Indulgences in the Louisville Harem by John Orlock

The Studio Theater, Chappelear Drama Center

Ohio Wesleyan University, February 2002

Designed by Glen Vanderbilt, Lighting by Kay Albright

Florence Becker: Emily Fillmore; Viola Becker: Rebecca Little; Winfield Davis: Alex Varel; Professor Amos N. Robillet: Josh Brown.

PRODUCTION PHOTOS:

"Not so fast..." "Your brain is getting smaller...smaller..."

"May I call you...Viola?" "We are not your actresses!!! GET OUT!!!"

Review/Program notes:

THE DELAWARE GAZETTE, February 1, 2002

DELAWARE SON INDULGES OWU WITH A BIT OF 'QUIRKY' THEATER

by Dave Tull, Gazette Theater Critic

Delaware native Wayne S. Turney has picked a winner of a play for his Ohio Wesleyan University directorial debut, "Indulgences in the Louisville Harem" is a play that is every bit as quirky as the name.

Just don't expect to thoroughly understand it--at least not right away. The play is full of themes and sub-themes and it sometimes has an "Alice in Wonderland" quality to it.

What it does deliver, however, are some fine performances by four gifted OWU actors, a good measure of laughter provoking moments, romantic tension, poetry, music and, of course, food for thought.

The script by Cleveland playwright John Orlock, is remarkably inventive and contains what may be one of the most unusual bits of stage business you're likely to see. More on that later.

"Indulgences" features a splendidly simple set that ultimately proves to be more complex than it appears, a perfect parallel to the play itself. The set includes a real tree limb sprouting from one corner and a marvelous collection of objects in apparent clutter around the stage. We can identify an antique typewriter, sewing machine and sewing drawers, old trucks and suitcases, a watering can, silver coffee service and a broken water pitcher.

Costumes and the few items of furniture tell us it is the home of two maiden sisters sometime early in the 20th century. The sisters are Florence Becker, played by Emily Fillmore, and Viola Becker, played by Rebecca Little. They are gentile, probably wealthy, and a little wacky. Fillmore turns in a strong performance as the older, domineering sister. She moves effortlessly from coquette to family tyrant, and a great deal of the action revolves around her. Little is a perfect foil as the younger, dependent and needy sister. They come across as two zesty, adventuresome women trapped in the conventions of their era.

Matched with them are Alex Varel as Winfield Davis, and Joshua Brown as Professor Amos Robillet, two men who are from an institute that is attempting to bring mesmerism to the people, as Davis explains. Both men turn in outstanding performances, particularly in view of the unusual plot twist. Robillet, the one with a gift for mesmerizing, is unfortunately mute. He lost his voice eight years ago and thus Davis is required to do his speaking for him.

This requires Varel and Brown to do a kind of human ventriloquist routine on stage with Varel speaking while Brown moves his lips. It's hard to visualize but Varel and Brown pull it off with incredible skill, even when Robillet mesmerizes Davis while still using Davis's voice.

Believe me, this is one bit of stage business you must see to believe.

The play follows the decision of the sisters to order two men from a catalog and leads us to the romance that follows. (Yes, this requires some heavy "suspension of disbelief"). At first, it all looks like a double blind date gone terribly wrong. But like a Shakespearean romance, the two couples learn to appreciate each otherand even talk of marriage.

Then, like a "Music Man" romance, the matching falls apart. I'm not going to reveal how or if the couples resolve this conflict. Suffice it to say that each of the four is forced to face up to his or her own character and particular needs. The play offers us the opportunity to fill in some of the blanks in our own way.

Director Turney is a 1968 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan and hold his MFA from Wayne State University. He is an active performer in the midwest and has been an actor with Actors' Summit Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Actors' Theatre of Louisville and others. He founded the Cleveland Actors Theatre Company at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland and the Ohio New PLay Festival. He received an Emmy for his role in the long-running children's television show "Hickory Hideout." He continues to tour his solo performance of "The Gospel According to St. Mark."

Turney, who once played the part of Davis, calls the play "a wonderful little post-modern play." He notes that the play "veers from dreamscape to psychological thriller to outrageous farce to delicate poetry and back again.

"Careful concentration on the language and the theatrical metaphors at work in the play will be rewarded with insights, wit, and beauty rarely encountered on the contemporary stage," he said.

"Indulgences" will be presented in the Studio Theatre of the Chappelear Drama Center tonight and Saturday and Feb. 8-10. The play will begin at 8 p.m. each day except Feb 10, when a matinee will be at 2 p.m.