I Take This Man

published: Fri, 6-Feb-2004   |   updated: Wed, 4-Jan-2017

Dex in I Take This Man by Jack Sharkey for Little London Productions at The Clubhouse. Directed by Eve Tilley. June/July 1995.

Can you spell "fluff"? That's what this play was: a simple little fluffy comedy, where, after a couple of misunderstandings, everyone lives happily ever after. And can you imagine an Englishman named Dex? Well, I didn't take on an accent, but I don't think anyone noticed or cared.

Jack Sharkey is a playwright who wrote a lot of these little frivolous comedies, seemingly tossing them off one after another.

It was good for me for two reasons: it was the first time I worked with Ashley Crockett -- one of the best actresses in Colorado Springs -- and I got paid (yes, Little London paid their actors a small stipend). I'm always happy to get paid for something I enjoy doing.

We did the play on the second floor of the Clubhouse on the corner of Nevada and Kiowa. A tiny room with a smaller stage and a small audience (50 max?). Other than that, I really can't remember much about it apart from the fact that we all enjoyed doing it together.

Cast

Review from the Gazette Telegraph

'I Take This Man' offers an escape from reality

Mark Arnest

For sheer silliness, it's hard to top "I Take This Man," Jack Sharkey's theatrical sitcom produced by Little London Productions at The Clubhouse.

As with Sharkey's "Saving Grace," which the company produced last year, you'll laugh a lot and remember nothing the next morning. It's simply a pleasant escape from reality.

Finding a handsome man lying unconscious in the street near the Boston Marathon's finish line, single gal Giddy Hollis does the only sensible thing and has an obliging policeman carry him back to her apartment. She calls her prize "Antonio," because she's always wanted to meet an Italian man. When Antonio finally regains consciousness, it turns out he has amnesia. Who is he? Why would a marathon runner wear dress shoes? And why is his breath so bad?

The more preposterous the plot, the more dialogue required to explain it, which accounts for the play's chattiness. But it's also stuffed with physical comedy, including a banana in the ribs (inexplicably, there's no gun in the apartment), trouble with the phone, and - honest - a chase around the sofa.

For awhile it's like watching a juggler with five plates in the air. But at the end the script falls apart. The mystery peters out a bit too soon, and Sharkey fills up the dead space with a plot twist that casts the entire play in a cynical light. Fortunately, this ending is unconvincing, which keeps "I Take This Man" from leaving a bitter taste.

Director Eve Tilley makes sure her small cast has fun. Bessie M. Frank is excellent as the bubble-headed but quick-witted Giddy, a woman whose sheer chutzpah carries the day. As Antonio, Wayne Larsen Jr. displays fine comic timing and reaction. The disparity between Frank's and Larsen's ages makes them a less-than-perfect match, however.

As Giddy's roommate, Charlene, Ashley Crockett convincingly portrays a woman who's sure that things are careening out of control. Julian Bucknall plays her understandably suspicious fiance, Dex. Bucknall is a quietly impressive performer who's comfortable in any kind of role. Leward Fluty has an amiable presence as Jud Keegan, the police officer Giddy can't seem to get rid of.

This modest play's production values are excellent. Tom Studer's tiny set ("tiny" is as big as the Clubhouse stage gets) features a clever urban backdrop painted by the ubiquitous Curt Layman, and the slow fade from day to night is very effective. The play also features some nice multi- media props: a video clip and a custom newspaper.

(c) Gazette Telegraph 1995