Theater Review: 'A Thurber Carnival'

For fans of James Thurber's work, Rooftop Productions' staging of "A Thurber Carnival" is a fun, if uneven, evening of theate. Given that Thurber was at his most popular during the 1930s and '40s, however, many of the references are dated and out of reach for a general audience.

Staging a series of sketches based on short stories is tricky, but effective use of props and set pieces eases that awkwardness a little. Created from simplistic white pieces with black accents, they are a delightful treat for the eye.

Watch especially "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" for some truly funny surgical in-struments.

Some of the pieces are timeless and travel well. "The Unicorn in the Garden" and "Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife" are two fine examples. The more dated sketches really stand out in contrast: "Take Her Up Tenderly" and "The Casuals of the Keys" are especially impenetrable.

Each story stands alone, and the only really clumsy moments are the opening and closing scenes in which the entire cast dance around stage, offering up punch lines.

Audience members of a certain age will make an immediate connection between these scenes and "Laugh In" because of the staging, but the comparison ends there.

Nowhere are the references more dated than in these bookend scenes.

No context exists for these one-liners: for the most part, the actors don't seem to be mid-story when they give the punch line to the audience. They dance up to the spotlight and say their line, then dance away to make room for the next group.

The shuffling of so many feet on a raised platform can also be teeth-grindingly annoying.

The costuming of the show is very clever, with the actors in black garments with accent pieces added. The opening scene is misleading, however; an elegant dinner party with not a finished hem to be found on the ladies' skirts.

Lighting can be an issue in Rooftop's space, but it's still a terrific place to sit and watch a show.

Some scenes start too close to the wings for the actors to be seen by the whole audience, but on the whole, sight lines are pretty clean.

This is a thorny type of production to get a grip on. The actors seem to come at it from two oppos-ing styles, and director Scott Bailey hasn't made them choose one. About half the cast is grounded in reality, such as Heather Plank, Amy Thompson (whose accents throughout the show are always spot on), Mark Yeager, and Ted Ballard.

With the exceptions of Deb Crawford (who presents a rather complex and surprisingly sympa-thetic Mrs. Mitty) and Scott Bailey (whose drunk shopper is hilarious) the other cast members tend toward the cartoonish: overdone facial expressions and a "Look! I'm being funny!" delivery.

There are proponents of both styles, but for my money, when the characters in absurdist comedy don't know they're absurd, they're much funnier. Some might say that's when they're really in the catbird seat.

Mary Jordan has been active in local theatre since 1992.

WANT TO GO?

» WHAT'S UP: Rooftop Productions showing of "A Thurber Carnival," a mon-tage of James Thurber's classic sketches.

» WHERE: Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, 9419 Battle St., Manassas

» WHERE: Nov. 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 8 p.m.

» TICKETS: Visit www.center-for-the-arts.org/rooftop or call 703-330-ARTS (2787); $15 for adults; $12 for students and seniors 65 and up.