Relationships Sizzle in Sierra Madre's "Picnic"

--- Theatre review

There are parts of William Inge´s 1953 Pulitzer Prize winning romantic drama, "Picnic" that will remind you of "The Rainmaker."

There´s the charismatic and handsome bad-boy drifter, Hal Carter (Allen Cutler) who seems to appear out of nowhere, jobless and hungry. And there´s the pretty, but discontented Madge Owens (Amanda Arbues) whose unrequited longings make her "ripe for the picking."

Add the respectable boyfriend, Alan Seymour (Jon Snow) who doesn´t quite scratch her "itch" and a hovering mother, Flo Owens (Fran McCreary) whose own romantic delusions have left her unhappy, bitter, and determined to spare her daughters the same fate.

Throw in a jealous younger sister, Millie Owens (Elise Gould) and a desperate old-maid teacher, Rosemary Sydney (Nancy Lantis) and put them in the middle of Kansas on a hot Labor Day weekend and you have enough steam and sizzle to make "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" seem positively tepid.

Hal has a friend in the kindly Mrs. Helen Potts (Sandra Hakman) who feeds him, gives him work, and offers to do his laundry. But she doesn´t win points with her neighbor when the hunky, shirtless worker appears in the yard between their houses and "wows" the girls. Like a mama lion protecting her cubs, Flo bares her claws and warns the "no good bum" off.

Alan, the college boy from a "nice family" who´s courting Madge, recognizes his old school chum and vouches for Hal…that is until he sees his girlfriend falling for him. (You just know there´s a showdown brewing.)

Rosemary´s set-in-his-bachelor-ways beau, Howard Bevans (Jack Chansler) likes the boy, and furtively agrees that pretty Madge is worth a second, or maybe even third (eyebrow wiggle) look. He offers Hal a comradely nip of whiskey, but behind their backs, it´s Rosemary and young Millie who get drunk.

Howard is flabbergasted and embarrassed when the uninhibited Rosemary makes an overt play for Hal. Later, in a heart-wrenching scene that could get Lantis a guest spot on Desperate Housewives, the utterly miserable Rosemary grovels and begs Howard to marry her.

There´s no fried chicken and potato salad in the Sierra Madre Playhouse´s "Picnic" basket, but the angst, desperation and sexual tension will both whet and satisfy the audience´s appetite for drama. Whether they deem the ending tragic or not will depend on whom they identify with the most. All will agree that the lonesome train whistle that opens and closes the show is haunting.

Director Bob Hakman is able to bring out good performances in the entire cast, but especially notable are Sandra Hakman´s Helen Potts as she remembers what it was like to "have a man in the house," and Nancy Lantis in Rosemary´s totally believable meltdown scene. And of course Allen Cutler adds a nice bit of eye candy for the ladies.

"Picnic" runs Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 and Sundays at 2:30 through April 11.

General admission is $20, seniors (65+) and students are $17, and children 12 & under are $12.

Call (626) 355-4318 for reservations, or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

The Playhouse is located at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd, in Sierra Madre, CA 91024, with plenty of free parking behind the theatre.