By Amanda VanNostrand.
Red Herring is currently showing at Act II Playhouse in Ambler, PA through
November 19 th. A combination of spies and communists, love and secrets, Catholics
and Quakers, Red Herring is not the show to miss. It is a mystery weaving together
the stories of six individuals (and then some!), and comes highly recommended. Red
Herring is genuinely funny and entertaining, and certainly worth a viewing.
Red Herring takes place in three settings: Boston, Wisconsin, and the South Pacific in
1952. The show encompasses six stories: Maggie Pelletier’s story, (Rachel Camp) a
fierce female detective with a secret and a potential fiancé; Frank Keller (Charlie
DemLarcelle) is Maggie’s hopeful, almost-fiancé, also on the police force; Lynn
McCarthy (Eileen Cella), Joseph McCarthy’s (yes, THE Joseph McCarthy) simple
daughter; James Appel (Patrick Romano), a Soviet spy and (quite ironically) Lynn’s
betrothed; Mrs. Kravitz, the innkeeper of the recent lodging of a murdered man; and
Andei Borchevsky, who, let’s just say in order to avoid spoilers, may not be who you
think he is! The couples stories are told separately at times, and are mingled in
others. As the theater goes dark (which happens frequently!) the set and characters
subtly change with spy music playing in between. This show holds mysteries in each
storyline with answers subtly revealing themselves throughout. With some
resolutions being obvious and others not so much, this show keeps the audience
engaged and laughing.
Having been written by Michael Hollinger and directed by David Bradley, Red
Herring’s story is creatively and effectively delivered. Perhaps the most endearing
piece of Red Herring is the comedy. Much as inside jokes play through years of
friendship, so do the jokes and details of the show carry from beginning to end.
Careful viewers will recognize seemingly small specifics in dialogue reappear in the
show, giving viewers the sense that they have known the characters long enough to
truly appreciate their idiosyncrasies and stories. Red Herring is extremely funny,
with jokes that range from simple to sophisticated. Audience members laugh from
beginning to end, making this show one that gives a truly good time.
The actors in the show mesh together well. As the show takes place predominately
in Boston and Wisconsin, the actors are set with the task of dialoguing with accents
that are perhaps overly dramatized, but nevertheless done rather well. Eileen Cella
and Rachel Camp are both worthy of mention. Eileen Cella, playing the role of Lynn
McCarthy, is also Act II Playhouse’s Managing Director. Her Wisconsin accent and
ability to play a simultaneously annoying and endearing character make her work
on this show an absolute success. Rachel Camp’s Boston accent is seamless and she
plays her character with a good combination of tough detective and love-struck
romantic. The chemistry between Camp and DelMarcelle may not initially be
entirely believable but as the show goes on they turn into a couple to root for.
(Watch closely for the bar scene, where Camp and David Ingram create one of the
more humorous and memorable times {while uncovering a big key to the story}).
Christopher Colluci (Sound Design), Colin McIlvaine (Scenic Design) and Lily
Fossner (Lighting Design) effectively combined their talents in this show as well.
The set closely resembles a dock in each scene but is transformed into bedrooms,
sitting rooms, a dress shop, and numerous other locations. In each transition
appropriate mystery/spy music plays while the cast quickly and effectively
transforms the scene just enough to understand in what setting the characters are. It
is efficiently and enjoyably done each time, and as simple as the set, sound, and
lighting may seem to be, it enhances the show. Certainly a job well done!
A comedy full of loveable characters with engaging stories, Red Herring is definitely
a show to see this season.