By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY
christopher.tuffley@newssun.com
SEBRING -- Highlands Little Theatre presents the comedy "Auntie Mame" for its second production of the 2012-2013 season.
"Auntie Mame" is a laugh aloud play with a large cast of zany characters -- from a teacher who advocates free love to a Lithuanian Bishop.
The plot is simple. Patrick Dennis becomes an orphan and goes to live with his aunt, an irrepressible woman in love with life.
Two conflicts complicate Mame and Patrick's lives -- the Great Depression and bankruptcy, and trustees put in place by Patrick's father to ensure his son received a staid, button-downed, conventional education.
As Patrick grows, the pull between freedom and playing by the rules becomes a real problem, especially after he falls in love with a girl from an extremely conservative family.
Tammie Pollard is wonderful as Mame, whom she describes as "... eccentric, crazy intelligent, sophisticated and deeply loving and protecting of her nephew.
"She's a lot of fun," Pollard added. "When she rips into people, sometimes she lets them know it, sometimes she's subtle and they don't even get it."
Pollard said the play has special meaning for her. "Auntie Mame" was the first HLT production 30 years ago. Her close friend and mentor, the late Janelou Buck, former News-Sun editor, played Mame then. "One more connection," Pollard said, "a role we got to share."
Pete Pollard, Tammie's husband, directed the show. The opening curtain and introduction to the show is a fresh and complete surprise.
Pacing is brisk, and the cast fun to watch.
It is a big production; there are 34 parts.
HLT veterans Brenda Hippchen, Art Harriman, Bill Farmer, Johanna Johnston, Alan Grosman, Linda Wells-Grosman, RoseMarie Tippins Beringer, and Gloria Coffey, as usual, have great comic timing and are fun to watch.
Mark Reyes, while young, is no longer a novice. He plays Patrick as a boy and holds his own with the adults, down to stirring martinis -- you'll have to see the play to see what that's about.
Todd Coleman, who appeared as a smarmy no-good-nik in "Annie", plays the part of Patrick as an adult, an entirely different kind of character. "Patrick doesn't have the most comedic role," Coleman said. "He's a straight man. I have to play around the comedy."
There are several new names in the cast.
Suzanne Schilfarth, from the Tanglewood Theatrical Guild, is wonderful as Vera Charles -- an icon of the theater, best friend to Mame ... and a lush.
Steve Lundy plays two parts in his first production; Will Bennett plays an off-the-wall educator, Savannah St. John is adult Patrick's love interest; and Erika Weaver plays Gooch, maybe the funniest character in the play.
After the acting, the "wow" component of this production is the costumes. Mame alone has 14 changes, most in the wings, done in seconds.
"Auntie Mame" is one of the great American comedies. This production reminds the audience that "Life is a banquet."
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - www.newssun.com/011612-ct-Auntie-Mame