Comedy – an intuitive perspective

September 23, 2026

TRAYF. Next Act Theatre Explores Identity and Friendship.

It’s 1991 and we are in Brooklyn. And we are confronted with a Hertz rental van or RV with Mitzvah Tank emblazoned on its side. A Brooklyn looking a bit tired in Jeffrey Kmiec’s and Bianca Gonzalez memorable period set design…with a very sad vehicle that they have cobbled together as well. The Mitzvah Tank will put on some miles figuratively as it is driven around town and literally as it is pushed forefront and later to stage left as the story line requires. And the Tank will be utilized by two young eighteen year-old Orthodox Jewish men to light the lamp in the Jewish souls of other Jews as influenced to do by their spiritual leader known by the nickname Rebbe. Our two new friends are Zalmy and Shmuel

Left to right: A.J. Magoon, Alex Mitchell. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of Next Act Theatre.

Shmuel gets to be the driver of the Mitzvah Tank because his father rented it. But there is more to it than that. In Alex Mitchell’s portrayal of Shmuel, he is direct, sure of himself, thoughtful, and a planner. And Mitchell shows us a man very focused on his goal and his faith. But don’t think for a moment that he is an emotionless individual. He can and does get angry and is personally hurt when Zalmy’s allegiance to their friendship seems to waiver. But even Zalmy states that Shmuel was always admired as the smart one. And Mitchell maintains something of a scholarly air about him…but he let’s some suspicions in as well.

A.J. Magoon’s Zalmy is just as committed to their project but he’s more curious and lighthearted than Shmuel. Yes, he is more curious and this ignites some of the conflict that is about to arise. Zalmy is the navigator and DJ in the tank. And he likes to play little guessing games at times…trying to guess how many Rebbe tapes that Shmuel has along. These are tapes of Rebbe’s speeches and such. Shmuel plays along but teases Zalmy a bit. But no secular music is allowed! Magoon marvels at the 322 tapes and is visibly excited in his role as DJ to the point of totally ignoring Shmuel’s request for help in parking the Tank. Magoon exhibits a special exuberance and excitement in his gestures and voice.

Zalmy and Shmuel are certainly committed and prepared (they plan for snacks) but they may be a bit naive all at the same time. They’ve never been out of their community and are so sure of their project they aren’t quite ready for the rejection. Their fervor doesn’t waiver but at times a sense of disappointment does set in. But they are beyond their community even venturing into Wall Street, offering their brochures and asking the people that they meet, Are You Jewish? And then we meet Jonathan.

Left to right: Alex Mitchell, A.J. Magoon, Lucas Prizant. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of Next Act Theatre.

Lucas Prizant presents a Jonathan of a care free nature and practiced nonchalance. We meet him as he approaches Zalmy at the Tank. But he has apparently talked with Shmuel previously, as Shmuel warns Zalmy that he doesn’t think that Jonathan is Jewish because he hesitated too long when asked Are You Jewish before saying yes. But Jonathan presses them into conversation. And Prizant changes tone as he becomes a bit sad and confused when recounting the discovery that his late father was Jewish and had escaped Nazi Germany. As this conversation progresses, Zalmy’s curiosity slips into high and he invites Jonathan for Shabbos dinner. This becomes a common occurrence and Jonathan gifts some secular music to Zalmy which affects him a great deal. And although he hides the music from Shmuel, Shmuel suspects and some other things become inflection points and Zalmy and Shmuel start to drift apart. Not unusual for young adults but quite a surprise given the backgrounds here. Well Jonathan begins his conversion to Judaism and Prizant starts to drop the care-free attitudes and takes on a similar persona to Zalmy and Shmuel. And besides being a wedge between our heroes here, it is a problem elsewhere:

Rachel Zientek bursts onto the scene as Leah when only Shmuel is present at the tank. Zientek is forceful, direct, and full of indignation. She is Jonathan’s girl friend and a reformed Jew and wants her Catholic boyfriend back. She is clearly upset about Jonathan’s new trends as a Jewish convert and didn’t sign up for this. And she makes some revelations about Jonathan’s and Zalmy’s activities that include planning and doing things that Shmuel had designed to do with Zalmy. So the rift widens and the friendship seems doomed.

But friendship does in fact win out. Identities are examined and reaffirmed for Zalmy and Shmuel, but are newly discovered for Jonathan. For our characters that seems to be a good thing.

This is a comedy but there are serious topics underlying the story. Director Elyse Edelman has done an exemplary job of maintaining the humor while enriching the serious stories being told here. I love her directing work but I hope it doesn’t keep her off stage in the future.

Yes, this is set in a Jewish enclave in New York. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the questions we all ask ourselves about our identities or who we choose to be friends with. We just have to remember what it was like to transition from youth into adulthood. Attend willing and ready to remember those things in your life and you will enjoy Trayf a great deal.

Trayf runs from now through October 4, 2026 at their theater at 255 South Water Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tickets Here and More Information Here. TRAYF is 1 hour and 25 minutes with no intermission.

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill or The Enrichment Guide. Reading the enrichment guide before you attend may help in understanding some of the terms and cultural references made during the play.

September 22, 2026September 23, 2026

Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo:THIS Is Theater! At Waukesha Civic Theatre

Yes, THIS IS THEATER as one of the characters professes mid-way through Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo at Waukesha Civic Theatre. But with a name like Moon Over Buffalo, I expected something of a modern rom-com. Spell check wants to turn rom-com into coatroom…which might apply since the closet plays a role in the play. But it is far more insidious that a standard rom-com. Yes there is romance and long term love and misunderstood love and canoodling…so it goes down the theatrical rabbit hole to a farce. A grand farce at that!

We are in fact in Buffalo New York with a traveling theater company who are presenting two plays in repertory, Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives. And our main set is a green room or staging area in a rather tired theater except for the stunning fainting couch! Our two principals are a long time married couple, a bit past their prime as actors, who have played romantic and dramatic roles opposite each other for a long long time…apparently very successfully, until recently. And they are waiting for their next big break which is surely just around the corner. But here we are in Buffalo.

And it is the early 1950s so not are they only fighting the movies for attention, but the fledgling television industry as well. A media type that they seem to abhor, but I wonder.

Left to Right: Tony Davis, eme’ Esquivel, and Tanya Tranberg. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

We meet our intrepid company on the ramparts as Tony Davis over exclaims as George Day in a rehearsal of Cyrano…with some fairly lackluster support from his supporting cast. But Davis has just the needed comedic chops here to bluster and extol and overdo it from his ill-fitting costume and misaligned over the top Cyrano nose. But this is just a glimpse of what Davis will be called upon to do. Beyond the comedic lines and situations he needs to perform any number of pratfalls and drunken stumbles and an amazing sword duel with his wife Charlotte. I repeat, an amazing sword duel with his wife Charlotte.

Left to Right eme’ Esquivel and Tanya Tranberg. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Yes, sweet Charlotte. Played by Tanya Tranberg as a grand dame of theater. Proper, prim, a bit stodgy at times, but impulsive too and a great fencer! She is in love with the theater and with the future she sees for herself and George in the movies. But Tranberg’s Charlotte is also a romantic in love with George but not necessarily willing to overlook all of his transgressions…finally ready to be wooed by Richard, their high powered show-biz attorney. And Glenn Villa is a delightful self-centered and smarmy big city ego yet love sick beyond his own comprehension Richard.

Glenn Villa. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

And Rosalind, George and Charlotte’s daughter comes to Buffalo for a visit. It isn’t a chance visit, she wants to introduce her parents to her new fiance, Howard. But there is some serious sub-context here. Rosalind was raised in the theater and trained in the theater and was part of her parent’s company until she decided she wanted a normal life. Lisa Bransdorf’s Rosalind is clearly a smart level headed and determined young woman. And despite her parents disappointment she is determined to follow her own vision. And then there is Paul. He is part of the repertory company, smart, young, and accomplished in the theater and has the same drive as George and Charlotte. And Rosalind’s former fiance. Hmmm. Marty Alivo plays a smart and driven theater maven ready to put the show on at all costs…with maybe just a little disbelief that Rosalind dismissed him and the company and a fair amount of bitterness. And then there is Rosalind’s new beau, Howard, a professional TV weatherman but played as a timid and starstruck eme’ Esquivel, who has no idea what he’s about to experience. But when no one ‘appears’ to be home, he begs off and leaves setting up some of the most hilarious mistaken identity scenes this side of Shakespeare.

Left to Right Lisa Bransdorf and Marty Alivo. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

And Hannah Franzen rounds out the cast within the play as Eileen, the theater company’s ingenue. Franzen plays the role to a T, with a boisterous, frantic pace that Eileen’s place in the story demands. You’ll see why, below. And the last character here is quite a character as played by Tom Aldridge. ETHEL! Ethel is an elderly woman, Rosalind’s grandmother and Charlotte’s mother. Aldridge plays it dumb, he plays it clever, and he plays it elderly at times…and makes the most of Ethel’s reluctance to wear her hearing aids when they would be the most helpful and vice versa.

Left to Right: Tom Aldridge and Lisa Bransdorf. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Well, there are the characters and here is a brief synopsis without giving away the jokes and gags. Much of the story relies on making fun of the theater and theater practices…and particularly the character of Cyrano. It also has fun with romantic love on a number of levels and stereotypes of love in the media. And of course, it relies a great deal on the mis-identification of characters, particularly poor Howard who is totally lost here. So here goes…we can seen George’s Romeo to Charlotte’s Juliet, but who would expect his turn as a Lothario with Eileen. That dalliance results in her pregnancy and turmoil ensues. I don’t want to give much more away because that’s where the humor resides. But I will say that there are four doors on stage, one closet, one exterior door, and two that appear to go to dressing rooms or the stage. A far amount of time is humorously spent running in and out of these doors looking for one character or another. Keystone Kops it is! But, but, but: Frank Capra makes an ‘appearance’ looking for stars for his new film. I couldn’t leave that out, it’s important (well if you know who Frank Capra is).

But never fear! True love wins out in the end.

One last statement: the true magic here is how directors DJ Castine and his brother Cole Castine have taken the disparate characters, many plots and subplots, and myriad loose ends and woven them all together into an amazing whole clothe.

Left to Right: Hannah Franzen and Tony Davis. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Moon Over Buffalo runs at The Waukesha Civic Theatre on Main Street in Waukesha from now through September 27, 2026. Ticket information here!

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill

Left to Right Tony Davis and Paul Alivo. Photo by **Anne Kenny Creative** and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

July 11, 2026July 22, 2026

Isn’t The World Full Of Wonderful Things? Indeed. Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker at APT!

I was so totally looking forward to seeing The Matchmaker at American Players Theatre because I wasn’t familiar with anything by Wisconsin native Thornton Wilder beyond Our Town. From the preview posts and media, I knew it was a comedy. So I was also looking forward to some fun and laughter but I didn’t expect it to be totally HILARIOUS! And director Brian Cowing pulled out all of the stops and pushed the cast into a realm of slapstick, farce, and delightful merriment that as I said, I wasn’t really expecting. The timing and delivery is impeccable and brings each comedic moment to the fore. I LOVED THIS SHOW!

For those of you in a hurry, short review: The Matchmaker is a marriage of a Shakespeare comedy: mistaken identities, confused goals and aims, cross dressing, misdirection, and an end that ends well; versus an Oscar Wilde treatise: precise language, class idiosyncrasies, puns, jokes due to misplaced environments, and of course, fun at the expense of social convention. And from both writers: the very human and desperate longing for love and personal relationships by people who don’t know exactly what they are looking for.

Now, on with our adventure. PUDDING. YKIYK

So where did The Matchmaker come from. Originally Wilder wrote a comedy in 1938 named The Merchant of Yonkers. It was based on a 1842 play by Austrian playwright Max Reinhardt called He’ll Have Himself a Good Time. Wilder’s comedy was a huge flop. But in the 1950s there was some renewed interest in the play, so Wilder rewrote and reworked it into The Matchmaker. And in the rewrite the focus shifted to the matchmaker, a widow, Dolly Gallagher Levi.

Tracy Michelle Arnold. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

And who is our matchmaker? For our play, a particularly vivacious Tracy Michelle Arnold! Arnold as Levi, is at once, shy and sly, coy and bold, innocent and manipulative, and most often the direct instigator of much of the action, for good or bad. And Arnold’s Levi is a master of covert behavior. The other characters seldom know exactly what is going on but the audience does. Because Arnold keeps them in the loop via a few asides, a variety of winks and nods, and the casually glanced sneer or wicked smile. Arnold’s effective use of body language tells much of Levi’s story.

The other central character of The Matchmaker is the widowed food and provisions merchant in Yonkers, NY, the gruff and curmudgeonly Horace Vandergelder. Triney Sandoval is the focused and ‘sensible’ Mr. Vandergelder. Sandoval very effectively rails against all of the fools in the world while claiming to be one of the few sensible people. Yet in Sandoval’s accomplished hands, Vandergelder proves to be living the adage, there is no fool like an old fool. LOL! But at the age of 60 he decides that his household would benefit if he took a wife. I am not quite sure that he ever actually states that he would personally benefit, but his voiced positions aren’t necessarily feminist. But in his quest for a wife, he has employed Mrs. Levi as a matchmaker. And the main action starts when they head off to New York City so that Vandergelder can propose to the widow, Mrs. Irene Molloy. Except Levi has other ideas.

Well, before we go to New York, there are some other notables that we need to explore. Yes, Vandergelder owns a rather large provisioning business and has two young employees, Cornelius Hackl as his chief clerk and Barnaby Tucker as an apprentice. Colin Covert plays Hackl, as a dreamer and adventurous young man full of energy and ideas but little real world experience. Tucker is played by Trevyn Wong, a much younger man, a bit naive, but no less curious, and not to be left out agrees to accompany Hackl. Although tied to the store, when their boss heads off to the city they create a distraction that allows them to head out for the city too…for an adventure. What could possibly go wrong? And believe me, they find adventure. And for some odd reason, Vandergelder hires an ‘intern’ at the last minute. One, Malachi Stack, who is well past intern age and arrives unbidden with a handful of questionable references but works his way into a job. Brian Mani’s Stack is clearly a man of the world, albeit a ne’er do well man, and maybe a bit fond of drink. ??

Left to right: Triney Sandoval, Trevyn Wong, and Colin Covert. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

Oh, wait, there are two other characters from Yonkers that we need to name before we all run off to the big city. Vandergelder’s niece, Ermengarde, played as a naive but curious and full of life young woman by Kelly Simmons. And the love of her life, the artist Ambrose Kemper, a suave and persuasive young man as played by Jonathan Gardner. These young lovers want to get married but Vandergelder is totally against it saying that Kemper won’t amount to anything…Kemper denies that…of course. So Vandergelder devises a plan to send Ermengarde off to New York to stay with a Miss Flora Van Huysen, but she and Kemper thwart his plans by running off together.

Left to right: Phoebe Gonzalez and Colin Covert. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

And now we are in New York and mayhem ensues. I won’t go all spoiler here and try to just keep to a brief outline. As part of their adventure, our two intrepid young men from Vandergelder’s store linger on the street admiring the inhabitants of a millinery owned by Mrs. Molloy, Vandergelder’s intended. They are quite taken with the ladies and as it turns out the ladies are quite taken with them as they watch them approach the store. Mrs. Molloy as played by Phoebe Gonzalez is my favorite character in the play. Gonzalez is full of life and curiosity and despite her verbal denials seems to be enjoying her life a great deal. And when the young men enter there is a bit of forced conversation that is trying to find its way to flirting. The second woman in the shop is Ama J. Kuwonu as Molloy’s assistant, Minnie Fay. All goes well until Vandergelder shows up and the men have to hide in a closet and under a table. Hilarity ensues and this scene includes one of the great lines of the play, this place is crawling with men. And a bit of Cowing’s staging here brings on a bit of Buster Keaton timing and improbability.

Left: left to right: Tracy Michelle Arnold and Triney Sandoval; right top to bottom: Colin Covert, Phoebe Gonzalez, Ama J. Kuwonu, and Trevyn Wong. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

But at this point, Mrs. Levi is in complete control as she convinces Vandergelder she has a better match for him, and gives Hackl a far more appealing and urbane background story, and maneuvers all of the characters to an expensive chic restaurant…and the confusion continues to Miss Van Huysen’s, as misdirection and misidentity continue to prolong our enjoyment of The Matchmaker. And yes all’s well that ends well and everyone has their match although maybe not the ones they or we expected. But ones that we all can approve of.

Now, a bit of a side note. Without benefit of a stage manager ala Our Town, how does Wilder fill in the blanks or convey important plot arcs to the audience? Well here in The Matchmaker, there are plenty of asides from any number of characters meant only for us and a number of vibrant soliloquies that keep us in the know. The most engaging and surprising soliloquy comes from what would seem at first, a minor character…Malachi Stack. But as delivered by Brian Mani it is a spellbinding and intriguing speech about the virtue of harboring only one vice at a time.

Center: Brian Mani with cast. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

And it is always a treat to see how APT will build the sets on their open rustic thrust stage in the woods when the action calls for elaborate interior settings. Scenic Designer did an amazing job with this challenge and throughout the evening transformed a store into a millinery into a restaurant to a sitting room into a train (well that last bit may have been influenced by last year’s 39 Steps a bit). And what luscious period costumes from Tracy Dorman. But I felt for the cast being so elegantly clad in 80+ degree weather.

Left to right: Jonathan Gardner and Kelly Simmons, Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson and courtesy of American Players Theatre.

And thanks to Brenda DeVita and staff for bringing another uproarious comedy to APT!

The Matchmaker runs in repertory from now until October 2, 2026 at the Hill Theater at the APT in Spring Green WI. Additional information here. Run Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Ticket Information Here!

Isn’t The Word Full Of Wonderful Things? Indeed.