They’ve been friends for years. They went through high school and college together. Now most of them are married and only two are still single. Tonight they are having a party but it is no ordinary night. A terrorist threat has been issued against a major American city. Some are worrying about it. Others are ignoring the news and trying to party. Starting out as a musical comedy, filled with jestful singing and dancing, All In One Night eventually gets very heavy as people begin to discuss the problems with their marriages, the superficiality of their decisions, and the meaning of life.
Cast: 7 men 6 women
Running time: 90 minutes
“Siegel has cast a talented ensemble of actors and singers…Matt Frank does a great job…Chester McLaughlin….is amazing…Shelly Smith shines in the spotlight…she delights the audience…The play should be seen by married couples…”
-Ruth Leper The Daily Californian
Marriage probed in latest script by the Warehouse
Ruth Lepper
The Daily Californian
LA MESA — A party among friends turns lives upside-down and changes the way couples are interpreting their marriages. “All in One Night,” a production of Christian Community Theater’s new venue Warehouse Theater, is the latest work written and directed by Bob Siegel.
A dozen long-time friends five married couples and two single men get together at the home of Judy and Brian. Lance lauds his bachelorhood over the others while pointing out the flaws in each of the marriages. It’s obvious to one and all that he’s made some accurate observations. While this story doesn’t build up to a happy ending, it does leave the audience with hope that now that the truth is known there’s hope on the horizon. The other bachelor, Gary, has arranged to play a joke on Lance by inviting a foreign woman to the party. She needs a husband if she’s to remain in this country and Gary has offered his buddy as a sacrifice.
It’s a play that should be seen by married couples to determine if they fit the mold of any of the characters. “I expect different people to come away with contrary opinions of what this musical was all about,” Siegel said. “Some will view it as a party accidentally turned into a marriage-encounter seminar. Others will say that the story had a cynical view of marriage.” Different points of view are inevitable, he explained, because the play explores human behavior and everyone reacts differently when faced with a pressured situation.
The story is told in song as well as conversations. Siegel has cast a talented ensemble of singers and actors. The two bachelors are the stars here. Lance, played by Matthew Frank, keeps the storyline moving along and does a great job singing “Horizons” and ‘just a Little Longer.” Chester McLaughlin, as Gary, is the most active of the ensemble. Singing a song of impressions that calls for a tremendous amount of physical dexterity, he’s amazing in “Gary’s Song.” One bit calls for him to do a handstand over a table and land in the chair next to it, never missing a beat as he rolls right into an FDR impersonation.
Shelley Smith shines in the spotlight as Barbara, the working mother who always wanted to be a folk singer. She delights the audience with “The Hour Glass” and “Room Full of Dolls.” Don Evans plays Barbara’s husband, Kurt, who is in to more material things such as swimming pools. Stephanie Hargrove and Raymond Harris play the host couple. Sherry Evans and Steve Bohnstedt are the visiting couple married eight years and expecting their fifth child. Kristi Hannink and Dan Clarkson are the female-dominated couple. Jenny Bates and Nathanael Siegel are the philosophical couple. Amber Clarkson plays the young woman.
Bates is also the choreographer. Mary Campbell is the musical director. The set, designed by Harry Loughman and decorated by Marilyn Bates, makes a great living room with adjacent patio but the space is tight, especially with 13 people roaming around. Performances continue 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for Children. Group rates are available. For reservations and more information, call 588-0206. “All in One Night” is staged in the Fellowship Hall at First United Methodist Church of La Mesa, 4690 Palm Ave.
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