Final performance unforgettable

The Little Theatre was rolling with laughter over the weekend with their production of "Noises Off."

"Noises Off" was a farcical play within a play, hanging on the fringes of no return despite the cast's best efforts to bring it back from utter ruin.

Though the play within the play called "Nothing On" was a disaster, "Noises Off" was a complete success.

Despite the play being in the Little Theatre, the set was no small display.

To meet the demands of the play, the crew built a large revolving set, which displayed on one side the set of "Nothing On," and on the other side the backstage.

Even with the large set, the actors used the stage wisely and incorporated every aspect of its design.

They ran, jumped, and even fell down the stairs, which garnered many gasps but was quickly followed by many laughs from the audience.

Chris Aranda played Garry Lejeune, who resembled a ‘debonair' inspector Clouseasu from the Pink Panther.

Aranda did an excellent job going from character to character, and earned every laugh he got, from his risky physical comedy.

His falls looked so real, that he probably woke up with a few bruises.

Even when he wasn't moving, the intensity of his character remained in his face, with his priceless facial expressions, which were even funnier with his pompous English looking mustache and bright zoot suit.

Valerie Bentson, who played the wacky housemaid Mrs. Clackett portrayed by her "Noises Off" character Dotty Otley, owned the stage with her parody of a frazzled and overly dramatic characters. Her mannerism and facial expressions are what made her characters so hilarious.

Especially when tied together Aranda's shoes and turning in triumph to the audience and Aranda fell down the stairs.

She kicked off the play by trying to figure out for the thousandth time whether or not to take the sardines off the table, or leave the sardines.

Finally getting it, after the director for "Nothing On" played by Kahlil Nelson yells at her to "take the sardines, and leave the phone receiver!"

Brooke Ashton, played by Tayler Larson was a favorite of the male audience, due to the fact that she was in her leopard print underwear and bra for the majority of the play.

Most could not do what she did, and her confidence showed through making her performance not only visually captivating, but also was a great showcase of her  assets as an actress.

Audiences said "yes my sweet," to Tess Jones, who played the overly sweet Belinda Blair, a gossiper who always addressed everyone with their name, followed by "my sweet." 

Even when "Nothing On" was in complete chaos she still tried to be overly joyous, and helped pull the cast together to end the play, with a little more edge in her tone, but still the comically chipper Belinda Blair.

The highly sensitive and spastic Poppy Norton-Taylor played by Chelsea Brynd gave a believable performance of a stage manager dealing with absurdly demanding director and an overshadowing cast.

Meanwhile, she is caught in a comical love triangle between the director and the salacious Brooke.

The time and effort put into the acting, set, direction, lights, and humor was apparent from the amazing performance and work of the cast and crew.

Hats off to director Laurie Woolery for a great production to the end of an unforgettable year of Little Theatre performances.