I don’t think I’d ever met a family quite like this one.
There are twins — a brother and a sister, perhaps in their late 20s — and a younger brother, Anthony (San Lorenzo Valley High senior Shane Johnson), who has just reached adulthood. Their mother, Mrs. Pascal (Laura Greenfield), is a tragic figure who frequents the liquor cabinet and has secrets spilling from every direction.
The dark comedy is a story of Marty Pascal (University of California, Santa Cruz, student Alex Ponting), who takes his fiancée, Lesley (Ashley Sue Moore), home for Thanksgiving to meet his family.
Only, Marty’s is not the average family. His father is mysteriously gone, and Marty’s twin sister, Jackie-O (Maria Voylokov), mixes alcohol and medication to remain sane. As their story unwinds, a pervasive dread hangs over every new secret that is revealed until history repeats itself in a climactic showdown.
“The House of Yes” is the first show performed this year by Ben Lomond’s Mountain Community Theater. The 1990 play, written by Wendy MacLeod, is directed by MCT veteran Miguel Reyna, previously of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Twilight Zone.”
The five characters, combined with dramatic lighting on the convincing set, give the show a feeling somewhere between teetering on the brink of reality and pure insanity, with a twist of ridiculousness.
The plot-driven story hides in sight, just under the surface of the lively familial interactions of Jackie-O, Marty, Mrs. Pascal and Anthony. The banter between the actors and actresses is startling and hilarious, while the action becomes twisted.
And the actors carry the show. Greenfield delivers her oft-comedic barbs as Mrs. Pascal with a conviction driven by the truth serum known as alcohol, while Moore does a fine job in her confused attempt to comprehend exactly what’s going on. Lesley finds herself in a competition with Jackie-O, who balances craziness with a sharp tongue and manipulates the rest of the family, especially Marty, with a deft hand.
Ponting plays to perfection the role of a brother who is suddenly sucked back into a world he hoped to leave behind, and Johnson as Anthony plays the wild-card, who seems innocent but with a deep-seated resentment and conniving spirit.
Although the story is about a family, the show is not a family production. Somewhat sexual themes carry part of the show, and several words are used that are inappropriate for youngsters.
The themes are risqué, but the show is carried out in a provocative way that will surely spur passionate conversation about each character and each sometimes-shocking scene.
At a glance
• WHAT: “The House of Yes”
• WHEN: 8 p.m. April 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17; 2 p.m. April 11
• WHERE: Park Hall, 9370 Mill St., in Ben Lomond
• TICKETS: $17 adult, $15 student and senior
• INFO: 336-4777 or www.mctshows.org
• To comment on this review, e-mail editor Peter Burke at pe***@pr*********.com, call 438-2500 or post a comment at www.pressbanner.com.
