The Perfect Party

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Wouldn’t it be magnificent to host the perfect party? Wouldn’t it be grand if every party attended turned out to be the perfect one? Always surrounded by the perfect delectable food? Surrounded by intelligent social conscious creative people? Then again the perfect party may be an illusive ideal always just out of reach just because creative people and some not so creative people, will all have a different idea what the perfect party should be.

Pam Clifton, Amy Rome, David Russell and Trina Magness star in The Perfect Party.

Tony believes he knows exactly what ingredients go into creating the perfect party. With the brilliant mind of A. R. Gurney in his hilarious farce The Perfect Party, The Playwright Theatre in co-production with Spark Theatre Works and John M. Fox, Executive Producer, Tony has opportunity to delve headfirst in creating the perfect party, directed by Brenda Cook.

Verl Hite brings Tony to life, a middle aged professor of American History groomed in tuxedo, groomed in polite manners, groomed in a static WASP culture in undercover intellectual hilarity. Tony doesn’t necessarily mean to be funny, although prides himself on a sharp cutting tongue with a vast knowledge of American history, politics, culture, literature, and the history of his den.

Obsessed over producing the perfect party, Tony resigns his post from the local university after trying to create the perfect classroom, which doesn’t work. He doesn’t have complete control. Creating the perfect party allows him complete control over every aspect: the guest list including everyone he has ever known across culture, economics, social status, ethnicity, and religious fervor. Accompanied by a menu of delectable foods, he is so positive he can obtain his goal of perfection he invites a New York Times critic, Lois, to review his party. Once he obtains an over-the-top review, he intends to become a party planner of perfect parties.

Trina Magness takes Lois for a New York joy ride with brittle New York clipped words, over emphasized sentence structure, and capped with a high society superiority indicating her standards couldn’t possibly be reached by anyone, including herself. Magness embodies Lois in a tightly wound spring with razor blades perched in her mouth. If Tony actually pulls off the perfect party, she can write the perfect review. “There has to be standards in this world, and I want to set them.” Playing Lois straight, Magness allows Lois to be ridiculously hysterical up against Tony’s arrogant barbs.

Metaphors leak through the fast-paced dialogue through Tony’s “WASPy” control freak atmospheric attitude on every level of society and culture. It’s funny just where it stands in the scholastic den that was once a family room. The play is funnier still as one ponders the hidden and not so hidden references.

In a robe and hair in rollers, in walks hardly-impressed-with-a-perfect-party Sally, Tony‘s never-care-about-impressing-anyone-much-less-a-New York-critic wife. Played with controlled comedic languishing, Pam Clifton wraps herself in Sally’s frustrated-but-tolerant-atmosphere. Sensing an immediate connection woman to woman with Lois, Sally contrives an excuse to get Tony out of the room for a heart-to-heart revealing Tony’s secret guest list.

Close friends of Tony and Lois, a Jewish couple, dressed obnoxiously casual, Wes and Wilma (David Russell and Amy Rome) drop by with excuses as to why they cannot attend the party. Wes recognizes Lois from Kindergarten. They decide to stay wanting to be the life of the party, and will come if they don’t have to be perfect all of the time. Hyper to control everything, Tony requests they hold back on their ethnic comments, don’t talk about Israel, and don’t talk about children. Enough to make Lois want to walk.

Taking everything into consideration, Lois smells danger with the perfect party plan. The perfection lacks danger deciding she had better leave. Without missing a trick, Tony explains he could invite his twin brother, Todd known as Toad, who was dropped on his head as a baby, walks with a limp, and is endowed with a considerably large penis. Lois’ attentive interest takes an immediate turn around. Her eyes light up and her stomach says tilt. She’ll stay.

Sexual tension already fires stingrays across the room between Lois and Tony, but when Todd and Lois meet, fireworks ignite.

Eventually, the inevitable happens. Todd comes face to face with Sally who knows nothing about Tony’s twin brother.

Hite’s dual performance is worth the price of the ticket, if it weren’t also for Magness, Clifton, Russell, Rome, and Robby Right as the Talk Show Host.

Gurney seems as interested in shooting out jabs toward party critics as he does toward theatre critics. In a farce, the immediate situation can always be moved outward toward larger perspectives. Either way, the lines are hysterical, the characters delicious, and this play is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Even a week after its official opening, a few lines tumbled against each other. The lines come fast and furious while the cast maintains the snow balling momentum. If one laughs too long over one quip, three others will be missed. These actors are pros and it is highly possible some of the tumbled lines could actually be choreographed into the scenario.

The set designed by Jen Orf reflects exactly what one would expect this control freak “WASPy” perfection obsessed gentleman of notoriety to insist upon with a place for everything and everything in its place. Bonnie MacLachlan designed the costumes with a perceptive eye toward each character. Karolyn Star Pytel matched the intent of the lighting to dance with Brian Freeland’s Sound design in tune with the zany concoctions zapping upside down and sideways between, over, and above the electrified characters.

When all is said and done and the flat dull perfect party falls to its knees because the middle class couples bicker, the younger guests are upstairs smoking dope, and the older guests accuse each other of having Alzheimers, a renewed plan turns the party into a party with loud life.

As the party rocks on, Sally is left with one universal question for Tony. “Where is Thy brother?” leaving Tony to wonder if she will leave him. A touching moment ends the play, a lame ending for two acts of a war of words, conflicted ideas, disillusion and illusion. One gets tender when one looks for and wants a tight blackout with a sharp Gurney jab aimed straight to the brain.

For several honest laughs, for comedic pros at their finest, for provocative metaphoric thought forms are three excellent reasons to not miss this show. The main reason, however, it’s a party and you’re invited.