Based on the quality of the performance on Saturday, Oct. 6, BGSU Theatre and the cast and crew for The “Last Days of Ballyhoo” certainly deserve congratulations on a job well done. Alfred Uhry’s script alone deserves some of the credit.
Having received multiple accolades including the 1997 Tony Award for Best Play, “Ballyhoo” has the odds stacked in its favor already. The theater company takes full advantage of this strength by constructing a rich, touching performance.
The play’s greatest strength was the dead-on casting job. Particularly effective were the ways in which the elder characters Adolph (Geoff Stephenson), Boo (Christine Williams) and crowd-favorite Reba (Courtney Altenburg) related to the budding romances of the younger characters. Magdayln Donnelly and Seth Trim create sparks of romance through their portrayals of Sunny and Joe. Their first collective scene, a meeting in a train compartment, was particularly effective as the actors balanced nervous energy and attraction to start a chemistry that lasted throughout. The simplicity of the scene’s staging nicely contrasted the elaborate living room set while especially highlighting Donnelly’s emotive facial expressions.
The play offers numerous opportunities to chuckle as well as a few full-fledged belly laughs. Reba shines in the first act as the foil to Boo’s controlling wrath. As the storyline progresses, the humor is still present, yet a deeper, more serious meaning becomes clear. As it set in 1939 Georgia, I had anticipated a focus on the minority experience of Southern Jewish life. While this is addressed, more direct focus is given to the tribulations occurring within the Jewish community. This raised issues I had not considered before and appreciated the sincerity in which Ballyhoo is presented.
My only real complaint would be the surprising lack of turnout for the show. Hopefully, the campus community was planning on seeing this weekend’s set of performances. Do yourself a favor and go to the Eva Marie Saint Theatre. Remaining shows will run at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday with the Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Ticket information is available by calling the ticket office at 372-2719. Grade: A
