Victorian Theater presents ‘One-Acts’

Staff report

Youngstown

“An Evening of One-Acts,” which has been a popular staple for the Victorian Players, will return Friday for a three-weekend run.

The three short shows will elicit laughs, said J.E. Ballantyne Jr., managing director of the theater.

“These are absurd comedies from beginning to end,” he said. “There is barely anything that takes place in each show that won’t get a laugh out of the audience.”

The first show is “The Marriage Proposal” by Anton Chekhov. It revolves around Stepan, a country farmer. Stepan is visited by an old friend, Ivan, who would like to marry Stepan’s daughter. Elated, Stepan arranges for Ivan and his daughter, Natalia, to be alone so the proposal can take place. What takes place instead is hilarious bickering between the couple about everything from land ownership to which one of has the better breed of dog. “The Marriage Proposal” features Bill Zeiger, Michelle Billen and John Thompson.

The second show, “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter” by Muriel and Richard Eldridge, tells the tale of a lighthouse keeper and his family. In traditional melodramatic style, the evil villain wants to marry the lighthouse keeper’s daughter and subsequently make off with her father’s fortune. The villain plots and schemes but is thwarted in his devious attempts for both marriage and stealing the money. “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter” features Thomas Lee Ewen, Sylvia Ewen, Brandi Hughes, C. Richard Haldi, John Thompson and Bill Zeiger.

The final show, “Box and Cox” by John M. Morton, tells the story of Mrs. Bounder, who is renting a room to two men. The problem is that they are both renting the same room but do not know it. One works during the day and the other works all night, so they only see each other when they pass on the stairs — until one of them takes a day off. Featured in “Box and Cox” are Thomas Lee Ewen, C. Richard Haldi and Sylvia Ewen.

There will be a special Mother’s Day performance May 13. All mothers will be admitted free with the purchase of an accompanying ticket.