victorian players As a Wild West farce, ‘Sneaky Fitch’ is a hoot

May 24, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

By Eric McCrea

youngstown

Picture your childhood Wild West playset come to life, and you’ve got “The Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch.” With a menagerie of over-the-top characters mixed with jokes aimed at nostalgic adults, The Victorian Players bring that Hollywood version of the Old West to the stage.

The residents of Gopher Gulch have a problem, and it’s Sneaky Fitch, played by Derek Steyer. Even Rackham (Hunter Thomas) the fastest draw in the West, can’t get rid of Sneaky, because the cowardly nuisance refuses to draw, and shooting a man who doesn’t draw would violate the Code of the West.

When there’s word that Sneaky is sick, Doc Burch, played by Bill Finley, isn’t in the biggest hurry to help. In fact, he steals Sneaky’s fancy suit and money and skips town. The townspeople celebrate at the cad’s funeral, only to receive the surprise of a lifetime when Sneaky pops out of his coffin. Emblazoned with fearlessness, Sneaky takes over the town, only to cause more misery to the Gulchers. How in tarnation do you get rid of a bulletproof man?

The entire show is narrated by a singing cowboy, played by Stephen Kountz, who serves as an anchor to the audience. He also had the distinct honor of serving as the show’s de facto musical director and entire orchestra. As a whole, the cast showed great commitment to the style of the show, but the narrator is an exception. Kountz takes a more laid-back, modern approach in his juggling of roles. Though he’s entertaining at every step, I can’t help but feel he missed a chance to really sink his teeth into that classic singing-cowboy character.

Steyer really set the tone in the titular role. He’s the good-guy villain you can’t help but love. Even through the thick accent and heavy campiness, he’s able to show some range. His energy seemed to be infectious, which is a necessity in a play such as this.

Finley provided some great laughs as the pilfering medic. He’s pivotal in propelling the plot with his – dare I say? – sneakiness.

Thomas is a natural as the charming, suave town champion turned lackey. He was even able to turn a wardrobe malfunction into a great laugh with the help of saloon girls Elaine Huncik and Morgan LaCamera.

C. Richard Haldi stole the show in his various brief roles. His exaggerations cannot be contained, and who would want to try? With a little assistance from Don Connors, he creates some of the funniest moments in the show.

Also worthy of note are Bob Gerdes as the Reverend/Banker, Nick Mulichak as the eager undertaker and Selena Phillips as head saloon girl Maroon. All went beyond the script to add unique interest to their characters.

An impressive set and incredible costumes greatly enhanced this entire production, making a great way to spend a spring evening.

“The Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch” runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. until June 7. For reservations, call 330-746-5455.