Jam-packed with bachelorettes and one grizzly, old beastie, it was a tale as old as time, or more fittingly, the lyrics of the third stanza in that song, bitter sweet and strange, were words that summarized the bizarre thread that wove its way throughout this weekend’s Bit Player’s shows.
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| The Bit Players perform "Story Styles" |
In Friday’s first bit, “Story Styles”, each player took on a unique style in which to tell a collective story. Hosted by Vlad Tenenbaum, all of the Bit Players were subject to Vlad’s finger pointing in their direction. Frank Fusaro was given “Oprah”. Stephanie Conrad was under the guidance of the Obituary Section of the newspaper. Jim Foley went with Nobel laureate author, William Faulkner Neal Leaheey verbalized in the style of “I Dream of Jeanie” and Dylan Eberle composed in the style of a Soap Opera. As all of our players imparted their form in the “Adventures of Heather Rose and her Ballpoint Pen in Prison” we learned how Heather Rose pined for her long lost love, Quentin as she wrote to him from the confines of her cell. Quentin appeared before her… but was it really? Noooooo! It was her evil twin sister revealing herself from beneath a mask. We are all left with the burning question, will Heather Rose ever find love again with Quentin? Or like in Belle’s book, will she discover her Prince Charming in chapter three?
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| Neal, Jim, Dylan and Frank in "Irish Drinking Song" |
“Irish Drinking Song” inspired the drunks of the audience (especially those in Bubba’s Balcony, in back). With Neal, Jim, Dylan and Frank all adding their verse to the lyrics, watch (click the link here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J7VjI-rruQ&feature=plcp ) to see what befalls poor Shannon, the hairdresser, as she falls off the wagon and succumbs to her eating disorder. Quick, someone hide the baguettes!
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| Neal asks Steph and Jim for advice in "Bartender" |
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| Vlad sings to Steph and Jim about his problem in "Bartender" |
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| Dylan croons to his "Bartenders" Stephanie and Jim |
Finishing up the 1st set on Friday, The Bit Player’s performed their signature piece, “Bartender”. In this bit, Jim and Stephanie, from behind the bar, provided advice to their patrons to each of their dilemmas. Their patrons: Neal, was given the problem of a paper jam. Vlad was furnished with having perpetual daytime, Dylan was bestowed with his in-laws coming to town, and lastly Frank was assigned, not enough sexual positions.
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| Frank listens to advice from Stephanie in "Bartender" |
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| Maria is "Serenaded" by The Bit Players |
The second set brought beautiful bachelorette, Maria from the Ukraine to the stage to be “Serenaded” by the Bits. Maria an IT Project Manager, admitted to meeting her fiancé, Jake through Match.com while living in Brooklyn and he in Boston. Maria made some of the Bits a little nervous with her description of her beau, a sniper in the Marine Corps. But that wasn’t enough to put off the likes of Vlad who crooned of just “how glad….. that he was on stage with a fellow Russian, comrade”
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| Jim (with Bibba) in "Tap the Audience" |
As in all good Disney love stories, there must be a evil protagonist, ogre, or beast and on this night, this was no exception. Brian (Bubba) who was celebrating his 50th Birthday with his party-bus entourage at the back of the theater, was called to the stage to participate in “Tap The Audience” with Frank and Jim. In this bit about anesthesiologists, when Bubba supplied “smokin a stogie” to Jim as dialog for the scene, the rowdy bunch in the balcony cheered, knowing this was typical Bubba style.
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| Stpehanie sings "The Blues" |
Friday night’s performance concluded with a Blues Song entitled, “Being Pulled Over Blues”. Each of the players added their own bluesy-ness to the song. Stephanie turned the tables, being the only female, she sang about using what her Mama gave her and got out of her ticket by lifting up her shirt. Jim was done dating female cops because his lady friend kept reminding him about just “how fast he was going.” Neal gained favor with the balcony gang by lamenting how a cop would dare pull over the party bus. Vlad was still looking for another Russian woman named Natasha… (Since he couldn’t have the beautiful, Maria) Dylan spoke the truth about the worst kind of fuzz on Jamestown. And finally, Frank, being Frank had to show just how bright were his party-pants.
Joining Frank, Vlad, Dylan, and Jim on stage Saturday night were Clayon McFarlane and John Mulligan to add to the wackiness.
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| Dylan, Clayon and Frank in "Good Cop / Bad Cop" |
In “Good Cop / Bad Cop” Clayon played the perpetrator of a crime to which he needed to guess (confess) guided by our cops, Dylan and Frank. To Frank’s delight, the audience provided the suggestions that Clayon killed Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone of Full House) with a catheter, in the Oval Office. The audience was not only amused that Clayon not only did not know the name of the victim, but he could not say the word catheter… (calf- elater)
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| Dylan, Jim, Frank, and John perform "Irish Drinking Song" for Jess |
Bachelorette Jess, a college admissions counselor due to marry insurance adjuster, Dave was the topic of an “Irish Drinking Song” sung all about them. Amusingly, the song ended with Jess meeting up with an old flame, and it was Dave who beat him down.
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| John and Vlad in "Stunt Doubles" |
“Stunt Doubles” had the audience roaring with the antics of Vlad and John who performed all of the actions that Frank and Jim as actors did not want to perform. Watch this crazy scene as Nurse Frank deals with his patient, Mr. Jefferson (played by Jim) Click on the link -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXh5WoC-ZNc&feature=plcp
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| The Bit Players in "Doo Wop" |
Music and love continued on Saturday in a bit called “Doo Wop” about a Snuggie, where each player professed their love for the item. Jim loved his Snuggie so much that he would only take it off to go pee. Frank was angered by his wife for letting her sister borrow his Snuggie, because his sister-in-law never gives anything back. Ever the practical one, Dylan although missing his Snuggie, simply turned up the thermostat.
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| The Bit Players "Serenade" Grace |
In the second set, bachelorette Grace was “Serenaded” by the Bit Players. Grace an occupational therapist by trade was set to marry electronics engineer, Mike four years her junior. The couple met through Mike’s sister-in-law, Sarah. All of this was fodder for an improvised song made up by the players, all about them.
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| The Bit Players perform "Rock Song" |
Finishing off the night was “Rock Song” sung in honor of the last bachelorette, beauty of the night, Nicole, a nursing assistant and her fiancé Russ who worked in the hospital lab.
The Bit Players perform improv comedy every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00pm at the Firehouse Theatre, 4 Equality Park Place (off Broadway), Newport, RI 02840. Please call the box office for reservations and information about all of the shows 401-849-FIRE (3473) And it is always BYOB!
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