The Holiday Stops Starts the Holidays at Richmond Triangle

Once upon a time the Richmond Triangle Players teamed up with playwright Eric Lane Barnes to present the world premiere of his play THE STOPS. The play was hysterical, one of those magic evenings of theatre in which just about every joked got a big laugh and the songs were catchy and fun. The actors were perfectly suited for their roles, and if I recall correctly, the show was extended a time or two to allow the overflow crowds to enjoy the show and come back with more of their friends. It was every playwright’s dream, but also a little bit of a nightmare when audiences started to demand a sequel. After all, how do you top a big hit?

One way you can try is to add a character and make it a holiday show, and that’s exactly what Barnes has done with his newest play, THE HOLIDAY STOPS, now playing at the Richmond Triangle Players. While the play has a great deal to recommend it, including the reteaming of the original cast and director, there seemed to be something just a little off with this production. The spark that worked so well on the original just wasn’t there for the sequel.

I can’t really blame the actors as the original trio of Todd Minnich, Steven Boschen, and Kirk Morton seem to have a great deal of fun sliding into their original roles as the all-female singing trio The Stops, and the newest member of the group played by Andrew Etheredge brings a new dimension to the ensemble. Both individually and as a group, their singing is divine with a couple of numbers being true standouts. For my money, I would love to have a recording of their versions of Midnight Clear and I Heard the Bells in my collection. Both songs are beautiful and the audience responded enthusiastically.

I think what has caused my dilemma is the changes in the characters and the way the story has evolved. When we first met the ladies of the North American Lady Organists Guild, they were not a real group – they were three women brought together by chance with different views on life, spirituality, and the role they played in the universe. They fought to find common ground and now that they have had several years to gell as a unit, the edges have stopped being so sharp and what seemed natural and exciting has become dulled by routine.

However, that being said, there is no denying that when everything clicks in the show, it is funny and the vocals are more than worth the price of admission.
On the technical side, D. Mark Souza’s wigs and costumes are delightful. Cross gendered performances – I don’t want to call these drag or camp for that implies a completely different approach – are difficult to pull off without parody, and these four actors are not parodying women, but are trying to deliver realistic explorations. Music direction by Tim Gillham is strong, and Timothy Brewster’s playing is excellent.

Director John Knapp has delivered a funny and touching holiday play, that even while being a trifle uneven, still delivers a fun evening of theatre.

For WCVE Public Radio, I’m John Porter.