WHAT: Mark Twain's Folly
WHERE: Hackmatack Playhouse
HIGH POINT: The acting!
Mark Twain's Folly is one heck of an offbeat script. Written by Ted Davis, it's an adaptation of tales by the great American author, repackaged as stories shared by five characters, including the man himself.
A Stranger, aka Twain, starts up a conversation with a collection of peculiar backwoods locals, while waiting dockside for a ferry to take him up the Mississippi.
He and Lester, one of those locals, wage a bet as to whether man or animal is the bigger fool. Tales are told to make their point, with all the characters at the dock getting involved.
It's a strange collection of stories indeed, with some going a bit far afield in the telling at times. There's certainly humor, albeit slightly twisted on occasion, with a few stories bordering on the surreal. There is a yarn that fringes on horror, and some that lean towards the absurd .
If one tale's not to your liking - wait - there's more to come, and something is bound to hit your fancy.
There's a story about the coffin and the airless train car, which falls into the cringy category. There's one about a champion frog and a con man, another of the perfect wife and loving husband, and a real doozy about the cannibal congressmen. - Some real dillies, but always intriguing.
The real joy to Hackmatack's Folly is its incredible, energetic cast. It's an abundance of riches, and what makes this production so entertaining.
Each of the five actors play multiple roles, morphing into characters from the tales told.
David Durham is The Stranger, an erudite, even-tempered and somewhat mischievous character. Durham gives Stranger the perfect ease, his performance as smooth as molasses on a hot summer day.
David Kaye's performance as the quirky Jim Blaine is a master class in acting - richly designed and executed. Every facial and body gesture is authentic and a sheer joy to watch - hard to take your eyes off him.
Griffinn Gower is Artemus, yet another oddball being that is exactly as he should be. Gower's performance is genuine, interesting, colorful and a delight.
Abbey Kaye is charming as Nickodemus Dodge, the youngest and perhaps delightfully the dimmest of the lot, and Even Stechauner rounds out the cast as the obnoxious Lester, handing in a solid, animated performance.
Kaye also directs the show. Here again is a master class - all the small bits of stage business, the vivid and striking interpretations of a scene, and the small character gestures. It's a beautifully drawn canvas.
Once again kudos to lighting Designer Tayva Young and Costume Designer Shaugnessey Gower for deftly fleshing out the visuals.
One might think that a play based on the works of an author that is generally required school-reading would be for an older audience. Given the nature of the tales, and the color and exuberance of the talent delivering them, the show was found highly entertaining by a 9 and 12 year old. That said, there is a tale of cannibalism, albeit carefully and "politely" presented.
Succinctly put, Folly is fun. It's humorous, occasionally squirm-worthy, and always engaging - a thoroughly pleasant storytelling fest set in an old New England barn. It's quintessential summer theater and worth your discretionary time.
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