La Mesa’s Lamplighters Theatre kicks off 80th season with hilarity with ‘Women in Jeopardy’

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I laughed from the beginning to the end.

Filled with believable hilarity, “Women in Jeopardy” was an exceptional beginning for La Mesa’s Lamplighters Community Theatre’s opening night of its historic 80th season. This new comedy (by Wendy MacLeod) was a breath of fresh air for the world of comedy on stage. That is when you could catch your breath.

I laughed from the beginning to the end.

Filled with believable hilarity, “Women in Jeopardy” was an exceptional beginning for La Mesa’s Lamplighters Community Theatre’s opening night of its historic 80th season. This new comedy (by Wendy MacLeod) was a breath of fresh air for the world of comedy on stage. That is when you could catch your breath.

Directed by Rob Conway and produced by Susan Stratton, they led the troupe of six actors in delivering a stellar performance in a play that tells a story of three divorcees worried that one of them just might be dating a serial killer. From beginning to end, this play was written for laughter and the casting of characters could not have been chosen any better. The story moved quickly as they all took this wonderfully written play to heart, executing comedic timing with precision. Their ability to utilize physical comedy without going into slapstick was impeccable. As well written as this play is, the troupe carried most of the story within facial expressions and body gestures that added a higher level of laughter that is only seasoned pros can deliver.

The cast. It is impossible to pull out a stand out performance in this play as the cast performed in harmony as a team, playing off of each other as a team, and at times having difficulty from laughing themselves. This made the play much more believable, even within the realm of scenarios that were outrageously unpredictable and waggish.

Mary, played by Raylene J. Wall, was the perfect lead in for the story and her meddling, paranoid yet endearingly naiveté charm was unstoppable from beginning to end. Add in her best friend Jo, played by Holly Stephenson, with jaded sarcasm and the girlfriend in love Liz, played by Michele Dixon who, well just didn’t have a clue and you have a trio of believable characters. As extreme as they were in character, each of their characters were convincing, as I believe most people can relate these characters to people in their own lives. Let’s face it. Most of us have family and friends that fit into these unfettered molds. This was strength in the play that made it both incredibly charming and relatable.

Liz’s new boyfriend Jackson, played by Mark Solz, the dentist with a missing hygienist, was over the top, but Liz’s new found love in life could see nothing wrong with his behavior. Also playing his doppelganger Sargent Kirk, the contrast between the two characters left you wondering who the serial killer really was. He did an excellent job at blending the two roles for questionable outcomes and his crude behavior, as Jackson was a stark contrast against Sargent Kirk. He seamlessly went from role to role, and pivoted the storytelling adding both humor and intrigue into the play.

Stars on the rise. This play would not be complete without the young lovers Amanda, played by Emily Candia and Trenner, played by Devin Wade. Amanda, in her first performance at Lamplighters, was convincing as Liz’s daughter stuck between the worlds of young love and doesn’t have a clue of what she wants, or what could really be going on between her mother and her new boyfriend. Obsessed with Trenner, and a recent breakup, she lit up the stage with her own sense of ditzy, much like her mother and she delivered as well as the more seasoned actors.

And Trenner, last but surely not least, was exceptional for a young artist, with this being his second play since his debut last summer. His confidence showed throughout the play and he didn’t miss a beat when it came to bringing out the best comedy and making the most of his gullible character. Both green in life and love and driven by hormones, his part in the play was key in pulling out a lot of laughter from the audience. I would see this play again just to watch his inexperienced in love character’s meltdown over understanding women. His delivery was simple, direct and lovable.

If these two young actors keep up their momentum, they have the possibilities of going a long way in the theater world. But it was the consistency in all of the actors in the wonderfully written comedy that makes it a show worth watching more than once. And I would not be surprised to see this play move up the ranks to much larger venues. It is well written, and with the right cast, such as in this case, can go a long way in my opinion.

Lamplighters had delivered extraordinary plays of many genres for 80 years now, and this is one to add to its own history, as I honestly don’t think it could have been performed any better. Great script and great actors lead to a great night of entertainment. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this play. It is difficult to get me to praise comedy as in most cases I find it too over the top and slapstick. But this performance has the perfect balance of what good comedy is all about and the cast that can pull it off.

“Women in Jeopardy” is playing through July 30. And Lamplighter’s has a great 80th season ahead. And I don’t believe they could have started the season off any better with this selection.

To see “Women in Jeopardy” visit www.LamplighersLaMesa.com. And don’t forget to look at it’s entire 80th season. It looks like a promising tour for season tickets.