Eugene weekly., June 17, 2004, Page 38, Image 38

BY SHARLEEN NELSON
Review
Torrid Fling
After June 30:
Life is full of wonderful understanding.
How Can We Get Out,
and When?
T
Come, get informed and be prepared to take action.
Teach-in / Rally
When: Saturday, June 19, 2004, 12 noon
Where: Federal Building Plaza, 7th and Pearl St.
Speakers:
✒ Marion Malcolm, CALC, Emcee
✒ Ibrahim Gassama, Associate Professor of International Law at the U of O
✒ Susan Cundiff, Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
✒ Gordon Lafer, Associate Professor, Labor Education Research Center, U of O
The Teach-in/Rally is sponsored by Progressive Responses, a program of Community Alliance of
Lane County and endorsed by a number of additional local groups.
For more information contact Progressive Responses at CALC, 485-1755 or vanhoute@onlink.net
Full Bar
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Oak
(formerly
Field’s)
• 434-6553
he Lord Leebrick Theatre
Company’s 2003-04 season ends
on a high note with the smartly
written and fabulously funny farce, Wonder
of the World, from playwright David
Lindsay-Abaire. The play examines a prob-
lem shared by many — when we realize all
the things we meant to do but never got
around to doing.
The play opens on Cass, who discovers
a disturbing secret of her husband’s buried
in his sweater drawer. Cass is simultane-
ously packing her bags and weeping over
an old movie when husband Kip arrives
unexpectedly. He catches her packing and
tries to dissuade her from leaving. He has
even prepared for her a delicious aspic in
the shape of a fish. But Cass’s mind is made
up, and armed with her suitcase, the aspic,
and a notebook full of things to do that she
never did. She embarks on an incredible
odyssey of self-discovery.
Cass’ seatmate on the bus is a woman
named Lois, who is harboring a big, round,
suspicious-looking object. Feeling giddy
with her newfound freedom, Cass shares
with Lois her plans for a new life. Lois, as
it turns out, is headed to Niagara Falls for a
different reason — to end her own life.
Lois’s husband dumped her because of her
drinking problem, and the object is a barrel
she intends to use to propel herself over the
falls to her death.
Fortunately, having a sidekick is one of
the things Cass has always desired, so she
drags the boozing Lois along for the ride as
she endeavors to tick more items off of her
long list — from riding in a helicopter to
wearing a big wig to dressing in overalls, to
name but a few.
On a boat excursion, she meets Captain
Mike, a lonely widower, who fits nicely
into Cass’s “have a torrid fling” category.
Meanwhile, Kip has employed a bumbling
husband-and-wife investigator team to
locate his wayward wife.
Epiphanies and chaos erupt when every-
one winds up in Cass’s hotel room where a
dysfunctional therapist on parole conducts
group therapy via a mock “The Newlyweds
Game.” Will Cass take Kip back despite his
freaky fetish? Or, will she run off with
Captain Mike in a Winnebago? Can she
save Lois? Will she ever go parachuting?
Life is full of wonderful possibilities.
Director Stephen Rupsch has assembled
an extraordinary cast. A one-woman ball of
energy, Melanie Harmon is both dynamic
and endearing as the high-spirited Cass.
Likewise, Michael Scott is wholly convinc-
ing as her pathetic, whimpering, sweater-
wearing husband, Kip. Connie Hymer is a
riot as the ever-inebriated Lois. Sharon
Wetterling and Ken Hoff grab the laughs as
the dabbling P.I. duo Karla and Glen, and
Richard Leebrick is fantastic as Captain
Mike. Rounding out this delightful cast is
Jennifer Thomas, who lends herself to mul-
tiple roles as Barbara, a helicopter pilot, an
odd assortment of waitresses, and therapist
Janie.
Funny, poignant and over the top,
Wonder of the World is as entertaining as it
gets.
ew
The cast of
Wonder of the World.
V I S I T U S O N L I N E AT :
www.eugeneweekly.com
Treat yourself to something good.
We offer Thai cuisine made from scratch using fresh herbs.
Dine In, Take Out Available
541-342-6666 • 652 East Broadway • Eugene, OR
NEW SUMMER HOURS:
Hours: 11am-10pm M-Thu • 11am-10pm Fri. • 12-10pm Sat. • 12-9pm Sun.
30 JUNE 17, 2004