Stone Soup Theatre Company's Guys on Ice Is a Fun and Quirky Musical About ... Ice-Fishing
This review was published by Triangle Review on 15 December 2024.
Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of Guys on Ice: An Ice Fishing Musical is a fun and quirky performance that brings together humor, catchy tunes, and a sense of community. Directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with music director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the show presents a day in the life of a couple of guys from Wisconsin, combining ice fishing, friendship, and Green Bay Packers fandom in an intimate look at the upper Midwestern United States.
With music and story by James Kaplan and the book, story, and lyrics by Fred Alley, Guys on Ice offers a lighthearted and endearing portrayal of two Wisconsin men, Marvin and Lloyd, spending a cold winter day on a frozen lake, waiting for fish, and talking about their hopes, frustrations, and everything in-between. It's a show about nothing in the vein of the hit television series Seinfeld (1989-98) and can tickle your funny bone the same way.
The direction of Guys on Ice was well-paced; and the dynamic between the characters felt natural, helping to make the sometimes silly humor feel grounded in real human relationships. The use of physical comedy, especially in the "Ode to a Snowmobile Suit" number, added a layer of fun to the overall experience. Director Melissa Dombrowski keeps the tone light, and ensures the sometimes slapstick, sometimes witty humor of the show.
The show centers on the relationships between Lloyd, Marvin, and the ever-bothersome Ernie the Moocher; and each performer found a unique way to inhabit these distinctly Midwestern personalities. Jos Purvis was the standout as Marvin. His voice is strong, yet at times tender, effectively capturing the deeper -- though not too deep -- side of Marvin. His singing voice has potential and strong projection, which was especially noticeable during solo moments.
Chris Kudlick's Lloyd is, perhaps, the show's most relatable character. Kudlick seems to naturally capture the tone of someone who, though somewhat disillusioned by life, is content with the comfort of routine.
Ethan Westmoreland brings goofy charm, wit, and a sense of absurdity to his role as Ernie the Moocher. Unfortunately, Westmoreland's voice was often muted, compared to those of the other actors and sometimes difficult to hear, particularly for those seated on the sides of the small theater. This was an unfortunate drawback, as his vocal energy and character work were impressive but often lost in the acoustics of the intimate venue.
All three members of the cast deliver their lines with natural, yet comical, accents reminiscent of the 1996 film Fargo, thanks to dialect coach Nick Malinowski. It is one of the highlights of the show.
My teenage son's assessment, as we walked to the car, was: "All's I can say about this play is that it's like fishing: boring and nothing happens."
I told him I saw him laugh at a few of the jokes and corny singing lines. And besides, I reminded him, he doesn't like Seinfeld.
The venue -- the Mettlesome Theater in Durham -- is a cozy, black-box theater, located in the historic Golden Belt mill complex of Durham. The seating is intimate, but professional; and the lighting is just fine. However, the production would benefit from the use of microphones.
Note: Stone Soup Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theater that welcomes your involvement, including auditioning for performances, volunteering as an usher (ushers get FREE tickets to performances), providing input on their performance selection, whatever you can bring to the table. Their next performance (Spring 2025) is Oscar Wilde'sThe Importance of Being Earnest, and my son has already agreed to go with me. 😀
.
