The first review of our show, from the Contra Costa Times, is below. Come see us!

PAT CRAIG: THEATER


You'll feel satisfied after 'Dinner'

By Pat Craig

CONTRA COSTA TIMES


For those who know of Alexander Woollcott as the prissy little fussbudget he was, a production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner" is like a visit with an old friend -- an overbearing, nasty old friend, but an old friend nonetheless.

Of course Woollcott has been dead for nearly 60 years, "Dinner" is a bit older than that, and these days, the only people who know if all the i's have been dotted and t's crossed are the true believers in the theology of bitter barbs and pointed repartee forged around the Algonquin Round Table before most of us were born.

So what's a director to do if he wants people to understand even an inkling of the power wielded by Woollcott over the literary ladies luncheon set of the Depression Era? Well, he can invest heavily in dramaturgy and fill the program with what is essentially a term paper on Woollcott that nobody will read beneath the dim auditorium lights. Or, he will essentially forget about Woollcott and all but the most common cultural references in the show, and make the Woollcottesque hero of the show, Sheridan Whiteside, a larger-than-life personality in his own right.

Essentially, that's what director John Fisher did with the Theatre Rhinoceros production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner." And since the Rhino is a gay theater, Fisher has also revived "Dinner" in a way that explores the sexually ambiguous opportunities offered by the script. Woollcott, who was sexually dysfunctional, had intimate friendships on both sides of the gender wall, and in the play the Whiteside character kisses freely.

The other characters in "Dinner" tend to be a bit more flamboyant, particularly the visitors who drop in on Whiteside during his convalescence at the small town Ohio home of the Stanleys. While this really isn't part of the script, it adds a buoyancy to the long, three-act play, where many of the cultural icons and references intended as punch lines are so arcane now, some extra business is needed to make them work.

Essentially, the story deals with the cranky celebrity slipping on the walkway outside the Stanleys' home, after he has come there for dinner. He breaks his hip, and is forced to live in the house for several weeks while he heals.

Whiteside's presence is an enormous inconvenience. He commandeers the downstairs portion of the house, insisting the Stanleys used the service stairs so they won't disturb him. He invites felons to lunch, is gifted with such things as penguins and cockroaches, receives and makes long distance calls all over the world, hosts celebrity visitors, and makes life remarkably similar to hell for most of the family.

What Fisher has done is turned the play into a nearly slapstick farce, running the show at a breakneck speed with considerable physical comedy and a sort of no-prisoners attitude toward piling one gag on top of another. In addition, he has given the piece something of a sitcom feel, which works well because it gives jokes that may be too obscure to understand at least a familiar context.

But what brings the whole piece together is the performance of P.A. Cooley as Whiteside. He is perfect for the role, projecting an attitude that is both prissy and haughty at the same time. Cooley rules the stage, at times as the centerpiece, at other times as a traffic cop directing the hilarity of others.

What's nice about the show is the number of small character parts that give the play the look of a fireworks exhibition. Particularly entertaining are Floriana Alessandria as Miss Preen, the nurse; Matthew martin as Banjo; Libby O'Connell as Lorraine Sheldon; and Maryssa Wanlass as Maggie Cutler.

It's a treat to see these old, '30s large-cast goofball comedies performed well. And the Rhino production is certainly an opportunity to catch a bit of theater at its zaniest.

This is the final weekend of our show...Come see us if you get a chance!

Info: www.therhino.org