Bushtits, Shih Tzus and Private Dicks: All’s Fur in Love and Noir

Theatrically Obsessed—The Rachel Browne Theatre

I hadn’t really planned to see this show. But it was a hot afternoon, the kind of day where everything sticks to you like a blue-bottle hitting flypaper. My dogs were barking and I needed someplace to cool down and venue 8 seemed like just the place. Ok, enough with my poor excuse for noir speech. Boy am I glad I stopped on in.

This is a great fast-paced comedic romp. Trevor Matheson plays the lead who when he puts on an old movie memorabilia Fedora he bought transforms into a film noir detective. Melissa Dorsey frenetically plays all the other 12 characters. Each is identified by certain props or wardrobe and voice changes and often involves her running off set then running back on as someone else. Even more amazing is that in real life she is a new mom to 4 month old twins.

The timing of everything is amazing, they make use of a door and frame on wheels which gets moved around the stage, opened, closed and walked through a lot to set up different rooms in scenes. Kudos also to the tech, because whenever the hat is put on or taken off the lighting changes. Those changes really make the show as the switches in realities come with some really funny consequences. If you want a fun and hilarious break from some of the more serious shows out there, this is the ticket.

Murray Hunter