Aldo (Marco Zaccagnini) tries to get his friend Huey (Michael Lopetrone) to snap out of his funk, but Huey says he has realized he must break up with his girlfriend, Teresa (Lauren Knox), and get back together with his ex-wife, Janice (Erin Edgerton).
Aldo tries to dissuade him from this course of action, seeing how Janice had shot Huey's dog and tried to shoot Huey back before their divorce, but Huey implores Aldo to act as a go-between. Along the way, both Teresa and Aldo benefit from the sage advice of Aunt May (Elizabeth DeWulf).
Various aspects of Italian-American culture take some ribbing in this play, but I rather suspect that many of those who will get the biggest kick out of the play will be the Italian-Americans in the audience.
Directed by Karen Sheridan, this is the best production yet from the Epicenter Theatre Group, which was founded by alumni of Oakland University's very fine theater program with the involvement of some retired faculty members. Not that their previous productions haven't been good, but this one is consistently of the highest quality.
Zaccagnini gives a very convincing performance as the swaggering Aldo, while Lopetrone is likewise persuasive as the mournful Huey. Knox is very appealing as the sweet, but tough, Teresa, while Edgerton is a sexy, but dangerous, Janice. And DeWulf has that air of worldly wisdom of a woman who has been there and done that.
Paul Jagoda's set design, Kerro Knox's lighting design and Christa Koerner's costumes all contribute to the high quality of this production.
SHOW DETAILS: ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION continues through June 10, with performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, at the Varner Studio Theatre in Varner Hall on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills. For ticket information, call 586-246-7546 or go to www.epicentertheatregroup.org.
Performance Information
Show times
Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Friday, June 1, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Friday, June 8, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm
