Madame Rosepettle (Robin Reck) and her son Jonathan (Tony Stroud) star in “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad” at the Gunston Arts Center. Steve Hibbard
The American Century Theater is presenting the Arthur Kopit farce, “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad,” March 21-April 12 at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, in Arlington.
Described by the playwright as “a Pseudoclassical Tragifarce in a Bastard French Tradition,” this antic, absurdist black comedy about the most dysfunctional family imaginable was an Off-Broadway sensation in 1962 and a hardly-watched 1967 film starring Rosalind Russell, Barbara Harris, and Jonathan Winters.
A farce in three scenes, “Oh Dad, Poor Dad …” tells the bizarre tale of wealthy, domineering mother Madame Rosepettle, who travels to a luxury resort in a Cuban hotel, bringing along her stuttering son, a man-eating Venus Fly Trap plant, a piranha, and her deceased husband, preserved and in his casket.
“It has this raw energy -- this yearning to get out of the ’50s, and one of the things I was interested in, I feel like the themes are applicable nowadays, is we’re dissatisfied with the state of the country and how things are being run … and looking for a better future,” said director Tyler Herman, 26, of the District. “There’s a black comedy aspect that I feel is very applicable to young people of today.”
Robin Reck, of Alexandria, plays the charming and intense matriarch Madame Rosepettle, a take-charge character who terrorizes those around her. “What I’ve tried to do with this role is to bring the humanity to this character and not just play her flat as a villain,” said Reck, who works for the federal government. “But as a character that has a lot of dynamics and depth that drive her.”
She adds, “I tried to bring a lot of emotional depth to show what drives her to her crazy, intense actions … her over-the-top actions.”
Tony Strowd, 27, of Silver Spring plays the 16-year-old Jonathan Rosepettle whose world gets turned upside down by a babysitter named Rosalie, who tries to take him away from his domineering mother. “What’s wonderful about this show is it’s theater of the absurd,” said Strowd. “It presents aspects of life that are not normally experienced, but are technically possible, in terms of the extreme nature of personalities.”
He adds: “The main thing is this is a comedy, it may be a dark comedy, but it’s very energetic, fun and lively … It’s a comedy in a very confusing way.”
Music Director and composer Steve Przybylski, 36, of Laurel, Md., plays live guitar throughout the play. Collaborating with Vaughn Irving who plays percussion, they have been improvising during six weeks of rehearsals. “From my perspective, my job is to help tell the story,” said Przybylski. “We set the mood, we set the time and place, we underscore moments and we comment on moments -- so the music has developed right along with the action.”
“This is American absurdism,” said Jorge A. Silva, 24, of the District, who plays one of the five bellboys and the dad. “I think it’s a different voice and different idea of existentialism and what the arbitrary can be.”
He adds, “I think the play can be extremely cathartic through its use of tragedy and its comedy.”
Stage Manager Sarah Kamins, 28, of Arlington said, “Nothing is set in stone based on the script, so imaginations can run wild and everything is free game.” She added, “There will be hilarious moments, and there’s touching moments and pratfalls in between.”
Artistic Director Jack Marshall has been holding on to this play since the theater company was launched in 1994, waiting for just the right moment to let it loose on Northern Virginia audiences. "TACT has noticed that its audiences are finding the black and absurdist comedies of the late ’50s and early ’60s funny again. Some of the best comedies need to wait for things to get crazy again like they were when these comedies were written. America was stressed out in 1962, and it is stressed out now. I know I am. It's time for Madame Rosepettle. We need her."
The cast includes Robin Reck as Madame Rosepettle, Tony Strowd as Jonathan, Emery Erin Hamami as Rosalie, Manolo Santalla as Commodore Roseabove, and Anna Lynch as Rosalinda (the Fish). Jorge A. Silva, Brian David Clarke, Andrew Quilpa, and Chema Pineda-Fernández are the bellboys.
The show is produced by Ed Moser. Sarah Kamins is the Stage Manager. Sound Designer is Thomas Sowers and Lighting Design is by Jason Aufdem-Brinke. The Master Carpenter is Michael Salmi and the Master Electrician is Jorge A. Silva. Costume Design is by Jacy Barber. The Scenic Designer/Artist is Katie Wertz and Props Designer is Kevin Laughon. Lindsey E. Moore is the Assistant Stage Manager.
“Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad” opens Friday, March 21 and runs through Saturday, April 12, with a pay-what-you-can preview on Thursday, March 20 at 8 p.m. and a pay-what-you-can performance on Wednesday, March 26 at 8 p.m. There is a post-show talk-back on Thursday, March 27.
Regular show times are Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. with Saturday/Sunday matinees, 2:30 p.m. (no matinee Saturday, March 22). The Gunston Theatre Two is located at 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington. Tickets can be ordered online at americancentury.org or by calling 703-998-4555.