Stageloft Theater minds its 'Manners'By Paul Kolas Telegram and Gazette Reviewer STURBRIDGE— Leave it to the British to present adultery with a carefree flippancy that seems out of the reach of American comedy. In “Table Manners,” part of playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s popular “The Norman Conquests” trilogy, Norman announces to his wife, Ruth, that he was planning a weekend getaway with her sister Annie. When he mentions the intended destination, Ruth breaks out in convulsive laughter. And as directed adroitly by Matthew J. Carr in Stageloft Repertory Theater’s abundantly wry “Table Manners” on Saturday evening, we are encouraged to frequently laugh along with Ruth. As played with ribald and taunting flamboyance by Neal Martel, Norman is a creature of equal parts irritation and entertainment. He’s part of the ensemble of family members gathered at the country home where Annie is taking care of her invalid mother, including Annie’s brother Reg and his wife, Sarah, who are there to allow Annie to have her weekend retreat. When Annie confides to Sarah that she is going to have Norman for company, Sarah reacts with the sort of alacrity that one would expect from someone who has just found out that her sister-in-law is about to embark on an affair with her brother-in-law. Sarah would much rather have Annie cast her eye on Tom, the veterinarian neighbor who is clueless to Annie’s covert overtures or her family’s encouragement of a marriage proposal. When Norman unexpectedly shows up, followed shortly by Ruth, Sarah tries to deflect tension and maintain “harmony” by organizing a dinner for everyone, including Tom. Ellen Elsasser gives the most accomplished and controlled performance as Sarah, a picture of elegant neurosis about to unravel at any moment, and when it does, it does so hilariously. Kasey McNulty plays Annie with subtle assurance, whether it be showing her frustration with Tom’s slow-witted comprehension, appeasing Sarah’s alarmist persona, or falling for Norman’s overbearing charm. Martel pulls off the feat of portraying Norman at a very high decibel level, yet perfectly in charge of eliciting whatever reaction he wants from those around him. The morning after he has drunk too much and embarrassed everyone, including himself, he joins Sarah and Reg at the breakfast table, who are giving him the silent treatment. He tries his best to provoke them into saying something with every needling comment he can think of, and Martel cajoles them expertly. Kit Randall is quite delightful as the always-starving Reg, and has some of the funniest lines in the play. When Sarah is choking on some rather pungent homemade wine, after Reg has made caustic remarks about the dinner salad, he tells her soothingly, “Don’t worry, it’ll kill the bugs in your stomach.” Betty Kristan invests the role of Ruth with a cheery disregard for her husband’s wandering eye, well in keeping with Ayckbourn’s lighthearted yet sophisticated tone. Although Nicholas Daniel is saddled with the dim light bulb character of Tom, he handles it with a playful and good-natured sense of humor. If Noel Coward and Neil Simon had the chance to collaborate on a play, “Table Manners” might just be the pleasing result.
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