Talent Delivers Drama From Set Of A Stool

“Bits and Pieces: A Potpourri of Plays, Poetry and Prose” Sunday, Feb. 19, at Interplayers Ensemble

Wise and witty words are satisfying enough on paper; even better when read aloud by people whose talent lies in speaking those words.

That kind of talent was massively abundant on the Interplayers’ stage Sunday. Three outstanding Hollywood character actors, Christina Pickles, Jack Bannon and Ellen Travolta, created whole worlds of emotion and humor without ever leaving their stools.

The three did 90 minutes of monologue and dialogue, ranging from the familiar (“When I Am Old I Shall Wear Purple”) to the brandnew (a scene of their own called “The Audition”). It was more entertaining and emotional than anything on a stool has a right to be.

The theme of the evening, as announced by Travolta, was “relationships.” Try to name something that doesn’t cover. In this case it covered the obvious subjects - love, marriage, parenthood - as well as some not-so-obvious ones, including a David Mamet reminiscence about what you might call a man’s relationship with a pool hall.

Some of the best moments were purely comedic, such as Bannon’s hilarious monologue in which he claimed to be the world’s expert builder of privies (“I prefer the crescent moon as a ventilator, and let me tell you why …”) Others were more pensive, such as Travolta’s piece about a mother who sneaks into her son’s room at night to hug him and sing to him. (One minor quibble: The writers were left, for the most part, anonymous.)

The best moment, I thought, was a beautiful monologue by Pickles about a mother mourning, yet celebrating, the newfound independence of her little boy. The ushers should have passed out hankies during this piece.

Choosing the best performance is beside the point. All three performers have their individual strengths, yet all three are equally masterful at the art of the spoken word.

All are most familiar from television: Travolta from “Charles In Charge,” Bannon from “Lou Grant,” and Pickles from “St. Elsewhere.” However, all three have huge amounts of serious stage experience, and all three have won L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Awards. After seeing this performance, that doesn’t surprise me one bit.

Bannon and Travolta, who live in Coeur d’Alene, hope to create a regular readers’ theater series in Spokane. Here’s one enthusiastic vote in favor that idea.