The Bank Guards

Fourth Wall’s ‘THE BANK GUARDS’ less than hoped for

Fourth Wall Productions, which is now staging the world premiere of Mathew Sprosty’s ‘THE BANK GUARDS,’ is one of those new small theatre companies whose dreams often exceed their results.

Sprosty, a promising playwright, is the author of one of last year’s top local plays, ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY.’ I recognized the author and the play with a Times Theatre Award. He has a “hip” way of writing, a new wave attitude, and comes up with clever plot twists. The hip, the new wave and the plot twists are present in his newest work, ‘THE BANK GUARDS;’ but, they don’t work as well this time.

The play is filled with too many improbables and the staging leaves much to be desired.

The story centers on a group of bank guards who plot to hold up their own bank. They, of course, have no, or at best, a vague plan. A teenager, who has pulled off a series of bank robberies, finds out about the plot and tries to weasel in on the heist. There is in-fighting and counter-plotting. And, a “surprise” ending.

Sounds like an interesting premise. It is, kind of. The problem is that there are just too many improbables. Why are the guards, who say several times that they are not allowed to thwart robberies in the bank, wearing guns while off-duty? Since this takes place in Cleveland, which has a law against carrying unconcealed weapons, why would these guys be walking around with exposed, holstered guns? Why are the guards so concerned about wiping fingerprints off door knobs after “the” murder (I don’t want to give too much of the plot away here), but are oblivious to the blood in the middle of the floor? (By the way, even though the blood is referred to, we never see it.) How does the teenager find out where the “meeting” is being held? Are these guys really that stupid that they would go into this plot without a plot? The over use of calling one character “old” and another “kid” becomes tedious after a while. I could go on, but hopefully you get the point.

The production, under the directorship of Rebacca Cole, is as uneven as the play. Several of the performances, however, are quite good. Michael Riffle (Ben), as the Iraq vet, has some nice moments, especially after he loses his faked attitude and becomes the real Ben. Ric Barr, as the “old” man is believable in his portrayal. The rest of the cast is inconsistent in character development, going in and out of character…alternating feigning anger and control and angst and more control. I didn’t believe any of them was a real person with real motives. It may be the writing, it may be the directing. The over-lapping of spoken lines, the mumbling, the use of obscenity for no purpose than to sound “hip,” all add up to a lack of smooth ebb and flow of ideas and reality.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: I really want Fourth Wall Productions to succeed. It is dedicated to doing shows that appeal to and should draw in younger audiences, which local theatre desperately needs. However, their productions are so inconsistent that it will be hard to build a loyal audience. In addition, their location, on E. 105th Street in Cleveland, though there is a lighted parking lot, may turn off the less secure from attending.

2 Man Kidnapping Rule

Disappointing opening at Fourth Wall Productions’ new venue

After giving Fourth Wall Productions’ ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’ several Times Theatre Tributes last season, including one for Outstanding Play, I was looking forward to seeing ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE,’ the theatre’s first production of its second season.

Unfortunately, my positive expectations were dashed.

Joseph Gallo’s ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’ is a sophomoric script, obsessed with redundant sexual commentary, sexual innuendos and excessive references to body parts, for no obvious reason. In a well-developed piece of writing such references have a purpose in moving the plot forward. In ‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’ they appear to be included for titillation and the author implying “I’m young and hip and can say whatever I want, and young hip members of the audience will love it.”

My view of the script may be a minority evaluation. According to the program, Gallo’s play had a reading at the Soho Think Tank in New York and was “really well-received.” (I have no idea who received it “well” as that wasn’t explained.)

Even if the script had been sterling, the level of directing, and much of the acting, left much to be desired.

The director, in his self-proclaimed directorial debut, did little to help the audience gain the intent and purpose of the writer. (Maybe he, like me, couldn’t figure out what Gallo was trying to tell the viewer.) The pacing was inconsistent, there was little action, some of the acting sounded like unexpressive statements of memorized lines, and the casting was confusing. Two of the three men were supposed to have been former college football players. One was a winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate player in the country, the other received a tryout with a pro team. Unfortunately, the Heisman winner looked like an undersized college freshman and the pro player more like a cross-country runner. Moral: if a show requires certain physical types, and you don’t have them available, don’t do the show. You can’t fake required physical descriptions.

Of the three actors, only Nate Bigger had the acting chops to make his character’s lines consistently believable.

Capsule judgement: If Fourth Wall is going to be taken seriously as a viable theatre it has to chose scripts that deserve production and stage them in a way that makes audiences want to return. They need to do more ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’-type productions. They’ve proven they are capable of that level of excellence. Let’s hope in the future they return to that level.

‘2 MAN KIDNAPPING RULE’ is being staged by Fourth Wall Productions at their new home, Suite 221, the Enterprise Center of Glenville, through January 27. For tickets call 330-283-2442 or visit www.fourthwallproductions.com.

MALICIOUS BUNNY

Delightful black comedy/mystery at Fourth Wall Productions

On the way out of Kalliope Theatre, where Fourth Wall Productions is staging their newest offering, ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY,’ I said to the script’s author, Matthew Sprosty, “You have a twisted mind! A brilliant, but twisted mind!” He responded with an innocent grin which split his cherubic blushing face.

Fourth Wall Productions is just completing its first year of activity. Made up mainly of Ohio University theatre graduates, the company, who are mainly from the Cleveland area, thought that there was a need on the North Coast for a company which performed new works by new writers. They are mainly looking at scripts from OU’s Playwriting Program. If ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’ is any example of the quality of the scripts and production values that we will be seeing in the future, Fourth Wall is a welcome addition to the Cleveland scene.

Sprosty has a wonderful way of leading his audience down one path, doing a quick detour, allowing the viewers to find themselves guessing at what will happen next. In ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’ he has given us a black comedy/mystery that is cleverly conceived.

The author contends that the play is not autobiographical, but did germinate from experiences with his last girl friend and her parents. He emphatically insists, and states in the program that it was his LAST girl friend, not this one. (Okay, Matthew, now that it’s officially in public print, hopefully this saves you from your present main squeeze’s parents not dragging her out of the theatre and forbidding her from seeing you when they attend next Saturday’s performance.)

The plot? A couple of twenty-four year olds have hit the one-and-a-half year point in their marriage. She (Angela) is an artist, who is on a sabbatical from creating. He is an engineering graduate who is working as a janitor because she wants to live in Cleveland, near her parents, and he can’t find a job in his field on the north coast. She is bored and manipulates her somewhat naive husband (Jonathon) to do her beckoning. She may be named Angela, but she is no angel! Her list? Kill her parents, get a million dollars, and buy the penthouse condo in their building. To go any further with the plot would blow the whole premise. It’s enough to say there are enough twists and turns to make the surprise ending a head shaker and allow you to leave with a smile on your face!

Director Rebecca Cole has paced the play well. She is aided by a cast that understands the plot and their characters. (Having the playwright on-hand to work with during the production and explain his concepts obviously turned out to be a great aid in the staging process.)

Nate Bigger, a blond with the look of total innocence and a voice to match, is wonderful as Jonathon. He gets totally wrapped in the role and takes us right along. Though Stephanie Ford’s Angela could have sounded a little more vocally manipulative, she is quite believable as the spoiled little rich girl who gets everything she wants (or, so it seems). Dash Combs is both properly delightful and menacing as Jonathon’s buddy, Greg. Steven Hoffman and Kat Gallagher do well as Angela’s parents, but are much better as the detectives. (Hmm....and why are there detectives? I’m not going to tell!)

Capsule judgement: It’s been a while since I’ve had such a good time at a theatre production. The twists, turns and “oh my goodness moments” in ‘MALICIOUS BUNNY’ keep the audience laughing and thinking of what’s going to happen next. Bravo!