Who cares?

Funky monks
Village Players’ religious farce delivers us from evil by Tobias Dean
OK, so the premise of "Monky Business" isn’t exactly Chekhov: A monastery, deeply in debt, about to be taken over by a big bad land developer who will turn it into a gaming casino. But the implausible proposition is as good as any to string together some witty dialogue, and showcase quirky musical numbers with such daffy rhymes as "God has … seraphim to take care of Him."
" Monky Business" features an ensemble cast, with all five characters fairly well-matched, not only in the number of lines (except for the mute one…), but also in the strength of acting and vocal prowess. Credit goes to the cast, as they are all onstage for almost the entire production. For those who think this no mean feat, remember the pressure of delivering those 10-minute presentations in Public Speaking 101? Now, to dialogue and lyrics, add blocking and choreography, and one begins to see the magnitude of the accomplishment.
Paul Soska, as the Brother Lee Love, stands out in both his vocal proficiency and character portrayal, being both piously pitiful and boundlessly enthusiastic. David Dysard, as Brother Brooks, gives us a delightful depiction of the kind of managerial style, found in every hierarchy and organization. He is the idiosyncratic, anxiety-ridden leader we all love to hate. Matt Richardson in the role of Brother Clarence (apologies made to all "It’s a Wonderful Life" devotees) is a deliciously distasteful, deviously duplicitous demon, who could have been just a dash more oily for my taste, but received audience raves for dramatic eyebrow work.
Jeffery Thomas King depicts Brother Forte, a mute. Yet, his enthralling exploits in the first Act speak louder than, well, sound effects. Ben Lumbrezer renders the role of Abbot Costello, a man of indeterminate age but of definitive ethnicity, which belies the name Costello.
The major star of this production is the script. Usually, when humor and religion collide, one suffers at the hand of the other. Not so here. Sometimes, the wit is as sharp as a razor and other times a meat cleaver, but it just keeps coming. The scriptural references are as plentiful as fishes and loaves, post-prayer, as creative as the first chapter of Genesis, almost, and as obscure as Obadiah’s hiding place. Sample: an apostle’s dozen, that is, eleven. A baker’s dozen is twelve plus one. An apostle’s dozen is twelve minus one.
This play, while having a moral value (only one person goes to hell, but he wanted to) is less about good and evil
and more about a good time.
" Monky Business" concludes its run from Sept. 22-24

One more time...

This evening is the final leg of the Summer of Music tour. We finish with Monky Business this weekend. It has been a decent show, I'm getting reviews in my favor, but maybe I should have stopped at Fiddler...

Anyways, I sit here at the bank thinking about finishing the run of the show, and finally getting to sleep more and enjoy my evenings. I'll be able to work more at Kroger and put money away. I will also be able to join the church choir, and work in Awana this year.

Oh, the joy of getting my life back.

Revenge of the Monks

I certainly hope the Catholic Church has a good sense of humor. With shows such as Nunsense, Late Nite Catechism, and Altar Boyz, that denomination seems to be fertile ground for farce.


Another such production is Monky Business, which the Village Players Theatre is presenting as its season opener.

Directed by Wes Skinner, the musical by Todd Mueller and Hank Boland has the sketchiest of plots: The monks of St. Bernard's monastery are presenting a radiothon to raise $250,000 to save their home from a real estate developer who wants to turn it into a casino.

This gives rise to such jokes as, "If we don't raise that $250,000, it will be hard to maintain our vow of poverty."

Skinner has assembled a fine cast for his evening of merriment.

Ben Lumbrezer plays the befuddled head of the monastery, Abbott Costello. His flock consists of Brother Brooks (David Dysard), a take-charge guy who borders on being a control freak; Brother Clarence (Matt Richardson), who recently came to the monastery after spending many years as a hermit; Brother Forte (Jeffrey Thomas King), a mute, and the nave and innocent Brother Lee Love (Paul Soska), who was left at the monastery as a baby and knows no other life.

It's hard to play favorites among the monks, but Brother Forte stands out. The character may not speak, but actor King turns body language into an art, with an elastic face that he can twist into an amazing range of emotions, topped off by a smile that the angels would covet.

One reason it's hard to play favorites is that the cast meshes beautifully. The performers act as if they've known each other for years and are well acquainted with individual foibles and quirks.

The action takes place inside a radio station, WGOD, donated for the evening by the Liturgical Order of Radio Directors (LORD, get it?). The entire show is filled with such silly references, as well as passing tributes to such classics as Abbott and Costello's Who's on First routine, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Music Man.

The set is dominated by a large cross, which is lit when the show is live and dimmed when it's not. As the monks fill the air with silly skits, songs, and ads for toupees and venison pie, trying to drum up donations ("God loves a cheerful giver"), the devil is not about to lose his chance to get rid of a monastery.

The songs are goofy, with lyrics such as "We swim against the flow/we got no HBO" and "When you got the lord/you don't need room and board."

Skinner and his able cast make such lyrics and accompanying antics look easy, which probably means they've worked like the dickens to keep the fun flowing.

It's no miracle that they've succeeded.

"Monky Business" continues through Sept. 24 in the Village Players theater, 2740 Upton Ave. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors. Information: 419-472-6817.

Here's my book report. Sorry it's late sir.

Wes Skinner defines Monky Business as "The Marx Brothers meet the monks of St. Bernard."


Skinner directs the musical comedy, which opens tomorrow in the Village Players' theater and runs through Sept. 24.

The story is simple, he says. When the monks of St. Bernard's monastery learn they have only a few hours to raise $250,000 to save their home from a real estate developer who wants to turn it into a casino, they brainstorm and come up with the idea of a radiothon.

The result is an evening of song, merriment, and mayhem, especially because the monks don't realize that they have more problems than a real estate developer.

There are only five characters, Skinner says, and it will be easy to keep them straight because each is a strong individual: Abbot Costello is the bumbling one, Brother Brooks is a control freak, Brother Lee Love questions his calling, Brother Forte is a mute, and Brother Clarence is the novice.

Skinner says the cast does the show justice, in both the areas of comedy and the singing.

Paul Soska, who plays Brother Lee Love, is in the Toledo Opera chorus; Jeffrey Thomas King (Brother Forte) has been in several musicals in regional theater, including the Village Players' Suds and the Croswell Opera House's Fiddler on the Roof; Matt Richardson (Brother Clarence) will be playing Gaston in Oregon Community Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast in November; David Dysard (Brother Brooks) is a staple of local theater, performing in musicals such as 1776, Guys and Dolls, and Singing in the Rain, and Ben Lumbrezer (Abbot Costello), has appeared in such Village Players productions as Much Ado about Nothing, Of Mice and Men, and Cherchez Dave Robicheaux.

Songs include "The Mohair Rag," "Satan's Place," "Be Kind to Your Brother," "Celibacy," and Skinner's favorite, "The Greatest Book on Earth."

"It's a delightful number, and we're just having a lot of fun with it," he said

The production is definitely family-friendly, Skinner says. "We do talk about asses, but we're referring to the animal."

"Monky Business" is scheduled tomorrow through Sept. 24 in the Village Players theater, 2740 Upton Ave. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sept. 18. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors. Information: 419-472-6817.