JACKSON TALENT HELPS RCP COMEDY SHINE (REVIEW)

Harold Dollefson (Jake Martin) and his neighbor/best friend Russ Westmore (Jackson's Joe Sherinski) plot how Harold can escape what they believe is his wife's plot to murder him in "Let Him Sleep 'till it's Time for His Funeral." Jackson USA Signal photo by Mark Evans

Mourning for various reasons are Millie Westmore (Camille Otteson), Edna Dollefson (Jackson's Lori Prewitt) and Elizabeth Dollefson (Jackson's Amanda Koeller) during the River City Players' "Let him Sleep 'till it's Time for his Funeral." Jackson USA Signal photo by Mark Evans

Southeast Missouri theater goers have a chance to attend a lively dinner theater production on the riverfront--with a definite Jackson flavor.

The River City Players are presenting Peg Kehret's "Let him sleep 'till it's time for his funeral," a two-act comedy, at the Cape Girardeau Yacht Club. The production, which opened Friday, continues with a Sunday afternoon matinee and evening performances February 19 and 20.

Director Ann Swanson and Assistant Director Marty Koeller are from Jackson, as are three of the six main performers.

The performance, viewed by the reviewer at Tuesday night's dress rehearsal, seems full of energy and imagination. Kehret's script is cleverly-written. The plot takes many turns, with characters continually laboring under false assumptions and leaping to wrong conclusions.

The play begins in the home of middle-aged couple Harold and Edna Dollefson. Harold (played by Ste. Genevieve resident Jake Martin) is nearing his 50th birthday and fears that life is rapidly passing him by. Despite Edna (played by Jackson resident Lori Prewitt)'s best attempts, he continues to lull in depression.

Edna, in classic Lucille Ball fashion, comes up with a hair-brained scheme to snap Harold out of his self-pity. Instead of a 50th birthday party, she will stage a fake funeral--complete with newspaper obituary, a coffin and (until her best friend Millie Westmore intervenes) a church service. Edna and Millie (Camille Otteson of Carbendale) go about planning the secret funeral, convincing Harold and his best friend (Millie's husband) Russ (played by Jackson's Joe Sherinski) to take that long-desired weekend fishing trip. Of course it has to be the weekend of June 25, when the funeral is being planned.

Meanwhile the Dollefson's 15-year-old daughter Elizabeth (played by Jackson's Amanda Koeller) is busy entering myriad slogan-writing contests, including one for a shampoo jingle, which goes "Suds your hair before you date; you'll make your boyfriend salivate."

The two housewives begin plotting in earnest, including making plans to fly Harold's tightwad younger brother Roy in from Oklahoma for the funeral. Naturally--as in any screwball comedy--things quickly begin to unravel.

Harold and Russ find Edna's funeral plans and become convinced she intends to hire a killer to knock Harold off during the fishing trip, to collect his life insurance money. When he finds Roy's airline ticket in the mail, he jumps to the additional conclusion that the two are having an affair and that Edna is ready to "trade me in for a newer model."

The two men do their own plotting. Harold will act like he is leaving for the fishing trip, but instead head to Mexico. "I'll just slip quietly away," he proclaims solemnly, giving a saddened Russ his fishing gear.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth overhears and becomes convinced Harold is dying of cancer or some other disease. With redoubled fervor, she enters the "Heart's Desire" contest, describing why she needs the $20,000 prize to send her dying father to the Mayo Clinic.

Meanwhile, Edna and Millie come across Harold's one-way ticket to Mexico. They convince themselves that the reason for his depression is not advancing age, but dissatisfaction with his marriage. The decide that he must be having an affair and planning to abandon the family.

Elizabeth and Edna then miscommunicate, Edna thinking Elizabeth knows all about her father's plans to run away with another woman and Elizabeth believing her mother knows about Harold's tragic illness.

Things come to a climax as Mr. Jansen (played by Cape Girardeau's Dale Pruett) arrives to present Elizabeth with the grand prize for the Heart's Desire contest.

The truth is finally unraveled and Elizabeth gets to see her original dream fulfilled--getting a scholarship to attend the all-male Tank University.

"Let him sleep" continues the fine Southeast Missouri community theater tradition. Although a few minor lapses and mistakes take place during dress rehearsal, the performance nevertheless is energetic and entertaining.

Pruett's limited stage time as the innocent (and soon dazed, due to a punch in the eye) Mr. Jansen is enjoyable. It is unfortunate Kehret didn't find a way to bring the character into the story earlier.

Koeller, facing the daunting task of taking the stage with an adult cast, handles herself well--especially when grieving over her apparently dying father.

Sherinski and Otteson are strong as the Westmores. Sherinski, known regionally as "Mr. Good Garden," seems especially at home on stage as the unassuming and loyal neighbor.

Martin turns in fine work as Harold Dollefson. He and Prewitt react well together, as does Martin with Sherinski. From depressed to stunned to indignant, Martin is strong throughout.

Prewitt, as the wacky, scheming Edna, certainly brings some of Lucille Ball's creativity and comic flair to the demanding role. "I know she gets some crazy ideas sometimes," Harold proclaims at one point, "but even Edna wouldn't put on a funeral unless she had a corpse."

Actually she would indeed and Prewitt is outstanding in capturing Edna's off-the-wall way of looking at things.

Although the Yacht Club is not a large theater, the set, designed by Charlie Kent, Marvin Swanson, Sherinski, Stacey Storey, Nancy Ross and Jeff Stevens, is convincing if not complex. Lighting, taken care of by Martin and Chuck Ross, is handled well. Swanson, Loeller and Stage Manager Emily Johnson have put together a tightly-run, entertaining comedy. With or without its strong Jackson influence, the performance is enjoyable.

Sunday's performance, at 2 p.m., is a desert buffet for $10. The Friday and Saturday night performances, at 7:30, include dinner for $18.50 per person. Reservations are required by calling the Port Cape Girardeau at 334-0954.