by Tiffany Willson, Student Reporter
On Thursday, February 14th, The Gaslight Theatre in Enid, Oklahoma opened their annual dinner theatre production “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel” written by Mitch Albom. We unfortunately missed opening night but was able to watch the production the evening of February 15th. After reading the short description offered at the time of purchase, “A Southern comedy that’s not afraid to poke fun at itself.”, I was weary about what might ensue. Regardless, my date and I expected to have a little bit of fun and enjoy some good food.
Upon arrival we were surprised to find that we were the youngest patrons in the room. The dinner, which offered two entrée choices and two dessert choices looked amazing and tasted even better. We even enjoyed a little Moscato with our dessert during intermission! Before the show even started, we were more than happy with this dinner theatre. What we did not know was that we were in for a surprise with this “comedy”.
The set was built on a proscenium stage with a simultaneous setting with four main sets: the newspaper office, a swamp in Alabama, the car, and the Gasmart. The show starts with a journalist, Sandy (Jason Maly), who writes for a shady New York Tabloid called “The Weekly World and Globe”. A tabloid that fabricates and exaggerates news stories to sell papers. Sandy finds himself sent to a small town in Alabama chasing a story about duck hunters who have shot down an angel.
Duck hunters, Duane (Quintin Wray) and Duwell (Jared Hardy), are portrayed to be the stereotypical, comedic rednecks, but as the plot develops, we find out that there’s quite a lot more going on in Alabama. Not to mention the life Sandy left behind in pursuit of greater fame and fortune.
The Gaslight’s portrayal of this comedic script was cohesive and well-timed. I was laughing at jokes that were dumb and playful, as well as well-thought out comedic commentary on social issues such as racism, LGBTQ+ issues, classicism, and more. Not only was the dialogue witty and insightful, this “comedy” held a life lesson revealed at the end of the show that left us thinking as we headed home. The director, Carmen Ball, did a fabulous job blocking and timing this production. However, if I could make a change to more clearly portray the show to the audience, I would alter the scenes played in the car.
The inability of the audience to clearly see the facial expressions and the mouth movements of the actors made it difficult to read the mood as well as the character relationships. I found these scenes seemed to drag on, although Sandy’s change of character and mood as he moved swiftly in and out of those scenes was well-directed and precise. Turning the car parallel to the proscenium arch would have assisted the audience during these movements. I also found the delay of some audio cues to detract from those scenes that held importance for the revelation at the end of the show.
I would give this showing a 5 out of 5 because even despite these small concerns, my date and I had a fabulous time and we enjoyed a night of good food and great theatre! If you did not have a chance to catch the show, there are still available seats for February 21st and 22nd. Support the Gaslight Theatre and see this well portrayed, hilarious story!