Another "Bus Stop" review!

Strong cast and convincing ensemble works for 'Bus Stop'

Sherman Spencer
Special to the Record
Published Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

In "Bus Stop" -- now being staged at San Joaquin Delta College's Studio Theatre as part of the Stockton Theatre Project -- playwright William Inge tempers the characters' essential loneliness with strokes of broad humor and compassionate understanding. A tiny Kansas roadside cafe/bus stop serves as a microcosm of human isolation when some bus passengers are forced to spend several hours together due to a snow storm.

Into the cafe comes Cherie Catherine Frye, a somewhat shopworn young nightclub singer who is being practically hijacked to a Montana ranch by Bo Brian Peccia, an obstreperously immature cowboy. His friend, Virgil Sean Dinnell, tries with limited success to keep Bo under control, but it requires the strong arm of the local sheriff James Key to bridle his actions.

Another passenger, Dr. Lyman Harvey Jordan, a rather prurient alcoholic, tries to arrange a rendezvous with Ellma Megan Devencenzi, the pretty high school-aged waitress. Grace Joanna Bernazzani, the cafe owner, makes out with bus driver Carl Dean Phillip Gundlach.

The cast is uniformly strong in characterization and works as a totally convincing ensemble, as everyone attempts to assuage the emptiness of their lives.

Frye and Peccia exhibit a flammable degree of chemistry in their relationship, while Bernazzani and Gundlach revel in a more mature sensuality. Devencenzi and Jordan even add a touch of promise and compassion to their aborted rendezvous.

Only Virgil is left "out in the cold," as Grace says. The script describes Virgil as a man in his 40s, a parental influence on Bo. Though Dinnell had a consistent and viable take on the role, he is obviously about the same age as Bo. A Virgil who is not seen as a father figure detracts from the ending's poignancy.

Jordan designed the realistic set and also directed the play with his usual emphasis on physical action which gave considerable energy and focus to the plot. Julienne Hastings' costumes were appropriate, but the outfits for Cherie and Bo were a good deal niftier than those described in the script.

The Stockton Theatre Project's second production is thoroughly enjoyable and certainly demonstrates the value of the group's cooperative effort in giving new life to some older American classics.

Contact Sherman Spencer at features@recordnet.com


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