February 11, 2005
THEATER BEAT
Is William Inge's 1955 "Bus Stop" still worth the fare?
On the evidence of a passable new revival at Fremont Centre Theatre, the answer
would be yes and no. Some of Inge's dialogue retains a fine, laconic American
rhythm, but a good bit of this single-set romantic comedy is almost
cartoonishly corny.
That bit would be the central relationship between Bo (Lancer Dean
Shull), a hotheaded cowboy who's escorting nightclub singer Cherie (Shannon
Vaughan Shull), over her objections, to his Montana ranch to be his wife. When
their bus is snowbound near a small Kansas diner, they bring their childish
struggles inside. Also on board is a classics-quoting, flask-swilling ex-professor
in tweeds (Tom Moses) and a driver (Wade Freier) who pays a booty call on the
diner's proprietress (Sarah Zinsser). Playing breathless witness to all this
sexual drama is teen waitress Elma (Julie Mann), who barely notices that she is
the object of inappropriate attentions.
The best thing about director Matthew Solari's faithful, plodding
production, played on Brad Reyes' oatmeal-gray set, is that wide-eyed Elma
emerges as the play's center. This isn't just because Mann flawlessly registers
Elma's curious wondermentÑwatch her face when Cherie refers offhandedly to
"sex and lovin' " Ñbut because a teen's-eye view actually makes some
sense of the material's more hokey, idealized elements. Elma still believes,
and almost convinces us, that love happens at first sight, that opposites
attract and that the crusty town sheriff (Bill Steele) knows best.
"Bus Stop," Fremont Centre Theatre, 1000 Fremont
Ave., South Pasadena. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays.
Ends Feb. 27. $20. (800) 595-4849. Running time: 2 hours.