In Wedding, Priscilla Allen and Charlie Riendeau are human phonographs who narrate the story and supply a host of quirky characters with their voices, while the characters pantomime the actions described by the phonographs. Cocteau, a friend of Picasso, creates a world that feels like you’re lost in a Picasso painting. The illusion is aided by the swirling background of the Eiffel Tower that draws us into the surreality of the scene, along with the fact that many of the characters wear painted blocks for heads with Picasso-like faces, some of them being multi-sided so that they became two or more characters in one (like combining all four Bridesmaids (Sandra Little) and the Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law (Erin McKown)). These, along with a colorful ostrich, a body-painted bathing beauty, and dancing (not singing) telegrams, are just a few of the fantastic and creative creations of Nadja Lancelot and Sheila Rosen who earned a “Billie” award last year for their work when Vantage staged this same play at the Actors Alliance Festival. 

This surreal world is situated on the Eiffel Tower right after World War I, and concerns a professional Photographer (Jim Turner) whose “birdie” (the one that his customers are supposed to watch when he takes their picture) is a prancing and head-bobbing Ostrich (Jen Meyer) who has run away and gets chased by a mighty ostrich Hunter (Terence Burke). Meanwhile, the photographer ends up photographing a very odd wedding party, his camera going even more berserk in the process. Now, instead of something at least akin to “birdies” popping out, out jumps a dancing Bathing Beauty (Cristyn Chandler), an amusing but naughty little boy (Wendy Savage) who is the wedding couple’s future son and who massacres the entire wedding party with multi-colored cotton balls of wedding confetti, and a hungry Lion (Brennan Taylor) who, when not playfully attacking with the cotton confetti like a kitten, munches on a stubborn and ridiculous General (Rhys Green) who once had a profound encounter with a mirage, and so now believes that everything out of the ordinary is a mirage, and therefore isn’t afraid of the lion who, logically, must not really be there (at least, he’s not afraid until it is a little too late!). While the grisly feast takes place, the theme to Platoon plays in the background and the phonographs comfort us by suggesting that the General’s ironic doom would have amused him.

Using a singular sense of comedy, symbolism, and satire, Cocteau illustrates the often ridiculous and tragic nature of war, society, and our social conventions. Technology seems to be out of control (the freaked out camera) and yet controlling us (with the phonographs dictating and explaining the actions of the humans). With the charismatic ensemble who fully embrace Cocteau’s weirdness, and under the insightful direction of Robert Salerno, the show moves at a breathless pace leaving one always thinking, laughing, and feeling a bit confused – but definitely never bored.

After intermission, we find ourselves off the Eiffel Tower and in a gray room filled with warped furniture and windows. Within this room, a talkative, intimidating, and sleazy “Corpulent Gentleman” (Priscilla Allen with greased-back hair) is giving a mousy painter (Jim Turner) a difficult time as the painter tries to sell his painting. While on one hand describing his rise from lowly rags to vast riches, The Corpulent Gentleman keeps haggling the poor painter down in price until the painter is willing to pay just to have the painting taken off his hands.

The rest is thoroughly Ionesco in style with bizarre characters and plot twists performed by a fantastic ensemble led by the amazing Priscilla Allen. Those characters include old, one-armed Alice (Laura Bozanich), The Corpulent Gentleman’s “much” older sister and the bane of his existence, who keeps “accidentally” sexually harassing the uncomfortable painter as he tries to hang his painting on the wall. The sexy Jennifer Eve Kraus is the figure in the painting whom The Corpulent Gentleman later partly undresses and begins to carry out some of his artistic fantasies with. Rachael Van Wormer is the curious neighbor who is most impressed with a new art form she dubs “painting by shooting.” It looks lovely, but the price you pay is enormous!

Performs through March 28, 2004.

Rob Hopper
San Diego Playbill