Review: 'Fuddy Meers' leaves aches of laughter

Photo by Davi Soesilo

Jake Ressler as Kenny.

Imagine you woke up this morning with no memory. Not only do you not know where you are or who anyone else is, but you have no idea who you are. Imagine this happening every morning of your life.

Such is the rare form of amnesia that affects the life of Claire, the main character (played by Rachel Swartzendruber) of the contemporary comedy 'Fuddy Meers.' Starring Michael Stauffer, Rachel Swartzendruber, Matthew Pearson, Colt Nutter, Jake Ressler, Hannah Gehman, and Shakema Taylor, 'Fuddy Meers' made its debut at EMU Thursday, Nov. 10 to a full house.

The play follows Claire's day as she tries to reconstruct her memory from nothing other than what others tell her. However, this day becomes one out of the ordinary when her supposed brother appears from beneath her bed to rescue her from her "dangerous husband who is trying to kill her." What ensues is a hysterical comedy that keeps the audience captivated and laughing as they join Claire in her search to figure out her past and how all these strange people fit into it.

A story of eccentric characters well-played by their accompanied cast members, 'Fuddy Meers' is a play different from most EMU plays, focusing on a secular theme meant to simply entertain. While the storyline behind the play is sobering (namely a story of spousal abuse), the crazy antics of the characters will leave viewers with tears rolling down their cheeks from laughter, or at very least with a sense of constant amusement.

It is decidedly the characters that make this play so good. From the beginning of the play (and the beginning of Claire's day), the audience meets characters ranging from a pot-smoking, rebellious teenager (Ressler) to a come-clean, make-up-for-past-mistakes husband (Stauffer), to an ex-convict, stuttering brother (Nutter), to an ex-convict, puppet-loving softy (Pearson). Add in a claustrophobic police officer gone bad (Gehman) and a speech impaired mother (Taylor) and what ensues is a roller coaster ride of laughs and surprises.

The casting is superb. The actors and actresses are well-fitted to their individual roles, creating believable characters which, in the case of these characters, is no easy feat.

Fuddy Meers is well worth the time and money (which for students is none) you'll need to view it. If you're looking for a laugh or simply good entertainment, head out to the University Commons this Thursday or Friday at 7:30 p.m. to enjoy this two-act play that will fly by in a flurry of witty lines and unexpected events. But viewers be warned: you may find yourselves leaving with stomach aches resulting from laughing so much.