Show People

What would you give to your art? Would you mortgage your house? Max out your credit cards? Make promises you couldn’t keep?

Show People shows what one actor will do to produce his ultimate production, performed solely for his own benefit.

Tom (Brian Richards) hires married acting duo Jerry and Marnie (played by Randall T. Anderson and Sharon Nieman-Koebert, respectively) to pretend to be his parents for the weekend. Jerry and Marnie are once-up-and-coming actors that have fallen on leaner times, and so when Tom approaches Jerry and offers $10,000 to spend a weekend at a house in Montauk, Long Island playing his parents for the benefit of his girlfriend, Jerry agrees. Jerry and Marnie turn up at the appointed time and meet Natalie (played by Gloria Loeding), and while there are a few awkward moments, everything appears to be going smoothly.

That is, until Natalie decides that she can’t keep up the pretense any more and admits to Jerry and Marnie that she’s not actually Tom’s girlfriend and that he hired her to play his girlfriend for the weekend for the benefit of his parents, who don’t know that Tom is actually gay. What ensues is a hilarious weekend as Jerry, Marnie and Natalie try to figure out what exactly is going on while maintaining their roles and attempting to discern if Tom is dangerously psychotic or merely eccentric.

Show People was written by Paul Weitz, who is best known for his work as a screenwriter, director and producer in Hollywood.  He’s the comic hand behind such hits as About A Boy and Meet the Fockers, and his play is full of the same kind of absurd humor that is film work is known for. Show People has it’s tender moments, as well, though, including a touching scene between Marnie and Natalie in which Natalie asks for acting advice.

Sharon Nieman-Koebert as Marnie steals every scene she’s involved in.  Almost as good is Randall T. Anderson as her husband, and the two of them are eminently believable as a pair of good artists frustrated by their ability to capitalize on their talents, even after long years. Brian Richards and Gloria Loeding are both a bit stiff, but given time and exposure both of them can grow into wonderful actors.  The Astor Theatre is small and intimate, but director Raymond Bradford uses the entire space quite effectively. VS

RSVP Productions presents Show People at the Astor Theater until November 22. 414-272-2694 for tickets.