Ever rummaged through your spouse’s sweater drawer expecting to find argyles, yet instead stumbling across a secret fetish so utterly demented that it immediately sent you bolting toward a new life? Deftly directed by Jeanne Smith, Attleboro Community Theatre’s Wonder of the World is a dark, fast-paced comedy of Niagara Fall-out proportions! Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire has deviated from his heavily-weighted subject matter to give us a barrel of laughs exploring marital disillusionment, accompanied by an urge to completely jumpstart life anew. Of course this opens the door to the struggles of personal identity quests, not to mention the blending of outlandish farce with garishly grim emotional undercurrents.
When Cass discovers husband Kip’s dirty little secret, she frantically flees to the honeymoon capital of the world with a long laundry list of must-do’s, in search of the destiny she feels robbed of. Her journey of self-discovery crosses paths with a haphazardly suicidal alcoholic, a lonely boat captain, a bickering couple, and a peculiar caper involving giant jars of peanut butter and cheese balls, all nudging her toward the edge.
The production bursts out of the gate as Anna Hindman portrays Cass with wide-eyed hysteria once she realizes her adult life has been a total sham. Hindman makes overwhelming dread look like a sporting event while speeding through a bucket list of self-discovery and imminent lunacy.
The cast of seven is tight, with no down time between all the drama and laughs. Rob Rametti’s depiction of devastated husband Kip is played so effortlessly, he turns desperate resolve into a fine art. He gives Kip the bewildered distress of a puppy left out in the cold, eliciting a bit of sympathy for him — until you recall why Cass fled in the first place!
Once arriving in Niagara Falls, the stage includes projected waterfall backdrops (technical director Doug Greene), becoming a powerful attractor for kooky oddballs. This is where we meet Ruthie Withers as Lois, a filterless, suicidal alcoholic lugging around a giant barrel. Yeah. Withers portrays Lois with such unhinged enthusiasm to plunge herself over the falls that you actually find yourself cheering her on!
Enter Mario Sasso as Maid of the Mist’s Captain Mike, balancing impassive practicality with sudden explosive outpourings as if his tour ship is perpetually going down. Theatre veterans Kim Alessandro and Dave Almeida arrive as Karla and Glen, an unorthodox middle-aged couple who bring crazed chaos to the arena.
Offering multiple opportunities for more mayhem is Jennifer Lade, who has you sitting up each time she unleashes a new role. These include Southern Belle Barbara, a helicopter pilot, servers in three different theme restaurants, and a harlequin therapist who steals the show.
ACT’s production strikes a hilarious balance between raw, vulnerable humanity and complete, chaotic madness. If you want to observe a moving local cast turn a mid-life crisis into a roaring barrel ride of laughs, get yourself to Attleboro before the final curtain falls! Just remember to check your sweater drawer before leaving home.
Attleboro Community Theatre presents Wonder of the World through September 27. For more information, visit attleborocommunitytheatre.net/.