Metropolitan Playhouse
presents

ROLLO’S WILD OAT

Written by Clare Beecher Kummer
Directed by Michael Hardart
Stage Manager: William Vann Carlton
Set Design by Alex Roe
Costume Design by Sidney Fortner
Lighting Design by Christopher Weston

Featuring: Joe Joyce, Alexis Hyatt, Kevin Sebastian, Mac Brydon, Erica Knight, Gary Lizardo, Page Clements, David Licht, Timothy C. Goodwin, Wendy Merritt

Press Representative: Metropolitan Playhouse Press

Metropolitan Playhouse
220 East 4th Street
Through December 20, 2014
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/891660; 800.818.3006

Rollo has a wild oat and has the means to pursue it. Endowed by his grandfather’s support, he decides to not only pursue his lifelong dream of playing Hamlet, but to also produce and direct it on Broadway. All this against his grandfather's expectations of having Rollo follow in his footsteps in the family’s air brakes business.

Rollo’s curious and bored younger sister, Lydia, makes a surprise visit to Rollo at his studio, staffed by the family butler. His prospective theater manager arrives bringing along Goldie to play the part of Ophelia, and Rollo falls for her. Lydia and a few more questionable Shakespearian actors gain a part in the play. Neither Rollo nor Goldie are strong enough actors to do justice to Hamlet, and Rollo goes so far as to change the script to appease timid Goldie.

On opening night, Rollo’s grandfather sabotages his acting debut. Meanwhile, Lydia falls in love with George, a bad actor, and they all end up at grandfather’s house. Grandfather is a famous engineer, who was once in love with Goldie’s grandmother, a great actress in her time. In contrast, Rollo and Goldie have little of the spunk and prowess their grandparents possessed.

The butler, a serious Shakespearian actor, ends up taking over for Rollo mid-play, but is laughed at during the performance (to great reviews), and swears never to go back. Both Rollo and his butler give up the desire to be Hamlet. All ends well when Rollo and Lydia end up back under their grandfather’s wing, along with their new-found lovers.

Rollo and company could benefit from perhaps more experience or talent. The dissonance inherent in Kummer’s play is that this type of play requires good actors to act badly. Nevertheless, there are moments that make it all worthwhile.

- Gloria Talamas -