Lights, Cameras and Community Theater Actors
In the 1950s the culture of acting in the United States was changing. The call of the silver screen was drawing actors off the stage and onto Los Angeles studio lots in front cameras rather than Broadway audiences.
The elder statesmen of the theater world were faced with a decision – adapt and become part of the movies or fade into stage obscurity. It is in the midst of this crisis that playwright Ken Ludwig introduces his two lead characters, George and Charlotte Hay, in his play “Moon Over Buffalo.”
Carrying the theatrical torch into the 21st century, Valley Community Theatre opens its production of Ludwig’s 1995 Broadway comedy tonight at The Grange in Los Olivos. Directed by Solvang School teacher Amy Calvert, the play’s quick wit, dense dialogue and timeless story of love, lust and regret careens through the life of George and Charlotte as she reaches for the Hollywood stars and he bottoms out.
“It's been fun to discover that while it's a comedy, the basis of the whole thing is family. Family is what is holding this entire script and all this craziness together,” Calvert said. “They may leave a couple times. They may get mad at each other. But at the end, they all just come right back.”
“I think that's a really neat underlying statement to all this hilarity -- it's a good snapshot of what families are,” she added.
George and Charlotte, played by David Holden and Leslie Franklin, are a husband and wife acting duo that lead a theater company in Buffalo, New York in 1953. When George learns that famous movie director Frank Capra is coming to their matinee performance looking for replacement lead actors for his new movie, their shot at big-screen stardom appears imminent.
But in a twist of comedic irony that spirals out of control, the wheels come off the wagon and hilarity ensues.
“It’s a very funny play, at times riotously funny,” Holden said, who works as a Hollywood film editor and is taking his first public step from behind the camera to breathe life into the character of George.
“It’s very exciting, very frightening. At its best, it’s exhilarating,” he said. “I think George is the most fun character of them all. You know him. He’s such a weasel actually. He does terrible things and makes the worst excuses for himself, but you like him.” “I’m trying to make him likeable anyway, even though he knocks this girl up and he won’t really take responsibility for it with his wife,” he added.
His wife Charlotte is a head strong actress intent on making the transition from stage star to Hollywood heroin.
“When I read the script for ‘Moon Over Buffalo,’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, I want to be Charlotte,’” Franklin said. Bringing her natural personality in tow, Franklin is tackling her second role for Valley Community Theatre after playing Truvy in the company’s production of “Steel Magnolias.”
“Charlotte has this main goal that, ‘I am going to be a star.’ So it's great to see that Leslie's own personal character of, ‘I will succeed’ is able to bring that part of Charlotte to life,” Calvert said.
Calvert and company will bring the whole play to life at 7:30 p.m. May 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Grange Hall in Los Olivos. Tickets are $12, available at The Book Loft, Santa Ynez Valley Coffee Co. and El Rancho Market. For more information, call 686-5830.