Stage Review: YSU’s ‘On the Verge’ Yearns for Understanding

By J.E. Ballantyne Jr.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – I have seen many shows during my many years in this crazy theatrical business but none have been quite so mind boggling as Youngstown State University’s current fare, “On the Verge.” Now, don’t get me wrong, the show is well cast, well directed and features strong acting in all areas. It is the writing that bogs this show down.

As the curtain rises, the audience is greeted by three adventurous Victorian ladies, who are explorers of their day, as they search out a new unexplored land named Terra Incognita. But as the plot moves along, they discover that they are, in fact, traveling forward in time to the future. That premise alone, takes a while to get a grip on. But playwright Eric Overmyer muddies the waters considerably with wordy dialogue using phrases and language that would even puzzle the Websters.

Even director, Todd Dicken mentioned that much of the early rehearsals were spent leafing through the dictionary. But Dicken’s actors are to be commended. They rose above the material and turned in impressive, albeit sometimes confusing performances. But it is the characters that are confusing, not the acting. Understanding exactly what Overmyer is trying to say, if anything, is a challenge.

Emalee Chappa plays Mary, the somewhat “leader” of the pack. She seems to be the oldest of the three and tends to be more analytical than the others. Chappa gives a great portrayal of the dedicated, no-nonsense explorer who is constantly taking notes on her observations. Chappa delivers a sort of “mother-henish” type character as she sometimes has to rein in the over-exhuberance of her fellow travelers. Her devotion to her job is well played by Chappa.

Fanny, played by Mallory Ehrhart, seems to be the low key and most conservative of the three women. She makes frequent mention of husband, Grover, who she has not seen in some time since she has been off exploring. Ehrhart creates an interesting character in Fanny as she constantly reminisces about past explorations. As they move more into the future, Ehrhart lays out Fanny’s distaste for different facets in the future quite well, including her disdain for trousers.

But Ehrhart handles the shift in her character quite well when they find themselves in 1955 and she is romanced by Nicky Paradise. She blends the character seamlessly into a transitioned individual, which contrasts her earlier appearances.

The last of the three ladies, Alex, played by Chloe Downey, is the youngest of the trio. Downey plays the flightiness of Alex very well and has an enthusiasm and energy that is boundless. Whenever she is confronted by a new word or phrase, she plays with it and tries to find another word that rhymes with it. Downey played the almost childish enthusiasm of the character well, most notably when she discovers a Kodak Brownie camera. Of all the women, Alex is the one that is the most fun to watch and Downey knew how to take advantage of that element.

There is more to the show besides the three women. Along their journey they encounter eight different characters all most ably played by Sam Law. The audience meets Grover, Alphonse, Gorge Troll, Yeti, Gus, Madame Nhu, Mr. Coffee, and Nicky Paradise. Law’s versatility was obvious as he created each character in a very distinct and different way. From the crazy cannibal to the smooth Nicky, Law was always a refreshing breath of air when he made an appearance. He helped to break the wordy script and gave the audience a little break from the trio’s rapid fire line delivery – plus his comedic ability was well displayed.

Todd Dicken has put a different but interesting production on stage at YSU. His actors were well chosen and his pacing of the production was the key to its success. A draggy production of this show would be shear torture.

Lighting by Jonathan Zelezniak was well designed and accentuated various scenes as well as providing focus on characters when needed. Projections by Alexa McCaughtry were very effective. Katherine Garlick, as usual, worked some great magic with costumes even as far as the authentic Esso Gas Station garb (I remember that well).

Dicken’s set was very simple but also included a turntable to give the effect of characters walking distances at various times.

“On the Verge” is not your typical comedy, drama or anything else. It is very different. But the YSU cast and crew handled the challenges of the show well, which I am sure taught them something extra when it comes to tackling the complexities of a script.

“On the Verge” continues Oct. 5, 11, 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 6, 13 at 2 pm

Pictured at top: Mallory Ehrhart, Emalee Chappa and Chloe Downey star in YSU Theatre’s production of “On the Verge.” (Photo by Carrie Yasnowski)

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