Find your seat at the Phoenix Theatre in Edmonds and be ready. While Levi Gettleman, the house manager, reminds everyone to silence their devices and buy raffle tickets for a lifetime pair of seats, the show fades in, with busy and intense “Stage Manager” (and Sound Designer) Sarah McGrath urgently flitting about on a set for a 1947 radio comedy, Twist of the Magi (Twist) on pretend station KPTP. The title references the play’s inspiration: O. Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi.
Henry’s 1905 story had 3 characters, Debra Gettleman’s twist has 20. Henry’s original leaves much to our imagination as he told his tale with just over 2000 words, which had, total, 3 twists in the plot. It takes about 8 minutes to read. Twist, had uncountable twists and takes about 90 minutes. Director Keith Dahlgren clearly respects both radio theater and live theater and finds every mote of humor in Gettleman’s script.
Set Designer Jim Thompson made an open set with WW II posters pinned to the walls, a studio piano in the center of the stage near the back, and the sound box to the right. Three mike stands at the front of the stage, and a basic Persian carpet on the floor. The Stage Manager has a station in the back to the left.
Adding to the post-war mood are the excellent costumes assembled by designer Susan Connors, who also holds her own acting the role of Mrs. Mandelbread.
Henry’s plot: Della and Jim, much in love but poor, barely making ends meet, face the puzzle of what Christmas gift to give the other. Must the material value of the gift match that of their feelings? If so, the greatest sacrifice is called for. Della has her long, luscious hair she might sell to wigmakers. The money, added to the $1.87 she’d managed to skimp and save might buy a suitable watch chain for Jim’s cherished watch. That watch was handed down to Jim from his grandfather through his father.
Jim knows Della has been eyeing rare tortoise shell hair combs for over a year. If he pawned his watch …
Gettleman picks up mid-story and wonders what if Della changed her mind? Henry left it at irony—Gettlemen goes for the laughs. And she gets them!
Gettleman besides writing the play and being the Managing Director for this theater, stepped onstage the evening of my visit in the role of the drunken Prima Donna “Stella” in the second act. Where most of the other actors stressed out the Stage Manager by being just barely early, Stella poured the stress on by being just barely late. She missed her entrance, re-started the scene, kept drinking and slurring and stumbling, and finally, after her brief performance left reciting Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech. Funny, indeed. My only quibble is with quoting Hamlet in a play that otherwise shows up the resources of women and shows down most things male. Maybe rewrite this with Juliet’s famous balcony speech?
This is semi-pro theater (performers and crew get a stipend) and the talent parade doesn’t stop. The trope of this being radio theater means the “live studio audience” that is, the audience, is privy to silent dynamics, mishaps, tricks, and surprises that the imagined “listening audience” isn’t in on. It’s the experience of being inside a 4-dimensional joke.
Also, we get the fun of watching and hearing the sound effects by Phoenix Theatre regular Melanie Calderwood as Betsy. There’s background sound for almost every scene, so Betsy is really a main character. There’s a couple of bits that evoke the famous hall closet scenes from Fibber Magee and Molly.
The ensemble carries the show and the “commercial breaks” were over the top thanks to the talents of the Twisted Sisters (Mia Perritt, Sophia Parker, and Darian Conn). Clearly modeled on the Andrew Sisters, songs in the show included the famous 1941 hit “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B,” plus “Dicks Motor Sales”, “Letterman’s Itch Cream,” “Bad Hair Blues,” plus a mixed medley of holiday songs.
Cast: Rex/Announcer, Scott Hibbert | Jim, James Lynch | Della/Lauren, Alissa Cattabriga | Mr Marcetti/Mr. Mandelbread, Steve Heiret | Mrs. Marcetti/ Mrs. Madam Sofronie, Nicola Amos | Denise/Mrs Mandelbread, Susan Connors | Betsy, Melanie Calderwood | Stage Manager, Sarah McGrath | Stella/Mrs. Matisse, Denise Wechsler | Twisted Sister/Looloo, Darian Conn | Twisted Sister/Delivery Boy, Sophia Parker | Twisted Sister/Yoni, Mia Perritt
Artistic/Creative/Staff: Director, Keith Dalhgren | Stage Manager, Rebecca Hsia | Asst. Stage Manager, Amy Headstrom | Set Design, Jim Thompson | Set Dressing and Costumes, Susan Connors | Properties, Weall Dee D’Alitbit | Sound Designer, Sarah McGrath | Light/Sound Technical Director, Chris Brandon | Light Design, Lindy Currey | Light and Sound Operator, Rebecca Hsia | Music Director, Michael Corey | Social Medial/Marketing/FOH, Levi Gettleman | Graphic Designer, Felicia Hallenbeck
Venue: The Phoenix Theatre
Shows start on time and late seating will be at the discretion of the house manager. Park in the Firdale Village Shopping Center lot. The theatre is on the 2nd floor. There is a backdoor drop-off for patrons who cannot take stairs.
The Twist of the Magi by Debra Rich Gettleman, directed by Keith Dahlgren. Runtime: 90 minutes, one 10-minute intermission. The Phoenix Theatre, 9673 Firdale Ave, 2nd Fl, Edmonds, WA 98020. Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 PM, Sat 8 PM, Sun 2 PM. Dec 16, 8 PM show sold out. Tickets $16 – $24. More info: (206) 533-2000, , tptedmonds.org. Show runs Dec 1 ~ 23.
Comment:
Note: I removed the paragraph about President Benjamin Harrison after receiving this comment from the writer. I had him confused with his grandfather, W H Harrison. MD