St. Albert Dinner Theatre’s mid-season play has it all: romance, comedy, time travel, buffoonery and a lot of heart.
Some Sweet Day, written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus, and directed by Darienne Johnson playfully uses time travel to explore how past regrets affect present-day decisions.
The plot revolves around Ken, an older obsessed inventor working on a time machine. He dreams of returning to the past and correcting a decision he made prompting a romantic breakup. Essentially, he’s searching for a do-over.
Known as Casey to friends, Ken’s younger self was deeply in love with Jenny. However, his workaholic lifestyle devoted to creating a time machine strained his relationship. Tired of Casey’s one-track mind, Jenny flew to Rome where she was killed in an automobile accident.
Since that day, Ken’s life has been filled with regret and loneliness. Brilliant enough to teach quantum physics at Harvard, he was fired due to his time machine mania. He currently teaches science at a junior college and refuses to accept how regret has stunted his life.
Don’t expect Kobler and Marcus’ time travel rules to be based in reality. Some Sweet Day requires theatregoers to swallow a dose of gobbledy-gook science and suspend their disbelief. However, the two-hour production is a fun, highly energetic comedy packed with soul, lively dialogue and a slapstick vibe.
Much of the credit goes to a cast that demonstrates natural chemistry and has developed a common language for fleshing out their characters’ unique nuances.
Rob Beeston, in his 16th production for St. Albert Dinner Theatre, plays Ken, the older Casey. Although Beeston has a particular knack for creating neurotic characters, he pulls back and reveals Ken’s inner turmoil and regret in quieter ways. Yes, he’s still funny and won’t disappoint. But the quieter, thoughtful moments add depth and reveal a richly layered character.
Leith Hutton is Casey, Ken’s younger self. Although Casey and Ken have no physical resemblance, it was a joy to watch Hutton mimic Beeston’s body language and mannerisms.
Melanie Dobos (The Trouble with Cats) returns as young Greta, Ken/Casey’s childhood best friend. Greta is a loose cannon trying to find herself. Dobo’s performance is blunt, charismatic, humorous and loyal to a fault. She brings to life a young woman dripping with insecurities, yet whose character finds purpose and determination.
Bridgette Boyko as Jenny is the beautiful ingenue who truly loves Casey. But hey, a girl can only take being ignored so often before she ditches the scene. Boyko is a grounded actor who brings a quiet elegance and strength to the role – two qualities that perfectly complement Ken/Casey’s nuttiness.
Sam Daly (Leading Ladies) is back as Casey’s close friend, Reece, a trust fund kid who has invested heavily in developing the time travel machine. Reece is the comic relief, a goofy, ingratiating salesman making a pitch to investors without understanding how to make a sale or the science behind the project.
Carolyn McGratton (Nana’s Naughty Knickers/The Odd Couple) is back creating a statuesque presence as Emma, a wealthy cosmopolitan woman who invests in projects and people she believes in. Although Emma is a small role, McGratton projects a commanding aura, and has the ability with the wave of a hand or the tilt of a head to convey meaning.
And lastly Corrie Gardner plays a double role as the older Greta and as Stormy, Greta’s mother. As the older Greta, Gardner is down-to-earth, outspoken, candid and doesn’t pull any punches.
But as Stormy, a pseudo-psychic and tarot card reader, Gardner shifts between a floaty granola hippie to a freaked out mother regularly interfering in her daughter’s life. Either way, Gardner was a hit with the audience.
The play’s ending felt tacked on as if playwright’s Kobler and Marcus were unable to find a satisfactory finale. But it’s a minor critique after enjoying a boisterous evening of laughter and a slight dose of soul searching.
Some Sweet Day plays Feb. 6 to 8 and Feb. 13 to 15 at Kinsmen Banquet Hall, 47 Riel Drive. Tickets are $70. Visit stalberttheatre.com.
