Theater review: The Ugly Brothers Present A Perfectly Lovely Play Featuring The Quiver Sisters And Their Pretty Little Ways

by Mary L. Clark of John Garcia's The Column

Sound the gong! Spin plates on wooden sticks or throw a cream pie in someone's face! Vaudeville is alive and well in North Texas! Hip Pocket Theatre continues its 33rd season of innovative theatre with The Ugly Brothers Present A Perfectly Lovely Play Featuring The Quiver Sisters And Their Pretty Little Ways, an original "gentle burlesque with music," just perfect for a summer's eve. But wait, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

I left Dallas' oppressive 100 degree heat and headed west. A relaxing early evening drive eventually led me down a tree-canopied country road and I swear the temperature dropped 15 degrees with a gentle breeze. As I walked up the drive to the ticket booth, I saw a small formation of herons gliding to Lake Worth just over the hill. Hibiscus arches welcomed me to the entrance of Hip Pocket Theatre.

I must shamefully admit that for all the years I have lived in Dallas, I never took time to see what Hip Pocket had to offer and I will gladly state here in writing that I will never let that happen again. Hip Pocket Theatre is a delightful alternative to the more traditional theatre. It's like going to camp, to the lake and entertaining friends in your backyard all rolled into one. Strings of lights weave above tables and chairs or are decorated in the trees and scrubs. Wicker furniture is arranged alongside a mulched walk for more private conversation. People are sipping wine and beer, munching on fresh goodies and listening to live music. I want to describe all this because this "backyard," and indeed Hip Pocket's entire locale, is as much an integral part of the theatre as the staging area itself.

I picked out a cool drink at the walk-up Z Café and simply sat back, listened to the music and watched pink and purple clouds drift lazily by. As the sun set, Producer Diane Simons called for one last song from the night's band. The audience then meandered over to the brand new amphitheater and strolled inside to take their seats. There was no rush to start exactly on time and, believe me, no one seemed to mind. Hip Pocket Theatre's wide open-air space invokes Shakespeare's Globe but with a Texas Hill Country vibe. Spacious, comfortable wooden benches (no splinters!) surround the stage and encourage you to sit back and relax. Hip Pocket's artistic director and writer/director of The Ugly Brothers Present..., Johnny Simons, gives a recorded curtain speech where he asks, among other things, that we turn off those "squeaking, squawking technical devices and throw them into the woods." The no smoking warning was actually worse!

The Ugly Brothers Present... is theatre of a different sort in that it is almost entirely silent with minimal pantomime. All narration and minimal dialogue is recorded as though someone was watching the mischievous goings on from above. Once you get over the realization that no one onstage is going to speak, you can then just let the absurdity and hilarity wash over you. A bit of drag, exaggerated makeup, and wacky music add more vaudeville flavor.

It all begins with the introduction of Zip, a mild take off on Marcel Marceau's Pip, as a lovable waif of a character who sets each scene and assists the narrator in moving the play along. He (She) also helpfully and hopefully nudges the five young couples together. And what couples these are. First we meet the Ugly Brothers – Buck Ugly, Tad Ugly (get it – buck ugly, tad ugly... oh, never mind). Then there's Bug Ugly, Esau Ugly, Little Ollie Ugly, and their Uncle Ugly. These are some homely, gap-toothed, long johns wearin' yokels – like Larry, Darryl, and Darryl on the Bob Newhart Show but uglier. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the lovely and scantly clad Quiver Sisters – Cuddles Quiver, Cookie Quiver, Bubbles Quiver, Curlicue Quiver, Little Minnie Quiver, and Auntie Quiver as their, uh, "guardian" (wink). The men are all a quiver for the Quiver Sisters and the women find love to be oh so blind. Even Uncle Ugly and Auntie Quiver find true love. There were actually very touching moments in an odd sort of way. A bit of bawdiness, a bit of ballet, music, song, dance, lots of laughter, and the all important happy ending makes for a most enjoyable show and a most pleasant evening of theatre.

I found the music and songs for The Ugly Brothers Present... to be so perfect and I wish the program had credited the sound designer. It was a masterful blend reminiscent of those great, bizarre 1930's cartoons – jazzy numbers where all the cartoon animal characters break out in dance. Boogie-Woogie, Swing, circus music, and Spike Jones-type noises all contributed in keeping the pace lively and fun.

This crazy ensemble has a mostly youthful cast, and all do their individual characters justice. Brit Redfield has an endearing stage presence perfect for Zip. Paul Logsdon used his "gosh darn" hillbilly rubber face to great effect. I was very impressed by the trapeze style aerial artistry performed by Mimi Kayl-Vaughan. Farce can be difficult to pull off, much less without saying a word, but all the actors took their characterizations to heart and played this romp to the hilt.

Too soon the show ended and all were invited to return to the "backyard" for more live music and drink. This night's band was Trinity Dogs, a Fort Worth folk-rock group. They performed cover and original pieces and I found out their name comes from the Dogs of the Trinity, a pack of animals that roam the river. Cool.

As the moon rose in the east and peeked out of hazy cover, it was time for me to head home. I was told that where Hip Pocket Theatre now resides was once a gun club and range. I dare say it is now a much more peaceful venue. For those in the know, I'd say it feels totally Austin with, get this, no mosquitoes or none that found me!

For 32 years, Hip Pocket Theatre has not so quietly and so famously done their thing out in the country, bringing us comedy and drama from classic plays and tales, poetry, biographies, and their own truly unique original works. As Diane Simons said, "let people know it's alright to come be outside after 7 p.m.!" I would like to add that it's also most definitely alright to come back there again and again.