Review: GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH at Florida Rep is Historically Hysterical!

Florida Rep's GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH, written by Mark St. Germain and directed by Abigail Zealey Bess, will have you laughing and learning in this fabulous world premiere comedy about the New Bunion Historical Society and their struggle to keep their historical museum open. This production was chosen to be brought to the Florida Rep stage from Florida Rep's 4th annual PlayLab Festival last year; their 5th PlayLab is happening this weekend.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH stars Liz Abbott, Viki Boyle, Patricia R. Floyd, Carrie Lund, Jackie Rivera, and Jason Parrish, who voices Mayor Ronnie Rice and Big Jim. The five women in this production have a fantastic dynamic between them; they are each very charismatic on stage individually, and putting them all together creates a fantastic chemistry.

Viki Boyle, one of Florida Rep's wonderful ensemble members, is hilarious as Edie Plotz. From Edie's episodes of narcolepsy whenever she gets excited, to her perfectly-timed comedic lines, she is truly the funniest character in this production, and Boyle portrays her fantastically.

Carrie Lund's Hester Bunion is a serious, stubborn contrast to Boyle's lighthearted Edie, and I appreciated how her character evolves at the end of the show, especially as she learns from Patricia R. Floyd's witty and wise Louisa Tye. Liz Abbott's character, Ann Mather, also evolves in this production, and I enjoyed seeing her decide to embrace her passion after her marriage takes a turn for the worse.

Jess Wilder, played by Jackie Rivera, helps the other women in their mission to save the historical museum, teaching them how to draw people in, despite having some struggles of her own; hence, Jess asking Louisa Tye to show the women her rare pair of George Washington's dentures.

One of the funniest parts of this production is at the end of the show; let's just say it involves a wild "battle," and the women do not hold back. I won't spoil how it ends, but this is something you will definitely have to see for yourself.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH is the conclusion to Florida Rep's extraordinary 2017-18 theatre season, so don't miss your chance to see their final production (aside from their education productions) until the 2018-19 season begins.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH is playing in the Historic Arcade Theatre at Florida Rep now through May 13. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7PM, Friday-Saturday at 8PM, with 2PM matinees on Wednesday, Sunday, and selected Saturdays. To buy tickets, you can visit www.floridarep.org, call Florida Rep at 239-332-4488, or stop by the box office at 2268 Bay Street, Fort Myers, FL, 33901.