"The fault is not in Symon Tuttle, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." Final words of Symon Tuttle, shortly before his very timely demise
Surrealism returns to its origins in œThe Many Charms of Symon Tuttle, a comic Christmas caper from the even more surreal mind of Bruce Brown and Crowded Kitchen Players.
Set for no compelling reason during the Christmas season, œSymon Tuttle attempts to unravel the knotty relationships between various members of a bizarrely diverse community, all or none of whom may have murdered the mysterious title character for an abundance of perfectly good reasons.
The play is neither bawdy nor naughty, and it makes no attempt to be particularly nice. Instead, its proudly and unapologetically irreverent, provocative, confusing, and bloated with meaningful drivel. $0
œThe Many Charms of Symon Tuttle begins with John and Brad, who may or may not actually know each other, walking in Paramount Park, the latter blathering on about his recent loss of employment before stumbling over the dead body of Symon Tuttle, whom both have met in the past, to their eternal regret.
As responsible, law-abiding citizens, they are torn between fleeing the scene or fleecing the body of whatever baubles it can yield them.
Their ambivalence is a direct consequence of those earlier encounters with the deceased, which are revealed to the audience through a series of lightning-quick flashbacks, several of which conclude before the characters can quite remember where and when they took place.
Whatever they were planning to do with the body and its possessions is immediately thwarted by a parade of Symons countless other self-proclaimed victims who are on their merry way to a much anticipated Christmas party hosted by still another of Symons patsies.
As more and more of Symons accusers happen upon his corpse, the body count rises, and everyone we meet seems to have good cause for murdering him, if, indeed, he was murdered.
œWe dont even know THAT?, cries one of the plaintiffs!$0
The play features Trish Cipoletti; Dan Ferry; its author, Bruce Brown; Pamela Wallace, Scott Van Nortwick; Jake Walbert; Billy Erlacher; and its director, Ara Barlieb.
The show is for an adult audience, if one can be found.
Performances are in The Charles A. Brown Ice House, 56 River Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 at 730PM December 19-23 and 200 PM December 23.
All tickets are $20.
For information, please call 610-704-6974 or visit www.ckplayers.com