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Washington Evening Journal
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‘The Big Five-oh’ keeps audiences laughing
BROOKLYN — Laughter filled the air at the Brooklyn Opera House Friday, Saturday and Sunday as audiences enjoyed the Brooklyn Community Theater production of “The Big Five-oh.”
Written and directed by Brian Mitchell, from Grinnell, the production centered on George Thomas (Rob Hanlon), a college psychology professor, who was turning 50 during the weekend.
It was a terrible week leading up to George’s birthday.
His dog is sick, his son, Eric (Alex Mitchell) is a slacker and his daughter, Julie (Alli McCammant) wants to marry a drunk, vegetarian Republican who is nearly twice her age.
A neurotic wife, Marie (Rachel Lakose), who can’t cook, and a widowed neighbor, Kathy Walters (Lucia Dhooge), who might have killed her husband and carries him with her everywhere in an urn, provides more challenges than even George can overcome.
And it doesn’t help that the Thomas’ mailbox is filled with letters from the AARP and funeral homes.
Add to that Sara Donovan (Abby Smith), one of George’s students in a college sociology course he teaches, who also happens to be stalking him.
Sara shows up at the Thomas’ home and ends up falling for Eric (Alex Mitchell) in the end.
Through the trying days, George discovers the wonders of family, the responsibilities of parenthood and the results of his latest physical, which were confused with the results of tests from the family dog, who later died and was cremated.
The production was a hilarious, sometimes touching account of a grown man coming to terms with his age, his relationship with his son and his future.
“I’ve been acting in plays since high school,” said Alli, who played George’s daughter, Julie. “It’s not very hard when you have a cast this great to work with.
“The theater is wonderful, and the director and writer, Brian Mitchell, was great to work with. Theater is my passion. It’s an outlet for me,” said Alli.
“We are part of a group of church people and have known Brian (the writer and director) and his wife, Romana, for years,” said Lynda Risting. “We are here to support them.”
“I love the core group of actors and actresses we have here,” said actor Rob Hanlon, who played George. “It’s fun acting with others and seeing them blossom and grow.”
“It was hilarious from the start to the finish,” said guest, Paul Nowasell. “It was a tremendous show.”
When asked what she thought of the production, Linda Nowasell, Paul’s wife, said it was good to get out and laugh.
“Alex (George’s son, Eric) is best friends with our youngest son,” she said. “With everything going on in the world, it is good to get out and laugh.”
The cast consisted of Rachel Lakose as Marie Thomas, Rob Hanlon as George Thomas, Alex Mitchell as Eric Thomas, Alli McCammant as Julie Thomas, Lucia Dhooge as Kathy Walters, Jeff Britts as Douglas and Abby Smith as Sara Donavan.
Brian Mitchell was writer and director; Cathy Sonnichsen, co-director; Beth Mitchell, production assistant; Lorelai Gerard, lights and sound; and Kim Hawkins, stage manager and props master.
