Theater review: Getting Sara Married at Runway Theatre in Grapevine

by Mandy Rausch of John Garcia's The Column

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Getting Sara Married is perfect for the occasional theatergoer as well as theatre buffs who might just want a night of fun, laughs, and lighthearted romance.

Right now is a prime time to be a theatergoer in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. From Denton to Cleburne, patrons of the performing arts can take their pick of a myriad options ranging from quirky, fun musicals to thought-provoking existentialist plays.

Amid the Shakespeare, Miller, Sarte, and LaBute, tucked away on a tiny stage in Grapevine is Runway Theatre's lighthearted offering, the regional premiere of Sam Bobrick's play, Getting Sara Married (playing through May 1).

The play channels the spirit of so many RomComs that have come before it and while the script is about as deep as a puddle, this production features some charming performances and the quick pacing and visual gags necessary to ensure a delightful evening at the theatre.

The plot line is nothing we haven't heard before: Single, career-oriented woman in her mid-30s is hounded by someone who cares about her to hurry up and get married already before she ends up an old, lonely spinster.

In this case our heroine, Sara Hastings (Anne Somerfeld), fits the archetype. A successful criminal lawyer in New York City (where else?), Sara has no time for dating, much to the chagrin of her somewhat off-the-wall aunt, Martha (Rose Anne Holman). Aunt Martha eventually decides to take matters into her own hands and goes to great lengths to set up her financial advisor, Brandon Cates (Brian Brissman) with Sara.

In order to ensure that the two meet, Aunt Martha uses some rather unconventional methods with the help of a young "entrepreneur," Noogie Malloy (Chris Jordan), whom she pays to bonk Brandon over the head as he leaves the office and deliver on a dolly to Sara's apartment. There's just one problem –- Brandon is already engaged to Heather (Tracie Jordan).

Director Linda Fullhart makes a successful directorial debut with this production. She has seamlessly integrated some walk-on and cameo roles (raffle winners from a theatre gala this past winter) with the rest of her quite talented cast.

Her staging is simple and skeletal. This allows the actors to fill in the space with their own interpretations, which most of them do with ease and to great success.

The small size of the performance space at Runway Theatre is used to its full potential in a simple, functional set design created by Jeremy Ferman. The action of the entire play takes place in Sara's Manhattan apartment, which is fashionably decorated with set dressing by Amber Sebastian. Rotating sections of walls are used to create separate spaces for phone calls between the characters, and care is taken in creating these moments with simple lighting shifts by lighting designer Emilie Buske.

Costumes (designed by Patsy Daussat) were creative as well as functional for all of the characters, but I would have appreciated a bit more care and realism for Ms. Somerfeld's costumes. Even the most uptight Manhattan lawyer is unlikely to be working on case files in her apartment at midnight still wearing stiletto heels and a business suit. It is always nice to notice that each character is given a full, separate costume when appropriate for changes of scene and day, rather than just adding accessories or changing shoes.

The cast is made up of some commendable performances. Rose Anne Holman as Aunt Martha and Chris Jordan as Noogie Malloy got the biggest laughs of the afternoon. Aunt Martha, a woman with obvious time on her hands, is only seen during her phone calls with Sara, which she takes on a wireless Bluetooth device while simultaneously working out with a personal trainer, playing Wii Bowling, or doing sun salutations on a yoga mat. Holman is spot-on with her New York/Jewish accent and though her character's tactics are a bit off-the-wall and a lot illegal, she makes it hard not to love Aunt Martha for trying.

Dressed in track suits and gold chains and armed with "Noogie Malloy Enterprises" business cards, Noogie is played to greasy goombah perfection by Chris Jordan and enhanced by his pitch-perfect accent, reminiscent of Joe Pesci in the Lethal Weapon movies. Tracie Foster as Brandon's young, slightly ditzy fiancée Heather Boyd does not get nearly enough stage time, but she makes the most of every moment she spends onstage. Watch her even when she isn't speaking; Foster's facial expressions and mannerisms are wonderful.

The character of Sara Hastings should be both likable and pitiable in her single-woman-with-meddling-relatives plight, and audiences should genuinely care about where she ends up in the whole mess of events started by Aunt Martha. Anne Somerfeld definitely sells the busy, career woman side of Sara, but falls just short of hitting the mark in showing the softening of her character towards Brandon and the very idea of a husband in general. Her movements and line delivery are a bit wooden and unnatural, but as this was only the second performance (and Ms. Somerfeld's first role in years, apparently), this could be chalked up to opening weekend jitters. Hopefully she will relax into the role and enjoy the character's progress a bit more as the run of the show continues.

However, she does appropriately melt and stammer under the intense gaze of tall, dark, and handsome Brian Brissman as Brandon Cates. Brissman is perfect leading man material for this script; he handles the dialogue and the characterization perfectly.

It's a bit unrealistic how little he cares for the fact that he has a very angry fiancée at home and how flippant he is about the fact that he keeps waking up from unconsciousness in a strange woman's apartment, but since when are romantic comedies realistic and true to life? Ask any single woman who has watched any Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie too many times and she will agree: All that matters is the moment when all the pieces fall into place with that final kiss. That final moment in this production does not disappoint.

Getting Sara Married is perfect for the occasional theatergoer as well as theatre buffs who might just want a night of fun, laughs, and lighthearted romance. Make a date out of it; you'll be glad you did!

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