This
week I had the pleasure of watching The
Dastardly
Doctor Devereaux
stride across the stage of Vernal Theatre: LIVE. Before the show
began, I was welcomed into the world of Devereaux by a set simply and
beautifully designed as ‘Hanover D. Cash Clinic’ with a splash of
creative shout-outs to Vernal Theatre: LIVE’s sponsors. Everything
from the skeleton on one end of the stage to the musicians dressed in
hospital gowns on the other helped set the environment for the
melodrama to follow.
An
excellent blend of music, comedy, romance, subplots, murder plots,
and plot twists befitting a melodrama, The
Dastardly Doctor Devereaux
follows a devious and dastardly doctor in his pursuits to wed wealthy
widow Lotta Cash for her substantial fortune and ownership of the
‘Hanover D. Cash Clinic.’ Heroes Dr. Phil Good and Wendy March
stand in his way and, at the same time, pursue their office romance,
but as secrets of the past come to light, the futures of all become
threatened over the course of this dastardly tale.
From
preshow to curtain call, the cast of Devereaux endeavors to bring a
smile to its audience from the very first and leave ‘em laughing to
the very last. I’m glad to say they succeeded as every action,
reaction, and overreaction of anyone from the person in the spotlight
to the one in the background making a funny face had me laughing. It
was enjoyable to see this cast having almost as much fun as I was
with their gut busting outbursts and dramatic retellings of tragic
backstories.
Most
impressive was the cast’s overall sense for comedy and comedic
timing. “I’ve never been around a group of people that are just
intuitively funny,” said director Jay Haslem of the Devereaux cast.
I couldn’t agree more. Every motion, voice, line, and expression
designed to make someone laugh was on point. I especially appreciated
the way the cast responded to the unexpected. One of the beauties of
live theatre is that anything can happen and, in this show, if ever
there was a mishap, the actors responded with their own adlibbed
quips and funny commentary that only supported and built upon the
existing humor rather than distract from it. What’s more, it was
all done so naturally that, at times, I couldn’t tell the
difference between an added joke, a scripted pun, or an adlibbed
line. Frankly, I didn’t care. If it was funny, it was in the right
place.
Every
actor was vital to this comedic clinic experience and deserves note,
some of which include Claire Owens, who let her sensational voice
ring in her performance of Wendy March; Spencer Johnson (Nurse Hilda
Hatchet) whose performance of “I’m a Baaad Girl” in a German
accent, coupled with Reygan Laub (Mini Hilda), created a blend of
hilarity and adorableness worthy of The
Dastardly Doctor Devereaux;
Sheldon Walton, the dastardly doctor himself, who takes the stage
with energetic movements and expressions, a graveling voice, an evil
laugh, and an amazing performance of “Dr. Devereaux” that work
together to complete the show’s beloved villain; and many others.
Credit
for the show’s success must also be given to the live musicians,
who began with nothing more than a piano score then grew into a band
that has, in and of itself, become a character in the show. “We
needed musicians who could vamp with it,” said Molly Haslem, and
they certainly did. The familiar music themes and comedic chords fit
perfectly alongside the jokes and characters, giving Devereaux the
final touch in becoming an outstanding melodrama.
When
I first watched this show, I never would have guessed that most of
its cast was fairly new to theatre. They are confident and bring such
a wonderful energy to the stage. It’s as though they’ve always
been part of the Vernal Theatre family. They are ready to perform The
Dastardly Doctor Devereaux
the way it was meant to be performed. Claire Owens (Wendy March), one
of the original actors of Vernal Theatre: LIVE, said of the show,
“We’ve lived in kind of a heavy heavy world for the last six,
seven, eight months between the pandemic and elections, and I for one
need a good relief from all of it. And this has been so good to get
away from the tv and away from social media and just laugh all night
long at each other. It has been so good to have the comedic relief in
our world right now.” Sheldon Walton (Doctor Devereaux) agreed with
his co-star when he said, “You’re gonna laugh your butts off. If
you are down, come watch this. You will laugh so hard that your guts
will hurt, and that’s what we expect. It’s supposed to make
everybody realize that it’s okay. Don’t sweat the small stuff and
everything is small stuff.”
I
recommend this show and its wonderful cast to you. Hope to see you
there!
Photo Cred: Joie Madison Films & Photos
