`PURE AS DRIVEN SNOW' IS A SUMPTUOUS REPAST AT LOCAL DINNER THEATRE

The Broadway Community Theatre's spring dinner theatre is a sumptuous repast, indeed. The current production, "Pure As The Driven Snow or A Working Girl's Secret" is a feast of old time "mellow drammer," and it's unfortunate that so many of us will miss the opportunity to sit at the table for such a theatrical gourmet's delight. But the table will be set next spring, and we can enjoy the comedic cuisine then.

(Translation: no tickets are available at the door, simply because of the nature of dinner theatre. If you've ever prepared a meal for your family of four, and then six relatives arrived at meal-time ... you get the idea.)

The Community Theatre's contribution to Cape cuisine (theatrical, of course) has been a season of gastronomical grandeur. The appetizer was "How To Eat Like a Child" in October, followed by the meat and potatoes "Babes in Arms." The dessert is delicious.

Directors/Chefs Dave Kaempfer and Jill Sturm have whipped up a confectionary, taste-bud exploding comedy with pure heroines, dutiful dolls, and taste-tickling villains. "Snow" is a corny-copia of old-time theater fun. Over-acted? Of course! Under-played? Never! When you serve such a dinner you dinna scrimp on the schtick!

Autumn McSpadden's Purity Dean is nauseatingly sweet (as she must be), and her many "Merciful Heavens" resound with pathetically preposterous pathos. Leander Longfellow (played in a true "Dudley Doright" fashion by George Kraleman) both lights and dulls the dinner table with his alternating "pure heroics" and his wonderfully played "Duh!" understanding of the realities of the situation. And those are the "sweet treats." Now for "bitter herbs."

Nasty abounds when Jason Merkler takes stage as the convincingly conniving Mortimer Frothingham. Exuding evil at every entrance and exit, Merkler (who's really a heckuva nice guy) fills the stage with marvelous malevolence.

The culinary contributions of Cherie Worth (as Zanah), Art Wilhite (as Jonathan whose accent made some of his lines difficult to understand), Marta Green (as the sumptuously snobby Ethelinda Hewlitt), add to the spices of the main dish.

The magnificent menu continues with the tasty delights of Marla Daume (as Faith Hogue), Amber Hopkins (as Letty Barber), Gary Kraleman (as Jod Lunn), Brian Campbell (as E.Z. Pickens), and Jennifer Worth (as Imogene Pickens), and Janie Probst (as Nellie Morris last seen in Central High School's "Pirates" as Kate).

The wonderfully delinquent thunder and lightning (courtesy of Chris Mullins) garnishes a meal that is a tasty theatrical treat.

Kudos to: Director Kaempfer's set design; Autumn McSpadden's super-sweet Purity; and the cast's great grasp of the style.

The Broadway Community Theatre has completed its first full season of productions. Next year's "menu" will include a political play in the fall, a children's musical to warm the winter, and another culinary delight for the spring dinner theatre.

Season ending Kudos: to you, the Cape Theatre-goer. Cape can have quality Community Theatre because you give time, effort and (yes, of course) money to help the arts thrive. Thanks, Cape.