THE BASICS: O’Connell & Company presents an original comedy set in a bingo hall, conceived and written by Mary Kate O’Connell and Joey Bucheker. Remaining show times are Thursday (with a post-show all-cast audience talk-back), Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 26th (final show) at 2:30 at The Park School, 4625 Harlem Road, Snyder, NY.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: Joey Bucheker reincarnates his drag persona “Betsy Carmichael” as the owner/operator of a bingo parlor, aided by Betsy’s “twin nieces” (also in drag) “Mary Margaret” and “Margaret Mary” (is this a Buffalo show? You bet!) and “Betsy’s” brother-in-law “Chip” as the bingo caller. The setting is rather authentic with props from Ray Gay’s Party Event Warehouse. The bingo calling was well done. There is no plot to speak of; it’s mostly “Betsy” doing her shtick (think Dame Edna meets Phyllis Diller) but you do get to play four different games of bingo (five if you are sitting in a lucky seat) and you’ll hear a variety of funny “adult” story jokes. There is audience participation beyond just playing bingo. Because of the ad-libs and the audience participation, no two shows are the same. This review is about one performance only.
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: The night I went, the star of the play, Joey Bucheker, had apparently been stuck in bridge traffic, and so, to kill time, Mary Kate O’Connell came out to chat with the audience. She explained that the play that was originally planned could not be presented because of rights issues, but that if everyone had come to laugh and to see a play about bingo, well, that was going to happen. So, roles had been quickly adjusted, or added, and a script (much of the evening is ad libbed) was hastily written, but, unfortunately, they didn’t have the usual luxury of time to “workshop” the play and iron out the rough spots. And there were a few.
Joey Bucheker’s drag creation “Betsy Carmichael” is an older woman with outrageous purple pumps and sequined eyeglasses. My three complaints were that the character addresses the audience as “dear” or “dears” over and over and over, sometimes three times in one sentence. That got tedious. Another flaw is that too much responsibility was heaped on one character, strong as she is. And this could just be the result of being stuck in traffic and missing call, but “Betsy” seemed a little aggressive when she first appeared on stage.
In general, the audience participation portion was fine. Everyone was provided with a reusable bingo card which uses sliders instead of bingo paint markers and we played several 75-ball (they use 90 in England) bingo – the usual horizontal-vertical-or-diagonal type, but also four corner, postage stamp, and T style (top row plus center column). (The winner of that received a gift card for a frozen turkey – choice of Tops or Wegmans – is this a Buffalo show or what!?!) After playing the T, and announcing the winner, most people had so many boxes filled in that I would suggest going right on to a blackout game for a “consolation prize,” but they didn’t do that.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the call and response (eg. if the caller announces “I-16” you sing, with appropriate gestures, “I am 16 going on 17, what’s a girl to do?” At which point “Betsy” shouts “Play Bingo” and you respond “We are!”
And things slowed down a bit where Betsy had two audience members come up and do an arts-and-crafts project making glitter necklaces out of bingo balls. Apart from offering many double-entendres about the word “balls,” it fell flat. Another audience moment came when two members were called up (identified by the pre-numbered bingo cards they held) to play “speed bingo” with a six-card sheet. I was one of the two. (I did not win). Since I was on stage trying (and failing) to keep up, I have no idea if it was entertaining to watch, but I have my doubts. I received a small good-luck troll as a consolation prize. Which (full disclosure) I kept.
Kudos to the two “twins” (one actually about twice the size and weight of the other) who were played (in drag) by Corey Bieber and Adam M. Wall. As the saying goes “There are no small parts, only small actors” and these two got a lot of mileage (and laughs) out of scant material. And NU Adjunct Professor Dr. Jerry Mosey played “Chip” who, as mentioned, did a very credible job as bingo caller.
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!
Images: O’Connell & Company