It's supposed to be a day on which dreams are made of, but instead it consists of one hilarious disaster after another.
You'll laugh until you cry at One Slight Hitch
For some it’s customary to always cry at weddings, but everyone (even the cold hearted), should bring some tissues for One Slight Hitch as uncontrollable tears of laughter are certain to occur. Written by comedian Lewis Black, One Slight Hitch is about a woman’s wedding day and her family’s preparation for the big event. It’s supposed to be a day on which dreams are made of, but instead it consists of one hilarious disaster after another.
There’s nobody more excited about the pending nuptials than the bride’s mother, Delia (Rita Rehn), who wants to provide the elaborate ceremony & celebration that she never had. Every detail, including the shrimp boats, must be perfect. Things begin spiraling out of control though with the unexpected visit of Ryan (Alex Curtis), who is the most recent ex-boyfriend of the bride to be, Courtney (Dana Berger). Sight of Ryan at this most inopportune time would send Delia over the edge and also cause Courtney more stress. So it becomes the rest of the families’ job to keep Ryan hidden within the house. He can’t just leave because due to a series of events, Ryan is left without a stitch of clothing, other than his boxers. All of that happens in the first twenty minutes.
Things get worse, or for the audience funnier, when Ryan’s presence is revealed to all including the groom whose name is….ummm….Harper (Kyle Nunn). The majority of the time the Harper’s future in-laws call him Ryan by mistake. The confrontation with Ryan causes Courtney to reevaluate her future. Will she go through with the wedding? Re-ignite things with Ryan? Somebody has to get married, no matter what, as there’s fresh lobster to be served.
The whole cast is splendid, but Rehn gives perhaps the most emotionally driven, spot-on performance, as the high anxiety, stressed out, on the verge of a mental breakdown mother. Her counterpart (husband) is Doc, played by Brian Dykstra who embodies the father who sees dollar signs for all the pomp and circumstance. Dykstra provides a number of the laughs and has an endearing stage presence.
While One Slight Hitch revolves around the wedding of Courtney and Ryan, errr I mean Harper, it seems that the other characters get the most attention. At the center of it all is Ryan, and Curtis masters the wayward drifter in search of a plot for a book about his life’s adventures. Ryan might be a little dimwitted but has a really sharp sense of humor. Serving as narrator, at least for the beginning in end is PB (Cecily Dowd), a high schooler who brings a lot of spirited energy, particularly through some fun dance moves. Last, but certainly not least is the other daughter, Melanie (Alex Sunderhaus), a bit of a vixen with her eyes, and hands set on Ryan. When Melanie first appears, wearing a nurse’s outfit, I was left breathless and nearly in need of some medical attention to cure my hot flashes.
A nice added touch to the show are some local references, it’s set in Cincinnati and included are jokes about Ohio and a mention of Dayton. Special credit goes to the wardrobe department, just not for the nurse outfit, but also for everything worn, including T-shirts of the Reds and Kings Island for more localism. Everyone also looked radiant in their clothes for the wedding.
Being a rather new show, nobody knows how One Slight Hitch is going to end, which makes it more intriguing. I’m not going to tell how it ends, but it’s probably not like you expected. Only one thing is known for sure, you’ll laugh until you cry. One Slight Hitch continues at the Loft Theatre through April 24. For more information, click here.
All photos are courtesy of Scott J. Kimmins.
