Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

  

In the revival of Emerging Artists Theatre’s Penny Penniworth:  A Story of Great Good Fortune cleverly written by Chris Weikel and precisely directed by Mark Finley, a finely tuned ensemble of four comedians construct a vivid interpretation of a Dickens-inspired novel in this 70 minute show.  With minimalist set and props, and highly adaptable wears, this hilarious parody speeds off on a wild romp through Victorian-era England. Illuminating the text in hyperbolic proportions in terms of character and plot, Emerging Artists Theatre’s fall 2010 production of Penny Penniworth soars with humor.  The tag-team efforts of Chris Weikel and Mark Finley illustrate, through simplistic elements and superb direction and acting, the essence of classic storytelling.

In this supposed “lost” Dickens literary work, a “short-staffed theatre troupe with Royal Shakespeare Company aspirations” recreates the 19^thcentury feature, telling the tale of a young lady, Penny Penniworth, who, upon losing the love of her life, as well as her father, becomes destitute and can no longer support herself and her mother.  In search of a new means of survival and in hopes of making an earnest wage, whilst still holding onto the luxuries they had been accustomed to, Penny and Mrs. Penniworth journey to London, to the offices of Bunting, Bunting and Swagg.  Finding their path to societal recovery, the two women find themselves in the care of a morbidly mourning woman, Mrs. Havasnort.  Penny encounters many male companions and even unearths a hidden secret about herself in the conclusion of the play. 

  

Presented by Emerging Artists Theatre in 2002; then again in 2003, by TOSOS II New York International Fringe Festival; and making its revamped Off-Broadway premiere in the fall of 2009, and extended twice, Penny Penniworth has already received a warm response from its numerous audiences.  Now opening once again, Off-Broadway at TADA in Midtown Manhattan, Chris Weikel’s smartly articulated comedy tips its hat to the Bronte sisters, to Dickens, and to the overly stated and properly restricted British actors in most BBC style films.  Starring:  Christopher Borg (Hotchkiss Spit, Mrs. Penniworth, and the Baron), Jamie Heinlein (Penny), Jason O’Connell (Rupert Stryfe and Mr. Pinchnose), and Ellen Reilly (Narrator, Miss Havasnort, and Mr. Bunting), Penny Penniworth hails an all-star cast of well-educated actors.

Christopher Borg’s command of dialects, inflections, and precise comedic timing enable his seamless shape shifting through male and female characters.  Jamie Heinlein’s Penny creates the poetically fragile and the perfectly naïve ingénue.  Jason O’Connell’s striking dark features, overly emphasized facial expressions, and sinister voice, expose the archetypical villain with epic proportions.  Ellen Reilly masterfully embodies the postures and vocal qualities of her roles:  as notorious Mr. Bunting, droopy jawed and poised so erect, he is almost bent backwards; and Mrs. Havasnort, the gothic statue of a widow, so depressed, her frown lines protrude to her chin.  The talented ensemble tumbles with agility through physical and witty comedy under the taught direction of Mark Finley.

Emerging Artists Theatre’s fall 2010 production of Penny Penniworth presents an uproarious cacophony of characters, wittily strung together in a fantastically furious plot of love and intrigue worthy of any Dickens novel.