If you like dysfunction, which includes psychogenic amnesia, limping man, stroke victim, drug addict teen, and a puppet named Binky, then Clarkston Village Player’s rendition of ‘Fuddy Meers? is the play for you.
‘You’ve got some totally unusual and different characters. The thing that got me about the play was it takes you through comedy, drama, and into tragedy all within two hours,? said Director Al Bartlett. ‘Playwright David Lindsay Abaire was very clear when he said ‘let it be what it is. Don’t try to put anything into it.??
Actress Jennifer Gentry Saulski, who plays the main amnesia character of Claire, said each character has ‘many layers.?
‘We tried to sit and peel the layers off like an onion, trying to get down to the meat of it. At our last dress rehearsal, I was still at the point where I brought up another thought I had about the character. We keep learning more about our characters as we go forward,? she said. ‘They are not straightforward as they initially appear when you read the script.?
Saulski said the character Claire starts off as very ‘childlike and innocent? because she starts each day not knowing anything, but as she goes through her ‘unusual day? and begins to slowly put together pieces of her past, she develops into a very ‘real and sympathetic character.?
‘I think she comes off as one of the most likeable characters of the show,? Saulski said.
Karen McClellan, who plays the part of gibberish-speaking Gertie, said she likes her character because nobody can understand her.
‘I think after awhile they do actually get it and what I’m trying to get across,? she said. ‘We’re having fun and it’s a good show.?
Mark Sheperdigian, who hasn’t been on stage since high school, plays the foul-mouthed, puppeteer Millet.
‘Millet was the proper part for a returning actor,? he said. ‘Most of him is pretty repressed. Millet really lives his life through Binky the hand puppet, which is a good role. It’s always nice to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, smartest guy in the room, and Binky is definitely the smartest guy in the room.?
Like Bartlett, Sheperdigian said the play ‘mixes drama and comedy in an unusual way.?
‘It allows the actors to really bring out the subtleties of the roles,? he said. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed doing it, it’s a great cast, and all of these people are fabulous actors, so to come back to the stage for this really made it easy.?
CVP also welcomes first time actor Kris Meek.
‘When I was smaller, my mom was out here doing some of the stage managing, and I wanted to get up on stage, but I was a little shy back then,? he said. ‘As I got older I wanted to go do something else and try it.?
Meek plays the drug-addict teen named Kenny.
‘He is a lot like how I am. I’m still a young guy, but not so much a pot head,? he said with a laugh. ‘Towards the end of the play, Kenny is a big momma’s boy, and I love my mom I’ll do anything to protect her. A lot of things about my character I just relate back to myself.?
Other cast members includes David Stokes as Richard, the chatty, friendly, but nervous man, Dale Dobson, as the Limping man, and Karen Dobson as Heidi, a tough woman in a uniform.
‘It’s a very close knit group. They’ve had a good time together and made it a real joy. It was a great way to spend my Christmas holiday directing these lunatics,? Bartlett said with a laugh.
Fuddy Meers is performed Jan. 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23 at the Depot Theater, 4861 White Lake Road.
For tickets, call 248-573-4104. Tickets are also available at Rudy’s Market, 9 S. Main Street.
For more information, visit www.clarkstonvillageplayers.org.