Vermont Stage opens with alternative American history
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By Jim Lowe Times Argus Staff - Published: October 1, 2004
BURLINGTON – Vermont Stage Company's "The Complete History of America (abridged)" is two hours of concentrated silliness, turning this country's history inside-out, upside-down and every which-way. It's a song-and-dance history lesson – and you might inadvertently learn something.
The Flynn Center's resident professional theater company opened its 2004-2005 season, Wednesday at the intimate downstairs FlynnSpace, with this zany Adam Long-Reed Martin-Austin Tichenor comedy.
The premise of this show is that history is told by the winners. What if it were told by the losers? For two hours, three performers – in a multitude of guises – attempt to answer this question.
Beginning with Amerigo Vespucci, this wacked history goes back to the first arrivals from Asia – and Ireland – returning to Columbus, who began the subjugation of an entire hemisphere – establishing an American tradition. Then, it's on to the Puritans and the Salem witch trials, where God has created the first quota system.
George Washington is forced to fight the American Revolution with minute – small – men instead of the Minute Men, who sound an awful lot like the Munchkins of Oz; Francis Scott Key creates the national anthem that is completely unsingable – but there are alternatives; the Civil War is explored with history's first slide show; the Andrews Sisters were really three soldiers escaping the Germans in World War I (only to become famous in World War II); Adolph Hitler is really Groucho Marx; etc., etc.
Some of the jokes are lame, but the pace is so fast that you're on to the next gag or joke before you realize it. There isn't a deep moment, but there is a lot of fun.
The Vermont Stage Company production, directed by Stephen Golux, enjoys virtually every second of this comedy. Although it took a little time for them to achieve their ideal pace on opening night, Corey Patrick, John Patrick (no relation) and Alex Smith created hundreds of zany characters with speed, wit and just the right amount of bad taste. They were particularly effective in the fast-paced physical comedy that combines slapstick with wit.
One highlight was the creation of a film noir involving Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, So Chi Min (Ho Chi Min's seductive daughter) and the Berlin Wall. Another is the Ronald Reagan puppet, on the lap of the controlling Nancy. And then, of course, there's Watergate. And Iraq isn't left out, either.
You don't have to know history to enjoy "The Complete History of America (abridged)," but if you do, it'll be even funnier.