Nicole Juliette Libby, Rachel Somma, Douglas Coler,
Rebecca Mercer, Meryl Bezrutzyk, Megan Simard



Andy Meyers as Cocky



Douglas Coler as Sir




(Photos: Jan Somma-Hammell)

Greasepaint Roars
by Karen Barrow – Off Off Broadway Online

The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd
Reviewed July 18, 2004
Sundog Theatre at Stage One in Staten Island

When social allegory is disguised as vaudeville merriment, confusion and chaos ensue.


 Written about an era of extreme social disparity, The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd , takes hold of the stage with words and action, playing tricks with language, physical humor, and all types of musical conventions.


 As with most satires, Greasepaint appears entirely nonsensical on its surface, telling the story of Cocky, a British peasant forced to play an improvisational game of hop-scotch with his traveling companion, Sir, an upper class snob. Along with their five companions, immature street urchins, these two hem and haw about the rules of the game, never advancing far past square one.


 If the audience does not seek to understand the deeper conflict between the "haves" and the "have nots," this musical attempts to explain, they are quickly left confused and only slightly amused by the ensuing antics. Act two, however, more readily reveals the general paradoxical nature of class differences – the more the upper class imposes its will upon the peasants without question, the harder it becomes for anyone to question their authority.


It is Cocky’s eventual realization, that he has as much right to make up the rules to the impromptu game as does Sir. In fact, only by standing up and finally taking control of the game, is Cocky able to advance and reach his goals. However, just as Cocky gains control of the situation, he begins to order Sir according to personal whims - showing the corrupting nature of power.


 With this message hidden until the final moments, it is up to the engaging cast to keep the audience wondering what the point of the chaos is. This success can rest solely on the shoulders of Andy Meyers, who, as Cocky, carries the heart of the show in his powerful voice and command of the stage. He plays off of the stiffer Douglas Coler, Sir, by becoming the emotional voice of the show. Coler, with an inferior singing voice, speaks most of his lyrics William Shatner-style, but he does provide a bit of modern insight into the play by inserting his own impersonations of recent presidents while prancing around as a political windbag.


 The urchins, played in a range of personalities from social outcast to curious, little girl, have so much energy that sometimes you wonder how they just don’t pop out of their skin. They are the court jesters in Sir’s domain, mocking and ridiculing Cocky during every break in the tightly-seamed dialogue.


 Greasepaint, written by Anthony Newley, contains old-time musical favorites that have been recorded numerous times. The music was written so that it could stand alone so by contemporary standards it occasionally feels poorly timed to the action. However, the musical numbers are well staged and display the wondrous talents of both the urchins and Meyers.


 The bedlam that is Greasepaint is more slapstick than revolutionary. Yes, the message of the need for social equality is apparent, but the play is too dated to be taken as a true satire by today's audience. Unfortunately, most miss out on the fast paced jokes and thick turns of language that flood the stage. However, the amusement that Greasepaint does offer is well above its ticket price.