Web posted
Friday, March 7, 2008
'Don't Drink the Water'
Cowley play filled with laughs and surprises
By ELIZABETH POTTER
Traveler Correspondent
Who would have thought getting tangled in the Iron Curtain could be so funny?
Cowley College's take on the Woody Allen comedy hit "Don't Drink the Water" was nothing less than a hilarious and edgy performance showcasing virtuoso acting and technical skills. While vacationing in an Eastern European communist country, a New Jersey family, the Hollanders, get mistaken for spies when Walter Hollander, played by Joe Lauer, takes photographs of a restricted and sensitive site. Seeking asylum in the United States embassy, the Hollanders find the ambassador is out and the "tricky" priest (Thomas Govert), a flamboyant French chef (Zach Winter) and the ambassador's utterly confused son (Nick Hammel) are in.
To change the routine, Cowley and Act One are sponsoring a dinner on Friday and Saturday nights at 6:30 in the Wright Room prior to the show. The menu is lemon chicken, wild rice pilaf and a variety of other concoctions served by the Act One students - not by the French chef, mind you.
"I was excited to see that Cowley chose to do a comedy instead of a serious play this spring," said Winfield sophomore Alex Skov. ". . . especially when I heard it was Woody Allen. It'll be an interesting and refreshing change of pace."
Woody Allen is best known for his film "Annie Hall" displaying his unique an quirky writing style; perfect for the stage. "It was definitely intriguing," said Matt Nelson. "Besides, I love pretty much anything Woody Allen does."
Thomas Govert, Ark City freshman, playing Father Dobner carefully cured a mishap in stage direction.
The lights lifted and techies - or technical assistants- were still onstage. Without missing a beat, Father Dobner explained, "Magic tricks don't work all the time!"
Govert described the "million thoughts speeding through his head," but he knew what he had to do, "I couldn't just leave them (the audience) hanging!"
Govert's performance was just as thoughtful and compelling as his cover-up- convincingly European sounding and affable enough to be the local priest.
Nick Hammel, sophomore at Cowley, played Axel Magee, the ambassador's hapless but lovable son. Hammel explained that opening night was unsettling due to the time crunch. "It felt like the five weeks actually culminated together somehow; it went almost perfectly. That's hard to do on an opening night!"
The cast and crew definitely conquered the difficult task. The set was fabulously, lavishly and realistically decorated, complete with a Ronald Reagan portrait over the diplomat's desk.
The light-hearted cast had their hearts in he production; from difficult lines to unusual accents. Although there were the occasional slips on lines and fourth-wall breaks, the cast had Broadway-style enthusiasm and brought everything to the table and came out winning. Filled with laugh out loud humor, quirky characters, witty quips and a compelling storyline, this comedy is a must-see for all ages.
Govert smiled and said, "Mishaps and all, we had a good time - the audience and the actors. . . and that's what it's all about."
For more information or tickets, call the Brown Center box office (620) 441-5570 from 11-2 Monday through Friday. Tickets are $8.
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