Colonial Players is capping its 60th season with a sparkling comedy about a couple grappling with their version of the seven-year itch. A major bonus of CP's excellent season was discovering American playwright David Lindsay-Abaire in October with Rabbit Hole and now being treated to another of his works, Wonder of the World, at the end of the season.
Lindsay-Abaire, who was recently nominated for a Tony as author of the book for the musical Shrek, established his comedic gifts with Wonder, which premiered on Broadway in October 2003.
In the opening scene, heroine Cass is packing her suitcase, determined to leave Kip, her husband of seven years. When Kip arrives with a plate of aspic for her lunch, he is shocked to discover her intentions. Describing herself as "a tall glass of sparkling cider," Cass seems to fear a loss of effervescence.
Their parting turns amusing, as does almost every scene that follows in this irresistible comedy filled with madcap humor, fast-paced, clever dialogue and lovable characters. We may recognize ourselves in those characters as they experience a ridiculous variety of tourist situations throughout the play.
Director Ron Giddings maintains a frenzied comic pace while drawing brilliant performances from all the cast members, who seem at the top of their game. They display a clear affinity with playwright Lindsay-Abaire that elevates this production to a bright new level of entertainment.
Laura Gayvert invests her astonishing energy into defining bubbly Cass, maintaining her effervescence through the performance.
Cass is determined to break out of the confines of the apartment shared with Kip and discover herself in doing everything on her 200-item list, starting with a trip to Niagara Falls.
Thurston Cobb delivers a multidimensional Kip, who gains sympathy as the spurned husband whose main flaw may be his blandness. When his dark secret involving Barbie doll heads is revealed, the audience might be more amused than repulsed.
Embarking on her bus journey to Niagara Falls, Cass meets Lois, a suicidal alcoholic who holds on her lap a blanket-wrapped pickle barrel that she intends to travel in over the falls. CeCe McGee as Lois finds every comic nuance in her portrayal to become Cass' sardonic sidekick, balancing the heroine's bubbly, extroverted qualities with her depressed, abandoned-spouse reality.
