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parallel lives
the kathy and mo show
Kim Crow as Maddie and Mardie Schaefer as Syvvie.
BY SARAH D'ESTI MILLER
Press & Sun-Bulletin
Kim Crow, left, and Mardie Schaefer star in the Cider Mill Playhouse's production of Parallel Lives: The Kathy & Mo Show.
KATHRYN DEUEL / Press & Sun-BulletinThe Cider Mill Playhouse's alternative season continues this weekend with Parallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show, the off-Broadway hit by comedians Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimi.
Parallel Lives explores the plight of women and the battle of the sexes through a series of vignettes in which two actresses play numerous characters trying to cope with modern life.
"Basically we have these two supreme beings who create the world, a world of creatures, and they give humankind a choice, and that's what it's about: choice," said director Carol Provonsha. "Choice and multiple perspectives and that every human sees things from what they think is their own particular perspective, but that none of us are particularly unique or special. That we all eventually are humankind."
That's right. Remember: You are unique, just like everybody else.
Stepping into 'Parallel Lives' --
Provonsha said guiding this show can get a little tricky at times.
"The challenges for directing this show are first of all trying to stay as much out of the actors' way that I can, because they are responsible for creating," she said. "The characterization in the moment -- the creation of, say, a countertop, cups and saucers -- and spaces; I merely give parameters, but the actor creates their world. They create the worlds of probably 14 or 15 people each in a night. This is not an easy thing to do.
"Also, collaborating, you have numerous perspectives, and nobody's really right and no one's really wrong, so this makes for interesting characters."
Provonsha said the show takes a lot out of the actors, too, and really pushes them.
"This show was written by two standup comedians," she said. "So it comes and goes from being a piece of theater with theatrical language into standup language, so the actors are traversing every style they can possibly traverse from character to character, scene to scene. It is tour de force for both of them, and it's playful. It really is free form, which is fabulous."
Another fabulous part of the show for Provonsha is the chance to work with Kim Crow (Mo) and Mardie Shaeffer (Kathy). The three Florida residents are enjoying the chance to work together at last.
"Mardie and I come from the same school. We were both Burt Reynolds interns with that group, so we've studied with the same teachers, such as Dom DeLuise," Provonsha said. "And Kim is brilliant. I've seen her work for years and wanted to work with her for years and it hasn't been afforded to us, so we thought we'd take this opportunity to come north and be silly for a while."
Crow says this is her third time around doing a show during a time of war.
"I think what you do as an actor during wartime is you give blood, and you give the gift of buoyancy," she said. "This is a very buoyant show, and we're allowed to show the marvelous variety of the human spirit and the other side of humanity from what we're seeing on our news. It's nice to balance out, to give the gift of buoyancy, and this show's doing it."
She said the show's levity comes from its freewheeling nature.
"It's beautifully written. There's always that element of the unknown in every scene. That quirky thing, that unexpected thing that a character will say," she said. "And each one of those characters has a wonderful humanity, and the bottom line of the show is you can do anything you want to do as long as you get up and do it. There is an innocence and an art to it ..."
"... Not to mention some really weird critters," Provonsha said. "The creatures that we're talking about. You're not coming to see little sweethearts. We've got screaming prostitutes walking down the street; we've got lesbians doing performance art. Come on in with your mind open, and get ready to laugh your (tush) off. You've got two very funny ladies, and I'm a little bizarre myself."
Kim Crow and Mardie Schaefer as Teri and Tina.
Kim Crow as Lizzie.
Kim Crow as Maddie and Teri (3x right).
Kim Crow as Karen Sue and Mardie Schaefer as Hank.
Kim Crow as Molly and Mardie Schaefer as Holly.
Kim Crow as Annette.
Kim Crow as Kris and Mardie Schaefer as Jeff.
Kim Crow as Nick and Mardie Schaefer as Buck.