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America Inspired

With The Chicago St.Sebastian Players its always "Ca$H ON DELIVERY!

I had the pleasure of seeing this past Friday's  opening night of the Saint Sebastian Players (SSP) As they premiered  their 30th Anniversary Season with the farce Cash on Delivery by Michael Cooney-featuring a special "cash-back guarantee. Laugh your ass off or get your money back"
If you don't laugh during the performance, just tell the box office on your way out, and we'll refund the price of your ticket," says SSP member and Cash on Delivery director Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch. "That's how confident we are that everyone will enjoy this production."
Seriously, for the over two hours of fun The Saint Sebastian Players provide,on this production, it doesn't charge that much more than a cineplex.  

     The premise of "CA$H ON DELIVERY'S" pretty funny, 

    Scene:   Unemployed Eric Swan, played brilliantly  by Greg Callozo, has been swindling the Social Security Administration for two years by claiming every type of benefit for the innumerable fictitious tenants who live at his address. When an investigator shows up to meet one of these tenants, Swan turns to his actual tenant Norman McDonald, played superbly by Doug Werder,  for help, and the comic chaos begins. Swan and McDonald, its funny seeing them  bumbling through the course of the afternoon as the situation they created snowballs out of their control. Callozzo and Werder's comedic timing hasn't been seen in live theater like this since  Nathan Lane and Mathew Broderick in "The Producers" Broadway Show.    
    CA$H ON DELIVERY  director Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch,past comedic successes directing for the company include
 You Can't Take It With You, Social Security and Room Service.
  
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      The "CA$H ON DELIVERY" cast features SSP member Jim Masini as Uncle George, who plays a convincingly dazed and confused and a sometimes dead man.  Greg Callozzo as Eric Swan and Douglas Werder as Norman McDonald. Heading up  the female cast are  Angela Bullard,  who plays Linda Swan..Eric Swan's wife in her funny portrayal of a concerned wife, who believes her husband prefers the life of lacy panties and bra's to men's  t's and boxers. Her determined belief that her Eric's now becoming one of the girls leads to many funny moments . Angela's  comedic timing and facial character choices during stress are the best.  The cast also includes  Jaclyn Jensen,as Ms.Brenda Dixon, who in her zeal to offer grief counseling to Norman McDonald character added to the comedy intensity the more well meaning moral support she offered. 
And  Melissa Porter, as Sally Chessington, Normans fiancé, who's hysterical grief stricken antics were very physically  funny . And   Lyn Scott, as Ms. Cowper, Some one  you wouldn't want to f...k with unless you wanted to be castrated ,she added comedic fear to the men on stage, She's  Mr. Jenkins supervisor played by Michael Wagmans , who plays snibbley... annoying.. and whinny to a  tee.... his contribution to this show makes for a comedy masterpiece ending.   And  Brandon Tessers,  as the funny Mr. Forbright    And Josh Wintersteen as Dr. Chapman, who's funny accepting the chaos around him.
 
J. Louis Williams is the set designer,responsibe for the attractive Swan Home. The lighting designer is Steven Hill ,
SSP member Al Cerkan is assistant director, Adam Seidel is stage manager and SSP member John Oster is producer.

    My question is why are you just sitting there reading this thumbs up review,  get your tickets now for next weekend!

Cash on Delivery runs October 22 - November 14,   Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.  and Sundays at 2 p.m., only at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, at Marshfield just west of Ashland, in Chicago. Free parking is available in two lots. Tickets are $15, $10 for students with valid IDs and $7 for seniors and children younger than 12. Subscription packages for the three-play season are $30, $20 for seniors; other options are available that include the Monologue Matchup and/or SSP's Annual Banquet. Group rates also are available. All programming is subject to change. For information, call 773-404-7922 or visit saintsebastianplayers.org.


, Chicago Events Examiner

Dan Cordova has been a entertainment analyst for film and TV while also reporting and reviewing Chicago's upcoming live concert and stage play scene. Dan has been freelancing for Time Out Chicago, Newcity Newspaper, Chicago's Magazine, The Windy City Times and American Airlines Magazine since...

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