Greetings from Planet Girl
at the Charlestown Working Theatre
by Sheril Stanford
“All women theatre group.” Do these words give you visions of angry, bitter women engaging in man-bashing and invoking all manner of negative male stereotypes? Well, at least with regard to “Greetings from Planet Girl,” you can disabuse yourself of those notions right away. “Greetings” is a frequently hilarious, sometimes poignant ride through a very unique cosmos. The title sums up the perspective nicely – the gals aren’t here to tell you what’s wrong with our planet – they just want to offer a slightly different point of view. Although they aren’t above poking fun at men and their sometimes antiquated notions, these girls have a lot more to talk about than guys, thank you very much.
For instance, one amusing bit was called “What Good are Breasts?” by Lucy Holstedt. The piece, told from the perspective of a puberty-stricken girl, laments in amusing and practical terms her newly developing body. Holstedt appeared later on in the show as a sophisticated woman telling an intriguing story of personal growth and empowerment after being bitten by a vampire. A three part piece by Dorothy Dwyer called “Bed Limbo” was a right-on-target take on “bed as quicksand.” Dwyer took on the annoying, overwhelming, and appalling inability to arise and walk away from our beds via a one way conversation with her taunting “inner voice.” Dwyer’s facial expressions are simply amazing (not to mention really amusing). Another hysterical piece teamed Dwyer with her Mrs. Potatohead partner-in-crime, Margaret Ann Brady. In “Blessed Mother… and Holy Girl!” the pair play a very different dynamic duo, superheros the likes of which you do not often see. With Dwyer as the Blessed
Mom, A.D., and Brady as her cape-wearing sidekick, Holy Girl, the pious pair travel throughout the kingdom, helping thieving shepherds and evil monarchs to see the light. Watching this one is a cathartic event for anyone stuck in Catholic school mode. Watch for upcoming Mrs. Potatohead shows; this is a truly talented combo.
Planet Girl took on more serious topics with “La Mort,” a tear-jerker of a story about a dying woman, told from the perspective of her loving daughter-in-law. The tale is told by Mary Waggoner-Moritz, who manages to convey her thoughts and feelings as both insider and outsider. “So Here’s the Story” is a stunning piece of writing by Julie Waggoner. In a monologue that could be likened to poetry, Waggoner dumps the guy, jumps into his red truck and takes off into the freedom of a cold winter night.
Lead Girl Cyndi Freeman’s contributions were both boyfriend-oriented. In “Obsessive Crush,” Freeman’s fantasies of the perfect man keep getting interrupted, first by the perfect man’s not-so-perfect alter ego, then by the perfect girl, who is trying to steal the perfect man away, and is even after Freeman’s high school prom date, the last man to truly adore her. “Really Cute Bus Boy” is Freeman’s bittersweet reflections on relationships. She did an excellent job portraying a young woman trying to keep her chin up in spite of her sadness, telling herself (and us) jokes to keep her heart from breaking.
The raucous and randy conclusion, “Bite This,” was a chorus-line set to Calypso music, with costumes graphically depicting the “devouring woman” archetype. You just had to be there.
