Month: August 2025

Maude and Gloria are en route from London to Scotland, on the occasion of Gloria’s marriage to Christy. Maude (Gloria’s Aunt) and Gloria are from London, urbane and used to finer things. Maude is none too pleased with the arrangement, perhaps she feels her niece could have done better. She’s not thrilled with the destination for the wedding. Christy greets the two, accompanied by John. John is the house manager and a family friend. Christy, in effect, John’s ward. As soon as Gloria and Christy reunite, they’ve got moves that would make acrobats proud, and they’re not coming up for air. As arrangements proceed, Maude is not exactly the ideal house guest. She seems to think her custodial duties entitle her to weigh in on every decision. In her defense, Scottish customs might feel, uh, a bit exotic. But c’mon. It isn’t polite to forbid kilts and bagpipes at a Scottish wedding.

From here, things take a turn. A friend has put up a baby girl for adoption and Gloria is dead set. The friend lives in San Francisco and what with one thing and another, John and Maude must make the journey to the Colonies, dealing with the paperwork, legalities and procedures and proper care for the wee lass. To say they squabble over everything is like saying boxers love to cuddle. Things only escalate when they’re subjected to close proximity.

Ken Ludwig is the theatre world’s dream. His first two hits were Lend me a Tenor and Crazy for You. He has written 34 plays and musicals; won Tonys, Drama Desk, and Laurence Olivier Awards (among others). Many of his pieces are popular in repertory, and it’s easy to see why.

Ludwig takes what might be considered traditional plots and does so much more than we might expect.

Be My Baby premiered at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 2005, starring Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter. It takes the crazy, impetuous young lovers, but makes the husband reserved. Then he takes the feuding “in-laws”, but their animosity isn’t always played for amusement. The comedy of Be My Baby is decidedly more organic. Similar to Neil Simon, there are moments of despair and anger, that make the humorous episodes only that much funnier. It’s so much more effective than scripts that turn on the laff machine. Be My Baby is more sophisticated by far. More polished and original and absorbing.

Rachael Lindley directs a brilliant and versatile cast. Be My Baby has a demanding script, not dealing in stock characters, taking unexpected directions. The performances are invariably intriguing and authentic. Ivy Opdyke as Maude is touching and surprising, harried but gradually tender and affectionate. Her warmth is truly memorable. Matt Gunther as John, is contentious and testy, his tortured predicament at once hilarious and charming. When we see his softer side, it’s nearly a shock, but his humanity is vibrant and nuanced.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents: Be My Baby, playing August 8th-31st, 2005. 518 West Arapaho Road, Suite 113, Richardson, Texas, 75080. 972-699-1130. richardsontheatrecentre.net

 

Maude and Gloria are en route from London to Scotland, on the occasion of Gloria’s marriage to Christy. Maude (Gloria’s Aunt) and Gloria are from London, urbane and used to finer things. Maude is none too pleased with the arrangement, perhaps she feels her niece could have done better. She’s not thrilled with the destination for the wedding. Christy greets the two, accompanied by John. John is the house manager and a family friend. Christy, in effect, John’s ward. As soon as Gloria and Christy reunite, they’ve got moves that would make acrobats proud, and they’re not coming up for air. As arrangements proceed, Maude is not exactly the ideal house guest. She seems to think her custodial duties entitle her to weigh in on every decision. In her defense, Scottish customs might feel, uh, a bit exotic. But c’mon. It isn’t polite to forbid kilts and bagpipes at a Scottish wedding.

From here, things take a turn. A friend has put up a baby girl for adoption and Gloria is dead set. The friend lives in San Francisco and what with one thing and another, John and Maude must make the journey to the Colonies, dealing with the paperwork, legalities and procedures and proper care for the wee lass. To say they squabble over everything is like saying boxers love to cuddle. Things only escalate when they’re subjected to close proximity.

Ken Ludwig is the theatre world’s dream. His first two hits were Lend me a Tenor and Crazy for You. He has written 34 plays and musicals; won Tonys, Drama Desk, and Laurence Olivier Awards (among others). Many of his pieces are popular in repertory, and it’s easy to see why.

Ludwig takes what might be considered traditional plots and does so much more than we might expect.

Be My Baby premiered at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 2005, starring Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter. It takes the crazy, impetuous young lovers, but makes the husband reserved. Then he takes the feuding “in-laws”, but their animosity isn’t always played for amusement. The comedy of Be My Baby is decidedly more organic. Similar to Neil Simon, there are moments of despair and anger, that make the humorous episodes only that much funnier. It’s so much more effective than scripts that turn on the laff machine. Be My Baby is more sophisticated by far. More polished and original and absorbing.

Rachael Lindley directs a brilliant and versatile cast. Be My Baby has a demanding script, not dealing in stock characters, taking unexpected directions. The performances are invariably intriguing and authentic. Ivy Opdyke as Maude is touching and surprising, harried but gradually tender and affectionate. Her warmth is truly memorable. Matt Gunther as John, is contentious and testy, his raspy, tortured predicament at once hilarious and charming. When we see his softer side, it’s nearly a shock, but his humanity is vibrant and nuanced.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents: Be My Baby, playing August 8th-31st, 2005. 518 West Arapaho Road, Suite 113, Richardson, Texas, 75080. 972-699-1130. richardsontheatrecentre.net

 

Maude and Gloria are en route from London to Scotland, on the occasion of Gloria’s marriage to Christy. Maude (Gloria’s Aunt) and Gloria are from London, urbane and used to finer things. Maude is none too pleased with the arrangement, perhaps she feels her niece could have done better. She’s not thrilled with the destination for the wedding. Christy greets the two, accompanied by John. John is the house manager and a family friend. Christy, in effect, John’s ward. As soon as Gloria and Christy reunite, they’ve got moves that would make acrobats proud, and they’re not coming up for air. As arrangements proceed, Maude is not exactly the ideal house guest. She seems to think her custodial duties entitle her to weigh in on every decision. In her defense, Scottish customs might feel, uh, a bit exotic. But c’mon. It isn’t polite to forbid kilts and bagpipes at a Scottish wedding.

From here, things take a turn. A friend has put up a baby girl for adoption and Gloria is dead set. The friend lives in San Francisco and what with one thing and another, John and Maude must make the journey to the Colonies, dealing with the paperwork, legalities and procedures and proper care for the wee lass. To say they squabble over everything is like saying boxers love to cuddle. Things only escalate when they’re subjected to close proximity.

Ken Ludwig is the theatre world’s dream. His first two hits were Lend me a Tenor and Crazy for You. He has written 34 plays and musicals; won Tonys, Drama Desk, and Laurence Olivier Awards (among others). Many of his pieces are popular in repertory, and it’s easy to see why.

Ludwig takes what might be considered traditional plots and does so much more than we might expect.

Be My Baby premiered at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 2005, starring Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter. It takes the crazy, impetuous young lovers, but makes the husband reserved. Then he takes the feuding “in-laws”, but their animosity isn’t always played for amusement. The comedy of Be My Baby is decidedly more organic. Similar to Neil Simon, there are moments of despair and anger, that make the humorous episodes only that much funnier. It’s so much more effective than scripts that turn on the laff machine. Be My Baby is more sophisticated by far. More polished and original and absorbing.

Rachael Lindley directs a brilliant and versatile cast. Be My Baby has a demanding script, not dealing in stock characters, taking unexpected directions. The performances are invariably intriguing and authentic. Ivy Opdyke as Maude is touching and surprising, harried but gradually tender and affectionate. Her warmth is truly memorable. Matt Gunther as John, is contentious and testy, his raspy, tortured predicament at once hilarious and charming. When we see his softer side, it’s nearly a shock, but his humanity is vibrant and nuanced.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents: Be My Baby, playing August 8th-31st, 2005. 518 West Arapaho Road, Suite 113, Richardson, Texas, 75080. 972-699-1130. richardsontheatrecentre.net

 

At the beginning of Glengarry, Glen Ross, we see Shelley Levene trying to cadge better leads from Williamson. Williamson is cool, almost bored, feeding off Levene’s desperation. He insists that he’s only following company policy. But he’s willing to accept a bribe. Dave Ross pitches an office burglary to another salesman, planning to sell the best leads. Levene manages to grab victory from the jaws of defeat, turning a junk lead into an impressive sale. Ricky Roma is the youngest of the men, jaunty and full of piss and vinegar. He’s just scored a sale for an $82,000 property.

As is often the case with Mamet, the dialogue between the guys is punchy. Enraged, hostile, vindictive. The ornery side of banter. Ricky Roma is a smooth huckster. We see him casually connect with James Lingk, an easy mark. Later, client James Lingk confronts Roma, ashamed he surrendered to his wife. Despite Roma’s best efforts to fleece him, he can’t budge. Shelley Levene is an older salesman who’s afraid he’s lost his touch. Williamson is the manager whose disrespect and resentment are hard to miss. They’re not morally bankrupt, exactly, but they find themselves trapped in a business where sympathy is a liability. They might consider quitting, but quitting is for losers

Glengarry, Glen Ross is a high octane, draconian satire, set in a real estate office where the salesmen are in fierce competition. Some are genuine friends, but mostly there’s an edge. Sometimes it’s sarcasm, sometimes it’s convivial, sometimes it’s outright contempt. The power structure is a zero sum game. It’s designed to bring out the worst in each other.

Mamet has chosen this all male petri dish to examine man’s need to respect their warrior instinct, but preserving their humanity. Though that ship may have sailed. They’re not on a salary, or even minimum wage. If they don’t make a sale, they don’t get a commission; if they don’t get a commission, they don’t eat. They’re submerged in this Clash of the Titans. They can’t see past it.

David Mamet is driven to explore manhood. What defines a male, what culture expects, what we expect of each other, the hazards and explosions and how we connect with females. He once said any male-female relationship inevitably involves some sexual attraction. My guess is he’d have no use for a term like “toxic masculinity”, or use different words. That it’s unseemly for men to nurture one another, beyond encouragement and loyalty. Which (I suppose) is not nothing.

The Classics Theatre Project’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross, is tight, seething, authentic, with vivid characterization, and kinetic performance. The pace is on the money, we feel soulfulness battling the hollow heart. Better angels duking it out with cannibals. The ensemble work coalesces beautifully. Standouts in this crackerjack cast include Anthony Magee as the poignant, scrappy Shelley Levene, John Cameron Potts as the sullen, withdrawn Williamson, and Joey Folsom as the slick, charming Ricky Roma.

The Classics Theatre Project presents Glengarry, Glen Ross, playing August 1st-31st, 2025, at The Stone cottage, adjacent to the Addison Water Tower Theatre. Stone Cottage 15650 Addison Rd. Addison, TX 75001. (214) 923-3619. tctpdfw@gmail.com. theclassicstheatreproject.com