Reflections

William Inge´s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Picnic, comes to life on the Sierra Madre Playhouse stage. Beautifully directed by Bob Hakman, this moody romance was further enhanced by a set designed by Eric White that captured the essence of small town Kansas in the 1950s.

The story centers around folks preparing for the annual end of summer picnic, but many things are coming to an end.

Talented actress Sandra Hakman plays the wise, older neighbor, Helen Potts, who lives next door to the Ownes women. Helen, always ready to help out a person in need, offers a free breakfast to a young man who wanders into town, looking for work. At the end of the play, she wisely tells her neighbor, Mrs. Owens, who thinks having the tramp around is bad, that having a man in the house reminded Mrs. Potts that she was a woman, and that some women don´t want to be reminded.

The young drifter, Hal Carter, played with hunky energy by Allen Cutler, hopes this will be the place where he can "set the world on fire." He was the guy with potential, reaching for a star from his college days when he had a football scholarship, to a try at Hollywood, but those dreams always fell short because he never had anyone to believe in him.

The boarding house next door is full of women, some getting ready for life, others at the bleaker end of the spectrum. Bitter Flo Owens, marvelously played by Fran McCreary, distrusts men ever since her own dreams were dashed when her husband left her. Flo wants her beautiful daughter to marry the son of a wealthy man and get out of life everything she didn´t have.

Madge Owens, the prettiest girl in town, played by attractive Amanda Arbues, doesn´t trust her own reflection in the mirror. She fears she will only be loved for her beauty, and not herself. She wants someone to need her, not just desire her.

Madge´s boyfriend, the wealthy Alan Seymour, played by cute Jon Snow, has worshipped her since childhood. He was also a fraternity brother of Hal. Alan explains what a talented football player Hal had been and how Hal could do so many things, but they never amounted to much. If Hal wants a job in his father´s plant, he will have to start at the bottom.

Elise Gould plays Madge´s younger sister Millie with delightful enthusiasm that captures her desire to grow up fast and get away from that small town since she thinks she will never be the beauty her sister is.

A marvelous performance was turned in by Nancy Lantis who plays Rosemary Sydney, the spinster schoolteacher who boasts about all the men she has dated. But this gal wants a permanent relationship with a wedding ring. Her frenzied pawing of the hunky Hal was sensational.

Playing Rosemary´s bachelor boyfriend, Howard Bevans, who doesn´t mind ogling the attractive Madge, is Jack Chansler. Howard thinks his life is just fine running a store in the next town, but that idea just might change.

One of the most poignant scenes in the play is when all the neighbors dance to music coming from a portable radio. The wisecracking Rosemary tries to get Hal interested in her, but that leads to a torn shirt. Hal ends up dancing with lovely Madge and she tells her mother later, when he held her in his arms she knew that Hal knew exactly where he was going.

Alan is worried Hal might just steal Madge away from him. He sets the police on Hal and Hal has to run, but not before confessing his love for Madge. In turn, Madge has to make a decision: does she stay with the guy who worships her, or go to the guy who needs her?

Both Madge and Hal have been sought after for their looks all their young lives. Madge was a local beauty queen, and all the guys in town drool over her, even the young paperboy (played by S. Taylor with a clever twist at curtain time). Hal made money as an artist model and as an attractive drifter. They both fear all they have are their looks, and when the summer of their lives is over, maybe there will be nothing left. Everyone in the cast has to face the coming autumn of their years.

A marvelous play, beautifully rendered at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre 91024. Free municipal parking behind theater.

WHEN: March 6- April 11, 2009. Fri. & Sat. at 8, Sun. at 2:30. Dark on Sunday, March 15.

ADMISSION: $20. Seniors (65+) and students (13-17), $17. Children 12 and under, $12.

RESERVATIONS: (626) 355-4318.

GROUP RESERVATIONS: (626) 836-2125.

ONLINE TICKETING: www.sierramadreplayhouse.org