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Victorian Players offer a last dose of holiday ‘Greetings’
By Eric McCrea
Youngstown
The chaos of the holiday season is behind us, The Victorian Players bring one last dose of family dysfunction to the stage with Tom Dudzick’s “Greetings.” Co-directed by Nick Mulichak and Heleena Huncik, this Christmas Eve romp with a twist holds up in the post-New Year weeks.
Andy Gorsky, played by Mulichak, returns to his parents’ home in Pittsburgh with his new fiancee Randi (Selena Phillips), but tension is present from the start. His father, the gruff Phil Gorsky (Thomas Gilmartin Jr.) doesn’t miss an opportunity to make things more awkward. His vocabulary-limited brother Mickey, played by Donald Connors, is thrilled to have the family back under one roof while mother Emily (Vicki Rossi) bustles about putting the finishing touches on dinner.
As they all sit down to eat, the pressure builds when religious differences become an issue. Emily wants to discuss recent changes in Mickey’s behavior but has difficulty being believed, until everyone sees it for themselves. The arrival of an old friend causes secrets to be revealed and intentions to become uncovered as a family struggles to make sense of everything in a big way.
Gilmartin was tough and lovable as Phil, and he delivered a performance much like “All In the Family’s” Archie Bunker. His dialogue felt fluidic but he proved he had the chops to tackle big roles with his emotional epiphany moment.
His classic sitcom style worked great with Rossi’s no-nonsense approach. She had a great dead-pan and a genuine charm. It’s difficult to compare her to any single sit-com great, because she showed characteristics of so many of them. Her scenes with Connors were some of the best moments of the night.
Phillips was a delight as fish-out-of-water Randi. She brought her dependable flair and style to the show. The role had maturity of confidence that she pulled off well.
Mulichak delivered a solid performance as Andy. Serving dual roles as actor and director in this production did not seem to hinder him in any way. He was able to keep the play on track during the performance, and Huncik was able to keep him on track leading up to opening night.
Connors, known for both his onstage and backstage work, was phenomenal in the role of Mickey. The audience loved him, and he got some of the biggest laughs of the night. He showed great range and an exceptional ability to emote without saying much. It’s difficult to say much more about his impressive breakout performance without giving away too much of the plot, but suffice it to say it’s worth checking out.
Dropped lines were an issue in the first act, but the cast recovered and got the show back on pace. A few misfired cues also marred opening night, but that didn’t stop the audience from giving the cast an enthusiastic standing ovation.
“Greetings” runs Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and today and next Sunday at 2 p.m. For reservations, call 330-746-5455.