I can’t imagine anything more quintessentially small-town America than walking out the front door and strolling down your picket-fence-lined street for a block or two until you arrive at the old city library that’s been converted to a neighborhood playhouse.
Lafayette’s Mary Miller Theatre exudes that kind of old-fashioned, “Olde Town” feel.
What separates the resident Theatre Company of Lafayette from similarly nostalgic little community theaters is the surprisingly far-reaching scope of its programming. Under Madge Montgomery, this busy company balances family favorites with challenging stories and massive undertakings like last year’s ambitious Lincoln/Darwin project, a festival of 10 original, themed playlets.
Now up: “Lloyd’s Prayer,” a scattered comic parable about what happens when a boy raised by raccoons is captured and exploited. Next up: Edward Albee’s “Seascape,” about a retired couple who encounter two human-sized geckos on the beach. Why, they’ve gone to, if not the dogs, then certainly to the animal kingdom.
“Lloyd’s Prayer” is written by NPR humorist Kevin Kling, who was nearly killed 10 years ago in a horrific motorcycle accident. Without use of his arms, he remains a prolific writer of novels, children’s theater and surreal Midwestern plays marked by lovably damaged characters seeking salvation in disturbing yet starkly funny ways.
Here, in the moment when Bob the Raccoon Boy is caught in a trap while foraging through trash, he chooses to be human. But if Bob thought life in the wild was tough, just wait till he sees what humankind has in store for him.
He’s taken in by a hustling evangelist named Lloyd who turns Bob into a moneymaking freak show. When a heaven-sent, beauty-queen angel is sent to stop Lloyd’s blasphemy, a struggle for the boy’s soul ensues.
Local stages have been filled lately with similar theological allegories, but unless the story being staged is “Damn Yankees,” these celestial battles often come off as preachy and clunky — and “Lloyd’s Prayer” is no exception.
But the thing is . . . it should be the exception. This play has been described as hilarious . . . downright giddy . . . unrelentingly adorable. But if that’s the play Kling wrote, there’s been a disconnect in Lafayette, where this hard-working but overmatched cast lacks the complete comic abandon required.
Director Brian Miller’s overly serious staging struggles to find a working comic tone. His actors never seem completely sure of what it is Kling is going for here, and so, neither do we. In their defense, they don’t get much help from the writer, whose unfocused second act grows heavyhanded and tiresome.
Balance is a problem. Ash VanScoyoc’s machinating Lloyd dominates not just the stage but also the entire ZIP code, so his battle with Jacqueline Garcia’s easily flustered Angel just isn’t a fair fight. Kyle LaBoria shows great promise as Bob, but he’s a boy next door, when we should never forget that Bob is a feral creature, not the adorable host of “Blue’s Clues.” It’s that essential aspect of Bob that, missing here, only makes Lloyd’s subsequent abuse seem all the more unfairly inhumane.
This play takes on loss, evangelism, unhealthy relationships, what it means to be human and God’s place in the temporal world. But without more help, it turns into a murky and circuitous theological stew.
“Be amazed,” the Angel often implores us.
For that to happen, we’re going to need more help from above.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“Lloyd’s Prayer” ** (out of four stars)
Quirky comedy. Presented by Theatre Company of Lafayette at the Mary Miller Theater, 300 E. Simpson. Written by Kevin Kling. Directed by Brian Miller. Through May 15. 2 hours. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. this Sunday. $10-$15. 720-209-2154 and
This weekend’s theater openings
Though there never seems to be a shortage of theater offerings in Colorado, we usually experience a brief lull in May, the end of what is traditionally defined as the theater season. Not this year. This weekend alone, 15 new productions launch, making for one of the busiest opening weekends of recent memory. The rundown, in alphabetical order:
“Amphitryon 38” In this perceptive comic romp about the nature of fidelity and the arbitrary whims of the gods, Jupiter falls for a mortal woman who is steadfastly faithful to her husband. By Jean Giraudoux (“The Madwoman of Chaillot”); adapted by S.H. Behrmand. Through June 13. Germinal Stage-Denver, 2450 W. 44th Ave., 303-455-7108 or
“The Bootyguard” Ruthless comic parody of the pill-popping, booze- soaked entertainment world inspired by the ’90s romantic thriller “The Bodyguard,” starring Whitney Houston. Written by and starring Denver native Andrew Shoffner. Through May 29. The Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., 303-321-5925 or
“Crazy for You”The popular musical about Bobby Child, a well-to-do 1930s playboy who heads west to realize his dream to dance. Starring Michael E. Gold. Gershwin score includes “I Got Rhythm” and “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Through May 30. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., 719-634-5583 or
“Dietrich & Chevalier” This biographical musical tells the compelling, true tale of entertainment giants Marlene Dietrich and Maurice Chevalier, who met in 1932 and whose lifetime romance culminated with Dietrich’s dramatic appearance at his trial for treason. Through June 20. Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or
“The Diviners”In a small farm community during the Depression, where water and faith are in short supply, a charismatic preacher drifts into town and meets a misunderstood boy with the gift of divining water. Through May 22.Longmont Theatre Company, 513 Main St., 303-772-5200 or
“The Little Dog Laughed” Douglas Carter Beane’s tabloid spoof follows the adventures of a movie star who could hit the big time if only his agent can keep him in the closet. Through May 30. Lake Dillon Theatre, 176 Lake Dillon Dr., 970-513-9386 or
“The Mommy Rants” This one-act play by local writers Connie Ferger and Christie Winn explores all the wacky things that happen when you become a mother. Your ticket includes food, drinks and a massage for an hour before the show. Through May 9. Presented by Ranting Mommy Productions at Theatre O, 5311 Western Ave., Boulder, 720-890-6141 or
“Ring ‘Round the Moon” Jean Anouilh’s updated romantic class comedy, set in the sparkling 1920s, about a twin who initiates a scheme of confusion and pretense to save his lovesick brother from an unhappy marriage. Translated by Christopher Fry. Through May 22. Presented by Upstart Crow at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-444-7328 or
“The Secret Garden” Classic family musical about young orphan Mary Lennox, who is sent to England to live with a distant relative and discovers a magical garden with the power to change many sad lives. Through June 6. Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787 or
“Shining City” Conor McPherson’s Irish ghost story about a man who seeks help from a counselor after having seen the appirition of his recently deceased wife. Through May 30. Presented by openstage etc. at the Center for Fine Art Photography, 400 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, 970-221-6730 or
“Simply Simone: The Music of Nina Simone” Third time’s the charm: Shadow Theatre’s twice-delayed musical bio on the life of singer and activist Nina Simone, as portrayed by four different actresses, opens tonight. Through June 5. Shadow Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora, 720-857-8000 or
“The Sound of a Voice”This haunting Japanese fable by David Henry Hwang begins with a beautiful woman living alone in the woods. She offers food and shelter to an aging samurai who happens upon her and decides to remain with his benefactress. Through June 5. Paragon Theatre, 1385 S. Santa Fe Dr., 303-300-2210 or
“tick … tick … Boom!” “Rent” creator Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical rock musical about a young composer on the brink of turning 30 and falling into oblivion. Through May 23. Presented by Evolution Theatre at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-444-7328 or
“True West” Austin is a successful Hollywood screenwriter; Lee is his menacing, vagabond brother, and this is the story of their attempt to trade lives. A disturbing comedy by Sam Shepard. Through June 26. Victorian Playhouse, 4201 Hooker St., 303-433-4343 or
“The Wizard of Oz”Dorothy’s classic odyssey to the land of Oz. Through May 15. Curtains Up, 3900 W. 32nd Ave., 720-308-2920 or
Complete theater listings
Go to our complete list of in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page. Or check out our listings or
The Running Lines blog
Catch up on John Moore’s roundup of theater news and dialogue:
