When asked to describe “Knock, Knock,” McCain laughed.
“Alice in Wonderland meets The Wizard of Oz!” she said. “It’s a miracle play, told all in fantasy. I had to read it twice to believe what I was reading. There are so many laugh-out-loud, genuinely funny moments.”
The synopsis goes something like this: Two cranky Yankees, Abe and Cohn, who have lived together for the last 20 years, are sitting around bored and bickering, when they hear a “knock-knock” on the door. In walks Joan of Arc, in the flesh, armor and all. Of course Joan is accompanied by her meddling voices, loud and manipulative. But wait, there’s more. Joan tells of a past life as Cinderella. She goes on to explain her assignment this go-around is to recruit two of every species for a ride to heaven on a spaceship.
Starring as the atheistic, agoraphobic Cohn, an unemployed musician who longs for intelligent conversation, will be Elvin Clark. Clark is appearing as an actor in his 23rd TLT production, dating back to 1983, when he was, by his own account, Tryon’s version of a male ingenue.
“Needless to say, the bloom fell off that rose some time ago!” quipped Clark.
Some of his favorite roles have been Pseudolus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Arthur in “Camelot” and Harding in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” He has appeared in productions with the Warehouse Theater, the Upstate Shakespeare Festival, Hendersonville Little Theater and the Belfry Players.
For TLT, Elvin has also directed “Grace and Glory,” “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” “Lost in Yonkers” and “Into the Woods.”
The other half of this odd couple will be Tryon actor Lavin Cuddihee, as Abe, the agnostic ex-stockbroker, and adamant rationalist. This is Cuddihee’s seventh production and third season with Tryon Little Theater. His favorite performances include “The Sound of Music” as Captain Georg von Trapp; “Little Shop of Horrors” as the masochistic dentist, Orin Scrivello; “Our Leading Lady” as Harry Hawk; “Oliver!” as Fagin and his all-time favorite, R.P. McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” with Elvin Clark.
“Elvin and I haven’t performed together since ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ so I figured it was time.”
Cuddihee has also performed locally in Greenville at Centre Stage, The Warehouse and Greenville Little Theater. This past season he also had the pleasure of directing his first production, “My Three Angels,” for TLT.
Cuddihee received his theatrical training at Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
Playing Joan of Arc will be Nancy Winker, who last performed for TLT in the musical “Oliver!” and “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).”
Chris Bartol will play the role of Wiseman, originally played on Broadway by Judd Hirsch. Bartol has appeared frequently on the TLT stage, most notably in “Driving Miss Daisy” as Boolie, “The Odd Couple” (female version) as Manolo Costazuela, “A Thousand Clowns” as Leo, a.k.a. Chuckles the Chipmunk, “Uproar in the House,” “Mornings at Seven,” “First Monday in October” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” to name just a few performances. Bartol grew up in Tryon and then moved away for college and career, returning in 1986.
Cast as the Messenger and supporting roles will be Joshua Moffitt, a familiar face on the TLT stage. Audiences will remember from him from “Done to Death,” “Oliver!,” “Clue – the Musical,” “My Three Angels” and most recently in “A Little Night Music.”
Continuing a cameo career, with 11 lines, as the voice of the policeman is Landrum resident Lorin Browning. His theatrical career began in 1949, when he played the smallest billy goat in “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” He was absent from the stage for 55 years until he appeared in TLT’s “State Fair” in 2004, where he delivered his one line with flair. Browning declaimed three lines as the Fourth Man in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and seven lines in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“Knock, Knock” will play at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19 – 22 and April 26 – 29.
Tickets will be on sale beginning April 5. For more information call the Tryon Little Theater box office at 828-859-2466 or visit www.tltinfo.org.
– article submitted by Mark Monaghan