MICHELE KOLE
Staff Writer

“Once in a Lifetime,” the 1930s comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, made its FDU premiere last month. The production was a fragmented one, due to an unbalanced cast, direction that was somewhat disappointing, semi-attractive set design and gorgeous costumes.
The play revolves around three East Coast vaudevillians, May, Jerry and George, who are washed up performers. They decide to head out to Hollywood and teach the film stars how to speak on screen - a new technological phenomenon during this time period.
Once in Hollywood, they learn that the Hollywood mindset is very different from their own and they struggle to adjust.
The stars of FDU’s production of “Once in a Lifetime” are mostly quite good. Cindy Fernandez embraces May’s dry humor but more importantly she recognizes the vulnerability that fuels said humor. As a result, there is a stark difference between May and those people buying into the Hollywood mindset.
Doug Berrie plays Jerry and proves he is a master physical comedian. However, he does little to develop Jerry into a fully fleshed out human being and that makes it difficult to believe May would fall for Jerry.
Lucy Fisher is positively adorable as Susan. She makes the self-centered Susan into a likeable and funny character, particularly when Susan is attempting to act.
Chris Dimoulas makes an impressive stage debut as George. Dimoulas does not make George into a stereotypical dumb guy, but instead has chosen to play him as a naïve man trying to make sense of the world around him.
Alex Boruff steals the show as Herman Glogauer. Boruff totally commits to his larger-than-life character. In fact, Boruff seems to be channeling a comedic version of Roy Cohn in “Angels in America.”
Allison Carr, as usual, is very funny. Carr plays Lorna Vail, an underused playwright. Carr’s usage of non-verbal commentary on her surroundings is almost funnier than the lines Kaufman and Hart have given her.
As Vail’s archnemesis, the receptionist, Miss Leighton, Rosemary Glennon makes the most of her small part. Her dramatic exits are a highlight of the show.
Joe Marra is also quite entertaining as Kammerling, a German film director. He is reminiscent of S.Z. Sakall from the old MGM movies.
Amanda Hagar is believably obnoxious as Helen Hobart.
The rest of the cast plays small parts and it must be mentioned that Kirsten Johnson, Angeline-Rose Troy, Chaelee Chaput, Kristin Fulton, Matt Blum and Alex Pepperman are all memorable in their roles.
However, the other cast members do next to nothing with their parts.
These small parts are a major part of “Once in a Lifetime” and because these other cast members make no impression the show seems absurdly unbalanced.
James Glossman’s direction is quite uneven. Glossman has embraced the larger-than-life aspects of the show and most of the time that works. However, he misses opportunities to give the audience a break from that. A few quiet moments in the show would have made the funny ones even funnier. It also must be noted that Glossman’s blocking of the show is very comical, though at times it seems the cast does not understand their director’s intention with the blocking.
Drew Francis, production designer, had sets that ranged from disappointing (there was next to no scenery in the first Hollywood scene) to beautiful (Miss Leighton’s waiting room is simple but wonderful). The costumes by Bettina Bierly are stunning. It was worth seeing the show just for the costumes.
“Once in a Lifetime” could have been a stronger production, but ultimately, there were some great performances, interesting direction, and lovely costumes.