— A review by Margie Doyle —

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It’s a puzzle, a tapestry and very much a hoot!

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opened to a capacity crowd at Orcas Center’s Black Box last night, rewarding the audience with quick-paced commentary on love and connections in a slick, enthralling production, directed by Robert Hall

In this age of texting, twittering and cellphones, eloquence, and even passion are prized qualities that “Dead Man” has in spades. Written in 2007, this play by Sarah Ruhl gives us quirky, exaggerated characters that come to life in lyrical and biting dialogue following the death of Gordon. Though he has passed away, his cell phone — his primary connector to those he loves (and sells — see the play) — continues to call to him.

The naive and helpful Jean, played by Jessica Diamond, picks up his phone and takes ownership of the connections he’s established or rejected in life. She says to the now-dead Gordon, played by Kelly Toombs, “How did you die so quietly? I’ll stay with you, Gordon.” As Jean comes to know Gordon through his family, she tries to address their pain by speaking for Gordon, often making up conversations that she wished Gordon had had with those closest to him.

Hall says the wildly absurd and provocative play, is really about human connections, though so many of us increasingly make those connections through mechanical devices. What follows is the journey of a woman through the stranger’s family — his wife, mother, brother, and mistress — to connect and to heal; ultimately to love.

Kelly Toombs is in top form as Gordon, who, though he dies in the very first scene, returns after intermission from the afterlife to deliver an eloquently narcissistic monologue with a conviction that makes the audience question what we as humans have relinquished in the name of success.

Jessica Diamond as Jean portrays innocence, enthusiasm and goodness as she faces the traps of life — death, love and family. She has a physical grace and complete understanding of her character, and she shines.

Luann Pamatian plays the shrewish, outrageous mother with sharp delivery and passionate vehemence. R. Travis King plays the less-begotten younger brother who falls in love with Jean with quiet confidence that fully connects his character with the audience, in contrast to his brother’s moral relativity and self-absorption. Michelle Cartier plays the “other woman” with a joyous rebellion that keeps the audience hanging on to her every, heavily-accented word and Susie Shipman plows through her character’s role, delivering some of the most squirm-worthy, difficult lines with the unself-conscious irony of the high-maintenance wife, now widow.

Shipman, it should be noted, stepped into this role with 10 days’ notice, after cast member Dove Dingman had to withdraw due to injury. Shipman herself marvels at her performance: afterwards she says, “I can’t stop talking like Hermia!” In the opening night performance, she — like all the cast members — never misses a beat, nor takes a false step. It’s hard to believe that, with the exception of Toombs and Pamatian, this is the first on-stage performance by the “Dead Man” cast.

 The brilliance of this production of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” must of course credit the inspiration and sweat-equity of Director Hall. He says in the notes, “From the [bond of the cast and director] comes a ripple that touches the audience and creates a relation there too, a friendship… I thank them for allowing me my mistakes, to laugh, to cry, to challenge me to grow.” In addition to direction, Hall designed the lights and retro-feel set that total brings the 10-year old play to contemporary audiences of all ages.
Costumes by Susie Shipman and and wigs! by Carol Whitbeck take the production over the top. And once again, as she did with “True West” in 2016, Tiffany Spring Loney choreographs the actors in dances so expressive and professional that it is difficult to believe the actors aren’t trained dancers. A gorgeous romantic pas-de-deux and a clever, cell-phone blind ensemble dance are but two of the moments of movement that narrate the playwright’s words with an added dimension.
On opening night “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” created a surreal, questioning and quirky feel to the questions of our time, that duplicates the stranger and stranger, curiouser and curiouser nature of what technology has wrought, and what it means to be human.

 

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” will run for five more performances, June 23-24 and Jun. 30-Jul. 1, 7:30 pm., also at 2 p.m on Sunday, July 2. Tickets for “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” are $17, $13 for students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased now at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office now open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12-3 pm. $5 subsidized tickets available at the Box Office.

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