Is it possible to impersonate another person so perfectly that even their close friends and relatives are fooled? It seems impossible at first, but Olga Humphrey based her award-winning play, "I Used To Be Famous Once" on the true-life tale of how film director Stanley Kubrick's life was taken over in just that way.
Humphrey developed the plot by combining present day happenings with past events. Main character Alan (Jack Hunter) was known as a great director, but became a shut-in invalid after a string of bad productions. His wife, Evelyn (Mary Moebius) was a well-loved actress before hitting middle age.
After seven years of allowing Bert (Ross Hewitt) to play his role in life, Alan decides to reclaim his fame with the brilliant screenplay for "Paranoia" - whose authorship is debated throughout the play.
Hunter's passionate acting makes his scenes convincing, although at times his stampeding divulgence of his lines overshadows his fellow cast members' performances. During a crucial scene between actors Mary Moebius and Ross Hewitt, Hunter manages to draw the audience's attention to himself through a series of unidentifiable utterances and constant fidgeting.
At times, Hunter was "the saving glory," particularly in a scene in which he pretends to be on his deathbed. His performance could have been dry, but his unrelenting zeal enticed the audience and kept them entertained.
Moebius' Evelyn is central to the play; unfortunately, her performance left much to be desired. She could have used a little of Hunter's enthusiasm, since her acting was not as convincing.
Moebius' delivery of lines seemed forced, and her character lacked believability. However, her less-than-dynamic acting could be due to comparably fanatical performances by Hunter and Bax.
Much of the story hinges on Alan's attempt to reclaim his identity from Bert. The chemistry between Hunter and Hewitt was great, which is a good thing, since they had so many scenes together. Hewitt did a tremendous job of persuading the audience that he actually was Bert, Alan's archrival. Hewitt even managed to recover nicely after stumbling on a few of his lines, and improvising so subtly, most audience members were probably unable to realize he had faltered.
The play's fourth character, Trixie (Stephanie Bax), enters as a dramatic device just before Alan attempts suicide. Her humorous emergence had the audience laughing from the moment she appeared on stage and her fiery attitude and passionate performance was the perfect match for Hunter. Trixie also provided a comic relief during a powerful, and potentially tragic scene.
In addition to desperately seeking to reclaim his life, Alan also attempts to win back Evelyn after she engages in a stilted fling with Bert. The play is filled with exaggerated revelations from all the characters, as they began a somewhat far-fetched face off, each vying for the script of "Paranoia," believed to be a masterpiece.
Although humorous, much of the play was overdone. The passionate acting was downplayed because of the audience's constant attempt to figure out the plot's progression. Since the play was based on past events, it was critical that the audience understood the events that proceeded.
"One of my main concerns was that the audience was having difficulty interpreting the play," said Humphrey, after the show.
This is a valid concern, since the lack of clarity lead to the audience's confusion. However, Humphrey said he plans to revise the play, for which Alleyway's production is the debut, and incorporate audience reactions into future productions.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
