Theater in NYC: Popcorn Falls at the Davenport Theater Off-Broadway
Hilarious, witty, and heartwarming story about small-town problems artfully told with lots of energy and genuine acting; through January 6, 2019
Welcome to Popcorn Falls, a small town in a hinterland which only attraction and a claim to fame was a now-defunct waterfall! When the river flow was diverted to a next-door town, the parched land seemed to open up all the problems for people of Popcorn Falls. Out of nowhere a salvation for the town presents itself in a form of an improbable grant which invigorates everyone in town and on stage. If only those grants come about more often.
The story, masterfully delivered by an unstoppable pair of comedic actors Tom Souhrada and Adam Heller, is tender, eager and hard-to-believe at the same time. The actors’ sincerity coupled with the script’s entertaining yet warm jokes about broken promises, everyday misfortunes, and local misfits keeps the audience engaged and laughing throughout the performance. In fact, the audience is in a way serves as town residents or the participants in the town hall meetings. The play with its fast-paced acting is suited so well for a small and cozy Davenport Theater, that at times it feels that the stage is filled with a troop of actors. That is a true mastery of the duo that manages to play all 12-odd characters almost simultaneously. Treat yourself to an entertaining night out at Popcorn Falls! The play runs through January 6, 2019.
The play starts with the town mayor Mr. Trundle played by Adam Heller, and his first-hand custodian, tireless Tom Souhrada, recounting the latest misfortunes fallen on their town with little daylight in sight. While Heller firmly stays in the character of Mr. Trundle making himself a reliable centerpiece that keeps the story and the town going, its Souhrada’s effortless shifts between a dozen or so characters that come to life with simple props, change of voice, gesture or pose. This seemingly endless sequence of minute changes brings all the excitement for the spectators.
It is amazing how much can be accomplished by such a tight cast but it takes a true talent to fill the space with a colorful set of town people from a conventional mayor to a foreign-born undertaker to a dreamy librarian and an attractive waitress by one actor. Nevertheless, the play has all the theatrical elements to keep the spectators’ attention with a protagonist, a love story, even a villain and a car chase in tow. Kudos to the playwright James Handyman and the director Christian Borle, a two-time Tony Award winner for their keen observations of a small town life and its people.
Popcorn Rising
“Popcorn rising”, to use a line from the play, is what it comes down to in the end. Rising up to the challenge of writing and staging a play in one week brings the act to its finale. Using the witty lineup of substitutions like a politician for an actor, a librarian for a playwright, a superintendent for a stage-hand and a mortician for a makeup artist, the story vividly progresses at a fast pace with solid acting. And while its hard to say if the play within the play satisfied the conditions for getting a grant, it definitely brought the town together and raised the hopes and spirits for everyone involved, happy ending and all.
The New York Times review notes that “the actors are enjoying the material and enjoying each other and their zippy enthusiasm” infects everyone around them. The residents of Popcorn Falls and of any small town in the country need that positive energy to turn back a tide of closed storefronts, rows of dilapidated houses and eerie side streets. But while it is not exactly Chehov’s caliber, it responds to the realization that in the time of change one needs to act differently. Thanks to the cast, the production reminds us that we ourselves are the unstoppable and positive force even if there is a lot in us that makes us all laugh together.
Click here for dates and discounted tickets with a promo code TNTIX.
Venue: 354 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036
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