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Big dreams, great opening in Northville

No one in Tipping Point Theatre's inaugural production of "Don't Dress for Dinner" plays their part very convincingly – except for the six excellent actors who star in this impressive debut of Metro Detroit's newest professional Equity theater company in downtown Northville.
Confused? Then join the club, because from almost the minute the lights go up on this slickly staged farce, the many twists and turns begin, leaving each character believing they know EXACTLY what's going on – and who they're supposed to be at any given moment – when NO one really does. Yet that doesn't stop them from moving forward with so many layers of lies and deceptions that audience members and characters alike pretty much need a scorecard to keep the tangled webs straight. And that, of course, results in some of the zaniest moments to hit a Detroit area stage in ages!
The trouble begins when long-married Bernard (played by Loren Bass) invites his mistress to his summer home near Paris for a romantic birthday celebration while his wife Jacqueline (Sarab Kamoo) is away visiting her mother. But when Jacqueline accidentally discovers that – as part of her husband's deception – Bernard has invited his longtime friend Robert (Dave Davies) to visit for a "bachelor's weekend," she suddenly changes her plans. And a phone call shortly after reveals why: She and Robert are having an affair of their own! Add to the mix two Suzies – Suzette (Laurel Hufano), a cook Robert hired from an agency sight unseen to prepare the birthday meal, and Suzanne (Michelle Hooks-Stackpoole), the not-too-bright model with whom he's having the affair – and the recipe for disaster is deliciously set into motion.
And it's tastily served, too, thanks to the high-energy staging of Gillian Eaton. One of the area's top directors, Eaton mines every nuance in Marc Camoletti's script for laughs. In true farcical fashion, no facial expression is too silly, nor is any physical gag too cheap for this complicated comedy. But what's even more impressive is this: There's never a moment in Eaton's production where the pacing sags or the storytelling disappoints.
Why? Because working with her is a high-octane group of highly-skilled actors, each of whom is in top form. But it's Davies – whose reactions to the confusing mess swirling about him are priceless – and Hufano – who once again proves her comic genius – who especially stand out. And what's not to like about the physically intimidating and leather-clad Aaron T. Moore who makes a late entrance as Suzette's jealous husband George and makes one heck of an impression!
All of the show's technical elements are equally well executed, especially the impressive set by Charlie Gaidica.

REVIEW:
'Don't Dress for Dinner'
Tipping Point Theatre, 361 E. Cady St., Northville. Thu.-Sun., through Sept. 29. Tickets: $18-$35. For information: 248-347-0003 or http://www.tippingpointtheatre.org.

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