Holly Amber, Heather Danielson and Buddy R. Jones in Dead Man's Cell Phone

Un-Christmas Offerings at Out Front on Main
In its continuing work to push theatrical boundaries and to discard theatrical conventions, Out Front on Main this month offered the dark comedy Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl. I was pleasantly surprised in more ways than one by the production. Director Leah Fincher, admittedly one of my favorite directors in the area, augmented one of playwright Ruhl’s weaker scripts with a beautiful and thoughtful score, and her insightful guidance was apparent in the skillful and subtle performances of the cast.

Heather Danielsen returned to the Out Front stage for the role of Jean, a woman who answers the ringing cell phone of a fellow patron at a diner. From that first meeting, this fellow patron named Gordon, portrayed by J.R. Robles, is—as one might imagine from the title of the play—dead. Such a condition did not, however, prevent Robles from delivering a brilliantly executed monologue about the nature of life and death upon the opening of the show’s second act. Danielsen herself was almost flawless in her performance; her Jean was a perfect blend of humor and timidity, gumption and absurdity as she navigated her newly formed relationships with Gordon’s amusingly neurotic relatives, including his brother, mother and wife.

Buddy Jones again lent his considerable talent to the role of Dwight, Gordon’s brother and Jean’s would-be lover. He shone as a beacon of comparative normalcy in a sea of unpredictability; Jones was well-suited to the role, and his portrayal helped ground the show in its own reality. Gordon’s mother, the domineering Mrs. Gottlieb, was unhesitantly played by Holly Amber. Her assertive performance was brilliant and gave rise to some of the show’s most hilarious moments. Ali Bergstrom rounded out the off-kilter family as Hermia, Gordon’s wife. She was her own bundle of neuroses, reminiscent to this audience member of Lilith, the wife of television’s Frazier; her occasional vulnerability was moving and provided a greater depth to the show.

In spite of a script that is occasionally flat and uncertain, Dead Man’s Cell Phone was a very enjoyable production. Fincher brought together a cast and a vision to create a poignant and enervating exploration of the value of life that was a most memorable outing.

I Got Me To a Nunnery
The holiday spirit was irrepressible at the Center for the Arts as the theater presented the holiday musical Nuncrackers. The audience filled the venue with laughter as they beheld the filming of a public access television Christmas special by the nuns at Mount Saint Helen’s ministry. The performance was lively, and the actors were fully committed to the acts of insanity they were proffered in the script.

A trifle by Dan Goggin, Nuncrackers is the holiday offering in a series of plays that follows the antics of a less-than-orthodox Catholic church and its thoroughly unconventional members. The church is led by Father Virgil, portrayed fearlessly by Daniel Garner, whose impression of Julia Child was so spot-on as to be uncanny. As Virgil’s associates, the institution’s sisters each brought her own vivacious humor to the performance. Cindy Lamb played the Reverend Mother, Sister Mary Regina, and any attempts at queenly demeanor were humorously foiled by her sisters’ behavior. Sister Mary Hubert, portrayed by Center veteran Candi Ford, was delightful; Sisters Mary Paul and Robert Anne, Tamara Garner and Debbie Philips, respectively, repeatedly elicited raucous strains of pleasure from the audience.

The younger performers in the show were, as always with Center for the Arts productions, delightful in their vim and vigor. Including both familiar faces like Emily Conley, Lydia McLaurin and Patrick Powell and relative newcomers like Colin McLaurin and Skye Dupree, the children attacked their roles with poise and panache equal to their adult counterparts. Especially exceptional was Adam LaPorte in the role of Tommy Webber; his vocal solo during It’s Better to Give was simply amazing. It’s a safe bet that we will be seeing much more of these talented youth as they continue to hone their skills.

Nuncrackers was directed by Center veterans Jeff Stateler and Tim Smith. Though this was their first time helming a production, their keen sensibilities guaranteed a delightful production. Though I must admit that I found the script trite, I believe I was singularly unimpressed by Goggin’s offering. If peals of laughter may be considered signs of success, Nuncrackers did not disappoint.

Hitting the Stages in January:
Double Feature: Mac and Alice, two works for youth by E. Roy Lee based on the works of William Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll
7 p.m. Jan. 13 and 14; 2 p.m. Jan. 15
Murfreesboro Little Theatre

Guys and Dolls
7 p.m. Jan. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21; 2 p.m. Jan. 8, 15 and 22
Center for the Arts

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
7:30 p.m. Jan. 27, 28, Feb. 3, 4, 10 and 11; 2 p.m. Jan. 28, Feb. 4 and 11
Swan Performing Arts Center

Five Women Wearing the Same Dress
7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15
OutFront on Main