Wanda June was run over by an Ice Cream Truck. Now residing in Heaven, she hangs out with an assortment of odd and interesting characters who, along with Wanda June herself, have a connection to a big game hunter and war hero named Harold Ryan. Ryan has been missing for several years in the Amazon rainforest with his adventurous friend Colonel Looseleaf Harper, a slow-witted aviation hero who had the unhappy task of dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Wanda’s only connection to Ryan is that her birthday cake, which colorfully displays the words “Happy Birthday, Wanda June” and was ordered before her vehicular demise, was purchased at a discount by one of two men who are in romantic pursuit of Ryan’s wife, Penelope. The cake is meant to help celebrate the birthday party for her long-missing and presumed-dead husband. Things get very complicated, however, when Harold suddenly reappears on the verge of his legal declaration of death. The play is dark and wildly funny. It contains mature themes and language.
In its earliest form, “Happy Birthday, Wanda June” originated under the title “Something Borrowed,” but was later changed to “Penelope” when it was performed at the Orleans Arena Theater in Orleans, Massachusetts, in 1960. A modern interpretation of the return of Odysseus to Penelope, it is a wildly satirical examination of American culture in the Vietnam and post-War era as it takes aim at toxic masculinity, capitalism, and patriotism. It was made into a film in 1971 starring Rod Steiger, Susannah York and George Grizzard. Vonnegut did not much like the film, but the movie version did cement the work under its modern title. While the play is mired in 1960s and 1970s politics, its satirical views on war and killing continue to remain sharply relevant. Vonnegut did not find a great deal of success as a playwright, so it is his novels, which include “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Breakfast of Champions,” that brought him the most fame.
The Garfield Center’s production is sponsored by Jim and Diane Landskroener. “Happy Birthday, Wanda June” is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
JW Ruth directs “Happy Birthday, Wanda June.” This is his first full-length production at the GCA as a director, though he is well known to area audiences. He played the title character in the GCA production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and gave sidesplitting performances as Max in “The Play That Goes Wrong” and Uncle Fester in “The Addams Family Musical.”
JW is joined on the production staff by Stage Manager Jordan Dixon, Costumer Barbi Bedell, Set Designer and digital projections designer Steven Arnold, and Set Builder and Tech Director Butch Clark. Wendy Wiseman oversees props, Steffi Ricketts provides special digital props, and Francoise Sullivan produces the program.
The cast features a seasoned group of performers. Appearing as Harold Ryan is Patrick Pearce, Adrienne Wrona plays Penelope Ryan, Riley Rosati plays Paul Ryan, Dominic Delcoco plays Herb Shuttle, Bob Walton plays Dr. Woodley, Michael Moore plays Colonel Looseleaf Harper, Rooney Rosati plays Wanda June, Ian Stotts plays Major Siegfried Von Konigswald, and Suzanne Thuecks plays Mildred Ryan.
Tickets are on sale now at www.garfieldcenter.org or via the Box Office at 410-810-2060. Box Office hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 AM to 3 PM. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM from August 9 through August 25.
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