written and directed by MICHAEL DOMENY and KELSEY DOMENY
produced in conjunction with HATBOX THEATRE
Let's be honest.
We may not come right out and say it, but most of us are sick of the great sacred cows of Christmas- the two biggest being A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE NUTCRACKER- trotted out on our local stages, year after year after year.
We may not come right out and say it, but most of us are sick of the great sacred cows of Christmas- the two biggest being A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE NUTCRACKER- trotted out on our local stages, year after year after year.
And no matter how cleverly re-imagined they are, or what kind of glittery sauce gets poured on them, at their core they're the same old tired, overdone meat: items listed on a bleak menu, from which which everyone's been ordering, and which very few seem inclined to change.
Because, you know, tradition.
Because, you know, tradition.
Tradition or not, we're tired of choking it down.
So it's refreshing when a couple of upstarts like Mike and Kelsey Domeny cobble together a pastiche of cherished stories and traditions we've come to associate with the holiday season, gleefully run a nice, big, red-hot skewer right through their centers- all the better to roast them with- and then throw the whole kit and kaboodle up on the stage at the storied Hatbox Theatre in Concord, for the world to sample and savor.
And they do it pretty damn well. About damn time, too.
And they do it pretty damn well. About damn time, too.
The Domenys are aided in their mission in lampooning some of of the most well-known legends of the holiday season by three accomplished actors: Tess Hodges, Jake Stone and David MacNeill. Wait, make that four: Hodges broke her leg rehearsing a fight scene, so in the last minutes of putting the show together, they added a "stunt double"- Mike Domeny in the first week, Aaron Compagna in weeks 2 and 3.
Or is it five? There's another actor- or, at least, I think it's an actor- not credited, who hangs around the periphery and who appears at various points in the show. He's dressed all in black, and his face is obscured by a hood. Can't quite make out who he is. Best you go see the show and try to figure that out for yourself.
Or is it five? There's another actor- or, at least, I think it's an actor- not credited, who hangs around the periphery and who appears at various points in the show. He's dressed all in black, and his face is obscured by a hood. Can't quite make out who he is. Best you go see the show and try to figure that out for yourself.
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| The Cast of FRUITCAKE: Tess Hodges, Jake Stone, David MacNeill. Image courtesy Kelsey Domeny. |
The actors are a fine troupe- energetic and inventive, up for the challenge of taking a bunch of holiday institutions, turning them upside-down and giving them a shake to see what might come tumbling out.
The fact that one of the actors is on crutches doesn't slow the company down one bit, and in fact may actually add to the evening's enjoyment, when you find yourself caught up not only in the moment, but how a troupe which includes a temporarily handicapped actor is going to make that moment work.
The fact that one of the actors is on crutches doesn't slow the company down one bit, and in fact may actually add to the evening's enjoyment, when you find yourself caught up not only in the moment, but how a troupe which includes a temporarily handicapped actor is going to make that moment work.
First up- and please, hold the eyerolls- is a comedic deconstruction of Charles Dickens' Victorian ghost story, A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Don't worry, the Domenys don't make a mockery of the tale, so much as they circle a titanic icon of the holiday season and look for cracks in which to insert their particular brand of whimsy. Which they do.
There's a lot of silly business with the story and the characters who populate it, with a host of waggish puns, both implied and visual- but to reference them here is to spoil the fun. Best to experience it for yourself.
Don't worry, the Domenys don't make a mockery of the tale, so much as they circle a titanic icon of the holiday season and look for cracks in which to insert their particular brand of whimsy. Which they do.
There's a lot of silly business with the story and the characters who populate it, with a host of waggish puns, both implied and visual- but to reference them here is to spoil the fun. Best to experience it for yourself.
There's a cooking segment, a tutorial on how to wrap gifts which somehow transmogrifies into an actual rap, some audience participation, a singalong, and a host of other skits, all wrapped up in a bow of delightful little jokes and puns- some of them sharply brilliant, some groanworthy, but all of which, when taken as a whole, serve to punch up the schmaltzy, sentimental aspects of the holidays, reminding us that this is the time of year when emotions often run close to the surface, and that it's okay to laugh, cry, or even revel in the season as the spirit moves us.
There's even a few sly inclusions of the divine: the Domenys originally created the piece at the request of their church, to be presented as an alternative to the pageant that the church was used to producing annually, and they're not shy about being people of faith, so it's not surprising that they'd figure out ways here and there to include references to faith in the course of the evening. There's no attempt to proselytize, but it's there in the form of deft little references, in keeping with the production's overall tone and mission, then wisely left where it is. Make of it what you will.
From a scenic standpoint, FRUITCAKE piggybacks off the sets and lights that Hatbox put together for their production of- you guessed it- A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which runs in rotating repertory with FRUITCAKE.
Aside from a few holiday-appropriate trimmings and a sight gag or two, there's nothing terribly remarkable about the FRUITCAKE set- it serves as an adequate backdrop for the shenanigans to come, and that's all it needs to do.
Aside from a few holiday-appropriate trimmings and a sight gag or two, there's nothing terribly remarkable about the FRUITCAKE set- it serves as an adequate backdrop for the shenanigans to come, and that's all it needs to do.
There are a few projections, some fight choreography and even an interval of ballet, all designed to add to FRUITCAKE's unique imprimatur: these elements are included to accentuate the stories being told, and the intent behind them. Which they do. Good enough.
Like the title suggests, FRUITCAKE is an acquired taste. It's got a bit of this and a smidge of that, all mashed up to create something that looks appealing, but which ends up not being to everyone's taste- but sampling it isn't going to kill you.
And, all things being equal, FRUITCAKE is, like all Christmas specials, a game little bit of business- cute, funny, lively, wholesome and imaginative, doing its level best to appeal to everyone.
Points given- if not for originality, then for succeeding in taking some old recipes and finding ways to wring new and interesting flavors from them.
What FRUITCAKE is not is some dreary regurgitation of stories, hauled out of a meat locker, thawed out and thrown up on stage, time after time after time. This version isn't freezer-burnt by rote into a place beyond being bland: it at least makes an earnest attempt at giving us a savory blend of fruits and nuts in a world of holiday bromides. And, to a point, it succeeds.
Unlike the real thing, this version of FRUITCAKE has a limited shelf life, so let us thank whatever gods that are responsible for the excesses, insanities and repetitions of the Christmas season that this production does its best to avoid falling into the dry, tasteless and overdone trap that A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE NUTCRACKER and a host of other productions keep falling into.
For this alone, please give FRUITCAKE a try. It may not be entirely to your liking, but it will be different- and different is good.
For this alone, please give FRUITCAKE a try. It may not be entirely to your liking, but it will be different- and different is good.
FRUITCAKE runs through December 16, 2018 at Hatbox Theatre in Concord. Please note that the productions is in rotating repertory with Hatbox's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL during this same time frame. Click the logo below to learn more about performance times and tickets.
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| about the critic (click image) |
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