Chuckle and chortle at ICCT's Don't Drink the Water

by Matthew Falduto

ICCT - Sometimes when you go to the theatre, you just want laugh and laugh. And then laugh some more. That’s what you’ll do if you attend Iowa City Community Theatre’s production of Woody Allen’s Don’t Drink the Water this weekend. A talented cast with excellent comedic timing has created a fun show.

Axel Magee (Reed Perkins) is the inept son of an American ambassador (Kim Qual) who is in charge of the American Embassy in “Vulgaria”, a country existing only in Woody Allen’s mind (and on stage at ICCT). The show takes place during the Cold War, with Communists as the nemeses. Axel is left in charge of the embassy, much to the chagrin of Mr. Kilroy (Brad Quinn), the ambassador’s excellent assistant. American tourists Walter and Susan Hollander (Rip Russell and Lois Crowley), along with their adult daughter, Susan (Elizabeth Litman), charge into the embassy to escape the clutches of the communists who believe they are spies. Axel is, of course, overwhelmed with these developments and things go from bad to worse, in spectacularly funny fashion.

Russell and Crowley are excellent as the married couple from New Jersey. They play off one another wonderfully, creating the twenty year marriage with just a glance and a slouch. Each has perfect comedic timing, maximizing the funny in every line. Some of Walter’s lines may sound misogynistic to our modern ears (the play was written in 1966), but Russell does a great job creating a sympathetic character, and we can put those comments in the proper context.

Perkins and Litman do a nice job creating their individual characters, though the chemistry between them seemed a little lacking. Mostly, it was hard to believe Susan would be interested in the bumbling Axel. When Axel does finally come up with the solution to the problem, the moment is a little underplayed, robbing the character of the redemption arc he was moving toward. Still, the two manage to add to the overall humor of the show.

The supporting actors offer satisfying performances. Special kudos to Duane Larson, as Father Drobney, the madcap priest. His character has been hiding in the embassy for years and narrates the show. Larson fully commits to the wackiness of the character. From facial expressions to physical comedy to grand gestures, he used every tool in his box and creates a memorable performance. Brad Quinn, as the long suffering assistant, understands the role of a supporting actor and smartly adds to every scene he's in. He also does a great job of covering when the props don’t function as they are supposed to. The wonderfully overbearing Chef, played by Tara Acton, commands attention from her first moment on stage.

All of these over the top performances worked so well together, which is a credit to director Krista Neumann. Also kudos to the set designers for an impressive set that has real depth and all of the details needed to really convey the inside of an American embassy.

Don't Drink the Water is a fun show which will have you chuckling and chortling. And maybe you'll throw out a couple of guffaws, too. Don't miss it!