By Kerry Clawson
Beacon Journal arts writer
Full of slapstick melodrama, A Murder, a Mystery and a Marriage is a fun-loving, family-friendly production inaugurating Actors' Summit's beautiful new home at Greystone Hall in downtown Akron.
Put your boots on and get ready for a hoedown with this little musical, which features spirited bluegrass music from an onstage band as well as some square dancing.
The musical's tale is based on the 1876 short story of the same name by humorist Mark Twain. The piece, with book and lyrics by Aaron Posner and music by James Sugg, premiered in Delaware in 2005.
Actors' Summit's new theatrical house on Greystone Hall's sixth floor is set up in the same way as its previous home in Hudson, with audiences sitting on three sides of a slightly raised stage.
That means there's still not a bad seat in the house, but you get the benefit of the beautiful high ceilings and warm beams and woodwork built by the Masons for the former Masonic Temple.
The acoustics were very good opening night, without a speaker or microphone required. The onstage band, led by Evie Rosen-Morris on keyboards and featuring Ryan Anderson on bass and guitar and Scott Davis on banjo, was having as much fun as the seven actors, interacting with the story's action.
Mayor Don Plusquellic added to the festive occasion with a welcoming introduction opening night. Actors' Summit members celebrated both their gracious new home and the feel-good opening show. with the opening numberThe Story, custom fitted to thank the city, Knight Center and Akron Convention and Visitors Bureau for their partnership with the small professional theater.
The attractively rustic set was dominated by a fence of irregular wood slats, decorated with sunflowers and Indian corn.
In this story, pretty Mary and Hugh of Deer Lick, Mo., are in love. Her parents approve, but nasty Uncle John (Scott Davis), reveals that he'll leave her his fortune if she promises to never marry the poor Hugh.
John ends up dead and the ''mystery'' ensues. Will true love prevail or will Mary's love hang?
The show features clever staging by MaryJo Alexander, from a goofy hog farmer hanging off a trunk with a quilt over him as he sleeps, to his wife and daughter doing a little doo-wop chorus to his bluesy The Curse of John Gray.
Characters in this tall tale make big winks at themselves with all the self-referential dialogue: The villain announces that ''this simple homespun tale would bog down without me.''
The script has silly word play and some giddy jokes that make no sense, rendering them all the funnier. As hog farmer John Gray, Frank Jackman delivers the loopiest lines with great zest, including telling the audience, ''Oh, go suck your socks!''
A tall tale wouldn't be a tall tale without a villain, played with delicious humor by Keith Stevens. He enters with a black cape and glinty eyes and has perfected his evil laugh.
His character speaks with a mishmash of foreign terms, introducing himself as Count Napoleon Pecorino de Vichyssoise from Kansas.
Shani Ferry is perfectly sweet as Mary, and Shawn Galligan makes a cute counterpart as Hugh. Paula Kline-Messner does a nice job hamming things up as Mary's mom, trying to disguise herself with a ukulele amid the band to overhear her daughter's conversation with the mysterious Stranger.
Opening night had some pitchy singing here and there but overall the vocals were strong, with some moments providing beautiful touches.
Talented vocalist Dawn Sniadak-Yamokoski's soulful God's World raised the hair on my arms and Galligan's yearning love song My Mary was another high point.
Actors' Summit is off to an auspicious start in its new digs. Enhanced technical plans for the space — mainly a lighting grid — will continue to unfold.
Audiences should come ready for some broad comedy and down-home fun. As the cast sings, ''The crap that you get back is the same crap you put in.''
Details
Musical: A Murder, a Mystery and a Marriage.
When: Through Nov. 7. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays.
Where: Actors' Summit, Greystone Hall, 103 S. High St., Akron.
Onstage: Dawn Sniadak Yamakowski, Frank Jackman, Paula Kline-Messner, Scott Davis, Shani Ferry, Shawn Galligan, Keith Stevens, Ryan Anderson; onstage band Evie Rosen-Morris, Ryan Anderson and Scott Davis.
Offstage: Based on the short story by Mark Twain; Aaron Posner, book and lyrics; James Sugg, music; MaryJo Alexander, director/set, costume and props designer; Evie Rosen-Morris, music director; Amanda Lin Boyd, stage manager; Kevin Rutan and Fred Sellers, set construction; Daniel Taylor, technical guidance.
Cost: $27-$30; senior citizens, $24-$27 Thursdays and Sundays; students, $7; dinner at Greystone Hall an additional $25 each (call for times and details).
Information: 330-374-7568 or www.actorssummit.org.
