<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Steve Heiret plays the unwanted guest in the Phoenix Theatre’s production of Larry Shue’s comedy, “The Nerd.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Review: ’The Nerd’

• On stage: The Phoenix Theatre presents Larry Shue’s comedy about a guy who’s too nice for his own good and an unwanted guest, at the Firdale Village theater, 9673 Firdale Ave., Edmonds. • Performances: 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 10. • Tickets: $15-$20, available at 206-533-2000 or brownpapertickets.com.

CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

'Nerd' pushes comedy envelope with silliness

By Dale Burrows
For The Enterprise

Phoenix Theatre pushes funny to silly in this outrageous exploration of a dilemma everyone faces every so often.

The title is "The Nerd" by Larry Shue. It's a character-based comedy generating out of an unexpected home visit no host could say no to.

What would you do if the guy who saved your life materialized on your doorstep, uninvited, suitcase in hand? Never mind you're an architect entertaining your client and two best friends, you'd invite him in, right?

Wrong.

That is, if you value your happy home, your professional and social relationships and your sanity, which is the case if the visitor is "The Nerd."

The Phoenix's nerd is interpreted by a brilliant Steve Heiret. David Bailey makes it easy to suffer the agonies of putting up with the guest from hell who stays and stays with no sign of ever leaving. Read Bailey's reactions, and you re-live your own variation on the same experience.

Renee Gilbert's level-headed sensibility tones down the ridiculous extremes the production sometimes goes to. Gilbert's the girlfriend who cares.

The perfectly timed one liners coming from Lantz Wagner add sting. Wagner's the theater critic.

You've got to see Lisa Branham's way of dealing with frustration. Branham's the wife and mother whose husband and child drive crazy. When she vents, you crack up.

Edwin Scheibner's the hardheaded businessman who'd give anything to shut up a certain somebody, and Danny Hagen is the certain somebody. Together, Scheibner and Hagen make for a father-son combo that's hilarious.

Definitely, the supporting cast supports. But it's Heiret who makes you forget yourself.

Talk about goofy down pat, Heiret's got it. You laugh because moronic is funny. You hate yourself for laughing because he's goodhearted. On top of that, you can't help but notice he's driving everybody around him bonkers. Hats off to Heiret, he's on the ball being off the wall.

Here and there, Loren Reynolds directing allows goings-on to get a little too far out of hand in my opinion. Heiret's character can get away with anything. But reasonably functioning characters trying to outdo him is a little much.

Not everyone on opening night would agree. Many laughed when I didn't.



Reactions? Comments? E-mail Dale Burrows at entfeatures@heraldnet.com or grayghost7@comcast.net.