Spiral's DIE MOMMIE DIE!

The basement of the Plymouth Church features a table of liquor bottles, a generous amount of orange animal print wall décor and a tasteful picture of Mark Hooker in drag as a fictitious singer named Angela Arden. It’s the set of Spiral Theatre’s final production in MilwaukeeCharles Busch’s Die Mommie Die! Director/Actor/Spiral Theatre Artistic Director has launched a pleasantly risky production of the comedyattempting to play much of the comedy with a completely straight face. The production doesn’t always succeed in playing it all straight, but the show is funny enough that the inconsistency never seems substantial.

Set in 1967, the story revolves around aging singer Angela Arden as she plots to kill her husbandfilm producer Sol Sussman. Mark Hooker, who plays Arden plays Arden had mentioned that the character doesn’t seem to get as many good comic lines as the rest of the characters. One might expect that to make her the straight character that the rest of the ensemble’s craziness circles around. This isn’t actually the case, however, as Hooker plays the role with an earthiness that comes across profoundly comic without having to deliver it as comedy at all. The performance works on multiple levels because Hooker had the courage to let the character find her own comedy.

Much of the rest of the cast weaves subtly in and out of comic postures at times. Will Elwood capably delivers a fleshed-out performance as Angela’s husband Sol. Kelly Simon has an anxious emotionality in the role of Sol’s adoring daughter Edith. Nate Press possibly plays a bit closer to the comic end of the spectrum as Sol’s son Lance. Press puts in a memorably funny performance that serves to contrast quite effectively against the largely serious portrayals the dominate much of the production. Jenna Wetzel may not have an entirely convincing southern drawl in the role of Sussman’s maid Bootsie, but her performance is remarkably charming nonetheless. Jordan Giazdowski rounds out the cast as Angela’s lover Tony Parker. Giazdowski seems remarkably sophisticated for someone who is more or less drinking constantly throughout much of his time onstage. He’s cuts quite a shrewd figure onstage throughout the handful of plot twists Busch throws into the story.

At 90 minutes with no intermission, the show is fairly lean and concise, never really allowing the audience much time to breathe between moments. The rhythm and pacing of the plot keep things from ever slowing down too much. All in all a pleasant show for Spiral to leave town on. They will be missed.

Spiral Theatre’s production of Die Mommie Die runs through March 29th at Plymouth Church on the east side.