'My Llama' more fun than a barrel of alpacas

By Nicole Diamond

LIZ OLINER/YH David Steib, PC '98, builds a fancy fort in 'Farewell my Llama'

Yet in this raucous explosion of a theatrical production, written by Isaac Meyers, SY '01, and directed by Rachel Levy, SM '00, Annette's plans go slightly awry. First, her husband Donald (Ari Shapiro, DC '00) doesn't die quickly enough, as evidenced by the low groans which come from him periodically throughout the show. Second, the next-door neighbors decide to pay a social call. Third, the maid arrives. And finally, Annette's current therapist and lover, Roger (Nick Bagley, ES '00), causes his own share of problems. All of these impediments converge to send her carefully wrought plans, quite literally, out the window; it's a frustrating afternoon for the grieving widow.

Fortunately, these disappointments make for an enjoyable hour. Bordering on the absurd, Meyers's play is awfully funny, and even if he sometimes relies on clichés (the Vietnam veteran's flashbacks, the Jewish man's attachment to his mother, the maid's inability to speak English), they are still almost always entertaining.

The play has its share of original moments as well. One can't help but chuckle when Annette, complaining to her dying husband about her failed chances for a career, proudly declares, "I was going to be a stockbroker like you. Or a lion tamer." Levy's competent and enthusiastic direction makes Meyers' work even funnier, and as a result she elicits energetic and committed performances from her cast.

Pike steals the show as the flustered Annette, and her performance is closely rivalled by Lauren Popper's, ES '01, portrayal of Maria, the talkative maid who only speaks the ancient Inca language of Quechua. We are thankfully given a glimpse into Maria's thoughts through a voice-over monologue halfway through the show, although her robotic gestures and floods of gibberish are adequately entertaining without any translation at all.

Bagley, as the sensitive vegan therapist prone to violent fits of military hysteria, is also funny, though the switches between his two personas are not always well-delineated. The antics of neighbors Nancy Babb-Wapstein (Judeth Oden, DC '00) and Gary Wapstein-Babb (David Steib, PC '98) add greatly to the general hilarity. Steib is particularly good during his more physically demanding moments.

As the plot thickens and the police arrive on the scene, Roger makes frantic demands over the apartment's intercom, requesting--among other things--a Nautilus machine and a long-haired cat. As the ridiculousness of the situation increases, the pace becomes more and more intense, right up to a startling and clever conclusion.

Despite the play's humor and energy, Farewell My Llama does have its flaws. Sometimes more of an exercise in clever physical improvisation than a tightly run play, it is no surprise that a number of those involved in the show hail from Yale's improv comedy groups. One wonders just how closely the actors are sticking to the original script, or to what extent the show changes from performance to performance.

Because of this freedom, the play appears out of control at times. Actors sometimes speak over one another or seem unprepared for what their fellow actors might do at a given moment. While this sometimes creates more dynamic action, one can't help but wonder if any material gets lost in the shuffle.

Regardless, Farewell My Llama entertains. The characters are amusingly developed and brought to life, the show moves along nicely, and the audience follows Annette with curiosity in order to discover how she will resolve the situation.

Will she get away with the murder of her husband? Will she cope with Roger's multiple personalities? Will she ever be able to teach Maria a word in English besides "llama"? And most importantly, will she get that Vietnamese food? This entertaining production makes it enjoyable for the audience to find out.

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