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Theatre & Box Office |
Reprinted with permission of The Post Tribune. 'Little Murders' is both disturbing, hilarious Before there was Court TV, serial killer mania and a flood of grocery store tabloids, Jules Feiffer wrote “Little Murders,” his insightful story of the Newquists, a New York family with a twisted side. Only Feiffer, the longtime political cartoonist for the New Yorker, could turn a fictional family’s pent-up rage into a wickedly funny satire. David Pera first directed this play in 1991. He revives this dark comedy tonight at the Valparaiso theater. The cast includes Deb Weiss as Marjorie Newquist; Roger Hughes as Carol, her husband; John Evans, as Kenny, their son; and Heather McCalment as Patsy, their daughter. “It’s like a whole new play because I’m working with a new cast,” Pera said. “We’ve updated some of the ’60s references to make this play more contemporary. I bring more life experience to this play. I feel it’s a play I understand pretty well.” Feiffer takes the audience on a wild ride with the dysfunctional Newquists. As the story unfolds, we begin to see the eccentricities of the wimpy father, the domineering mother, the gay son who is trying to find himself, and the sweet daughter who worships her strange fiancee, who thinks if you daydream while you are mugged, it won’t hurt too much. Despite its disturbing overtones, “Little Murders” has hilarious moments of irony. The Newquists move with whirlwind speed through a wedding, a funeral and a killing spree. “It’s not Neil Simon, but it’s extremely funny,” Pera said. “We don’t do conventional plays at this theater. We like to think of ourselves as a cutting-edge theater.” Pera, a Valparaiso resident, describes himself as “a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants director,” because he gives his actors room to find the idiosyncrasies of their characters. “I have a great cast,” Pera said. “They all understand what makes their characters tick. That’s what makes this play so interesting.” Pera said the charm in this play is in the weird way the characters handle difficult situations. “The Newquists are unhinged at the beginning of the play,” he said. “After they go berserk, the mother disappears into the kitchen and serves their dinner — a can of pork 'n’ beans. The edge is way out there in this play.” While it is funny, “Little Murders” obviously makes a disturbing statement on society and our growing acceptance of violence. “Violence, dysfunctional families, and murder are all topics ingrained in our culture,” Pera said. “ 'Little Murders’ refers to all the little moments of insanity that happen in everyday society. This play is Feiffer’s commentary on our culture of violence. Feiffer seems to be saying, if you can’t fight ’em, join ’em.” What:Jules Feiffer's "Little Murders," a dark comedy |
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