Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007
‘‘You either belong to a person or a place.”
That’s just one of the ideas brought forth in The New Play House’s latest offering, ‘‘On Island,” now playing at Frederick’s Cultural Arts Center.
Written by accomplished playwright, actor and New Play House founder Jonah Sea Knight, and directed by Jessica Lefkow — herself boasting an impressive list of credits and degrees as long as your arm — the play takes place on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
It’s a mystery and a light romance, tackling the not-so-romantic topic of high cancer rates amongst the New England island’s populace.
One might think you couldn’t take such a subject and turn it into a light romantic comedy. But Knight somehow makes it work.
The town’s local reporter Andi, played superbly by stage vet Erika Jarecki, tries desperately to write the story but something or someone keeps getting in her way.
As she searches for the truth romance ensues. Old flames are ignited and new ones extinguished while questions are raised and friendships created and broken.
As investigating professor and sole non-islander Jay, Brady Kirchberg was not only adorable but could get a laugh on cue.
Knight, himself, was perfectly cast as the lovable bartender Beana, while Alice Anne English was wonderful as the misguided, but well-meaning police officer Pam.
Susan Holliday rounded out the cast as Shelly, hard-nosed editor of the island paper, while also playing a wonderfully convincing dual role as a man named Lou, an island regular at the bar.
I found ‘‘On Island” interesting and thought provoking, its idea stemming from an actual outbreak of tularemia bacterium on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II.
The stage was small, but the actors made due. Office scenes, in particular, were limited and I wished I could have seen more of the actors’ fronts, instead of their backs.
Nonetheless, the limited space was put to good use and the direction was sound. All in all, ‘‘On Island” proved a good way to spend a Friday evening.
Now back to the mainland.
‘On Island’
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Cultural Arts Center, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick
Tickets: $12, evening and $10, matinee.
For information:301-668-8019
www.newplayhouse.org
