Critic: Shari Barrett

All four actors completely immerse themselves in the roles, with each taking on realistic mannerisms and attitudes you will no doubt recognize in people you interact with in your own lives. No doubt the laughter generated throughout the play as truths are revealed will get you thinking about what you, your mate or closest friends might say if such a truth serum were consumed by all of you at the same time. But don't even consider it - just see VINO VERITAS at Theatre 40 and let these four talented actors create an unforgettable, comedic evening of truthful theatre for you!

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Along with the stories being presented, when you arrive at the check-in desk, you will be issued a program with a color-coded dot on the cover. This dot indicates in which group you are in, called by themed Story Guides who will lead you to the site of each on-site story, with each attendee seeing all of three but in different order. You are then directed to the frame for Wicked Lit 2017 which is performed at the central outdoor gathering spot where you meet at the beginning, during breaks between the stories, and at the end of the evening. This is also where the restrooms are located and snacks are available for purchase. Get your tickets soon as the performances sell out in advance every year!

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After seeing the play, it is easy to understand how his brilliant character study and snappy dialogue garnered the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Neil Simon, and won the 1991 Tony Award for Best Play. And yet, until now it was one of Simon’s plays I had never seen before. With the totally realistic and old-fashioned apartment set designed by Chris Winfield, lighting design by Addison Calvin, period-perfect costume design by Angela M. Eads, with hair and make-up design by Judi Lewin, director Larry Eisenberg is to be commended for keeping the play moving along at a totally natural pace and allowing Simon’s characters to shine brightly while dealing with some of the darkest times in their lives.

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I do hope the comedy's title will not keep away those who have been through such trying times, although I do fear that will be the case since watching a loved one deal with cancer is never a pleasant experience. I would encourage you to remember the emotional support you received from others going through the same experience and allow yourself to laugh at the shenanigans Karla and Don share as they learn to turn to each other to make an unbearable situation work out in their favor.

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Directed by Richard Israel at the fast pace so necessary to keep the action moving at the speed of "Pandemonium" so prevalent in teenage circles, the cast 9 features 6 young contestants, two adult hosts barely out of their own childhoods, a "Comfort Counselor" to escort those disqualified from the bee, and the show also features special guest spellers from the audience, making each performance unique. When you add in the adolescent-appropriate choreography by Daniel Smith (especially during the raucous "Pandemonium" full cast number) and the sharp musical direction by Sean Alexander Bart, magic happens!

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Kudos to Choreographer Victoria Miller, Musical Director Brian Murphy, Fight Choreography by Drew Fitzsimmons (yes, I noticed the foil toss), June Lissandrello whose costumes matched the original production as closely as possible, Producer Martha Hunter, and everyone else on the crew who added their talents to make the show a theatrical experience not to be missed. But most of all, my congrats to director Sherman Wayne for not only his set and lighting design skills to match the original off-Broadway production, but for casting such an excellent assortment of triple-threat actors to bring this musical's characters to the stage as its writers intended audiences to see them.

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Kudos to the actors who so realistically present the characters, especially in the aftermath of the horror-filled attack. And while the play may need a little refinement in its flow, I think those of us who work in the industry, as well as those who wish they did, will appreciate the often humorous look inside what goes on behind the scenes on Oscar night when things go in both the best and worst possible ways.

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This thought and discussion-provoking play will certainly resonant with anyone raised in a family where their parents’ religious beliefs and prejudices clashed with their own, with the younger generation usually taking a more liberal view on the mixing of religions and races when it comes to dating and marriage.

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Lee's play is written with a very distinct Australian voice, making it a bit difficult to understand certain phrases not familiar to American ears. But no worries as the humor, just like the lifestyle, is increasingly universal, and I guarantee you will be laughing at yourself and your own relationships as reflected in the two couples at the center of the comedy.

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I guarantee this play will have you talking afterwards about exactly what it is you saw, and I am not sure there is any one correct answer. I am just offering you my opinion and leave it up to your own imagination to enter the White Room and play along until the riddle of life is solved. And please let me know if you figure out what that purple rope is all about!

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