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Kimberly Akimbo by 6th @ Penn Theatre  Everything is all twisted and akimbo in Kimberly Levaco’s
dysfunctional family. Her dad named Buddy is an alcoholic who has a peculiar
affinity for pop-o-matic games like Trouble. Her pregnant, gaggingly
selfish, and extremely moody mother Pattie can’t stop the torrent of
profanities issuing from her mouth (even when each swear word starts costing
her a nickel!). And her Aunt Debra is a homeless, ex-con lesbian who can’t wait
to get started on her next crime. Toss in a bizarre family secret that forced
them to suddenly up and move to another city, and you’ve got one peculiar family.
And then there’s Kimberly – the most well-adjusted one of the lot who only appears to be the odd one. Due to a rare disease, Kimberly ages at 4 ˝ times the normal rate, making this high school girl look sixty when she is really just celebrating her sixteenth birthday. Sadly, sixteen is the average life expectancy for people with this illness. David Lindsay-Abaire’s clever and beautifully scripted comedy takes us on an intriguing tour through the pros and cons of family life, the importance of friendship and love, and the preciousness of making each moment count. The story is filled with laughter, poignancy, quirky and entertaining characters, and a storyline with nary a dull moment. And it is getting a must-see performance at 6th @ Penn Theatre directed by the talented Delicia Turner Sonnenberg who has put together a remarkable ensemble that melds together and feeds off each other like few you will see. Heading that cast as the aging and awkward teenager Kimberly is San Diego great Linda Castro. Linda nicely captures the teenager trapped inside the body of a sixty-year-old woman, from being embarrassed by her parents to her nervous initial forays into romance, providing the heart and soul of her family and of the play. That romance takes place with her geeky, highly-talkative, anagram-loving, friend-turned-boyfriend Jeff played marvelously and hysterically by the gifted Jason Connors. Jo Anne Glover delivers a masterful performance as she discovers all kinds of nuances to Pattie, Kimberly’s selfish and potty-mouth mother who can also be fun, funny, occasionally nurturing, and who sometimes even glimpses and regrets the person she has become. Matt Scott does fine work as Kimberly’s often drunk father who often tries to be a good father, but keep stumbling over his own weaknesses and shortcomings. And Liv Kellgren is a firecracker as con-artist Aunt Debra whose aggressive personality intimidates and amuses throughout. You know she’s up to no good when she drags a large public mailbox through the family home into her room. Creative Set Designer Jerry M. Sonnenberg made one of the most elaborate sets ever squeezed into the intimate 6th @ Penn Theatre with two humongous, double-sided walls that revolve to display the the family home including kitchen and a bedroom, or hide one or the other from view during scenes outside the home. The wallpaper of the home is a noisy, 70-ish looking design that Aunt Debra says looks like they are living inside of a thermos. With a great story from beginning to end, and a group of actors that bring it to life with such skill and insight, 6th @ Penn Theatre is kicking off their new year with a terrific start. Other upcoming shows include The Kiss of the Spider Woman, Harold Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes, Oedipus at Colunus, Shirley Valentine, and four new plays by local playwrights.Production runs through February 22, 2004.
~ Cast ~
Kimberly Levaco: Linda Castro Buddy Levaco: Matt Scott Jeff McCrackin: Jason Connors Pattie Levaco: Jo Anne Glover Debra Watts: Liv Kellgren Director: Delicia Turner Sonnenberg Asst. Director: Jennifer Eve Kraus Stage Manager Rehearsal: Barbara Lekes Stage Manager Production: Cornell Ellison Set Design: Jerry Sonnenberg Lighting Design: Karin Filijan Costume Design: Jennifer Bran Gittings |