MOON OVER BUFFALO: Repertory, Relationships, and Repercussions
A review of Moon Over Buffalo
by Maximus Handziak, age 14
Moon Over Buffalo, now playing at Waukesha Civic Theatre, is a two-act comedy farce written by Ken Ludwig. The plot follows a family-owned repertory theater in Buffalo, New York and two once-celebrated, now struggling actors George Hay (Tony Davis) and Charlotte Hay (Tanya Tranberg), along with their daughter, Rosalind (Lisa Bransdorf); her hard-of-hearing mother, Ethel (Tom Aldridge); her ex, Paul (Marty Alivo); and her weatherman fiancé, Howard (emé Esquivel). The show is an outstanding success, with talented direction and notable actors.
My first impression when reading about this show was that it was going to be a drama with a little bit of humor mixed in. Boy, was I wrong! This production is solely purposed for laughs. The script is written very well, leaving lots of space for comedic bits the director can insert for added humor. Co-directors DJ and Cole Castine definitely took this seriously. There were countless moments that were perfectly incorporated into the story and earned lots of chuckles and belly laughs from me and the rest of the audience. On the other hand, there were also some that didn’t quite hit. These created a few awkward pauses and as a result, the story lagged a tad, especially in the first act. This was expected though, since it was, after all, preview night, and the cast was still getting things figured out.
Out of this talented cast, someone who stood out to me was Tanya Tranberg, who played Charlotte Hay. She’s the kind of actress who deserves to be in the spotlight. She developed her character in such a way that every line was different from the last. Tranberg was so connected with her character and nothing she did was boring or repetitive. I also want to shout out Tom Aldridge, who played Ethel. At first, I was a little skeptical about a man playing a grandmother, but now I can’t imagine it any different. Aldridge was a perfect fit for the role given his comedic timing and delivery, making his character a fan favorite.
I’d also like to mention the production’s fight choreographer, Kara Penrose. The fights in this show looked miles more believable than other theatre performances I’ve seen in the past. I understand the troublesome job of a combat director and how hard it is to keep everything and everybody safe while also ensuring fights look real. The combat in this particular show went above and beyond by not only making everything look real, but also adding significantly to the comedic aspect of the story.
In terms of tech, the lighting and sound design (by Cole Castine and Lincoln Donner respectively) was very minimal, which is perfect for a show like this. When light or sound cues were added, they were not distracting or out of place; on the contrary, on the rare instances when a cue was incorporated, it was impeccably placed and called-for in the scene. The set (designed by Evan Crain) was quite the opposite. This was a rather elaborate set built for this production, so much so that it did feel slightly cluttered. I feel that a much simpler set or fewer props would have been more effective. There were a few too many items onstage that weren’t being used for anything, which did detract from the actors onstage a little bit.
In summary, this is an outstandingly well put-together show. The direction is spot-on, the actors are talented, and the book is unbelievably well-written. I simply can not express how hilarious this farce is—so I won’t! Instead, you’ll have to see it for yourself. It runs through September 27th at Waukesha Civic Theatre. Get your tickets today!
Comments