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Smoke and Ice Follies
By Joseph N. Feinstein
In her directional notes for the play The Smoke and Ice Follies which opened at The Road Theatre Company on Friday, February 18, Caroline McWilliams writes, "On the cold hard surface, The Smoke and Ice Follies appears to be about the world of competitive ice skating and the pursuit of excellence at all costs. To my mind, it's about family and belonging and what happens when one wants to belong so much that he/she nearly sacrifices his/her own identity in order to be loved." So far, so good. Then she adds, "What made this play so intriguing to me is that the playwright explores the theme by having all his characters (but one) always say exactly what they want and what they feel." I take exception to that. Mark Eisman, the playwright, presents six very entertaining people who may be credited with making some very funny and sometimes rather intelligent remarks...everything in quite loud and exaggerated voices. The truth is that much of the hyperbole really works.
The stage is set to look like an ice skating rink. Off to the right and on a second level is a hotel room. And all of this is the clever creation of Desma Murphy. It captures our fullest attention, even as we enter the theater.
The story opens with the young brother/sister team of Scott (Zach Dulli) and Tenny (Stephanie Stearns) attempting to learn the necessary tricks to earn a 6.0 from the judges. The only problem is Tenny refuses to be thrown. Along comes Gloria (Heather Sher) who loves to be thrown, and the team of Scott and Gloria are born. Meanwhile, Tenny decides to work as a maid at a nearby hotel and, while cleaning, comes across Philmore (Shaun O'Hagan). In their introductory scene, she sees the need for giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and comes up with a mouth full of smoke in a most hilarious vignette.
That's all I'm about to tell you of the plot. You can add in Gloria's Jewish mother, Frances (Donne McRae) who worries about everything; the interplay of Tenny and Philmore and her development into "The Bridge", and the addition of one lovely skater, Melanie (Suzanne Friedline) to the Gloria/Scott mix. All these shenanigans and craziness make for a very enjoyable two-plus hours because of Mr. Eisman's clever dialogue and Ms. McWilliams fast-paced direction. David B. Marling, the sound designer, does a fine job of making the audience believe it is actually hearing the slash of the blades through the ice in the rink.
In her last sentence McWilliams writes, "Stating the naked truth, it turns out, is both preposterous and funny because it's so seldom done." This play should be seen, because, for one thing, it is fun!
The Smoke and Ice Follies performed at the Road Theatre Company, 5108 Lankershim Blvd.,
North Hollywood. Tel. (818) 761-8838. Closes Sunday, April 24.
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