Whitney Stalnaker, as Dotty Otley, is in a tiff over
words with the director. A fellow cast member, played
by Justin Church, reassures her everything will work out.
Story and Photos by Drew Moody
Sardines! No other literary work in the English language
could possibly use "sardines" as many times as in the play
'Noises Off,' opening Thursday night at Glenville State
College.
However, despite the oddity, in this comedic world
it fits right in. Where are the sardines?
It's a bit of vaudeville, a pinch of Charlie Chaplin, a
soap opera and more.
Audiences will delight at veteran actors returning to
Glenville State College's stage including Whitney
Stalnaker, Justin Church, Zachary Cyriacks and
Rose Johnson. Their performances are spot on.
The pace is fast with plenty of surprises.
The curtain opens to a rehearsal in progress. Opening
night is rushing headlong at the cast and some cast
members are dropping their lines.
Personal issues begin to infiltrate the set.
Frederick Fellows, played by Zachary Cyriacks, is a man
of many worries. An emergency strip-routine after noting
something on the front of his pants didn't help matters any.
One trauma-drama weaves into another creating the
tension of mystery even though perhaps the obvious isn't.
Then a burglar shows up. Complaints about the sardines
continue. House guests think the burglar is a tax man,
while he laments how far his career has slid from "the
good old days" when he robbed banks.
A host of people come to the large multi-level
dwelling and no one can keep track of who is
who. Then rehearsals start and the sardines are missing.
Personal items are stolen, misplaced or disappear.
There's a fetching damsel in distress, handled with a perfect
low-key timbre ... that is, considering, she wasn't prepared for
someone stealing her dress. Consequently, she spends a fair
amount of time in all she has left to wear -- lingerie.
The misunderstandings, jealousy and unspoken accusations
are unavoidable.
Brooke Ashton hoped for a quiet get-away with her man.
Confusion and misunderstandings threaten to scuttle her plans.
GSC's Jamie Stanley makes the part believable, even in lingerie.
GSC professor Dennis Wemm has added another notch
on his excellence bar. The set is a masterpiece. The entire
cast includes: Whitney Stalnaker, Dustin Metzgar, Justin
Church, Jamie Stanley, Rose Johnson, Zachary Cyriacks,
Felicia Wickline, Gary Morris (a GSC science professor)
and Ed Scott. Stage manager is Samantha Wolford.
'Noises Off' can be seen Friday night and Saturday night
in the theater located in the administration building's
presidents auditorium. Curtain time is 7 p.m. with a
running time of approximately two hours. Admission
is $3 for adults; there is no charge for students.
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