Prelude To A Kiss

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Miners Alley’s current production of Craig Lucas’ fairytale play Prelude To A Kiss fills the theatre with enchantment, intrigue, surrounded by a sense of awe and wonder.

Chris Bleau as Peter and Courtney Hays as Rita in the Miner’s Alley production of Prelude To A Kiss

Directed by Brenda Cook, the nine-member cast carries the audience into a land of fairytale imagination designed specifically for people who don’t believe in fairytale magic. It also works wonders for those who are believers.

Billed as a romantic comedy, the dynamics of the characters sneak in some rather profound and mind boggling truthful tones.

Buried within the context of the play’s confusion, Sally Clodfelter’s optimistic idealistic somewhat scatterbrained overly romantic character Mrs. Boyle in juxtaposition to her husband’s cynical approach to his newly acquired son in law, Peter, deliciously played by Chris Bleau, reverently defends her daughter, Rita with the careful insight that people are often more than what we think they are. Courtney Hays envelops herself with the romantic but hesitant to fly Rita who grabs Peter’s attention. On the surface, it appears the two have a great deal in common. Within a short period of time, the two fall madly in love.

Lying to her parents, they tell them they have been dating a year and want to get married, when in fact they have known each other only six weeks. Mr. Boyle staunchly played by Tony Cantanese, remains conservatively skeptical while Clodfelter’s Mrs. Boyle twitters with thrilled enchantment over her daughter’s newfound love.

In the beginning, lost and lonely, Peter scours the bars and nightclubs projecting discomfort from the artificial atmosphere prevalent in meat markets with everyone pretending to be someone they aren’t, hoping to attract someone who is real, only meeting up with others who are also pretending to be what they aren’t.

Peter tries to qualm his awkward nervousness interacting with his good friend Taylor wonderfully played by Joel Sutliff who appears to be much more at ease playing the bar game for the sake of playing the game than does Peter.

In the hide and seek pretentious game, Peter and Rita find a connection that, at first, neither one can believe. Convinced of its reality and truth for them, they approach her parents with wedding bells ringing in both ears.

Mrs. Boyle flies into joyeous exaggeration, which Clodfelter always plays with a masterful touch. Mr. Boyle agrees with reserved scrutiny.

At the wedding everyone twitters with wedding romantic enthusiasm. In the midst of a high hopes celebration, an Old Man sidles up to Rita giving her a congratulatory kiss. No one knows whom he is, creating a stir as he silently walks away.

Off to Jamaica for a romantic Honeymoon with Mr. Boyles generously offering everything be billed to his credit card, the lovers bubble themselves together with fairytale romanticism.

According to Peter, Rita immediately goes overboard charging an expensive bracelet, which she delectably flaunts. A shadow of confusion falls over Peter. This wasn’t the girl he fell in love with. Erratic behavior follows erratic behavior with mixed emotions flying off the handle at the slightest provocation leaving Peter in a sea of raw confusion.

Had they made a mistake? Was the girl he fell in love with a fantasy? Did he see what he wanted to see? Had Rita flipped out? Was there something wrong with her? Had he missed it from the beginning or was it something triggered by the wedding?

Upon return from Jamaica, Rita’s parents whisk her away from Peter refusing to let him see her until they can get her to calm down sending Peter into further depths of despaired torment.

Did the strange Old Man have anything to do with this? What did he do to her? Who is he?

Showing up in a bar, Peter pursues the Old Man’s identity. With humorous, empathetic versatility, Dell Domnick gives one of his finest performances ever as the mysterious Old Man. Even when Peter says to him “It is you,” it remains unclear who he is. Is this someone from Peter’s past? Is this someone out to destroy a marriage? Or is there something else at stake?

Peter’s willingness through mired confusion, depression, and frustration keeps him focused to discover the truth behind the erratic Rita. Bleau provides Peter with a detailed emotional profile.

Lucas’ brilliant writing deliberately leaves the audience in the dark as pieces of the puzzle slowly take on shape and form into a Fairyland universe of wondrous possibilities.

On what appears to be a drab plain platformed stage of muted colors, set designer Richard H. Pegg brilliantly captures the symbolism buried within the context of the play circling around “blue and white and gray.” On the back wall hang weird modernistic shapes of brilliant colors that seem funny, out of place maybe, until the scenario unfolds through its own unpredictable mysterious maze and the “A-ha” moment reveals its own truth. The funny shapes and bright colors in the midst of drab make gleeful sense, as does the rhyme and reason for the play.

Flavia Florezell plays two different characters giving each one their own distinct personality. She plays Dorothy as well as Leah, The Old Man’s disconcerted sister. Joseph Graves Jr. takes on three roles as Tom, Waiter and Minister providing three distinct personalities. Shawn Gillum competes the cast as Fred.

Karalyn Pytel designed the lighting picking up on the mystery, intrigue, confusion, and romanticism. Ann Piano’s costume design fits the character’s distinct personality requirements as well as fitting the actors’ own physicality.

Cook’s direction makes wise use of the stage connecting the characters with required superficiality and honest communication.

Prelude To A Kiss brings enchantment to the forefront, intrigue, mystery, scattered with profound mind tickling thoughts in bright colors and funny sizes and shapes that nevertheless deserve attention.

Fairytales allow recognition that relationships whether they’re awkward, uncomfortable, congenial, cohesive aren’t relegated to black and white predictable boxes or live only in a Disney Technicolor land of Oz. Mystery continues to wrap itself around the universal energy called life, leading continually into enchanting wonderment.

Miners Alley’s Prelude To A Kiss is definitely a high quality, no matter what; do-not-miss-show encircling a world needing all of the enchantment it can get.