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| Vito (Michael Fox) and Theda (Victoria Weller) exchange barbs in "It Had to Be You," a FoxWell Productions show playing this weekend at the Sprague Community Theater in Bandon. - Contributed Photo |
Abduction seduction
By Chip Dombrowski, Entertainment Editor
Friday, February 15, 2008 11:44 AM PST
For Theda, it was love at first sight.
Vito wasn’t so sure, but she couldn’t take no for an answer.
That’s why she kidnapped him.
It’s usually much further into a romantic comedy before a main character realizes the path to happiness requires doing something ridiculous and often illegal, but Theda is quicker than most.
Those looking to follow her example can try by taking a date — by force if necessary — to see “It Had to Be You,” playing this weekend only at the Sprague Community Theater in Bandon.
FoxWell Productions, a Brookings-based professional touring theater company consisting of Michael Fox and Victoria Weller, is bringing the show to Bandon with some local help: the producer is Jeff Norris, the Sprague manager who often produces Bandon Playhouse shows.
Both Norris and Fox, the director, said the arrangement will help make the show successful. Though a professional group can offer a high level of quality in its performances, it might have a harder time drawing an audience without someone local to vouch for it.
“They both have mile-long (lists of) things they’ve done,” Norris said, succinctly summarizing the careers of Fox, who started training as an assistant director at 15 in New York, and Weller, who spent two years with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Fox compared them to the great comedy duos of all time, saying that they were both successful on their own but achieve something more when they’re together.
Fox said he had had the show on his mind for a long time, and when he began working with Weller in 2000, he knew she was the one to perform it with, but it took three years to convince her to do it. Since then, he said, the play written by Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor has become their signature work.
“Most of our shows deal with men and women communicating with each other,” Fox said — probably a natural choice for a company of two. “There’s a lot of comedy in that. This is our premier show.”
Weller said she was reluctant in the beginning because she couldn’t see herself in the role of Theda.
“It’s a very different role for me,” she said. “I’ve done some kooky stuff, but this one, she’s just wacko wacko.”
Theda, a struggling actress and writer, meets Vito, a TV producer, at an audition. Though she doesn’t get the part, she convinces him to go back to her apartment and talk. Then she decides to hold him hostage until he falls in love with her.
But despite her outrageous tactics, she may be on to something.
“The woman who supposedly is the nutty one turns out to really have a good beat on how life happens,” Fox said. “The guy who’s got it together really doesn’t.”
Norris said he hopes Fox and Weller will be back at the Sprague and that FoxWell will come to be one of the groups that perform there regularly.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 and $12 for students and seniors. |