Easy Living

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

It’s an easy drive, easy fun, easy laughter, and easy enjoyment to experience Christopher Willard’s adaptation of Preston Sturgis’ 1936 film, Easy Living, at the Backstage Theatre in Breckenridge.

It’s a silly play with over blown silly characters embraced by a stunning cast who has more fun than a bowl of monkeys. In that kind of atmosphere, there is no other way but to soak up the delicious, delightful aroma of a guaranteed fun-filled spirited production.

Directed by Billie McBride who not only knows how to draw out unlikely characters from actors surrounded by expertise, but also knows when to let go allowing them to flitter and flutter their own way into a flight of fantasy.

Easy Living concerns itself with a wealthy family in 1936 New York City. J. B. Ball comes to life through freed guidance of Richard “Ziggy” Eisner as the third richest Banker in the country. His wife Jenny adores spending money. Starlyn J. First not only plays Jenny with eager carefree abandon but three other haphazard characters as well, providing them all with equal due outlandish respect.

When Jenny purchases a $58.000 sable coat, J. B. nearly comes unglued at the seams. He thunders the coat must be returned. Not if Jenny has anything to do with it. Oh, the horror of having to admit her husband doesn’t want her to keep it. He, however, is going to stick to his guns, by gum. Through a not so playful tussle, but wonderfully choreographed, the coat gets thrown out the window of their penthouse abode.

Mary Smith, a poor unsuspecting working girl just happens to be in the right place at the right time when the coat lands on her head. Adorably played by Lauren Dennis, Mary bobbles in a sea of confusion. When she attempts to return the coat, J.B. tells her to keep it. No mention of course, how expensive the coat is, much less who he just happens to be. Since the coat damaged her hat, the Money Man buys her an expensive new one. Eyes flicker and mouths twitter. This unknown effervescent blond bombshell must be his mistress. Why else would he be seen with her?

The coat causes confused problems at her job at the Boys Constant Companion magazine with her hardnosed Manager, also played by First. First’s personality change from Jenny to the Manager is eyeballing. One would never guess they were the same actor. Mary ends up being unemployed. After all, she certainly didn’t buy that hat and coat on her salary, which obviously means this little sassy blond is up to no good. If she’s up to no good, she certainly can’t be allowed to tarnish the magazine ‘s reputation.

Meanwhile, J. B.’s son, Johnny, struggles to become his own person, a rather difficult expectation under the circumstances. In strong hilarious overkill Johnny wonderfully played by Cory Wendling, is determined to make it on his own.

Then there’s Louis Louis who owns the Hotel Ritz. J. B. rides the high horse threatening to foreclose on the hotel that can’t seem to live up to its name. Louis desperate, behind in the mortgage sees wild-eyed opportunity because of J.B. and Mary. Christopher Willard, with dashing eyes one minute, laughing eyes the next, and piercing calculating eyes the next, accompanied by a sneering twisted smile, turns Louis Louis into a happy scheming delicious calculator. Willard also carves himself into the roles of a Hindu and E. F. Hulgar, a Stockbroker who plays a key part in raveling and unraveling the uncorked story. Louis offers Mary a luxury suite at the Ritz.

Mary meets Johnny at the Automat where he has taken a job, and gets fired for giving Mary free food. Consequently, Mary invites him to stay with her until he can find another job. Now Louis has JB by the tail. The wealthy Banker either cuts him some slack or he will inform Jenny of J.B.’s fling with Mary. It matters little no fling exists.

Melanie Ball takes on six different characters with amazing speed and clarity. She’s Wendolyn Wallace, J. B. highly efficient secretary, Lillian, Miss Swerf, Woman at the Automat, Helen, and Woman at Hotel. Phil Kopp manhandles eight different characters with appropriate ease and grace as Newspaper Stand Owner 1 & 2, Bell Hop, Private Dick, Husband, Newspaper Seller, Hyde, and Capt. Jackson. What truly stands out with these multi-faceted actors, is the three dimensional attention given to each character. The character may be on stage for only one brief scene, but each one is treated with importance. They may be a “screwballed” caricature, but the vitality of life flows through their veins

Instead of a cast of eight characters, Easy Living flaunts a cast or 29 with smooth, calculating transition.

The plot turns upside down with every conversation developing reckless speed at every turn. Mary doesn’t know Johnny and J.B. are related. Mary and Johnny fall head over heels in love on their own terms. False conclusions, misrepresentations keep the plot jumping through hilarious hoops. The actors gleefully change characters and the silly little play rolls with big laughs and soft giggles. The cast has the time of their life providing their characters with broad strokes of hyper characterizations. Comedic timing is perfected with swirls of chemistry between characters and actors.

Robert Swartz’ set design worked perfectly in moving from street corners, to J.B.’s office, to the Boys Constant Companion office, to the lobby of the Ritz, to Mary’s swank suite. Set changes are swiftly made without any cumbersome awkwardness. Nicole Harrison’s costume design screams luscious easy living, and Willard’s sound and lighting design laughs right along with the delectable characters.

It’s a silly play that works because McBride and the actors grant it dignity and respect loving every moment of the script and loving every moment of their three dimensional characters. It would be all too easy to play them as one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. They don’t, and they’re the reason to see this production. The play Easy Living becomes an excuse for the characters to live, breathe exerting their frolicsome over indulged nonsense.

Easy Living

By Preston Sturgis; Adapted to the Stage by Christopher Willard; Directed by Billie McBride