Somerset Valley Players discovers it’s ‘All in the Timing.’
By: Stuart Duncan
All in the Timing was originally a group of six one-act sketches, of varying lengths, written by David Ives, who lives in Bucks County. They were written between 1987 and 1993 and were published in 1994, almost immediately being treasured by community theater groups. Since then, the original six have been augmented and now number 14.
They are a somewhat eclectic group, without any particular order or way of going, having as a sort of central theme, the timing of language abilities and a slightly off-center way of looking at life. Theater groups are encouraged to select what they want, resist the rest and mix and match to their heart’s content. The Somerset Valley Players has done just that staging seven of the pieces, including five of the original six in their current offering.
The sketches range from "Words, Words, Words" in which three chimps in a large cage, fully equipped with a tire swing, carry out one scientist’s theory that if you put monkeys in front of typewriters, eventually one of them will write Hamlet to "Variations on the Death of Trotsky." In the latter, the famous Russian revolutionary learns from an encyclopedia that he is to die as a result of a peasant smashing an ax in his skull. Since it is indeed the day given as his death and since he does indeed have an axe buried in his skull, he and his wife must face the inevitable.
Ives’ writing is not always on target, and indeed is a bit bizarre. In "Sure Thing," for example, a simple tinkle of a bell allows the conversation to start over, hoping to fit the palaver to a suitable conclusion if given enough tries. Doug McLaughlin and Erica Flory have honed the timing to a brilliant sheen in this segment. Likewise one titled "The Universal Language," in which a shyster con man offers to teach a language that he claims will unite the people of the world. His first applicant, however, is so charming that he falls in love and is unable to carry off the ploy. John Dunphy and Debbie Glick play with the dialogue like so many pingpong balls and have you smiling the entire skit.
Credit SVP Director Matt Viola with insisting that all the material is played at a metronome pace and cast superbly. The evening finishes with "Foreplay" in which three different girls deal with the "spiel" of an amorous young man, each finding a clever way of turning the tables. Donna Lewin, Flory and Amy Karpowich play the damsels and Tim Kelsey, Dunphy and Mike Muller play the lecherous young men. The entire company makes the rather tricky material look easy and the evening dashes by. Playwright Ives has never produced the full comedy one has expected from him, but this will do nicely for the time being.
All in the Timing continues at Somerset Valley Playhouse, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough, through April 8. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Tickets cost $14, $12 seniors/students. For information, call (908) 369-7469. On the Web: www.svptheatre.org