The Main Theatre
24266 Main St
Newhall, CA. 91321
Jan 14-23, 2022
Have you ever woke up first thing in the day wondering where – or who you are?
This is Claire’s (Renee Laramore) daily predicament. She wakes up happy every morning with no idea who she is or what she’s supposed to do.
Luckily her loving husband Richard (Bobby Williams) has got it all figured out. First thing each morning he hands her a bright red manual listing everything she needs to know: who she is, how to run the household appliances, even where her shoes are and the people she’s likely to run into.
Richard explains how she suffers from psychogenic amnesia. “You’re usually very lucid,” he says, “but once you sleep, it’s all gone.”
“That must be very annoying for you,” she says, and proceeds to tell the same joke she tells every day. Then, when Claire wonders aloud if her amnesia was brought on by trauma, Richard excuses himself for the shower.
And that’s when the guy in the ski mask pops up behind her bed.
This man Phillip (Marc Deagon) with the limp and lisp convinces Claire that she’s in danger and needs to come with him immediately. Phillip claims that everything that guy pretending to be her ‘husband’ is all lies. Reluctantly, Claire comes along, joined by the energetic and sarcastic Kenny (Richard LaChance) and they take off in… a police car? Of course, it isn’t long before they’re pulled over by another cop car.
The female officer (Donna Marie Sergi) who approaches doesn’t look or sell the role, and there may be a good reason. Sergi’s uniform hangs off her, and her attempt at swagger resembles more of a broken, sexy strut. And when she gets easily disarmed and abducted by the gang, we begin to get the idea that she may be in cahoots with the whole ‘plan’ that’s going down. Sergi has some particularly entertaining scenes, including one where she indulges in some of Kenny’s pot and begins Jonsing for Denny’s.
Laramore’s take on Claire exudes a natural charm necessary to the role, as we need to like her in order to go along on the journey. Laramore hooks us with a bright smile and charming lines like ‘so I’ve got amnesia, well that’s inconvenient!’ Yet when she arrives in her mother’s kitchen, we begin to see the light seeping through the cracks of her shortened memory.
Her mother Gertie (Rosemary Moffat) is another of the show’s highlights. Having suffered a stroke Gertie reverses her words, interspersing them into an almost unintelligible German gypsy babble. But we get the idea, and can’t help but feel sorry for whoever that was she tried to call on the phone.
It is here in her mother’s kitchen that Claire starts remembering the details of her life in greater detail. And as moments of truth begin to seep through her consciousness, a sock puppet named Binky appears in the kitchen window. The voice behind this foul-mouthed, Brando-esque character is Millet (Chris Passalacqua). He knows Phillip, and might be further in on the whole thing than he lets on right away.
There’s a scene in the family basement where Claire and Millet are playing with boxes of toys and trading stories when a little more truth rolls out. Played with sharp intensity at every turn by Passalacqua, Millet often exposes breaks in his character by speaking through Binky, who’s moments are some of the production’s most engaging.
There’s a lot of gas-lighting going on here, and audiences with a keen eye and a craving for adventure will find it rewarding. Claire leads us along on a fun journey of rediscovery, one that in the end has the strength to hit its audience in the head like a shovel.
FUDDY MEERS
Jan 14-23
The Main Theatre
24266 Main St
Newhall, CA. 91321
Reservations: 661-290-2255
ACROSS THE STREET: Newhall Press Room
Hungry before or after the show? Maybe craving a quick glass of wine?
Just a few quick steps across from the theatre you’ll find The Newhall Press Room. A comfortable and ambient little bistro, Laura and her staff offer a wide variety of local and global wines and an ever-changing menu, including Build-it-Yourself charcuterie plates that are a perfect pre- or post-show meal.
There’s plenty of outdoor seating and NPR is open until 10 on Fri & Sat, Sun 7pm. Oh, and did we mention 50% off glass wines through the run of the show?
NEWHALL PRESS ROOM
24257 Main St
Newhall, CA
661-212-2684
