Raconteur Theater’s

Whales, Save Us!

at
Madlab’s Theater
Columbus, Ohio

by Rick Brown

I had never been to the new Madlab space on 3rd Street in downtown Columbus before. It’s a very understated but pleasant theater that was immediately made cozy by the presence of 4 “Girl Scouts” (Jill Ceneskie, Parker, Catherine Rinella and Kirsten Chervenak) fluttering around my wife and me. Being at once both engaging, yet charmingly annoying … they insisted I earn a merit badge and gave me several choices from which I could do so. I picked music and one of the scouts handed me a harmonica. I immediately blew the only blues riff I know and all 4 scouts began cooing with delight. Soon I was awarded my “merit badge” by the exuberantly smiling troop.

Is this any way for a critic to keep his objectivity?

I reminded myself that reviewing is not an objective sort of endeavor and made myself comfortable for the ensuing performance.

Raconteur’s production of Elizabeth Levitt’s Whales, Save Us! is the Midwest premier. And this small troupe of talented and determined actors do a splendid job of performing it.

The story is about Alvin Bigsby (Edwyn Williams), a self proclaimed “consciousness guru” who has such reverence for whale watching that it borders on worship. At first I thought Mr. Williams’ a little over the top in his characterization. But as the play unfolds it becomes evident that the storyline is such a competition between metaphors and ironies, that Alvin must bloviate above it all. The whales teach, but only with his guidance. The patients will achieve “consciousness” but only because of him. Alvin Bigsby’s ego is … and needs to be … as big as a … a …whale.

At Bigsby’s retreat are several patients. Esme Delavoye (Kristin Yarger) is a washed up T.V. child star who has the most seniority there. Del Peaquod (Rudy Frais) is an undercover paparazzi photographer and ZuZu Calistoga (Rachel Mock) is a former rodeo rider. Both have a hidden agenda and an axe to grind with Esme. Once they begin “therapy” with each other, Bigsby, and of course the whales, the murderous (literally) mayhem intensely ensues.

Whales, Save Us! is a two-act play that crams 14 scenes in. The pace is break neck. Yet because of the superbly concise direction of Mary-Aileen St. Cyr, it all seems to meld together into a tapestry of two distinct acts. And the stage crew does a marvelous job in physical presentation.

Edwyn Williams’ performance as guru Alvin Bigsby is riveting. He makes Bigsby despicably strong, yet underlying fragile so the audience can feel just enough sympathy to realize he is a tragic figure. Kristin Yarger’s Esme is jaded enough without losing her manipulating triteness. But I’m not certain she’s believably flaky. And that may very well have more to do with dialogue than Ms. Yarger’s steadfast portrayal. Rudy Frias’ Del embraces subtly with a grace, which until the play’s end makes him most approachable without betraying his occupation as paparazzi. No small feat. All these players shine.

But for me Rachel Mock’s ZuZu was most captivating. Her command of the stage here is complexly engaging, many times drawing the other actors into a brilliant ensemble of storytelling. She is as determined as she is bitter … and still soft enough to be duped one more time by her adversary.

Anyone who has been forced by their Human Resources Department (and I’m assuming that is most of us) to attend a “sensitivity workshop” or some such pap will enjoy Raconteur’s Whales, Save Us! It is a delightfully dark comedy that shows the hypocrisy of self-help programs, people, and controlling behavior. The only ones sacred and pure are the whales … and most specifically NOT for the reasons some people almost worship them under the guise of “saving”. This is the biggest metaphor of the show. And it’s ironic.

What above all (and maybe it’s because of that “music master” merit badge they awarded me) I found perfectly pragmatic about this production of Whales, Save Us! is the randomness of 4 Girl Scouts wandering in and out of the story line. Like Girl Scout Marx Brothers they inject the graceful truth of nonsense. When an actor seems to almost break character and asks the girls what they were doing here, all 4 held up permission slips from their parents. What a great running gag inside a running gag! And like one of those kids in the back of study hall cracking jokes who gets away with it because … well … he’s funny … the Girl Scouts … defying authority and order … kept it all real.

And I’ll level with you. Before I was a harmonica playing reviewer … I was “one of those kids”.

Whales, Save Us! runs through June 18th at Madlab in downtown Columbus, Ohio. For more information please go to: http://raconteurtheatre.com/