Well, Play On, presented by the Studio Theatre of Bath at the Chocolate Church, throws that certainty out the window.  The whole point of the play is that the actors don’t know their lines and this makes for quite an interesting juxtaposition of an audience’s expectations.

I spent the first act of the play, trying to figure out if the actors were just not very good or if they were good actors trying to pretend not to be good.  As it turned out, they were very good at pretending to be bad. It’s actually extremely difficult to remember to forget your lines.  These actors had to know their lines and then also know how to deliver their lines incorrectly.  Well, maybe correctly for being incorrect.

That is definitely not an easy task to pull off.  Similarly, it’s tougher to be a clown on skates than to merely skate well.  It’s difficult to look off balance while still keeping your balance.

Are you confused yet? Well, that’s part of the fun about Play On---it’s a little off  kilter and therefore always one step ahead of the audience.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  It’s like watching a movie where the mystery keeps you guessing until the end of the show.  It’s much more sporting when you don’t know where something is headed.

This play by Rick Abbot is a perfect length at an hour and forty-five minutes. It’s just enough for an audience to get involved, but not like a guest who has stayed too long.  The play itself is well directed by Thom Watson, not to be confused with Amanda McGuire who delightfully plays Gerry Dunbar, the director of the play within a play. Her patience is stretched to capacity by the interfering playwright, not to mention a reluctant cast.

The play within a play is called Murder Most Foul and it is the “child” of novice playwright Phyllis Montague (hilariously played by Beth Saufler). Montague shows her theatrical inexperience by seeing no problem in rewriting major parts of a play only four days before Opening night. Her delivery of lines displays impeccable timing as well as good physical comedy.  She personifies obnoxious.

Basically, the whole cast of non-professional actors makes one forget this is a community Production by volunteers. Everyone on stage and behind the scenes of this show has expended many hours and much effort because they believe in Community Theater and the Chocolate Church Arts Center.

Mimi Sorg as the Stage Manager and Amie Marzen as the Techie provide many laughs as they give the play-within-a-play’s Director a sarcastically hard time. Who wouldn’t like to do that to their boss?

This is a word-intensive script.  As I mentioned, not only do the actors have to remember the actual script of the play within a play, they have to remember how to also deliver the wrong words of the play within a play.

If you find this review confusing, I suggest that you relax and just enjoy the confusion. And even more so, I encourage you to go see the play and experience the confusion for yourself. It runs through 10/28.  It’s lots of fun. And it’s amusing to watch actors on stage creating chaos and pretending not to be enjoying themselves.  It’s like a Dr. Seuss story without the Dr. Seuss words and all of the Dr. Seuss fun. Got that?