Ushers Ferry delivers an interesting evening

by Matthew Falduto

Ushers Ferry - It's very important for a theatre to have a niche, particularly in a community like ours that is so rich in theatre. The newly expanded and renamed Ushers Ferry Theatre Company has chosen a very specific niche: historical theatre of the pre-television era. They have selected three very interesting short plays to open this new era of their theatre: Aria da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Overtones by Alice Gerstenberg, and Trifles by Susan Glaspell. All were well done with excellent committed acting.

To many audiences, Aria da Capo will seem, as director Jim Stewart noted in his pre-show remarks, a weird show. Stewart advised us to let it wash over us and not to try to figure out what was happening. The play opens with Pierott (Kent Guthrie dressed as Groucho Marx) and Columbine (Paula Grady with a frizzy blond wig) pitter-pattering back and forth about... well, nothing really. A few witty remarks from Columbine punctuated with a cigar and a lot of drama queen rants from Pierott and we're five minutes in and nothing makes much sense. However, both performers throw themselves into the whirlwind dialogue and if one lets it wash over you as Stewart suggested, you come out of it amused and curious as to what might happen next. And next is the character of Cothurnus (Ann Cejka) who is pretty much Death looking like she jumped out of a Neil Gaimen comic book. She ushers the clowns offstage and then we get a far more accessible story of two shepherds (Darrin Crow and Keith A. Kenel) and what happens when they build a wall, dividing the land and creating mistrust and jealousy, which leads to a hardly shocking and perfectly tragic end. Once again the actors are fine in their roles. As Stewart also noted, this is probably our one chance to see this show as its very rarely done. It's a clever, funny little show and we're fortunate to have a theatre willing to present it to us.

Overtones is a play that has been done a million times and will be done a million more because its beautiful simplicity. Two society women enjoy a cup of tea while their inner selves say what they're really thinking. It's a very funny show. All four actresses perform admirably, but the one who truly stands out is Kerry Kieler as Maggie, the inner self of Margaret (Jana Stedman). Kieler shows vulnerability and anger and despair using her entire body to convey these feelings.

Trifles is also a play that's been done many times and will be done many times more. By Iowa native Susan Glaspell, its offers a glimpse into the lives of farm women at the turn of the century. A heartbreaking play that never fails to get you in the gut, Trifles as staged by Ushers Ferry was excellent. The two women, played by Barb Arceneux and Susie Burns, created believable characters. Their reactions as they realize the fate of the woman at the center of the play are perfectly done.

If you have not seen Trifles or Overtones, these are excellent introductions to classic plays. And even if you have seen those two, chances are you've never experienced Aria da Capo, and that show alone should pull you off the couch and into the Ambroz Recreation Center.

Dangerous Women continues Friday, January 15 and Saturday, January 16 at Ambroz Recreation Center in Cedar Rapids. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children age 14 and under. Call Ushers Ferry, (319) 286-5763, or go here for more information. Tickets at the door are subject to availability. Advance registration is advised. Register in person at the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department's Ambroz Recreation Center, 2000 Mount Vernon Road SE; by phone at (319) 286-5731, or online.


Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.