My Wonderful Evening at ‘My Wonderful Day’

In these gloomy days of late winter, sometimes a good belly laugh is exactly what you need.  And who better than an English writer to show the hilariousness of people going nuts in a repressive society and a damp climate?

With that, here are my quick “pros vs. cons” of Green Lake’s Bathhouse Theater‘s latest production, My Wonderful Day, by Alan Ayckbourn:

Cons

1. I don’t pay good money to see the gut of a middle-aged man on stage.  Especially wearing superhero underpants
2. Language, my dear, language
3. I’m too sophisticated to enjoy broad slapstick comedy.  Really, I am

Pros

1. Hands down, the funniest evening I’ve spent in a long, long time
2. Each and every actor hits it right on the head.  The “little girl” is especially scary-good
3. Did I mention funny?  Really, really funny

Circumstances leave 9-year-old Winnie in the care of the people her mother cleans house for for the day.  Her school assignment is to write an essay titled “My Wonderful Day” so she proceeds to do so by recording the insanity which ensues.  Who knew that people so rich, so famous, so culturally powerful could also be so crass, so selfish, so immature?  Who knew?

N’Tasha Anders plays Winnie and you would swear she is a child actor.  In fact, I heard the people behind me as they were leaving wondering what grade she was in and how her acting schedule fits in with school.  N’Tasha is actually a 21-year-old student at Cornish College of the Arts.  But she has all the wise sweetness of a child.

The zany energy of this production and the endorphins it kicks up will carry you through to sunnier days.