LAKE GEORGE – Sometimes in theater cute is good enough. It’s certainly the case with dinner theater, where after a full meal a light fragile play is often preferable to a dark classic.
With this in mind “The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby,” which is being offered as a dinner theater production by Lake Theatre at the Holiday Inn in Lake George, might be the ideal entertainment for anyone looking for a relaxing evening after a leaf-peeping expedition.
The gentle comedy that plays through October 21, places no demands on the audience. Indeed, it’s a pleasant diversion as it is able to walk that thin line between sweet and saccharine. “Fishing Derby” is the kind of play in which the characters are extremely likeable for the two hours you spend with them, but easy to forget by the time you get home.
“Fishing Derby” is about James Bell, a young investment specialist who is a success driven man. He’s devoted several years to a corporation, and now suspects his loyalty is not being returned. On his way to an important meeting his car breaks down in the remote rural community of Kooshog Lake, the weekend of its famous fishing derby.
The derby is not about the size of a fish or the amount of fish caught. It’s what publicists like to call "quirky". It’s about catching a specific fish. The contest is a winner-take-all, and if there is no winner the purse rolls over. This year it is worth more than $90,000.
It’s not hard to guess what happens over the play’s two acts, but playwright Norm Foster isn’t interested in developing a plot. The reward of this play is not seeing what happens, but to enjoy seeing it happen. Foster is more concerned with showing the feel good emotions that happen when good people set examples for other potentially good people.
Just as the plot is predictable, so are the characters who are little more than types. There’s Sienna, a feisty older woman who runs the general store. She’s tough, but secretly lonely. Too, what would a small town be without an older, cynical, fix-anything type of guy – who also happens to be unmarried? As a bonus, giving him the name Kirk Douglas, offers frequent opportunities to get easy laughs whenever things get slow.
Two women also reside in Kooshog Lake. One is Rhonda, an aggressive man-hungry, sexy redhead. The other is Melanie, a quiet, sweet young woman who is getting over a failed relationship with Sienna’s never-seen son. Guess who James falls for?
Because the characters are so one-dimensional it is difficult to fault the actors for performing in a one-dimensional manner. In this case, competent is all the script demands. However, one can fault director Jarel Davidow for not setting a brisker pace and for not being a little more inventive with some of the comic situations the material provides. But even though Davidow doesn’t prevent the extended ending from plodding, you must blame the playwright for writing at least three separate endings for the play in order to provide resolution for everything – including issues we’ve almost forgotten about.
Despite many creative problems, the production does provide a relaxing night of theater. Perhaps that's because the work follows a very satisfying meal that is included in the price. My salmon was excellent, as was companion’s medallions of beef with Bordelaise sauce.. No one at our table tried the chicken or vegetarian pasta. All meals come with a salad, fresh rolls, a vegetable and a piece of cheese cake for dessert – along with either coffee or tea. Prices range from $63-$69 for meal and a show. It’s a fair price for a good meal and pleasant entertainment.
“The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby” continues at the Holiday Inn in Lake George through October 21. For tickets and schedule information call 518-668-5762 ext. 411 or go to laketheatreproductions.com
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
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