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Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Collin Wenzell The cast of "Bus Stop" sits around wondering when the heck is this bus going to get here already.

In a show that was equal parts uproariously funny and emotionally touching, the Wittenberg Dept. of Theatre and Dance's production of the William Inge classic "Bus Stop" is a winning production that hit many right notes.

The play tells the story of the intersecting lives of eight strangers stuck in a small-town, street-corner restaurant during a blizzard in 1950s Kansas. And of course, since this is William Inge, the scenario couldn't be that simple, so he throws in a cowboy and lounge singer playing a romantic game of cat and mouse, a previously wild lawman who find the lord, a young girl who dreams of something more, a dash of pedophilia, and a whole bunch of fully-realized sexual tension just for good measure.

With all these components flying on and off stage, director Corwin Georges balances them all well; he gives them equal time in the spotlight and the audience never feels as though any one character is left out in the cold. (No pun intended, I swear.)

The dialogue crackles and pops with witty bon mots and a healthy dose of double entendre that balances well with the inherent drama of these pressing desires of all the characters. The vibrant and lively set, designed and styled by Jimmy Humphries is vital and looks truly quite functional.

But the true star of the show is, of course, its actors. As an ensemble, they played off of each other with a kind of ease and cohesion that long-running Broadway shows would die to have, and although they may not exactly look like our conception of the character they're playing, they each seem to infuse their characters with a kind of rich humanity.

Each actor also gave their own standout performance of their own. Amber Bodi played the street-smart diner owner Grace with a devilish grin and popped hip that was reminiscent of Joan Crawford at her most engaging.

Jessica Bruce's wide-eyed and optimistic waitress Elma is a sublime comic creation (complete with a Betty Boop-like helium voice) that Carole Lombard or Lucille Ball would raise a glass to.

Despite having enough makeup on his cheeks to make him look like David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days, Benjamin Turner, with slumped shoulders he must have learned at the James Dean School of Brooding, played Bo, the lovesick cowboy, with a na'veté and a magnetism that was hard to ignore.

Collin Wenzell, Nick Vukasovich, and Paden Frank gave performances that were equal parts world-weariness and good comedic timing, allowing their characters' aching desires to seep through all the mad cap actions.

Jordan Davis' Southern belle ingenue sashays across the stage with an underlying sexuality and a inherent gift for physical comedy.

Finally, Evan Lewis Smith, playing the dichotic and difficult role of the former college professor, balanced his drunken comedy with extremely moving gravitas that switches on a moment's notice, but still feels authentic and lingers with you long after the play concludes.

After last year's questionable and lackluster "Wild Wind," I was concerned once again that I may have bitten off more than I could chew by deciding to review this piece. But thankfully, I was proven wrong, and if their future work is anything near as good as "Bus Stop," then I'll be willing to take that ride again and again.

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