Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern

Little Piggies
The Playgroup, LLC

Also see John's reviews of Stars of David and Mame


Pierre Tannous, Elli Murray, Don Grimme and Kristen Elise
Celebrating their fifth season, The Playgroup, LLC presents the black comedy Little Piggies by local playwright Todd Caster. Three siblings and their mates come together to celebrate the 76th birthday of their aged Uncle Alex—their aged, single, and very rich Uncle Alex. Though the siblings may not particularly hold their uncle very dear to their hearts, they do hold dearly the prospect of inheriting his 12 million dollars should anything happen to him. These three "little pigs" show their true colors via pettiness and sibling rivalry as the evening progresses. Fun begins when the imaginary houses they have smugly built in their minds (be they of brick or straw) are suddenly threatened to all be blown down by the appearance of an unplanned visitor to their little birthday bash.

Caster has written some clever banter and enjoyably irreverent one-liners for this, his latest play, though not all are handled with equal finesse by the actors. At times they deliver the comedic line without acknowledgement or waiting for the audience to absorb it. There are a few awkward staging moments involving passing off of beverages, and a not so funny bit about switching placement of bowls of snacks. Production values are understandably minimal in this small space, but the cast needs to be more solid in their awareness of the use of the space in which they've been blocked. Pacing is a bit of an issue, as there were some lines dropped, and an entrance so late it became comical on the night attended. The cast manages to propel itself forward seemingly unaffected, however, and they do establish scattered but clear character moments, again some with more success than others.

Pierre Tannous is the most consistent cast member in his portrayal of the self-absorbed, ne'er-do-well Chuck, providing his character just enough edge to be both believable and unlikeable. Elli Murray has a fun, quirky energy as Marie, though it may not always be correct for the moment at hand. Harry Marsh gets to indulge in a few good character moments as Marie's long suffering husband Bob. Paul Rosen probably has the best one-liners in the show as Ted, but needs to beware delivering them as though he is a stand-up comic instead of his character. There is initially a nice maternal quality to Sis as portrayed by Sara Lee, but she struggles the most with pacing and giving her fellow actors eye contact.

Don Grimme as Uncle Alex gets minimal stage time, but none-the-less establishes his character quickly. Kristen Elise as Penny seems the least experienced of the cast, and comes off rather awkwardly in the last scene with a handsome Richard Capalbo as Larry. Capalbo has an earnest quality in his portrayal that works well for the role.

Though this production is in need of a bit more spit and polish, it is a pleasantly written and acted show overall. It is always a treat to see the works of local playwrights mounted. Here's hoping a look at this family as painted by Caster does not remind us too much of our own.

In addition to Little Piggies, playwright Todd Caster is author of Riddle of Three, Broken Angels, Stranded on the Isle of Few, and over a dozen other plays. As an actor, he has appeared in many productions including The False Witness, Rumors, Lost in Yonkers, and Stageblood.

The Playgroup, LLC production of Little Piggies will be appearing through January 18, 2015, at the Empire Stage. Empire Stage is located at 1140 N. Flagler Dr. in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Playgroup, LLC is a collective of directors, actors, and playwrights who perform staged readings of local playwrights' work at theaters in both Palm Beach and Broward Counties. For tickets and information for this theatre company call 954-678-1496 or visit www.ThePlayGroupLLC.com. For tickets and information for Empire Stage visit www.Empirestage.com.

Cast:
Larry: Richard Capalbo
Penny: Kristen Elise
Alex: Don Grimme
Sis: Sara Lee
Bob: Harry Marsh
Marie: Elli Murray
Ted: Paul Rosen
Chuck: Pierre Tannous

Crew:
Director: Joyce Sweeney
Scenic Design: Tom Andrew
Technical Director: Mick Sackett
Stage Manager: Robin Paulive

Photo: George Wentzler


See the current theatre season schedule for southern Florida.

-- John Lariviere