Mikayla Davis
The Communicator
Completing their “Backstage Season”, SFCC’s Spartan Theatre brings us the farce Moon Over Buffalo. Having watched some of the audition process, I knew that the play was going to be heavy in humor.
Walking into the theatre, that comical theme was obvious from the set. Fake legs with bright red heels were sticking out from a cabinet. Frilly dresses sat out on an ironing board and there were random theatre props placed around the stage.
The play was filled with slapstick and situational humor and the characters were energetic and rambunctious, as is characteristic of a farce. Despite the fun of the play, though, there was an underlying theme: trusting one another will end with better results than lying.
The first act of the play takes place in a greenroom of a theatre. However, the observable reality of the set makes it look more like a living room. There are multiple doors, chairs, and even stairs. Only the clear glass window (that looks out to a brick wall) and the fact that the walls are green, breaks the feel of a normal sitting room.
When we are introduced to the characters, we are introduced to them as a family and their friends, which does not help ground the audience in a theatrical atmosphere. It is only through the backstory explanations from the characters in the first act, that we understand that the stage is a Greenroom.
After the first act though, the story really began to come together. Sometimes it was a little hard to believe that the characters kept misplacing each other, since the audience only saw one entrance to the rooms, but the quick pace and the skill of the actors was enough to lure the audience into a willing sense of disbelief.
Brynna Soth, who played Charlotte Hay, the leading lady in the play, was definitely the star of the show. Her facial expressions matched her character’s emotions perfectly and brought out the more emotional moments of the play. Her character had one of the strongest influences on the other characters of the play as well, so eyes were always on her.
The banter between George Hay and Paul had the entire theatre laughing as well and poor stuttering Howard was often the target of audience chuckles.
Having seen the auditions, I think the production crew did a fantastic job casting their characters. The students were perfect in their roles and they really allowed the characters to shine.
Overall, the play was fantastic. There was plenty of laughter and the fast pace of the farce made it easy to forget I was in a theatre. I strongly encourage students to attend the play before it closes on June 8.