Unassertive man, unexpected guess flip script in comedy
Laramie County Community College Theatre Department’s production of “The Nerd” on April 11 was wonderfully entertaining, witty and amusing.
Every member, except one, was perfect. Comedic timing and humorously developed characters made the play a treat.
The cast included Trevor Kortum as Willum Cubbert; Bailey Johnson as Tansy McGinnis, Paul Hooker as Axel Hammond; Ryan Archibald as Warnock Waldgrave; Lizie Ackerman as Clelia Waldgrave; Skye Krahenbuhl as Thelia Waldgrave; and Guy Tustin as Rick Steadman (The Nerd).
On an extensive set including a kitchen, office and living room, all appearing to have been built from scratch, the lights became bright and Axel and Tansy jumped out to an unsurprised Willum. It was Willum’s birthday, but it didn’t feel like it to him.
Hooker’s character, Axel, full of witty jokes, was as Jason Pasqua, LCCC communications and theatre instructor and play director, had earlier described him, the “resident smartass.” Hooker was very good at pin-pointing the comedic timing that was so essential to his character.
None of the characters was complex by any definition of the word but interesting, with the exception of Johnson’s character, Tansy. Her character was boring and one-dimensional. This may have been because her acting skills left something to be desired or because her character was supposed to be simple.
So let me introduce you to Willum as the hottest young architect in the small town of Terre Haute, Ind. But his girlfriend, Tansy, said he lacked gumption and assertiveness. Willum’s best friend, Axel, understood this and created a plan that shook Willum’s world at its foundation.
Kortum gave the audience a high-quality performance as Willum. His mannerisms made his character interesting and gave the audience an idea of the kind of person he was, without words.
Later, Willum’s boss, Warnock, his boss’s wife, Clelia, and their daughter, Thelia, joined the party when Willum found out an old Vietnam War buddy was coming to visit. Good ole Rick Steadman saved Willum’s life during the Vietnam War, and Willum never got the chance to thank him.
Rick Steadman seemed like the most difficult character to play, but Tustin was the highlight of the production. Surely the funniest, he made it look so easy. He wasn’t an actor playing a character on the stage; he was the character.
As the production moved along, the goofy Rick Steadman showed up and was not what anyone expected. His ludicrous personality threw everyone off and made it is hard to believe he was the Vietnam War hero Willum spoke of. His high-water slacks and crisp white dress shirt were just too foolish.
Archibald and Ackerman as Warnock and Clelia respectively were great. The audience didn’t get to see much of Ackerman at work as she was only in the first act, but we saw Archibald, who was hilarious. I really loved his character and enthusiasm.
Later, Rick ended up living with Willum and interpreting his life, including interfering with his work. Willum, Tansy and Axel devised a plan to drive Rick out of town and out of their lives. Making their customs seem odd was their plan, but Rick was one step ahead in the oddity department.
A 9-year-old Krahenbuhl was fantastic as Thelia. She made the crowd with her character. She smiled a bit too much on stage, but it didn’t ruin her character or the mood of the production.
The twist at the end wasn’t the biggest surprise, but the production wasn’t really about twists and suspense; it was a comedy, and it did its job—it made me and others laugh.
In the end, Steadman’s nerdy persona turned out to be counterfeit. Willum, in turn, made some life-changing, well, changes and became a happier person. “The Nerd” was one of the funnier productions I have seen in a while and a fabulous job by LCCC’s Theatre Department.