Review: Coyote StageWorks' THE UNDERSTUDY at The Annenberg Theater Brings All The Laughs

Kafkaesque is defined by Merriam Webster as "having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality...often applied to bizarre and impersonal administrative situations where the individual feels powerless to understand or control what is happening." And that is exactly what happens to each of the characters in Theresa Rebeck's comedy The Understudy. Set at a put-in rehearsal for a Broadway production of a newly-discovered Kafka masterpiece (starring two action movie stars), The Understudy is a theatrical nightmare of comic proportions.

Harry (David Youse) has been hired to understudy Jake (Alex Best) a burgeoning action star whose latest film nabbed $62 million at the box office opening weekend. Jake is understudying the lead, Bruce (never seen), a HUGE action star. Jake is not a stage actor, and hasn't looked past the words on the page to explore his character. This rehearsal is about to change all of that for him. Best's Jake is full of youthful energy often dropping and giving us ten. He still has stars in his eyes, and the hope of a bright future. Best does a good job capturing his zeal for life.

Youse's Harry reminds us why dating an actor is not encouraged. Self-absorbed, sullen, yet wildly charismatic and talented, Youse takes us on a ride through an actor's ego delivering with panache and humor.

Stage Manager Roxanne (Robin McAlpine) has the unenviable job of reining in these two egos and there's a twist. She and Harry used to be a "thing." McAlpine as Roxanne is wonderful to watch as she works hard to hold onto her professionalism to get everyone through the rehearsal where everything that can go wrong, hilariously does.

Set Designer, Thomas L. Valach, has created an atmosphere as cold as a morning in February, all grays and whites with a few bizarre set pieces adding to the Kafkaesque-ness of the play, and Costume Designer Frank Cazares gets an extra thumbs up for his perfect dressing of Roxanne. Moira Wilkie once again captures all of the action with her clever lighting design.

For the past ten years, Director Chuck Yates (also the Founding Artistic Director of Coyote StageWorks) has been giving us some of the best theater Palm Springs has to offer. The Understudy is no exception. It is a wonderfully entertaining 90 minutes that will keep you highly entertained from rise to curtain call. Go. See. Laugh.

The Understudy runs November 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11th at The Annenberg Theater.

101 Museum Drive

Palm Springs, CA 92262

Box office: 760-325-4490

www.coyotestageworks.org

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