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‘Vacation’ keeps Oakland edgy
By LORRAINE SPENCER
YOUNGSTOWN
As this summer comes to an end, the Oakland Center for the Arts presents an atypical summer show, “Betty’s Summer Vacation,” by Christopher Durang. The Oakland is known for producing edgy material, and this play nearly goes over the edge.
Anyone familiar with Christopher Durang knows he writes odd, dark comedies, and “Betty’s Summer Vacation” is about as dark as it can get. With humor stemming from incest, rape and murder, and some very vulgar language, this play is not for the faint of heart. Much of the plot is disturbing and at times oddly insightful. It’s also actually really funny.
“Betty’s Summer Vacation” takes place in a beach house where five people have bought time shares to spend a week together. Betty is the first to arrive, eager to get some peace and quiet away from the city. She is immediately disappointed when her friend Trudy breaks her promise to “not talk so much.”
Joining them are Keith, an odd young man with a shovel and a hatbox; Buck, a lecherous surfer dude; and Mrs. Siezmagraff, an overbearing woman who invites a flasher to dinner. As the day progresses, characters conflict, and Betty’s hope for a peaceful vacation deteriorates.
As if all of this weren’t enough, Durang includes another odd set of characters in his play. Three “voices” are present throughout the show, sitting in front of the stage. At first, these voices simply watch the show and laugh at Betty and her roommates, who are confused and disturbed to hear them. The voices begin to comment on the show and eventually make demands of the characters, screaming “Entertain us!”
Clearly, Durang’s play was meant as a commentary on America’s obsession with voyeurism and reality-as-entertainment. The voices demand to see fighting, misery, rape and murder and are never satisfied. References to Lorena Bobbit and the Menendez brothers reflect America’s interest in and acceptance of the horrors people create. By alternately shocking and amusing the audience, Durang seems to encourage us to reconsider what we find entertaining.
The success of the Oakland’s “Betty’s Summer Vacation” is clearly due to director Craig Snay and his amazing cast. Each actor in this ensemble holds his (or her) own with obvious experience.
Brooke Slanina’s Betty was the anchor of the play. Her attempts to remain sane and level-headed made her both realistic and sympathetic. Ali Cleland played Trudy with depth, beginning as a simple, vapid girl but becoming haunted and depressed.
As Mrs. Siezmagraff, Gerri Sullivan was appropriately over-the-top, and Tom Smith’s Mr. Vanislaw exuded a mix of harmless oddity and underlying menace that was both funny and frightening.
As Buck, Quentin Duda held nothing back — literally. Delivering his lines with both deadpan sincerity and idiocy, his total self-confidence and comfort made his character both ridiculous and realistic. As the voices, Joyce Jones, Ryan Newell and Jonathan Eldell were a disconcerting presence. Their laughter and comments seemed to make the audience as uncomfortable as the characters onstage.
The most memorable performance of the evening was that of Cleric Costes, playing Keith. Costes’ Keith was an odd character, uncomfortable around other people but also finding enjoyment in their misery. Costes entirely embodied his character, from his voice to his hair, to his feet, to create a hilarious performance.
Craig Snay should also be commended on his amazing set design. Never has a set at the Oakland looked bigger and more polished. Snay’s attention to detail made his set both realistic and a bit ironic (notice Munch’s “The Scream” on the wall). Even the lighting fixtures that always hang above the stage fit perfectly, reminiscent of a set in a television studio.
“Betty’s Summer Vacation” may not be the typical summer-theater fare, but that’s what makes it such an intriguing production.
“Betty’s Summer Vacation” continues Friday, Saturday and Aug. 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. and midnight Saturday.