“Johnny Cobweb” reviewed by Mark Reinecke

Fennell kicked off the show by stepping out on stage, presumably to introduce himself, to remind us to silence our phones and to note the closest exit. To the delight of a young, rambunctious audience, Fennell has a meltdown. Like an unhinged, Howard Beale-kind-of- meltdown. He acknowledges the audience for their “bravery and risk-taking” and looks deeply into our eyes and yells, “Are you people stupid?”  He warns us, “This could be bad!”  He touched on his passion, further driving his frenzy, that drove this two-year process of writing (and revising up to the last minute), as he whipped up the audience and set the tone and aesthetic for what was about to happen.

The story opens on a typical school day around the family breakfast table in fictitious Shillyville, Ohio, a safe place that has seen few changes over the years.  And it is a city by name that best describes the shilly-shallying and lazy Vincenzo Mortadelli (Aidan Mueller), a owner/director of a generations-old, family-run mortuary (or “delli” if you prefer). We learn the Mortadelli Family Funeral Home has had the market cornered in a one-funeral-parlor-town since its founding 100 years ago, leading to complacency and vulnerability.  In walks the slick, fast-talking, slimeball Johnny Cobweb (James Endter).  Johnny Cobweb eventually upends the lives of the entire Mortadelli family and throws them into action. The new Johnny Cobweb Funeral Parlor — complete with a bouncing ball, a fully-stocked gift shop with death-themed items, and the promise of a pinball machine for parlor guests — takes the town by storm.  Johnny does not relish the funeral profession necessarily; he views himself as a marketing guy. Primarily, he thirsts for blood-letting competition, and sees Shillyville as the right place to take on this fight with the assistance of his capable, professional associate and roommate, Gladys Halibut (Sam Theis).

Johnny Cobweb launches a local television ad campaign. There are promises that Johnny Cobweb will “raise the bar for kicking the bucket.”  It is crystal clear, he will do whatever it takes to win over customers and put Mortadelli to bed. Tensions rise fast.  Vincenzo Mortadelli  calls a family meeting and is forced to respond in kind to save his business and launches his own television commercials featuring the Mortadelli family, including his accomplished wife, Susan (Camille Jones), a busy practicing attorney; his ambitious, overly-enthusiastic, dim-witted and annoying son, Giacomo (Nate Borgens); his daughter, Bianca (Leah Robin), a wonderfully typical high school sophomore; and Violetta (Calcifer Jenkins), a deliberately odd, other-worldly figure, perhaps resuscitated from the bowels of the funeral parlor. The attacks become more pointed, aggressive and outlandish in their content. There are insinuations made of criminal associations. Miracle cosmetology procedures to make the cadaver look 10-years younger (to make the death itself that much harder for the bereaved). And the promise to make your loved one “drop-dead gorgeous” (their pun; not mine) with volumizing perms. The gloves are now off.  The hilariously sordid ads punctuate the local television newscasts, anchored by journalist, Betsy Anchorage (Mia Hoskins).  The technical presentation of the television itself, using a tall chest of drawers (behind which subjects stood) and a special lighting effect to create a TV screen, was creative and effective.  And you had Hoskins show her “journalistic” skills brilliantly.

Around the time Johnny comes to town, the city is rocked by a series of unprecedented murders. A serial killer is on the loose as indicated by a tell-tale sign left at each scene. Both businesses of course see this as an opportunity to expand.  Officer Brandywine (Graham Gatewood) gets involved to identify the killer and from there takes the show off the rails.  Johnny Cobweb and the Mortadellis now have multiple battles as the town watches and the legal system responds.  To sort things out, Judge Elmo (Dylan Young), a worthless product of nepotism, shows up and begins court proceedings. Let’s stop there. It will suffice to warn viewers to hold on tight and get ready for harder laughs. The courtroom was the setting for Camille Jones, who played dual roles as prosecutor and defense attorney and key witness and cross examiner, to give the audience whiplash and belly aches in her tour de force moment.

This twisted tale is a showcase for extraordinary and unexpected young, comedic talent.  Fennell was blessed to have solid actors in lead and supporting roles.  The actors, in turn, had a script with outrageous, truly-funny, yet challenging material and opportunities to perform. Each actor rose to the challenge. The production staff brought this play to life on this stage at the Greenhouse Theater.  The designing of the sets, the expert lighting, and sound and musical selections, the props (the front door, the bouncing ball/office chair, a taxidermied cat, even the handshakes, and it goes on…), even the wardrobe selections all together brought this play to life.

This highly original work, with its fine actors and technical support team — all of whom are DePaul University students — is a powerful testament to the Blue Demon Theater and to DePaul University.  This play has a very short run.  Go see it.

Sat, Feb 22:   7:00 pm

Sun Feb 23:   2:00 pm

Presented by Blue Demon Theater

The Greenhouse Theater Center

2257 N. Lincoln Avenue

Chicago

www.greenhousetheater.org

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Johnny Cobweb”.