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"Faith County" -- no shortage of laughter
The higher the hair, the closer to God -- and at the Faith County Fairgrounds in Mineola, where "beehive hairdos are still all the rage," this presumption is taken earnestly. "Faith County," by Mark Landon Smith, takes place in a town that is "located somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the South" and is the tractor pull and bake sale hub of the region. The Community Council on the Performing Arts presents the production with such mirthfulness, it is sure to leave a lasting smile on theater-goer's faces.
The play opens with the setting being the Faith County Fairgrounds, which is decked out in all things Americana -- complete with flags, painted palettes, a concession stand, and the old fair standby... the outhouse. Helping set the comedic scene early on, the audience is made privy to the fact that the stockyards are in close proximity of the concession stand -- this is made evident by the cast members exclamations about the impending stench.
Mildred Hayworth Carson (played by Edi Gragg) enters the fairground scene lugging her arts and crafts competition entry and hollering for assistance from friend, Faye McFaye (played by Bobbie Lou Barber). Gragg is perfect in the role of Mildred, bringing a sassiness reminiscent of Shirley MacLaine's portrayal of Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux of the southern classic, "Steel Magnolias." She delivers witty one-liners with ease, and her cynicism and snark are punctuated with every scene throughout the two acts.
Barber plays the dim-witted, yet lovable, Faye McFaye -- the town floozy. As soon as Barber takes the stage, you know you are in for some serious laughs. Her wardrobe alone is downright comical, with hoop earrings that reach her shoulders and multicolored hair extensions, and a sparkly tulle ensemble in the latter half of the play. Barber plays the part in such a way where you don't perceive Faye in a negative light -- rather, more of the southern derived thought process of, "She's such an idiot ... bless her heart." As an audience member, you find yourself endeared to the character of Faye by the end of the play and longing for another of her theatrical poetry readings.
The storyline follows a day at the Faith County Fair and the different activities scheduled throughout. The events leading up to the arts and crafts competition are central to the first act and Mildred's rivalry with fellow competition entrant, Naomi Farkle (played by Sam DeLaney), is highlighted. DeLaney is great in the role of Naomi, playing a pseudo "know-it-all" and spelling bee champ.
Jane Ann Hancock takes on the task of playing two separate roles in "Faith County," the first being that of hymn singing church-goer Ruthann Barns, and the second being the "recently-dumped first lady of Mineola," the heavy-drinking Gladys Pimbleton. The two characters couldn't be further from one another on the acting spectrum, and Hancock pulls both parts off with ease. It is evident that the stage is a very natural fit for Hancock as she elicits some of the best belly laughs of the production.
We are soon introduced to Faye McFaye's unwilling paramour, Delbert Fink (played by Michael S. Barber), who doesn't understand why Faye thinks they should get married. Michael had one of my favorite lines of the play when he responds to Faye's unwanted advances with, "That wasn't love. That was indigestion!" Which leads Faye to proclaim that she's going to "cancel the reservations I made at Dugey's Motor Court for our Honeymoon!"
Not too long after Delbert's exit from the stage, Luther Sylvester Carson (played by Mike Serna) enters to tell Naomi, his fiancé, that he won't be able to attend the arts and crafts competition because something very important has come up -- a four-row fertilizer demonstration. Naomi reacts to this turn of events how you would imagine -- poorly. Serna brings an authenticity to his character that shines through with the simple sincerity of his dialogue. Luther's naiveté is charming and will endear him to the audience immediately.
Naomi's very pregnant daughter, Violet (played by Amanda Gilchrist) comes across as the sanest individual of Faith County. Gilchrist is delightful in this role and seems like a natural on the stage. Her timing and acting are spot on -- by the end of act two, you will believe that she is genuinely on the verge of having a baby.
We are also introduced to Bubba Bedford (played by Robert Kalthoff) towards the end of the first act. He is the town mechanic who is notorious for not just wearing coveralls and being covered in oil, but also, as Naomi puts it -- "He stinks!" Kalthoff does a great job fleshing out the character of Bubba and shares a funny scene with Hancock (on xylophone) and Barber in which he plays a triangle during a overly-theatrical poetry reading.
I don't want to give away some of the best parts of the play, but the end of act one is a laugh riot that should not be missed. It sets the stage for the beginning of act two, which takes place one month after the events of act one. The setting is the same, the Faith County Fairgrounds, but the event is different. Instead of a fair, everybody has gathered for the wedding of Luther and Naomi. Bubba, hilariously, serves as the officiant at a wedding gone bonkers. Every single character really shines in this final scene -- whether it is the hysterical song performance by Mildred; Naomi taking selfies while walking down the aisle; or the finale of Violet finally giving birth to the baby she's been carrying for "three years."
"Faith County" is a charming play full of small-town humor and stars a stellar cast of local talent. Of special mention are those who help behind the scenes to bring the show to life. Set design was completed by Jo Byrnes, Amanda Gilchrist, John Scarborough, and Tom Schmidt; props were managed by Pete Schmidt and cast; lights/sound were handled by Jo Byrnes, Andrew McNair, and Tom Schmidt; and the play was directed by Richard Daut.
The production is sponsored by Metz Banking Company and produced with special permission by Samuel French, Inc. If you want to take in a show with plenty of laughs, there will be a performance tonight, at 8 p.m., as well as tomorrow at the same time, and Sunday, at 2 p.m. Repeat performances will be next weekend, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m.