‘Tabletop’ tops table of shows

TOM TITUS

A group of advertising types convening to photograph a product for a

magazine ad wouldn’t seem, on the surface, to be the sort of

material that would captivate a theater audience. Yet this was Topic

A at the Laguna Playhouse in 2004.

“Tabletop,” Rob Ackerman’s tension-packed comedy about backstage

backstabbing in the advertising world, was the playhouse’s most

enjoyable production of the year. Directed by Andrew Barnicle, the

show was “a wild and woolly knuckle sandwich for the advertising

industry,” to quote this column’s review of the show.

A close second in this annual assessment was “What the Night is

For,” a two-character play from Michael Weller focusing on two former

lovers connecting again after a 10-year hiatus. Richard Stein staged

this “comedy interlaced with razor-edge drama ... a richly rewarding

play about physical and emotional need.”

“Constant Star,” a musical biography of a fiery abolitionist of

the late 19th century directed by its author, Tazewell Thompson,

ranks third, described here as “arousing its audience with both

appreciation of the current performance and outrage at the events

that inspired it.”

“Forever Plaid,” the popular resurrection musical comedy featuring

songs from the early 1950s, placed fourth on this column’s

appreciation list, under the direction of Larry Raben. Stein’s

production of “Tuesdays With Morrie” ranks fifth, followed by “The

Last Five Years” and “The Constant Wife.”

As for individual perform- ances, two actors are locked in a

virtual tie for top honors -- Jeff Meek in “Tabletop” and Jack

Axelrod in “Tuesdays With Morrie.” Claudia Christian delivered the

best performance by an actress in 2004 in “What the Night is For,”

followed closely by the entire five-woman cast of “Constant Star.”

Other notable acting achievements during the year were delivered

by Rick Cornette and Kim Huber in “The Last Five Years,” Devon

Raymond and Kristen Potter in “The Constant Wife,” Kip Gilman in

“What the Night is For” and Al Espinosa in “Tabletop.”

While assessing the past year in Laguna Beach theater, this column

would be remiss by not mentioning the splendid production of “Into

the Woods” by the city’s community group, the No Square Theater.

Directed by Marguerite MacIntyre, the Stephen Sondheim musical was

a treat for the eye and ear. Standouts in that show included Laurel

Boyd, Steve Josephson and Pam Plummer.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.