place in the Terre Haute, Ind., apartment of stuck-in-a-rut architect Willum Cubbert, played by Ryan Newell. Willum gets a visit from the former soldier who saved his life in the war, a man he never met named. You guessed it, it’s Rick Steadman, the nerd.
Willum’s girlfriend, Tansy McGinnis, the couple’s friend, newspaper drama critic Axel Hammond, also hang around the apartment.
Out of gratitude to the man who saved his life, Willum can’t bring himself to throw Steadman out, even though he’s rapidly wrecking his career. So Tansy and Axel hatch a plot to get rid of the unwelcome nerdy guest.
Connie Baer plays the upbeat Tansy, while Matt Schamer is the wisecracking Axel.
Schamer lends Axel the gag-loving charm of Hawkeye Pierce from the old television sitcom “M*A*S*H*.” It’s also a case of art imitating life, as Schamer’s day job is as a reporter for a Columbiana County newspaper.
Rounding out the cast are Warnock Waldgrove, a hotel magnate and client of Willum’s, and his wife Clelia and son, Thor.
Dick Fawcett is the butt of many jokes as Warnock. Karen Losito is his dish-smashing wife, while young Jack Scheets is Thor, their holy terror of a child.
Overall, “The Nerd,” which was written by Larry Shue and directed by Dave Wack, has the feeling of a skit built around a character that is too funny to believe. But even at two and a half hours, it never drags. In fact, the cast members are justified in occasionally racing through their lines in order to keep the spotlight on “the nerd.”
X “The Nerd” will be staged at 2 p.m. today and April 6; and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, at Salem Community Theatre, 490 E. State St., Salem. For reservations, call (330) 332-9688.