 Claire (Charlotte Foster), listens as Millet (Scott Malkovsky) explains some of the missing details of her life – with some assistance from his sock puppet side-kick Hinky Binky – in a scene from the SUNY Fredonia production of “Fuddy Meers.” |
A unique and quirky comedy from American playwright David Lindsay-Abaire will be the next offering in the Walter Gloor Mainstage Series at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
“Fuddy Meers” will open Friday, Nov. 6 and run through Saturday, Nov. 14 in Bartlett Theatre at Rockefeller Arts Center. It is a Department of Theatre and Dance production.
“Fuddy Meers” has been hailed as “a deftly zany absurdist comedy” and as “comic genius” by critics.
“You just have to see it to get it,” said Jessica Hillman, an assistant professor of acting and directing who is directing “Fuddy Meers.” “The play keeps the audience engaged on multiple levels. It is a hilarious rollercoaster ride of a story that is underlined by a serious message.”
“Fuddy Meers” tells the tale of Claire, a woman who is stricken with a rare form of psychogenic amnesia. As a result, she wakes up each morning to find her life a blank slate.
As her family struggles with the daily task of reacquainting her with the basic facts of her life, Claire is taken away by a man who appears from under her bed for a day of madcap adventures which explain her past and her condition. Claire’s day is full of twists, turns, and encounters with quirky and off-kilter characters.
“Fuddy Meers” will be performed in “theatre-in-the-round” style. This provides the audience with the ability to witness the action from all angles because there is seating on all four sides of the stage.
Lindsay-Abaire is an award-winning playwright. He received two Tony Award nominations for his book and lyrics for “Shrek: The Musical” and won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play, “Rabbit Hole.”
Hillman previously directed productions of “Urinetown” and “Victor/Victoria” as part of the Mainstage Series. A member of the Actors’ Equity Association, she has performed professionally on tour, in regional theatres across the country, and in new musicals in New York City.
Show dates and times are Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Nov.8 at 2 p.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 12, Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. “Fuddy Meers” is sponsored by M&T Bank as part of the 2009-10 Lake Shore Savings Season.
For tickets or more information, call the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office at 716-673-3501 (1-866-441-4928) or go online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets.
