THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996 TAG: 9602280139
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Theater review
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
YOU WILL leave the Cotton Gin Theater laughing after having seen the Smithfield Little Theater version of ``It Runs in the Family.''
This wonderfully wacky play initially ran in Surrey, England, in 1987. It was penned by Ray Cooney, noted for such British farces as ``Move Over, Mrs. Markham,'' an earlier SLT offering.
This production boasts performers who do not have to fake their accents. Everywhere there are Brits, most of them stage newcomers associated with Allied Colloids of Suffolk:
Martin Briggs is a maintenance engineering supervisor; Geoff Payne, a customer engineering services manager; Mike Heard, a production development manager. Pam Stevenson is the wife of Howard Stevenson, sales manager. Dawn Bachmann was born in England, moving to America when she was 9.
The SLT and Allied alliance began when Pam asked Briggs to do the play, and to bring his buddies.
He wound up in the starring role, looking and acting like a fugitive from ``Monty Python's Flying Circus.''
Briggs, new to the stage, has discovered that acting is not a simple task. ``I haven't read a paper, watched television or listened to the radio. I work, I rehearse, a little bit of sleep in between,'' he said. ``Bungee jumping is a lot less nerve racking.''
Briggs portrays a so-called happily married but lying-through-his-teeth British physician who had a fling with a nurse about 18 years and 9 months earlier.
The unsuspected result of that union - a strapping son named Leslie - manages to throw dear ole dad's life into turmoil.
The young man is played by an eight-year veteran of Smithfield productions, 17-year-old Chris Parson. He portrays someone straight from Punk City, sporting orange and green hair and one earring.
``I get to be somebody I always wanted to be - a rebel,'' said the Southampton High School junior, whose parents have often worked at the Cotton Gin.
Husband-wife team Gail and Skip Hebert also are in this production. She portrays his mom. ``I'll never live this down with my family,'' she said.
``It Runs In the Family'' is directed by Jeanette Chapman, who also directed ``Move Over, Mrs. Markham'', ``Lend Me a Tenor'' and ``Noises Off.'' MEMO: The Smithfield Little Theater offers ``It Runs in the Family'' at the
Cotton Gin Theater, Commerce Street, Smithfield. It will be performed at
8 p.m. tonight through Saturday, March 7-9 and March 14-16; and at 2:30
p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8. Call 357-7338.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FRANK ROBERTS
Skip Hebert, left, and Martin Briggs have a time trying to hold down
Chris Parsons in a scene from ``It Runs in the Family.''
by CNB