By Chase Johnson
At the Wedding kicks off with a very funny anti love speech to the kid’s table at the wedding. It is devastating, hilarious, and spoke to my deeply cynical shriveled up little heart.
The Plot of At the Wedding
The story follows Carlo, a cynical former partner of the Bride of the wedding. They came to try and win her back, and to get drunk on free alcohol. They also stop a well meaning if somewhat ditzy man from proposing to his partner at the wedding. And confronts the bride about their shared history, and hits on and nearly hooks up with the aforementioned partner. At each and every turn Carlo is confronted by their past behavior and slowly learns that sometimes all you can do is move on
Performances
Liv Gudmundsson as Carlo is the centerpiece of the show. She is in every scene and the story is told through her perspective. She plays Carlo as a cynical, sarcastic and ultimately relatable figure. (Who hasn’t wished desperately that they could take something back?) Gudmundsson’s performance drips with a sardonic charm that makes the character both hilarious and adds a certain tragic element.
Also of note is Ethan Harris as Eli. He is a goofy but well-meaning (if somewhat innocently insensitive guy) who is planning to propose to his partner at the wedding, until Carlo talks him out of it. Note: multiple other characters point out that proposing at a wedding is a tacky and a terrible idea. Still, Harris gives him a happy go lucky charm which differs from Carlo’s cynicism. This contrast actually provides a nice breather from the heavier more darkly funny or serious scenes.
Production
The entire show is set at a wedding venue. The staging reflects this, and most of the action takes place in the bar/reception area. There are also scenes back in the bride’s dressing room and up on the balcony overlooking the venue’s garden. Scenic Designer Anna Schwartz and Costume Designer Codi Rasor do an excellent job of making both the set and the people look like an actual wedding. Sound and Lights by Jo Sanburg are also excellent. Echo Hicks on Props makes the world of the play make sense and look as realistic as possible.
Bottom Line
NKU does it again! At the Wedding is a bit of a shorter offering this time, at about 75 minutes. The newly renovated Strauss Theater–an intimate black box–is perfect for a play like this, written by Bryna Turner. You feel as though you are really part of the wedding. There is also a roughly 30-minute pre-show where members of the audience can do popular reception dances with the cast.
Go see this show! It features great laughs and witty writing. (But never try to emulate anything these people do at a wedding!)
Get Tickets
At the Wedding runs through Nov. 2 at NKU SOTA. You can get tickets here: https://www.nku.edu/academics/artsci/about/SchoolOfTheArts/news-events/tickets.html Or you can call 859-572-5464.
