Fun, wit and talent are absolutely "All in the Timing"

To say that Thursday night's One Act plays was anything short of incredible is cruelly unjust. "All in the Timing," directed by juniors Nora Boedecker and Joe Lorenz, was one of the best student-produced plays in the past three years. The last performance of "All in the Timing" will be Friday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m.

What made "All in the Timing" so special was its fast-paced dialogue, dry wit and profound message, all of which were delivered immaculately by the Thespian Club's talented members. "All in the Timing" was a collection of four skits written by David Ives with a tiny cast of two or three actors per skit.

Of all the tacky, tasteless one-act plays floating around in Dramaland, Lorenz and Boedecker chose well. Ives' sardonic, dry humor moves incredibly fast and is a true treat to watch.

As entertaining as Ives' dialogue is to hear on stage, it is also as difficult to execute. Tricky timing could easily mess up any actor, and if a beat is dropped, then Ives' punch line looses its witty value. However, the directors seamlessly transcend this obstacle and put forth a well-produced show.

In one skit, "English Made Simple," senior Michael Firrisa and junior Elena Pinsky play two bland singles trying too hard to attract another during a language lesson. Firrisa and Pinsky's conversation is perfectly timed, almost metrical. It is fascinating to watch the two singles engage in superficial conversation and then watch as their dull, dinner-party talk transforms into intimate, human revelations.

Freshman Brittany Allen and senior Sam Wight also "clicked" in the skit "Sure Thing." Two otherwise hapless young people are given second chances to court one another, each marked by the ringing of a bell. Wight's deadpan delivery of Ives' silly and often hilariously inappropriate lines perfectly complemented Allen's charming performance.

One cannot forget seniors John Visclosky and Alicia Posner's performance in "Variations on the Death of Trotsky." In eight absurd reenactments of Leon Trotskey's death, Visclosky solemnly laments his future death by, no joke, an axe buried in his head. Visclosky and Posner did a good job in making an already absurd script (Ives must have been thinking, "What would have Leon Trotsky done when he had an axe in his head for a day?) funny.

Junior Barun Aryal brought "All in the Timing" home in the final skit, "Arabian Nights." In the final skit, Aryal saved junior Emma Hutchinson and senior Gabriel Osborne from conversational disaster. Aryal hilariously transforms Hutchinson and Osborne's insipid chatter into a romantic, magical conversation by interpreting for the two strangers.

Each skit was drawn together by Emcee junior Lizzi Albert, a part cleverly added in by Boedecker and Albert for smooth transitions. The addition of Albert exemplifies Boedecker and Lorenz's exceptional directing. Not only did the Emcee character help keep up the pace but also her role prevented the play from becoming a confusing assortment of seemingly unrelated skits; each skit was linked together under the fairy-tale theme of "Happily Ever After."

The only drawback in "All in the Timing" is its occasional racial lampooning. Aryal, who stole the spotlight in the hilarious "Arabian Nights," liberally parodied his character by exaggerating an Arabian accent. Also sophomore Guru-Meher Khalsa's portrayal of a Mexican gardener in "Variations" garnered many laughs, although most were attributed to his also exaggerated accent and costume.