'Ballyhoo': GLT evokes bygone era
A cast of four actresses and three actors performed in Alfred Uhry’s “The last Night of Ballyhoo” Thursday night at Greenwood Little Theatre’s playhouse.
They were impressive.
“The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” winner of best play in the 1997 Tony Awards, was directed by Kackie Kornfeld, a longtime member of GLT. Kornfeld also has directed other GLT productions, including “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and “Ten Little Indians.”
“The Last Night of Ballyhoo” takes place in Atlanta, in December 1939 — the year Adolf Hitler was invading Poland and the movie “Gone withe the Wind” was becoming a hit.
But the worldwide political turmoil meant nothing to Atlanta’s German-Jewish community, who were much more concerned with “Ballyhoo” — their most important annual social gathering.
The Freitag family is particularly concerned with “Ballyhoo” for they are obsessed with finding the most elitist men for Lala and her cousin, Sunny. There is one problem though. Lala, who is dreamy, flamboyant and unpopular, has a hard time attracting an escort to invite her to “Ballyhoo.”
The best quality of GLT’s cast members in “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” is the interaction they have with one another.
One of the play’s most important characters, Boo Freitag Levy, was protrayed by GLT’s longtime member Elaine Tharpe. Boo Levy, a widow, is Lala’s mother. Tharpe’s last appearance on stage happended almost two years ago, when she performaned Miss Pumphrey in “Putting on Heirs.” Tharpe’s strongest qualities are her ability to make appropriate facial expressions and to recite her lines fluently. Also, Tharpe does an excellent job maintaining eye contact with the other actors and actresses.
An inspiring actress and one of the audience’s favorites is Kate Hummel who plays Reba Freitag, Sunny’s mother who is also a widow. Thanks to her musical talents, Hummel has the gift to project her voice on stage with grace and power. Not only her lines are recited beautifully, but her facial expressions and stage movements are superb.
The tall and slender 17-year-old Tante Roberts, an 11th-grader at Pillow Academy, did an exceptional job playing one of the play’s hardest roles, Lala. Roberts’ past appearances in other GLT productions definitely helped her feel at ease as she performed Lala. From the instant she appeared on stage to the end of the her performance, it was obvious that Roberts was enjoying every minute of her role.
Lala’s cousine, Sunny, was performed by the charming Pillow Academy student, Kim Tharpe. Believe or not, the 15-year-old actress joined GLT’s “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” cast last Friday due to a last-minute change. But, Kim does a great job. She is articulate, funny, carefree and confident. She is particularly impressive when she interacts with Roberts and David Ferguson, who played Joe Farkas, a Jewish businessman who assists the girls’ uncle, Adolph. Kim has been involved with GLT since age 9.
For Ferguson and Houston Sanders, who performed Peachy Weil, “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” is their first-time experience as actors. They enjoyed it.
Ferguson, 18, a computer network student at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead, does a very good job portraying Joe. He has the ability to move around the stage with confidence and poise. Thursday night’s audience enjoyed seeing him act.
Sanders played Peachy, a member of one of the finest Jewish families int he South. Peachy mainly interacts with Lala, who desperately wants him to take her to “Ballyhoo.” Sanders, 25, is articulate, funny and confident. Although Sanders is a newcomer to a GLT production, he does an excellent job. Another actor who makes an impact on stage is Murray Kornfeld. He plays Adolph, a bachelor who lives with his sisters, Boo and Reba. Dressed in a business suit, Kornfeld makes his entranct with a newspaper in one hand and a small suitcase in another.
In addition, he properly move throughout the stage and projects his voice with confidence. He has been involved with GLT for years, where he also has directed.
The Crew
The 1930’s construction setting in “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” was prepared by: Ben Harper, Diane Stewart, Ray Stewart, Brian MacKenzie, Greenwood High School Drama Club, Houston Sanders, Kackie Kornfeld, Destiny Ferguson, and Kim Tharpe
Set crew members are: Emilia Joseph, Phil Lawes, Jackie Randolph, and Ben Harper
Also collaborating with the play are Clay Pettit’s 1919 Antiques, Jim’s Home Furnishing, Jim’s Formal Wear/Kornfeld, Inc., Claudia White, Jean Gutierrez, Karen Tharpe and Don Hummel.