By Dessa Bayrock (The Cascade) – Email
Stiff Cuffs
By Christina Cocek and John D’Aquino
Directed by Colleen Plenert (UFV)
Running time: 60 minutes
Showings: Saturday at 6:25 p.m. and Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
Memorable lines: “Stubby Kaye! Say Stubby Kaye!”
“Hell no – I was born all man and I’ll die all man.”
Warnings: Coarse language.
Stiff Cuffs takes place in a laundromat on New Years’ Eve as Haynes (Dominique Elstak) does her laundry and reads Shakespeare at one in the morning. Enter Billy (Danny Campbell), an arrogant, over-confident character. He tries to hustle her out so he can rendezvous with a woman who is either the love of his life or simply his best friend’s wife. Haynes refuses to leave, and through his cajoling and her stubbornness, they establish a witty and sharp exchange. We know why Billy is here – but why is Haynes?
Elstak and Campbell have an instant rapport, which makes the already entertaining dialogue absolutely hysterical. Not only are the actors witty and natural, but the ebb and flow of tension and good-natured bickering between them leads to a conclusion both satisfying and heart-warming. (If that sounds too cliché for your liking, there is also a tall, broad, brown man in a cocktail dress (Janik Livera): a plot point involving mistaken identity and culminating in a baritone rendition of some classical Italian song.)
Despite the restrictions placed on set (due to the temporary nature of Dfest), the design is simple, but ingenious: a real washer and dryer set the scene as Laundryland, and subtle sound cues lead the audience to believe the machines are really running without being intrusive or irritating.
This is another must-see show at Dfest; apparently it’s Elstak’s first time onstage, but she and the entire cast shine in their roles. Their interactions are believable and entertaining, and both Elstak and Campbell have mastered subtle gestures and facial expressions that allow the audience (but not necessarily the other character) to know exactly what’s going on in their heads.
