Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The current show at Newport Playhouse is “No Tell Motel” by Michael Wilmot which was originally called “Love Shack” when it premiered back in 2010. Brandon and Sarah plan a quick, sexy rendezvous at Bird of Paradise Motel and discover getting what you want isn’t always what you want. A meddling motel manager with issues and the fall out from a Bible salesman with ulterior motives get in the way. Also a roll-away cot, guilt, misunderstandings and an inconvenient husband somehow combine for a happy ending. The show is about sexual fantasies and full of good natured humor. Director Daniel Lee White casts these four comic roles beautifully and gives them each their moment to shine and some clever shtick to perform to keep the audience laughing all night long.
Some of Wilmot’s comic lines are laugh out loud moments especially the fantasy titles “The Sex Starved Chambermaid”, ”The Captain and the Scullery Wench”, “The Lonely Cowboy” and “Oops, I Have the Wrong Room.” The latter one is the one used by Brandon and Sarah with Southern and German accents during their exchanges. Leading the cast is Griffin Ostrowski as Brandon, the neighbor who brings Sarah to the motel to act out these wild and crazy fantasies. One of his funniest lines is “I’m a firecracker of desire ready to be lit.” Brandon also tells Sarah when she wants to stop the fantasy to say “Banana” which leads to a humorous situation later in the show with him in red boxers. Also his pantomime while outside the window getting ready for their fantasy is hysterical. This is Griffin’s first show at the playhouse and he more than delivers the goods in this role. Another newcomer to the playhouse is pretty blonde Caroline Paradis as Sarah. Her nervous behavior and comic line delivery lead to many laughs and her recap of why the manager’s wife left him is brilliantly performed. Some of her comic lines include calling Brandon, “Lance McLusty”, “Each one has its own titillation factor” and later on when the manager tries to throw her out declares she doesn’t want a waterbed. Great chemistry between Griffin and Caroline keeps thing hopping at a brisk pace.
Rick Bagley, a veteran performer, also wins many laughs as the grumpy Motel manager who is upset because his wife has run off with a bible salesman with both of them nude on a motorcycle during rush hour. His confession to Sarah about what happened is hilarious. When Brandon and Sarah first check in, the manager yells at them after they pretend to be having a prayer meeting. He then says the last time he rented a room to a priest when he turned around he had the ass cut out of his pants. Rick also calls Brandon, Billy Graham which is humorous, too. And he exclaims as he leaves the stage that he wants to be a bad boy, too. Michael Gregory plays Frank, the volatile husband of Sarah. He puts both Rick and Griffin in headlocks while exclaiming that he is not a violent man. Michael wins many laughs with his slow burns and misunderstanding what happened or did he? One of his funniest moments comes when he says he’s finally smiling after beating everyone up. So for an all you can eat buffet before the show with Prime Rib and baked stuffed shrimp on Saturday nights and a fun filled song, dance and joke fest cabaret afterwards come down to Newport Playhouse. So be sure to catch “No Tell Motel”, a clever farcical show before they check out of town for good. The proper dingy and tacky motel room set is by Tonya Killavey and stage managers Olivia Sahlin and Lauren Beaudoin keep things running smoothly all night long.
NO TELL MOTEL (6 July to 1 September)
Newport Playhouse, 102 Connell Highway, Newport, RI
1(401)848-7529 or www.newportplayhouse.com
