Berkshire on Stage

There are a handful of things in this world that seem to be universally hilarious. Small children swearing, for one thing, always make me giggle inappropriately. And no matter who you are or what your morals are, a well timed fart can be the funniest thing in the world. Also on that list is an amorous grandma; so how could Schenectady Civic Players’ production Bull in a China Shop, a play about six old maids with a crush on their neighbor, be anything but hilarious? Indeed the central group of kooky old ladies (Melissa Putterman Hoffman as Hildegarde, Beverly Skoll as Birdie, Janice Walz as Amantha, Amy Kerr as Lucy, Melissa Peterson as Nettie, and Judy Landers as Elizabeth) are all hilarious as they giggle scheme. 

The play opens with a monologue from the central character, Detective O’Finn, speaking to the audience. The monologue starts the play off on a bit of a corny note, but that seems to fit the overall tone of the play. The curtain then opens on a scene of Detective O’Finn’s neighbors, a group of old spinsters living together in a boarding house, spying out their window at the handsome young detective in his home. The old ladies then begin to wonder, how oh how might they arrange for the handsome homicide detective to visit them in their home? Soon enough one of the old spinsters is dead, and Detective O’Finn and his partner come to investigate, much to the delight of the old ladies.

The set for this show, designed by Peter Kantor, is unremarkable, but it looks very much like a modest boarding house for old maids. The furniture is simple, the decorations are understated, and the walls are painted in a color that is best described as “old lady beige,” trimmed with pea-soup green. So in a way it is remarkable that Kantor has taken so much care to make the set unremarkable and grandmotherly. Similarly, the costumes (designed by Laura Darling) and hair (designed by John Fowler) are all stereotypical for a group of sweet old ladies. These details make it all the more fun to watch the old maids plot murder and giggle over their neighbor like mischievous, murderous schoolgirls.

In a play with so many people on stage at once, the old ladies seemed to have occasional trouble with their blocking. There are a handful of moments where one character will jump up with seemingly nowhere to go; it seems that directors Laura Darling and Jeff Lurie were unable to keep their actors moving dynamically, much as they may have tried. However, the energy of the old spinsters and C. B. Gilford’s witty dialogue made it so that I didn’t mind so much when one of the actresses jumped up with excitement only to sit back down in the exact same place after her line.

Unfortunately, Jeff Lurie’s performance as Detective O’Finn is unforgivably flat. The character calls for a “straight man” to play foil to the silly old women, but Lurie’s performance was less straight man and more zombie. He failed to muster up appropriate anger or frustration in scenes that called for him losing his temper, and he failed to display any urgency at solving the case of the murdered old ladies. It is a testament to the women in the cast (as well as Dennis Skiba playing O’Finn’s partner, Kramer) that the show was as enjoyable as it was despite a lackluster performance from the main character.

But if, like me, you are endlessly amused by naughty old women and morbid humor, then you should still see this play. Lurie’s bland performance does not detract from the wonderful energy that Hoffman, Skoll, Walz, Kerr, Peterson, and Landers bring to the stage. Watching Bull in a China Shop is like being in a sorority house full of amorous little old ladies and it is hard not to love!

Schenectady Civic Players presents Bull in a China Shop by C. B. Gilford, directed by Laura Darling & Jeff Lurie, runs from September 22-October 1, 2023, at the Schenectady Civic Playhouse, 12 South Church Street in Schenectady, NY. Stage Manager: Tara Huhn. Board Operator: Elise Charlebois. Producer: Jean Carney. Cast: Jeff Lurie as Detective O’Finn, Melissa Putterman Hoffman as Miss Hildegarde, Beverly Skoll as Miss Birdie, Janice Walz as Miss Amantha, Amy Kerr as Miss Lucy, Melissa Peterson as Miss Nettie, Judy Landers as Miss Elizabeth, Dennis Skiba as Detective Kramer, Kathleen Nolan as Jane Rogers, Marin Nolan as Johnson, Seana Munson as Stretcher Bearer 1, and Tara Huhn as Stretcher Bearer 2. Set design and construction by Peter Kantor. Lighting design by Elise Charlebois. Costume design by Laura Darling. Hair design by John Fowler. Properties by Mark Salomon.

Performance dates are Friday–Sunday (September 22-24) and Wednesday–Sunday (September 22-October 1). Friday and Saturday curtains are at 8 pm, Wednesday and Thursday curtains are at 7:30 pm, and Sundays are matinees only at 2:30 pm. All tickets are $25. Runs approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. Recommended for ages 12+. Tickets are available online through the SCP website, by phone, or at the door for any performance. Call 518-382-2081 or visit https://www.civicplayers.org/ for more information.