Gentle family humor in Playhouse comedy

Tom Titus

Decisions, decisions. To accept a hefty promotion and relocate to

Seattle or decline and stay with your loving family -- two sets of

grandparents -- in New Jersey.

This is not the stuff of which great plays are made, but there’s

enough gentle humor in “Over the River and Through the Woods� to

warrant our attention in this latest production of the Huntington

Beach Playhouse.

Playwright Joe DiPietro, obviously of Italian extraction, spoons

out heaping servings of ethnic flavor in this warm and winsome

comedy. While there are no card-carrying Italians present in the

Huntington Beach cast (the leading man is definitely Irish), the

familial bonds are the important element here.

Director Gigi Fusco Meese, the only true Italian on board, has

fashioned a pleasantly effective production that leans heavily on the

importance of the family. However, when four of the six actors are of

the age to play grandparents, your show isn’t going to move like a

Marx Brothers comedy.

Yes, “Over the River� is a little deliberate in its pacing, with

more than a few pregnant pauses, but its actors are such engaging

individuals that audiences will tend to overlook the downshift in

tempo. These oldsters still can set up a funny scene and garner

significant laughs in the process.

In the center of this familial storm is Shaun Michael McNamara as

the young man on the way up -- or at least on the way west. McNamara

skillfully balances his character’s devotion to his grandparents and

his genuine need to further his ambitions in a winning and articulate

performance.

McNamara’s maternal grandparents (the husband and wife team of

Manny and Ruth Siegall) and those on the paternal side (Samuel Piper

and Gwen Wooldridge) are a quartet of merry conspirators, constant in

their quest to keep their grandson in Hoboken and away from Seattle.

Ruth Siegall is the most engaging of the quartet as the grandma

whose domain is the kitchen, and who mixes familial love with heaping

portions of pasta (“a little lasagna for the plane�). Manny Siegall

is all too recognizable as an old man whose driving days are over,

whether or not he chooses to admit it.

Piper is quite good as an old man with a gift of gab -- except

when it comes to his own terminal condition, which might keep his

grandson in New Jersey. Wooldridge is the sweet, saucy member of the

senior quartet, with an ever-present twinkle in her eye.

As a last resort, the old folks bring in a ringer, a cute young,

unattached friend (Jennifer Kudelka), to possibly win their

grandson’s heart and keep him grounded. Kudelka proves a spirited

young lady in her two brief scenes and adds some needed spice to the

show.

Set designer James W. Gruessing Jr. and set dresser Andrew Otero

(who also designed the costumes) have created a comfortable, homey

atmosphere with their living room interior, adding touches to suggest

it’s been around for a while. Lighting is nicely accomplished by

Kiana St. Laurent.

If ever a play was written for the enjoyment of senior citizens,

this is it. Whether by accident or design, last Saturday’s matinee

was filled with them. Youth must be served, and most often is, but

“Over the River and Through the Woods� is a banquet for the Social

Security set.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.