6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 4, 2016
'Nerd' features comedic chaos
and a heart-warming twist
BY SAM WRIGHT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
The Opal Center’s production of
“The Nerd” nails the comedic voice
of Larry Shue rather well. With only
two acts in the entire two-hour play,
the plot line is heavily weighted in its
layers. Among all of the funny slap-
stick scenes, there is an even deeper
plot that is revealed at the very end.
The play takes place in Terre
Haute, Indiana in the late 70s and
follows the life of an architect by the
name of Willum Cubbert, played by
Jeremy Schaefer. Schaefer’s char-
acter can be described as gentle and
reserved. The opening scene starts
with Willum being surprised by his
two friends Axel (Bob Cowell) and
Tansy (Mollie Peterson). Tansy and
Axel see the frustration and despair
with Willum’s current job designing a
hotel for a wealthy business man and
through sarcastic dialogue, it is di-
vulged that Willum is unable to make
more bold life choice to bring him out
of his sullen state. As the plot devel-
ops, the audience learns of Willum’s
Army pal from Viet Nam who saved
his life. Being unconscious during
battle, Willum never actually met
Rick Steadman (Gil T. Rodello) until
he unexpectedly shows up at his door
during the night of Willum’s birthday
celebration. Steadman ends up being
a goofy and insufferable guest who
overstays his welcome. His ridicu-
lous banter, brought on by the energy
of Rodello, strongly reinforces the
title of “The Nerd.” Willum, who is
too shy to be rude, now has to fi gure
out how to get rid of Rick, who has
already caused enough trouble with
his employer Warnock Waldgrave (T.
Sean Prescott).
Perhaps the most eye-catching
aspect of the play is the set design.
Shelly Dax and Wm. Campbell used
the limited stage-space of the Opal
Center effi ciently and artistically. The
wallpaper, doors, windows and décor
truly brought out a 1970s apartment
that refl ected the gentle personality of
Willum.
Within the cast, Rodello’s energy
surely stole the crowd with his abil-
ity to appear as the worst houseguest
imaginable. But it would be a crime
to ignore the very subtle nuances of
smaller characters. Susan Monahan
plays Clelia Waldgrave, the wife of
Warnock. Monahan’s ability to por-
tray a calm yet quietly manic wife
and mother was a small but charm-
ing addition to the dynamics of the
fi rst act. Even Cowell’s portrayal of a
cynical and sarcastic drama critic was
a potent ingredient of the comedy.
The play ends in a sweet twist, and
regardless if viewers can see it com-
ing or not, it brings the play full cir-
cle, addressing issues brought up in
the beginning of Act One, giving the
play a perfect sentimental ending.
photo by Shelly Dax
From left to right: Gil T. Rodello, Bob Cowell and Mollie Peterson help
bring the Larry Shue play to life at Cottage Grove's Opal Center.
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
CGHS drama, music to present
'Singin' in the Rain'
C
ottage Grove High School’s
music and drama departments
will present iconic American musical
“Singin’ in the Rain” on May 6, 7, 13
14 at 7:30 p.m. and May 15 at 2:30
p.m. in the CGHS Cafetorium.
The show stars Bradyn Debysingh
as Don Lockwood, Cyra Conforth as
Kathy Selden, Megan Schneider as
Cosmo Brown and Chloe Leczel as
Lina Lamont. Other cast members
include Taylor Hollowell, Madeleine
Sisson, Kathryn Pearson, Kristy
Rodrigues, Jaydene Swearingen,
Riley Quimby, Anthony Trujillo,
Keely Galbreath, Yuka Mori, Alayna
Pearson, Sarah Sisson, Kyle Car-
rillo-Enders, Alaura Hornor, Alberto
Lepe, Destiny Duerst, Samantha
Photo by Sarah Sisson
Fisher, Cayla Russell, Emily Mc-
From left to right, Cyra Conforth, Bradyn Debysingh,
Donald, Danny Lucking and Larah
Megan Schneider and Chloe Leczel star in “Singin’ in
Mueller. Cost for this production is
$5 for students and senior citizens the Rain.”
and $10 for adults.
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