Billionaire J. Paul Getty once said that “Money isn’t everything but it sure keeps you in touch with your children.” Uncle George in Richmond Hill Players current production of The Money in Uncle George’s Suitcase by prolific playwright Pat Cook and directed by Joe DePauw learns this quite well when he calls his whole family to assemble at his lakeside cabin in order to apprise them of his Last Will and Testament.
Included in the family are Uncle George an eccentric old coot who likes to spin endless stories about his off-the-grid lifestyle, nieces Peg and Mamie Jo, Peg’s daughter and son-in-law JoAnne and Mitch and their daughter Chelsey, and Mamie’s daughter and son-in-law Gloria and Andrew. Upon arrival, thirteen-year old Chelsey is totally bummed out being stuck out in the woods with no electronic devices to occupy her time. The rest of the family is equally bummed at the thought of an entire weekend listening to Uncle George’s yarns.
However, after George lets slip that hidden somewhere on the property is a suitcase holding four hundred and eighty thousand dollars that he and a, now deceased friend, acquired under somewhat iffy circumstances a manic search by said greedy relatives ensues.
This lighthearted, fluffy farce is just the easy amusement to detract from the hot and humid dog days of summer. Clever dialogue and silly slapstick keeps the laughter rolling as the family – especially the bored teenager, Chelsey – eventually comes around to realize that family trumps wealth any day.
Ably heading up the cast as the verbose Uncle George is Bruce Carmen who is both folksy and frustrating as he tells and re-tells stories to his disgruntled clan. Bringing in solid performances that anchor the action are David Shaffer and Dana Skiles as Mitch and JoAnne. But especially impressive was middle-school student Violet Runty as Chelsey. She was both engaging and engaged; her stage presence more than equaled the adults and was just a delight to watch. I hope to see her in future productions.
The Money in Uncle George’s Suitcase continues at Richmond Hill Players Barn Theatre in Geneseo, Thursday through Saturday, August 22 through 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.