Wednesday, May 17, 2000
'House of Yes' has offbeat appeal
By Joseph McDonough
Enquirer contributor
Anguished Marty in The House of Yes tells his mother that he is just trying to “be normal.” “It's a little late for that, young man,” he is told. She's not kidding.
The House of Yes, being produced by the Ovation Theatre Company at the Carnegie in Covington contains one of the most bizarre families you'd like never to encounter.
Wealthy, spoiled, and each totally self-absorbed, the characters in Wendy MacLeod's dark, dark comedy are beyond dysfunctional.
For starters, Marty (George Alexander) and his twin sister Jackie-O (funny Kate Brauer) are former lovers. Psychotic Jackie-O, as her name indicates, is obsessed with Jackie Kennedy — and Marty. She and Marty even like to re-cre ate the Kennedy assassination for kicks. We're talking really, really obsessed here.
Their mother (Carolmarie Stock) roams about with an odd maternal indifference. Younger brother Anthony (a sincere Rob Jansen) seems never to have left the house and has no social skills. Their father disappeared under mysterious circumstances years before.
Their lives — or lack thereof — are disastrously disrupted when Marty returns home with his fiance, Lesly (Ovation Managing Director Deborah K. Ludwig). Lesly is from the outside world and represents Marty's escape to anything normal. But poor Marty is pulled in both directions.
Lesly represents the audience's viewpoint into The House of Yes. Ms. Ludwig is sweet and naive as she tries at first to give these people a chance. She has a nice scene with Mr. Jansen as younger brother Anthony lets her in on the family secrets as well as a few secrets of his own.
The play is filled with sharp dialogue and dry humor that usually hits its mark under Joe Stollenwerk's direction. Ms. Brauer most successfully nails the play's caustic style with a sarcastic performance delivered in her black and pink Jackie Kennedy outfits designed by Brooke Stanley.
Mr. Stollenwerk adds some effective exaggerated sound effects (such as the sound of matches being lit), but could use some music or other sounds during the play's many blackouts.
Unfortunately, The House of Yes at 85 minutes (including intermission) doesn't have enough character development in the script or on the stage to succeed as a tragedy as the play turns more somber in the second act. Something is missing.
We don't understand the characters enough to care about them as things get even more weird by the play's too abrupt conclusion.
This production won't move you. But if you're looking for some offbeat and sometimes biting humor, then the answer to The House of Yes is yes.
The House of Yes Thursday-Saturday, The Carnegie, corner of Scott and Robbins streets, Covington, $12. 369-1544.
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