Theater review: The Red Velvet Cake War at HART

Leslie Lang, Kristen Hedberg and Tabitha Judy in The Red Velvet Cake War. Photo courtesy of HART

If you enjoy Southern-fried comedy, plucked right out of a family reunion in a Texas trailer park, then Haywood Arts Regional Theatre’s 2016 season opener, The Red Velvet Cake War, is right up your alley. Written by the venerable comedy team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten (the writers behind theFutrelle Family Texas Trilogy), this could be a tale of familial dysfunction plucked right out of The Jerry Springer Show in its heyday.

HART veteran director Judy Dybwad has assembled a cast of fresh faces from the local community alongside noted professional actors who flesh out the Bodeen family characters. Strother Stingley plays patriarch Aubrey as he approaches his 90th birthday, and dispatches advice in a whimsically wise manner. Stingley is a gifted comedic performer and steals every scene he’s in.

As the tomboyish Jimmie Wyvette, Kristen Hedberg is another standout. She trades her musical theater leanings for a rascally performance as the more mischievous of the three cousins who are the central focus of the show.

Leslie Lang’s Gaynelle is trying to stay clear of trouble after trying to run down her ex-husband’s new girlfriend. Lang gives the role some gusto, as Gaynelle heads further down a path of trouble. Meanwhile, and a one-eyed wigmaker and bait salesman named Newt Blaylock (played by Kier Klepzig) pursues her affections after love at first sight.

Add to that list Susan Rudniak, who gives a great performance as the shrink who arrives at just the wrong time.

The hijinks escalate at every turn. Gaynelle bets her house in a wager with snooty relative LaMerle Verdeen Minshew (played with a “Church Lady”-reminiscent charm by Ruth Butler). Their bet: Who can bake the best red velvet cake for the family reunion. A secret recipe buried in a time capsule, a nosy Sheriff and a small town reality TV celebrity add to the mix, building new layers of comedy confection. Holly Cope is an inspired casting choice as Cee Cee Windham. Her talk show helps frame the events surrounding the Bodeen family. Their reunion, it turns out, is a heaping serving of bean dishes, two red velvet cakes and Texas heat that fries nerves and tries the patience of all involved.

It is curious that the show never actually presents any red velvet cakes on stage, and that the stage is essentially bare but for furniture. Some limitations in the theater’s sound system may have muted some of the laughs on opening night, too. Still, the show has a lot of humor and charm, and the cast give it their all.

WHAT: The Red Velvet Cake War
WHERE: Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, Harttheatre.org
WHEN: Through Sunday, April 17. Thursday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. $16-$24

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jeff Messer
playwright, actor, director and producer, Jeff Messer has been most recently known as a popular radio talk show host. He has been a part of the WNC theatre scene for over 25 years, and actively works with and supports most of the theatres throughout the region. Follow me @jeffdouglasmess

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.