PAGE 10

"Mass

Appeal" Hits

Cleveland

SEPTEMBER 1982

by R. Woodward

After seeing the production of Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis at the Cabaret Dinner Theatre in North Royalton, playing through September 11th, the most urgent question for many gay playgoers will be, "Who should I bring along when I come to see it again?"

Of live dramas dealing with gay matters, this is probably the classiest and most entertaining that you will have a chance to see in Northern Ohio this year.

Glen Colerider and Kyle Krugh star In Mass Appeal.

The play centers around the non-stop disagreement between Father Tim Farley, a popular veteran priest, and Mark Dolson, an abrasively idealistic young seminarian. The two of them together are what might be termed the Catholic Odd Couple.

Father Tim does all he can to make himself and his parishioners feel comfortable. His heavy drinking is regarded by his parishioners as being a failing that is cute and cozy, they are always bringing him bottles of wine as presents.

Much to Father Tim's dismay, young Dolson's first sermon to Father Tim's well-to-do congregation is a fiery tirade against mink hats, cashmere coats, and blue hair. "These things are your shackles!" Mark exclaims.

Two of Mark's fellow seminarians who work very closely together helping emotionally disturbed children are "suspected" of being homosexually involved with each other. Questioned about what he knows about them by the powerful Monsignior Burke, Mark responds by calling him a "homophobic autocrat."

Despite being continually appalled by Mark's tactlessness, Father Tim is reminded of the vigorous idealism of his own youth. He says to Mark at one point, "The Church needs lunatics."

As a result of Mark's vehement response to Monsignior Burke, his own bi-sexual past comes under investigation. He and Father Tim disagree, of course, about how frank and precise Mark should be when asked about it.

Watching Mass Appeal, even those who are not theatre buffs are likely to be impressed by how well the script is written.

Few full length plays with only two on-stage characters have managed to be so rich and full

and hold an audience's attention so completely from beginning to end.

The play is filled with surprises without seeming to be contrived or gimmicky.

Director Fred Sternfeld and his cast achieve enough rapport with each other and the script that the production is almost completely seamless.

Glenn Colerider as Father Tim and Kyle Krugh as Mark Dolson bounce their lines off of each other with superb timing. Under Sternfeld's direction they are able to perform full blast while keeping their performances very precise.

With what appears to be complete faith in the script and each other, they completely avoid embellishing their already colorful roles with any obvious acting mannerisms.

Krugh manages the difficult feat of keeping an overbearingly self-righteous character from seeming to be wimpy or sanctimonious. Like Father Tim, the audience can see the genuine soul while being grated by the character's rough edges.

Playing the role of Father Tim briskly and cleanly, Colerider is a striking example of an actor grasping a character firmly without grasping it too hard. Colerider lets the audience get a good look at humor, charm, vulnerability and pathos of his character without overshading them.

He and director Sternfeld noticed that the role is written clearly and succinctly enough that it can have its full impact without slowing down the performance to squeeze anything out of it.

Performances continue through September 11. For more information and reservations you call Cabaret Dinner Theatre at (216) 237-3220.

THE GOLDW COAST

It's a whole new atmosphere!

FRISCO DISCO

Friday, September 3 DRINK SPECIALS-Beer & Schnapps

11517 Clifton, Cleveland