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“The Nerd” featuring (left to right) Kimberly Suskind, Ted Wioncek and AJ Mendini.<\/p>\n
COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
Some houseguests might overstay their welcome, but for one host, he doesn\u2019t stand a chance of getting a visitor to leave. \u201cThe Nerd\u201d mixes outrageous humor with questions about friendship, obligation and finally saying no. The escalating chaos resulting from this is at the heart of the Players Circle Theater\u2019s production of Larry Shue\u2019s comedy, centering around laid-back architect Willum Cubbert and awkward Rick Steadman. Steadman is the man credited with saving Chubbert\u2019s life during the Vietnam War, but he has never actually met in person and lacks social graces.<\/p>\n
A sense of gratitude is pushed to the breaking point for Willum, who has spent years feeling indebted to Steadman. When Steadman unexpectedly appears at his door during his 34th birthday dinner celebration, the long-awaited reunion quickly spirals into a test of patience, friendship and just how much one person should endure in the name of obligation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dinner-party material is great fun because there are so many things happening simultaneously,\u201d according to Director Robert Cacioppo. \u201cYou have several characters desperately trying to preserve some sense of normalcy, while Rick seems almost genetically incapable of behaving normally. He has the worst table manners, does horrible impressions, and is the world\u2019s worst listener.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The cast performs an ancient pagan ritual and chaos ensues.<\/p>\n
COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
Grown adults wind up with paper bags over their heads. A ridiculous party game called \u201cShoes and Socks\u201d sends whatever dignity remains straight out the window, as noted in the theater\u2019s press release. At the center of it all is a guest whose manners couldn\u2019t be worse and who couldn\u2019t be having a better time.<\/p>\n
Beneath the comedy, the play touches on the important themes of obligation, friendship and Willum\u2019s difficulty standing up for himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, I think (these themes) are what keep the play from simply becoming a collection of funny situations. Willum is a genuinely decent man, but his kindness has become almost a trap for him. He has confused being a good person with never disappointing anyone, and that affects his work, his relationships and ultimately his happiness,\u201d Cacioppo believes.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick becomes the most extreme test imaginable of that quality! How much do we owe another person? At what point does gratitude become an obligation? And when does being agreeable prevent us from actually living our own lives,\u201d he asks. \u201cThose are very human questions underneath a ridiculously wacky play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gratitude pushed to the limit<\/p>\n
Graciousness and repaying a debt are what connect Willum and Rick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWillum feels that he owes Rick his life for saving him in Vietnam. He wrote Rick a letter telling him so and put in writing that if he ever needed anything, he was the person to go to,\u201d described AJ Mendini, who portrays Willum. \u201cWillum’s sense of honor and commitment to his word drives him throughout the play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Described as a kind, accommodating person, Willum gradually gets pushed to his limit due to his houseguest refusing to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe feels a duty to honor his word regardless of his own feelings or comfort. It’s a delicate\u00a0balance to perform, because\u00a0he is affected by Rick’s actions, but resists the urge to act on his impulses because\u00a0of the\u00a0duty,\u201d Mendini reflected. \u201cIt’s ultimately an internal struggle\u00a0that needs to be played outwardly for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ted Wioncek III portrays Rick, the unwelcome visitor, who is viewed as awkward and frustrating; yet he is oblivious to his self-induced havoc.<\/p>\n
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Ted Wioncek III is “The Nerd.”<\/p>\n
COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key is that Rick can never know he is being irritating. In his mind, he is being helpful, participating, and trying very hard to connect with people he genuinely cares about,\u201d Wioncek continued. \u201cThe comedy lives in the gap between Rick\u2019s intentions and everyone else\u2019s experience of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Rick doesn\u2019t see himself as a punchline, according to Wioncek. \u201c(Rather) he finds himself rather funny, often cute, and sometimes even slick,\u201d he continued. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t see himself as anything but one of the gang.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comedy of chaos<\/p>\n
Some of the scenes are outrageous situations and much of the comedic delivery depends on Willum\u2019s reactions. \u201cTiming and reaction play a huge role in the comedy of these scenarios,\u201d Mendini added.<\/p>\n
Cacioppo concurs that timing is critical between the cast. \u201cGetting the timing right is enormously important because one reaction can be every bit as funny as the line that caused it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Willum\u2019s romantic interest, Kimberly Suskind, plays the role of Tansy, who is a party guest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relationship between Willum and Tansy is a really interesting one. The play begins and it appears that they have started a relationship after being friends for quite some time. They clearly care very deeply for each other but are hesitant to get any deeper into the relationship, knowing that ultimately Tansy will be moving in just over one week,\u201d she reflected.<\/p>\n
Rick\u2019s arrival changes the way Tansy sees Willum.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think she gets a little frustrated when she sees him be taken advantaged of or incapable of standing up for himself. She sees his potential and wishes he could see it as well,\u201d Suskind says.<\/p>\n
With Willum\u2019s lack of action with Rick, Tansy acts as his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick is the ultimate test of patience! For a lot of the play, Tansy steps in to save the day because Willum doesn\u2019t have the \u2018gumption\u2019 to stand up to Rick or make it clear that his actions are rude or unappreciated,\u201d she explained. \u201cI think she feels very sympathetic towards Willum, but ultimately really sees that he is incapable of\u00a0taking the bull by the horns.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is one scene where Suskind describes that forces her to be more direct with Willum.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a particularly frustrating moment that Tansy has with Rick, she makes it very clear to Willum that something\u2019s got to give,\u201d she said. \u201cBy the end of the play, Willum has been forced to his limit and finally stands up for himself. At that point, she is overflowing with surprise and pride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learning to say no<\/p>\n
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The cast plays a game of Shoes & Socks? Never heard of it\u2026 no one has!<\/p>\n
COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
Mendini describes what he believes Willum learns about himself through the chaotic events.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, I think that Willum learns that his sense of duty needs to be directed toward himself. He owes himself a lot more than he thinks he deserves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nerd\u201d continues to resonate with audiences decades after it was written, according to Cacioppo, \u201cbecause almost everyone has known a Rick Steadman!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say \u2018guests are like fish\u2026 after three days\u2026 they both begin to stink.\u2019 But beyond that, Shue understood human behavior extraordinarily well,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe all know what it feels like to be too polite to say what we really want to say. We\u2019ve all sat through an uncomfortable dinner or tried desperately to keep a social situation from falling apart. \u2018The Nerd\u2019 takes those recognizable situations and pushes them into wonderfully ridiculous territory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wioncek said the audience reaction becomes part of the play in some instances.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are several moments where Rick\u2019s complete lack of awareness creates a wonderful, slow-burning audience reaction. You know, the kind where people begin laughing because they can see the disaster coming before anyone onstage can stop it,\u201d he reflected. \u201cI especially enjoy the moments when Rick is trying his hardest to be a gracious guest or a helpful friend and somehow turns the entire room upside down. Those are the moments where the audience\u2019s laughter becomes almost a character in the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Players Circle Theater venue provides an intimate setting where the audience is close to the performers. \u201cWith \u2018The Nerd\u2019, that proximity is especially valuable because so much of the comedy comes from watching people react to Rick. You\u2019re not observing this disastrous evening from a distance\u2026 you almost feel as though you\u2019ve been invited to the party,\u201d Cacioppo said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s truly a laugh-out-loud funny play, Wioncek believes, but it also has a real heart. \u201cLarry Shue gives us a terrific farce full of escalating chaos, memorable characters, and wonderfully theatrical surprises, but underneath it is a story about friendship and loyalty,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Outside of the comic chaos, Wioncek said, \u201cI think audiences will connect to the idea that the people we dismiss most quickly may be the people we understand least.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cacioppo also hopes there is a little recognition underneath the laughter. \u201cMaybe we see some of ourselves in Willum. Maybe we recognize the danger of allowing obligation, fear or politeness to make our decisions for us,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere\u2019s something rather lovely underneath all the madness about choosing the life you actually want to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
There may be plenty beneath the laughs in \u201cThe Nerd\u201d, but Cacioppo said audiences shouldn\u2019t overthink it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunny is funny, and this is an exceptionally well-built comedy,\u201d Cacioppo believes. \u201cThe period details may belong to another era, but the relationships and the comedy of discomfort are completely contemporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
In The KNOW:<\/p>\n
WHERE: Players Circle Theater, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers<\/p>\n
WHEN: Oct. 20 to Nov. 15, show times vary<\/p>\n
TICKET PRICE: Ranges $40-$65<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“The Nerd” featuring (left to right) Kimberly Suskind, Ted Wioncek and AJ Mendini. COURTESY PHOTO Some houseguests might…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431747,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[169359,209,211,210,8973,169357,169358,169356],"class_list":["post-431746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-awkward-guest","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news","tag-comedy","tag-larry-shue","tag-players-circle-theater","tag-the-nerd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}