'LUNCH HOUR' TELLS INSIGHTFUL TALE OF 2 COUPLES' AFFAIRS.Byline: Victoria Giraud Special to the Daily News When marriages go sour, do the partners find solace with others? For some amusing and perceptive answers to the age-old dilemma of hanging onto relationships, Conejo Players' afternoon theater presentation "Lunch Hour" is just the ticket. Oliver DeVreck, amiably played by Craig Campbell Craig Campbell is a Canadian stand-up comedian, who now lives in Devon, England. He was the host of Ed's Late Night and From Wimps to Warriors. He was also part of a comedy trio called The Dinks, with Tony Law and Dan Antopolski. , is a marriage counselor/psychiatrist. As he discovers during the play, he's been too busy with patients and writing a book to pay attention to the crumbling of his own marriage. The bearer of bad tidings is the effusive ef·fu·sive adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: an effusive manner. 2. Profuse; overflowing: effusive praise. Carrie Sachs, a vivacious and delightful portrayal by Annabelle Banzali. Confused and clumsy, young Carrie visits the DeVreck's vacation home Vacation Home A home separate from an individual's primary residence that is used for recreational purposes and may also be rented out at unused times. Notes: For tax purposes, those who rent their vacation homes may result in a lower amount of allowable expense hoping to confront Nora, Oliver's wife, about the affair Nora is having with Peter, Carrie's husband. Carrie arrives too late to catch Nora, but her droll droll adj. droll·er, droll·est Amusingly odd or whimsically comical. n. Archaic A buffoon. [French drôle, buffoon, droll, from Old French drolle revelations confound and annoy Oliver. Eventually, however, Oliver can't help himself as Carrie charms him into the spontaneity he lacks. Soon these two are plotting their own revenge against their spouses - a mock affair. Nora, compellingly played by Orlinda Lusher, and Peter, a credible performance by Richard Hawkes, decide to run away together, but are nonplused non·plus tr.v. non·plused also non·plussed, non·plus·ing also non·plus·sing, non·plus·es also non·plus·ses To put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; bewilder. n. when they discover their spouses claim they, too, have had an affair. Even though Nora has teased Oliver about women, she feels he's far too rigid for anything like an affair. Peter has dismissed Carrie's feelings; he thinks Carrie so childish he should have adopted her instead of marrying her. A confrontation between the two couples causes emotional mayhem as the couples reveal their expectations and disappointments. Added to the mix is the playboy bachelor Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. , an affable performance by Todd Dufour. Leo is drawn in to become a referee in order to help the warring couples work out a solution. The play builds slowly, and owes a great deal to the character of Carrie, who seems to have most of the lines, but the last act is witty and insightful, and the ending is tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. . THE FACTS WHAT: "Lunch Hour," by Jean Kerr. WHEN 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 18. WHERE Conejo Players Theatre, 351 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. COST: $5 INFORMATION: (805) 495-3715. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion