Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 11, 1994 TAG: 9406170118
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KAREN L. DAVIS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Written by Bill Johnson, the melodrama is intentionally taken to laughable extremes, employing all of the recognizable stereotypes to underscore the struggle between good and evil. Debbie Kluttz is the blond heroine, Nellie Lovelace, who is as pure as the driven snow and ``as true as she is tender.'' Tedford B. Falls, complete with sinister moustache, is the heartless villain, Munro Murgatroyd, who relentlessly pursues her.
The characters are more like simple caricatures, deliberately lacking the depth and complexity of real people, to make them easily identified as good or bad. Their costumes and the cartoon-like set, all done in brown and white tones, further reflect this clear-cut, two-dimensional quality of melodrama.
Ominous chords humorously underscore suspenseful moments. Musical director Diane Altizer, staff accompanist at Hollins College and associate minister of music at Our Lady of Nazareth Church, accompanies the stage action on piano.
The story takes place in Totoket, Conn., sometime between the turn of the century and World War I. Munro Murgatroyd, with the help of his equally conniving wife, Ida Rhinegold (played by Suzanne Mell), plots to win the heart of Nellie Lovelace away from her true love, Adam Oakhart (played by Kevin Ritz). Of course, Ida and Munro have an ulterior motive.
Nellie's mother, sweet, old Widow Lovelace (played by Sylvia Altizer), strongly objects to Munro's advances toward her daughter. Predictably, she succumbs to a poison potion slipped into her drink by the evil Munro.
By this time, Adam has been driven away. Tricked into thinking Nellie no longer loves him, he turns to drink in order to forget his one and only love. Nellie eventually sees Munro's true colors and rejects him as well. She then resigns herself to the life of a lonely spinster, taking in boarders at her rural cottage to make ends meet.
Her sole companion during these dark times is her faithful friend and longtime family farmhand, Mookie Maguggins. Dale Johnson's portrayal of Mookie as a jolly and simple, but sincere, country bumpkin is a crowd favorite.
Nellie enjoys a bright but brief respite from her dreary existence when Adam returns to her life, only to be taken away once again by the conniving Munro. This time, however, she is left with a devoted daughter, Little Nell, played by Leigh Capps.
The play contains 11 musical numbers that don't seem to advance the plot much. They just add variety. ``Wait 'Til The Sun Shines Nellie,'' ``Bohunkus'' and ``Oh Mookie Tell Them To Stop'' are a few of the more entertaining titles. The men are gifted singers, especially Dale Johnson (Mookie). However, the women's voices, although pleasant, lack the power to reach the rear of the audience. A few audience members complained during the two 10-minute intermissions that they couldn't hear the lyrics very well.
``Dirty Work at the Crossroads,'' directed by Ann Sylvest, continues at Showtimers' McVitty Road Studio through June 19. Performances start at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8. For reservations, call the box office at 774-2660.
Dirty Work at the Crossroads
Directed by Ann Sylvest; Showtimers' McVitty Road Studio through June 19
by CNB