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Welles' of laughter at Performance Network

Neither snow nor ice nor cars in freeway ditches were going to keep me from my appointed rounds Friday night, or rather, from Performance Network Theatre where I was scheduled to review the opening night performance of "It Came From Mars" by Joseph Zettelmaier. I arrived early – way early, actually, thanks to over-hyped traffic reports – and left late, but in-between was one of the slickest and most thoroughly entertaining nights of theater I've experienced so far this season.
It's no secret that I've been a fan of Zettelmaier's work from pretty much the beginning of his young, prolific career. Already a two-time nominee for the American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, it's been fun watching the Washtenaw County-based Zettelmaier mature and sharpen his already considerable skills with new scripts that are always fresh and engaging. And "Mars" is without doubt his best effort yet – matched by superb direction by Tony Caselli and perfectly-tuned performances by a stellar cast.
Zettelmaier's latest work asks an important question, but frames it with a mix of laughs and drama: What would YOU do if you faced imminent death?
In this particular case, the "you" is the cast and crew of a soon-to-be-cancelled radio drama who, while rehearsing their next (and possible last) episode, hear what they believe is a live broadcast from the scene of a Martian landing in nearby New Jersey. The year, of course, is 1938 – and what the New York-based team actually heard was a snippet from Orson Welles' notorious Halloween program, "The War of the Worlds." Like much of the country, they panicked – and thus is set into motion a night none of them will ever forget.
With few wasted words and razor-sharp dialogue, Zettelmaier quickly establishes his characters' backgrounds and interpersonal relationships. (Most have a connection of one sort or another with Welles, for example, while one reflects the strong anti-German sentiment that was building in parts of America at the time.) The story unfolds without unnecessary detours or distractions, and with chess-like precision he moves his characters into position throughout the first act to deliver the payoff he serves so well in the second.
With such a strong script and well-defined characters, it's not surprising that director Caselli excels at breathing life into the premiere. Presented with the audience seated on three sides of the stage – a unique challenge in Performance Network's space – Caselli creates imaginative visuals while keeping his often-quirky characters believable and grounded in reality.
His A-team actors do likewise.
Wayne David Parker plays Quentin Farlowe, a one-time Broadway actor who's been reduced to writing, directing and starring in less-than-stellar radio dramas. Touchy about his height and needing his ex-wife's help to replace an actress who's been stolen away by Welles, Parker's larger-than-his-size creation helps cement the character as the plot's anchor.
Sandra Birch makes a memorable entrance as the ex-wife, Julia Crane, and never slows down. A master at conveying the true meaning behind her words with but a slight raise of an eyebrow, Birch has great fun challenging Farlowe's authority – and even makes eating a piece of candy quite entertaining!
Also delightful is Joseph Albright as the arrogant, annoying and condescending German-hater, George Loomis. A big man with a deep, booming voice, Albright is the perfect embodiment of the bombastic character as designed by Zettelmaier. (His meltdown in the second act is an incredible blend of humor and pathos.)
Morgan Chard's Maude Myrtles is the station's receptionist – and the sanest person in the room – while Alysia Kolascz perfectly shades the fact that there's more behind the non-stop-talking Dolores Breckinridge than meets the eye. Both are fine performances.
But the heart and soul of the show reside in Jacob Hodgson, who plays Werner Kreilig, the radio show's sound effects man who is not-so-secretly in love with Dolores and the butt of George's anger towards the pending world war. Hodgson's performance is sweet, charming and innocent, and his German accent is flawless throughout the performance.
All technical elements suit the production quite well.
The show is a co-production with Williamston Theatre, where it will open March 31.

REVIEW:
'It Came From Mars'
Performance Network Theatre, 120 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. Thursday-Sunday through March 21. $25-$41. 734-663-0681. http://www.performancenetwork.org

Then at Williamston Theatre, 122 S. Putnam St., Williamston. Wednesday, March 31 and then Thursday-Sunday through April 18; no matinee April 4. Previews: $15; all others $18-$24. 517-655-7469. http://williamstontheatre.org

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