| |

Theater company presents ‘Chapatti’

With “Chapatti,” Idyllwild Actors Theatre (IAT) brings a heartwarming Irish tale of older animal lovers finding each other to the Rustic Theatre. The title refers not to the delicious Indian flat bread, but to a man’s best friend, an adopted stray dog.

The play, set in Dublin, has been described as a “deft mix of heartache, despair and gentle comedy” by the Chicago Sun Times. IAT has once more dipped into the Irish stream (after most recently Conor McPherson’s adaptation of “The Birds”) finding, in Christian O’Reilly’s tale of older animal lovers connecting, the perfect vehicle for two actors, and the perfect benefit for local charity Animal Rescue Friends of Idyllwild.

Robert W. Norman and Kathleen Walker rehearse “Chapatti” coming to the Rustic Theatre May 20 and 21.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IAT

O’Reilly has a long list of stage, TV, film and radio theater credits in the UK, including at least 12 plays.

Actors Kathleen Walker and Robert W. Norman bring a gentle and honest script to life, finding that “while dogs and cats can aid us through the lonely rough spots in our lives, there is no substitute for tender human connections.”

The casting pairs Norman, a relative newcomer to the stage (this will be his third IAT play) with Walker, a theater “lifer” with a bio including a master’s degree in fine arts from Penn State, and further experience at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and Juilliard School of Acting. Her experiences living with eight cats also has informed her interpretation of her latest role.

Norman’s “Dan” is contemplating “moving on” and looking for a home for his “companion” Chapatti. Walker’s “Betty,” “a real life-affirmer” with a house full of cats, sees possibilities when the two protagonists cross paths.

Director Suzanne Avalon, in her 20th year at IAT’s helm, describes the production as a “fully staged reading” that, with a director-inserted “cliff-hanger,” has been split into two acts. Although no animals will appear onstage (they always steal the show) the actors are so deft at conjuring up their world that Avalon said, “I see Chapatti’s tail wag every time we’re in rehearsal.”

Avalon noted another “interesting thing about the play. A lot of it is directed to the audience. The characters are speaking to nonpresent confidants. Their asides when they are in dialog are in different voices, revealing different parts of the characters. It takes a very skilled actor to pull this off. Luckily, I have two of them.”

Walker explained the staged reading presentation as “two characters, and everything else is imagined. It’s theater at its most creative; it engages the audience to step into the world of Dan and Betty.”

Reviewers have agreed with Walker’s judgment that the play is “not sappy; very heart-felt.” buzznews.net described it as “… filled with a gentle warmth at times, but it also surrenders to heavy emotional conflicts … [‘Chapatti’] depicts an astute picture of emptiness but also presents a sense of hope and how one can be freed from the shackles of despair at the most unexpected moment.”

The play comes to the Rustic Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Tickets are $20 and available online at www.idyllwildactorstheatre.com/shop.

Similar Posts