THE GUIDE
THE GUIDE
S TA G E T H I S W E E K : M AY 1 8 TO 24, 2012 The Commedia Voyages of Sinbad, a comedic tale of the seven voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, performed by Take the Stage Players outdoors at the Back Mountain Memorial Library, 96 Huntsville Road, Dallas. 6 tonight and Sunday. $5, $3 children. 690-5439. 2 Across, a comedy about a man and a woman on a commuter train, each engrossed in the New York Times crossword puzzle. Performed by the Lakeside Players at Lakeville Community Hall, Route 590, Lakeville. 7:30 tonight and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. $12. 226-6207.
The cast of ‘Young Frankenstein’ brings a zany taste of Transylvania to Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Scranton gets spooky By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
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on’t be surprised when the hump on Igor’s back seems to play a zany pea-and-shell game all by itself. • “It’s on the right. It’s on the left. It’s in the center,” said Christopher Timson, who will wear the slippery protrusion when he portrays the eager-to-please Transylvanian servant in “Young Frankenstein” this weekend at the Scranton Cultural Center.
Paying homage to the 1974 movie of the same name, the Mel Brooks musical greets every mention of sinister housekeeper Frau Blücher with the cries of panicked horses, gives pretty Inga a chance to yodel in the hay wagon and lets Timson, as Igor, explain a la Marty Feldman how he found the brain of “Abby Normal.” “You have to deliver the lines the same way (Feldman did) or people will be disappointed,” said Timson, 24, a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The transitory nature of Igor’s hump, by the way, also goes back to the 1974 film, when Feldman “just decided to switch his hump one day, as a practical joke.” Brooks liked that little touch so
much, it stayed in the show, which he crafted as a parody of the horror genre. You’ve all heard the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, haven’t you? “Young Frankenstein” continues the tale, focusing on Frankenstein’s grandson, Frederick, who is so eager to distance himself from his notorious ancestor, he wants his name to be pronounced: Fronk-En-Steen. As the play opens, the old doctor has died and the villagers begin to rejoice. Then the grandson/heir arrives, finds his grandfather’s laboratory and research notes, and decides to continue the elder Frankenstein’s work, with a little help from Igor. Not only does Igor procure the brain for a re-animation experi-
IF YOU GO What: “Young Frankenstein” Who: Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania When: 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Scranton Cultural Center, 420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton More info: 342-7784
ment, he covers up the existence of the resulting monster with a lively production number called “The Transylvania Mania.” “We’re trying to distract the villagers from the monster’s moans and groans inside the castle,” Timson said. “Every time he moans I come up with a way to cover the sounds. It starts out with me singing and playing the accordion. Eventually I teach the whole cast a funny, goofy dance.” Designed to be funny rather than scary, the horror spoof even turns poignant when Frankenstein’s creature faces the crowd and pleads for understanding. “It’s definitely one of the more heartfelt moments of the show,” Timson said. “You realize he’s not just a grunting, hairy thing. He can communicate and show that he has a heart and soul. He can love.”
’Night Mother, about a young woman who nonchalantly tells her mother she plans to commit suicide that night. Performed by Actors Circle at the Providence Playhouse, 1256 Providence Road, Scranton. 8 tonight and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $12, $10 seniors, $8 students. 342-9707.
Nina Edgerton and Anastasia Peterson star in ‘In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play.’
BEST BET If the title ‘In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play’ makes you somewhat curious, there is still time to drive downriver and experience the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s season wrap-up of Sarah Ruhl’s comedy about a doctor administering some ‘stimulating’ therapies on Victorian women – who seemingly are ignorant of such things as sexual desires and orgasms. The Tony Award winner is on stage at 7:30 tonight and Saturday with a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets are $25, $20 seniors and $12 for students. 784-8181.
Dietrich Radio Players, an evening of old-time radio plays with authentic sound effects including an episode from the 1951 comedy series “The Magnificent Montague” and another from the “Night Beat” series. Dietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Free. 996-1500. Maybe It’s True, a reading of a new play by Peckville resident Tom Flannery. Presented by the Jason Miller Playwrights Project at the Olde Brick Theatre, 126 W. Market St., North Scranton. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. $10, $5. 344-3656.
FUTURE Titanic: The Musical, a retelling of the 1912 sea disaster performed by the Limelight Players (ages 7 to 20). Phoenix Performing Arts Centre, 409411 Main St., Duryea. May 24 to June 3: 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 1 p.m. Sundays. $12. 457-3589. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s “tale of woe” set in Northeastern Pennsylvania with rivalries between Irish and Italian immigrants. Presented by Ghostlight Productions at South Abington Park, Clarks Summit. June 1 to 10: 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Free. 575-5185. The Tempest, a one-night filmed performance from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Valerie Paulus and Esther Harmatz work on sound effects for the Dietrich Radio Players’ Tuesday performance at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock. starring Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer as Prospero. Cinemark 20, 40 Glenmaura National Blvd., Moosic. 7 p.m. June 14. 9615943.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Auditions for the August production of the musical “Fosse” for ages 10 to 19. Phoenix Performing Arts Centre, 409 Main St., Duryea. 10 a.m. to noon Saturday; 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. 457-3589. See STAGE, Page 5