Reviewed by Laura Bess Kenny
Fools, the current production from Henrico Theatre Company at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, is a delightfully goofy tale of love that captivates the audience with its combination of humor, romance, and suspense.
Written by Neil Simon and directed by Amy Berlin, the play is set in 1890 and opens on the always-enthusiastic Matt Hackman playing Leon Tolchinsky, an optimistic new schoolteacher. Tolchinsky has arrived in the remote Ukrainian village of Kulyenchikov, a town in which the inhabitants have been cursed with extreme stupidity for the past two hundred years. Dr. Zubritsky (Dan Gerstenlauer) and his wife, Lenya (Laurie Follmer), have hired Tolchinsky to educate their daughter, Sophia, played by the incredibly expressive Leah Hicks. The couple hopes the new teacher will be able to break the curse and save the town. If Tolchinsky stays more than twenty-four hours in the village, he’ll be rendered stupid as well, so it’s a race against time. The stakes are raised when Tolchinsky falls for the young and beautiful Sophia, spurring him to come up with a plan to break the curse.
The play is full of quirky yet charming characters that are well aware of just how dumb they are. In fact, they revel in it. For example, in one scene, Snetsky the Shepherd (Tyler Simpson) says proudly, “We’re unteachable. We’re the stupidest town in all of Mother Poland.” When Tolchinsky corrects him by stating they’re in the Ukraine, Snetsky brushes him off with, “Whatever.” Some of the best comedic acting comes from Dr. Zubritsky and his wife. This bumbling, idiotic couple does everything from forgetting their own last name to calling their daughter “son.” Gregor Yousekevitch (Charles A. Wax) is another hilarious character. He’s Tolchinsky’s competition: Yousekevitch dramatically proposes to Sophia every morning and every night, determined to win her hand in marriage. He refuses to give up despite the fact that he’s been rejected countless times.
The little details in the play make it even funnier. The butcher’s store sign is horribly misspelled, the shepherd holds his staff upside down, and the town’s doctor has never been to medical school and doesn’t know how to properly use his stethoscope. A carrot is placed in a candlestick holder and instead of paintings of flowers or artsy photographs, the walls of a house are adorned with framed loaves of bread. The town vendor shouts, “Fish for sale,” yet she’s waving around bouquets of flowers instead of the halibut or carp she promises.
The two-act play lasts about an hour and forty-five minutes, including the fifteen-minute intermission. It’s family-friendly, but younger children may not understand all of the humor.
Fools is showing now though July 28 at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday 2:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 27, 2:30 and 8 p.m.
Ticket: $10 adults; $8 (students and seniors 55+) For tickets, call (804) 501-5859 or purchase at the box office.
