By Noah Moore
New works are always exciting, from both an artist and audience perspective. But seldom do their world premieres hit such pitch-perfect comedy and authenticity as in Stephen Strafford's 'The Match Game.' This delightful romp about family, forgiveness, and acceptance is as freshly-written and -tuned as any work I've seen this year--and I had a hell of a time.
The play, as Strafford notes is heavily-inspired by his own life, follows Steph, a mother whose formerly estranged father, Johnny, with dementia recently moved in. When Steph, who has cancer, can't find a match for her bone marrow and is still plagued by doubt with her father, she hatches a plan with an eccentric cast to prove he's faking and secure him as a marrow donor. Nothing could go wrong, right (Until you find out their mother, soon arriving, has no idea he even lives there)? The aforementioned complexities still merely gloss over the show's best moments, from an 'Anything Goes'-inspired gay dance romp to biting one-liners ('You're the Top' has new ironic context thanks to Steph's endearing roasts of her gay brother, Brian).
Strafford's work itself is a product of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's playwriting competition, which he won two years ago. That it is premiering at the same theatre, and garnering such positive reactions, is a testament to incubating rising artists. Much of the characters have real life parallels, from Deb being played by an actress named Deb or Sean being the name of the playwright's former fling. This is evident through the sleek dialogue and intricate relationships between the characters.
Jennifer Joplin, playing Steph, is a triumph. Her performance evokes a person who can't quite lessen their grip on their true emotions, afflicted by a cancer diagnosis and an absent husband, played strikingly by Allen R. Middleton (playing...you guessed it, Alan). The show's funniest fodder comes from the sitcom-esque dialogue between those two and between Deb and Brian, played by Jared Joplin. Joplin, even when clad in sailor attire, has a very nuanced and natural performance that has a solid journey throughout the show. His lines about gay body types as animals was one of the funniest lines I've seen in live theatre.
An already-complicated plot gets even more so with the arrival of Deb, played by a real-life Deb--Deb G. Girdler. Her character catalyzes the plot even more so, and despite her hilariously harsh demeanor, Girdler's performance has a beautiful range that makes the arc even more endearing, as she softens up a bit. The show's most emotional bit is a tour-de-force performance by Bruce Cromer, as grandfather Johnny, arguably the show's most complex character.
The technical elements are complimentary and lived-in, from the looming yet warm set by Brian. C. Mehring, or the bright and varied costumes by Maria Fernanda Ortiz Lopez (whose garments I adored in 'Fiona' last year). There was even a moment of theatre magic, as a large shelf of files flew down from the ceiling--a subtle flex, I'd say. It also made the reveal of the 'records' even more hilarious--a contextual joke I won't spoil.
Director Jared D. Doren's staging makes great use of the space, and allows for a quick-moving plot within the confines of a single space. Doren leans into several of Strafford's brilliant character match-ups, from the gay dancer Sean playing cards with the possibly-dementia-inflicted Johnny, to Steph and her Gen-Z teen Nora (played by Savannah Boyd in a great toe-tapping, sappy role).
Above all, the dialogue feels natural and the characters feel real, perhaps because in a sense they are. The authenticity of Strafford's work really gets to blossom in a character-centric, uproarious garden of treasures. Check out this show at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, with tickets at ensemblecincinnati.org!
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