by Mark-Brian Sonna of MBS Productions

This is not a great play, but it is a very good play, and for the ridiculously low cost of admission, it is well worth your entertainment dollar.

Premiere! (now playing at the Cox Building Playhouse in Plano) is Dale Wasserman’s final script. The playwright of such famous Broadway plays such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Man of La Mancha is an excellent wordsmith. He is very capable in creating multi-dimensional characters that resonate. This last play, while not of the same caliber as his more famous works, displays his talent in creating characters that, while they may be considered archetypal, resonate and are recognizable by audiences.

Premiere! is a simple play. Gil Fryman is a successful writer of comedies and due to a coincidental circumstance he has the opportunity to prove his dramatic chops by writing a “lost” Shakespearean play. His wife Becky urges him to create the deception. His brother-in-law Peter is his producer and will jump to the opportunity to produce any newly discovered work by the Bard. The way Gil will deceive the world is by having a con artist and forger Lefty Guggenheim create a fake book. Gil will place it in the collection of his father-in-law’s antique books and have it discovered by Shakespearean scholar Justina Hawkins.

This set up is ripe for a raucous comedy. Wasserman approaches it more as a comedic drama. If there is a weakness in the script, it lies here. Nonetheless, the play has a bright upbeat quality that, while it will not induce gales of laughter, it amuses thoroughly.

Mike Hathaway as Gil Fryman inhabits the role effortlessly. There is sexiness to his Gil that is unexpected, for he literally gets turned on by the thought of being capable of pulling off the deception. The more he deceives, the more “turned on” he gets. It’s an interesting approach and quite valid; after all, it is known that power is quite the aphrodisiac. Unfortunately, his chemistry with Becky, played by Kelly Moore Clarkson isn’t quite there. Ms. Clarkson is a capable enough actress and displays some genuine moments, but when it comes to sexiness, she fails to let loose as Mr. Hathaway does. He was into her, she wasn’t.

Howard Korn nails the smallish role of the father in law. Does he know Gil is doing a deception or not? We never know for sure the way Mr. Korn plays it. And this is a good thing, for he keeps us as an audience guessing. He delivers quite an accomplished performance.

Matthew J. Edwards as Peter plays the producer role with much gusto. He’s like an overgrown kid ready to mooch off of anyone as long as he benefits. He’s an excellent counterpoint to Gil. Whereas Gil is suave, Peter is giddy. Physically these two tall actors resemble each other and complement each other quite well. It shows us two different takes on the intoxicating nature of success.

Rich Hancock as the shockingly honest criminal Lefty is a riot. He steals the show with his perfect characterization of a conman with pride. His long monologue about the virtues of forgery was the one moment of the play that induced non-stop laughter. Wasserman uses this character to make a very valid point, and one can sense that as a playwright he had great affinity for this character. It is this spectacular and marvelous monologue that highlights what the play could have been. Had the rest of the script reached the level of this monologue, undoubtedly this play would be an instant classic. Instead we get a very good play.

Justina Hawkins played by Elfriede Russell is another eccentric character that generates quite a few laughs. Ms. Russell’s portrayal was smart. Unfortunately, she was wobbly on her lines, and while I tend to forgive a line hiccup and overlook it, there seemed to be quite a few the night I attended, and keep in mind the play is in the middle of the run. At least she didn’t break character, though her pauses were a bit awkward.

Jason Rice’s direction utilized lots of movement. This script is a bit wordy, yet by having his actors in constant motion there never was a dull moment on the stage. Only a couple of times did I find myself wishing the actors would stay still. Wasserman makes “serious” observations about the world of art, and the busy blocking watered them down.

Kelly Williams created a wonderful drawing room set. It felt correct. Jeff Mabray’s lighting filled the room effectively, and his light transitions for the individual monologues accentuated the breaks in the play that otherwise would have been confusing to the audience. Carol M. Rice’s costume designs captured the flavor of the characters; unfortunately the fit was a little off when it came to Becky’s formal dress. A woman of such wealth would have a better fitting gown.

As I mentioned before, this is not a great play, but it is a very good play. And for the ridiculously low cost of admission, it is well worth your entertainment dollar.

Lastly, a disclaimer. I serve on the Rover Dramawerks board. They know I am a reviewer, too. Whenever I do go see a Rover show, I excuse myself of all meetings and discussions regarding their production. I put myself in a new blackout so my observations will not be tainted. If you think I will only give this company positive reviews, feel free to look at my past reviews.

Mark-Brian Sonna is an independent theatre producer in the North Texas area and is artistic director of MBS Productions.

What do you think?