Catfish Moon

Cast (In order of Appearance)

Bob Haas...............................Curley

Stephen Moore..... ................Gordon

Mark Woodard.......................Frog

Maureen Klinedinst............. ..Betty

REVIEW:from the Blowing Rock News

"Catfish Moon" is a Marvelous Summer Catch

By David Rogers. June 21, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- There is something about "getting away" that helps put the important things of life into a proper perspective, whether vacationing on Grandfather Mountain in Blowing Rock, or angling for catfish off a pier in the Mississippi Delta, where Ensemble Stage's "Catfish Moon" is set. The production, directed by Gary Smith, is a poignant, but often hilarious introspection of three "friends since childhood" -- and of course a female love interest to help tie it all together.

The love interest, "Betty" (Maureen Klinedinst), has a different relationship with each of the three friends: sister, ex-wife, and fiance.  The guys have drifted apart since growing up as childhood best buddies.  Given the intersections in their respective relationships with Betty, as well as each other, there is plenty of fodder for drama, as well as for hi-jinx, and playwright Laddy Sartin's script does a marvelous job in exploring the possibilities. 

Moreover, this production's ensemble (pun intended) of actors fit together so naturally that you soon forget you are watching a stage play, and not a witness to real life relationships.  The timing in the delivery of these "lines" is so incredibly crisp as to invoke sometimes good-natured banter and other times "pissed off" rivalry as equally natural.

Given how adroitly the cast pulls off this production as an ensemble, it would be folly to pick a "best" performer in Ensemble Stage's "Catfish Moon."  My "favorite" (and that is NOT to say "best") character and performance was Stephen N. Moore's "Gordon."  Moore is at his best when the recovering alcoholic Gordon relapses to a drunk-as-an-obnoxious-skunk in the play's second act.  While convincing as a smitten, lovestruck blockhead in the first act, I thought he had chugged a fifth of tequila during intermission when he returned in Act 2.

But Bob Haas as "Curley" and Mark Woodward as "Frog" are equally convincing, with some marvelous facial expressions and mannerisms that help tell the story.  In fact, the rapport between all of the actors is so keen that there is little doubt that some of the situations depicted in this story could actually occur.

One of the easiest features of this production is the simple, but very effective set, a collaboration of Managing

Director Lisa Lamont and Artistic Director Gary Smith.

We are not going to comment further, for fear of giving away elements of the plot and spoil things for the play-goer -- which I urge as enthusiastically as I can: GO SEE THIS PLAY.  For tickets, go to www.ensemblestage.com.  Your remaining opportunities are:

At least in the eyes of this reviewer, Ensemble Stage is on a roll.  Beginning with last season's mid-summer show "God's Man in Texas" and late October's "War of the Worlds", and continuing through "Blowing Rock Christmas 2", to this summer's opening production of "Catfish Moon", Artistic Director Smith and Managing Director Lamont have brought professional theatre thankfully back to life in Blowing Rock.  If you like theatre, you should like what they are serving.

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