You should write a book, they say. That should be a movie, they say.
Sure, but you need to see “The Perfect Fit” by playwright, producer, and director Ara Barlieb before you get too excited about your upcoming best seller.
That’s right, nothing is easy.
"The Perfect Fit,” running through August 9 at Between The Lines theatre at 725 N, 15th St., Allentown, Pa. is a fast-paced story of an aspiring screenwriter looking for the “perfect fit” to read for the lead role in his movie.
Writer’s regret grips him when a star agrees to meet him, thus making a closed loop of writer’s angst, unabashed star power, and actor’s insecurity.
Sure, it sounds like a dead end when you say in out loud, but in reality, Ara Barlieb has turned the elements of a true story into a rollicking, fun-filled evening of laughter.
Barlieb provides some of his intent and backstory in the program’s “Director’s Notes.”
"A very serious cast takes a light-hearted look at the quest we often don't even know we're on.
“Our fictional play is inspired by the tale of two distinguished Lehigh Valley writers and filmmakers who, about 30 years ago, made a concerted effort to produce a movie with stage, screen, and television legend Jack Palance who, only a few years earlier had won an Oscar for his performance in the Billy Crystal comedy, "City Slickers."
"Palance was residing at the time in the region of his birth and upbringing near Hazleton, Pa.
"The two budding producers made the trek to Palance's isolated retreat to see if the three of them would make a nice fit for the grueling effort of producing an independent feature film together, hoping also that his reputation would help raise the necessary production money.
“In their desperate search for ‘The Perfect Fit’ they discover that, in the same vein as the search for the mythical city of El Dorado, it doesn't really exist, but instead that a more rewarding goal, truth and beauty, may be found a lot closer to home.
Colin Core is electrifying as nervous, insecure, starstruck, but stubbornly resolute artist, Zach McKenzie. Kudos to what looks like the early stages of a sterling career in the Thespian arts.
David “Oz” Oswald, a seasoned veteran of the Crowded Kitchen Players troupe, is brilliant in his portrayal of Oscar winning/Bridgett Bardot paramour Rory LaRue (more or less based on real-life Pennsylvania coal country film legend, Palance.
Oswald has the star-power to meet this challenge.
Danny Black shines in his portrayal of Walter Sheehan, an eager newspaper reporter who sees a major news story in this potential match up of a local (Allentown), but neophyte writer with an international star who has returned to his hometown just few miles away. What a scoop this could be!
Black channels his inner Chippendale in a what seemed to be the beginning of steamy scene, but no one else was willing to take off their shirt. But, good try Danny Black!
Trish Cipoletti, another veteran of CKP, plays Carmela Pulcini. Cipoletti is terrific as a hard-charging editor determined to make things happen.
The coal-cracker cleaning woman for an aging movie star’s double wide trailer is the not the first choice for a randy “artist,” but Pamela McLean-Wallace’s Phyllis does the job admirably.
McLean-Wallace, also a CKP co-producer, inspires cleaning ladies everywhere to get in touch with their inner beauty and insouciant attitudes and inspire an ardent lover of the arts. She is either a great actor or an enchanting Muse. Let’s go with both being true at the same time.
Barlieb is credited with set design and has made the fast-paced telephone scenes even more frantic with period dial up telephones. His take on the double-wide trailer makes the scene seedier. Great job!
The Crowded Kitchen Players cast provided their own costume ideas to evoke the time and place of the play.
"The Perfect Fit" is CKP's 110th production since the year 2000.
Tickets: ckplayers.com or 610-704-6994.