Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) presents R. Eric Thomas’ The Folks at Home, a sitcom-patterned comedy recalling any number of favorite TV series from our pasts.
Director Reggie D. White unwraps the script with a fine cast of players, depicting a good ol’ fashioned ’70s/’80s-style situation comedy.
The story is a bit more modernly faceted than any from that era – a mixed gay couple, Roger (Keith Illidge) and Brandon (Garrett Young), are struggling to keep up their mortgage payments since Roger lost his job at a realty agency. Brandon believes the solution is to sell the house, but Roger strongly disagrees.
About this time, Roger’s parents Vernon and Pamela (Sean Blake and Olivia D. Dawson) have lost their home for a variety of reasons and come to live with their son and his partner. Next, Brandon’s mom Maureen (Tracy Michelle Arnold) has disagreements with her landlord and must seek an alternative living situation, which means that she too moves into the crowded home. And thus, this homage to sitcoms is duly set in motion.
Keith Illidge as Roger (left) and Garrett Young as Brandon in IRT’s production of The Folks at Home. (Photo by Zach Rosing)
Plenty of laughs are generated, plenty of conflicts occur (it seems each character has some level of disagreement with every other character), and the TV format even includes some rather short scenes with plenty of spaces for commercial messages, though this part of TV is thankfully not included.
Claire Wilcher completes the cast with two appearances – first as the couples’ bizarre maid Alice, and next, in a superior comic appearance which generates the most laughs, as Brandon’s pregnant sister Brittany.
Scenic designer Linda Buchanan, costume designer Yao Chen, light designer Jared Gooding, and sound designer Sharath Patel all contribute to the show’s success.
The one problem I had with the show is a rather uncommon professional ranks flaw – soft voices and some garbled speech. An odd occurrence right at the beginning of the show happened when an audience member actually shouted out “Can’t hear you!” Kinda rude but also true. We couldn’t. I hope the projection and diction improve here.
Bottom line: This is enjoyable and worthwhile entertainment – an engaging story told by a troupe of actors who built nifty characterizations, all wrapped up with a tidy bow with a satisfying conclusion.
The Folks at Home runs through March 16. Ticket information is available at irtlive.com or by calling (317) 635-5252.
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