Story by DeShawn White, photos by Jada Nicome
In a world where goody-two-shoes boys and girls who enjoy harmless study dates turn into hormone raging sex fiends there could only be one culprit (dramatic duh duh duhhhhh) REEFER MADNESS! Yes, reefer, as in weed, green, pot, skunk, ganja, and the good stuff.
“Reefer Madness” produced by Factory Edge Theater Works and presented at Theatre Project, was adapted from the book and music written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney. But that’s not even the musical’s true beginning. The madness began in 1936 with a film entitled “Tell Your Children.” Their objective – was to methodically scare the hell out of the parents and children who viewed it thereby, making the “demon weed” repugnant to teens and place parents on an all out, no holds bars, defense against it.
It’s a story we’re all familiar with, right? Innocent boy meets innocent girl, innocent boy and innocent girl fall for each other, but there’s always threatening to keep them apart. In this case its not one individual. The antagonist of this love story is the “demon weed” THE GOOD STUFF! With the use of comedic devices such as repetition, double entendre, hyperbole, puns, borderline absurdity, and epic failures; the musical explores a lighter side to a serious and growing pandemic. Audiences of “Reefer Madness” are not only entertained but also educated in an unexpected way.
Factory Edge could not have chosen a better group of dedicated and talented individuals. All of which are no strangers to the stage with backgrounds in theater, music, or dance.
Throughout the entire show the audience was given the gift of live music. Cast, ensemble, and band worked together to recreate background and theme music for the production. No lifeless soundtrack was played in this production! Stacey Antoine exhibited grace and amazing timing when directing the band and playing the keyboard. Other band members include Bobby Lapinski on the reeds, Katie Baseman on the guitar, Gordon Green on the bass and Joe Pipkin on the drums.
Brian Meise and Hayley Brown played our two protagonists Jimmy Harper and Mary Lane. Meise does a stand-up job portraying a believable character. Equipped with a strong voice.
Haley Brown, of the University of Maryland College Park, is truly blessed with the singing chops of a seasoned professional.
The lecturer/Satan/priest/train box office guy was played by Mike Ware. His beats and actions were always right on time, and he’s amazing at a quick-change.
Jack the drug dealer and Mae, the drug dealers hooked-on-weed significant other were played by Lance Bankard and Sarah Godlstein. Banker demonstrated a good use of vocal technique while playing the boisterous and conniving Jack.
Goldstein’s natural singing graces made even he hardest of notes look easy to accomplish.
The trap-house residents Sally and Ralph were played by Ricki Fluhr and Alex Cecchetti. It is Fluhr’s use of her entire body that allowed her performance to stand out. She embodied her character from head to toe.
Alex Cecchetti possessed the very same character embodiment characteristics as Ms. Fluhr, making both characters enjoyable to watch.
Perhaps the most interesting and simply hilarious “character” was one who didn’t say a word. Placard girl, played by Biz Kopp, summed up the lessons that Reefer Madness tried to convey, for the not so smart with the use of placards. She would walk out dressed as a sexy bellhop, fight-night style, with placards stating things such as “reefer gives you the munchies” and “reefer makes you a potty mouth”.
Let’s not forget Sally’s baby, played by Ann Pallanck, who was never named because her mommy was too high.
And what’s a musical about weed without Mr. Good Stuff himself, Jesus. Jesus was played by Lyle Saunders who was also apart of the ensemble showing us that Jesus can indeed bust a move.
Last and certainly not least, the reefer zombies, also known as the ensemble was composed of Tegan Williams, Caitlin Bouxsein, Shaun Riley, jenny Hasselbusch, and Peter Blaine whose impeccable harmonies and their ability to dance in sync show that they are one step closer to mastering the art of the ensemble.
What’s even more remarkable is that all the time and effort the contributors put into the production went unpaid. All individuals involved were strictly volunteer. There was not one diva amongst them.
“Reefer Madness” just works. From the fake herbal blunts, to the fog machine giving the stage a sense of haziness. From the dancing reefer zombies to the sexy placard girl, and the twilight zone moments, it just works!
Congratulations to the director Brian Mellen for putting all the right elements together to create an enjoyable performance. At the end of the day, audience reaction is primary, and the audience loved “Reefer Madness”. Factory Edge Theater Works must continue to hold a permanent residence in Baltimore. Let’s hope there’s more madness where that came from.
Story by DeShawn White, photos by Jada Nicome
