Playwright David Ives lives in a wacky world. A world where monkeys create classic literature. A world where men can be anything from great artists to office equipment. A world where the customer is always wrong. A world where language is tricky, to say the least. But for as wacky as this world can be, it is also very real and very human. In short, Ives lives in the same world we do — he just sees it from a slightly different point of view. He sees past life’s frustrations to the innate silliness of it all. So if you have a thing for typewriters or you could just use a good laugh, you’re in luck. This time, the customer is bound to leave happy as The Northeast Theatre presents “Time. Timing. Timeless.,” two different collections of Ives’ short comedies, under the direction of Mary Ethel Schmidt.
As Ives may well be considered the master of the modern one-act comedy, Schmidt’s task of whittling down the many choices was certainly not an enviable one. So the director simply went with a practical approach.
“It just came down to the ones I really liked and the ones that were really doable for a cast of five,” Schmidt says.
Of the playwright’s short works, Schmidt chose 10 to become “Time. Timing. Timeless.” Show A consists of “Words, Words, Words,” “Variations on the Death of Trotsky,” “Degas, C’est Moi,” “A Singular Kind of Guy” and “Lives of the Saints.” Show B consists of “Time Flies,” “English Made Simple,” “Arabian Nights,” “The Philadelphia” and “The Green Hill.”
The one-acts all share the playwright’s trademark wit and slightly off-kilter view of the world, but they tell very different stories. In Show A’s collection, “Words, Words, Words” explores the classic question of whether monkeys left to their own devices at a typewriter would eventually produce “Hamlet.” “Variations on the Death of Trotsky” delves into the Russian revolutionary’s final moments. “Degas, C’est Moi” introduces a New York City resident who decides he’s going to be the famous French artist. “A Singular Kind of Guy” features a young man who discovers his true self. “Lives of the Saints” tells the story of two Polish women preparing a funeral breakfast.
Show B’s pieces are similarly silly. “Time Flies” is a hilarious look at the short love life of two mayflies. In “English Made Simple,” small talk at a party turns into a lesson in grammar. A tourist unexpectedly finds love in a souvenir shop in “Arabian Nights.” Did you ever have one of those days when absolutely nothing goes right? That’s “The Philadelphia.” “The Green Hill” focuses on a midlife search for perfection.
While the one-acts are all full of laughs, they are also touching and full of heart.
“What I wasn’t prepared for was how deeply human they all are,” Schmidt says of the comedies. “The more I work on them, the more I appreciate David Ives’ humor and his affection for the theatre and his affection for the audience.”
All ten pieces will be performed by a cast of just five actors including Richard Grunn, James Langan, Conor McGuigan, Michaela Moore and Heather Stuart, who create a variety of characters from mayflies to monkeys. And while the material itself is a laugh-a-minute (at the very least), “Time. Timing. Timeless.” is definitely no walk in the park. Schmidt and her cast had just two and a half weeks of rehearsal to pull the whole thing together.
“I had to wrap my brain around ten separate events,” says Schmidt.
The actors are faced with developing multiple characters, specifying details and motivations and dealing with settings and costumes for 10 different shows.
“It is an enormous challenge for the actors,” Schmidt says. “It really is a bit mind-boggling in that regard.”
Though preparation and rehearsals for “Time. Timing. Timeless.” have been a challenge, the challenge has been its own reward.
“It’s kind of fun,” Schmidt says. “It’s kind of thrilling, too, exactly because of the almost impossible feeling of the challenge, that we’re all rising to it and doing it well.”
That’s rewarding, but not surprising to Schmidt, who gives her cast a great deal of credit.
“I have the A team,” she says proudly. “They really know their craft, and they really know how to go to work.”
Now that much of the work is complete, it’s time to share the fun of “Time. Timing. Timeless.” with the public.
“We have a very consistent record for really doing quality work,” Schmidt says of The Northeast Theatre. “We’ve sent our audiences home very, very happy. I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”
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go:
What: “Time. Timing. Timeless.”
When: Show A: Feb. 27, 29, Mar 2, 6, 8, 14, 16. Show B: Feb. 28, Mar 1, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15.
Wed./Thurs., 7 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 8 p.m.;
Sun., 3 p.m.
Where: Performance Space, Hotel Jermyn, 326 Spruce St., Scranton
Tickets: General $20, seniors (60 +) $15, students (25-) $6. Two-show tickets: general $30, seniors $20, students $10. Discounts on Pay-What-You-Can Wednesday and Cheap-as-a-Movie Thursday.
Info: 570.558.1515 or