John Haldoupis, artistic director at Blackfriars Theatre,
recently introduced a showing of May God
Strike Me Dead… (If I’m Telling a Lie)! with: “We’re thrilled to have a
little-known performer — perhaps you’ve heard of her — Adele Fico.” The
audience twittered in knowing anticipation. Patrons who for years have enjoyed
Fico’s acting and comedy are now filling the theater to see her in her first
one-woman show.
May
God Strike Me Dead is about a wedding: Gina, to her mother and
grandmother’s delight, is finally getting married. Fico easily inhabits the
three backbone roles of grandmother Nonna; daughter Vita; and, in the last
scene, Gina. She also plays Mrs. O’Hare, who is Nonna’s next-door-neighbor and
grandmother to the groom, and Leon, grandfather to the best man. Other
characters — Inez, the drunk French chef, Sister Mary Beads ‘n’ Things —
are there and are very funny. But they don’t contribute to the story. They are
old favorites, invited to the party because they tell amusing stories.
The challenge with one-person shows is that there is only
one person. How does the actor move convincingly between characters? May God Strike Me Dead gets help from an
ingenious set. Blackfriars’ round, rotating stage is divided like a pie, and
each of the main characters gets its own “room.” So Nonna can have her kitchen
with sauce on the stove and half-made wedding favors on the kitchen table, and Mrs.
O’Hare can have a prim living room with a JFK portrait and a bottle of whiskey
hidden in the bookcase.
A video screen, suspended from the ceiling, is also meant to
help. The audience is distracted with pictures and pre-recorded skits while
Fico is changing offstage. But at times it is awkward, as when stock footage of
what looks like a New Orleans tourism video is used to introduce Leon. The time
between characters might have been better used if the sound designer and
Corinne Aquilina (who wrote and plays the music) were just allowed to have a
little more fun.
Character transitions are also helped by Nic Minetor’s
subtle and good lighting and some wonderful costumes by Lana Momano. Every
detail, from Mrs. O’Hare’s falling slip to Leon’s polyester vest, was carefully
chosen.
But none of that is needed in the last scene. With the
transfer of a wig, a single line spoken like an incantation, and Fico’s adept
switch of physicality, Gina becomes her grandmother. It’s gorgeous acting —
and wraps the whole storyline together.
The show is billed as “a comedy with music.” Although Fico
is a great singer, the songs here (not of all the music, most of which is
scene-setting and appropriate) seem forced and out-of-character. It is not
comfortable to watch Leon have to sing a song with “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” in the
chorus. One exception: Inez’s song is crying funny.
Fico’s spicy humor — present in almost every line — is
worth the ticket. But this is what should get the woman some sort of award: We
leave Mrs. O’Hare dancing a jig for Ireland in her living room. When the lights
come back up, we have Leon, a New Orleans cabdriver, waddling in checked pants.
You might spend a minute or two wondering what makes the transformation so
complete: is it the wig, is it Fico’s putty-like face? But then you’ll just
forget it and enjoy.
May God Strike Me Dead… (If I’m Telling A Lie)! will run Friday
through Sunday, July 30 through Aug 1, at Blackfriars Theatre, 28 Lawn Street,
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. $22. 454-1260,
www.blackfriars.org
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2004.
